The Philosophers
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
4 1/4 x 2 13/16 in. (10.8 x 7.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.97.150
Tags
Art Historical Context
### The Philosophers Step into the intellectual world of Renaissance Italy with *The Philosophers*, a wrought engraving by Agostino Veneziano (also known as Agostino deii) after a design by the sculptor B Bandinelli. Created around 1514–1536, this petite print—measuring just 4¼ × 2⅞ inches (10.8 × 7.1 cm)—depicts a cluster of robed men in deep contemplation, embodying the era's fascination with classical philosophy and wisdom. Engraving, Veneziano's specialty, involved incising intricate lines into a copper plate for inking and printing, a technique that revolutionized art dissemination. Ban...