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The "Spitzer Cross"

c. 1190

Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop

(French)

France, Limoges, Gothic period, 12th century

Copper: gilded, engraved, stippled; champlevé enamel

Overall: 67.4 x 41.9 x 0.2 cm (26 9/16 x 16 1/2 x 1/16 in.)

Gift of J. H. Wade 1923.1051

Location

106C Medieval Treasury

Description

This fine enameled cross is named the "Spitzer Cross" after the Viennese art dealer and collector Baron Frédéric Spitzer, who owned it in the 19th century. It has justly been hailed as the finest Limoges enameled cross to survive. The work’s coloration exemplifies its refined craftsmanship. Rendered in white enamel, with fine lines defining the rib cage, abdomen, and muscles, Christ’s body contrasts strikingly with the vibrant green, blue, and yellow of his halo, loincloth, and the cross.

Inscriptions

Inscription

inscription on titulus: IHS XPS

Provenance

B. Meyers; Frederic Spitzer, Paris (his sale, Paul Chevalier, Paris, 17 April - 16 June 1893, lot 228); (Arnold Seligmann, Rey & Co., New York).

Citations

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1925. Reproduced: p. 14 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1928. Reproduced: p. 16 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 113 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 47 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 47 archive.org

The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 51 archive.org

Exhibition history

Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art, "The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition" no. 13, 1936; p. 19, cat. no. 13.

New York, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, "Enamels" Septembern 18-November 29, 1959; cat. no. 8.

Seattle, Worlds Fair, "Masterpieces of Art," April 21-September 4, 1962, no. 8, 1962; cat. no. 8, p. 30, repr. p. 31.

Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art, "Treasures from Medieval France," 1966; no. III-31, p. 105, 357-358.

New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "The Year 1200," February 14-May 10, 1970; no. 144, p. 139-140.

Cleveland, The Cleveland Musuem of Art, "Object Lessons: Cleveland Creates an Art Museum," 1991, p. 104.

Bavarian Nationalmuseum, Munich (5/10/2007 - 9/16/2007), the J. Paul Getty Musuem, Los Angeles (10/30/2007 - 1/20/2008) and Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN (2/13/2009 - 6/7/2009): "Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art"

The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 12, 1936).

The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941).

Treasures of Medieval France. The Cleveland Museum of Art (November 16, 1966-January 29, 1967).

Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008); Frist Center for the Visual Arts (February 13-June 7, 2009).

Cite this page

{{cite web|title=The "Spitzer Cross"|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1923.1051|author=Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop|year=c. 1190|access-date=22 October 2019|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

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The "Spitzer Cross"

The "Spitzer Cross"

Master of the Royal Plantagenet Workshop

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