Saint Gregory surrounded by other saints, in front of an archway with putti holding garlands overhead
ca. 1711–54
Medium
Etching; second state of two
Dimensions
Plate: 8 × 5 7/8 in. (20.3 × 14.9 cm) Sheet: 8 3/4 × 6 7/16 in. (22.3 × 16.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924
Accession Number
24.63.784
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Saint Gregory surrounded by other saints in front of an arch with putti holding gar overhead*, a captivating etching created around 1711–54 by de Wit after a composition by the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens., a Flemish powerhouse of the 17th century, was renowned for his exuberant religious scenes filled with swirling figures, dramatic lighting, and a sense of divine energy. Here, Saint Gregory—likely Pope Gregory the Great, patron of musicians and a key Church father—stands reverently amid fellow saints, framed by an ornate archway. Playful putti (cherubic angels) dangle floral gar...
About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens|Jacob de Wit · 1577–1640
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...