Two women of the zodiac standing beneath the signs of Libra and Scorpio (ca. 1517–20, Met-Objekt 5749)
Original title: Two women of the zodiac standing beneath the signs of Libra and Scorpio
kurzbeschreibung
This engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi, made around 1517–20, presents two women in classical dress standing beneath the constellations Libra and Scorpio. The plate, measuring 28.6 × 20 cm, was heavily reworked after its initial creation.
Description
Two women in antique garments stand on a rocky ledge. The one on the left holds a book and writes in a small notebook; the right figure points to her breast with one hand and raises an object with the other. A leafy tree closes the view behind them, while the signs of Libra and Scorpio hover above. The arrangement is mirrored, and light falling from above brings out the bodies. Fine strokes and hatching articulate the fabrics in this monochrome print.
Context
The Italian Marcantonio Raimondi ranks among the major engravers of the Renaissance, known above all for his reproductive prints after Raphael. This sheet was made around 1517–20 in Rome, where he worked in the circle of papal patrons. Zodiac signs were highly popular at the time, often linked to astrological and humanist ideas. The forceful interventions in the plate suggest later reworking or a subsequent printing.
Impact
The balanced layout and the measured gestures of the two figures give the print a sense of equilibrium, almost contemplative. Because the light comes from above and the lines are cleanly drawn, the figures stand out clearly and bodily, as is characteristic of the Renaissance.
Technique
The lines are engraved into a copper plate, a process that allows very precise tonal gradations. The visible reworking indicates that the plate was later altered, either by Raimondi himself or by a subsequent engraver. Since printing is in black and white only, shading and surface textures can be rendered with particular precision.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)