John the Baptist. Copperplate engraving. 28,2 x 23,2 cm. B. 3, TIB (commentary) .005, Hind 12. watermark ox head in a circle with a snake and a cross (compare Briquet 15396, ca. 1500-1510).
Bartsch considers this engraving to be one of Campagnola's most impressive copper engravings and counts it among his most recent productions. Here Campagnola already uses the dotted engraving, draws with it surface as well as light and shadow, but also uses the pure line to describe hair, facial features, body contour and drapery.
Campagnola probably developed the technique of the stipple in direct collaboration with Giorgione, in order to transfer the painter's own invention, the sfumato technique, and his lyrical painting style into the medium of the engraving. The collaboration between the two artists went so far that some of Giorgione's lost compositions have survived in only a handful of Campagnola's prints, despite the fact that the oeuvre of the two artists is very small.
However, the technique proved impractical: only a few good prints could be made before the plates wore out and could no longer be reworked. Campagnola's prints are therefore extremely rare. It seems that very few, if any, prints were made during Campagnola's lifetime. Campagnola must have made some proofs, but none seem to have survived: All known copies were made posthumously, although Nicolo Nelli's address was often truncated to pass the prints off as early prints. Only about thirty copies are known, most of which are in public collections, such as two copies in the British Museum.- Quite excellent impression, with the full image on the left, trimmed just to the figure of John at the top and bottom, about 5 mm inside the image on the right. Soiled and stained respectively, smoothed horizontal fold marks, these partly repaired, further back-beveled tears in the margins, the lower corners supplemented and the image retouched with pen, upper left small supplemented circular spot, other small traces of smoke, otherwise still good.
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