Vase with a monster at center, two cornucopias, and two flanking winged female figures

Art Historical Context

This intricate engraving, titled *Vase with a Monster at Center, Two Cornucopias, and Two Flanking Winged Female Figures*, exemplifies the collaborative spirit of Renaissance printmaking. Created between 1565 and 1615 by engraver Cherubino Alberti (1553–1615), after a design likely by Polidoro da Caravaggio (c. 1499–1543), it measures a modest 9 3/16 × 6 1/4 inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it was gifted in 1967 in memory of Jeanette Marks. At its heart is a fantastical central vase dominated by a snarling monster amid writhing snakes, flanked by overflowing cornucopias symbolizing abundance and two graceful winged female figures. These motifs draw from ancient Roman *grotteschi*—whimsical, hybrid decorations unearthed in Nero's Domus Aurea—revived during the Renaissance for ornamental designs. Engraving, Alberti's specialty, allowed precise reproduction of such elaborate patterns on metal plates, inking them for multiple impressions on paper. This technique democratized high art, influencing decorative arts like ceramics, textiles, and architecture across Europe. Polidoro's influence adds Mannerist flair: elongated forms, dynamic tension, and mythical exuberance reflecting Rome's vibrant artistic scene. For visitors, this print captures the era's fascination with antiquity's wonders, blending horror and plenty in a timeless emblem of creative abundance.

About the Artist

Cherubino Alberti (Zaccaria Mattia)|Polidoro da Caravaggio · 1553–1615

Cherubino Alberti (1553–1615), also known by his birth name Zaccaria Mattia, was an Italian engraver and painter active in Rome during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Born in Borgo San Sepolcro in Tuscany, he came from an artistically inclined family and received training that equipped him for work in both painting and the reproductive graphic arts. It was as a printmaker, however,...