Artwork
Apollo and Coronis
Apollo and Coronis is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hendrick Goltzius. It dates from 1589 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in plate, across lower edge: Emonium Junenum furtim complexa Coronis / Tardia dat fulcris debita Phebe tuis. / Quod tamen illa facit, minimé facit illud inulta, / Furta videt coruns, nunciat idq tibi.
About this work
Overview
Hendrick Goltzius, a German‑born artist who worked in the Dutch Republic, produced the engraving Apollo and Coronis in 1589. Executed on laid paper, the print belongs to the early Baroque period, often identified with Northern Mannerism, and exemplifies the intricate compositional style for which Goltzius was renowned.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays a mythological episode in which a reclining male figure lies beneath a tree while a seated woman gazes toward him. Birds occupy the surrounding branches and small animals populate the foliage, suggesting a natural setting that invites contemplation of the narrative’s emotional undercurrents without explicit storytelling.
Technique & Style
Goltzius employed fine, intersecting lines in a dense cross‑hatching to model form and generate tonal variation. This method creates subtle shadows across the figures, foliage, and animal forms, producing a sense of depth and texture characteristic of his highly detailed engraving practice.
History & Provenance
Created in the late sixteenth century, the print reflects Goltzius’s status as the foremost Dutch engraver of his time. While specific ownership records for this particular impression are scarce, the work is documented among his surviving prints and is held in several major European print collections.
Context
Apollo and Coronis aligns with the period’s renewed interest in classical mythology as a vehicle for exploring human emotion and moral themes. Goltzius’s rendition integrates the elaborate ornamentation of Northern Mannerism with the emerging Baroque emphasis on dynamic composition and dramatic chiaroscuro.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Hendrick Goltzius (German: , Dutch: ; né Goltz; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter.
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