Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Young and Old Bacchant
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 6 3/4 x 5 1/8 in. (17.2 x 13 cm) mount: 10 7/8 x 10 1/16 in. (27.6 x 25.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.72(2.146)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Young and Old Bacchant*, captivating engraving from the renowned *Speculum Romanaeificentiae* ("Mirror of Roman Magnific"), a 16th-century series that celebrated Rome's ancient grandeur through printed reproductions of sculptures, monuments, and motifs. Created around 1514–1536 by master engraver Marcantonio Raimondi designs by Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) and Giulio Romano, this print exemplifies the High Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity. Raphael's graceful figures, infused with Michelangelo's influence, capture the ecstatic followers of Bacchus—god of wine—depicted as a...
About the Artist
Marcantonio Raimondi|Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi)|Giulio Romano · 1475–1534
Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480–1534), born near Bologna, Italy, emerged as one of the Renaissance's premier engravers, revolutionizing printmaking through his mastery of reproductive techniques. He trained in the workshop of the goldsmith, painter, and niellist Francesco Francia, whose influence is evident in his early engravings, such as the goldsmith-like shading in *Pyramus and Thisbe* (1505), h...