Poetry, a woman with a laurel crown
Original title: Poetry, a woman with a laurel crown
kurzbeschreibung
A woman crowned with laurel, her garment studded with stars and a brooch at her breast: this is the allegorical figure of Poetry. Raphael Morghen engraved the image in copper in 1827, and this impression is from the fourth state of a five-state plate. The plate measures 32.3 × 22.7 cm. The figure is placed centrally, calm and clearly outlined.
Description
Long, wavy hair tied in a knot at the nape frames a face topped by a wreath of leaves. Stars cover the garment, and a brooch sits on the chest. The woman's bright form stands out sharply against the dark ground; her robe and skin tones emerge. Light falls frontally on her face, bringing out the features. At the bottom, a block of text in Latin and Italian closes the image and gives information about the person and the artist.
Context
Raphael Morghen, born in 1758 and died in 1833, was an Italian engraver known for reproductive prints after paintings and sculptures. This print was made in 1827, a time when allegorical motifs were common in printmaking. Morghen often worked from other artists' designs; for this image the exact source is not documented. The existence of the fourth of five states points to repeated reworking of the plate, as was usual for elaborate printing processes of the period.
Impact
The contrast between the dark background and the bright figure gives the print something monumental and at the same time ceremonial. The symmetrical layout and frontal lighting lend the allegory a dignified, almost classical presence. The laurel wreath and stars emphasize the symbolic character of Poetry as a sublime art form.
Technique
In copper engraving, an intaglio process, the lines are incised into the plate. Fine hatching and precise linework create the light-dark contrasts and the detail that are characteristic of Morghen's engravings. The fourth state shows that the plate was reworked several times to optimize the tonal values.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)