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VASE
c. 1885
Medium
16th c.Italian style
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1886
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
This vase is decorated with vertical bands of grotesque ornament. The name ‘grotesque’ derives from the grottoes, or buried rooms, of the Roman emperor Nero’s palace, whose painted wall decorations were rediscovered in the late fifteenth century. The vase’s ornament consists of scrolling plant forms combined with architectural elements and animal and human figures, the vegetal elements often morphing into human or animal forms. The rediscovery of this Roman decorative ornament during the Renaissance sparked a revival of interest that continued throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. During the nineteenth century the style enjoyed yet another wave of popularity due to Italian Renaissance revivalism.
Artwork Details
Accession Number
65-D1M
Department
International Decorative Arts
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited