Artwork
Massacre of the Innocents
Massacre of the Innocents is a drawing by Martino Rota. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This pen drawing with bistre wash, circa 1550, is a highly detailed study by Martino Rota after Titian’s *Massacre of the Innocents*. It uniquely served as a direct model for one of Rota’s engravings, maintaining the same orientation.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a chaotic and violent scene of the Massacre of the Innocents, with figures clashing in the foreground and a suggested urban backdrop. The emphasis is on conveying turmoil and drama.
Technique & Style
Rota employed bold lines, dramatic shading, cross-hatching, and stippling to achieve a textured, deep composition that intensifies the scene’s tension and energy.
History & Provenance
Created around 1550, this drawing is documented by Adam Bartsch in *Le Peintre Graveur* and is notable for its direct influence on Rota’s engraving of the same subject, unusual in retaining the original orientation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Martino Rota, also Martin Rota and Martin Rota Kolunić (c. 1520–1583) was an artist, now mainly known for his printmaking, from Dalmatia. Martino Rota was born in about the year 1520 in Šibenik (Sebenico), Dalmatia.…
Copy of Raphael's Massacre of the Innocents
A Roman Triumph
The Last Judgment
Three Soldiers Discovering a Sleeping Woman
Flagellation of Christ
Drawing by Raphael Sanzio in the British Museum
Crowning the Victors at Olympia. Study for a picture in the Rooms of the Society of Arts.
The Defence of Basing House by the Cavaliers against the Roundheads
The Cartoon of Pisa
Gathering Wood![The Adoration of the Magi [recto], by Donato Creti](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/donato-creti--the-adoration-of-the-magi-recto--2cfd5d76b55e821e-w320.webp)
The Adoration of the Magi [recto]
Battle Scene