Plate 2: The city of Rome taken by Constable of Bourbon, from the Triumphs of Charles V

Art Historical Context

This striking etching and engraving captures a pivotal moment from the Sack of Rome in 1527, when troops led by Charles de Bourbon, Constable of France, stormed the city during the conflicts of the Italian Wars. Created in 1614 as Plate 2 in the series *The Triumphs of Charles V*, the print commemorates the military campaigns associated with Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, whose forces ultimately benefited from the chaotic assault on the papal capital. The scene brims with dynamic action—soldiers on horseback wielding spears amid the turmoil—reflecting the era’s fascination with grand historical narratives and imperial power. The work is a collaborative effort between Flemish printmaker Cornelis Boel and Italian artist Antonio Tempesta, known for his lively battle compositions. Executed through the combined techniques of etching and engraving, it allowed for fine detail and dramatic contrasts that made such prints widely accessible and influential across Europe in the early seventeenth century. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this sheet (measuring roughly 12 5/8 by 16 9/16 inches) exemplifies how reproductive prints disseminated stories of conquest and triumph to a broad audience long after the events themselves.