Who created "Nymph and Swan"?

Nymph and Swan was created by Benedetto Pistrucci|Fortunato Pio Castellani in ca. 1830–40.

When was "Nymph and Swan" created?

This artwork was created ca. 1830–40.

What medium is "Nymph and Swan"?

Nymph and Swan is Agate cameo; gold mount with black enamel.

Is "Nymph and Swan" in the public domain?

Yes, Nymph and Swan is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Nymph and Swan

Benedetto Pistrucci|Fortunato Pio Castellani

ca. 1830–40

Medium

Agate cameo; gold mount with black enamel

Dimensions

Overall: 1 11/16 x 1 3/8 in. (4.3 x 3.4 cm); visible cameo: 26.9 x 18.6 mm

Classification

Lapidary Work-Gems

Culture

Italian, Rome

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Purchase, Assunta Sommella Peluso, Ada Peluso, and Romano I. Peluso Gift, in memory of Ignazio Peluso, 2007

Accession Number

2007.30

Tags

NymphsSwans

Art Historical Context

Behold the exquisite *Nymph and Swan*, masterwork of lapidary art crafted around 1830–40 in Rome by cameo engraver Benedetto Pistr and jeweler Fortunato Pio Castellani. This petite agate cameo, measuring just 26.9 x 18.6 mm and set in a gold mount adorned with black enamel, captures a graceful nymph entwined with a swan—a nod to classical mythology where such figures symbolize beauty, transformation, and divine encounters. The layered sardonyx agate allows the white figure to emerge dramatically against a darker ground, a technique perfected in antiquity and revived during the 19th-century Neo...

About the Artist

Benedetto Pistrucci|Fortunato Pio Castellani · 1783–1855

Italian, 1783–1855, active England

Nymph and Swan

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