Arcus and Callisto
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
plate: 7 x 10 1/16 in. (17.8 x 25.6 cm) sheet: 7 11/16 x 10 13/16 in. (19.6 x 27.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.476
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Arcus and Callisto is a captivating engraving depicting a dramatic moment from classical mythology, likely drawn from Ovid's *Metoses*. Here, the hunter Arcus (Arcas), armed with bow and arrow, confronts a bear—his mother Callisto, transformed by the goddess Juno's jealousy. The tags of hunting, bears, and men evoke the tension of pursuit and unintended tragedy, frozen in intricate lines that highlight muscular forms, dynamic poses, and the wild forest setting. Created by Hendrick Goltzius, a leading Dutch Mannerist engraver, with Robert Willemsz de Baudous, this print exemplifies the virtuo...
About the Artist
Robert Willemsz de Baudous|Hendrick Goltzius (Netherlandish|Netherlandish) · 1574 |1558 –1659 |1617
Netherlandish, 1574/5–1659|Netherlandish, Mühlbracht 1558–1617 Haarlem