Design for a Cartouche and Representation of 'Sight', Plate 2 from 'Neu Inventierte auf die artigste Facon Sehr nutzliche Schild.'
Printed ca. 1750–56
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Overall: 8 7/16 × 13 3/4 in. (21.5 × 35 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture|Albums
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Daniel Ergmann Gift, 2014
Accession Number
2014.97.94
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant etching, created around 1750–56, comes from a German album of ornamental designs titled *Neu Inventierte auf die artigste Facon Sehr nutzliche Schild*. Plate 2 presents both a fanciful cartouche—an ornate frame meant for inscriptions or coats of arms—and a symbolic scene representing the sense of “Sight.” The composition likely features the mythological figure Narcissus gazing at his reflection, a classic motif used to illustrate vision and self-perception. Printed using the etching technique, the work showcases the fine, precise lines and delicate shading typical of mid-eighteen...
About the Artist
Johannes Rumpp|Johann Georg Pintz|Martin Engelbrecht (German|German|Central European) · 1712 |1684 |1730 –1771 |1756 |1750
German, 1712–1771|German, Augsburg 1684–1756 Augsburg|Central European, active Augsburg ca. 1730-1750