Toad, c. 1500-1550 or later. Casting animals from life was a common Renaissance practice, connected to scholars’ interest in natural history and a taste for oddities. Drowning the toad in ammonia left the animal’s body intact. The workshop then manipulated the head, opened the mouth, and cast the creature as a functional object for the study.

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Size: 4367px × 3040px
Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 16th, art, bronze, century, cleveland, heritage, italy, museum, padua, possibly, sculpture, unknown