Putto at the left hold aloft grapes,another seated at the right holding an urn, an allegory of the seasons (Summer), an oval composition
ca. 1650–80
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
plate: 5 1/4 x 6 15/16 in. (13.3 x 17.6 cm) sheet: 7 3/8 x 9 3/4 in. (18.7 x 24.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.13.7
Art Historical Context
This delicate etching, created around 1650–80, presents an elegant allegory of Summer through two playful putti in an oval frame. One figure raises a cluster of grapes, while the other sits with an urn, evoking themes of abundance, harvest, and the warmth of the season. The compact composition and graceful lines reflect the refined decorative tastes of 17th-century Europe, where such prints often adorned private albums or served as designs for larger decorative schemes. Likely produced by an anonymous artist working in the circle of Pietro Testa, the work showcases the expressive potential of...