Man Under a Laurel Tree
1515/30
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/sheet, trimmed to platemark: 31.1 × 22.9 cm (12 1/4 × 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
80161
Art Historical Context
Visitors to the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings department will delight in *Man Under a Laurel Tree*, a striking engraving by Agostino dei Musi (also known as Agostino Venez), created between 1515 and1530. This High Renaissance work, measuring 31.1 × 22.9 cm on ivory laid paper, captures a solitary figure beneath the symbolic laurel tree—evoking classical associations with poetry, victory, and Apollo in ancient mythology. The trimmed sheet highlights the image's intimate scale, perfect for collectors of the era. Agostino, a leading engraver active in Rome, mastered the burin techni...