The Temptation of Saint Anthony, plate 16 from the Emblemata Secularia - Johann Theodor de Bry

The Joseph Brooks Fair Collection

"The Temptation of Saint Anthony, plate 16 from the Emblemata Secularia" by Johann Theodor de Bry (published 1596 or 1611) Engraving in black on ivory laid paper.

Commentary

"The Temptation of Saint Anthony, plate 16 from the Emblemata Secularia" by Johann Theodor de Bry (published 1596 or 1611) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to notice include engraving. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Johann Theodor de Bry is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Johann Theodor de Bry (German, 1561-1623) after Pieter Breugel, the elder (Flemish, 1525/30-1569) published in the Emblemata Secularia by Johann Theodor de Bry, Frankfurt or Oppenheim. The work is cataloged within a Germany cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as engraving, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Engraving in black on ivory laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image/plate: 8.1 × 10.5 cm (3 1/4 × 4 3/16 in.); Sheet: 8.3 × 10.7 cm (3 5/16 × 4 1/4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include engraving. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/40834

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data