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c. 1640-1642

Sacrifice of Isaac

Pietro Testa

Italian, 1612 - 1650

The many problems with this plate including the vertical white streaks, the smudges of open biting at the bottom, and the foul biting in some of the dark areas reveal Testa's lack of concern with details of craftsmanship. Although this would suggest that Testa worked quickly and spontaneously, he in fact prepared quite carefully for his etchings, often making several compositional studies before starting work on the plate.

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