Art Institute of Chicago

The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist

Andrea Andreani (Italian, c. 1558/9–1629)

Date

1591

Medium

Chiaroscuro woodcut, in brown and black, from four blocks, with touches of brown watercolor, on cream laid paper

Culture

Italy

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This tender composition of the Virgin and Child is a beautiful example of Andrea Andreani’s use of chiaroscuro woodcut, an early color-printing technique he revived and brought to new levels of technical sophistication. Using four different woodblocks printed in succession, Andreani created a tonally complex monochrome, carving highlights into one of the blocks that let the white of the paper shine through. This crisp, early impression shows corrections to the Virgin’s shoulder, perhaps added by hand in the artist’s workshop.

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