COPPERPLATE ENGRAVING – “THE BIRTH OF CHRIST” from the original painting by Carlo Maratti, and engraved by Knolle, and published in the mid 1800’s.  The means by which a copperplate is engraved gives it more detail and depth to the picture.  Copperplate engravings are seen as the most perfect means of reproducing a painting or other forms of visual art, thus giving it the most artistic value of any form of engraving.  This engraving is in very good condition.  The actual engraving measures 7 3/8” x 9 7/8”, and is matted to 16” x 20” for easy framing. 

      Carlo Maratti, or Maratta, was born in 1625 at Camerano in the march of Ancona.  He studied under Andrea Sacchi, who drew his attention chiefly to Caracci and Guido Reni. Maratti then became a flower of Raphael, some of whose fresco-paintings in the Vatican he admirably restored.  When advanced in years he died highly honoured in 1713, being the last of the Roman school.  Though there is also in his pictures a want of individuality and warmth of colour owing to the beginning of the decay of art, he still has some very meritorious qualities in the outline of his drawing.  He was very fond of painting the Madonna with the Child, and it is for this reason that his fellow-artists used to call him ‘Carluccio delle Madonne’.  The most pleasing among his Madonnas is one, represented as bending affectionately over the Infant Christ, lying before her in the manger on a bed of straw.  The heads of three Cherubs, with an expression of delight and curiosity in their faces, surround the group; they are full of life and animation, and the foreshortenings in the Madonna and the Child bear witness of the artist’s perfection in drawing.

By Carl Clauss

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, etchings, engravings, and lithographs are printing processes, which use steel, copper, stone or wood blocks or plates to produce a picture on paper.

Most antique prints and engravings, which are seen on the internet today, are bookplates.  Because they are pages from a book, there are multiple copies in existence.  This does not, however, mean that they are "reproductions" that have been printed recently.  Because they were, at some point, part of books, some have been preserved in excellent condition, while others show signs of age, as yellow spots or darkness on the edge of the page from being handled.

Engravings, and lithographs are high quality pieces of art, as it took a highly trained artist many hours of work to produce one.  Although there may be multiple copies still in existence, the date of the item should be stated in the auction, thus giving the buyer an idea of its age.