Frieze fragment
Unknown Artist
early 16th century
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Overall (wt. confirmed): 13 1/2 × 45 in., 114 lb. (34.3 × 114.3 cm, 51.7 kg)
Classification
Sculpture-Architectural
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.754
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite marble frieze fragment, by an unknown Italian artist in the early 16th, captures a dynamic moment from what was likely a larger architectural narrative. Measuring 13½ × 45 inches and weighing114 pounds, it showcases finely detailed faces and horses, evoking grandeur of Renaissance decorative schemes. As an architectural sculpture, it would have adorned the facade or interior of a palace, church, or civic building, contributing to the era's revival of classical antiquity. Hailing from Italy during the High Renaissance, this piece reflects the period's mastery of marble carving—a...