Vase with the Veneration of a Bull

Art Historical Context

Behold *Vase with the V of a Bull*, a late 17th-century attributed to a collaboration of talents including Frederick de Wit, Rosso Fiorentino, Claesz. Visscher, and René Boyvin. a modest 7 1/2 x 4 7/16 inches (19.1 x 11.2 cm), this print exemplifies the era's fascination with ornamental designs, blending Renaissance influences with Baroque precision. Classified under Prints: Ornament & Architecture, work depicts a finely detailed vase scene centered on the veneration of a bull—a motif evoking ancient rituals and mythological symbolism, possibly drawing from classical antiquity. Engraving, a meticulous intaglio technique, allowed artists like Visscher and de Wit—prominent Dutch publishers—to reproduce elaborate patterns for architects, goldsmiths, and decorators, making such motifs widely accessible for inspiration. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department through the generous bequest of Phyllis Massar in 2011, this piece highlights the enduring appeal of hybrid forms in European decorative arts, where bovine iconography merged with vessel designs to create timeless, fantastical ornaments.

About the Artist

Frederick de Wit|Rosso Fiorentino|Claes Jansz. Visscher|René Boyvin (Netherlandish|Dutch) · 1571 |1629 –1656 |1706

Netherlandish, Antwerp 1571–1656 Rotterdam|Dutch, 1629/30–1706