Ornament Panel
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
10 5/16 x 4 5/16 in. (26.2 x 11.0 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.41
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1521 by the Italian engraver Agostino Veneziano, this delicate ornament panel exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with classical motifs. Measuring just over ten inches tall, the engraving features a sphinx integrated into an intricate decorative scheme, reflecting the period’s revival of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman imagery. As part of the “Ornament & Architecture” category, such prints served as pattern books for artists, architects, and craftsmen seeking elegant designs for furniture, textiles, and architectural details. Veneziano, active in Rome during the height of the ...