Snail
probably 1977
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
mezzotint
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1980.45.94
Art Historical Context
Mario Avati's *Snail*, a mezzotint print likely dating to 1977, highlights the artist's mastery of a rare and demanding printmaking technique. A 20th-century French printmaker of Italian heritage, Avati became renowned for still-life images that elevate humble natural subjects—fruits, vessels, and creatures like this snail—into moments of quiet poetry and visual richness. Mezzotint begins by roughening an entire copper plate so it holds ink and prints a deep, velvety black. The artist then burnishes selected areas to varying degrees of smoothness, creating a full range of luminous midtones an...