Minneapolis Institute of Art

Battle of the Sea Gods (right half)

Andrea Mantegna; Engraver: Unidentified engraver, Italy

Date

1470s

Medium

Engraving (and drypoint?)

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

According to the sign held by the crone at the upper left, envy has led to discord among the sea gods. When satyrs on seahorses square off, it's fish versus baton, while the nymph-bearing sea-centaurs adopt bonier weapons. This print was the largest engraving ever produced at the time it was made—so large that the image had to be engraved on two separate plates. It so perfectly embodied Renaissance understanding of antiquity that the sculptures based on its design were thought to be genuinely ancient.

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