1626
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
God creating the Sun and the Moon is a 1626 by Francesco Villamena, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a robed figure floating above a rocky cliff, stretching out both arms. One hand holds a glowing orb, the other a smaller, fainter one. The figure’s face is turned upward, hair and drapery swirling as if caught in wind. Sunbeams radiate behind the head, lighting the scene from above. The text below names this as God creating the Sun and Moon, based on a Bible story. The artist used sharp contrasts between light and shadow to make the figure look dramatic and three-dimensional. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how this lighting trick works.
Francesco Villamena’s 1626 etching depicts God creating the Sun and the Moon, accompanied by the inscription *Solem, ac Lunam in coelo procreat*. The print is executed on paper and is part of a set of twenty etchings illustrating scriptural scenes derived from Raphael’s paintings in the Vatican’s Loggie. These works are commonly known as the 'Raphael Bible'.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Francesco Villamena (1564–1624) was an Italian engraver, drawing teacher and art collector.
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