Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus
Medium
Etching and stipple, hand-colored
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed with partial platemark at bottom): 8 1/8 × 8 1/4 in. (20.7 × 20.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.533.1711
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, British artist Thomas Rowlandson created this evocative etching and stipple engraving after a design by Giovanni Battista Cipriani, capturing the poignant moment from Greek mythology when Theseus abandons Ariadne on the island of Naxos. Dated between 1790 and 1799, the print reflects the era's fascination with classical tales, blending neoclassical elegance with Rowlandson's distinctive satirical edge. Ariadne, asleep on the rocky shore with her veil billowing, gazes helplessly at Theseus's departing ship—a timeless symbol of betrayal and solitude that resonated in Ro...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Giovanni Battista Cipriani|Thomas Rowlandson · 1756–1827
Thomas Rowlandson (1757–1827) was an English artist and caricaturist whose satirical watercolors and prints captured the social life of Georgian Britain with unparalleled wit and technical mastery. Alongside James Gillray, he is recognized as one of the greatest British graphic artists, and his distinctive flowing line and keen observations have made his work integral to understanding late 18th an...