Marco Dente, engraver

This print’s dynamic combat scene was inspired by a number of ancient sources. One figure was based on an ancient relief unearthed in Rome around 1500; the ruined theatre in the background was inspired by the Colosseum; and the boxing match between Entellus and Dares is recounted in Virgil’s Aeneid.

Giulio Romano and Marco Dente were members of Raphael’s Roman workshop, where the study of ancient art was not only encouraged but provided inspiration for new compositions that brought ancient subjects back to life in the new medium of print. Giulio’s remarkable attention to historical detail is evident in the boxing gloves made of leather straps (caestus), which he had seen portrayed in ancient sculpture.