Plate 3: various figures transporting materials, walking to the right
Original title: Plate 3: various figures transporting materials, walking to the right
kurzbeschreibung
Barrels balanced on heads, a loaded cart with a large basket — a group of people moves to the right with their burdens. Pietro Santi Bartoli made this etching around 1660–90. The figures' clothing recalls ancient models, which suggests a historical or mythological reading.
Description
The procession of bearers crosses the sheet from left to right; the print is in landscape format. Several people balance barrels on their heads while others drag a cart with a big basket behind them. Crisp lines and carefully placed shading give the figures their contour. Trees line the path, and part of a structure juts out, perhaps a temple or palace. Colour stays monochrome, and evenly distributed light stresses the outlines.
Context
The Italian Pietro Santi Bartoli was known as an engraver above all for reproducing ancient Roman art. This etching arose in the second half of the seventeenth century, when interest in antiquity ran high across Europe. Collectors and scholars often commissioned Bartoli to document ancient reliefs and sculptures.
Impact
Fine lines and calm, even lighting give the sheet a sober tone. The antiquising dress and the tasks performed create distance; the viewer feels transported into the world of antiquity.
Technique
The sharp lines and detailed shading mark the sheet as an etching. This technique allows strokes to be drawn precisely, which benefits the rendering of figures as well as architecture. In landscape format the sheet measures 16.5 cm in height and 46 cm in width.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)