Perseus and Andromeda
Unknown Artist
ca. 1600
Medium
Boxwood
Dimensions
Overall: 5 3/4 × 6 1/4 in. (14.6 × 15.9 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Miniature
Culture
Southern German
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1909
Accession Number
09.162
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite miniature sculpture, *Perseus and Andromeda carved from boxwood around1600 by an unknown German artist, captures a dramatic moment from classical mythology. Perseus, the heroide Pegasus, rescues the chained princessromeda from a sea monster embodying themes of heroism and intervention popular in Renaissance-era art. At just 5 3/4 × 6 1/4 inches, its diminutive scale belies the astonishing level of detail, from the rippling muscles and flowing drapery to the dynamic interplay of figures against a rocky seascape. Boxwood, a dense and fine-grained hardwood, was the ideal medium fo...