European Decorative Arts and Sculpture Plate with Hannibal's Army Crossing the River Ebro Made in Urbino, Italy, Europec. 1540-60 Workshop of Guido Durantino, Italian (active Urbino), documented 1516 - 1576 Tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) * Gallery 250, European Art 1500-1850, second floor 2009-240-1 125th Anniversary Acquisition. The Howard I. and Janet H. Stein Collection, 2009 |
LabelThis plate is from a large and impressive service decorated with events from the life of the Carthaginian general Hannibal. The blank area at the top of the rim was likely intended to hold the coat of arms of the family who commissioned the service. The complexity of the composition, and a rhyming explanatory couplet on the back of this plate and other pieces from the set, suggest the importance of the commission and the probable wealth and influence of the unknown patron. Couplet: Annibale passato il fiume Ibero, / Piu Terre acquista a l'Africaon / impero. (Translation: Hannibal crosses the River Ebro to acquire more territory for the African empire.)* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
