Artwork
A new device to cleave wild beasts from Head to Tail
A new device to cleave wild beasts from Head to Tail is a print by the Romanticist artist Filippo Morghen. It dates from 1769 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This etching is part of a series of ten prints by Filippo Morghen, depicting a fantastical lunar world. The series showcases the artist's imagination and creativity in representing an otherworldly society.
Subject & Meaning
The print illustrates a scene where a giant pair of scissors is used to cleave a wild, rat-like creature. The image is crowded with strange machines and lunar inhabitants, reflecting the artist's interpretation of an imaginary lunar culture.
Technique & Style
The etching features bold lines, characteristic of Morghen's work. The style is reminiscent of the decorative and visual arts of 18th-century Europe, with influences from chinoiserie and turquerie, which incorporated elements from Asian, Ottoman, and Native American cultures.
Context
The series was created during a time when European audiences were fascinated by literary and visual narratives of imaginary voyages to the moon. Morghen's work reflects this interest, presenting a fantastical and imaginative representation of lunar life.
Artist & collection
Title and Dedication Page
A House on Water, and a New Way to Summon Geese by the Beat of a Drum
The Manner of Transporting Wares on Barges Drawn by a Bellows
A Savage mounted on a winged Serpent battling with a wild beast resembling a Porcupine
The Manner of sailing by the power of Bellows practiced on that Planet
The Carriages used on the Moon and which move by sails
A Boat That Has for Sails the Wings of a Huge Bird
A Pumpkin Used as a Fishing Boat
