Old Italian Masters
Medium
Graphic Arts-Print
Classification
Graphic Arts-Print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum acquisition
Accession Number
1974.39.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Old Italian Masters** is a striking graphic arts print by Timothy Cole, acclaimed American wood engraver active in the late 19th and early 20 centuries. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection through museum acquisition, this undated work exemplifies Cole's mastery in translating the grandeur of Renaissance paintings into intricate engravings. Tagged with "St. Agnes," it draws from iconic depictions of the early Christian martyr saint by Old Italian Masters, evoking themes of faith, purity, and resilience that captivated artists like those from the Italian Renaissance. Co...
About the Artist
Timothy Cole
Timothy Cole (1852–1931) was one of the most celebrated wood engravers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, renowned for his extraordinary ability to translate the tonal richness of Old Master paintings into the exacting medium of engraved wood. Born in London, England, Cole emigrated with his family to the United States in 1858. He began his career as a wood engraver in Chicago, but t...