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Untitled

Nicolas Beatrizet

1553

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Untitled is a 1553 by Nicolas Beatrizet, a Renaissance work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Nicolas Beatrizet
When & what style?: 1553 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This print shows a chaotic scene of naked figures tangled together. Some are fighting, others are holding weapons or musical instruments, and a few look like they’re dancing. The background has a curtain and clouds, while the ground is rocky with scattered objects like vases and a broken column. The artist packed the scene with tiny details—look at the small cherubs playing instruments in the top corners. This kind of crowded, dramatic storytelling was common in Renaissance prints. Next, check out Renaissance to see how artists used prints to tell big stories in small spaces.

The story of this work

Overview

A print on paper by Nicolas Beatrizet from 1553 depicts a Bacchanalian scene with multiple children transporting the lifeless body of Silenus's ass, after a composition by Michelangelo, and exists in its first state prior to the imprint of Giovanni Battista de' Rossi's address.

Read the full account in the museum source.