Joseph Cornell, Untitled, 1954

1954

Medium

Painted wood and glass box construction with plastic balls, painted and collaged wood blocks, glass and plastic elements

Dimensions

38 × 27.3 cm

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-148972

This compartment box, though untitled, could be referred to as The Medici Cabinet. Like many of his "Cabinets of Curiosity," created during the 1930s and 40s (such as Pharmacy , 1943, 38.7 x 30.5 cm, in the Paul Sharer collection), Joseph Cornell often used apothecary cabinets to showcase symbols linked to the Medici family, one of the most historically important patrons of the arts, he was fascinated with. The two small black-and-white portraits featured here reference his Medici series (see Untitled - Pinturicchio Boy, 1942, Glenstone Museum & Untitled - Medici Princess, circa 1948, in a private New York collection). The seated lion object and the five balls arranged within the cabinet are especially notable for their connection to the Medici family's heraldic symbol—the five balls that appear on their coat of arms, representing their power and influence. In his collection of found objects, Cornell also incorporated a contemporary foreign stamp featuring a stag beetle, further connecting to the Medici family. The stag beetle was a symbol the Medici used to reflect their status, emphasising strength and nobility. Together, these carefully selected objects in the 1954 cabinet are characteristic of Cornell’s assemblages, which tell the viewer a cryptic and poetic story through their thoughtful composition.