Titus Manlius Torquatus Ordering the Execution of His Son
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 1/2 × 2 7/8 in. (11.5 × 7.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1957
Accession Number
57.658.30
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1553, German engraver Heinrich Aldegrever a master of the Northern Renaissance "Little Masters" for their intricate small-scale prints, crafted *Titus Manlius Torquatus Ordering the Execution of Son*. This engraving, measuring just 4½ × 2⅞ inches, captures a tense moment from ancient Roman history recounted by Livy. Titus Manlius Torquatus a stern consul, condemns his young son to death for defying orders by engaging the enemy in single combat—a shocking act of paternal duty prioritizing military discipline and Roman virtue over family ties. Aldegrever's engraving technique shines in the f...
About the Artist
Heinrich Aldegrever · 1502–1561
Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...