Plate 16: Hebe in a niche with her hands in the air, running to the left while looking to the right, from a series of mythological gods and goddesses

Art Historical Context

Behold Plate 16 from a captivating series of mythological gods and goddesses, featuring Hebe, the youthful Greek goddess of eternal youth and cupbearer to the Olympians. Designed by the innovative Mannerist painter Rosso Fiorentino and masterfully engraved by Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio in 1526, this work captures Hebe in dynamic motion: dashing to the left within a classical niche, her arms raised gracefully while her gaze turns coyly rightward. The female nude, rendered with elegant elongation and fluid lines, exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with antiquity and the human form. Caraglio's engraving technique—a precise intaglio process incising designs into copper plates—allowed for rich tonal contrasts and intricate details, making high-quality reproductions accessible beyond elite patrons. At just over 8 by 4 inches, this print from Rosso's Roman period blends classical mythology with emerging Mannerist flair: twisted poses (contrapposto with a twist) and theatrical energy that foreshadowed the style's ornate complexity. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department through the generous bequest of Phyllis Massar, this piece highlights printmaking's role in disseminating Renaissance ideals of beauty and divinity, inviting viewers to ponder Hebe's eternal vigor amid the gods.

About the Artist

Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio|Rosso Fiorentino · 1500–1565

Italian, Parma or Verona ca. 1500/1505–1565 Krakow (?)