Featured Cameo Art Help Needed

I've enjoyed some digging about The Separated Lovers cameo. I'm sure you must have already researched Tristan and Isolde but still thought I'd mention that, in some versions of their story, a dog plays a part. See HUSDENT here.

EDIT: It is odd that on the cameos shown, it appears to be the young man being dragged away from the young woman, instead of vice versa.

ANOTHER THOUGHT: Hector taking Paris to battle?

 

I've never seen a cameo carved with an elbow sticking out so prominently. Would think that would be rather fragile?

 

Do you mean in particular the pink conch shell one? Conch is pretty tough, & the elbow is not in such high relief as to be detached; the arm still has the support of the body behind it. It is at more risk of getting scratched or dinged, but I would not call it fragile.

 

Have been rolling around in my head the possibility of Tristan & Isolde. I'm only familiar with the story of Tristram as it is told as part of Le Morte d'Arthur, which does not relate anything about him before he is a knight. If there's an episode of his uncle Mark dragging him away from a girlfriend, it's not in the version I know.

By convention Paris wears a Phrygian cap. This is a scene of Hector upbraiding Paris for not fighting, from a Poniatowski gem.



The adult male breaking up the party is wearing garb that suggests the Middle East, which is often a clue that a scene is from the Bible. This insight is not helping me. Faithful dogs are not a big feature of Biblical stories, are they?

 

Maybe Abraham leading Isaac to sacrifice and that's Sarah on the left?

 

It is carved in high relief. Here is a picture of that elbow from the side. I don't think it would break off. I have been searching for the subject of this cameo on and off for roughly 10 years, ever since I acquired it. I am stumped. I was glad to see there were other renditions, which makes me hopeful of eventually figuring it out.

 

Yes, and I think it's a lovely light pink typical to conch, correct?
Thanks for the tip, I won't shy away from "fragile" in the future..

Ah, seeing it from the side makes all the difference, no it's not fragile. Yes the high relief is well braced. It looks so thin and delicate from the front, as would be typical to cameo carving I think. I am just learning about cameos, thank you.

 

Yes. Not all conch shell is that color; it can be paler or brighter. But there is no other shell regularly used for cameos that is that delicate shade of pink.

Slowly we'll draw you in...

 

Thanks! I see that!

 

Dogs can also stand for faithfulness in love.

 

I found this plaster impression from the Prince Stanislas Poniatowski collection-- maybe the two cameos above with the oxen are another iteration of this subject?

This is described as Cinncinatus leaving the plough to dictate laws to Rome.

 

Sure could be! Thanks, let's see what the others think..

 

Thanks for searching. I would never have been able to ID that one either, if I'd come across it in the wild. Similar elements, but I think a different narrative.

 

Does anyone recognize this subject? It is coming up for auction tomorrow.

https://www.johnmilne-auctioneers.c...ding-gold-and-silver-coins-and-jewell-lot-64/

 

Think I've seen this composition before but never known for sure what it is. Suspect the origin is an engraved gem & not a painting or sculpture. My best shot is that it is Hygieia & a genius; the rod, herb & patera are consistent. If only there were a snake in the scene we would know.

 

I will do some searching and see if I can find it. I like how regal she looks. The cameo sold for 240 GBP at auction today.

 

It also has somewhat the look of a Flaxman illustration.

 

Yes, I agree. I looked through a bunch of Flaxman illustrations but didn't come up with an exact match. But as you can see below, these are very similar in composition. The first are the gods rushing to war in the Iliad, the second one is of Minerva transforming Ulysses back to his own shape.

 

Think I particularly had in mind ones like this of Iris bringing the wounded Venus to Mars:

 

There is one of Minerva flying too.