The Three Graces sitting on clouds, cupid at the left, after Raphael's fresco in the Chigi Gallery of the Villa Farnesina in Rome
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
12 3/8 x 8 1/4 in. (31.4 x 21.0 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry Walters, by exchange, 1931
Accession Number
31.31.44
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the opulent Villa Farnesina in Rome, Raphael, the High Renaissance master renowned for his harmonious compositions and idealized beauty, painted a fresco in the Chigi Gallery around 1517-18 depicting the Three Gr—mythological sisters embodying charm, beauty, and creativity—lounging gracefully on clouds, with Cup playfully nearby. This enchanting engraving by Marcantonioondi, created ca. 1517–20, faithfully reproduces that vision, capturing Raphael's elegant linework and classical nudity in exquisite detail. As one of the finest reproductive engravers of his time, Raimondi collaborated clos...
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...