Roman Ivory Hair Pin
Annotations
Roman ivory hairpin (1st century AD). H.: 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm). New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. 17.194.1333.
Roman ivory hairpin (1st century AD). H.: 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm). New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. 17.194.1333.
"The complex motion of this dancer is conveyed exclusively through the interaction of the body with several layers of dress. Over an undergarment that falls in deep folds and trails heavily, the figure wears a lightweight mantle, drawn tautly over her head and body by the pressure applied to it by her right arm, left hand, and right leg. Its substance is conveyed by the alternation of the tubular folds pushing through from below and the freely curling softness of the fringe. The woman's face is covered by the sheerest of veils, discernible at its edge below her hairline and at the cutouts for the eyes," says the description on the Metropolitan Museum website but it does seem similar to have points of similarity with Apollonius' description of Medea's escape.
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
The sketch illustrates a celebrated passage from Virgil's Aeneid describing how Neptune calmed the winds to save Aeneas from shipwreck. Neptune, his arm raised, commands the winds to desist. Jupiter stands in front of the portico of a circular temple. In 1764–66 Tiepolo decorated a room in the Palacio Real, Madrid, with an apotheosis of Aeneas; the sketch may be related to this project. (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Attributed to Giulio Bonasone (Italian, active Rome and Bologna, 1531–after 1576) (in Bartsch, but questioned)
Attributed to Girolamo Fagiuoli (Italian, active Bologna, by 1539, died 1574 Bologna) by S. Boorsch
After Perino del Vaga (Pietro Buonaccorsi) (Italian, Florence 1501–1547 Rome) (Metropolitan Museum)
Bartsch, although he lists this print under Bonasone, doubts that it was done by this artist. The editors of The Illustrated Bartsch concur in doubting the attribution. Massari accepts the attribution. (Museum of Fine Art, Boston)