Nanni di Bartolo - Plate with Hercules, Nessus and Deianira - Walters 481497

This plate with a sunk center depicts Hercules, Nessus and Deianira from an engraving by G. J. Caraglio after Il Rosso. It is painted in blue, turquoise-blue, copper-green, yellow, ochre, tan, brown, black and opaque white. At the left Nessus, holding a floating scarf, gallops across the water with Deianira on his back. In the center, seen partly from the back, a river-god who is holding a large vase with his left arm lies on the water near the shore. At the right, Hercules advances bending his bow. There is a landscape background with open water. The back is white, stained with green and ornamented with three concentric yellow circles and two raised circles at the rim. In the center, in blue, is written "D e r c o l l e."