Ceres Seeking Her Daughter (The Mocking of Ceres)
Made during Goudt’s residence in Rome from about 1604 to 1610, this engraving depicts the goddess Ceres on her quest to find her daughter, Proserpina. Quenching her thirst at a stranger’s home, she is mocked by a little boy for drinking so greedily. Areas of untouched paper contrast powerfully with the dense, richly inked lines. Especially striking is the sliver of light that gleams through the opening of the cottage door. The print bears a dedication to Cardinal Scipione Borghese, an important collector and patron in Rome.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ceres Seeking Her Daughter (The Mocking of Ceres)
- Artist: Hendrick Goudt (Dutch, The Hague 1583–1648 Utrecht)
- Artist: After Adam Elsheimer (German, Frankfurt 1578–1610 Rome)
- Date: 1610
- Medium: Engraving
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Bequest of Hylton A. Thomas, 1969
- Object Number: 69.627
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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