Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Renaissance and Baroque Cameos from Italy

Cameo - Alexander the Great
Italy
17th century
agate, rock crystal
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Male Head
Italy
ca. 1575-1600
garnet
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Athena
Italy
17th century
agate
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Aphrodite on Dolphin with Tritons
Italy
16th century
onyx
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Q:   What is your definition of design?
A:    A plan for arranging elements in such a way as to best accomplish a particular purpose.

Q:    Does the creation of design admit constraint?
A:    Design depends largely on constraints.

Q:    What constraints?
A:    The sum of all constraints. Here is one of the few effective keys to the design problem  the ability of the designer to recognize as many of the constraints as possible – his willingness and enthusiasm for working within these constraints – the constraints of price, of size, of strength, balance, of surface, of time, etc. – each problem has its own peculiar list.

Q:    Does design obey laws?
A:    Aren't constraints enough?

 from What is Design? by Charles Eames (1972)

Cameo - Bacchus and Ariadne
Italy
16th century
carnelian
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Four Female Profiles
Italy
16th century
sardonyx
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Hercules and Antaeus
Italy
16th century
agate
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Adam and Eve
Italy
ca. 1400-1450
turquoise
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Bacchante
Italy
16th century
onyx
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Demeter in Chariot
Italy
17th century
agate
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Diana
Italy (Florence)
ca. 1555
onyx, gold, enamel
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

 Cameo - Genius riding Hippocamp
Italy
16th century
sardonyx
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Triton riding Hippocamp
Italy
16th century
shell cameo
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Mask of Pan
Italy
17th century
lapis lazuli
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Emperor Hadrian
Italy
ca. 1675-1700
agate
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Julio-Claudian Prince
Italy
16th century
agate
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

Cameo - Fall of Icarus
Italy
ca. 1580-1620
onyx
Hermitage, Saint Petersburg