Giovanni Cesare Testa

Giovanni Cesare Testa made late 17th-century religious prints, often etching scenes of saints’ final moments. One surviving plate is Death of St. Jerome, an engraving that shows the saint on a rocky floor, haloed and penitent, as the light falls from a high window onto the scattered books and skull. The line work is precise, turning drapery and flesh into sharp black-and-white folds. If you like the drama of chiaroscuro prints, tap Death of St. Jerome to see how Testa balances weighty symbolism with delicate needlework.