Ornamental Panel (ca. 1514–36, Met-Objekt 5828)
Original title: Ornamental Panel
kurzbeschreibung
Agostino Veneziano, born Agostino dei Musi, made this ornamental panel as an engraving at some point between about 1514 and 1536. The upright sheet lays out a symmetrically organised design, with a seated figure at its heart and a crowd of putti and decorative motifs gathered around.
Description
Figures and ornament cover the whole surface in a dense weave. A single figure sits at the middle, while several putti are scattered about it in changing attitudes: flying, seated, or dangling downward. Human and animal forms flow into one another in the manner typical of the Renaissance. The arrangement follows a rhythmic pattern that fills the field like a mosaic. The burin work produces strong contrasts, and the contours stand out sharply.
Context
Veneziano ranks among the Italian engravers of the Renaissance and became known above all for reproductive prints after Raphael and Giulio Romano. This sheet belongs to the first half of the sixteenth century, when ornamental engravings often served as models for the decorative arts and for ornament. The attribution to Veneziano rests on stylistic features; nothing is recorded about the exact circumstances of its making.
Impact
The dense, symmetrical spread of figures and ornament gives a calm, well-balanced impression that the variety of poses and details keeps lively. Light and dark areas separate clearly and draw the eye to the central figure and to the carefully worked lines, which testify to the high quality of the engraving.
Technique
For this engraving the lines were cut into a metal plate and then printed on paper. The process allows fine, exact lines and a faithful rendering of the layered ornament. The monochrome execution in shades of grey brings out the contours and the shading that result from the varying depth and density of the engraved strokes.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)