Orpheus Charming the Animals
1490/1510
Medium
Engraving in black, from a niello plate, on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 5.3 × 3.1 cm (2 1/8 × 1 1/4 in.); Sheet: 5.5 × 3.4 cm (2 3/16 × 1 3/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
4352
Art Historical Context
Behold the enchanting *Orpheus Charming the* by Peregrino da Casena, a masterful engraving from around 1490–1510, now housed in the Art Institute Chicago's Prints and Drawings. This tiny gem, measuring just over 2 inches tall, captures the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus, the legendary lyre player whose music tamed wild beasts, birds, and even trees. Surrounded by attentive creatures—lions, deer, and fowl—Orpheus embodies the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity, harmony between man and nature, and the transformative power of art. Crafted as a black-line engraving from a niello plat...