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Sibyl Reading with a Child Holding a Torch
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As the innovator of the chiaroscuro process in Italy, Ugo's greatest achievement was the use of three- and four-tone blocks to simulate the subtleties of Raphael's ink wash drawings. Using woodcut, he duplicated the powerful contours, simplified forms, and spontaneous appearance of the Italian master's graphics. <br><br>Here, the print shows a sitting Sybil who is reading a book to a child holding a torch to illuminate the room. The design for <em>Sibyl Reading</em> has been traditionally ascribed to Raphael based on the several sibylline figures (one of whom is accompanied by a putto holding a torch) in the master's decorations for the Capella Chigi, Santa Maria della Pace, Rome (1511–14), though there is no direct correspondence.
| Artist / Maker | Ugo da Carpi |
|---|---|
| Date | 1518–27 |
| Culture / Origin | Italy |
| Medium | chiaroscuro woodcut |
| Dimensions | Platemark: 26.8 x 21.8 cm (10 9/16 x 8 9/16 in.); Sheet: 27.5 x 22.6 cm (10 13/16 x 8 7/8 in.) |
| 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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