Hebe and Zeus
Printmaker: Raeburn, Henry, Sir, RA · 1756-1823Printmaker: Neri, LuigiPrintmaker: Neri, Paolo · b. 1813
reputed to be the work of Raeburn whilst apprenticed to the Edinburgh silversmith James Gilliland, but see notes below
Luigi Neri worked in partnership with his brother Paolo, see below
The brooch entered the RSA Collections (alongside RSA 2019.015) having been passed down through the donor's family with the story attached that both brooches were the work of a youthful Raeburn whilst apprenticed to an Edinburgh Goldsmith, in 1772, however there are no distinguishing marks which relates the pieces either to Raeburn or to his master, James Gilliland
The attribution to Raeburn becomes even more doubtful on closer examination of the companion piece (RSA 2019.016) which has an identical provenance, is identically mounted, and is also ascribed to Raeburn. It clearly carries an inscription (?signature) “Neri” which possibly links it to the 19th century workshop of the brothers Paolo and Luigi Neri.
An on line vendor in the USA (https://www.rubylane.com/item/844615-0738/ca-1860-huge-shell-Cameo-mourning) has for sale (as at 2019-02-18) a large cameo of c.1860 with a very similar composition suggesting there was a common source for the present piece and the cameo on sale on line, or that it was produced not by Raeburn as a one-off apprentice piece, but in a Continental workshop as one of a number of similar pieces. The subject was a popular one with cameo carvers as evidenced by the number of images available on line
Additional details
-
Object data
Date c.1830 - c.1870 Accession 2019.015 Materials Support pinchbeck, shell Dimensions Shell
4.6cm x 3.8cm
Mount
5.9cm x 5.2cm -
Exhibitions
No exhibition data for this record.
Sitters
Related work
