Hercules captured cerberus, the vicious three-headed dog who guards the entrance to the underworld, as the last of his twelve labors. Stradanus arrived in florence in 1546 and for much of his career worked on commissions for various members of the medici family, principally as a painter. He also produced a large number of drawings with hunting scenes for tapestries and for engravings, as well as a small number for ceramics. Here, the fluid, expressive style and use of a blue that he employed in his drawings on paper suggest that he drew directly on the dish. The initials c. D. On the back must be those of the master of the workshop where the plate was produced, possibly in or near florence. Date: between 1560 and 1590 (Renaissance). Place of creation: Florence, Italy. Dimensions: 5.3 × 33.2 cm (2 × 13 in). Medium: earthenware. Collection: Walters Art Museum. Stradanus - Dish with Hercules Overcoming Cerberus - Walters 481330
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