Young Triton on a Dolphin blowing a conch
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Young Triton on a Dolphin blowing a conch” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
This statuette representing a young Triton is possibly made by Franceso Fanelli, in the first half of the 16th century.
The little Triton, who has a fawn's tail and legs terminating in fish tails, bestrides a fantastically formed dolphin.
Triton is a sea-god. He was usually thought to be the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea and Amphritete, the goddess of the sea. A daughter, Pallas, was attributed to him. Usually he is represented with a human upper body and a tail of a fish.
Read on
Franceso Fanelli (1577- ca. 1641) was first documented in Genoa in 1608, where, until about 1631, he produced religious works in marble, silver, ivory and bronze. By 1635, he was working at the English court. Although he described himself 'sculptor to the King of Great Britain', it is unclear whether this title was officially conferred. The V&A owns versions of several small bronzes by 'ffrancisco the one-eyed Italian' listed in an inventory of Whitehall Palace in 1639. George Vertue stated that Fanelli 'lv'd and dyd in England'; he is last documented in 1641 and believed to have died soon after.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- A.124-1910
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
