Head of Medusa

Etienne Delaune

Associated Names
Etienne Delaune

Artist, French, 1518/1519 - 1583

This engraving shows an ornamental design with symmetrical features. At the top, two winged humanoid figures face each other, holding up a decorative canopy resembling a tent. Between them, under the tent, a vase containing three large flowers sits on a thin tiered surface. Below this surface is a smiling human head with snakes on top of it and wings emerging from either side. Twisting lines appear from the bottom of the face, and it is surrounded by swirling lines. At the bottom, the heads of two animals face one another; they appear to be dogs with large plumes of feathers emerging from their heads. These heads are surrounded by more curving lines and some small circles. The designs of this engraving appear in white, while the background of the ornament is black. Outside of the ornament, the background is blank, tan paper.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 5.8 × 4.6 cm (2 5/16 × 1 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.3399

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Robert-Dumesnil, no. 400

  • Series Title

    Various Ornament Subjects [R.D. 397-403]


Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1967

  • Robert-Dumesnil, A.P.F. Le peintre-graveur francais, ou catalogue raisonne des estampes gravees par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'ecole francaise, ouvrage faisant suite au peintre-graveur de M. Bartsch. Reprint (11 vols. in 6). Paris: F. deNobe

Wikidata ID

Q64955810

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