The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (1540–50 (republished 1609), Met-Objekt 5986)
Original title: The Miraculous Draught of Fishes
kurzbeschreibung
This chiaroscuro woodcut by Niccolò Vicentino was made between 1540 and 1550 and reissued in 1609. It presents a biblical episode: several figures in a boat, with a mountain landscape rising behind them.
Description
A boat fills the foreground, crowded with people. Some have risen and lean forward; others stay seated and turn toward the standing figures. Behind them, mountains rise and lend the image calm. The clothing looks traditional and points to a biblical setting. The layout thrives on the tension between the bodies in the boat.
Context
Vicentino is among the sixteenth-century Italian woodcutters whose reputation rests on chiaroscuro woodcut. The model was an invention by Raphael depicting the miraculous draught of fishes from the Gospel of Luke. Reproducing paintings as woodcuts was common practice in the Renaissance for spreading art. That the print appeared again in 1609 speaks for continued demand for this motif.
Impact
First, the alternation of light areas and dark zones catches the eye, giving the image spatial depth. The quiet mountains in the back contrast with the throng of figures in front, which enlivens the narrative. The graduated gray values carry a serious, contemplative mood suited to the biblical subject.
Technique
The print was made from three woodblocks in pale green. By using multiple blocks with different inking, various tonal steps could be achieved. What survives is an impression in the third of three states, suggesting the block was reworked.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)