The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 27, 2024

The River God Tiber (Study for a fresco, Miracle of the Snow, or the Foundation of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome in the Canigiani chapel of S. Felicita, Florence)

The River God Tiber (Study for a fresco, Miracle of the Snow, or the Foundation of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome in the Canigiani chapel of S. Felicita, Florence)

1589
(Italian, 1548–1612)
Italy, 16th century
black chalk on antique laid paper
Sheet: 23.6 x 30.9 cm (9 5/16 x 12 3/16 in.)
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2012.36
Location: not on view

Description

Since ancient times, artists have depicted river gods as reclining bearded men, often holding or leaning on a large urn pouring water. This example, a preparatory sketch for a painting, personifies the Tiber River, which plays a role in Rome’s legendary origins. Romulus, the founder of Rome, and his twin brother, Remus, were abandoned as infants at the river, where they were rescued by a she-wolf. Poccetti lightly sketched the animal’s head behind the river god along with the face of Romulus or Remus.
  • Herbert List [1903-1975], Munich, Germany
    (Wolfgang Ratjen [1943-1997], Vaduz, Liechtenstein)
    (Frederick J. Cummings [1933-1990], New York, NY)
    1990
    (W. M. Brady and Co., New York, NY)
    1990-2012
    Private collection, New York, NY
    June 4, 2012
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Gods and Heroes: Ancient Legends in Renaissance Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-December 31, 2017).
  • {{cite web|title=The River God Tiber (Study for a fresco, Miracle of the Snow, or the Foundation of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome in the Canigiani chapel of S. Felicita, Florence)|url=false|author=Bernardino Poccetti|year=1589|access-date=27 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2012.36