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Descent from the Cross
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Ugo da Carpi was influential in the development of the chiaroscuro woodcut in Italy. The term chiaroscuro combines the Italian words <em>chiaro </em>(light) and <em>scuro </em>(dark). Invented to emulate drawings with light and dark pigments on tinted paper, the printing technique uses multiple woodblocks to layer different tones of color. <br><br>The<em> Descent from the Cross</em> is one of the earliest chiaroscuro woodcuts by Ugo da Carpi. This print credits Raphael with its design: it was inspired by one of Raphael's now-lost drawings for a scene of <em>Deposition </em>that he should have painted in Loggie Vaticane. In a sketch-like hilly landscape, Christ's dead body is taken down from the cross by four men, one of whom is removing the nail from his right palm. Below, the three Marys attend the fainted Virgin. For this woodcut, Ugo used three different blocks—light brown, dark brown, and black.
| Artist / Maker | Ugo da Carpi |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1518 |
| Culture / Origin | Italy |
| Medium | chiaroscuro woodcut |
| Department | Prints |
| Type |
About the Artist
Born in Carpi (modern-day province of Modena) in ca. 1468/70, Ugo da Carpi was the first Italian chiaroscuro woodcut designer. Active in Venice from around 1509, he produced several woodcuts from small book illustrations to monumental multi-block prints. Concerned with issues relating to authenticity, Ugo usually signed his works, an uncommon practice at that time. In 1516, he petitioned the Venetian Senate for the privilege of having invented the technique of chiaroscuro woodcut. however, it is likely that Ugo developed… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
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