Putto with attributes of the Muse Euterpe
16th century
Medium
Silver gilt
Dimensions
1 7/8 × 1 1/4 in. (4.8 × 3.2 cm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
German, Nuremberg
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915
Accession Number
30.95.130
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling Renaissance workshops of 16th-century Nuremberg, Germany, artist Peter Flötner crafted this exquisite silver gilt plaquette, *Putto with Attributes of the Muse Euterpe*. Measuring just 1 7/8 × 1 1/4 inches, this tiny relief sculpture captures a playful putto—a chubby, winged child figure beloved in Renaissance art—holding symbols of Euterpe, the ancient Greek Muse of music and lyric poetry, such as a flute or lyre. Flötner's design blends classical mythology with Northern European charm, showcasing his mastery of intricate low-relief carving on the precious metal, which was the...
About the Artist
Peter Flötner · 1485–1546
Peter Flötner (c. 1485–1546) was a German sculptor, ornament designer, and medalist whose work played a central role in the transmission of Italian Renaissance decorative vocabulary into the German-speaking lands. Though his exact origins remain uncertain — he may have trained in Augsburg before settling permanently in Nuremberg around 1522 — his formation evidently included exposure to Italian Re...