Medal with a Bust of Nero c. 1510 - 1520
danielhopfer
minneapolisinstituteofart
print, etching
facial expression drawing
germany
etching
pencil sketch
old engraving style
caricature
pencil drawing
pen-ink sketch
limited contrast and shading
portrait drawing
tattoo art
pencil art
This is a 16th-century engraving by Daniel Hopfer, a German artist known for his mastery of the technique. This print depicts a bust of Nero, the Roman emperor, within a circular frame. The intricate decorative elements surrounding the bust, including a wreath of laurels and a detailed inscription, create a sense of grandeur and power. The artwork is an example of the Renaissance interest in classical history and mythology, showcasing the lasting impact of Roman culture on European art. The engraving demonstrates Hopfer's skill in rendering detail and texture, particularly in the bust's features and the ornamental frame.
Comments
Daniel Hopfer designed and decorated armor in his adopted city of Augsburg, where Emperor Maximilian I kept an armor-making workshop. The battling centaurs in this etching likely came from Hopfer's repertoire of armor motifs. In the tradition of Augsburg artists, he discovered Italianate motifs early and copied them avidly. Below Nero's profile are freely sketched masks, fluted forms, and winged grotesques with a female head and bird claws.
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