Frontispiece of "Aerarium Philosophiae Mathematicae" by Mario Bettini
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 8 13/16 × 6 1/8 in. (22.4 × 15.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Anne and Carl Stern Gift, 1959
Accession Number
59.642.51
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This engraving serves as the frontispiece to Mario Bettini’s 1648 publication *Aerarium Philosophiae Mathematicae*, a work that explored intersections of mathematics and philosophy during the Scientific Revolution. Created through the precise technique of engraving, the print would have introduced readers to the book’s intellectual themes, using detailed line work to convey complex ideas with clarity and elegance. Francesco Curti, a skilled Bolognese printmaker, likely executed the design, translating Bettini’s vision into a durable medium suited for wide dissemination. In the mid-seventeenth...
About the Artist
Mario Bettini|Francesco Curti (Italian|Italian) · 1582 |1603 –1657 |1670
Italian, Bologna 1582–1657 Bologna|Italian, 1603–1670