Modern Grotesque Decoration with a River God
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 1/16 x 8 1/8 in. (30.7 x 20.7 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.57.61(14)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1557 by the collaborative efforts of printmakers Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum, publisher Hieronymus Cock, and designer Cornelis Floris II, this etching exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with grotesque ornament. Inspired by ancient Roman wall paintings rediscovered in the fifteenth century, such designs blended classical motifs with imaginative fantasy. The “modern” label signals a contemporary reinterpretation suited to sixteenth-century tastes in architecture and decorative arts. The composition centers on a majestic river god, surrounded by male nudes, mythical creatures...
About the Artist
Johannes van Doetecum I|Lucas van Doetecum|Cornelis Floris II|Hieronymus Cock (Netherlandish|Netherlandish) · 1528 |1527 –1605 |1606
Netherlandish, 1528/32–1605|Netherlandish, Leeuwarden 1527–1606 (?) Antwerp (?)