Plate 3: equestrian statue of Tiberius, in profile to the left, with a naval landscape on pedestal below, from 'Roman Emperors on Horseback'
Medium
Engraving, squared in graphite
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 12 15/16 × 8 9/16 in. (32.9 × 21.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.1002(3)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold Plate 3 from the captivating series *Roman Emperors Horseback*, an exquisite engraving produced around 1587–89 by a stellar collaboration: designs by Jan van der Straet (called Stradanus), with engravings by Philips Galle Adriaen Colla. These Antwerp masters of the Northern Renaissance channeled their fascination with classical antiquity into this print, depicting an equestrian statue of Emperor Tiberius in left profile. Mounted powerfully, Tiberius embodies imperial might, while the pedestal below features a detailed naval landscape—evoking his historical naval campaigns and Rome's mar...
About the Artist
Philips Galle|Adriaen Collaert|Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus · 1537–1612
Philips Galle (1537–1612) was a leading Netherlandish engraver, designer, and print publisher whose career bridged the vibrant artistic scenes of Haarlem and Antwerp. Born in Haarlem, he studied under the humanist engraver Dirck Volkertsz. Coornhert, honing his skills in reproductive printmaking. Early on, Galle produced engravings after the Haarlem master Maarten van Heemskerck, capturing the Man...