Put Down Your Weapons!

Shell Cameo After a Painting by Gagneraux in Gold, Around 1910

€ 1,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €1,980.00 / piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Shell Cameo After a Painting by Gagneraux in Gold, Around 1910

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

The present shell cameo shows a rarely depicted motif of mythology: the genius of peace, a naked youth with wings and flowing hair, tames the horses of Mars. He holds the reins of the war god's steeds in his hand and is about to give them their freedom. The armour, the helmet, the shield and the torch of Mars are already left on the ground. Mars himself is not to be seen. But deprived of his warlike chariot, from which he brought so much suffering and disaster upon the world, without his weapons and armor, peace now returns to the world. The cameo follows in its representation a painting of the French painter Bénigne Gagneraux (*Dijon 1756, + Florence 1795). The winner of the Rome Prize of the Academy was specialized in history paintings whose heroic themes he brought to canvas in classical perfection of form. His "The Genius of Peace tames the Horses of Mars" from 1794 is kept today in the Museum of the City of Geneva. The large shell cameo is set in filigree gold and can be worn as a brooch. Wonderfully preserved, this is an absolutely collectible piece that came to us from London.

Learn more

For centuries, the possession of cameos was the claim of almost all great collections of decorative arts and chambers of curiosities, from the Green Vault in Dresden and the treasury of Rudolf II to large private collections such as that of Baron von Stosch in later times. The 18th and 19th centuries produced numerous large imprint collections of antique seal stones and cameos, which were able to represent the antique imagery of glyptic almost in its entirety, as they were also an expression of a humanistic education. However, the art of cameo-cutting has survived to this day in Italy, especially in the Bay of Naples, where it has been handed down from generation to generation. Today the Scuola dei Cammei in Torre del Greco is the only large-scale training centre for cameo-cutters in Italy. Of particular importance for the transmission of stone and shell carving north of the Alps have always been travellers to Italy, who brought home impressions and cut stones as well as engraved shells from their educational journeys to enjoy.

Learn more

Size & Details

Put Down Your Weapons!

€ 1,980.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Unit price €1,980.00 / piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.

You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.

Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.

Learn more

Put Down Your Weapons!

Brooches & Pins

Privacy settings