Artwork
The Golden Age
The Golden Age 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. The work is an engraving on laid paper that presents a densely populated mythological tableau.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in plate, across lower edge: Aurea Saturno rutelebant secula Rege / Nectaris, et passin flumina lactis erant / Sponte decus florum Tellus inculta ferebat / Bacci et Cereris sponte ferebat opes.
About this work
Overview
Set within a verdant landscape, the image includes a multitude of figures, both fully grown and childlike, engaged in assorted activities.
The work is an engraving on laid paper that presents a densely populated mythological tableau. Set within a verdant landscape, the image includes a multitude of figures, both fully grown and childlike, engaged in assorted activities. The scene is framed by swirling clouds, a meandering stream, and distant mountains, creating a balanced composition that emphasizes the unity of human and natural elements.
Subject & Meaning
The figures appear to inhabit an idealized Golden Age, a classical concept of a time when humanity lived in harmony with nature and the divine. Their varied gestures and interactions suggest communal leisure and ritual, reinforcing the notion of a peaceful, prosperous epoch where the boundaries between the mortal and the sacred are subtly intertwined.
Technique & Style
Executed through the precise incising of lines characteristic of engraving, the piece achieves fine detail and tonal variation on the textured surface of laid paper. The artist employs cross‑hatching and stippling to render the foliage, water, and atmospheric effects, while the careful arrangement of lines conveys depth and movement within the expansive landscape.
History & Provenance
The print belongs to a period when mythological subjects were frequently revisited by printmakers seeking to disseminate classical ideals. Although specific ownership records are scarce, the engraving aligns with the broader European tradition of reproducing allegorical scenes for both private collectors and scholarly audiences.
Context
Created during a time when the revival of antiquity informed artistic production, the work reflects contemporary interests in moralizing narratives drawn from ancient sources. Its emphasis on harmony between humanity and the environment mirrors Enlightenment‑era philosophical discourses that idealized a return to natural order.
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.
