Vulcan, Neptune, Athena and other Gods making Shackles to pull Jupiter from the Heavens, set within an elaborate frame, from "Loves, Rages and Jealousies of Juno"

Art Historical Context

Behold *Vulcan, Neptune, Athena and other Gods makingles to pull Jupiter from Heavens*, a captivating 16th-century engraving Italian artist Giulio Bonasone (ca. 1500/10–after 1576). Part of the series *Loves, Rages and Jealousies of*, this print dramatizes a tumultuous mythological episode where Vulcan, Neptune, Athena, fellow deities forge chains in a plot against Jupiter, fueled by Juno's divine wrath. Bonasone, a master engraver influenced by Mannerism, captures the gods amid swirling activity—hammering, plotting, and surrounded by symbolic birds and expressive faces—within an ornate frame that evokes Renaissance opulence. Crafted as an engraving on a modest sheet (5 5/16 x 4 in.), the work showcases Bonasone's virtuoso technique: fine, intricate lines that convey texture, motion, and depth, allowing detailed narratives to be reproduced affordably. Prints like this democratized access to classical myths during the Renaissance, bridging elite painting traditions with broader audiences hungry for antiquity's drama. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this piece highlights the era's fascination with Greco-Roman lore, blending humor, rebellion, and cosmic tension. A tiny window into godly intrigue, it invites visitors to ponder the timeless chaos of jealousy among immortals.

About the Artist

Giulio Bonasone · 1500–1600

Comment on works: History; Mythology