An Abbot-Saint Restoring a Blind Man's Sight - Anne Claude Philippe de Thubières, comte de Caylus

A chiaroscuro print by the comte de Caylus, depicting a religious miracle after a drawing by Giovanni Battista Bonatti.

This print is a fine example of the chiaroscuro technique, a method of printing that uses multiple blocks to achieve tonal depth and shadow. Anne Claude Philippe de Thubières, comte de Caylus, was a French aristocrat, antiquarian, and amateur artist who took a keen interest in the technical aspects of printmaking. This particular work reproduces a drawing by the Italian painter Giovanni Battista Bonatti, which was held in the collection of Pierre Crozat, a financier and patron of the arts in eighteenth-century Paris.

The composition depicts a religious scene where an abbot-saint performs a miracle, restoring sight to a blind man. The central figure of the saint is rendered with authority, his hand extended toward the kneeling figure. The surrounding crowd displays varied reactions, from awe to observation, typical of the dramatic narrative style favoured during the period. Above, putti descend from the architectural canopy, adding a sense of divine intervention to the scene. The use of a monochromatic brown palette provides a warm, unified tone that mimics the appearance of a wash drawing or a sepia sketch.

Caylus was instrumental in documenting the collections of his time, and his prints often served to disseminate the works of masters to a wider audience. The inscription at the base of the print identifies the original draughtsman and the provenance of the source material, reflecting the scholarly approach Caylus brought to his artistic endeavours. The etching lines provide the structural definition, while the woodcut blocks contribute the soft, layered washes of colour. This combination creates a tactile quality, inviting the viewer to examine the interplay between light and shadow across the figures and the classical architectural setting.