29 - Giovanni Pietro Possenti (1618–1659)

Giovanni Pietro Possenti (1618–1659) The Crucifixion. Circa 1640–1660. Etching. 118 x 155 mm. Bartsch, vol. XIX, p. 183, no. 1 (under the monogram C. P.); Le Blanc 2. A very fine print on laid paper, trimmed to the plate edge. A few rare small foxing spots. AABM stamp (Lugt 3075). "This small etching, with its intense focus on the crucified bodies of Christ and the two thieves, is an excellent example of how many Italian painters approached the etching plate as a drawing surface available for spontaneous pensieri, or first thoughts. This approach coincided with a growing appreciation for the power of drawings to reveal an artist’s fusion of technical and intellectual brilliance. The practice of collecting drawings and prints grew in popularity throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Little is known about the artist of this and a small group of related etchings signed with the monogram “GPP,” but he is most convincingly identified as the Bolognese artist Giovanni Pietro Possenti.” (Saint Louis Art Museum).