Artwork
Asterione Argonote condoti da Giove Fulmina
Asterione Argonote condoti da Giove Fulmina is an ink print by the Baroque artist Balthasar Moncornet. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1634 by the French painter‑engraver Balthasar Moncornet, this work is an etching executed on laid paper. The print presents a complex, allegorical scene populated by a mixture of human figures, mythic beings, and celestial elements, all arranged within a dramatic, cloud‑filled sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes a richly decorated vessel sailing among clouds with soldiers brandishing flags and spears, while a winged rider on horseback gestures toward the heavens. Additional figures—one perched on a cloud holding a branch, another radiant sun‑like face—suggest a narrative drawn from classical mythology, emphasizing themes of divine authority and martial power.
Technique & Style
Moncornet employed traditional intaglio methods, incising lines into a copper plate to produce fine, delicate marks that translate into the tonal gradations of the printed image. The use of laid paper, with its characteristic ribbed texture, enhances the contrast between the dense, shadowed forms and the luminous, sun‑like elements, reflecting the baroque interest in dramatic chiaroscuro.
History & Provenance
The etching is part of Moncornet’s broader oeuvre, which includes portraits of roughly forty‑five prominent contemporaries. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work has been catalogued in several 19th‑century collections of French prints, indicating its circulation among connoisseurs of early modern graphic art.
Context
Produced during a period when French printmaking served both artistic and propagandistic purposes, the image aligns with the era’s fascination with allegorical representations of power. Its mythological references and militaristic motifs echo the political climate of the early reign of Louis XIII, when royal authority was often reinforced through visual symbolism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Balthasar Moncornet (1600, Rouen – 1668, Paris) was a French painter, engraver, and tapissier revered for his depictions of around 45 different prominent figures of the 17th century.
