Temperance

Art Historical Context

**Temperance**, a exquisite engraving from 1517, showcases a masterful collaboration between the High Renaissance genius Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) as designer and the skilled engraver Agostino Veneziano (Agostino dei Musi). Measuring 6¼ x 8½ inches, this print captures Raphael's elegant vision of the cardinal virtue of Temperance—moderation and self-control—likely personified as a graceful female figure, a common motif in Renaissance art drawing from classical antiquity. Engravings like this were revolutionary in the early 16th century, transforming Raphael's fluid drawings into durable, rep...