SPOTLIGHT ON RENAISSANCE BRONZES

Wed 11 Feb 2026, 3–4pm
At the Museum and Online
Exclusively for Members

An Exclusive Talk for Members of the Ashmolean

This event takes place in person in the Headley Lecture Theatre and online via Zoom.

In-person tickets are £15 and online tickets are £10. Booking is essential. Book below.

With Dr Jeremy Warren, Honorary Curator of Sculpture 

In this fascinating talk this Valentine’s season, Dr Jeremy Warren will explore depictions of love found in the Ashmolean's world-class collection of small bronze sculptures.

Sacred or profane, love is everywhere in Renaissance sculpture. Whether the love of gods or glimpses of real human love, it is at the heart of so many small bronzes, from statuettes of Venus to small relief plaquettes such as Donatello's tender Virgin and Child; love can even be found in utensils such as inkstands and oil lamps, or in a marvellous bowl made for an elite Milanese wedding.
 

Three Renaissance bronzes: Virgin and Child, marriage bowl, Pan inkstand

Three Renaissance bronze gems in the Ashmolean's collection: Virgin and Child with two candelabra plaquette, wedding bowl from Milan, Andrea Briosco's Pan listening to Echo inkstand

These intricate and superbly-modelled works also demonstrate why many people believed sculpture should be seen as the pinnacle of art forms, because its three-dimensionality gave it a real sense of presence that cannot easily be replicated in painting.

The talk will showcase exquisite pieces, many featured in Jeremy's recently published Ashmolean book ‘The Beauty of Bronze’, and include works from the fabulous collection of small Renaissance bronzes assembled by the Victorian collector Charles Drury Fortnum.
An elegant Renaissance bronze statue of Venus and a jacket cover of Jeremy Warren's book The Beauty of Bronze showing another female statue

Left: Elegant Renaissance bronze statue of Venus © Ashmolean Museum. Right: The Beauty of Bronze by Jeremy Warren book cover

Tea, coffee, and cake will be served in the Headley Lecture Theatre from 2.30pm.

BOOKING

This event takes place in person in the Headley Lecture Theatre and online via Zoom.

In-person tickets are £15 and online tickets are £10. Booking is essential. Book below.

Tickets are only available to Members of the Ashmolean.

BOOK YOUR TICKET

Find out more about Ashmolean Membership: Become a Member