Plate 25: The Roman Commander Cerialis Attacks Near Trier, from The War of the Romans Against the Batavians (Romanorvm et Batavorvm societas)

Art Historical Context

Step into the turbulent world of ancient Rome with *Plate 25: The Commander Cerialis Attacks Near Trier*, an etching from Otto van Veen's 1611 series *The War of the Romans Against Batavians (Romanorvm et Batavorvm societas)*. by the Flemish artist Otto van Veen, master of historical narratives and teacher to Peter Paul Rubens, and masterfully etched by Italian specialist Antonio Tempesta, this captures a pivotal moment in the Batavian Revolt of 69–70 CE. Here, Roman general Cerialis launches a fierce assault near the city of Trier (modern-day Germany), amidst charging horses and clashing soldiers—a dynamic snapshot of imperial might. The series draws from the ancient historian Tacitus, dramatizing the Batavi tribe's short-lived rebellion against Roman oppression along the Rhine. Van Veen's designs blend Mannerist elegance with Baroque energy, emphasizing heroic action and classical themes that resonated in the early 17th century amid Europe's own conflicts. Tempesta's etching technique, in its rare first state (as cataloged by Bartsch), reveals fine lines and intricate details of armor, weapons, and rearing steeds, showcasing the medium's power to convey motion and chaos on a modest 6 3/8 × 8 1/8 in. sheet. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this work highlights printmaking's role in disseminating history, making epic battles accessible to 17th-century audiences hungry for tales of valor and conquest. A thrilling window into Rome's unyielding expansion.

About the Artist

Antonio Tempesta|Otto van Veen · 1555–1630

Antonio Tempesta (1555–1630), known as 'Il Tempestino,' was a Florentine painter and printmaker whose extraordinary output of approximately 1,700 etchings made him one of the most influential printmakers of the early Baroque period. Born in Florence and trained under Santi di Tito and the Flemish master Joannes Stradanus, he enrolled in the Accademia del Disegno in 1576 before relocating to Rome i...