The Creation of the Animals

The Creation of the Animals by Venetian 16th Century; Raphael is a magnificent example of large-scale printmaking from the high Renaissance. Executed between 1545 and 1555, this monumental Italian woodcut was created using four distinct blocks on laid paper, a demanding technical feat that allowed for greater detail and size than typical single-block prints of the era. The complex attribution suggests a design conceived by Raphael, realized later by skilled Venetian printmakers specializing in monumental imagery. This collaborative method was common for distributing the sophisticated designs of master painters through the expanding European market for prints.

Although the physical printing date falls slightly outside, the period of the design firmly anchors the concept within the aesthetic and historical developments occurring in Italy during the first half of the sixteenth century, broadly encompassing the years 1501 to 1550. The expansive, classically proportioned figures and dramatic composition reflect the late style associated with Raphael, utilizing classical references to depict the biblical narrative of Genesis. The scene illustrates God overseeing the newly formed fauna emerging from the landscape, rendered with deep contrast characteristic of the woodcut medium. Raphael’s powerful influence on subsequent generations of artists, particularly in developing complex narratives for mass distribution, is evident in this technically ambitious work.

This exceptional example of sixteenth-century printmaking is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Such historical prints originally served to disseminate influential artistic ideas across Europe and remain invaluable documents of the High Renaissance’s approach to graphic arts. Due to the artwork’s age and the museum’s policy, high-resolution images of this masterwork are often made available to the public domain, allowing contemporary scholars and enthusiasts access to the foundational elements of Italian design. The significant scale and technical quality of The Creation of the Animals underscore the important role that reproductive prints played in cementing Raphael’s legacy across the continent long after his passing.