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Agostino dei Musi

The Altar of Love

1510/36
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
29.3 × 22.1 cm (11.5 × 8.7 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

In this engraving, Cupid adorns the altar of love. Because war is the opponent of love, he is shown dominating a battle relief. The artist skillfully evoked a sense of color in the architecture by varying his engraved line. The swirls in the floor tiles represent the design of colored marble, whereas the columns are left white. The classicizing elements of architecture and mythological subjects attest to the revival of antiquity in the Renaissance.

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