Cœnotaphiorum (2)
Medium
Etching; first state of four
Dimensions
sheet: 9 x 5 7/8 in. (22.8 x 15 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Phyllis D. Massar Gift, 2011
Accession Number
2011.510.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This intricate etching from 1563, titled *Cœnotaphiorum (2)*, showcases the inventive mind of Hans Vredeman de Vries, a leading Netherlandish artist celebrated for his architectural fantasies and designs. Created in collaboration with engravers Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum and publisher Hieronymus Cock, the print belongs to a series exploring cenotaphs—monumental tombs honoring the dead. As an early impression in the first of four states, it highlights the precision of etching techniques popular in the Renaissance for disseminating architectural ideas across Europe. Vredeman de Vries worke...