Artwork
Diogenes
Diogenes is a print by the Renaissance artist Ugo da Carpi. It dates from 1526 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The print 'Diogenes' depicts the ancient Greek philosopher in a barrel, lantern in hand, with a plucked chicken at his feet and a bird in flight behind. Created using the chiaroscuro woodcut technique, it showcases the artist's use of layered tones to achieve a dramatic effect.
Subject & Meaning
The scene references Diogenes' critique of Plato's definition of man as a 'featherless biped.' Diogenes plucked a chicken to mock this definition, bringing it to Plato's school as a counterexample. The bird in flight behind the philosopher alludes to this anecdote.
Technique & Style
This print exemplifies the chiaroscuro woodcut technique, which uses multiple woodblocks to layer different tones of a single color. Here, four shades of green are used to create a range of tonal values, with the paper serving as the lightest tone, evoking the effect of drawings on tinted paper.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Ugo da Carpi, a figure influential in the development of chiaroscuro woodcut in Italy, 'Diogenes' demonstrates the technique's potential for nuanced expression. The technique was invented to replicate the visual effect of drawings with light and dark pigments.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ugo da Carpi (c. 1450–1480 – c. 1523–1532) was an Italian printmaker active between 1502 and 1532 in the cities of Venice, Rome and Bologna. He is known for his technical and stylistic contributions to the chiaroscuro…
