Birth of Pyrrhus
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of George Campbell Cooper
Accession Number
1896-3-306
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Francesco Bartolozzi’s “Birth of Pyrrhus,” created in 1797, captures a dramatic moment from ancient Greek legend. As an Italian-born engraver who spent much of his career in England, Bartolozzi became celebrated for translating paintings into prints that brought classical stories to wider audiences. This work, now part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection through the bequest of George Campbell Cooper, reflects the late-eighteenth-century fascination with antiquity during the height of neoclassicism. Though the precise medium remains under study, the print format allowed Bartolo...