The Triumph of Eternity, plate six from The Triumphs of Petrarch

About this artwork

The final installment to Georg Pencz’s Italianate ode to Petrarch offers a dramatic rendition of the Last Judgment. Christ, the Evangelists, the Saints, and the Saved rise on clouds above the earthly turmoil of the Apocalypse. Rome burns to the left, and amid the skeletons, the Whore of Babylon ministers to the Damned below. The Parisian printseller Pieter Mariette II’s signature and the date, 1666, appear at the lower right in brown ink; clearly Pencz’s Triumphs series remained visually effecti...

Art Historical Context

**The Triumph of Eternity**, plate six from Georg Pencz's seriesThe Triumphs of Petr* (c. 1539), captures the grand finale of a Renaissance allegory inspired by the 14th-century Italian poet Francesco Petrarch's *I Trionfi*. This epic poem personifies virtues and forces like Love, Death, Fame, Time, and Eternity in a procession of triumphs, reflecting humanist ideals of the era. Pencz, a Nuremberg engraver and one of the "Little Masters" known for their exquisite small-scale prints, rendered this vision with meticulous detail on a modest 15.2 × 21.1 cm sheet. As an engraving in black on ivory laid paper, the work showcases intaglio technique: fine lines incised into a copper plate, inked, and pressed under high pressure to create crisp, durable images. This medium was revolutionary in the 16th century, allowing artists like Pencz to distribute intricate designs widely and affordably, democratizing art beyond paintings for elite patrons. In the Triumph of Eternity, divine figures likely ascend in glory, symbolizing transcendence over mortal strife—a poignant Renaissance meditation on the soul's eternal victory. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, this plate exemplifies Pencz's mastery of line and composition, inviting viewers to ponder timeless themes in a single, jewel-like print.

About the Artist

Georg Pencz · 1490–1550

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