Nicolas Pigné, Raphael's Vision, 1740, Print

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Title: "Classical Profiles: Raphael's Vision by Nicolas Pigné, 1740" This is an original engraving from 1740 by Nicolas Pigné, after … Read more Title: "Classical Profiles: Raphael's Vision by Nicolas Pigné, 1740" This is an original engraving from 1740 by Nicolas Pigné, after a painting by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known as Raphael. The image shows two profiles; the one on the left appears to be a woman, wearing a headband and draped clothing suggestive of ancient Greek or Roman attire. The profile on the right seems to be a man with curly hair, also in a classical style. Raphael was a master of the Italian Renaissance, celebrated for his paintings and frescoes in the Vatican. Engravings like this were a common way to disseminate the works of famous artists in the period before photography. Nicolas Pigné worked alongside Sir Nicolas Dorigny, as Pigné was one of the engravers who helped produce plates for Dorigny's collection of works based on Raphael's cartoons. This collection, called "Recueil de XC Têtes tirées des Sept Cartons des Actes des Apôtres," included 90 heads taken from Raphael's cartoons preserved at Hampton Court. Dorigny's work was monumental in that he drew from these cartoons and directed the best engravers at the time to create engravings under his supervision, which Nicolas Pigné was part of. The book resulting from this collaboration was published and sold by J. Boydell in London and included plates signed by various engravers, with only one specifically noted as drawn by Dorigny himself. This collaboration is a testament to the collective effort often involved in such artistic endeavors during that period. See less