Vulcan's Forge
mid-16th century
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 12 1/2 x 16 7/16 in. (31.7 x 41.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.1901
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the fiery world of classical mythology with *Vulcan's Forge*, a masterful mid-16th-century engraving by Francesco Primaticcio, signed as Master FG. This dynamic print captures the Roman god of fire and metalworking, Vulcan, amid his muscular assistants—likely the Cyclopes—hammering away at divine armor. The sheet measures an impressive 12½ x 16⅞ inches, showcasing Primaticcio's skill in male nudes with Mannerist: elongated forms, dramatic poses, and intricate details that evoke the heat and clamor of the forge. Primaticcio, an Italian artist who became a key figure at the French cou...