Saint Jerome in Penitence
c. 1602
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/sheet; cut within platemark: 38.7 × 27.7 cm (15 1/4 × 10 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
39361
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The Bolognese artist Agostino Carracci died before finishing this print. The partially engraved copper plate was printed after his death—hence the unusual appearance of this impression, which provides invaluable insight into Carracci’s process. The artist began by scratching the general outlines of the composition onto the plate. He then moved on to defining the figure and introducing shading using lines engraved with a sharp steel tool called a burin, starting at the center and working outward.
About the Artist
Agostino Carracci · 1557–1602
Agostino left his profession as a tailor to become an artist. His earliest works were engravings, which was an extremely profitable practice and he was famed for having attained new heights of perfection. He was also a skilled painter and collaborated with his famous relations on various commisions. Comment on works: Religious; Portraits.