Inkwell in the Form of Atlas Holding a Globe 1500 - 1600

This bronze inkwell was sculpted by Severo Calzetta da Ravenna in the early 16th century. Ravenna was part of a vibrant artistic community in Italy during the Renaissance. The inkwell depicts Atlas, a Titan from Greek mythology, typically shown bearing the weight of the celestial sphere on his shoulders. Here, he supports the container for ink. But what does it mean to cast a mythological figure in the form of a desk object? The mythology of Atlas is one of burden, strength and endurance. In this bronze sculpture, the artist transforms a figure of might into a delicate object. In doing so, Ravenna asks us to consider the weight of knowledge, the labor of creativity, and the sometimes uneasy relationship between power and intellect. Notice also how the traditional representation of male strength is complicated by the intimacy of the sculpture’s function, transforming the mythological into an object of daily use.