A Man Showing Mercury the Eagle of Jupiter
Medium
etching
Dimensions
plate: 31.8 x 44.8 cm (12 1/2 x 17 5/8 in.) sheet: 35.4 x 49.7 cm (13 15/16 x 19 9/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1985.3.18
Art Historical Context
Crescenzio Onofri’s 1696 etching *A Man Showing Mercury the Eagle of Jupiter* a striking moment from classical. Created during the late Baroque period, print depicts the messenger god Mercury confronted by a man presenting Jupiter’s majestic eagle, a symbol of divine authority and power. Onofri, an Italian artist active in Rome, used this scene to explore themes of communication between gods and mortals, a popular subject in seventeenth-century art that reflected the era’s fascination with ancient narratives. As an etching, the work highlights the medium’s importance in disseminating mytholog...
About the Artist
Crescenzio Onofri · 1632–1712
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