The Sibyl and a Child Bearing a Torch
1520-40
Medium
Chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in black and ochre on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
27.6 × 21.9 cm (10 7/8 × 8 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
8733
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This mysterious composition of a woman reading a book by torchlight was made by printing two woodblocks on top of each other, one for the beige tone, the other for the black lines. The initial R in the upper left attributes the design to Raphael, who collaborated with Ugo da Carpi, the first artist to practice color-printing in Italy. This is an impression of one of three versions by unknown artists who copied Ugo’s original print, attesting to the popularity of this design.
About the Artist
Ugo da Carpi · 1480–1535
Comment on works: Painter; Woodcutter