Allegory of Fame and History, from The Roman Heroes
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 37.2 × 23.2 cm (14 11/16 × 9 3/16 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
268477
Art Historical Context
Behold Hendrick Goltzius's *Allegory of Fame and*, a captivating engraving from his 1586 series *The Heroes*. Created by the renowned Dutch artist (1558–1617), a master engraver from Haarlem, this print embodies the Northern Mannerist style with its elegant, swelling lines and dynamic compositions. Goltzius drew inspiration from classical antiquity, personifying Fame and History amid heroic Roman figures to celebrate virtues like glory and remembrance during the Dutch Golden Age's cultural revival. Executed on fine ivory laid paper (sheet: 37.2 × 23.2 cm), the medium highlights engraving's pr...
About the Artist
Hendrick Goltzius · 1558–1617
Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) was the most celebrated engraver of the Northern Renaissance and a pivotal figure in Dutch Mannerism. Born near the German-Dutch border, Goltzius transformed printmaking into a virtuoso art form through his revolutionary 'swelling line' technique, where the burin was manipulated to create lines of varying thickness that produced unprecedented tonal effects and three-d...