Two handled cup
Original title: Two handled cup
kurzbeschreibung
A cup with two curved handles takes center stage in this 1646 etching by Wenceslaus Hollar. The vessel is lavishly decorated with ornament. The print belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of public-domain works.
Description
Two large, sinuous handles with ribbon ornament frame the cup. Opulent floral and figural decorations run across the entire surface, including a medallion with the profile head of a man surrounded by a crown. On the lid sits a figure holding a trident, likely Poseidon. The background is left blank, and the rendering is monochrome in black and white.
Context
Hollar, a 17th-century Bohemian printmaker, was famed for his meticulous etchings. In 1646 he was working in England, where he produced highly regarded, detail-accurate images of art objects. Prints like this one served collectors and art lovers as reproductions.
Impact
Precise lines and an exact grasp of the ornament define the sheet. The clear layout brings the cup into focus, and its symmetrical form and mythological reference give it an air of nobility.
Technique
In etching, the drawing is scratched into a metal plate, which is then bitten with acid—an intaglio process. Hollar used fine lines and hatching to bring out light and shadow. The work survives in a single state and was printed on paper.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)