Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Engraving After Raphael's Madonna dell'Impannata

What it is

This engraving reproduces a detail — the head of Saint Catherine of Alexandria — from a painting by Raphael known as the Madonna dell'Impannata. The print was made by A.F. Girard after an earlier engraving by G.F. Reverdin, which itself was based on Raphael's original painting. It is held by the Wellcome Collection in London.

Why it matters

Prints like this let people far from the original painting see and study Raphael's compositions long after his death. The chain of artists involved — Raphael, Reverdin, and Girard — shows how paintings were copied and passed down through generations of printmakers, spreading an artist's reputation and image across Europe.

Look closer

• How many artists were involved in making this print, and what does that tell you about how art was copied before photography?
• What details did the engraver choose to include, such as the halo and headband?
• Why might reproducing just one figure from a larger painting have been useful to artists and the public?