Who created "Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins"?

Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins was created by Anonymous, Italian, 17th century in 1650–1700.

When was "Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins" created?

This artwork was created 1650–1700.

Is "Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins" in the public domain?

Yes, Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins

Q: What medium is "Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins"?

Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins is Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over red chalk; highlighted with white gouache oxidized gray-black; framing line; verso may have been rubbed with black chalk.

Anonymous, Italian, 17th century

1650–1700

Medium

Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over red chalk; highlighted with white gouache oxidized gray-black; framing line; verso may have been rubbed with black chalk

Dimensions

2 1/4 x 6 7/16 in. (5.7 x 16.4 cm)

Classification

Drawings|Ornament & Architecture

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1952

Accession Number

52.570.164

Tags

Griffins

Art Historical Context

This delicate *Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins*, created by an anonymous Italian artist around 1650–1700, offers a glimpse into the ornate world of Baroque architectural decoration. Friezes—horizontal bands of sculpted or painted ornament adorning buildings—were a hallmark of 17th-century Italian design, gracing palaces, churches, and public spaces. Here, majestic griffins, hybrid creatures with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, flank the composition, symbolizing strength, vigilance, and divine protection in classical mythology and Renaissance revival motifs. Crafte...

Design for a Frieze with Two Griffins

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