Art Institute of Chicago

Ganymede

Giulio Campagnola

Date

1500/03

Medium

Engraving on ivory laid paper

Culture

Italy

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Giulio Campagnola is known for his combination of figures inspired by Andrea Mantegna and landscapes reminiscent of those by Albrecht Dürer. Donning a ferocious eagle disguise, here Jupiter carries the youth Ganymede away to Olympus to become his serving boy. Campagnola depicted Ganymede in flight, with a draping sash billowing in the wind to depict movement. The landscape below derives directly from Dürer’s Madonna with the Monkey (c. 1499). The print’s overall softness comes from Campagnola’s laborious use of little dots rather than lines. This method of engraving did not become popular until the 18th century.

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