Ornament designs in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine, representing Diana, surrounded by grotesque motifs on a black ground
Engraving, part of a series of ornament designs in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine, created by Étienne Delaune in Strasbourg in 1573. The designs consist of representations of heroes and divinities, as allegories of virtue, surrounded by grotesque motifs, and executed on black grounds. This print consists of a representation of Diana, standing on a small pedestal, in the center of the print, She holds her bow on the right hand, and leans her left arm on a column. She stands between two satyrs without arms, and under a bracked made up of two cornucopias with bundles of fruits and leaves, and thin branches of ivy. On the lower part of the print are two horses, whose bodies end on scrolls, and two snails. This representation of Diana highlights the virtue of her strength and her chastity. The armless satyrs symbolize the triumph of Diana's virtue over their vice, which they often represent.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ornament designs in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine, representing Diana, surrounded by grotesque motifs on a black ground
- Artist: Etienne Delaune (French, Orléans 1518/19–1583 Strasbourg)
- Date: 1573
- Medium: Engraving: first state
- Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 2 1/8 × 1 11/16 in. (5.4 × 4.3 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
- Object Number: 66.559.125
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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