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Genre

Genre

JOHANNES KASPAR EISSENHARDT (1824-96)

The Vision of St Helena

c.1850-1876

Etching with engraving | 44.3 x 38.4 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 852328

An etching with engraving after a detail of the painting by Paolo Veronese depicting the Vision of St Helena, now in the National Gallery, London (inv. no. NG1041). This print is lettered with title, the name of Veronese identified as the painter and with publication details. Signed by the printmaker. Trimmed within the platemark.

This painting is inspired by a drawing now in the Uffizi, Florence (inv. no. 1973 F) where is catalogued as by Raphael. This drawing is dated by Joannides 1514 (see Bibliographic References). This drawing was traditionally catalogued as by Parmigianino (Bartsch suggested this print was after a drawing either by Raphael or Parmigianino). More recently, archival documents have proved the attribution of the drawing to Raphael (see Bibliographic References).

The female figure has been variously interpreted as Danae (on the basis of a later inscription on the drawing) or most likely as the representation of St Helena. According to the story, St Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, during her quest to discover the location of the True Cross (the cross on which Christ had been crucified) received divine help whilst dreaming.

In the drawing in the Uffizi the woman is depicted on the left, with various studies for God the Father appearing to Moses and architectural studies for St Peter's Basilica. The first set of studies is related to the composition of 'Moses before the Burning Bush', designed by Raphael and painted in the vault of the Stanza di Eliodoro in the Vatican.
  • Creator(s)

    Johannes Kaspar Eissenhardt (1824-96) (printmaker)

    After Paolo Veronese (1528-88) (artist)

    Associated with Raphael (Urbino 1483-Rome 1520) (draughtsman)

    Associated with Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480-1534) (engraver)

    Associated with Parmigianino (Parma 1503-Casalmaggiore 1540) (draughtsman)

  • 44.3 x 38.4 cm (sheet of paper)

  • S Helena

  • Added to the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection (c.1853-76)

  • Subject(s)
    • Science, Medicine and Technology
      • Construction
        • Structural parts of buildings
          • Windows
            • Window sills
    • Religion & Theology
      • Religions and faiths
        • Religions of antiquity
          • Classical mythology
            • Danaë (myth)
  • Bibliographic reference(s)

    p. 441, no. 1973 F (Inventario Uffizi. Disegni Esposti II 1987 : Disegni esposti, vol. 2, 1987 / a cura di Annamaria Petrioli Tofani, Florence (Gabinetto disegni e stampe degli Uffizi) )
    p. 219, no. 342r (Joannides 1983 : Joannides, P., 1983. The Drawings of Raphael, with a complete catalogue, Oxford)