About this artwork
Sardanapalus was a mythical ancient Assyrian king known for his excessive pursuit of physical pleasure. He appears here being bathed by a bevy of women, though he was said to have many concubines of both genders. Johann Theodor de Bry copied and reshaped another artist’s rectangular print of a moralizing subject to create this composition, surrounding it with a sumptuously detailed border of foodstuffs, animals, and grotesque hybrid creatures.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Johann Theodor de Bry
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Title
- Bath of Sardanapalus
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Origin
- Germany
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Date
- 1581–1623
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Medium
- Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
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Dimensions
- 159 × 156 mm (image/plate/trimmed to sheet)
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Credit Line
- The Charles Deering Collection
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Reference Number
- 1927.2675
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/43523/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.