Christ of Caprarola

Christ of Caprarola — Annibale Carracci. 1597.

Medium: Etching, with engraving and drypoint, on ivory laid paper. Dimensions: 12.4 × 16 cm (4 15/16 × 6 5/16 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Although not found in the canonical gospels, the Lamentation over the dead body of Christ was a popular subject in Catholic Italy during the 16th century. Annibale Carracci himself painted it no less than six times. This print, which marks his return to printmaking after a brief hiatus, signals a mature use of the medium of etching to give immediacy to a familiar theme. By employing an unusually fine etching tool as well as the drypoint technique, the artist produced shimmering lines that emphasize the mood of agitated mourning. The title refers to the small city of Caprarola, 50 miles from Rome, where Carracci executed and signed the print.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.