The Old Shepherd
Medium
Chiaroscuro woodcut, from three blocks in pink, dark blue, and light blue, on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 17 × 11.3 cm (6 3/4 × 4 1/2 in.); Sheet: 17.3 × 11.6 cm (6 13/16 × 4 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
55557
Art Historical Context
Created in 1722 by the Venetian nobleman and printmaker Conte Antonio Maria Zanetti the Elder, *The Old Shepherd* exemplifies the refined art of the chiaroscuro woodcut. This delicate print, measuring just over six inches in height, was produced using three separate woodblocks inked in pink, dark blue, and light blue. The layered colors create subtle tonal gradations that give the elderly figure a sense of volume and quiet dignity against the cream laid paper. Zanetti played a key role in reviving the Renaissance technique of chiaroscuro printing during the eighteenth century. By carefully al...