Batavorum cum Romanis Bellum, à Corn. Tacito / De Batavische Oft Oude Hollandtsche Oorloghe teghen de Romeynen

About this artwork

height 167 mm x width 210 mm

Art Historical Context

Step into the turbulent world of ancient rebellion with Antonio Tempesta's etching *Batavorum cum Roman Bellum, à Corn Tacito / De Batische Oft Oude Hollandche Oorloghe teghen de Romeynen* (1612). This compact print, measuring about 167 x 210 mm, vividly captures the Batavian Revolt against Roman rule in 69-70 AD, drawing directly from the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus's *Histories*. The Batavians, a tribe from the Rhine delta region (modern-day Netherlands), rose up under leaders like Julius Civilis, symbolizing fierce resistance to imperial oppression. Created during the Dutch Revolt against Spanish Habsburg rule, Tempesta's work resonated deeply in the early 17th-century Dutch Republic. The bilingual title—Latin and Dutch—highlights emerging Dutch national pride, framing the Batavians as ancestral "Old Dutch" heroes in their struggle for liberty, much like the Eighty Years' War. Tempesta, a prolific Italian engraver known for dynamic battle scenes, used etching to infuse the scene with dramatic energy: fine lines convey chaos, motion, and weaponry, making this small-scale medium a powerful storytelling tool. As part of likely a series, this etching exemplifies Baroque-era printmaking's role in disseminating history and propaganda, bridging classical antiquity with contemporary identity. A testament to art's power to inspire, it invites us to reflect on timeless fights for freedom.

About the Artist

Antonio Tempesta · 1555–1630

Antonio Tempesta (1555–1630), known as 'Il Tempestino,' was a Florentine painter and printmaker whose extraordinary output of approximately 1,700 etchings made him one of the most influential printmakers of the early Baroque period. Born in Florence and trained under Santi di Tito and the Flemish master Joannes Stradanus, he enrolled in the Accademia del Disegno in 1576 before relocating to Rome i...