John Baptist Jackson
British, c. 1701–c. 1780
(after Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, called Parmigianino, Italian, 1503–1540)

Venus and Cupid with a Bow, 1731
Chiaroscuro woodcut, proof before fourth block
Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago; University Transfer from Max Epstein Archive
1976.145.201

Parmigianino depicted Venus disarming Cupid on many occasions and in many variations. Jackson’s chiaroscuro woodcut emphasizes image over medium, effectively capturing the grace of the original drawing without striving to emulate its pen-and-ink medium. Its success demonstrates that a print refusing to masquerade as a drawing can nevertheless eloquently convey the look and feel of its model.