Charger Depicting the Three Graces (c. 1525): Art, History and Details

Charger Depicting the Three Graces (c. 1525) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Maestro Giorgio Andreoli (Italian, 1465?–1553).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

During the Renaissance, an understanding of classical antiquity was perceived to be a sign of social, intellectual, and economic distinction. Scenes from Greco-Roman mythology were prominently featured on maiolica, covering the surface in a style called istoriato (decorated with stories). This depiction of the three graces was likely based on an engraving by the Renaissance printmaker, Marcantonio Raimondi.

Object facts

• Title: Charger Depicting the Three Graces
• Date: c. 1525
• Creator attribution: Maestro Giorgio Andreoli (Italian, 1465?–1553)
• Culture: Italy, Urbino region, Gubbio, 16th century
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: tin-glazed earthenware with gold lustre (maiolica)
• Dimensions: Diameter: 44.8 cm (17 5/8 in.)
• Collection: Decorative Arts
• Department: Decorative Art and Design
• Accession number: 1945.2

A detail from the museum

In Greek mythology, the three graces represent the daughters of Zeus who embodied charm, beauty, and creativity.

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Basilewsky, A., Alfred Darcel, and Petrograd I. Érmitazh. Collection Basilewsky; Catalogue Raisonné, PréCédé Du̓N Essai Sur Les Arts Industriels Du Ier Au XVIe SièCle. Vol. 1. Paris: Vve A. Morel et cie, 1874.
• Milliken, William M. “Majolica Plate by Maestro Giorgio.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 32, no. 3 (March 1945): 23–25.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.