Art Institute of Chicago

The Sibyl and a Child Bearing a Torch

Artist Unknown (16th century)

Date

1520-40

Medium

Chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in black and ochre on ivory laid paper

Culture

Italy

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This mysterious composition of a woman reading a book by torchlight was made by printing two woodblocks on top of each other, one for the beige tone, the other for the black lines. The initial R in the upper left attributes the design to Raphael, who collaborated with Ugo da Carpi, the first artist to practice color-printing in Italy. This is an impression of one of three versions by unknown artists who copied Ugo’s original print, attesting to the popularity of this design.

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