Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Original Engravings by Agostino Carracci

Agostino Carracci
Preparation for the Flight into Egypt
ca. 1579-83
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Christ and the Samaritan woman
1580
engraving
British Museum

"The Christ and the Samaritan of 1580 is unusual in the context of Agostino's production of narrative subject prints because it was a rather isolated experiment in the production of a subject print after his own invention.  Agostino explicitly stated that he both invented the composition and engraved it.  The composition is evidently a development from Cort's engraving of the same subject, dated 1568.  To Agostino is in fact attributed an enlarged copy of Cort's print.  Bellori, writing of the 1580s, lamented the fact that Agostino withdrew from painting and took up printmaking, making himself dependent on the inventions of others rather than developing his own ideas.  Bellori suggested that it was the result of a conscious choice: the decision was made at a time when neither his own nor his brother's work was bringing in very much money.  This print shows that Agostino could have used his own invention had he so wished."

 Michael Bury, The Print in Italy, 1550-1620 (British Museum Press, 2001)

Agostino Carracci
Pastoral scene with Shepherd
Published in Bologna - letterpress title-page - De Laudibus Vitae Rusticae, Horace
1586
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Coat of arms of Giacomo Boncampagni, Marchese of Vignola, flanked by winged Putti
ca. 1582-85
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Coat of arms of the Duke of Mantua, flanked by figures of Abundance and Peace
ca. 1590-95
engraving
British Museum

attributed to Agostino Carracci
Coat of arms of Cardinal Rilippo Sega, flanked by Harpies and supported by Putti
1592
engraving
British Museum

attributed to Agostino Carracci
Coat of arms of Cardinal Lorenzo Bianchetti, flanked by figures of Religion and Prudence
ca. 1592-95
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Coat of arms of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini, flanked by grotesque masks, cornucopiae, fruit and flowers
ca. 1593-95
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Template for Coat of arms of a Bishop, supported by winged Putti
ca. 1594-96
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
1586
engraving
British Museum

"Both Bartsch and Bohlin note the clear technical and stylistic disparity between the portrait [above] and the surrounding cartouche: Bartsch attributed the cartouche to Agostino but not the portrait at centre.  Bohlin believes the portrait to be by an earlier artist working in a northern ambience, such as Martin Rota, which was left unfinished and was later passed to Agostino to complete." 

 curator's notes from the British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Portrait of Ferdinand I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
ca. 1589
engraving
British Museum

The pair of portraits above and below were "probably made in commemoration of the wedding" of the two subjects in 1589.

Agostino Carracci
Portrait of Christina of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
ca. 1589
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Portrait of Pietro Antonio Tolentino
ca. 1585-90
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
Portrait of scientist and author Ulisse Aldovrandi
1596
engraving
British Museum

Agostino Carracci
St Jerome
ca. 1600-1602
engraving
British Museum

"One of Agostino's most documented and best-known works, this print was published shortly after his death in an unfinished state, later being completed and reissued by Francesco Brizio.  This second state lacks the saint's left leg, his cardinal's hat, left hand except for the third finger, and the lion is half-finished.  There are six preparatory drawings for this print, which is thought to be Agostino's last before his death."

 curator's notes from the British Museum