Saint Paul standing before the Proconsul, from a series of 15 plates, depicting Raphael's works for the Vatican stanze and the Sistine Chapel tapestries
Original title: Saint Paul standing before the Proconsul, from a series of 15 plates, depicting Raphael's works for the Vatican stanze and the Sistine Chapel tapestries
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many single sheets after Raphael, this subject belongs to a fixed series: between 1650 and 1670 Pietro Santi Bartoli etched a set of 15 prints reproducing Raphael's works in the Vatican Stanze and the Sistine Chapel. The sheet at hand shows Saint Paul appearing before the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus.
Description
Ten men in classical-style garments are staggered across the picture surface; some carry documents or rolls, others appear absorbed in conversation. Several gazes settle on an object lying on a pedestal. A column and a vertically striped wall close off the interior, and the floor carries an ornamental pattern. The layout feels balanced, with lines kept sharp and clearly separated from one another.
Context
The etching came about as part of a reproductive series in which Bartoli copied Raphael's frescoes in the Vatican Stanze and the tapestries of the Sistine Chapel. The Roman art market, eager for printed versions of famous models, provided the demand. Bartoli was regarded as a specialist in faithful copies after antique and Renaissance works.
Impact
Clear draughtsmanship and an even arrangement give the sheet a calm, dignified presence. Formally it recalls Raphael's classicizing painting, something an inscription on the print further confirms. Because the reproduction stays monochrome, the figures and their gestures move to the fore.
Technique
The sheet was produced by the intaglio process of etching, in which the drawing is bitten into a metal plate. For the details of drapery and architecture Bartoli worked with fine, precise lines. At 11.6 × 28.8 cm the print is comparatively small, yet it still offers a dense, detailed view.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)