Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Dance of Fauns and Bacchants by Anonymous

Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Dance of Fauns and Bacchants

1500 - 1550

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Artwork details

Medium
drawing, print, etching
Dimensions
plate: 7 5/16 x 10 1/2 in. (18.5 x 26.7 cm) sheet: 9 13/16 x 13 3/16 in. (25 x 33.5 cm)
Location
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Copyright
Public Domain

Tags

#drawing#allegory#print#etching#landscape#figuration#form#ancient-mediterranean#history-painting#italian-renaissance#nude

About this artwork

This print, "Dance of Fauns and Bacchants," was made using an engraving process; an anonymous artist cut lines into a metal plate, likely copper, with a tool called a burin. The incised lines hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under great pressure. The image, made up of tiny hatched marks, shows figures in motion: a piper, dancers, and what appears to be a small goat. The quality of the print relies entirely on the engraver’s skill, and the time taken to produce a delicate image. The print would have been relatively inexpensive to produce in multiples, and easy to distribute. Prints like this circulated widely, serving as a means of communicating classical aesthetics. The “Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae” was a project to document the wonders of ancient Rome, and this print reflects a broader interest in antiquity. We can consider this artwork as an explicit example of art's intersection with the economics of its time, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.

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