Art Institute of Chicago

Saint Jerome in Penitence

Agostino Carracci

Date

c. 1602

Medium

Engraving on ivory laid paper

Culture

Italy

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The Bolognese artist Agostino Carracci died before finishing this print. The partially engraved copper plate was printed after his death—hence the unusual appearance of this impression, which provides invaluable insight into Carracci’s process. The artist began by scratching the general outlines of the composition onto the plate. He then moved on to defining the figure and introducing shading using lines engraved with a sharp steel tool called a burin , starting at the center and working outward.

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