1490
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Upright Arabesque with Masks, Cupids and Nereids is a 1490 by Giovanni Antonio da Brescia, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This drawing shows a tall, fancy design that looks like a mix of architecture and fantasy. At the top, there’s a crown-like shape with leaves and swirls. Below it, two faces with big eyes and open mouths sit on either side of a pedestal. Smaller figures—some winged, some with fish tails—climb around the middle. The whole thing is wrapped in curly vines, shells, and strange, almost cartoonish sea creatures. The artist packed a lot into this one image: masks, little love gods (Cupids), and sea nymphs (Nereids) all tangled together. It’s like a decorative puzzle, where every part has its own story but fits into the whole. If you like this wild mix of shapes, look up Renaissance next.
Giovanni Antonio da Brescia was an Italian engraver of northern Italy, active in the approximate period 1490–1519, during the Italian Renaissance.
See the richer artist page
