Raphael and his lover c.1515-20
Chiaroscuro woodcut printed in brown | 16.0 x 12.5 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 852296
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A chiaroscuro woodcut by Ugo da Carpi after a lost drawing by Raphael depicting a bearded man talking to a seated woman, which has been traditionally interpreted as Raphael's conversation with his lover. This impression does not have any lettering, but others are signed in white by the printmaker, also with the identification of Raphael as the inventor of this composition (see the impression in the Albertina, Vienna, inv. no. DG2002/322).
Many scholars discussed the subject of this print. The ball is usually an attribute of Fortuna, who turns to the figure dressed in the style of a pilgrim and seems to question the fate of his future journey. According to some scholars, the characteristic hat is found in depictions of Odysseus, and others have suggested that this print may depict Odysseus and the allegory of Fortuna or Aeneas in conversation with the Cumaean sibyl (see Bibliographic References).Provenance
Added to the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection (c.1853-76)
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Creator(s)
(printmaker) -
Medium and techniques
Chiaroscuro woodcut printed in brown
Measurements
16.0 x 12.5 cm (sheet of paper)
Category
Object type(s)
Other number(s)
Bibliographic reference(s)
Ugo da Carpi 2009 : Ugo da Carpi, l'opera incisa : xilografie e chiaroscuri da Tiziano, Raffaello e Parmigianino / a cura di Manuela Rossi, 2009 pp. 132.-133, no. 21 (entry written by Manuela Rossi)