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A work made of chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in black and ochre on ivory laid paper.

The Sibyl and a Child Bearing a Torch

1520-40

Artist Unknown (16th century) after Ugo da Carpi (Italian, c. 1480-after 1535) after Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael (Italian, 1483-1520)

Italy

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.

Chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in black and ochre on ivory laid paper

Prints and Drawings