1532
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Untitled is a 1532 by Agostino dei Musi, a Renaissance work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a dramatic scene with three figures. A muscular man with a beard leans over a bed, touching the bare foot of a reclining woman. Above them, a winged child holds a glowing orb. The woman looks up, her body draped in flowing cloth, while the man’s face is turned downward. Shadows and light create strong contrasts, making the figures stand out sharply. The print was made in 1532, using a method that highlights deep shadows and bright light. This technique helps show the figures’ shapes and emotions clearly. Look up chiaroscuro to learn more about this dramatic lighting style.
In the print, the infant Hercules is depicted in his cradle, shown strangling serpents. Amphitrite approaches while holding a lamp, observing the scene. The work is based on a design by Giulio Romano and was printed on paper in 1532, representing the first state of the engraving.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Agostino Veneziano ("Venetian Agostino"), whose real name was Agostino de' Musi (c. 1490 – c. 1540), was an important and prolific Italian engraver of the Renaissance.
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