Artwork
The Captain of Folly: Design for a Dish with Medallion
The Captain of Folly: Design for a Dish with Medallion is a print by the Renaissance artist Theodor de Bry. It dates from 1578 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Captain of Folly: Design for a Dish with Medallion is an engraved illustration dating from around 1578. Executed by the Flemish goldsmith and engraver Theodor de Bry, the image depicts a decorative dish centered around a medallion, rendered with fine, intricate line work that reveals a high level of technical skill.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a stylized dish whose central medallion is surrounded by a variety of figures and symbolic motifs. While the precise narrative is not documented, the arrangement of allegorical elements suggests a visual program intended for a learned audience familiar with contemporary emblematic language.
Technique & Style
De Bry employed copperplate engraving, a method that allowed for precise, densely detailed rendering. The work demonstrates his mastery of line incision and hatching, producing a delicate interplay of light and shadow that enhances the three‑dimensional illusion of the designed object.
History & Provenance
Born in Liège in 1528, de Bry fled the Spanish‑controlled Southern Netherlands because of his Protestant beliefs, moving through Strasbourg, Antwerp, and London before establishing a workshop in Frankfurt. It was there that he produced the dish design, which later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Context
The engraving belongs to a period when de Bry was transitioning from ornamental metalwork to publishing illustrated accounts of European voyages to the Americas. This piece reflects his earlier focus on decorative designs, illustrating the broader Renaissance interest in combining artistic ornamentation with symbolic content.
Artist & collection
Artist
Theodor de Bry (also Theodorus de Bry; 1528 – 27 March 1598) was a Walloon engraver, goldsmith, editor and publisher, famous for his depictions of early European expeditions to the Americas.
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