Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus
Medium
Etching and stipple
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 10 3/8 × 8 3/16 in. (26.3 × 20.8 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
59.533.398
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, artists like Thomas Rowlandson and Giovanni Battista Cipriani drew inspiration from classical mythology to create evocative prints that bridged ancient tales with contemporary tastes. *Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus produced between 1790 and 1799, captures the poignant moment from Greek myth when Theseus leaves Ariadne asleep on the island of Naxos after she helped him slay the Minotaur. Rowlandson, renowned for his satirical etchings, here collaborates in a more refined neoclassical mode, likely reproducing Cipriani's graceful design with its elegant figures and emotio...
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...