Canto 14, Stanza 45, from "Orlando Furioso"
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Image: 5 3/8 × 3 9/16 in. (13.6 × 9.1 cm) Sheet: 9 3/16 × 5 13/16 in. (23.4 × 14.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.500.583(13)
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Step into the whirlwind world of chivalric romance with *Canto 14, Stanza 45* from Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem *Orlando Furioso Created in 1774 this exquisite print brings a pivotal moment from the 16th-century Italian masterpiece to life. Ariosto's tale of knights, love, and madness captivated Europe for centuries, inspiring lavish illustrated editions in the Enlightenment era. Here, designers Giovanni Battista Cipriani andaver Nicolas de Launay with printing by G. Baskerville collaborate to visualize the drama in intricate detail. Crafted through etching and engraving—techniques prized for their precision and tonal depth—this small-scale work (image just 5 3/8 × 3 9/16 inches) exemplifies 18th-century printmaking's artistry. Etching allowed fluid lines for dynamic figures, while engraving added fine textures, making complex narratives accessible via affordable reproductions. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, part of The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it reflects the era's revival of Renaissance literature amid neoclassical tastes. This gem invites us to ponder *Orlando Furioso*'s enduring cultural pull—from opera inspirations to modern fantasy—reminding visitors how prints bridged elite art and popular imagination.
About the Artist
Nicolas de Launay|Ludovico Ariosto|Giovanni Battista Cipriani|G. Baskerville (French|French|French) · 1732 |1739 |1739 –1806 |1792 |1792
French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris|French, Paris, 1739–1792|French, Paris, 1739–1792