Venus Bathing
Medium
Etching and stipple engraving, printed in color; sixth state
Dimensions
Plate: 14 × 10 3/8 in. (35.5 × 26.3 cm) Sheet: 14 11/16 × 11 1/8 in. (37.3 × 28.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Catherine D. Wentworth, 1948
Accession Number
48.187.753
Art Historical Context
"Venus Bathing," a delicate etching and stipple engraving in color from March 1, 1800, captures the timeless allure of classical mythology. This sixth-state impression showcases a collaborative masterpiece: designed by the neoclassical painter Giovanni Battistariani, with masterful engravings by Francesco Bartozzi—a pioneer of stipple technique—and William Dickinson. Depicting the goddess Venus in a serene bathing pose, the print evokes the sensual elegance of late 18th-century European, blending mythological reverence with refined beauty. The medium is a highlight of printmaking innovation. ...
About the Artist
Francesco Bartolozzi|Giovanni Battista Cipriani|William Dickinson · 1727–1815
Francesco Bartolozzi (1727–1815) was an Italian engraver whose most productive period was spent in London, where he became the leading exponent of stipple engraving and a founding member of the Royal Academy. Born in Florence and trained first as a painter before turning to engraving in Venice, he established his reputation in Rome before being recruited by the English Royal Librarian Richard Dalt...