Plate 8: Women and Children Obvserve Civilis Battling the Romans, 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 1/4 in. (16.1 × 21 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
51.501.3444
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 17th-century printmaking, *Plate 8: Women and Children Observe Civilisling the Romans* (1611) stands out as a dynamic etching from the series *The War of the Romans the Batavians*Romanorvm et Batvm societas). Created Italian engraver Antonio Tempesta, renowned for his vivid battle scenes, in collaboration with Flemish artist Otto van Veen— of Peter Paul Rubens—this first-state impression captures a pivotal moment of ancient conflict. Measuring just 6 5/16 × 8 1/4 inches, its intimate scale belies the epic drama, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department. The scene draws from the historic Batavian Revolt of 69–70 CE, when Julius Civilis led his people in rebellion against Roman oppressors. Here, women and children watch tensely from the sidelines as Civilis clashes with Roman soldiers amid rearing horses, evoking the chaos of war's human toll. Tempesta's etching technique—biting acid into a metal plate for fine, intricate lines—allows for remarkable detail in the soldiers' armor, the infants' vulnerability, and the emotional contrast between combatants and observers. This rare first state, from Bartsch's catalog, highlights early print collecting's allure, preserving the artists' original vision before later alterations. It reminds us how Renaissance artists revived classical history to inspire contemporary viewers with tales of resistance and resilience.
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...