Inkstand with A Madman Distilling His Brains
In this whimsical maiolica sculpture, a well-dressed man leans forward in his seat with his head in a covered pot set above a fiery hearth. The vessel beside the hearth almost certainly held ink. The man’s actions are explained by an inscription on the chair: "I distill my brain and am totally happy." Thus the task of the writer is equated with distillation—the process through which a liquid is purified by heating and cooling, extracting its essence.
Artwork Details
- Title: Inkstand with A Madman Distilling His Brains
- Date: ca. 1600
- Culture: Italian, probably Urbino
- Medium: Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)
- Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 9 1/2 × 8 1/4 × 5 5/8 in. (24.1 × 21 × 14.3 cm)
- Classification: Ceramics-Pottery
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1904
- Object Number: 04.9.15
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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