Mercury descending from the sky a trumpet in his right hand
Original title: Mercury descending from the sky a trumpet in his right hand, after Raphael's fresco in the Chigi Gallery of the Villa Farnesina in Rome
kurzbeschreibung
Between 1517 and 1520 Marcantonio Raimondi engraved Mercury with a trumpet in his right hand. The figure derives from Raphael's fresco in the Villa Farnesina. The sheet belongs to Renaissance reproductive printmaking, and it carried the motif beyond Rome.
Description
Mercury stands alone against a large semicircular sky that frames the design symmetrically. His right hand is raised, a sign of freedom or victory, while the left holds the trumpet. A helmet and a mantle slipping from the shoulder complete his gear, and the slightly lifted feet suggest motion. Light from above models the body, and the monochrome printing builds depth.
Context
Raimondi's engraving reproduces Raphael's fresco in the Chigi Gallery of the Villa Farnesina in Rome, made around 1517–20. The banker Agostino Chigi, an important patron of the arts, commissioned it. Raimondi was among the first artists to make prints after works by famous masters, and in this way he helped spread Renaissance art.
Impact
A heroic aura trained on antiquity surrounds the figure. The dynamic pose and the light falling from above give it a strong presence that holds the viewer's gaze.
Technique
The lines were cut into a copper plate and then printed. Fine hatching produces graded tones and gives the figure bodily weight.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)