Isolated Subject from the Story of Psyche
c. 1532
Medium
Engraving, printed in black, on paper
Dimensions
16.5 × 22.4 cm (6 1/2 × 8 13/16 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
80141
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings collection, where we encounter the enchanting *Isolated Subject from the Story of Psyche* by the Master of the, circa 1532. This intimate engraving on paper, measuring just 16.5 × 22.4 cm, captures a figure from the classical myth of Cupid andche, drawn from Apuleius's ancient tale of love, trials, and divine intrigue. The anonymous artist, named for his distinctive die marks on prints, was a skilled Netherlandish engraver in the early 16th century, channeling the Renaissance fascination with mythology and antiquity. Engraving, a revol...
About the Artist
Master of the Die · 1525–1560
**Master of the Die** (fl. 1525–1560) was an anonymous Italian engraver and printmaker active primarily in Rome during the mid-16th century. Named for the distinctive small die he used to sign his prints—a tiny emblematic mark that became his moniker—this elusive artist remains unidentified despite scholarly proposals linking him to figures like Benedetto Verino, Giovanni Francesco Zabello, Tommas...