Lot 97: Arent van Bolten, Flemish (1573-c1633) A copper repoussé plaquette depicting Mercury and Battus

Mercury seated on a rock playing his pipes, his caduceus beside him, Battus seated opposite him with a hound beside him, and an oxen behind, 22.5cm wide

This plaquette depicts a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses which tells of Mercury stealing Apollo's Oxen. He is discovered by Battus and bribes him by giving him an oxen.
Arent van Bolten was considered one of the finest silversmiths of the period and the present relief is after a silver original. He also produced bronze sculptures, and is perhaps most famous for his series of bronze models of monsters, of which ten are known (see Rijksmuseum, Inv. no BK-16127).
He is known to have travelled and work in Italy between 1596 and 1602 and the Italian influence is apparent in his works. A silver plaquette by Arent van Bolten depicting the Entombment is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Inv no. M.2-1971.