Orpheus Attacked by the Maenads

An oval enamel plaque shows a group of women in blue and gold robes surging toward the left, arms raised, while a single figure in blue stands apart on a turquoise ground. Birds fly above, and gilt highlights glint across the scene and the rocky, watery landscape.

Look closer: A small bird with spread wings in the upper left near the figures, and a winged creature on the right edge.

Artist

Suzanne de Court

Date

first quarter 17th century

Medium

Painted enamel on copper, partly gilt; gilt brass

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

1400 × 1772 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931