The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 18, 2025

The Abduction of the Sabine Women

1585

Andrea Andreani

(Italian, about 1558–1610)

after Giambologna

(Flemish, active Italy, 1529–1608)
Italy, 16th century
chiaroscuro woodcut (in three shades of brown and black)
Bequest of Grover Higgins by exchange 1981.15
Catalogue raisonné: Bartsch XII.94.4
Location: Not on view

Description

The legend of the Sabine women relates to Rome’s early history when, to ensure the future population of the city, its founder Romulus hosted a festival for neighboring peoples, including the Sabines. At an appointed moment during the festivities, each young man of Rome kidnapped an unmarried Sabine woman to be his bride. Later, when the Sabines attacked Rome, it was the abducted Sabine women who courageously stopped the brutal battle and demanded peace between their fathers, brothers, and husbands. Andreani’s chiaroscuro woodcut, with its brown-red tone, subtle shadows, and warm highlights, was a fitting choice for reproducing Giambologna’s original bronze relief, created for the pedestal of his sculpture The Abduction of a Sabine Woman.
  • Goldfarb, Hilliard T. “Chiaroscuro Woodcut Technique and Andrea Andreani.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 68, no. 9 (November 1981): 307–330. Mentioned: p. 321-322, 325; Reproduced: p. 322, fig. 26, Cover www.jstor.org
    Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1981.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 69, no. 2 (February 1982): 39–82. Reproduced: p. 46; Mentioned: p. 80, no. 59 www.jstor.org
    Young, Rachel A., "Andrea Andreani's Abduction of the Sabine Women after Giambologna," Print Quarterly XLI/4 (December 2024): pp 379-393. pp. 384, 384n13, 393 (state iv); illus. p. 389 (fig. 310)
  • Gods and Heroes: Ancient Legends in Renaissance Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-December 31, 2017).
    Against the Grain: Woodcuts from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 17-November 9, 2003).
    Mannerism: Italian, French, and Netherlandish Prints, 1520-1620. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 3-October 26, 1997).
    Printing in Color. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10-November 17, 1985).
    The Lessons of the Academy. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 8-May 29, 1983).
    The Year in Review for 1981. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-March 21, 1982).
  • {{cite web|title=The Abduction of the Sabine Women|url=false|author=Andrea Andreani, Giambologna|year=1585|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1981.15