The Triumph of Amphitrite 1545 - 1555

Luca Cambiaso made this pen and brown ink drawing called ‘The Triumph of Amphitrite’ in Italy in the 16th century. Cambiaso, working in Genoa, was known for his distinctive style and for being innovative. Looking at the drawing, we see the goddess Amphitrite surrounded by figures from classical mythology. In Renaissance Italy, the rediscovery of classical antiquity shaped artistic production and thought. It became fashionable for artists to draw inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman art, stories, and philosophies. Consider the setting of the image, which is not simply a decorative backdrop, but rather, a reference to a shared cultural and intellectual heritage. The Metropolitan Museum, like other museums, plays a role in shaping how we understand the history of art. They are, in effect, arbiters of taste. To understand the context of this artwork, we can consult scholarly articles, books, and archival materials to examine the societal structures that influenced Cambiaso and his work.