The Temple of the Sibyl at Tivoli (from Landscapes and Ruins)
ca. 1615
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
plate: 4 5/8 x 12 1/4 in. (11.7 x 31.1 cm) sheet: 8 5/16 x 12 3/8 in. (21.1 x 31.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.573.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Temple of the Sibyl at Tiv*, a captivating etching by Dutch artist Jan van de Vel II, created around 1615 as part of his *Landscapes and Ruins series. This print captures the majestic ruins of the ancient Roman Temple of the Sibyl in Tivoli, Italy—a revered for its dramatic arches and weathered stone amidst lush trees and distant landscapes. Tiny human figures add scale, evoking the awe of classical antiquity during the early 17th century, Northern European artists increasingly romanticized Italy's ruins. Etching, Velde's chosen medium, was a revolutionary intaglio technique at th...
About the Artist
Jan van de Velde II · 1593–1641
Jan van de Velde II (1593–1641) was one of the most accomplished Dutch printmakers and draughtsmen of the early seventeenth century, born in Haarlem into a dynasty of celebrated calligraphers and artists. His father, Jan van de Velde I, was a renowned writing master, and his cousin Willem van de Velde the Elder would later become a distinguished marine painter. Jan II studied engraving under Jacob...