Series of Cartouches, in: Targhe ed altri ornati di varie e capricciose invenzioni (Cartouches and other ornaments of various and capricious invention, page 45)
ca. 1545–60
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 7/8 × 10 5/16 in. (20 × 26.2 cm) Plate: 5 1/8 × 11 13/16 in. (13 × 30 cm) Overall: 8 1/4 × 10 5/8 in. (21 × 27 cm)
Classification
Albums|Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Daniel Ergmann Gift, 2014
Accession Number
2014.99.45
Tags
Art Historical Context
Cornelis Bos, a prolific Dutch engraver active in Antwerp and Italy during the mid-16th century, this enchanting *Series of Cartouches* 1545–60 as part of his album *Targhe ed ornati di varie eciose invenzioni (Cartouches and other of various and capricious), page 45. Bos, influenced by Renaissance masters like Michelangelo, specialized in intricate ornamental prints that blended Northern precision with Italianate fantasy. These engravings served as pattern books for artisans, showcasing elaborate cartouches—decorative frames often resembling scrolling leather straps or fantastical scrolls—ado...
About the Artist
Cornelis Bos · 1510–1556
Cornelis Bos (c. 1506/10–before 1555), a Netherlandish engraver, printseller, and publisher born in 's-Hertogenbosch, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Antwerp print trade during the mid-16th century. His early life remains sparsely documented, with no records of formal training or mentors, though he was active in Antwerp by 1537, producing his earliest known engraving, *Prudence and Justice*, af...