La Foire à Impruneta - L'impruneta

Medium: Etching and engraving with hand-coloring
Dimensions: 16 1/2 x 26 inches
Artist details: French, 1592 - 1635
Date finished: 1620
Reference: Lieure 478 (2nd Plate)
Condition: Trimmed to or just within the platemark. Soiled, toned, repairs at fold, and along bottom edge. Significant restoration. Unidentified watermark.

Recommended by Sam (Gallery Owner & Director):
"Callot's rendering of this annual fair near Florence is a masterpiece.  It employs two major contributions the artist made to printmaking.  His introductory use of lute varnish for the protective coating (ground) put on the copper plate before the image mark making.  This material allowed more fine detail and less fowl bite (unintended marks on the plate surface) due to this secure and uniform plate coating.  The artist selectively exposes the plate surface, prior to its submersion in the acid bath for the acid to selectively act on the copper to generate the lines destined to make up the image.  The clean and delicate lines made possible with his discovery, combined with his unique, simplified, gestural drawing technique, allowed for the complexity of this amazing image."