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Andromeda

c. 1720–30
(Italian, 1663–1739)
Italy, Venice, 18th century
terracotta
Overall: 25.5 x 32 x 19.5 cm (10 1/16 x 12 5/8 x 7 11/16 in.)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Sherman E. Lee in memory of Professor Donald Weeks 1981.227
Location: 301 Baroque Sculpture Mezzanine
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Did You Know?

Tarsia sculptred the clay to depict different textures: coral-like rock, smooth skin, and rigid scales.

Description

To stop attacks by a sea monster sent to punish Queen Cassiopeia for bragging that she was more beautiful than the nymphs of the sea, an oracle decreed that her virgin daughter, Andromeda, be tied to a rock and sacrificed to the creature. The hero Perseus would eventually save her, but artists often chose this moment as an opportunity to display a young, nude woman, justified by a veneer of mythology.
Andromeda

Andromeda

c. 1720–30

Antonio Tarsia

(Italian, 1663–1739)
Italy, Venice, 18th century

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