METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART: GALLERIA 503: Italian Sculpture and Decorative Arts, 1500-1600.

Speranza

Gallery 503 - Italian Sculpture and Decorative Arts, 1500–1600

Many of the Italian Renaissance works of art in this gallery are in pristine condition, which suggests they were objects for display rather than practical use.

They share a decorative vocabulary born of the Italian desire to emulate and supersede their ancient Roman forebears.

An ornamental language with fantastic figures — one bird or beast transforming into another — twisting vegetation, and strict geometry was discovered in the 1480s within the buried palace of the Roman emperor Nerone.

These motifs ignited the imaginations of Renaissance artists working in different materials.

Among Italy's specialties was maiolica — tin-glazed earthenware with elaborate narratives, often mythological, painted in brilliant colours.

Even more precious were the porcelains, imitating Chinese blue-and-white vessels, commissioned by the powerful Medici family of Florence.

Stonecutting and inlay were other areas of expertise.

The imposing table in this room was made in Rome for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520–1589) using material excavated from ancient sites.

Italy's rich and varied artistic output was stimulated by the demands of discerning patrons who wished to have their taste and affluence reflected in the objects surrounding them.