Bellona Leading the Armies of the Emperor against the Turks

Jan Harmensz. Muller engraved Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, on two plates, depicting her before a flag with the double-headed eagle of the ruling Habsburg family, symbolizing conflicts with the Ottoman Empire (1299–1922). A student of Hendrick Goltzius’s, Muller expanded his teacher’s system for light and shadow to create visually extravagant, sculptural figures. His exaggerated style was influenced by the Habsburg court in Prague (in the present-day Czech Republic), where he worked with court artist Bartholomaeus Spranger, known for his nudes. Bellona’s legs and the clouds behind her show a moiré pattern—a distorted optical effect resulting from lines crossed at sharp angles. Many engravers, including Goltzius, considered moiré to be unsightly and avoided it.

A vertically oriented engraving in black ink depicts Bellona, a muscular woman with a light skin tone. She wears detailed armor and a plumed helmet, one breast exposed, blowing a long, curved horn while holding dividers and a spear. On the left, a large double-headed eagle stands near a shield and crown. Below, soldiers with helmets and shields engage in battle. Latin text fills the bottom margin of the print.

Bellona Leading the Armies of the Emperor against the Turks

1600

Jan Muller, Bartholomaeus Spranger

(Dutch, 1571–1628), (Flemish, 1546–1611)

Netherlands, early 17th Century

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