ornamental Frieze with two Putti and a Monster

Art Historical Context

Behold the *Ornamental Frieze with Two Putti a Monster*, a delightful 16th-century engraving Giulio Bonasone, a masterful Italian printmaker from Bologna. Created during the Renaissance, when artists eagerly revived classical motifs, this sheet measures 6 9/16 x 11 5/8 inches and captures the whimsical spirit of Mannerist ornamentation. Bon, active mid-century, was renowned for his intricate engravings that reproduced designs by luminaries Raphael and Parmigianino making high art accessible through print. its heart, the fr teems with playful putti—those chubby, winged cherubs symbolizing innocence and divine joy—frolicking alongside a fantastical monster and birds. These grotesque elements draw from ancient Roman decorations unearthed in the Renaissance, blending the mythical with the decorative for friezes in palaces and villas. Engravings like this were revolutionary: the burin-carved copper plate allowed precise lines and tonal depth, enabling mass production and widespread influence on decorative arts across Europe. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953), this work invites us to marvel at how Bonasone transformed fleeting sketches into enduring visions of fantasy, bridging antiquity and the vibrant 16th-century imagination.

About the Artist

Giulio Bonasone · 1500–1600

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