Flora and Mercury
1690/1700
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to and within plate mark): 25.5 x 18.9 cm (10 1/16 x 7 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1992.23.1
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Diamantini’s *Flora and Mercury* captures the grace of classical mythology through the delicate medium of etching. Created between 1690 and 1700, this print reflects the late Baroque period’s fascination with allegorical subjects drawn from ancient sources. Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, is paired with Mercury, messenger of the gods and patron of eloquence and commerce, suggesting themes of renewal, communication, and the harmony between nature and human endeavor. Diamantini, an Italian painter and printmaker active in Venice and beyond, was skilled at translating pa...
About the Artist
Giuseppe Diamantini · 1621–1705
Comment on works: Religious; Mythology; History