Jugate busts of Czarevitch Paul and Maria Feodorovna of Russia
Medium
Cast glass
Dimensions
Overall: 2 11/16 x 2 3/16 x 7/16 in. (6.8 x 5.5 x 1.1 cm); 68 x 55.4 x 11.1 mm
Classification
Glass
Culture
British, London
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Funds from various donors, 1999
Accession Number
1999.525
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate cast glass medallion, titled *Jugate Busts of Czarevitch Paul and Feodorovna of* (1791), captures the conjoined profiles of the Russian heirs—Paul, the future Tsar Paul I, and his wife, Maria Feodorovna—in a gem-like intimacy. Created in London by Scottish artist James Tassie, renowned for his vitreous pastes mimicking ancient cameos, and associated with the empress herself, the piece measures just 2 11/16 x 2 3/16 inches, evoking the grandeur of classical intaglios while honoring Enlightenment-era portraiture. Tassie's mastery of cast glass allowed for exquisite detail in the s...
About the Artist
Empress Maria Feodorovna|James Tassie (Russian|British, Scottish) · 1759 |1735 –1828 |1799
Russian, born Poland, Szczecin 1759–1828 St. Petersburg|British, Glasgow, Scotland 1735–1799 London