A Sibyl reading a book facing left (ca. 1518)
Original title: A Sibyl reading a book facing left
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1518 Ugo da Carpi made this print: a sibyl reading a book inside a room while a child holds a candle for her. It is a chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in brown. The subject ties ancient prophecy to the visual language of the Renaissance.
Description
Seated on a chair, the sibyl holds a large book in both hands and turns her gaze to the left. There a child stands, carrying a candle in the right hand. A stretch of wall and a window opening suggest the interior. Browns dominate the whole sheet, strong contrasts of light and dark stand out and sharpen the outlines of the figures. Delicate woodcut lines bring out the surfaces of garments and furnishings.
Context
The Italian Ugo da Carpi established the chiaroscuro woodcut in his country. This sheet dates from the High Renaissance, around 1518, when printmakers were experimenting more and more with light and shadow. Sibyls, the prophets of antiquity, were a popular subject at the time and were often combined with Christian themes.
Impact
The chiaroscuro technique gives the sheet a painterly quality, almost like a washed drawing. Because the sibyl sits quietly and absorbed and the brown stays warm, the scene feels close and contemplative.
Technique
Printing took two passes: a tone block laid down the areas, a second block drew the contours. This allowed gradations in grey and brown and brought out sculptural effects of light. The print was made in brown on paper.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)