Artwork
Tondo mirror frame
Tondo mirror frame is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1498 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This circular mirror frame, known as a tondo, presents an elaborate gilded surface designed to encase a reflective glass.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is classified as a painting and is part of the Robert Lehman collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The painting, dated 1495, presents a heraldic coat of arms alongside a bird as its primary visual motif. These elements function as the iconographic content of the composition, reflecting the use of symbolic imagery to convey familial identity and status in Renaissance art. The work is classified as a painting and is part of the Robert Lehman collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Its provenance links it to the noted collector Robert Lehman, and it remains on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The combination of the coat of arms and bird serves as a visual emblem within the piece.
Technique & Style
The work is a painted tondo mirror frame produced in 1495. It comprises a wooden support coated with a pictorial layer, classifying it as a painting. The surface displays a heraldic coat of arms together with a bird motif, arranged in a balanced composition that reflects decorative motifs characteristic of Sienese art.
The painted scheme is applied directly onto the curved wooden panel, indicating a technique of surface pigment application on wood. The object belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having entered the Robert Lehman collection, where it is preserved as part of the museum’s decorative arts holdings.
History & Provenance
The tondo mirror frame, classified as a painting, was created in 1495 by an artist from Siena, Italy. The work depicts a coat of arms and a bird. It was formerly owned by Robert Lehman before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The tondo mirror frame is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work was formerly owned by Robert Lehman before entering the museum's holdings. Created circa 1495 by an Italian artist from Siena, the painting depicts a coat of arms and a bird.
The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they record any past exhibitions for this object.
Overview
This circular mirror frame, known as a tondo, presents an elaborate gilded surface designed to encase a reflective glass. Its compact size suggests it may have been a personal or decorative item within a domestic setting. The frame's intricate detailing and the central placement of the mirror highlight its function as both an object of utility and an artistic display.
Artist & collection
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