About this artwork
Adam Elsheimer’s small-scale paintings of mysterious interiors and fantastical landscapes influenced artists throughout Europe, particularly after Hendrik Goudt translated them into prints. Although Goudt engraved only eight of Elsheimer’s images, they inspired a generation of printmakers in pursuit of magical light and shadow, most notably Rembrandt.
This work depicts a moral tale by Ovid in which the gods Jupiter and Mercury disguise themselves as peasants before visiting a town in Phrygia and asking for a place to sleep. They are met with disdain by everyone except an impoverished couple who generously extend hospitality beyond their means. In turn, Jupiter and Mercury reward the couple with a comfortable life while destroying the rest of the town and everyone in it.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Hendrick von Goudt
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Title
- Jupiter and Mercury in the House of Philemon and Baucis
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Place
- Netherlands (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1612
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Medium
- Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
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Dimensions
- 21.3 × 22 cm (8 7/16 × 8 11/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Estate of George F. Porter
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Reference Number
- 1927.1666
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/41162/manifest.json