Plate 13: ruins of an ancient temple in the background, a herd of cows in the foreground, a round composition, from 'Roman landscapes and ruins' (Paysages et ruines de Rome)
ca. 1643–48
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 3/16 x 5 5/16 in. (13.2 x 13.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.551.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-17th century, during the height of the Baroque era, Italian etcher Stefano della Bella captured timeless allure of Rome's ancient ruins in his series *Paysages et ruines de Rome* ( Landscapes and Ruins), by Paris printmaker Pierre Mariette le fils 1643–48. Plate 13 exemplifies this fascination with antiquity, blending majestic decay with everyday pastoral life. The etching's round composition draws the eye into a harmonious vignette: crumbling ruins of an ancient temple loom evocatively in the background, symbolizing the grandeur of imperial Rome, while a serene herd of cows grazes ...
About the Artist
Pierre Mariette le fils|Stefano della Bella (French|French) · 1640 |1634 –1713 |1716
French, 1640–1713|French, Paris 1634–1716 Paris