Plate 6: equestrian statue of Nero, seen from behind, the Great Fire of Rome in the background, from 'Roman Emperors on Horseback'
Medium
Engraving, squared in graphite
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 12 9/16 × 8 7/16 in. (31.9 × 21.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.1002(6)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this striking engraving, Plate 6 from the *Roman Emperors onback*, Flemish artist Jan van der Stra (known as Stradan) captures the infamous Roman emperor Nero astride his mount, viewed dramatically from behind. Collaborating with master engravers Philips Galle and Adriaenlaert around 1587–89, Stradanus evokes the chaos of the Great Fire of in 64 AD, billowing in the background as flames engulf the eternal city. This Renaissance print reflects the era's fascination with classical antiquity, blending historical legend with vivid imagination—Nero, often vilified as a tyrant who allegedly "fiddled" while Rome burned, is here immortalized in equestrian grandeur, a pose symbolizing imperial power. The medium of engraving allowed for intricate details, from the horse's rippling muscles to the inferno's swirling smoke, while faint graphite squaring suggests the sheet was prepared for replication, underscoring the print's role in disseminating imagery across Europe. Produced during the late 16th century amid the Medici court's patronage in Florence, where Stradanus worked, this work exemplifies the Northern Renaissance's technical precision and narrative flair. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it invites visitors to ponder Nero's complex legacy: artist, arsonist, or scapegoat? A testament to how prints preserved and reinterpreted history for eager audiences.
About the Artist
Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus|Philips Galle|Adriaen Collaert · 1523–1605
Jan van der Straet, known as Stradanus or Giovanni Stradano, was born in Bruges in 1523 into an artistic family. He received his earliest training in his father Jan van der Straet's painting workshop until the latter's death in 1535, followed by an apprenticeship with Bruges master Maximiliaen Francken from 1535 to 1537. Stradanus then moved to Antwerp, studying under Pieter Aertsen from 1537 to 1...