Ornament design in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine, representing Mars, 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. Two of the designs consist of representations of a god surrounded by scrolling motifs, and the rest are made up of grotesque motifs surrounded by foliage, all of them executed on black grounds. This print consists of a representation of Mars, standing on the center of the print in a kind of kiosk, wearing a helmet and cuirasse, holding a spear on the right hand and a shield on the left. The representation is crowned by a winged cupid head, from which hangs a small canopy with an open-winged swan. A crab, a winged snail, and a steaming lamp are on either side of Mars. On the lower part of the print are two scrolling motifs, ending on eagle heads, and an urn, placed between two fantastic swans.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ornament design in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine, representing Mars, surrounded by grotesque motifs on a black ground
- Artist: Etienne Delaune (French, Orléans 1518/19–1583 Strasbourg)
- Date: 1573
- Medium: Engraving
- Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 2 in. × 1 7/16 in. (5.1 × 3.6 cm)
- Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1955
- Object Number: 55.660.9(2)
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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