About this artwork
This enigmatic image is based on a sketch by Leonardo da Vinci that may be an allegory for Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and Leonardo’s patron. The fighting creatures symbolize lust, anger, fear, greed, and other base passions, which are kept at bay by Reason: the sun’s rays reflected in the shield.
There are few engravings by the anonymous Milanese artist, who is named after the subject of one of his prints. The master’s soft tones are achieved by stippling and short flicks of the point of the burin, an engraver’s tool with a diamond or square-shaped steel shaft attached to a wood handle.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Master of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
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Title
- Allegory: Combat of Animals in the Presence of Man with Shield
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Place
- Italy (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1515–1520
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Medium
- Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
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Dimensions
- Sheet: 23 × 32.7 cm (9 1/16 × 12 7/8 in.); Plate: 22.4 × 31.2 cm (8 7/8 × 12 5/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.
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Reference Number
- 1937.80
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/23369/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
