{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O612063"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O612063/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NN7136/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NN7136/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NN7136","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O612063/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O612063","accessionNumber":"E.932-1888","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Battle of the sea gods, right half of the frieze","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"This belongs to a group of seven prints thought to have been engraved by Andrea Mantegna himself, most dating to between 1460 and 1480. Mantegna was an ambitious engraver, from the start using large plates of about 50cm. This print was one of the earliest engravings printed from two plates and intended for display as a frieze. The left half was made with a right margin and narrow borderline but the right half had no left margin or border, enabling both prints to be pasted together. \r\n\r\nMantegna favoured the lozenge-shaped burin used in Germany, which allowed for deeper and thicker lines than the Italian ciapolla. He experimented with the depth of tone, in this later work using two different sizes of burin to vary the line thickness. He also combined these with a drypoint for the thinner lines. \r\n\r\nThe subject of this print is thought to be artistic envy, with the sea-gods being the race of Telchines, who were sculptors and associated with envy in ancient texts. The hag's name is Invidia, (Latin for envy). Mantegna was interested in the antique and visited Roman remains, incorporating the imagery into his work. By 1476 he is known to have owned a sketchbook of 'antique sculpture, of which most are battles of centaurs, fauns, satyrs..'. \r\n\r\nMantegna seems to have taken so few impressions from his prints that even in 1494 Albrecht Dürer could not get one for himself and had to draw a copy. An example of the fluid manner in which designs could be transmitted across media, some elements of Dürer's drawings of this work were used by Hans Sebald Beham for a wallpaper frieze, which in turn acted was source for an ornamental panel by Master C.G. in 1537.","physicalDescription":"Right plate of two plates forming a single composition, featuring winged and scaly sea creatures and gods and a goddess, holding various weapons or trumpets.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Mantegna, Andrea","id":"A6627"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving","id":"AAT53225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engraving on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"}],"styles":[{"text":"Renaissance","id":"AAT21140"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2023NN7136"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"EXH2","id":"THES265485"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Mantua","id":"x35230"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"before 1481","earliest":null,"latest":"1480-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"DYCE.994","id":"O1056077"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"cut to","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"39","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"cut to","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"INVID [followed by indecipherable lettering]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"inscribed on tablet centre of left panel."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Engraving, right half of 'Battle of the Sea Gods' by Andrea Mantegna","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bartsch, Adam von, 1757-1821. <u>The illustrated Bartsch</u>. New York : Abaris Books, 1978-, no. 17 and 18"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mantegna, Andrea, 1431-1506. <u>Andrea Mantegna</u>. London : Royal Academy of Arts in association with Electa, Milano ; New York : Metropolitan Museum of Art : Distributed by Abrams, 1992."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Christiansen, Keith. 'The Case for Mantegna as Printmaker', in <u>The Burlington Magazine</u>. Vol. 135, No. 1086 (Sep., 1993), pp. 604-612."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Vickers, Michael. 'The Palazzo Santacroce Sketchbook': A New Source for Andrea Mantegna's \"Triumph of Caesar:, \"Bacchanals\" and \"Battle of the Sea Gods\", in <u>The Burlington Magazine</u>, Vol. 118, No. 885 (Dec., 1976), pp. 824-835."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jacobsen, Michael A. 'The Meaning of Mantegna's Battle of Sea Monsters', in <u>The Art Bulletin, Vol. 64, No. 4 (Dec., 1982), pp. 623-629."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"'The Intended Setting of Mantegna's \"Triumph of Caesar\", \"Battle of the Sea Gods\" and \"Bacchanals\" ', in <u>The Burlington Magazine</u>, Vol. 120, No. 903, Special Issue Devoted to the Italian Quattrocento (Jun., 1978), pp. 365-370."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bartsch, Adam von. <u>Le Peintre Graveur</u>. Vienna, 1811. Vol XIII."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Hind, A.M. <u>Early Italian Engraving<u>. Washington, 1948. Part 2, Vol. 5,"}],"production":"In Mantegna exhibition catalogue (1992) these prints are catalogued as being by Andrea Mantegna himself.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.932-1888"],"accessionNumberNum":"932","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1888,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Le Peintre-Graveur","id":"THES50256"},"number":"18"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-24","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}