5135 - Italian

Italian c. 1550. The Baptism of Christ. Copperplate engraving. 39.3 x 28.7 cm. Undated. Mark: Circle with a ladder and a six-pointed star (Woodward 238–342). The artist behind this anonymous work may have been a Dutch or French artist active in the Roman circles of Lafreri or Salamanca, where similar watermarks are also found. In her catalog of works published by Lafreri, Alessia Alberti lists a composition in the collection of the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo that differs only minimally from this one and, in this context, likely refers to the present depiction as a variant. Our sheet differs only minimally from the one bearing Lafreri’s address and is distinguished primarily by its unusual dome-shaped architecture, featuring a finial and a crescent moon at the apex. The central iconography of the Baptism of Christ draws directly or indirectly on the grisaille frescoes depicting scenes from the life of John the Baptist by Andrea del Sarto in the Chiostro dello Scalzo of the Compagnia dei Disciplinati di San Giovanni Battista in Florence— created between 1509 and 1526. Iconographically, our sheet appears to combine two of del Sarto’s scenes. His Baptism of Christ follows the traditional composition established by Piero della Francesca and Perugino, with the figures of Jesus and John standing in the Jordan River, John pouring water over Jesus, and the Holy Spirit above. It was faithfully engraved by Cherubino Alberti (Albertina, Vienna, Inv. It/II/6/92). In contrast, another scene by del Sarto, *John at the Baptism of the Gentiles*, depicts the baptized kneeling with arms crossed and John in a more complex pose with one leg bent while standing on a boulder. In our composition, both models appear to have been incorporated and further developed. An excellent, harmonious print, with a slight knurling around the plate edge, which is partially imprinted. Isolated closed or backed edge tears, other minor imperfections, and signs of age; otherwise in excellent condition. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.