Assumption of the Virgin - Paul-Ponce-Antoine Robert

A fine chiaroscuro woodcut and etching depicting the Assumption of the Virgin, based on a drawing by Giuseppe Passeri.

This print is a fine example of the chiaroscuro technique, a method employed to replicate the tonal qualities of wash drawings through the use of multiple woodblocks. Paul-Ponce-Antoine Robert, working under the direction of Nicolas Le Sueur, produced this work as part of the ambitious project to document the collection of Pierre Crozat. The composition is based on an original drawing by the Italian artist Giuseppe Passeri, which was held in the Crozat cabinet at the time. The scene depicts the Virgin Mary ascending towards the heavens, surrounded by a host of putti and angels. The oval format focuses the viewer on the central figure, whose posture and upward gaze convey a sense of spiritual elevation. The use of light and shadow, achieved through the layering of ink tones, creates a sense of volume and movement within the clouds. The etching provides the structural lines, while the woodblocks add the subtle washes of colour that define the forms and the atmospheric light. Technically, the print demonstrates the skill required to translate the fluidity of a master drawing into a reproducible medium. The collaboration between Robert and Le Sueur was part of a wider effort to disseminate knowledge of Old Master drawings to a broader audience of collectors and artists. The inscription at the base of the print confirms its provenance, noting the original draughtsman and the specific collection from which the design was sourced. This piece offers a glimpse into the eighteenth-century practice of printmaking as a means of archival preservation and artistic study, capturing the grace of the Italian Baroque style through the lens of French printmaking traditions.