Title Page: Collection of several drawings engraved after Barbieri da Cento (known as Guercino) engraved on copper and presented to Thomas Jenkins, painter and member of the Academy of St. Luke, out of respect and friendship from his fellow member, the architect Gio. Battista Piranesi - Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Gift of Mrs. and Mr. Charles E. Slatkin

Commentary

"Title Page: Collection of several drawings engraved after Barbieri da Cento (known as Guercino) engraved on copper and presented to Thomas Jenkins, painter and member of the Academy of St. Luke, out of respect and friendship from his fellow member, the architect Gio. Battista Piranesi" by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1764) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to notice include etching. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Giovanni Battista Piranesi is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, 1720-1778) after Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Italian, 1591-1666). The work is cataloged within a Italy cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as etching, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Etching in red and black ink on ivory laid paper with gilt edges) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Plate: 48.2 × 35.5 cm (19 × 14 in.); Sheet: 57.3 × 41.4 cm (22 9/16 × 16 5/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include etching. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/23134

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data