Decorated Urbino Majolica Plate, Dated 1545

An important polychrome majolica plate with a narrative scene, made in Urbino and dated 1545, a significant example of Italian Renaissance ceramics.

The entire surface is covered by a complex narrative scene painted in a rich palette of blues, greens, yellows, and ochres. The composition depicts a mythological episode, animated by human figures and sea creatures and set within a vast aquatic and architectural landscape. Rocky backdrops, vegetation, architectural elements in the background, and a detailed sky all contribute to creating depth and movement.

The iconographic richness and the use of the plate’s entire surface as a pictorial space are characteristic of the “istoriato” tradition, which achieved particularly notable results in the Urbino workshops during the 16th century.

Dated precisely to 1545, the work represents an important example of 16th-century Urbino istoriato majolica.

Condition: presence of a fêlure, or hairline crack.