Harmony – Two Nymphs Singing, Another Playing a Lyre
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 7 x 9 13/16 in. (17.8 x 25 cm) Sheet: 18 1/2 x 12 3/8 in. (47 x 31.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1933
Accession Number
33.7(17)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 18th century, artist Thomas Rowlandson, renowned for his witty caricatures and satirical etchings, collaborated with Italianlassical painter Antonio Zuc to create *Harmony – Two Nymph Singing, Another Playing a Lyre* (1784–88). This enchanting etching captures a idyllic classical scene: two nymphs—mythological maidens of nature—harmoniously singing, while a third strums a lyre, evoking the timeless joy of music and companionship. The composition, with its graceful figures and flowing lines, reflects the era's fascination with ancient Greek and Roman mythology during the Neoclassica...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson|Antonio Zucchi · 1756–1827
Thomas Rowlandson (1757–1827) was an English artist and caricaturist whose satirical watercolors and prints captured the social life of Georgian Britain with unparalleled wit and technical mastery. Alongside James Gillray, he is recognized as one of the greatest British graphic artists, and his distinctive flowing line and keen observations have made his work integral to understanding late 18th an...