Battle Scene

Art Historical Context

Behold the dynamic *Battle Scene*, a masterful plaquette modeled around 1540 by Giovanniardi da Castel Bolog, a leading Italian sculptor and engraver of the Renaissance.ed in copper alloy with a characteristic light brown patina, intimate relief measures just 5.5 x 6.6 cm and 84.35 g—perfectly sized for a collector's cabinet or as a wearable pendant. Though cast in the 16th or 17th century from Bernardi's original wax model, it captures the High Renaissance spirit of and classical inspiration. Plaquettes like this one were Renaissance innovations, small-scale bronze reliefs that democratized grand subjects for elite patrons. Bernardi, trained in niello (a black inlay technique) and gem carving, excelled in translating intricate engravings into three-dimensional drama. Here, charging horses and clashing warriors evoke the chaos of ancient battles, blending Michelangelo's anatomy with antique motifs—a hallmark of his Ferrara court style. Housed in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1975 acquisition), this piece highlights plaquettes' role as affordable art objects bridging sculpture and printmaking. Imagine 16th-century collectors admiring its patina under candlelight, a window into Renaissance martial fervor and technical virtuosity.