Diogenes and the Plucked Rooster
Artist
Ugo da Carpi
(Italian, 1479–1532)
Artistafter
Parmigianino
(Italian, 1503–1540)
Dateabout 1530
Mediumchiaroscuro woodcut in tan and brown ink on cream laid paper
Dimensions48.3 x 35.6 cm (sheet)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineMrs. Kingsmill Marrs Collection
Object number1926.334
Label TextThe color woodcut technique of the Italian Renaissance is known as chiaroscuro, from the words for light and dark. This process employs several blocks, each printing a different tone of the same color. If printed alone, none of the blocks would create a legible image. Ugo claimed the process as his own invention, and in 1517 the Venetian Senate granted him a patent for the technique. This is his most famous print, representing the ancient Greek Diogenes. This philosopher professed action rather than theory, and proved his vow of poverty by living in a barrel.ProvenanceBy 1926, Laura Norcross Marrs [1845-1926], Boston, MA; 1926, by bequest to the Worcester Art Museum.On View
Not on viewUgo da Carpi
late 15th–early 16th century