Famous engravers from several eras and their amazing works.

What are engravings? This question interests many. For some, a sonorous foreign word is associated with the image biblical story on a metal or stone board, others believe that it is just a design carved with a knife on the surface of the table.

However, to the question: “What are engravings?” - it is impossible to answer unequivocally, since the technologies for creating drawings are quite complex. But one thing is certain. Engraving is a special type of graphic art, which has its own outstanding artists and unsurpassed masters.

Engraving technique

The art of painting does not require any technical means other than a set of artistic brushes, a palette and an easel. Another thing is engravings, which require multi-stage technical preparation, with many trial attempts. But then why is this necessary? Isn’t it easier to draw one picture and not waste time and effort on copying it multiple times? Moreover, the authentic cannot be repeated. However, this principle does not work here. The effect of the engraving lies in its unusualness; the structure of the design is fascinating.

Graphic images obtained by printing are called "prints". However, a print is a print from any original, and an engraving is a print from an engraved board. What are engravings in terms of manufacturing technology? Simple manipulations during which you need to press a sheet of paper against a board on which paint has previously been applied. Then this sheet is carefully separated from the board - and the engraving is ready.

Metal and wood

The art of engraving does not consist in making a print, but in making an original, from which any number of copies can then be made. The stronger the material from which the “board” is made, the more prints you can get. There are two types of engravings: letterpress and intaglio. The first method is to artistically cut the original into mirror image, in such a way that the paint transfers to the paper from the outer surface of the cut out design. And the second method provides that the paint will transfer to the paper sheet from the recesses on the “board” filled with it.

Art originated in the 15th century and has been modified several times since then. Engraving boards were originally made from sheet copper, as the softest metal. Later, woodcut technologies appeared, using which the board was cut out of hardwood. This method was less labor intensive and multi-color prints could be created. To do this, it was necessary to make several boards with different arrangements of the design elements. The sheet was applied to each board in turn, with intermediate drying, resulting in a colored image.

Antique engravings

Prints became widespread in the 15th century. The most valuable engravings were created at the same time, in the workshops of German artists Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Dürer. Italians Andrea Mantegna and Antonio Pollaiuolo were not far behind them.

In the 16th century, the art of artistic imprinting received widespread recognition, in Europe, engraving was elevated to the rank of high art, mainly thanks to Dürer’s masterpieces, such as “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, “Coat of Arms of Death”, “Melancholy”.

The end of the 16th century was marked by a breakthrough in the field of artistic engraving, simple drawings became a thing of the past, expressive plasticity appeared, cutting technologies became significantly more complex, parallel and cross hatching made it possible to achieve fantastic results in achieving a volumetric effect and in the play of chiaroscuro. The drawing acquired signs of sophistication, which served as an incentive for further improvement of techniques.

Development of engraving

Artists began to use etching of a metal base and obtained the technology of etching, which flourished in full force only in the 17th century. Brilliant portraitist Rembrandt also took up engravings and achieved significant success in this field. The artist Jean Callot completely devoted his life to the art of engraving and created a whole gallery of portraits of his contemporaries. became interested in translating his paintings into engravings. And Rubens organized a special workshop in which his paintings were reproduced.

Popularity

The 17th century became the golden time for the development of new art - engraving and etching. The list of genres in which artists worked kept expanding. These were portraits and landscapes, pastorals, battle scenes, still lifes, animals and many artists of that time considered it an honor to try their hand at the art of engraving. Entire albums appeared, united thematically, according to plot and artistic characteristics. Hogarth's satirical etchings, Chodowiecki's miniatures, and a series of engravings by Francisco Goya instantly became famous.

The Art of Printmaking in Japan

Country Rising Sun, known for its artistic traditions, did not stand aside. Japanese engraving is a whole layer of the country’s culture, part of its national fine arts. The history of the appearance of the first ukiyo-e prints goes back to the 17th century. Then Japanese print was printed in black and white. At the beginning of the 18th century, artists introduced color printing, and ukiyo-e was transformed.

Engravings in Japan were inexpensive and in steady demand. They depicted scenes from life common people. These are, first of all, beautiful geishas (this was main topic), followed by sumo wrestlers, and in third place were famous actors kabuki theater After some time, landscape engraving came into fashion.

Protection of especially valuable specimens

The most famous etchings, both ancient and recent, are systematized. The engraving, the photo of which is available for public viewing, has its own registration number and, as a rule, is registered. This is necessary so that its artistic value remains intact. Rare pieces, such as the masterpieces of Albrecht Durer, are under the protection of UNESCO. A world-famous or particularly valuable engraving, photographs and reproductions of which are placed in special Interpol directories, is protected by special services.

Modernity

At the beginning of the 20th century, the development of engraving as an art form continued. At Soviet power A whole generation of talented artists appeared who successfully worked in the field of etchings and prints. During this period, engraving experienced its next rise, the drawing became even more complex, its expressiveness approached its culmination. In the 30s, the Russian and then the Soviet school of engraving was formed, represented by talented artists, as well as their students. The prospects for the further development of the art of etching looked bright. Then, already in the pre-war years, the engraving became a poster, and its popularity noticeably decreased.

After the Great Patriotic War, for almost 20 years, prints were produced only as a means of inexpensive but effective Soviet propaganda. Currently, the art of engraving is in a state of somewhat stagnation, there are no new enthusiasts, and older artists are busy with commercial projects. Although even today, to the question of what engravings are, any Russian is able to give a comprehensive answer. Perhaps in the future new types of engravings will appear, because art tends to be reborn in new forms.

Albrecht Dürer is a German painter and graphic artist, recognized as the largest European woodcut master and one of greatest masters Western European art Renaissance.

Dürer was born on May 21, 1471 in Nuremberg, in the family of a jeweler who came to this German city from Hungary in the middle of the 15th century. Eight children grew up in this family, of whom the future artist was the third child and second son. His father, Albrecht Durer Sr., was a goldsmith
At first, the father tried to get his son interested in jewelry, but he discovered his son’s talent as an artist. At the age of 15, Albrecht was sent to study in the studio of the leading Nuremberg artist of the time, Michael Wolgemut. There Dürer mastered not only painting, but also engraving on wood and copper. His studies in 1490 traditionally ended with a journey - over four years the young man traveled to a number of cities in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, continuing to improve in the fine arts and processing of materials.

Self-portrait
(silver pencil drawing, 1484),

The first of Dürer's famous self-portraits was painted by him at the age of 13 (drawing with a silver pencil).

In 1494 Dürer returned to Nuremberg and soon after got married. Then, in the same year, he took a trip to Italy, where he became acquainted with the works of Mantegna, Polaiolo, Lorenzo di Credi and other masters. In 1495 Dürer returned to hometown and over the next ten years creates a significant part of his engravings.

In 1520, the artist took a trip to the Netherlands, where he fell victim to an unknown disease, which then tormented him for the rest of his life.

Dürer Aitoshi (Hungarian: Ajtósi) means “door” in Hungarian
Image open door on the shield on the coat of arms, is literal translation a word that means "door" in Hungarian. Eagle wings and a man's black skin are symbols often found in southern German heraldry; they were also used by the Nuremberg family of Dürer's mother, Barbara Holper.

IN recent years During his life, Albrecht Dürer paid a lot of attention to improving defensive fortifications, which was caused by the development of firearms. In his work “Guide to the Strengthening of Cities and Castles,” published in 1527, Dürer describes, in particular, the fundamental new type fortifications, which he called bastea.

Dürer was the first German artist, who began to work simultaneously in both types of engraving - on wood and on copper. He achieved extraordinary expressiveness in wood engraving, reforming the traditional manner of work and using working techniques that had developed in metal engraving.

In all works there is a living person contemporary to Durer, often of the peasant type, with a characteristic, expressive face, dressed in the costume of that time and surrounded by a precisely conveyed setting or landscape of a certain area. Much space is devoted to household details.
Here for the first time the artist's interest in the naked body is revealed, which Durer conveys accurately and truthfully, choosing first of all the ugly and characteristic.

Metal and wood engravings by Albrecht Durer

The engraving “Knight, Death and the Devil” reveals the world of acutely conflicting relationships between man and the environment, his understanding of duty and morality. The path of the armored rider is fraught with danger. From the gloomy thicket of the forest, ghosts jump across him - the devil with a halberd and death with an hourglass, reminding him of the transience of everything earthly, of the dangers and temptations of life. Ignoring them, the rider resolutely follows the chosen path. In his stern appearance there is tension of will, illuminated by the light of reason, the moral beauty of a person faithful to duty, courageously resisting danger.

The "miracle of the sea" theme goes back to folk tale, the image of “Nemesis” was apparently borrowed by the artist from Poliziano’s poem “Manto”. In both engravings, Dürer introduces local flavor, using as the background an image of a medieval German town in a mountainous landscape, similar to those that he sketched during his trips to southern Germany.
Both sheets are dominated by the ugly, but full of life figure of a naked woman.

The "Nemesis" engraving embodies a certain philosophical concept, undoubtedly connected with the events of those days; the figure of a woman, very far from the classical ideal, is transformed into a monumental image of the winged Goddess of Fate, soaring over Germany.
In one hand the woman holds a precious golden phial, in the other - horse harness: objects hinting at the difference in the fate of people of different classes. It is characteristic that in ancient greek mythology Nemesis was the goddess of vengeance. The duties of the goddess included punishment for crimes, overseeing the fair and equal distribution of goods among mortals. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Nemesis was more considered an executor of fate.

The concept of “Melancholia” has not yet been revealed, but the image of a powerful winged woman impresses with its significance and psychological depth.
Melancholy is the embodiment of a supreme being, a genius endowed with intellect, possessing all the achievements of human thought of that time, striving to penetrate the secrets of the universe, but obsessed with doubts, anxiety, disappointment and melancholy that accompany creative quest.
"Melancholia" is one of the works that "stunned the whole world"
(Vasari).

Dürer painted portraits, laid the foundations of the German landscape, transformed traditional biblical and gospel stories, investing new things in them life content. The artist's particular attention was drawn to engraving, first woodcut, and then copper engraving. Dürer expanded the themes of graphics, attracting literary, everyday, and mischievous genre subjects.

Men's sauna

1497. British Museum, London.

This work contains a complex interweaving of medieval views with religious traditions
The allegorical nature, symbolism of images, the intricacy of complex theological concepts, and mystical fiction are preserved from the Middle Ages; from the images of ancient religiosity - clashes of spiritual and material forces, a feeling of tension, struggle, confusion and humility.

Dürer did not have a large workshop with many students. His reliable students are unknown. Presumably, primarily three Nuremberg artists are associated with him - the brothers Hans Sebald (1500-1550) and Bartel (1502-1540) Beham and Georg Penz (c. 1500-1550), known mainly as masters of small format engravings (the so-called Kleinmeisters ; they also worked as painters). It is interesting to mention that in 1525 all three young masters were put on trial and expelled from Nuremberg for atheistic views and expressing revolutionary ideas.

Satyr family

1505 Art Institute, Chicago.

In the 1500s, a turning point occurred in Dürer's work. The pathos and drama of early works were replaced by balance and harmony. The role of calm storytelling, imbued with lyrical emotions, has increased
The picturesquely interpreted forest landscape organically includes figures of people and animals, embodying various symbols.

At the turn of the 1500s, Dürer made a number of engravings on copper and wood, in which the quest of the young master was clearly defined. These engravings, even in cases where they contain religious, mythological or allegorical subjects, primarily represent genre scenes with a pronounced local character.
Everywhere the person comes first, and everything else plays the role of his environment.

The engraving “Saint Jerome in his cell” reveals the ideal of a humanist who devoted himself to comprehending the highest truths. In solving the theme, in the everyday interpretation of the image of the scientist, the leading role is played by the interior, transformed by the artist into an emotional poetic environment. Figure of Jerome immersed in translations of the sacred books
Jerome's Cell is not a gloomy refuge of an ascetic, but a modest room modern house. The everyday intimate democratic interpretation of the image of Jerome is given outside the official church interpretation, perhaps under the influence of the teachings of the reformers.

Wood engravings by Albrecht Durer from the cycle
“Apocalypse” or “Revelation of St. John the Theologian”,
1497-1498, Kunsthalle gallery, Karlsruhe.

Dürer's first major work was a series of large format woodcuts of fifteen sheets on the theme of the Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist
This series by Dürer intertwined medieval religious views with alarming sentiments caused by modern social events of those days.

This engraving by Albrecht Durer according to summary Revelations of John the Theologian The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what was soon to happen. And He showed it by sending it through His Angel to His servant John

In the allegorical scenes, Dürer introduced images of representatives of different classes of German society, living real people, filled with passionate and anxious emotions and active action. Particularly notable is the famous sheet depicting four apocalyptic horsemen with a bow, sword, scales and pitchfork, who prostrated the people who fled from them - a peasant, a city dweller and an emperor. This image is clearly connected with Dürer’s contemporary life: there is no doubt that the four horsemen symbolize in the artist’s mind destructive forces - war, disease, divine justice and death, which do not spare anyone. ordinary people, nor the emperor.

The sheet “The Four Horsemen” emanates menacing pathos. In terms of the all-crushing power of impulse and gloomy expression, this composition has no equal in German art of that time. Death, judgment, war and pestilence rush furiously over the earth, destroying everything in its path.

Saint John and the twenty-four elders in heaven

The terrible scenes of death and punishment described in the Apocalypse acquired a topical meaning in pre-revolutionary Germany. Dürer introduced into his engravings many subtle observations of nature and life: architecture, costumes, types, landscapes of modern Germany.
The breadth of coverage of the world inherent in Dürer's engravings was not known German art 15th century; at the same time, in most of Dürer’s sheets lives the restless spirit of late German Gothic.

This engraving by Albrecht Durer is according to a summary of the Revelation of John the Evangelist

And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the word of God and for the testimony that they had.
10 And they cried out with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord, Holy and True, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?
11 And white garments were given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest still for a little while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would be killed like them, would be completed.
12 And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became dark as sackcloth, and the moon became like blood.
13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, like a fig tree shaken strong wind, drops his unripe figs.
For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?

1 And after this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel rising from the east of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four Angels, to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying:
3 Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

1 And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for as it were half an hour.
2 And I saw seven angels standing before God; and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 And another angel came and stood before the altar, holding a golden censer; and a great deal of incense was given to him, so that with the prayers of all the saints he would place it on the golden altar, which was in front of the throne.
4 And the smoke of incense ascended with the prayers of the saints from the hand of an angel before God.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it to the earth: and there were voices, and thunder, and lightning, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels having seven trumpets prepared to sound.
Revelations of John the Theologian

1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star fall from heaven to earth, and the key of the deep pit was given to it.
2 She opened the pit of the deep, and smoke came out of the pit like smoke from a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the vault.
3 And out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like the scorpions of the earth.
4 And she was told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree, but only to people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5 And it was given to her not to kill them, but only to torment them for five months; and her torment is like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person.
6 In those days people will seek death, but will not find it; they will wish to die, but death will flee from them.
Revelations of John the Theologian

Book of Revelation Given to Saint John

Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, Germany.

8 And the voice that I heard from heaven began to speak to me again, and said: Go, take the open book from the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.
9 And I went to the Angel and said to him: Give me the book. He said to me: take it and eat it; she will be bitter in your belly, but in your mouth she will be sweet as honey.
10 And I took the book from the hand of the angel, and ate it; and she was as sweet as honey in my mouth; When I ate it, my stomach became bitter.
11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about peoples and nations and languages and many kings.”
Revelations of John the Theologian

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun; under her feet is the moon, and on her head is a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was with child, and cried out from the pains and pangs of birth.
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.
4 His tail drew a third of the stars from the sky and threw them to the ground. This dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he would devour her baby.
5 And she gave birth to a male child, who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and His throne.
6 But the woman fled into the wilderness, where a place had been prepared for her by God, that she might be fed there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Revelations of John the Theologian

In the engraving “The Battle of the Archangel Michael with the Dragon,” the pathos of the fierce battle is emphasized by the contrasts of light and shadow, and the restless intermittent rhythm of the lines. In the heroic image of a young man with an inspired and determined face, in a sunlit landscape with its boundless expanses, faith in the victory of the bright principle is expressed.

1 And I looked, and behold, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him an hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpists playing their harps.
3 They sing, as it were, a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn this song except these hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are redeemed from among men, as the firstborn of God and the Lamb,
5 And in their mouth there is no guile; they are blameless before the throne of God.
6 And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people;
Revelations of John the Theologian

1 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me, saying to me: Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters;
2 The kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and those who dwell on the earth became drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 And he led me in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, and held golden cup in her hand, filled with abominations and the uncleanness of her fornication;
5 And on her forehead was written a name: mystery, Babylon the great, mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.
Revelations of John the Theologian

1 And I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 He took the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
3 And he cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and put a seal over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended; after this he should be released for a short time.
4 And I saw thrones and those sitting on them, to whom judgment had been given, and the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelations of John the Theologian

It appeared in the 15th century, simultaneously with the printed book and great geographical discoveries. How new look art, accessible due to its low cost, engraving quickly gained popularity.

It became the first illustration in the book, first in the form of a woodcut (woodcut) and then chisel engraving(on metal).

The subjects of the engraving are as diverse as life itself, and it strives to accommodate it in all its manifestations. Following traditional religious subjects, images appear in it ancient mythology, views of distant countries, portraits of rulers, secular and religious figures, writers and artists, images of flora and fauna, fashion pictures and calendars, maps, drawings, gardens and parks, famous monuments antiquities.

On the one hand, the engraving is laconic, there is nothing superfluous here, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. On the other hand, the engravers’ works are full of hints and allegories, everything has a metaphorical meaning, each object, in accordance with medieval tradition, corresponds to a certain concept.

The most famous engravers of several eras and their most outstanding works.

Albrecht Durer (1471 - 1528)

Albrecht Dürer became famous at an early age for his engravings and is today considered the most famous of the Renaissance artists. There were 18 children in Albrecht's family; he was the third child and second son in the family. Dürer's father took him to his workshop to teach him how to work with gold, but the boy showed an aptitude for painting and therefore became an apprentice to the engraver Mikhail Wolgemut.

Dürer was equally and amazingly gifted as a painter, engraver and draftsman, but the main place in his work belongs to graphics. His legacy is enormous; in its diversity it can be compared with the legacy of Leonardo da Vinci.

Based on the symbolism of the objects surrounding the knight, we can say that he rather personifies a negative force and unites with the devil, rather than being his victim. Therefore, it is no coincidence that a fox’s tail is attached to the horseman’s peak, a sign of a knight - a robber. The image of a fox's tail was associated with the idea of lies, hypocrisy, and the desire to snatch one's share of earthly goods by cunning. The image of the dog is stated here as adherence to the devil, greed and envy. The lizard is a symbol of pretense, an evil demon. The skull is associated with death and original sin.

Soviet art critic Ts. G. Nesselstrauss analyzes this engraving as follows: “... in front of us is the seashore, the boundless expanse of water and the twilight sky, cut through by a rainbow and the ominous rays of a comet. In the foreground, surrounded by randomly scattered carpentry and construction tools A winged woman sits, resting her head on her hand, immersed in deep thought. She has an open compass in her hand, and a bunch of keys and a wallet are tied to her belt. A wooden ball lies on the ground nearby, and further away you can see a large stone polyhedron, from behind which a melting crucible peeks out.

Behind the woman, a sullen boy climbed onto a millstone and with difficulty writes something on a tablet. A skinny dog curled up nearby. To the right, in the background, rises a stone building, perhaps unfinished, since a wooden staircase is leaning against it. On the walls of the building hang an hourglass, scales and a bell and a magic square is inscribed. In the sky, in the rays of a comet, a huge bat spread its wings. On the wings of the mouse there is an inscription: “Melancholy I” (...)

Immediately feeling that the winged woman is oppressed by doubts and dissatisfaction, the viewer, however, becomes perplexed by the many hints scattered here. Why is Melancholia depicted as winged, which means her inactivity, what kind of boy is depicted behind, what is the meaning of the magic square, why are the tools scattered around?

Saint Jerome works hard, pen in hand, head surrounded by radiance. On the table there is only a book stand, on it is the work of St. Jerome, a crucifix and an inkwell. In the foreground there is a small dog sleeping peacefully and a formidable lion - this is an obligatory part of the legend of Jerome the Blessed. Large quantity The details and their careful attention to detail are amazing. The picture is full of small objects - symbols that catch the eye of the observer. There are more questions than answers, and this makes us think hard about a lot of things.

The subject of the engraving is a classic representation biblical history about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is believed that the prototype for the figures of Adam and Eve were drawings from the ancient statues of Apollo Belvedere and Venus of Medicea. Dürer left a full signature on the engraving, unlike his other engravings, which were only marked with a monogram.

The plot of “The Walk,” at first glance, is simple: a young burgher couple in rich suits walks outside the city, with rural landscape and a tree. However, the deep philosophical meaning of the plot laid down by the author is in the image of Death with an hourglass above his head, peeking out from behind a tree. That is why the faces of young people are so thoughtful.

The bleak landscape, evoking hopeless melancholy, a bush of grass with sharp and dry leaves, bending limply in the wind, also takes on a special meaning. Everything reminds us of the temporality of existence. The village visible in the distance seems to be fenced off from the young couple by the figure of Death, inspiring acute feeling loneliness and isolation from the world.

Proserpina, daughter of the grain goddess Ceres, was collecting irises, roses, violets, hyacinths and daffodils in the meadow with her friends, when she was noticed, inflamed with love, by Pluto, the king underworld. He rushed her away in a chariot, causing the abyss to open up in front of them and Proserpina was carried away to the underworld. Pluto was forced to let her go, but before that he gave her a pomegranate seed to taste so that she would not forget the kingdom of death and return to it. Since then, Proserpina spends half the year in the kingdom of the dead and half in the kingdom of the living.

The artist studied proportions and worked on the problem of depicting the naked body. In works on mythological themes Dürer sought to embody the classical ideal of beauty. The volume of the rounded, almost sculptural form is emphasized by circular strokes, as if sliding across the surface across the structure of the form. The picturesquely interpreted forest landscape organically includes figures of people and animals, embodying various symbols.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 - 1778)

Piranesi created “architectural fantasies” that amaze with the grandeur of spatial solutions and contrasts of light and shadow. Piranesi's works have always been valued by collectors as a manifestation of amazing creativity and the highest artistic skill.

His works inspired many artists: Piranesi’s dungeons were admired by Victor Hugo, who created a whole series of drawings under their influence. Under the influence of his engravings, the scenery for Shakespeare's Hamlet and Beethoven's Fidelio were created.

And, no matter how terrifying it may sound, Piranesi’s architectural ideas inspired the architects of totalitarian regimes, Mussolini’s Italy, Stalin’s Soviet Union and Hitler's Third Reich, and at the same time he became almost the favorite architect of postmodernism.

Most famous works engraver - the “Dungeons” cycle and the “Roman Antiquities” cycle.

Cycle "Dungeons" (1749 - 1750)

“Dungeons” is much more expressive and feverish in design than other works by Piranesi of the same period. They are compared to delirium, a nightmare, a breakthrough of the subconscious. Columns lost in the darkness and height. Chains and rings for fastening fetters, embedded in walls and beams. Drawbridges hanging inside the building. Running away in different sides corridors with cameras. Massive stones stacked into pylons and arches. Pedestrian bridges at a terrible height. Stairs that are intertwined and bend at unnatural angles. An infernal machine for depriving oneself of freedom, depicted with a drama that is excessive for an admirer of classical beauty. The works are performed with amazing precision and terrify the viewer, making them believe that all this really existed.

Cycle “Roman Antiquities” (1748-1788)

In this collection, Piranesi recreated the image of Rome in all its diversity. He completed numerous views of the city from both the point of view of a scientist and a traveler. He saw that the remains of the ancient buildings of Rome were disappearing day after day from the damage caused by time, from the greed of the owners who, with barbaric unceremoniousness, illegally sold them in parts for the construction of new buildings. Therefore, he decided to preserve them through engravings.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525 - 1569)

The life and fate of Bruegel is mysterious. Until now, researchers are looking for the fantastic village of the same name, which supposedly gave its name to the young tramp who came to Antwerp for the mythical fish train and, although he started late in the sciences and arts, soon brilliantly made up for everything.

In the engraving, Bruegel depicted in an ironic manner an alchemist who creates a model of the world and world-creating processes, sets as his task the reproduction and spiritualization of the cosmos, and proceeds from the idea of the unity of the world and the universality of change.

The main mystery of this engraving is the year of its creation. The engraving shows the date 1642, but Bruegel the Elder died in 1569. His son, Bruegel the Younger, was not interested in engravings, although he was an artist. Perhaps the numbers on the engraving are not a date at all.

Gustave Doré (1832 - 1883)

Dore can rightly be called a colossus of illustration, because he seems to have interpreted all the masterpieces of world literature.

In addition to his talent in composition and drawing, Doré has that look that is inherent in poets who know the secrets of nature. When engraving began to become wildly popular with the public in the 1860s, every author who wrote a book wanted Doré to illustrate it. Every publisher who published a book sought to publish it with Doré's illustrations. The number of the engraver's drawings reached forty-four thousand by May 1862.

One of Doré's illustrations for John Milton's poem Paradise Lost. This engraving shows fallen angel, expelled from Paradise for pride.

December 24th, 2013

Engraving appeared in the 15th century, simultaneously with the printed book and great geographical discoveries. As a new form of art, accessible due to its low cost, engraving quickly gained popularity. It became the first illustration in the book, first in the form of a woodcut (woodcut) and then an engraving (on metal).

The subjects of the engraving are as diverse as life itself, and it strives to accommodate it in all its manifestations. Following traditional religious subjects, images of ancient mythology, views of distant countries, portraits of rulers, secular and religious figures, writers and artists, images of flora and fauna, fashionable pictures and calendars, maps, drawings, gardens and parks, famous ancient monuments appear in it.

On the one hand, the engraving is laconic, there is nothing superfluous here, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. On the other hand, the engravers' works are full of hints and allegories, everything has a metaphorical meaning, each object, in accordance with medieval tradition, corresponds to a certain concept.

We present to your attention the most famous engravers several eras and their most outstanding works. EVERYTHING IS CLICKABLE!

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)

Albrecht Dürer became famous at an early age for his engravings and is today considered the most famous of the Renaissance artists. There were 18 children in Albrecht's family; he was the third child and second son in the family. Dürer's father took him to her workshop to teach him how to work with gold, but the boy showed an aptitude for painting and therefore became an apprentice to the engraver Mikhail Wolgemut.

"Knight, Death and the Devil." 1513

Based on the symbolism of the objects surrounding the knight, we can say that he rather personifies a negative force and unites with the devil, rather than being his victim. Therefore, it is no coincidence that a fox’s tail is attached to the horseman’s peak, a sign of a robber knight. The image of a fox's tail was associated with the idea of lies, hypocrisy, and the desire to snatch one's share of earthly goods by cunning. The image of the dog is stated here as adherence to the devil, greed and envy. The lizard is a symbol of pretense, an evil demon. The skull is associated with death and original sin.

"Melancholy". 1514

Soviet art critic Ts. G. Nesselstraus analyzes this engraving as follows: “... in front of us is the seashore, the boundless expanse of water and the twilight sky, cut through by a rainbow and the ominous rays of a comet. In the foreground, surrounded by carpentry and construction tools scattered in disarray, a winged woman sits, resting her head on her hand, immersed in deep thought. She has an open compass in her hand, and a bunch of keys and a wallet are tied to her belt. A wooden ball lies on the ground nearby, and further away you can see a large stone polyhedron, from behind which a melting crucible peeks out.

"Saint Jerome in his cell." 1514

Saint Jerome works hard, pen in hand, head surrounded by radiance. On the table there is only a book stand, on it is the work of St. Jerome, a crucifix and an inkwell. In the foreground, a small dog and a formidable lion are sleeping peacefully - this is an obligatory part of the legend of Jerome the Blessed. The large number of details and their careful elaboration are amazing. The picture is full of small objects - symbols that catch the eye of the observer. There are more questions than answers, and this makes us think hard about a lot of things.

"Adam and Eve". 1504

The subject of the engraving is a classic representation of the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is believed that the prototype for the figures of Adam and Eve were drawings from the ancient statues of Apollo Belvedere and Venus of Medicea. Dürer left a full signature on the engraving, unlike his other engravings, which were only marked with a monogram.

"Walk". 1496

The bleak landscape, evoking hopeless melancholy, a bush of grass with sharp and dry leaves, bending limply in the wind, also takes on a special meaning. Everything reminds us of the temporality of existence. The village visible in the distance seems to be fenced off from the young couple by the figure of Death, instilling an acute feeling of loneliness and isolation from the world.

"The Abduction of Proserpina on a Unicorn." 1516

Proserpina, the daughter of the grain goddess Ceres, was collecting irises, roses, violets, hyacinths and daffodils in the meadow with her friends when she was noticed, inflamed with love, by Pluto, the king of the underworld. He rushed her away in a chariot, causing the abyss to open up in front of them and Proserpina was carried away to the underworld. Pluto was forced to let her go, but before that he gave her a pomegranate seed to taste so that she would not forget the kingdom of death and return to it. Since then, Proserpina spends half the year in the kingdom of the dead and half in the kingdom of the living.

"The Satyr's Family" 1504

The artist studied proportions and worked on the problem of depicting the naked body. In his works on mythological themes, Dürer sought to embody the classical ideal of beauty. The volume of the rounded, almost sculptural form is emphasized by circular strokes, as if sliding across the surface across the structure of the form. The picturesquely interpreted forest landscape organically includes figures of people and animals, embodying various symbols.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778)

And, no matter how terrifying it may sound, Piranesi's architectural ideas inspired the architects of totalitarian regimes, Mussolini's Italy, Stalin's Soviet Union and Hitler's Third Reich, and at the same time he became almost the favorite architect of postmodernism.
The engraver's most famous works are the “Dungeons” cycle and the “Roman Antiquities” cycle.

Cycle "Dungeons" (1749-1750)

“Dungeons” is much more expressive and feverish in design than other works by Piranesi of the same period. They are compared to delirium, a nightmare, a breakthrough of the subconscious. Columns lost in the darkness and height. Chains and rings for fastening fetters, embedded in walls and beams. Drawbridges hanging inside the building. Corridors with cameras running in different directions. Massive stones stacked into pylons and arches. Pedestrian bridges at a terrible height. Stairs that are intertwined and bend at unnatural angles. An infernal machine for depriving oneself of freedom, depicted with a drama that is excessive for an admirer of classical beauty. The works are performed with amazing precision and terrify the viewer, making them believe that all this really existed.

Cycle “Roman Antiquities” (1748-1788)

"Trevi Fountain". 1776

"View of the Ripa Grande pier." 1752

"View of the Ripetta pier." 1753

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525-1569)

"Alchemist". 1560s

"Fools and Clowns"

Gustave Doré (1832-1883)

Dore can rightly be called a colossus of illustration, because he seems to have interpreted all the masterpieces of world literature.
In addition to his talent in composition and drawing, Doré has that look that is inherent in poets who know the secrets of nature. When engraving began to become wildly popular with the public in the 1860s, every author who wrote a book wanted Doré to illustrate it. Every publisher who published a book sought to publish it with Doré's illustrations. The number of the engraver's drawings reached forty-four thousand by May 1862.

"Paradise Lost" 1866

One of Doré's illustrations for John Milton's poem Paradise Lost. This engraving depicts a fallen Angel expelled from Paradise for his pride.

"World Flood". 1866

"The Divine Comedy"

One of the illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy.

What is engraving? An impression on paper or substitute materials made from a wooden, metal or stone board, specially treated by a master and coated with paint. This is the most general definition of engraving from a technological point of view. And yet this simple principle gave rise to huge amount types, subspecies, varieties of engraving. Throughout the history of engraving, engraving techniques are born and die out. One might even dare to assert that each new style in European art associated with one or another engraving technique.

Why is engraving the only form of fine art that has such technical diversity? In order to understand this, you need to understand that it is engraving that occupies a special position among other types of art. Relating to graphics, like drawing, it does not carry within itself that spontaneity, often sketchiness, the desire to embody the very first thought, the first feeling that is so characteristic of drawing; Engraving is never art for the artist himself, which very often characterizes drawing. And with this outward appeal, appealing to the viewer, engraving stands in the same row as painting or sculpture.

But what distinguishes engraving from these types of art is precisely the quality that makes it similar to drawing: engraving always enters into a special, intimate relationship with the viewer. The engraving - both in size and in circulation - is intended to ensure that he, the viewer, remains alone with it, holds it in his hands, and peers in detail at the smallest detail of the image.

2. K. MELLAN Plath St. Veronica 1649 Copper engraving (fragment)

Engraving is born almost simultaneously as a woodcut and as a chisel. The time of its appearance is to blame for this technical dualism - the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. To the north of the Alps, woodcut dominates, and in its bright decorativeness, distinct contrast of language, maximum desire for expressiveness of the image, for drama, generalization, highlighting the main thing - in everything we see characteristic features medieval artistic thinking. In woodcuts of the 15th century, the composition and each of its details is a sign of the image in a much more to a greater extent than a depiction of life. Perhaps it is precisely the symbolic nature of woodcuts that allows us to separate the artist and the carver with such consistency: the sign, by its very nature, is non-individual, impersonal.

The original form of engraving - woodcut, or woodcut, known in the East for more than a thousand years, appeared in Europe in the era early Renaissance, at the very end of the 14th century, and became widespread in the 15th-16th centuries. It developed mainly from the technique of printing on fabrics using wooden stamps (the so-called printed gingerbread), embossing “printed” gingerbread using carved boards, etc. For printing engravings, instead of parchment, which was used for medieval miniatures, they now began to use significantly inexpensive, new for Europe the material is paper. Distribution of paper, which to this day is the main and still little replaceable component for printing processes of various types. of different nature, was a necessary prerequisite for the development of all printmaking techniques.

It is difficult to name a material that would be as important for other types of fine art as paper for graphics. If in painting the surface of the canvas overlaps and goes under a layer of primer and body paints, then in drawings and engravings the color of the paper plays the role of a luminous medium, actively participating in compositional structure sheet and largely predetermining its character. One can rightfully say that if there were no paper, the art of graphics itself would not exist.

For the first time, engraving made it possible to print not only a drawing, but also a text: a printed image was combined with the printed word, which is why the educational impact of both increased immeasurably. At the same time as leaflets and engravings, engraved books began to be published. Until Gutenberg's technique of movable type set became widespread - and for some books even after that - the text of each page, along with the illustrations, was engraved on a single wooden board ("blockbücher").

However, in the initial period of its development, wood engraving had modest technical capabilities. This was the so-called edged, or, in other words, longitudinal woodcut, which was performed on boards of the usual type (in which the wood fibers run parallel to the surface), from medium-hard wood species: pear, linden.

A drawing was usually applied to the polished surface of such a board with a pen, each line of which was cut off with a knife on both sides. Then, using knives and chisels of various sections, they hollowed out and deepened all the spaces between the strokes, so that only the lines of the drawing remained prominently protruding and a convex printing form was obtained. Usually, the author-artist limited himself to drawing on a board, which was then processed by a craftsman - a wood carver (“formschneider”), who tried to cut out the applied image, all the lines, strokes, and dots as accurately as possible.

Thus, in woodcuts there was a gap between artistic creativity and technical execution (however, when the carving was carried out by a highly qualified formschneider, there was a certain creative moment in his work of translating the design into the material). On the other hand, if the authors-artists themselves in all cases cut the boards according to their own compositions, it is unlikely that they would have been able to leave such a large woodcut heritage as, for example, Dürer, who has about one hundred and ninety engraving sheets.

Initially, woodcuts were printed by rubbing paper against a board with a rag or a bone (similar to how engravers now often print test prints of woodcuts).

With the spread of book printing, prints from engraved wooden boards also began to be produced on a conventional letterpress printing press.

A.BOSS Copper engraving printer's workshop 1642. Etching

Engraved ornamental and figurative images have long been used to decorate daggers, blades and sheaths of swords, vases, cups, metal plates for book bindings, belt buckles and various fasteners, details of horse harnesses, etc. Gradually, they learned to enrich these decorations by filling the in-depth pattern with molten colored glass mass - enamel. For engraved figurative images, mainly of religious content, which were made on small gold, silver or copper plates, niello was usually used instead of colored enamel. After the molten niello that filled the lines of the pattern cut into the metal plate or embossed on it hardened, the plate was polished and a shiny black pattern stood out against a light background. This technique, especially widely used since the mid-15th century by Italian masters, the so-called niello (niel), apparently was one of the immediate predecessors of engraving.

The desire to evaluate the quality of the drawing before it was filled with niello (after which it is difficult to make any corrections to it), as well as the desire to preserve it as a sample for subsequent work, led to attempts to rub paint into the recesses of the niello and then stamp it on wax, and later - and on paper. Thus, the first step was taken towards the special production of engraved plates for printing - a step all the more natural since many of the medieval goldsmiths and silversmiths simultaneously worked in various types of fine arts, were engaged in easel painting and drawing, and were interested in reproducing their compositions. It is significant that all the tools necessary to perform incisive engraving - gravers (cut), punches for hammering out points, grinding smoothers, scrapers for cutting metal burrs - were borrowed from the arsenal of jewelry art.

In this regard, the story of Giorgio Vasari is interesting, according to which one of the Italian washerwomen, while hanging wet laundry in her yard, somehow accidentally dropped some of it on the niello, which her neighbor, a silversmith, had laid out to dry in the sun. When she then picked up this linen, she was amazed to see that a mob design was imprinted on it. This is how the first print with Niello was allegedly made. This story seems to be one of the legends, of which there are many in Vasari’s Lives; moreover, he mistakenly names the Florentine Maso Finiguerra (1426-1464) as the inventor of copper engraving and dates this event to the 1460s, while the first engravings on copper appeared, apparently, in Germany much earlier. However, the fundamental connection between niello and the beginning of printing from metal boards was noticed by Vasari quite correctly.

For incisive engraving, a smooth copper board is taken, which is carefully polished on the front side, since the slightest scratch or dot on the edge leaves its mark on the print. Then, using various technical techniques, the outline of the image is applied to the board and the actual process of engraving - metal carving - begins. To obtain strokes and lines of different character, chisels of various sections, cuts and shapes are used, and the finest “hairline” lines are applied with needles. The main metallographic cutter - grabstikhel - has a rhombus or triangle cross-section. The metal burrs remaining along the edges of each stroke (barb) are carefully cut off with a scraper.

The board, finished with engraving, is filled with thick paint using a leather swab, which is easily cleaned off and remains only in the cut-out, recessed areas. For printing incisive engravings, as for all intaglio engravings, relatively thick, very lightly sized paper is usually used, which, when moistened under strong pressure in a special metallographic machine, well selects a layer of ink from the recesses of the engraved cliche.

Copper engraving in the form in which it was used by the old masters was a harsh, difficult art that required great internal discipline and perseverance in work. Carving the thinnest lines, strokes and dots on a copper board, sometimes visible only under a magnifying glass, and having almost no opportunity to significantly correct what was done, the engraver had to have great knowledge and confident skill in drawing, keen eyesight, as well as impeccable accuracy and steadiness of hand. This painstaking technique in past times was associated with a great investment of time and effort that is almost unimaginable today. Thus, Dürer’s famous engraving “Horseman, Death and the Devil,” which has a relatively small format (24.7 × 18.9 cm), was engraved for more than three months, not counting the time spent on the preliminary preparation of sketches. And for making engravings on copper in the modern “half-sheet” format from the work oil painting to a qualified reproduction engraver in XVII-XIX centuries sometimes it took more than a year.

Engraving was based on a deep, almost mathematical preliminary calculation, down to every single stroke. This is evidenced, in particular, by a very clever technical trick demonstrated by the 17th century French copper engraver Claude Mellan. The famous sheet of this master “Plate of St. Veronica" with the image of the face of Christ was entirely executed in one continuous line, starting in the center of the image. At the same time, the entire plastic form was created by the thickening of this line alone, conveying the movement of chiaroscuro.

The first dateable engravings on copper date back to the middle of the 15th century, but the skill with which they were made suggests that engraving arose in more recent times. early period. Apparently, at the beginning of the 15th century, a machine was invented for printing incisive engravings with a horizontal movement of the print under a cylindrical shaft, very similar in design to the modern metallographic press, on which etchings and other intaglio prints are usually printed by hand. This is indicated by the characteristic blackness and richness of the prints of the earliest German incisor engravings, which could only be obtained by printing on wet paper and under high pressure. I

Equipment for printing intaglio engravings and the very process of printing them are depicted in the etching of the famous 17th-century French graphic artist Abraham Bosse, “Workshop of a Copper Engraving Printer.” One of the printers presses ink into the recessed strokes on the board with a leather swab, another wipes off unnecessary ink from the surface of the board, and the third prints the impression - literally drags the board with the paper applied to it through an intaglio press. In the back of the studio, finished prints are hung to dry.

The visual possibilities of copper engraving immediately attracted the attention of a number of major artists to it, and the art of copper engraving began to develop rapidly. Already in the second half of the 15th century, a high artistic and technical level was achieved in the engravings of such German graphic artists as “Master playing cards", who worked in the years 1435-1455, "Master E.S." (1450-1467) and Martin Schongauer (c. 1445-1491), as well as Italian painters of the early Renaissance, who did a lot of engraving, Antonio Pollaiuolo (c. 1430-1498) and Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). The engravings of these masters are distinguished by the confidence and beauty of the contours that embrace the forms, the richness and softness of the tone, which is created by the delicate and dense laying of fine strokes.

Another variety intaglio engraving on metal, which arose shortly after engraving, there was an etching, which apparently appeared at the very turn of the 16th century in Germany and soon after that in Italy.

For etching, a polished metal board was covered with a layer of acid-resistant varnish, which was originally made from a mixture of wax and resin. After the varnish hardened, its surface was smoked. On this black ground, usually sanguine, which stood out well on it, the outline of the design was pressed or otherwise transferred. Then, with an etching needle, the ground was scratched all the way to the surface of the metal; the lines of the design now became visible in the color of the exposed copper. The deepening of the strokes was done chemically - by etching with acids. The old way etching designs for decorating metal objects thus became a service to graphic art.

The mobility and flexibility of the etching lines is incomparably greater than those carved with a graver. Here, that significant physical effort, the tension of the entire multi-joint mechanism of the arm from the hand to the shoulder, which fetters the freedom of holding the cutter, is no longer required. A properly sharpened needle glides freely and quickly - perhaps even freer than a pencil or pen on paper - cutting through the soft etching ground, conveying the spontaneity of the artist’s creative impulse. Etching allows you to apply the lightest gentle shading, outline the finest details of the image and create soft tonal transitions. A different pace of work gives rise to different aesthetic qualities; here the broadest pictorial effects can be achieved simply and directly. Various durations of etching with sequential varnishing of those areas of the board that should no longer be etched - the so-called step etching, invented by the French engraver Jacques Callot (1592-1635), allows you to obtain strokes of different depths, giving different strengths of tone - from light silver to rich black.

Although both incisive engraving and etching are intaglio printing, there is a significant difference between their printing forms. A line cut on a copper board with a grabstick is an even groove of a triangular cross-section with smooth walls. After the engraver cleans the barbs, the edges of the lines on the surface of the board will also become completely smooth and in print they will give a frequent and clear impression. The dots taken out with a graver have the same clean edge various shapes- diamond-shaped, triangular, etc. It is the alternation of clearly defined stripes and specks that creates the unique silvery tone characteristic of incisor engraving.

The etched etching line looks different. Acid does not etch metal evenly everywhere; in addition, under the influence of acid, the metal is corroded in places. Therefore, the same line in different parts of it becomes smaller, then deeper, and its very recess in the board has an irregular, “ulcerated” shape. The acid also corrodes the edges of the lines on the very surface of the board, giving them raggedness and graininess. By varying the duration of etching and the strength of the acid, lines of the most varied nature can be obtained. The ink selected from such lines when printing with moistened paper is not printed as cleanly and clearly as from a cutter mark, but more juicy and with an uneven grainy texture. Therefore, next to the graphic correctness and purity of the incisal line, for some masters the very etching line looks much more picturesque. At the same time, some etchers achieved purity of lines using this technique.

Like in no other form of printmaking, the movement of the etching line so clearly reveals the artist’s individual drawing style that the greatest masters of painting and drawing - just remember Parmigianino, Callot, Van Dyck, Ostade, Rembrandt, Tiepolo, Fragonard, Goya, Manet, Whistler, Zorn, Valentina Serova - used etching as author's graphics. Etching received particular development in the 17th century in Holland, which produced the greatest etcher, Rembrandt.

Given the direct and improvisational nature of etching, its execution can often be accompanied by a number of accidents and surprises; moreover, an etched board can withstand a smaller circulation than one engraved with a chisel. Therefore, for the purposes of reproduction, where special precision of work was required, etching as an independent technique was used relatively little until the second half of the 19th century.

Another improvisational type of metal engraving next to etching is the so-called “dry point” - in terms of the flexibility of line movement, it occupies an intermediate place between engraving and etching.

At the same time, technically very in a simple way With an etching needle, without any etching, the design is directly scratched onto the surface of a polished metal plate. The first examples of “dry point” were found among German engravers of the Schongauer era. Unlike a cutter, which cleanly removes a strip of metal from the thickness of the board, a needle only breaks through and scratches its surface, and the barbs are usually preserved here, since they give a special richness and beauty to the “dry point” print. “Drypoint” strokes have a relatively shallow depth and, under pressure during the printing process, get lost faster than incisive or etched strokes (barbs fly off most easily), which limits the number of good prints. Because of these features, “dry point” was used relatively rarely as an independent printmaking method, more often used in combination with other methods of metal engraving.

The first attempts to copy drawing and painting through engraving were made in the middle or second half of the 15th century in Italy and Germany.

So, according to Vasari's story, Sandro Botticelli created a whole series drawings specifically for their reproduction in print. However, unlike Pollaiuolo and Mantegna, who did not do printmaking himself, Botticelli commissioned the Florentine goldsmith Baccio Baldini (1436?-1487), whom Vasari names among the founders of Italian copper engraving, to engrave his drawings.

Let's continue the theme of creativity, look, and here are the amazing , and who saw ? The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

The subjects of the engraving are as diverse as life itself, and it strives to accommodate it in all its manifestations. Following traditional religious motifs, images of ancient mythology, views of distant countries, portraits of rulers, secular and religious figures, writers and artists, images of flora and fauna, fashionable pictures and calendars, maps, drawings, gardens and parks, famous ancient monuments appear in it.

We present to your attention the most famous engravers of several eras and their most outstanding works.

Albrecht Durer (1471 - 1528)

"Knight, Death and the Devil." 1513

Based on the symbolism of the objects surrounding the knight, we can say that he rather personifies a negative force and unites with the devil, rather than being his victim. Therefore, it is no coincidence that a fox’s tail is attached to the horseman’s peak, a sign of a robber knight. The image of a fox's tail was associated with the idea of lies, hypocrisy, and the desire to snatch one's share of earthly goods by cunning. The image of the dog is stated here as adherence to the devil, greed and envy. The lizard is a symbol of pretense, an evil demon. The skull is associated with death and original sin.

"Melancholy". 1514

Soviet art critic Ts. G. Nesselstraus analyzes this engraving as follows: “... in front of us is the seashore, the boundless expanse of water and the twilight sky, cut through by a rainbow and the ominous rays of a comet. In the foreground, surrounded by carpentry and construction tools scattered in disarray, sits A winged woman, resting her head in deep thought, has an open compass in her hand, a bunch of keys and a purse tied to her belt. A wooden ball lies on the ground nearby, and further away you can see a large stone polyhedron, from behind which a melting crucible peeks out.

Behind the woman, a gloomy boy climbed onto a millstone and with difficulty writes something on a tablet. A skinny dog curled up nearby. To the right, in the background, rises a stone building, perhaps unfinished, since a wooden staircase is leaning against it. On the walls of the building hang an hourglass, scales and a bell and a magic square is inscribed. In the sky, in the rays of a comet, a huge bat spread its wings. On the wings of the mouse there is an inscription: “Melancholy I” (...)

"Saint Jerome in his cell." 1514

Saint Jerome works hard, pen in hand, head surrounded by radiance. On the table there is only a book stand, on it is the work of St. Jerome, a crucifix and an inkwell. In the foreground, a small dog and a formidable lion are sleeping peacefully - this is an obligatory part of the legend of Jerome the Blessed. The large number of details and their careful elaboration are amazing. The picture is full of small objects - symbols that catch the eye of the observer. There are more questions than answers, and this makes us think hard about a lot of things.

"Adam and Eve". 1504

"Walk". 1496

The plot of “The Walk,” at first glance, is simple: a young burgher couple in rich suits walks outside the city, with a rural landscape and a tree visible in the background. However, the deep philosophical meaning of the plot laid down by the author is in the image of Death with an hourglass above his head, peeking out from behind a tree. That is why the faces of young people are so thoughtful.
The bleak landscape, evoking hopeless melancholy, a bush of grass with sharp and dry leaves, bending limply in the wind, also takes on a special meaning. Everything reminds us of the temporality of existence. The village visible in the distance seems to be fenced off from the young couple by the figure of Death, instilling an acute feeling of loneliness and isolation from the world.

"The Abduction of Proserpina on a Unicorn." 1516

"The Satyr's Family" 1504

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 - 1778)

The engraver's most famous works are the "Dungeons" cycle and the "Roman Antiquities" cycle.

Cycle "Dungeons" (1749 - 1750)

"Dungeons" is much more expressive and feverish in design than other works by Piranesi of the same period. They are compared to delirium, a nightmare, a breakthrough of the subconscious. Columns lost in the darkness and height. Chains and rings for fastening fetters, embedded in walls and beams. Drawbridges hanging inside the building. Corridors with cameras running in different directions. Massive stones stacked into pylons and arches. Pedestrian bridges at a terrible height. Stairs that are intertwined and bend at unnatural angles. An infernal machine for depriving oneself of freedom, depicted with a drama that is excessive for an admirer of classical beauty. The works are performed with amazing precision and terrify the viewer, making them believe that all this really existed.