An allegory of the rising sun, a naked man wearing a shroud and accompanied Father Time is being drawn by horses
1531–76
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 9 3/4 x 13 3/8 in. (24.8 x 34 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.4221
Tags
Art Historical Context
Giulio Bonasone’s engraving *An Allegory of the Rising Sun* captures a dynamic mythological scene in which a shrouded nude male figure, representing the dawn, is drawn forward by powerful horses while accompanied by the winged figure of Father Time. Created between 1531 and 1576, the print exemplifies the expressive possibilities of engraving during the late Renaissance, when artists used the medium to circulate complex allegories across Europe. As an engraving, the work allowed for fine linear detail and tonal contrast that could be reproduced in multiple impressions, making sophisticated im...
About the Artist
Giulio Bonasone · 1500–1600
Comment on works: History; Mythology