Strapwork and Foliage Ornament on Dark Ground with Monkeys and other Animals
1501 to 1550
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.7971
Art Historical Context
In the bustling workshops of16th-century Nuremberg, artist Virgil Solis crafted intricate engravings that bridged fine art and decorative design. This print, *Strapwork and Fage Ornament on Dark with Monkeys and other* (ca. 1501–1550), exemplifies his mastery. Solis, a prolific engraver, produced thousands of plates featuring grotesque motifs—playful yet fantastical interlacing straps, lush foliage, and whimsical creatures like monkeys scampering amid the shadows of a dark ground. These designs drew from the Renaissance revival of ancient Roman grotesques, blending Northern European precision ...