The Apollo Belvedere from the Vatican his left hand resting on the tree trunk around which coils a python 1505 - 1515

This engraving of the Apollo Belvedere was made by Marcantonio Raimondi in the early 16th century, using metal plates and ink. Here, a classical marble sculpture has been translated into a print. Look closely, and you’ll see how the texture of the original sculpture is evoked through delicate hatching and cross-hatching, layering thin lines to create shadow. The print medium transforms the original sculpture into something reproducible, something that could be circulated and consumed by a wider audience. Raimondi was among the first to understand the potential of printmaking, to disseminate imagery, and build artistic reputations. His engraving captures the smooth surfaces and idealized form of the Apollo, yet this is no mere reproduction. It's a reinterpretation, a reshaped aesthetic experience made possible by the clever manipulation of line and tone. Raimondi’s Apollo marks a fascinating moment in the history of art, when the hand-made and the mechanically reproduced began to merge, forever changing the way we experience images.