Peasant and Egg Woman

Peasant and Egg Woman by Agostino dei Musi and Raphael is an exceptional example of early 16th-century Italian printmaking, executed as an engraving on laid paper between 1509 and 1519. This collaboration is pivotal in the history of graphic arts, as it allowed the influential designs of the famed painter Raphael to be disseminated widely through the meticulous craftsmanship of one of Rome's leading printmakers, Agostino dei Musi.

Though the preparatory drawing originated with Raphael, the technical execution of this fine print belongs entirely to dei Musi (also known as Agostino Veneziano). The scene captures an interaction between two figures, presumably a peasant offering or selling eggs to a woman. This focus on non-mythological, everyday interaction hints at the burgeoning interest in genre subjects during the High Renaissance. The clear delineation of form characteristic of Raphael's drawing style is effectively maintained by dei Musi’s precise use of the burin, translating compositional complexity into a monochrome format suitable for mass reproduction.

Created during the period spanning 1501 to 1550, this engraving falls squarely within the golden age of Italian artistic production. The proliferation of such prints allowed the classical ideals and compositional mastery pioneered by Raphael to influence artists across Europe. These detailed prints are crucial documents illustrating the stylistic transition and technical skill of the era. The work is preserved in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. As a historically significant piece from this period, high-quality images of this engraving are frequently available within the public domain for scholarly research and appreciation.