The River Nile
1546
Medium
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 14.4 × 20.9 cm (5 11/16 × 8 1/4 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
267884
Art Historical Context
Created in 1546 by the Flemish engraver Cornelis Bos, *The River Nile* exemplifies the growing fascination with classical geography and allegory during the Renaissance. Rendered as a detailed engraving on paper, the work measures just under 15 by 21 centimeters, a modest size typical of prints designed for easy circulation among collectors and scholars. Bos’s precise line work captures the flowing river as both a natural force and a symbolic figure, reflecting the period’s renewed interest in ancient myths and distant lands. Engraving was a transformative medium in the sixteenth century, allo...
About the Artist
Cornelis Bos · 1510–1556
Cornelis Bos (c. 1506/10–before 1555), a Netherlandish engraver, printseller, and publisher born in 's-Hertogenbosch, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Antwerp print trade during the mid-16th century. His early life remains sparsely documented, with no records of formal training or mentors, though he was active in Antwerp by 1537, producing his earliest known engraving, *Prudence and Justice*, af...