Fame

Art Historical Context

This engraving titled *Fame* by Battista Angolo del Moro captures an allegorical scene rich in symbolic detail. The composition features a central female figure representing Fame, accompanied by angels, lions, and musical instruments—an ensemble that evokes themes of glory, strength, and harmony. As a print medium, the engraving allowed such imagery to circulate widely, making complex ideas about reputation and achievement accessible beyond elite circles. Del Moro, active in 16th-century Italy, worked in a period when printmaking flourished as both an artistic and communicative tool. Engravings like this one translated the grandeur of paintings into reproducible form, often drawing on classical and Renaissance motifs to explore virtues and personifications. The presence of lions suggests power and nobility, while the instruments hint at the lasting resonance of fame through the arts. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this work entered the collection through the bequest of Phyllis Massar in 2011. Its modest sheet size (roughly 12 by 9 inches) belies the expansive ideas it conveys, inviting viewers to reflect on how fame was celebrated and disseminated in earlier centuries.