Transform your appearance into a seventeenth-century Italian chiaroscuro woodcut masterpiece

How to Look Like a 17th-century Woodcut Print · 10:07 · Video: The Met · Watch at the source

In short: Learn the intricate techniques behind Bartolomeo Coriolano’s woodcut prints and discover how to recreate the dramatic aesthetic of his 1630–45 work, A sleeping cupid, using modern makeup. This guide combines art history with a practical tutorial to help you embody a classic piece of Italian art.

Bartolomeo Coriolano, an Italian artist active in Bologna between approximately 1599 and 1676, mastered the chiaroscuro woodcut technique. His work, A sleeping cupid, created between 1630 and 1645, utilizes two distinct blocks to layer blue-gray and black ink, resulting in a sophisticated play of light and shadow.

By examining the precise, complex layering of these blocks, viewers can better understand the depth and texture inherent in seventeenth-century printmaking. This tutorial offers a unique intersection of historical analysis and contemporary creative expression, inviting you to translate the visual language of early modern art onto your own face.

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