Plate 1: Ship of Hercules (Barcha del Hercole), with dragon-headed prow and Hercules on platform behind oarsmen and standing soldiers, from the series 'The magnificent pageant on the river Arno in Florence for the marriage of the Grand Duke' (Le Magnifique carousel fait sur le fleuve de l'Arne a Florence, pour le mariage du Grand Duc), for the wedding celebration of Cosimo de' Medici in Florence, 1608
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 3 5/8 × 5 1/8 in. (9.2 × 13 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.527.2
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the grandeur of *Plate 1: Ship of Hercules (Barcha del Hercole)*, exquisite etching capturing a highlight from the lavish 1608 wedding celebrations of Cosimo de' Medici (later Cosimo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany) on River Arno in Florence This flotilla spectacle, part of the series *Le Magnifique fait sur le fleuve de'Arne a Florence, le mariage du Grand Duc showcased elaborate floats transforming the river into a stage of Renaissance opulence. At its prow snarls a fierce dragon, while the mythic hero Hercules stands triumphantly on a platform amid oarsmen and soldiers, symbolizing strength and Medici power. Created around 1664 by a collaborative team including Giulio Parigi, Remigio Cantagallina, and Jean Sauvé (with anonymous contributions), this small etching (3 5/8 × 5 1/8 in.) exemplifies 17th-century printmaking's precision. Etching allowed intricate details of ships, dragons, and figures to convey the event's theatrical splendor, serving as both historical record and ornamental architecture print. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), it invites us to relive Florence's festive fusion of mythology, pageantry, and ducal prestige.
About the Artist
Anonymous|Giulio Parigi|Remigio Cantagallina|Jean Sauvé
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...