Expo Focus "Engraving & Interpretation in the High Renaissance"

From 14 February to 10 May, the Domaine & Royal Museum of Mariemont and the University of Liège are presenting ‘Engraving & Interpretation in the High Renaissance’.

The exhibition reveals how Renaissance models multiplied and spread thanks to interpretive engraving, offering a different perspective on 16th-century art. It allows visitors to rediscover the work of famous masters in an original form, to highlight an artistic practice that is still little known to the general public, and to discover the pioneering work of artist Giovanni Antonia da Brescia. Like a journey back in time, it shows how these artists, now universally recognized, gained notoriety throughout Europe during their lifetime.

 The circulation of the arts in Europe   

Long before the invention of photography, engraving was a powerful means of circulating images and ideas. Interpretive engravings thus played an active role in establishing the reputation of the Renaissance masters, contributing to the spread of a common artistic language throughout 16th-century Europe.

 Origin of a practice and role of da Brescia 

The exhibition focuses on the beginnings of this artistic practice, which flourished around 1510 thanks to the collaboration between Raphael and Marcantonio Raimondi. It highlights a pioneer: Giovanni Antonio da Brescia, an engraver active between 1500 and 1520, who translated the works of Mantegna, da Vinci, Dürer, Raphael, and ancient sculptures into engravings. 

 Masterpieces and original interpretive engravings

The exhibition juxtaposes original interpretive engravings with photographic reproductions of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, Mantegna's The Triumphs of Caesar, Dürer's The Prodigal Son, Raphael's Neptune Calming the Winds

Mythological and biblical figures, portraits of old men and court ladies reflect the tastes and fashions of the Renaissance.

The exhibition also explores the early 16th-century interest in Antiquity, stimulated by the discovery of iconic monuments in the ground beneath Rome. Among the first, da Brescia reproduced the Belvedere Torso, the Mazarin Venus, and various ornamental motifs inspired by the sumptuous decorations of the Domus Aurea, a vast palatial complex built during the reign of Emperor Nero.

 Rare and unpublished engravings

Around forty original engravings, accompanied by photographic reproductions, sculptures, and workshop tools, help to reconstruct the rich artistic context of the early 16th century. 

Thanks to the exceptional collaboration of the BnF, the exhibition presents engravings of remarkable rarity—some known to exist in only two copies, others unique in the world.

The other loans come from leading museum collections:

The Louvre and the Edmond de Rothschild collection;
The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR);
The Wittert Museum of the University of Liège (whose eight loaned works have never been seen before);
The Centre de la Gravure et de l'Image Imprimée.

Visitors can learn about the technique of engraving with a burin thanks to a video produced by the Nantes Printing Museum, shown here by the Pont-Aven Museum.

Finally, a selection of antique works from the Mariemont collections creates a visual and stylistic bridge between Antiquity and the Renaissance.

The exhibition invites visitors to discover the fundamental role of interpretive engraving in art history and to explore the legacy of a fascinating artist who was long forgotten.

 Curatorship

The exhibition is curated by Laure Fagnart, art historian and senior researcher at the F.R.S-FNRS/University of Liège, and Stefania Tullio Cataldo, art historian, associate member of the CNRS -Laboratoire ITEM and lecturer at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest (Angers).

 Production and partners

The exhibition is co-produced by the Domain & Royal Museum of Mariemont and ULiège. The exhibition is produced with the exceptional collaboration of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

© Musée Wittert ULiège

© BnF 

© Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Laurent Chastel

© KBR