Cupid Riding a Snail over Fungus Vegetation
probably c. 1533
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Print Purchase Fund (Rosenwald Collection)
Accession Number
1966.9.1
Art Historical Context
This intriguing engraving, created around 1533 by the mysterious German printmaker known as Master H.L., captures a whimsical and fantastical scene of Cupid perched atop a snail amid lush, otherworldly fungus. Little is known about the artist beyond his distinctive monogram, yet his works reflect the inventive spirit of Northern Renaissance printmaking in the early sixteenth century. During this period of religious and cultural upheaval, engravers like Master H.L. used the medium to explore imaginative subjects that blended classical mythology with natural observation. Engraving allowed for r...