Eurydice naked standing on a rock, her arms raised to the right

Art Historical Context

This striking engraving, *Eurydice Naked Standing on a Rock, Her Arms Raised to the Right captures a dramatic moment from Greek mythology. Designed by the Renaissance master Giulio Romano—a pupil of Raphael known for his elegant Mannerist style—and meticulously engraved by Marco Dente around 1515–27, it depicts the tragic figure of Eurydice, wife of Orpheus. Poised nude on a rocky outcrop with arms extended skyward, she embodies vulnerability and pathos, likely evoking the myth where a serpent bite seals her fate, sending her to the underworld. Engravings like this were revolutionary in the early 16th century, allowing intricate designs by elite artists to reach wider audiences through affordable prints. Dente's precise burin work renders Romano's fluid lines and dynamic composition with remarkable clarity on the small sheet (just 4 3/16 × 2 9/16 inches). Mannerism's hallmarks—elongated forms and emotional intensity—shine here, bridging High Renaissance harmony with emerging Baroque drama. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1949), this piece highlights the era's fascination with classical myths and the nude female form, blending artistry with storytelling for enduring appeal.

About the Artist

Marco Dente|Giulio Romano · 1515–1527

Marco Dente (died 1527), also known as Marco da Ravenna, was among the most accomplished printmakers working in Rome during the High Renaissance, a period that witnessed an extraordinary flowering of engraving as both a reproductive and an independent artistic medium. Little is known of his early training, but by the second decade of the sixteenth century he had established himself in the orbit of...