The Triumph of Caesar: Plate IV of IX
1599. Chiaroscuro woodcut in colors printed from four blocks on laid paper in dark brown, grey, and three shades of ochre, 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches (370 x 370 mm), the full sheet. A very good impression with gaufrage clearly visible on the verso, trimmed to the platemark. A central vertical fold is mainly visible on the verso, an additional diagonal fold is also visible on the verso. Laid down to an archival paper matrix.
[Bartsch XII.101.11].
Andreani published this suite of prints to reproduce the nine canvases of the Triumphs of Caesar by Andrea Mantegna, made for the Gonzaga ducal palace in Mantua between 1484 and 1492, now residing in Hampton Court. The set, his last large-scale publication, took four years to complete and was the first to depict a painted cycle in its entirety. According to the dedication page, Andreani worked after drawings prepared by the Mantuan painter Bernardo Malpizzi. Each of the nine scenes were printed with four blocks; the key block for outlines and separately carved blocks to apply the different shades of color.
— The Chiaroscuro Woodcut in Renaissance Italy, edited by Naoko Takahatake, p108.
Item number: 776
Price: $2,000.00
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