St. John the Baptist

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St. John the Baptist

Artist Giulio Campagnola (Italian, 1482-1515)

Place of OriginItaly

Dateabout 1505

Dimensions13 1/4 x 9 3/8 in.

MediumEngraving

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineFrederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund

Object number

1949.31

Not on View

Label TextAs a teenager, Giulio Campagnola was exceptionally gifted and was praised for his skill as a painter, sculptor, miniaturist, engraver, poet, musician, and singer, as well as for his knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. All of that promise was not to be fulfilled, but he did become an important figure in Renaissance printmaking. His major contribution was the introduction of stipple engraving, a technique where shading is rendered by dots produced with the point of the burin. This allowed a greater range of tone from white to black. The technique has its disadvantages – it is time consuming and the plates wear down quickly. In this print (a collaboration) the Venetian artist Giorgione (about 1477–1510) provided the landscape, while Giulio rendered the figure. We see his prominent signature in the upper right while in the lower left we see the name of the publisher and print seller in Venice, Nicolo Nelli.Published ReferencesHind, A. M. Early Italian Engraving, V, p. 201, no. 12. Hind, A. M., "Early Italian Engravings from the Liechtenstein Collection at Feldsburg and Vienna," p. 200, (edit. Miner, D.,) Studies . . . for Belle DeCosta Greene, Princeton, 1954. Bartsch 3. cf. Levinson/Oberhuber/Sheehan 149.Exhibition HistoryThe Passion and the Apocalypse: Albrecht Dürer's Renaissance, Oct 1,04 - Jan 2,05 TMA The Painter Was a Printmaker: June 23 - Sept. 9, 1984