Plate 8: battle between soldiers on a boat and naked men trying to climb in, a river god at right
Original title: Plate 8: battle between soldiers on a boat and naked men trying to climb in, a river god at right
kurzbeschreibung
On a boat, armored soldiers fight off naked men who are trying to climb aboard from the water; at the right, a river god with a pipe watches the struggle. Pietro Santi Bartoli captured this combative waterside scene in an etching around 1660–90. The print likely belongs to a series reproducing ancient reliefs or mythological subjects.
Description
Armed men in helmets and armor press forward on a boat against attackers who are climbing over the side, some already hanging in mid-air. Off to the right, apart from the mêlée, a river god sits with a pipe in hand. Waves and splashing water are worked out with great precision, while figures and a structure in the back suggest a historical setting. Everything stays in black and white, with the drawing relying on very fine distinctions.
Context
Bartoli, a seventeenth-century Italian engraver, became known above all for his reproductive prints of ancient artworks. He made this etching around 1660–90, while working for aristocrats and scholars with an interest in ancient Rome. The sheet probably belongs to a series based on antique reliefs or paintings that Bartoli studied. Prints of this kind helped spread classical imagery throughout Europe.
Impact
The tightly packed figures and violent movement create immediate tension. Armored soldiers face naked attackers, which brings out the harshness of the fight. The calmly seated river god at the right edge provides a counterpoint and places the action in a mythological context.
Technique
For this etching, the drawing was scratched into a wax layer on a copper plate and then bitten with acid. Fine lines and precise hatching allow movement and water to be rendered in great detail. It was printed in black on paper; the plate was probably used several times for this edition.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)