Plate 4: Alexander Battling the Persians, from "The Deeds of Alexander

A dense cavalry battle fills the upper and middle of this etching: armored riders with raised spears charge among rearing horses, while a fallen soldier and horse lie in the lower center. Hatched lines and crowded figures give the print a restless, dramatic energy.

Look closer: A small bird-like shape hovers in the sky above the battle.

Artist

Antonio Tempesta

Date

1608

Medium

Etching, first state of two (Bartsch)

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

3508 × 2755 px

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