Large Pendant, Victory Flanked by Two Herms at Centre
1596
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1948.11.170
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
**Large Pendant, Victory Flanked by Twos at Centre** Daniel Mignot, 1596, Engraving* *National Gallery of Art, Rosen Collection* Step into the elegant world of late Renaissance ornamentation with Daniel Mignot's *Large Pendant, Victory Fl by Two Herms at Centre*, a finely detailed engraving from 1596. French engraver Daniel Mign, active in the vibrant workshops of 16th-century Paris, specialized in intricate designs that bridged art and craft. This print captures a grand jewelry pendant at its heart: the triumphant figure of Victory—likely Nike, the winged goddess of success—flanked by two classical herms, those stylized pillar figures with human heads evoking ancient Greco-Roman sculpture. Such motifs symbolized power, protection, and prestige, perfect for elite adornments. Engraving, Mignot's chosen medium, was revolutionary for its precision, allowing artists to reproduce elaborate patterns for goldsmiths and jewelers across Europe. Lines etched into copper plates could convey shimmering textures and symmetries impossible in other techniques, making this work both a work of art and a practical blueprint. Produced amid the Mannerist era's love for elaborate symbolism, it reflects the era's fascination with antiquity revived during the Renaissance. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, this piece from Department CG-E invites us to appreciate how prints democratized luxury design, inspiring lavish jewels worn by nobility. A testament to craftsmanship's enduring allure! (198 words)
About the Artist
Daniel Mignot · 1593–1616
Daniel Mignot (active 1593–1616) was a French goldsmith and engraver who flourished in the prosperous German city of Augsburg, a hub for ornamental metalwork during the late Renaissance. Presumably of Huguenot origins, he relocated from France amid religious tensions, establishing himself as a specialist in intricate jewelry designs. His early life remains not well documented, with no records of s...