Flemish Grotesque with a Fantastic Cart supported by a Turtle
Cornelis Bos Netherlandish
Published by Hieronymus Cock Netherlandish
Not on view
Design for an upright panel with a fantastical cart supported by a turtle. A river god is seated on its back and holds an ore. The print represents the characteristic style of grotesque ornament as developed in the Southern Netherlands in the second quarter of the sixteenth century. It was influenced by Italian grotesques and the decorative scheme developed for the French Royal castle at Fontainebleau, but had a very distinct vocabulary. The Flemish grotesques are characterized by a framework of strapwork which is inhabited by a host of fantastical creatures.
