The Golden Age 1665

"The Golden Age" is a 1665 etching by Georg Andreas Wolfgang the Elder depicting a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The artwork depicts Adam and Eve alongside other figures in a peaceful, idyllic landscape, illustrating the concept of the Golden Age, a time of peace and abundance before the fall of man. Wolfgang's detailed rendering of the landscape and figures within the circular format is characteristic of 17th-century printmaking, with the use of hatching and cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and texture. The inscription at the bottom further emphasizes the themes of peace, tranquility, and the idealized state of the Golden Age. This etching is a fine example of Baroque art and its interest in classical mythology and allegory.