Art Institute of Chicago

Nymph of Fontainebleau

Unknown artist

Date

after 1545

Medium

Chiaroscuro woodcut in black, brown, and ocher on ivory laid paper

Culture

Netherlands

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The Nymph of Fontainebleau appeared in several guises at King Francis I’s charming getaway outside of Paris. This chiaroscuro woodcut by an unknown artist refers to a bronze relief sculpture by the Italian Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini. Francis commissioned this sculpture of the mythological woodland creature to go over the main entryway to the château. While differently composed than the relief, this print retains the detail of the spilling water vase, the nymph’s languorous posture, and the plenitude of animals. Closely following the sculpture, the woodcut even places the antlered stag at dead center. This impression is one of only two known of this very rare print.

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