Artwork
Amarilli and Mirtillo
Amarilli and Mirtillo is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Johann Wilhelm Baur. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
They’re characters from a 1590 play called Aminta by Torquato Tasso.
This drawing shows two young people kneeling. A man in armor holds a spear. A woman in a long dress holds a bouquet. Trees stand behind them.
They’re characters from a 1590 play called Aminta by Torquato Tasso. Artists often drew scenes from poems and plays. This one feels quiet even though it’s dramatic.
It’s done with fine lines called cross-hatching. Look at the shadows. They add depth without color.
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Overview
Johann Wilhelm Baur, a German artist active in the early seventeenth century, produced the drawing titled *Amarilli and Mirtillo* in 1640. Executed with pen and brown ink, enhanced by a brown wash on laid paper, the work measures a modest size typical of intimate studies. It is presently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays the nuptial moment of the fictional lovers Amarilli and Mirtillo, characters drawn from Torquato Tasso’s pastoral drama *Aminta* (1590). The couple kneels before a modest altar; the male figure, clad in armor and bearing a spear, and the female, in a flowing gown clutching a bouquet, suggest a ceremonial union that reflects the play’s idealized love.
Technique & Style
Baur employs delicate cross‑hatching to model the figures and surrounding foliage, creating tonal variation without reliance on vivid color. The brown wash deepens shadows and gives the scene a subdued atmosphere. Laid paper, with its characteristic ribbed texture, contributes to the drawing’s tactile quality, while the precise line work highlights the artist’s skill in miniature rendering.
History & Provenance
Born in Strasbourg in 1607, Baur was known for his engravings and a series of illustrations for Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*. *Amarilli and Mirtillo* entered the National Gallery of Art’s collection through a mid‑twentieth‑century acquisition, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of European drawings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Wilhelm Baur, Joan Guiliam Bouwer, or Bauer (Strasbourg, 31 May 1607 - Vienna, 1 January 1640) was a German engraver, etcher and miniature painter. He is famous for a series of illustrations of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
The Last Supper
Tremblez malheureux Roi, votre Règne est passe
Mucius Scaevola
A Performance by the Commedia dell'Arte
The Bedroom (Le Coucher or Ma Chemise brule)
A Bishop Blessing a King
Lingerie Boutique and Conversation (verso)
Allegory of the Dauphin's Convalescence (Allegorie sur la convalescence du Dauphin)
The Divertissement from Voltaire's "La princesse de Navarre"