Artwork information

In the 16th century Vasari had railed against the new barbarous fashion of covering walls with monsters which were a gross violation of natural forms and proportions, instead of the 'bright reflection of the world of objects'. The fashion continued, however, evolving over time. Salvator Rosa also had a predilection for bizarre and grotesque subjects. Mortimer strongly admired his depictions of Tritons Fighting, which were a partial source for the fifteen etchings on the theme of banditti and monsters which Mortimer issued in 1778, the year before he died. (Monsters and Maidens, 2004)