The Triumph of War, from The Cycle of the Vicissitudes of Human Affairs, plate 5
Medium
Engraving; first state of two (New Hollstein)
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 7/8 × 11 5/8 in. (22.5 × 29.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.2371(5)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Triumph of War*, plate 5 from Maarten van Heemskerck's ambitious series *The of the Vicissitudes of Human Affairs*, masterfully engraved by Cornelis Cort and published Hieronymus Cock in1564. This first-state engraving captures the chaotic glory of warfare in a dynamic composition featuring men, women, horses, and chariots,oking the classical Roman triumph—where victors paraded in horse-drawn chariots amid spoils and captives. Van Heemskerck, a leading Dutch Mannerist known for his intricate, expressive designs inspired by Italian Renaissance masters like Michelangelo, infused the scene with dramatic tension and moral allegory. Printed on a modest sheet (8 7/8 × 11 5/8 in.), this intaglio engraving exemplifies the technical prowess of 16th-century Northern European printmaking. Cort's precise burin work allowed for rich tonal contrasts and fine details, making complex narratives accessible to a wide audience beyond the elite. Cock's Antwerp workshop was a hub for such reproductive prints, disseminating ideas during a turbulent era of religious strife and the emerging Dutch Revolt. Part of a series meditating on fortune's wheel—the unpredictable turns of human destiny—this work underscores war's fleeting dominance amid life's vicissitudes. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it invites reflection on timeless themes of power, violence, and transience.
About the Artist
Cornelis Cort|Maarten van Heemskerck|Hieronymus Cock · 1533–1578
Comment on works: copper engraver; engraver; etcher