c. 1585

The Annunciation

Italian, 1535 - 1612

This etching is based on a painting that Barocci made for Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino (1549–1631), whose palace dominates the view through the window in the background. Although Barocci made only four etchings during his career, the painter demonstrated great technical ingenuity with the medium. He is thought to be the first to employ an etching technique called “stopping out,” which involves selectively covering lines with wax or varnish to prohibit the acid from biting them further while allowing other lines to be bitten more deeply. When printed, the shallower, stopped out lines hold less ink and thus appear lighter. Barocci’s use of this method is evident in the carefully sculpted figures of Mary and the angel Gabriel. Faint marks (where lines were stopped out), like those in the luminous areas on the angel’s shoulders and wings, contrast with deep crosshatching to define forms and indicate texture.