Artwork
Mercury and Argus
Mercury and Argus is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Joachim Wtewael. It dates from 1602 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael’s drawing titled Mercury and Argus dates from 1602. Executed on laid paper, the work combines pen work with brown ink and a gray‑brown wash, producing a finely detailed monochrome image. The composition presents a small narrative scene rendered with careful line work and varied shading to suggest depth.
Subject & Meaning
The foreground contains a man, positioned on the right, wearing a hat and holding a pipe, accompanied by a dog that looks upward toward him. In the distance, a winged figure, interpreted as a divine or mythological presence, occupies the background, suggesting a narrative drawn from classical mythology, likely the encounter between Mercury and the watchful giant Argus.
Technique & Style
Wtewael employs a combination of precise pen lines and broader ink washes to differentiate textures. The brown ink outlines the figures, while the gray‑brown wash adds tonal variation, creating a sense of volume and atmospheric perspective. The drawing’s surface shows both smooth, controlled strokes and looser, more expressive marks, highlighting the artist’s skill in manipulating line and tone.
Context
Created at the turn of the 17th century, the drawing reflects the lingering influence of Renaissance drawing practices in the Dutch artistic milieu. Wtewael, active in the early Baroque period, often incorporated classical themes, and this work exemplifies the period’s interest in mythological subjects rendered with meticulous draftsmanship.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Joachim Anthoniszoon Wtewael (Dutch pronunciation:; 1566 – 1 August 1638), also known as Uytewael (pronounced ), was a Dutch Mannerist painter and draughtsman, as well as a highly successful flax merchant, and town councillor of Utrecht.
- Mercury Lulling Argus to Sleep
The Sacrifice of Iphigenia
Shepherd on Horseback
Rape of Europa
Sheep and Cows
The Return of the Spies from the Promised Land
Bacchanal Before a Herm
Shepherd Playing a Flute and Leading His Flock
Boar Hunt
The Baptism of Christ
An Elderly Shepherd Leading the Flock
Herdsman Crossing a River