Plate 2: Emperor Augustus on Horseback, from "The First Twelve Roman C

An etching shows a crowned, armored rider on a richly harnessed horse, raising a staff in his right hand while his cloak billows behind him. The horse's ornate bridle and saddle cloth are finely hatched, and the plinth below carries the inscription AVGVSTVS DIVI FIL.

Look closer: The plate number 2 is printed in small letters at the lower right corner, beside the plinth.

Artist

Antonio Tempesta

Date

1596

Medium

Etching; first state of two (Bartsch)

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

2665 × 3505 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951