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One of five reliefs with scenes from Ovid's Metamorphoses
Attributed to: Johann Andreas Thelot (1655–1734)
German (Augsburg)
about 1700
Object Place: Europe, Augsburg, Germany
Medium/Technique
Metal; Gilded copper
Dimensions
9.52 x 18.11 cm (3 3/4 x 7 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
John H. and Ernestine A. Payne Fund
Accession Number56.308.3
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsSculpture
Ovid’s tales of transformation had particular resonance for artists since so much of their practice consists of turning raw materials almost magically into finely wrought works of art. Metamorphosis has a particular meaning in the context of bronze casting, in which copper, tin, and lead are combined and melted down in a kiln before being poured into a mold to harden into a finished sculpture.
DescriptionMercury stealing Apollo's cattle
ProvenanceBy 1956, M.H. Drey, London; 1956, sold by M.H. Drey to the MFA for £200 (Accession Date: May 10, 1956)