Two Female Figures with Child
Valerio Belli
1530/45
Medium
Red chalk with brush and brown wash, on buff laid paper, squared in black chalk, laid down on ivory laid card
Dimensions
17.7 × 9.7 cm (7 × 3 7/8 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
96173
About the Artist
Valerio Belli
Valerio Belli (c. 1468–1546) was an Italian gem engraver and goldsmith of exceptional distinction, celebrated in his own lifetime as the finest intaglio carver of the Renaissance. Born in Vicenza, he worked primarily in rock crystal, a notoriously difficult material that rewards mastery with extraordinary translucency and brilliance. He studied the antique gems and cameos that were being excavated...