On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Grotesque panel with the figure of Neptune

Etching
1557 (published)
Artist/Maker
Floris, Cornelis (II) (printmaker)
Cock, Hieronymus (publisher)
Place of origin
Antwerp (published)

Cornelis Floris was born in Antwerp but spent some time in Rome in the late 1530s when he would have been exposed to examples of Ancient Roman and Renaissance grotesque decoration. The grotesque style often featured fanciful creatures - part human, part plant. Floris took this idea and in some cases, such as this, pushed it further than it had ever gone before. This print also shows a range of motifs related to the sea and sea creatures which were such a feature of the 16th century style known as Mannerism.

Object details

Category
Prints
Object type
Etching
Titles
  • Grotesque panel with the figure of Neptune (generic title)
  • Veelderleij niewe inventien van antijcksche sepulteuren diemen nou zeere ghebruijkende is met noch zeer fraeije grotissen en Compartimenten zeer beqwame voer beeltsniders antijcksniders schilders en alle constenaers (series title)
Materials and techniques
Etching and engraving
Printing Ink
Etching
Engraving
Brief description
Design for grotesque ornament by Cornelius Floris; etching and engraving; 1557
Physical description
Print, etching with engraving
Dimensions
  • Size of plate height: 30cm
  • Size of plate width: 20.4cm
  • Size of sheet height: 30.1cm
  • Size of sheet width: 20.7cm
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Styles
Renaissance
Mannerist
Gallery label
PRINTS

Prints were one of the main ways by which styles spread across Europe. The masks, grotesques and strapwork seen in these examples were common features of Mannerism.

Antwerp, where three of these prints come from, was a major centre of printmaking and distribution, with Cornelis Floris one of its most prolific printmakers. He specialised in devising bizarre scenes incorporating fantastic monsters and the natural world.

Grotesque scene with Neptune and sea monsters
1557

Cornelis Floris (1514-75)

Southern Netherlands
(Belgium), Antwerp

Etching and engraving [on paper]

Museum no. 17101
Subjects depicted
Fish
Bird
Crab (Crustacean)
Snails (Animal)
Cornucopia
Shell (Motif)
Strapwork
Tridents
Sphinxes
Heron
Trophies (Motif)
Scallop Shell
Neptune
Summary
Cornelis Floris was born in Antwerp but spent some time in Rome in the late 1530s when he would have been exposed to examples of Ancient Roman and Renaissance grotesque decoration. The grotesque style often featured fanciful creatures - part human, part plant. Floris took this idea and in some cases, such as this, pushed it further than it had ever gone before. This print also shows a range of motifs related to the sea and sea creatures which were such a feature of the 16th century style known as Mannerism.
Bibliographic references
  • Guilmard, D. Les maîtres ornemanistes, Paris 1880-1 p.477 no. 6
  • Berlin Staatliche Museen: Katalog der Ornamentstich-sammlung, Berlin and Leipzig, 1936-39 no.211.2
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
17101

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Record createdDecember 20, 2005
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O119992/grotesque-panel-with-the-figure-etching-floris-cornelis-ii/
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