This print is a depiction of mythological creatures and muscular humans engaged in combat amidst swirling waves. On the left are two men riding horses with fins and the tails of fish. The men both have leaf-like hair and curved, pointed ears. The man on the right wears a billowing cloak and holds a long rod towards the other man. The man on the left is nude and holds a bundle of fish above his head. On the far left, another nude man rides a creature with fins, a tail, and the head of a dog, its mouth wide open. This man holds a long staff and looks off towards the left. A nude woman stands behind him on the creature, holding a bunch of cloth in her right hand and a small sign in her left hand. She is thin, with long, curling hair and a wrinkled face, and she looks to the right towards the two fighting men. In the background are tall reeds or grass, a statue of a man holding a trident, and a distant city on a hill.
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This print is a depiction of mythological creatures and muscular humans engaged in combat amidst swirling waves. On the left are two men riding horses with fins and the tails of fish. The men both have leaf-like hair and curved, pointed ears. The man on the right wears a billowing cloak and holds a long rod towards the other man. The man on the left is nude and holds a bundle of fish above his head. On the far left, another nude man rides a creature with fins, a tail, and the head of a dog, its mouth wide open. This man holds a long staff and looks off towards the left. A nude woman stands behind him on the creature, holding a bunch of cloth in her right hand and a small sign in her left hand. She is thin, with long, curling hair and a wrinkled face, and she looks to the right towards the two fighting men. In the background are tall reeds or grass, a statue of a man holding a trident, and a distant city on a hill.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Battle of the Sea Gods [left half]

Andrea Mantegna

Date
before 1481
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 27 x 40.4 cm (10 5/8 x 15 7/8 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1941.1.6
Credit line
Gift of W.G. Russell Allen
Time span
1401 to 1500
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • Paduan
  • engraving
  • virtues and vices
  • allegory
  • Envy

NGA object ID 584. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.