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Ugo da Carpi

The Sibyl and a Child Bearing a Torch

1520-40
Chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in black and ochre on ivory laid paper
27.6 × 21.9 cm (10.9 × 8.6 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This mysterious composition of a woman reading a book by torchlight was made by printing two woodblocks on top of each other, one for the beige tone, the other for the black lines. The initial R in the upper left attributes the design to Raphael, who collaborated with Ugo da Carpi, the first artist to practice color-printing in Italy. This is an impression of one of three versions by unknown artists who copied Ugo’s original print, attesting to the popularity of this design.

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