Mercury Falling in Love with Herse
1590
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1590
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This black-and-white print shows a busy scene with people, buildings, and a flying figure. In the center, a woman in a long robe holds a scroll, while another woman next to her holds a tray. Above them, a winged figure with a lyre floats in the sky. In the background, a small town sits on a hill, and more people gather around a church. The flying figure is Mercury, the Roman messenger god, who’s falling in love with Herse, one of the women. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and depth, a trick called cross-hatching. Look up engraving to see how artists like this one made detailed prints with just a burin and ink.
![Temporalis Aeternitas [Second Version]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/2b55857961773f67/thumb.webp)
