Cornucopia Held Aloft by Angels, Ornament with Cross and Rosary
ca. 1780–1820
Medium
Graphite
Dimensions
sheet: 12 9/16 x 8 1/4 in. (31.9 x 21 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1955
Accession Number
55.540.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate graphite drawing, titled *Cornucopia Held Aloft Angels, Ornament with Cross and Rosary*, captures heavenly vision of abundance and faith from anonymous German hands around 1780–1820. Ethereal angels lift a overflowing cornucopia brimming with flowers, symbolizing divine plenty, while a prominent cross and rosary beads weave in Catholic devotion. Created on a modest sheet measuring 12 9/16 x 8 1/4 inches, the intricate lines evoke the ornate ornamental designs popular in late Enlightenment-era Germany, blending Rococo flourish with emerging Neoclassical restraint. As a preparator...