Giulio Campagnola
Shepherds in a Landscape
1515

About the Item

GIULIO CAMPAGNOLA (CIRCA 1482-1516) AND DOMENICO CAMPAGNOLA (CIRCA 1500-1564) Shepherds in a Landscape engraving, circa 1515-1518, on laid paper, without watermark, a fine, richly tonal and atmospheric impression of this rare print, small to thread margins above and below, trimmed to the subject at left, the right edge of the subject skillfully made-up with pen and ink Sheet 140 x 260 mm. Provenance With R.M. Light & Co., Santa Barbara, California. Acquired from the above on 1 July 1982; then by descent to the present owner. The fascinating composition of this rare early engraving, which has been the subject of much discussion, was clarified in the essay on the print in the volume Early Italian Engravings from the National Gallery of Art (see reference below), and our summary notes below are based on this essay. The right half of the print, the landscape filled with beautiful buildings, lush hills and flora, is by Giulio Campagnola, based on a drawing by Campagnola (in the Louvre) which in turn was based on a drawing by Giorgione (in Rotterdam). Though some authorities have attributed the engraving to Giorgione, the attribution to Campagnola is considered more convincing. The left half of the print, the large figures in the foreground in front of a mass of trees, are quite different from Giulio’s preparatory drawing; Giulio apparently left this part of the composition unfinished for the print (perhaps because of his early death at age 33, or possible dissatisfaction with the image). His adopted son, Domenico, is thought to have finished the composition, following the general outlines of Giulio’s drawing but bring the figures further to the foreground, and employing a bold engraving technique, in contrast to Giulio’s delicate short strokes. This is not just a question of different artistic personalities, as Konrad Oberhuber pointed out, but of a new spirit: ‘There is also a difference between Giulio’s interest in detailed observation and his serene representation of objects and Domenico’s feeling for the vitality which unifies both figures and nature; this is characteristic of the contrast between the world of Giorgione and that of Titian, between the spirit of the first decade of the cinquecento and that of the new period to follow.’ (Oberhuber, Early Italian Engravings, p. 413.) Reference: J. A. Levenson, K. Oberhuber, J. L. Sheehan, Early Italian Engravings from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1973, no. 150, p. 410-413).

Creator:
Giulio Campagnola (1520 - 1582, Italian)
Creation Year:
1515
Dimensions:
Height: 55.12 in (140 cm)Width: 102.37 in (260 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
Medium:
Engraving
Movement & Style:
Renaissance
Period:
16th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU515311671622