locket
- Museum number
- 1978,1002.103
- Description
-
Locket in silver-gilt set with two oval painted enamel plaques telling the story of The Judgement of Paris. Juno and Minerva are on the lid and Paris and Venus on the back.
- Production date
- 17thC(late)
- Dimensions
-
Width: 3 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Text from catalogue of the Hull Grundy Gift (Gere et al 1984) no 288:
The scene of Paris and Venus, in which Paris is seen grasping a staff in his left hand as he walks towards the left accompanied and slightly preceded by Venus holding the golden apple, is exactly the same as on the back of a watch-case in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (see Verdier 1963, p. 832, no 6). However, the enamelled watch-case required a circular format for the scene and so a classical tempietto has been introduced on the left and Venus appears to hold a branch in her extended right hand. The watch-case is signed Les freres Huaut and probably dates from about 1700-23, when the Huaud brothers had returned to their native town of Geneva after their stay in Berlin, where they had been in the employ of the Elector of Brandenburg from 1686 to 1700.
The palette and style of this locket is very different from that of the Huaud brothers and it is most probable that the two oval panels of the locket were not made in the Huaud workshop. Indeed, it seems that, although the 'Paris and Venus' scene on both the Huaud watch-case and the locket may not be attributable to any workshop in Geneva and might, therefore, be the work of a German enameller, perhaps closely influenced by the Huaud brothers' long stay in the Elector's court in Berlin but unable to recreate their very distinctive warmth of tone and richness of palette. (Hugh Tait).
- Location
- On display (G46/dc12/p1/no29)
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Judgement of Paris
- Acquisition date
- 1978
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1978,1002.103
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: HG.103 (masterlist number)
