Fan Mount: the Marriage of Cupid and Psyche

Artist Francesco Bartolozzi (Italian, 1727–1815)

Artistafter Giovanni Battista Cipriani (Italian, 1727–1785)

Date1779

Mediumetching, stipple engraving and aquatint on cream laid paper

Dimensions28.2 × 57.1 cm (plate)

ClassificationsPrints

MarkingsMarrs stamp

Credit LineMrs. Kingsmill Marrs Collection, Boston

Object number1926.729

DescriptionSame as nos. 327 and 329 only later state with aquatint background over whole composition. Printed in brown. Trimmed to plate mark.
Label TextBorn in Italy, Francesco Bartolozzi’s career as a printmaker flourished as a courtly artist in London. This series of fan prints highlight three intaglio techniques: etching, stipple engraving and aquatint. Bartolozzi (1727-1815) is particularly known for popularizing the use of stipple engraving. Engraving is technique whereby lines are scored directly into a metal plate using a tool called a burin. Burin—French for “cold chisel”—is a metal shaft with a sharp, diamond-cut point at the tip. The angle at which the artist pushes the burin into the plate determines the width and depth of the engraved lines. When inked, the lines that have been incised into the plate appear on the paper. In stippling, tiny dots with varying patterns are painstakingly notched directly into the plate resulting in subtle variations in tone and texture. Stipple engraving is evident on the cupid’s bodies, most clearly seen on center iteration of this print before the light brown aquatinting is added for the final version. These prints depict the Marriage of Cupid and Psyche, an image originally designed by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727-1785). Michael Mirarchi ProvenanceBequest of Mrs. Kingsmill Marrs

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