Venus and Adonis
August 21, 1778
Medium
Etching and stipple engraving; fourth state of nine
Dimensions
Plate: 9 15/16 × 7 1/2 in. (25.3 × 19 cm) Sheet: 12 9/16 × 9 1/8 in. (31.9 × 23.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.3131
Art Historical Context
In the lush tradition of classical mythology, *Venus and Adonis* captures the tender romance between the goddess of love and her mortal hunter, a tale immortalized by Ovid and Titian. Created on August 21, 1778, this print unites the talents of Italian engraver Francescoolozzi, English miniaturist Richard Coswaylikely the designer), and J. Walker. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints, it exemplifies the collaborative artistry of 18th-century Britain, where reproductive prints brought high-society paintings to wider audiences. The medium—etching and stipple engraving ...
About the Artist
Francesco Bartolozzi|Richard Cosway|J. Walker · 1727–1815
Francesco Bartolozzi (1727–1815) was an Italian engraver whose most productive period was spent in London, where he became the leading exponent of stipple engraving and a founding member of the Royal Academy. Born in Florence and trained first as a painter before turning to engraving in Venice, he established his reputation in Rome before being recruited by the English Royal Librarian Richard Dalt...