A Moonlit scene depicting the Areopagite judged of Athens, from Thronus Justitiae, tredecim pulcherrimus tabulis..., plate 8
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 9/16 × 14 9/16 in. (29.4 × 37 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1956
Accession Number
56.597.40(10)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the moonlit glow of this dramatic engraving from 1605, we "A Moonlit Scene Depicting the Areopagite Judged of Athens," plate 8 from the series *Thronus Justitiae, tredecim pulcherrimus tabulis* ("Throne of Justice, Thirteen Most Beautiful Plates"). Created through a collaboration between Mannerist painter Joachim Wtewael, who likely designed the composition, and skilled engravers Willem van Swanenburg and Christoffel van Sichem I, this print measures about 11½ × 14½ inches and captures a tense nocturnal judgment on Athens' storied Areopagus hill—a site of ancient trials evoking themes of di...