Christ Driving the Moneylenders from the Temple: M.4-1954

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Christ Driving the Moneylenders from the Temple

Maker(s)

Maker: Ydieux, Martial
Printmaker: Dürer, Albrecht (After)

Entities

Description

Copper, enamelled en grisaille with Christ driving the Moneylenders from the Temple, and gilded. Signed ‘M.D.’ with a dot inside the D.

Rectangular very convex copper plaque, enamelled en grisaille and with pale pink on a black ground, and gilded. The black appears dark mulberry-brown round the edges.The technique of enlevage was used to model the figures. The reverse has cloudy, and bubbly translucent counter-enamel with many pin holes of different sizes, and red oxydization spots. The action takes place inside the temple. On the left is a doorway with a horizontal architrave, and on the right, an archway with a circular window above it. To left of centre there is a row of receding cylindrical columns and to the right on the wall, a sconce with a lighted candle. Christ stands in front of the columns, whielding a twisted rope in his right hand to drive the money lenders away. His back is turned to the viewer and he looks down towards a money lender who lies on his back on the ground at his feet, with an upturned stool table, a bag of money and a heap of gold coins beside him. Two men flee towards the arch on the right, in which are three other men, and a priest who is looking towards the action. On the left is an upturned stool, a man holding a sacrificial sheep, and three partly visible figures, one a woman, standing beside the doorway. Above the circular window there is a tabella ansata bearing the initials ‘M.D.’ with a dot inside the D. The gilding is restricted to the heap of coins, Christ’s aureole, the candle flame, and a line round the edge of the scene.

Notes

History note: Andrew Fountaine IV; Christie’s, 16 June, 1884, and following days, Catalogue of the Celebrated Fountaine Collection of Majolica, Henri II. Ware, Palissy Ware, Nevers Ware, Limoges Enamels . . . Removed from Narford Hall, Norfolk, second day, p. 34, lot 260; Colnaghi (£97.13.0 with lot 259). Stephenson Clarke. Mrs Dendy Marshall.

Legal notes

Given by Mrs Dendy Marshall

Measurements and weight

Depth: 1.3 cm
Height: 15.3 cm
Width: 12.4 cm

Relative size of this object

What does this represent?

Relative size of this object is displayed using code inspired by Good Form and Spectacle's work on the British Museum's Waddeson Bequest website and their dimension drawer. They chose a tennis ball to represent a universally sized object, from which you could envisage the size of an object.

Place(s) associated

Limoges ⪼ Haute Vienne ⪼ France

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1954-10-21) by Marshall, Dendy, Mrs

Dating

Third quarter of 16th century
Circa 1550 - 1575

Note

The subject, Christ driving the Money Lenders from the Temple is described in John 2, 13-16: ‘Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen: and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise.’ The design was copied from the woodcut in the Small Passion of c. 1509-11 by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).