About this artwork
Contemporary accounts described the slightly curved printing plate (Capodimonte Museum, Naples) for this Carracci engraving as an artwork and a vessel for drinking or serving wine: “More beautiful … is Silenos engraved on a silver salver for Cardinal Farnese.” A Roman gem from Farnese’s extensive collection likely supplied the image, while the plate’s shape mimicked ancient kylixes, such as this one (1889.118), which was incised with a delicate geometrical design while the clay was still wet. Greek black-glazed wares made of terracotta resembled more expensive metal counterparts, which might have been stamped and incised much like Carracci’s silver salver.
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Currently Off View
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Annibale Carracci
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Title
- Drunken Silenus (the "Tazza Farnese")
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Origin
- Italy
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Date
- 1592–1602
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Medium
- Engraving on ivory laid paper
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Dimensions
- 320 mm (image in diameter); 427 × 320 mm (sheet)
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Credit Line
- The Regenstein Collection
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Reference Number
- 1989.172
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
