Psyche Taken... to a Deserted Mountain

The early Renaissance print, Psyche Taken... to a Deserted Mountain, was created by the Master of the Die (Italian, active c. 1530-1560) during the 1530s or 1540s. This compelling engraving in warm brown ink on cream laid paper is a pivotal example of the complex cross-cultural transmission of High Renaissance motifs. The design utilized by Die originated with the Flemish artist Michiel Coxcie I, who, like many contemporary artists working in Italy, derived his composition directly from the foundational frescoes of Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael.

The work illustrates a dramatic moment from the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche, specifically depicting the heroine being led to a desolate mountain peak to await her intended, unknown fate. The intricate cross-hatching and expert modeling employed by the Master of the Die successfully translate Raphael’s monumental, idealized style, originally seen in large-scale wall decorations, into the intimate, replicable format of a print.

The widespread creation of such prints during the Cinquecento was critical for disseminating the revolutionary artistic ideas stemming from Rome throughout Italy and across Europe. This particular printmaking effort highlights the technical precision required for engraving during this period and demonstrates how reproductive prints allowed artists and collectors to study the compositional mastery of Raphael decades after his death. The work resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving as a valuable record of collaborative artistic influence spanning Italian and Flemish traditions. This historically significant work, now often accessible through public domain collections, remains a key document for the study of Renaissance graphic arts.