Banquet at the House of Tarquinius Collatinus
c. 1578
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 20.9 x 24.7 cm (8 1/4 x 9 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1982.99.1
Art Historical Context
Hendrik Goltzius created this engraving around 1578, early in his career as one of the most celebrated Northern European printmakers of the late Renaissance. The scene depicts a pivotal moment from Roman legend: the banquet at the home of Tarquinius Collatinus, where noblemen wager on their wives’ virtue, setting in motion the tragic events surrounding Lucretia. Through precise, flowing lines on laid paper, Goltzius captures the tension among the figures gathered around the table, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of honor, power, and consequence. Engravings like this one played a vital r...
About the Artist
Hendrik Goltzius
Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617), born near Viersen in the Duchy of Jülich (modern Germany), emerged as the preeminent Dutch engraver of the Northern Mannerist era. From a lineage of artists—his great-grandfather and grandfather were painters in Venlo, and his father, Jan Goltz II, a glass painter—Goltzius began his training under his father in painting on glass. A childhood fire severely deformed hi...