Woman with Shield Seated on Seamonster, from "Ex Antiquis Cameorum et Gemmae Delineata/ Liber Secundus/et ab Enea Vico Parmen Incis"

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *Woman with Shield Seated on Seamonster*, comes from a 17th-century publication that reproduced ancient cameos and gems. Issued around 1599–1622 as part of *Ex Antiquis Cameorum et Gemmae Delineata*, the print captures the refined details of a classical carved gem through the skilled hand of Enea Vico of Parma, with contributions from artists including Battista Franco and Philippe Thomassin. Measuring just over three by four inches, the small plate exemplifies how Renaissance and Baroque engravers made precious antiquities accessible to a wider audience. The scene shows a nude female figure holding a shield while perched on a fantastical seamonster, evoking mythological themes of the sea and protection. As the third state of the engraving, it reflects the iterative process of printmaking, where artists refined lines and details across multiple versions. Such works highlight the period’s fascination with classical antiquity, transforming fragile cameos into durable prints that preserved and circulated images of ancient art across Europe. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this piece belongs to a tradition that bridged archaeology and artistic practice. By translating three-dimensional gems into two-dimensional engravings, Vico and his collaborators helped shape the visual culture of the time, allowing collectors and scholars to study classical motifs in new ways.

About the Artist

Francesco Angeloni|Battista Franco|Philippe Thomassin|Enea Vico|Anonymous, Italian, 16th century (Italian|Italian|French|Italian|Italian) · 1559 |1510 |1562 |1523 |1500 –1652 |1561 |1622 |1567 |1600

Terni 1559 or 1587–1652 Rome|Italian, Venice ca. 1510–1561 Venice|French, Troyes 1562–1622 Rome|Italian, Parma 1523–1567 Ferrara|