Orpheus Instructing a Savage People in Theology and the Arts of Social Life
plate dated May 1, 1791, issued 1792
Medium
Etching and engraving; second state of three
Dimensions
Plate: 16 5/16 × 19 13/16 in. (41.5 × 50.4 cm) Sheet: 16 5/8 × 19 15/16 in. (42.3 × 50.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Acquisitions Fund, 2014
Accession Number
2014.796
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the grand tradition of neoclassical art, James Barry's *Orpheus Instructing Savage People in Theology and Arts of Social Life*plate dated 1791, issued 1792) captures the mythic lyre-player Orpheus elevating a primitive gathering through music, philosophy, and civility. This etching and engraving, in its second state of three, measures an imposing 16 5/16 × 19 13/16 inches on the plate, allowing Barry to fill the composition with dynamic figures—clothed and nude men in rapt attention—symbolizing enlightenment's triumph over barbarism. Orpheus stands central, lyre in hand, embodying the trans...
About the Artist
James Barry
Irish painter. Comment on works: History; mythology; Religious