Sophocles (after Rubens)
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
plate: 12 1/16 x 8 11/16 in. (30.6 x 22 cm) sheet: 13 3/16 x 9 5/8 in. (33.5 x 24.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.459
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold this striking engraving, *Sophocles (after Rubens)*, created in 1638 by the Flemish engraver Paulus Pontius based on a design by the master painter Peter Paul Rubens. It captures the ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles, whose plays like *Oedipus Rex* defined classical drama, reimagined through the lens of 17th-century Baroque grandeur. Pontius's meticulous lines evoke Rubens's signature style—dynamic poses, expressive features, and a sense of profound intellect—transforming a lost or hypothetical painting into an enduring print portrait. As a product of the Rubens workshop, this work exe...