Vase Placed in Center of a Tempietto with Lattice, an Arch at the Top from Veelderleij niewe inventien van antijckesche sepultueren diemen nou zeere ghebruijkende is met noch zeer fraeije grotissen en compertimenten zeer beqwame voer beeltsniders antijcksniders schilders en all constenaers...Libro Secundo
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 15/16 x 8 1/8 in. (30.4 x 20.6 cm)
Classification
Books|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.56.3
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the 16th-century Renaissance revival, this intricate etching from 1557 captures a fantastical architectural fantasy: a grand vase enthroned at the center a tempietto—a miniature temple-like pavilion—framed by delicate latticework, an overarching arch, scrolling leaves, and lively human figures. Titled *Vase Placed in Center of Tempietto with Lattice an Arch at the Top it hails from Cornelis Floris II's pattern book *Veelderleij niewe inventien van antijckse sepultueren* (Various New Inventions of Antique Sepulchers), the second volume. Published in Antwerp by the renowned printmaker Hieronymus Cock and masterfully etched by brothers Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum I, the sheet measures about 12 x 8 inches and brims with grotesque motifs—whimsical, hybrid decorations inspired by ancient Roman tombs. Etching, a innovative technique at the time, allowed for the precise reproduction of these elaborate designs, making them accessible to sculptors, goldsmiths, painters, and architects across Europe. Floris, a leading Flemish designer, drew from classical antiquity to create "compartments" blending foliage, vases, and figures in a Northern Mannerist style—playful yet sophisticated. This print exemplifies how Renaissance artists democratized antique motifs, fueling the era's ornamental explosion in furniture, facades, and tombs. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it invites us to marvel at the ingenuity that bridged ancient Rome and modern craftsmanship.
About the Artist
Johannes van Doetecum I|Lucas van Doetecum|Cornelis Floris II|Hieronymus Cock (Netherlandish|Netherlandish) · 1528 |1527 –1605 |1606
Netherlandish, 1528/32–1605|Netherlandish, Leeuwarden 1527–1606 (?) Antwerp (?)