Etchingexpand_more
The William M. Ladd Collection Gift of Herschel V. Jones, 1916expand_more P.1,274
Rembrandt occasionally received requests to illustrate books. This allegorical etching appeared in Elias Herckman's "Der Zee-Vaert Lof," a verse history of seafaring exploits that extended back to Noah and the Ark. The undulating baroque composition is a complex evocation of Augustus's defeat of Marc Antony. Weary of battle, the horse sinks to the ground. The event ushered in an era of peaceful maritime trade. Rembrandt gave himself a cameo role, using his own likeness for the image of Janus, the two-faced god whose temple was closed to mark the arrival of peace in Rome.
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