Renaissance Impressions Chiaroscuro woodcuts from the Collections of Georg Baselitz and the Albertina, Vienna

Royal Academy
15 March—8 June 2014

This exhibition features the beautiful art of Chiaroscuro woodcuts in works from two of the finest collections in the world. Conceived as independent works or based on the designs of the greatest Renaissance artists such as Parmigianino, Raphael and Titian, this pioneering 16th-century printing technique breathed new life into well-known biblical scenes and legends; from Perseus slaying the Medusa to Aeneas Fleeing Troy, and the Miraculous Draught of Fishes.

150 of the rarest and most exquisite examples of this forgotten art form, with a focus on the craftsmanship of its proponents in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, demonstrate how the chiaroscuro method was used to create the first colour prints that make dramatic use of light and dark.

Created by established artists for a wider public, they were collected and appreciated both as mementos of famous works in other media and in their own right for their sheer technical brilliance and visual power.




Hendrick Goltzius, Bacchus, c. 1589-90, Chiaroscuro woodcut printed from two blocks. Collection Georg Baselitz Photo Albertina, Vienna



Ugo da Carpi, 'Diogenes', early sixteenth century,
Chiaroscuro woodcut; four blocks (green and blue); first state. 47.8 x 34.3 cm. Private Collection, Photo Albertina, Vienna



Ugo da Carpi, after Raphael, The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, c. 1523-27, Albertina, Vienna Photo Albertina, Vienna



Hendrick Goltzius, Hercules Killing Cacus, 1588, Collection Georg Baselitz. Photo Albertina, Vienna



Andrea Andreani, after Giambologna, Rape of a Sabine Woman, 1584, Collection Georg Baselitz. Photo Albertina, Vienna



Domenico Beccafumi, 'Group of Men and Women', c. 1545-47. Engraving with two woodcut tone blocks, in pale blue and blue. 14.3 x 22.2 cm. Albertina, Vienna. Photo Albertina, Vienna.



Giovanni Gallo, after Marco Pino, 'Perseus with the Head of Medusa', 1570s. "Chiaroscuro woodcut printed from four blocks, the tone blocks in orange and reddish brown. 35.1 x 22.8 cm. Albertina, Vienna. Photo Albertina, Vienna.




Hans Burgkmair the Elder, 'Hans Paumgartner', 1512, Chiaroscuro woodcut printed from three blocks, the tone blocks in violet. 29.1 x 24.1 cm. Albertina, Vienna. Photo Albertina, Vienna.



Hendrick Goltzius, 'Landscape with Trees and a Shepherd Couple', c. 1593-98, "Chiaroscuro woodcut printed from three blocks, the tone blocks in pale green and green. 11.7 x 15.3 cm. Collection Georg Baselitz. Photo Albertina, Vienna. Organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London and the Albertina, Vienna.




Hans Burgkmair the Elder, 'St George and the Dragon', c. 1508-10." "Chiaroscuro woodcut printed from two blocks, the tone block in beige. 31.9 x 22.5 cm. Collection Georg Baselitz. Photo Albertina, Vienna. Organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London and the Albertina, Vienna."