Chiaroscuro Woodcut in Renaissance Italy

Chiaroscuro woodcuts are among the most appealing historic prints, combining invention, draftsmanship, and technical virtuosity. This book explores their creative origins and evolution, featuring essays, full-color illustrations, and scientific analysis. It showcases the rich imagery of the Italian Renaissance.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 02 July 2018
Publisher: Prestel

Chiaroscuro woodcuts stand as some of the most captivating and visually striking historic prints, showcasing remarkable inventiveness, exquisite craftsmanship, technical mastery, and lavish color. This unique printing technique involved the printing of two or more woodblocks, each inked in different tones, to create a single image. It marked the earliest and most successful exploration of color printing in Europe, originating in Germany and later flourishing in Italy during the 16th century. The chiaroscuro woodcut captivated the attention of renowned Renaissance artists such as Titian, Raphael, Parmigianino, and Beccafumi, who contributed to its sophisticated development through the skilled hands of master printmakers like Ugo da Carpi, Antonio da Trento, Niccolo Vicentino, and Andrea Andreani. This comprehensive book encompasses over 100 prints and related drawings, accompanied by pioneering art historical research and scientific analysis. Essays delve into the creative origins and evolution of chiaroscuro woodcuts, exploring both the materials and methods employed in their production. Furthermore, it is adorned with full-color illustrations of rare and exquisite works, offering a fresh perspective on these remarkable prints, which serve as a testament to the rich imagery of the Italian Renaissance.

Weight: 1750g
Dimension: 286 x 245 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783791357393