The Three Graces sitting on clouds, cupid at the left, after Raphael's fresco in the Chigi Gallery of the Villa Farnesina in Rome

Art Historical Context

Behold *The Three Graces sitting on clouds, cupid at the left*, a engraving by Marcantonioondi after a fresco by the High Renaissance genius Raphael (Raffaellozio). Created around 1517–20, this print captures the ethereal beauty of three nude female figures perched gracefully on clouds, with the winged Cupid playfully positioned to the left. Measuring 12 3/16 x 8 3/8 inches, it exemplifies the reproductive printmaking that made Raphael's designs accessible far beyond Rome. The original fresco adorned the Chigi Gallery (now Loggia of Cupid and Psyche) in Rome's Villa Farnesina, commissioned by...

About the Artist

Marcantonio Raimondi|Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) · 1475–1534

Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480–1534), born near Bologna, Italy, emerged as one of the Renaissance's premier engravers, revolutionizing printmaking through his mastery of reproductive techniques. He trained in the workshop of the goldsmith, painter, and niellist Francesco Francia, whose influence is evident in his early engravings, such as the goldsmith-like shading in *Pyramus and Thisbe* (1505), h...