Disegni Varij di Polifilo Zancarli (Friezes)
Medium
etching
Dimensions
Plate: 5 1/16 x 17 3/16 in. (12.8 x 43.7 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.20.13(4)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking etching, created around 1625, belongs to a series of ornamental frieze designs titled *Disegni Varij di Polifilo Zancarli*. Attributed to the Italian artist Polifilo Giancarli with contributions from Odoardo Fialetti, the work exemplifies the Baroque era’s fascination with classical mythology and decorative pattern books. Printed in a long, horizontal format ideal for architectural borders, it was intended as a model for artists, craftsmen, and architects seeking inspiration for friezes, furniture, or interior decoration. The composition teems with dynamic mythological figures—g...
About the Artist
Polifilo Giancarli|Odoardo Fialetti (Italian|Italian) · 1600 |1573 –1625 |1638
active in Venice ca. 1600–1625|Italian, Bologna 1573–1637/38 Venice