Mars and Rhea Silvia: in the centre Mars holds a shield and sword, Rhea Silvia sleeping, Apollo in his chariot upper left
1520–50
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 11 1/4 x 16 7/8 in. (28.6 x 42.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.570.300
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of this intricate engraving, *Mars and Rhea Silvia*c. 1520–50), Italian artist Giulio Bonasone captures a pivotal moment from Roman mythology. The god of war, Mars, stands powerfully in the center, gripping a shield and sword as he gazes upon the sleeping priestess Rhea Silvia—mother of Rome's legendary founders, Romulus and Remus., in the upper left, Apollo hurtles across the sky in his sun chariot, adding a divine, watchful presence to the scene. Bonasone, a master engraver active in Bologna and Rome, drew from classical sources to evoke the era's fascination with antiquity duri...
About the Artist
Giulio Bonasone · 1500–1600
Comment on works: History; Mythology