Saint Roch

Art Historical Context

Behold *Saint Roch* (1756), a delicate etching and engraving by skilled Austrian printmaker Joseph Wagner and his Italian collaborator Francesco Bartol. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's and Prints department, this sheet—measuring just 9 5/16 × 6 7/16 inches—was acquired through the Harry G. Friedman Be in 1967. during the mid-18th century, exemplifies the era's refined printmaking techniques, blending etching's fluid, spontaneous lines with engraving's precise, controlled incisions for exceptional clarity and tonal depth. Saint Roch, the beloved patron saint invoked against plagues, held profound cultural resonance in Europe amid recurring epidemics. Wagner and Bartolozzi, both masters of reproductive prints, likely drew from devotional traditions to craft this work, making sacred imagery accessible to a wider audience beyond grand altarpieces. Their collaboration highlights the international exchange of the Enlightenment period, where Venice's vibrant print workshops influenced styles across borders. This piece invites reflection on faith and resilience, its meticulous craftsmanship a testament to printmaking's role in preserving religious art for collectors and pilgrims alike. A true gem for admirers of 18th-century graphic arts!

About the Artist

Joseph Wagner|Francesco Bartolozzi · 1706–1780

Joseph Wagner (1706–1780) was a highly accomplished German engraver and draughtsman who spent the majority of his career in Venice, where he became one of the most important figures in eighteenth-century Venetian printmaking. Born in Thalendorf near Lake Constance in 1706, Wagner initially trained as a painter under the Venetian-born artist Jacopo Amigoni before being persuaded to dedicate himself...