St. John the Baptist
Medium
Chiaroscuro woodcut in tan and black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/sheet, trimmed to block: 17.2 × 10.2 cm (6 13/16 × 4 1/16 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84456
Art Historical Context
This elegant chiaroscuro woodcut depicts St. John the Baptist, a subject long favored in Christian art for his role as the forerunner of Christ. Created by the Venetian artist Conte Antonio Maria Zanetti the Elder, the small print measures just over six inches tall and employs two tones—tan and black— ivory paper to model the saint’s form. Zanetti, an accomplished printmaker and collector active in the eighteenth century, used this restrained palette to evoke the subtle gradations of light and shadow typical of Renaissance drawings. The chiaroscuro woodcut technique itself is central to the w...