Cœnotaphiorum (5)
Medium
Etching; first state of four
Dimensions
sheet: 6 9/16 x 8 1/4 in. (16.7 x 21 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
2011.510.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate etching *Cœnotaphiorum (5)* (1563), a masterful collaboration between designer Hans Vredeman de, engravers Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum, and publisher Hieronymus Cock This first-state print from a celebrated series depicts an elaborate imaginary cenotaph—a grand, fantastical funerary monument blending ornate architecture with Mannerist flair. Measuring just 6 9/16 x 8 1/4 inches, its compact scale belies the teeming details: towering columns supported by caryatids (graceful female figures), vigilant dogs as symbolic guardians, and scrolling motifs that evoke Renaissance...