St. Andrew
Medium
Chiaroscuro woodcut in brown and black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/sheet, trimmed to block: 16.9 × 10.1 cm (6 11/16 × 4 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84445
Art Historical Context
Created in 1740 by the Venetian printmaker Conte Antonio Maria Zan the Elder, this intimate chiaroscuro woodcut depicts Saint Andrew, one of Christ’s apostles. Zanetti, a leading figure eighteenth-century printmaking, specialized in this demanding technique that employs multiple woodblocks inked in different tones—here, brown and black—to mimic the subtle gradations of a drawing. Printed on fine ivory laid paper, the small sheet (just under seven inches tall) captures volume and light with remarkable economy, transforming a simple devotional subject into a refined work of art. Chiaroscuro woo...