Candelabra Grotesque with Heads of Dolphins and Dragons in the Center
ca. 1525–50
Medium
Etching; second state
Dimensions
sheet: 12 13/16 x 4 7/16 in. (32.6 x 11.2 cm) image: 12 5/8 x 3 7/8 in. (32 x 9.9 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.732
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created around 1525–50 by the German printmaker Lambrecht Hopfer, this etching exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with grotesque ornament. Drawing from ancient Roman decorative motifs rediscovered in the 15th and 16th centuries, the design features a vertical candelabra structure populated with fantastical creatures, including dolphin and dragon heads, alongside human faces and female nudes. Such prints served as pattern books for artists, architects, and craftsmen seeking elegant, imaginative motifs for interiors, metalwork, and architecture. Hopfer worked in the medium of etching, whic...