Portret van Nicole Ruggiero

About this artwork

plaatrand: hoogte 170 mm x breedte 130 mm

Art Historical Context

**Portret van Nicole Riero** is a refined engraving by the Italian artist Antonio Baldi, produced during his active years spanning 1702 to1773. This intimate portrait captures the likeness of Nicole Ruggiero a compact format—170 mm in height and 130 mm in width—perfectly suited for personal collections or scholarly exchange in the 18th century. Baldi's work reflects the era's fascination with detailed portraiture, where engravings served as accessible reproductions of prominent individuals. Engraving, the medium here, involves incising fine lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper to yield crisp, durable prints. This technique allowed for exceptional precision in rendering facial features, textures, and expressions, making it a cornerstone of 18th-century printmaking. Baldi's choice highlights the technical mastery required to achieve subtle tonal variations within such a small plate size (plaatrand), emphasizing quality over grandeur. In the broader context of European art, such portraits played a key role in disseminating images across social and geographic boundaries, preserving personal and cultural identities. Though modest in scale, this piece exemplifies how engravings bridged painting and print culture, inviting viewers to appreciate the artistry in every meticulously etched line.

About the Artist

Antonio Baldi · 1692–1783

Antonio Baldi (c.1692-1768) was an Italian painter and engraver of the late Baroque period whose career bridged Naples and the broader Italian artistic scene. Born around 1692 in Cava de' Tirreni in the Kingdom of Naples, Baldi received his artistic formation through distinguished teachers, initially training under Francesco Solimena, one of Naples's most important late Baroque painters, before st...