A Landscape, with the Story of Mercury Charming Argus Asleep with His Pipe - Richard Earlom

A 1776 etching and mezzotint by Richard Earlom, depicting the classical myth of Mercury and Argus after a drawing by Claude Lorrain.

This print is an etching and mezzotint by Richard Earlom, published in 1776. It reproduces a drawing by Claude Lorrain, which was held in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire. Earlom was a master of the mezzotint technique, and his work here demonstrates his ability to translate the tonal qualities of a wash drawing into a printed medium.

The scene depicts a classical narrative from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Mercury, sent by Jupiter to rescue Io, plays his pipe to lull the hundred-eyed giant Argus into a deep sleep. The figures are positioned in the foreground, near a classical portico that provides a sense of architectural structure. The background opens into a wide, atmospheric vista, typical of the idealised classical compositions favoured by Claude Lorrain.

Earlom uses fine lines to define the foliage and the architectural details, while the mezzotint process allows for soft transitions in light and shadow across the sky and the distant hills. The composition balances the human figures with the surrounding natural elements, creating a sense of quiet stillness. The inclusion of cattle and goats in the foreground adds a pastoral element to the mythological subject matter.

This work was part of the Liber Veritatis, a project initiated by the publisher John Boydell to document the drawings of Claude Lorrain. By making these images accessible to a wider audience, Boydell and Earlom helped to shape the appreciation of classical landscape painting in Britain during the eighteenth century. The print captures the serene, ordered quality of the original drawing, offering a window into the aesthetic values of the period.