The Dream of Raphael

Art Historical Context

Created in 1561 by the Italian engraver Giorgio Ghisi, *The Dream of Raphael* exemplifies the reproductive printmaking that flourished during the Renaissance. As a facsimile engraving, it translates a design associated with Raphael into a detailed black-and-white image, allowing viewers far beyond Italy to encounter the master’s inventive compositions. Ghisi’s precise line work captures the ethereal quality suggested by the title, inviting contemplation of artistic inspiration itself. Engraving was prized in the sixteenth century for its ability to preserve and circulate works of art with remarkable fidelity. Measuring roughly thirteen by seventeen inches, this sheet would have been large enough to convey intricate details yet portable enough for collectors across Europe. Its presence in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection, acquired as a gift in 1923, underscores the enduring value of such prints as both aesthetic objects and historical documents of how Renaissance imagery traveled through time.

About the Artist

Giorgio Ghisi · 1520–1582

Giorgio Ghisi (c. 1520–1582) was one of the most accomplished engravers of the Italian Renaissance, renowned for translating the monumental compositions of Raphael, Giulio Romano, and Michelangelo into the exacting medium of the burin. Born in Mantua, he trained in an environment shaped by the legacy of Giulio Romano's decoration of the Palazzo del Te, and the grandeur of that Mannerist tradition ...