The Graphic Inventions of Jacopo de’ Barbari

Jacopo de’ Barbari (ca. 1460/70–1516) contributed to the advancement of graphic arts for artists and collectors at a pivotal, historical moment in the dissemination of artistic inventions. His contributions included engagement with scientific and mathematical discourses, the formulation of new subject matter (still life, astrological symbolism, all’antica narratives), unusual compositional strategies, and technical enhancements. Despite his innovations, especially noteworthy with printmaking, this artist’s body of works remains less studied than those of celebrated contemporaries, such as Andrea Mantegna, Albrecht Dürer, and the Bellini (Jacopo, Gentile, and Giovanni). Chapter 9 sheds light on inventions made by this relatively enigmatic artist to reframe his imaginative contributions and to position his novel imagery in dialogue with those of his contemporaries. It also considers his printed designs, notably his woodcut and engraved sets, within the context of works he produced in the years before and after the publication of the View of Venice.