Plate 27: The Dutch During a Surprise Attack of the Roman Camp on the Moselle, from The War of the Romans Against the Batavians (Romanorvm et Batavorvm societas)
Medium
Etching, first state of two, issue 1 (Bartsch)
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 5/16 × 8 1/8 in. (16 × 20.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.3463
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 17th-century printmaking, Plate 27 from Otto van Veen's *The War of the Romans Against Batavians* (1611) captures a dramatic moment of ancient warfare. This etching, the first state of two from issue 1 (as cataloged by Bartsch), the Batavians—fierce Germanic tribes and ancestors of the Dutch—launching a surprise night attack on a Roman camp along the Moselle River. clash amid waving flags, gleaming weapons, and chaotic tents, evoking the Batavian Revolt of 69-70 AD, as described by the Roman historian Tacitus. Van Veen, a Flemish painter and teacher of Rubens, likely designed the composition, while Italian engraver Antonio Tempesta brought it to life with his masterful etching technique, known for dynamic battle scenes. Etched on a modest sheet (6 5/16 × 8 1/8 in.), this print was part of a larger series celebrating Dutch heritage during their own struggle against Spanish rule in the Eighty Years' War. Tempesta's fine lines and intricate details—soldiers' armor, billowing banners—highlight the etching medium's precision, allowing mass reproduction of historical epics for educated audiences. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1951), it reminds us how Renaissance artists revived classical tales to inspire national pride, blending Baroque energy with antiquarian fervor. A thrilling window into valor and ambush!
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...