Vintage 1974 Ugo da Carpi “Hero and Sibyl” Art Plate

Vintage 1974 color art plate of Ugo da Carpi's Hero and Sibyl(traditionally called Raphael and his Mistress)affixed to chipboard backing for maximum ease in styling, propping, or framing.

Image: 7.75” x 9.75”

Ugo da Carpi is a somewhat controversial figure. The dates of his birth and death are not generally agreed upon. Vasari mentions him as a "mediocre painter," but nevertheless "in other flights of fancy, of the keenest genius." His chiaroscuro prints should be considered the products of these "flights of fancy." He worked in both Venice and Rome, and in the former city he probably first learned the art of woodcutting and the special technique of the chiaroscuro print. During his sojourn in Rome, many of his works were inspired by the art ot Raphael, whose drawings he translated into this new medium.

These sold so well that they were counterfeited by some Venetian artisans, and Ugo returned to Venice to present a petition to the Senate tor a special license to protect him against this piracy.

Attributions in this medium are not readily made. The illustration of the present example in the scholarly catalogue of William H. Schab carries a question mark after the artist's name. It is, however, a splendid work and definitely in the master's style. It is discussed by Paul Poirier (Esthétique de la gravure italieme, 1964), who considers it "a landmark in the development of the chiaroscuro woodcut." He refers to it by its older title, Raphael and His Mistress. Schab's opinion, most likely the correct one, is that

"the subject is probably taken from classical mythology and represents a hero consulting an oracle or sibyl."