A Faun or Satyr Preparing a Pig for Sacrifice, from "Ex Antiquis Cameorum et Gemmae Delineata/ Liber Secundus/et ab Enea Vico Parmen Incis"
Medium
Engraving; third state
Dimensions
plate: 3 7/16 x 4 7/8 in. (8.8 x 12.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.97.421
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving captures a lively mythological scene of a faun or satyr preparing a pig for sacrifice, drawn from an ancient cameo or gem. The creature, shown in profile with characteristic horns and tail, bends over the animal in a moment of ritual preparation, evoking the pastoral and ceremonial themes popular in classical antiquity. Created as part of the series *Ex Antiquis Cameorum et Gemmae Delineata*, the print translates the delicate carving of an ancient gem into a detailed line engraving, preserving the composition for a wider audience. Published between 1599 and 1622, the work refle...
About the Artist
Francesco Angeloni|Battista Franco|Philippe Thomassin|Enea Vico|Anonymous, Italian, 16th century (Italian|Italian|French|Italian|Italian) · 1559 |1510 |1562 |1523 |1500 –1652 |1561 |1622 |1567 |1600
Terni 1559 or 1587–1652 Rome|Italian, Venice ca. 1510–1561 Venice|French, Troyes 1562–1622 Rome|Italian, Parma 1523–1567 Ferrara|