Antonio Lafréry

Antonio Lafréry made detailed printed battle scenes in the 1500s, trading in copper plates to churn out views of ancient clashes for a growing market of collectors. His print “Battle of the Romans with Pyrrhus” (1525–77) captures armored soldiers locked in struggle on a hilly landscape, every helmet and spear etched with sharp lines so the ink bites into the paper. Rome’s printmakers crowded Via dei Coronari, where Lafréry likely ran one of the first shops to sell these images to travelers on the Grand Tour. Tap to see more of his Roman battle prints.