River Landscape with Mercury Abducting Psyche
Original title: River Landscape with Mercury Abducting Psyche
kurzbeschreibung
Simon Novellanus's etching, made around 1595, portrays an expansive river landscape with a striking bend in the river. Hovering above the water at the center is the winged Mercury carrying Psyche; castles, rocks, and wooded banks line the scene. The sheet measures 27.2 x 34 cm and is the first state of two.
Description
A sharp turn in the river governs the layout, splitting the view into two parts. On a hill to the left stands a castle or fortress wall, while in the foreground two figures sit on a rock and watch the event. To the right, large rock formations with caves rise up, followed by trees and more buildings behind. Above the river floats a winged figure carrying a second; the sky is overcast. Latin inscriptions run along the bottom edge, and the image remains in black and white.
Context
The Flemish engraver and publisher Simon Novellanus was active in Antwerp around 1595. At that time landscape depictions gained importance in Dutch art, often with mythological or biblical staffage. Mercury's abduction of Psyche comes from Apuleius's Metamorphoses, a tale frequently taken up in the Renaissance. The Latin inscriptions at the lower margin point to an erudite iconography aimed at an educated audience.
Impact
The wide landscape and the dramatic airborne scene engage in a dialogue that creates a calm yet narrative mood. The arrangement, built symmetrically around the river bend, gives the print a balanced, almost idyllic feel that invites lingering. Precise lines and clearly articulated spaces seem deliberate and contemplative.
Technique
Fine, even lines and tonal transitions in the sky and water mark the sheet as an etching. It is the first state of two, suggesting a later revision of the plate. Printing was done on paper; black ink on a light ground accentuates the contrasts of the landscape.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)