Two Biblical Scenes: The Apostles Showing Christ their Swords at left, after Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura and the Pope Celebrates Mass with Four Priests, after Raphael's Stanza di Eliodoro
Original title: Two Biblical Scenes: The Apostles Showing Christ their Swords at left, after Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura and the Pope Celebrates Mass with Four Priests,after Raphael's Stanza di Eliodoro, from a series of 15 plates depicting Raphael's works for the Vatican stanze and the Sistine Chapel tapestries
kurzbeschreibung
This etching by Pietro Santi Bartoli, made between 1650 and 1670, brings together two scenes after Raphael: on the left, the apostles present their swords to Christ; on the right, the pope celebrates Mass with four priests. The sheet belongs to a series of 15 prints reproducing Raphael's frescoes in the Vatican Stanze.
Description
On the left, Christ stands at the center, surrounded by apostles in contemporary dress who raise their swords. On the right, the pope kneels with a book, accompanied by four priests, also kneeling, who carry altar plates. The rendering is monochrome with even lighting. Architecture and figures are captured with precise detail in the Renaissance style.
Context
Between 1650 and 1670, Bartoli made this etching as part of a series reproducing Raphael's frescoes in the Stanze and the tapestry designs for the Sistine Chapel. The Stanza della Segnatura and the Stanza di Eliodoro had been commissioned in the early 16th century by Pope Julius II. Bartoli, an Italian engraver of the Baroque, became known for his reproductive prints after ancient and Renaissance works.
Impact
Despite the strong reduction in scale, precise linework and a clear layout convey a sense of Raphael's monumental frescoes. The juxtaposition of the two scenes highlights the narrative and liturgical range of the sources. The monochrome execution draws attention to the figures and their gestures.
Technique
The etching on paper is an intaglio process: the drawing is scratched into an acid-resistant layer on a copper plate and then etched. The plate measures 10.5 × 25.6 cm, the sheet 11.6 × 28.8 cm. This technique allows fine lines and hatching, used to render details and shadows.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)