Inkwell and Candlestick with the Infant Hercules Killing the Serpents

About this artwork

In the early 1500s, Padua, a center of strong humanist traditions, encouraged the revival of classicism, and artists took their cues from descriptions in the works of classical authors. Classical small-scale bronzes grew in demand, and in response, the city's bourgeoning foundries produced a varied and extensive supply of small statues. Like many early Paduan bronzes, this work's utilitarian function—used to hold ink and to supply light—is complimented by its ornamental value. The base consists ...