Narcissus at the Fountain, Altobello Meloni
Altobello Meloni
Narcissus at the Fountain
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Altobello Meloni

Narcissus at the Fountain, ca. 1510 – 1511


Dimensions
39.7 x 35.3 x 2 cm
Physical Description
Poplar
Inventory Number
879
Acquisition
Acquired in 1840
Status
On display, 2nd upper level, Old Masters, room 15

Texts

About the Work

This panel – much reduced in size through trimming – shows the beautiful Narcissus leaning over the edge of a fountain to gaze at his reflection. As Ovid recounts in his ‘Metamorphoses’, the young man fell so deeply in love with his unattainable image that he died of grief. So much of the picture was cut away that the subject matter became unrecognisable, and in the nineteenth century the overpainting of a few areas turned the androgynous youth into St Catherine with her wheel. These additions, which distorted the picture’s meaning, were removed only a few decades ago.

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Last update

06.11.2024