Diana (?), dubbele plakette

About this artwork

hoogte 5 cm x dikte 0,8 cm x breedte 3,5 cm

Art Historical Context

This exquisite bronze plaquette, tentatively titled *Diana (?) – Dubbele Plakette*, dates to the late 15 century (1474–1500), a pivotal era in Northern Renaissance art when artists began reviving classical mythology alongside emerging realism. Crafted by an unknown master, its small scale—standing just 5 cm high, 3.5 cm wide, and 0.8 cm thick—suggests it was a intimate collector's item, possibly a double-sided plaque (*dubbele plakette*) for private devotion or display in a Renaissance cabinet of curiosities. Bronze plaquettes like this one were innovative for their time, allowing sculptors to cast detailed reliefs affordably and in multiples, bridging painting and sculpture. The medium's durability and patina evoke antiquity, aligning with the era's fascination with Roman gods—here, perhaps Diana, huntress and moon goddess, symbolizing chastity and wilderness. Though the subject's identity is uncertain, such works highlight the cultural Renaissance hunger for rediscovered classical motifs amid Europe's shifting patronage from church to secular elites. Visitors will appreciate its tactile charm: hold it (virtually!) and imagine a 15th-century collector tracing its edges, a window into the dawn of modern art collecting.