Artwork
Gravure en Bois, Principes: pl. III
Gravure en Bois, Principes: pl. III is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Antonio Baratta. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right in plate: AB. s.; lower center in plate: Gravure en Bois, Principes.; lower left in plate: 173.; upper right in plate: Pl. III.
About this work
Overview
Antonio Baratta’s 1775 work titled Gravure en Bois, Principes: pl. III is an engraving executed on laid paper. The print presents a dense arrangement of minute sketches, composed of letters, grids, geometric forms and abstract shapes that occupy the entire surface.
Subject & Meaning
The composition functions as a visual study of design elements rather than a narrative scene. Among the abstract motifs, a solitary architectural fragment appears in the lower‑right corner, a tower with steps, suggesting a reference point amid the surrounding patterns.
Technique & Style
Baratta employed the wood engraving process, incising fine lines into a block to achieve the crisp, precise strokes evident throughout the image. The use of laid paper, with its characteristic ribbed texture, enhances the contrast between the dense black marks and the paper’s white field.
History & Provenance
Created in the late eighteenth century, the print forms part of Baratta’s series of principle studies. Its survival on paper indicates careful preservation, though specific ownership records beyond its attribution to Baratta are not documented.
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