Madonna and Child in Glory

Timothy Cole made this small engraving, Madonna and Child in Glory, sometime before his death in 1931. This is a print, meaning that the image was not drawn directly on the page, but transferred to it by way of an intermediary surface – in this case, a metal plate. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning that the lines you see were cut into the plate, then filled with ink. This is then pressed onto paper, leaving a raised texture. Look closely at the velvety blacks and the crisp, clear lines. These are the marks of a highly skilled engraver. Cole was one of the best of his day. He made a living by reproducing paintings for popular consumption. Notice the phrase, “Correggio-Uffizi, Florence” at the lower left: Cole made this after a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Correggio, which he saw at the Uffizi Gallery. This print brought that image to a wider public. While he was clearly a master in his own right, it's interesting to consider that Cole made his name by re-producing the work of other artists.