Ornamental Panel (ca. 1514–36, Met-Objekt 5820)
Original title: Ornamental Panel
kurzbeschreibung
Agostino Veneziano (Agostino dei Musi) made this engraving, known as the Ornamentale Tafel, between about 1514 and 1536. The sheet presents a richly decorated panel: a male figure holds the middle, surrounded by angels, cherubim and mythological creatures woven into a lush ornamental scrollwork.
Description
A male figure sits at the heart of the panel, hemmed in by many further beings: angels, cherubim and fabulous creatures, each in a different attitude, some floating, others seated or reclining. Scrolls, leaves, fruits and stylized shapes spread across the whole surface. Everything stays monochrome in shades of grey, evenly lit, without harsh contrasts. The exactness of the linework is what marks the engraving.
Context
Agostino Veneziano was an Italian engraver of the Renaissance who worked in Marcantonio Raimondi's workshop. He became known for ornamental and mythological subjects, often made for decorative use or as models for the crafts. The dating of about 1514–36 falls in his Roman years, when both antiquity and the art of his own time shaped him.
Impact
The dense ornamental mesh and the crowd of figures give the print a lively, almost narrative pull. Even light and delicate lines lend the sheet a calm, balanced look that invites close looking.
Technique
For this engraving the lines were cut into a copper plate and then printed on paper. Fine shading and precise linework are characteristic of the method. The monochrome grey range comes from the varying depth and density of the engraved lines.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)