Narcissus at the Source

Narcissus at the Source by Christoph Jamnitzer

Medium

Cast, chased, engraved and gilded silver

Dimensions

wt. confirmed: 5 7/16 × 4 13/16 in., 12.345oz. (13.8 × 12.2 cm, 350g)

Classification

Metalwork-Silver

Culture

German, Nuremburg

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Purchase, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Acquisitions Fund, 2021

Accession Number

2021.118

Tags

Narcissus

About this artwork

Christoph Jamnitzer's "Narcissus at the Source" (circa 1600) represents German Renaissance goldsmithing at its most sophisticated, combining mythological narrative with virtuoso metalworking technique. Created in cast, chased, engraved, and gilded silver, this Nuremberg masterpiece (5 7/16 × 4 13/16 inches, 12.345 ounces) depicts the tragic Greek myth of Narcissus, who died gazing at his own reflection in a pool—a cautionary tale about vanity and self-love that resonated with Christian morality....

About the Artist

Christoph Jamnitzer

Comment on works: goldsmith; copper engraver

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