Trompe l'Oeil: Prints with Londonio's Calling Card, Using Original Copperplates
Medium
etching and engraving printed in black and brown with ochre watercolor on blue laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 25.8 x 37.5 cm (10 3/16 x 14 3/4 in.) sheet: 28.9 x 42.8 cm (11 3/8 x 16 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ellwanger/Mescha Collection
Accession Number
2006.163.7
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This captivating print from around 1790 exemplifies the playful art of trompe l’œil, or “trick of the eye,” designed to fool viewers into mistaking the flat image for real objects. Created by artists associated with the Milanese 18th-century school, including Francesco Londonio and Benigno Bossi, the work features etched and engraved elements printed in black and brown ink, enhanced with delicate ochre watercolor washes on blue laid paper. The composition cleverly incorporates what appears to be a stack of prints alongside Londonio’s own calling card, all rendered using impressions from origin...