A woman in a chariot arrives at the ruins of a building as the Olympian gods look down from above, in the foreground stands an armed female figure; set design from 'Il Pomo D'Oro'

Art Historical Context

This striking etching and engraving captures a dramatic moment from the 1668 opera *Il Pomo d’Oro*, performed in Vienna to celebrate the wedding of Emperor Leopold I. Designed by Ludovico Ottaviano Burnacini and engraved by Mathäus Küsel, the print records an elaborate Baroque stage set featuring a woman arriving in a chariot before ruined architecture, while Olympian gods observe from above and an armed female figure stands guard in the foreground. Such spectacular scenery was central to seventeenth-century court opera, where mythological tales were brought to life through grand machinery and visual effects. Burnacini’s designs exemplify the theatrical exuberance of the Baroque era, blending architecture, allegory, and movement to immerse audiences in stories of gods and heroes. The use of etching and engraving allowed these lavish sets to be preserved and shared beyond the performance, turning fleeting stage illusions into lasting works of art. Today, this print offers a vivid glimpse into the opulent world of early opera production at the Habsburg court. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of drawings and prints, the work highlights how opera and visual spectacle intertwined to convey power, romance, and divine intervention during this period.

About the Artist

Ludovico Ottaviano Burnacini|Mathäus Küsel · 1636–1707

Lodovico Ottavio Burnacini (1636–1707), born into an artistic family in northern Italy—likely Venice—was the son of the renowned theater architect Giovanni Burnacini from Cesena and his wife Grazia. From a young age, he studied under his father, mastering theater architecture, intricate stage machinery, and set design amid Venice's vibrant carnival culture and Commedia dell'arte performances. The ...