Dish with The Story of Semiramis
Original title: Dish with The Story of Semiramis
kurzbeschreibung
A round maiolica dish by Fra Xanto Avelli da Rovigo, dated 1534, recounts an episode from the story of Semiramis. The painting is carried out in strong tones on tin-glazed earthenware, and a gilded border runs around the rim.
Description
Several figures fill an interior, some standing, others seated or reclining. Two windows with blue grilles open the room toward the back. The garments recall ancient or medieval models. Green, blue, orange and yellow govern the palette, and an even light brings out the details clearly.
Context
Fra Xanto Avelli da Rovigo ranks among the significant maiolica painters of the Renaissance and worked in Urbino as well as in other Italian cities. The story of Semiramis, an Assyrian queen, was a favourite subject in the visual arts of the period. With a date of 1534, the dish belongs to the years when Italian maiolica workshops reached their highest artistic quality.
Impact
At first the strong colours and the wealth of detail hold the eye. The layout feels calmly balanced, and the figures form clear groups, so that one gladly follows the narrative details.
Technique
The dish is made in the maiolica technique, that is, of tin-glazed earthenware. The colours were applied to the unglazed surface, followed by firing; the gold rim serves as an additional ornament.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)