The Seal of Nero

In class, we briefly discussed the "Seal of Nero" in regards to Botticelli's "Portrait of a Young Woman" and the gem's place among the Medici family's impressive collection of artifacts. This gem is probably the oldest artifact that has been mentioned in our class- dating all the way back to the Hellenistic period c. 30 BC - 20 AD. However, it's relevance to the history of the Italian Renaissance is great because it was one of the most valued pieces of antiquity in the Medici collection and because it was frequently copied and used in various cameos for jewelry and other art forms. 

Lorenzo Medici acquired this artifact from Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan, and he from Cosimo Il Vecchio, and so on and so forth- passed down from generation to generation of important, wealthy families- It's last owner being the Farnese family 1583. The gem now makes it's home in the Museo Nazionale in Naples. 

The specific tie in to our class is that relating to the depiction of the young women wearing what some believe is the seal. However, scholars have concluded that this in fact is not the original "Seal of Nero", but is a cameo of the original. This would be plausible for many reasons. One, being that this gem was valued at thousands of florins (at least double the price of Michelangelo's "Pièta"), and therefore would have not been strung daintily around a neck in pendant form. Also, the coloring is all wrong. The original seal was a reddish color due to it's material being carnelian. The seal depicted is either bronze or stone, and therefore was probably a cameo.  Another myth associated with this painting is that it was paying homage and alluring to the Medici. However, this cannot be due to the timeline of the painting. Botticelli painted this portrait in the early 1480s, yet the Medici did not acquire the seal until roughly 1847, therefore the Medici family would have no tie to this particular depiction of the gem. 

"Portrait of a Young Woman"
Botticelli, c. 1480-1485

"The Seal of Nero"
Dioskourides, c. 30 BC- 20AD

The gem depicts a mythological story of Apollo, Marsyas and Olympus. The scene shown is the outcome of a musical challenge between the god Apollo and the satyr Marsyas. Olympus is the student of Marsyas, and is seen knelling before the victorious god, begging for his master's life. 

Many of the famous Italian Renaissance artists that we've discussed can be related to the gem. Prior to the Medici acquiring the gem, it had actually been inlaid into a golden ring. And who designed said golden inlay? Why none other than Lorenzo Ghiberti (aka golden door guy?). As I mentioned previously, this depiction of mythology was copied countless Renaissance artists- search for the classical past much? It is said to have effected the art top dogs such as Michelangelo and Raphael(same posing of Apollo can be seen in "The School of Athens").  

As you can see, this gem deserves it's own blog post. Check out the scholarly source by Rambach listed below to see examples of the various cameos/copies of the gem. 

-JRC

Sources: 

Rambach, Hadrien. "Apollo and Marsyas on engraved gems and medals." Jahrbuch für Numismatik und Geldgeschichte. 61. (2011): 131-146. Print. http://www.academia.edu/1132277/Apollo_and_Marsyas_on_engraved_gems_and_medals 

  http://eragem.com/news/the-ancient-seal-of-nero-carnelian-is-featured-prominently-in-hmnss-gems-of-the-medici-exhibition/ 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_a_Young_Woman_of_Frankfurt_(Botticelli)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_a_Young_Woman_of_Frankfurt_(Botticelli)