Apostel Petrus 1782

John Skippe created this chiaroscuro woodcut of Saint Peter in the 18th century. Skippe, an Englishman, spent much of his career in Italy and was known for his revival of the chiaroscuro woodcut technique. Here, we see Peter with the familiar halo, reading a book, presumably the gospel attributed to him. The print closely resembles drawings of Raphael, and Skippe was known to imitate old master drawings, which were popular among collectors at the time. It's interesting to consider the social function of this kind of art in the 18th century. Skippe’s print serves as a kind of reproduction of the art of the Italian Renaissance, which was highly sought after. However, this also raises questions about the politics of imagery. The print promotes the values of Christianity through the figure of Saint Peter. Understanding this work involves exploring the print market of the 18th century. What kind of access did people have to Italian Renaissance drawings? What did it mean to collect them, or copies of them? These are questions that social art historians seek to answer.