Project Description
This print depicts a Biblical scene described in Luke 7:36-50, in which Christ dines with Simon the Pharisee, a member of a religious Jewish group, and is approached by a woman from town looking to repent her sins. Portrayed kneeling beside Jesus, the woman washes his feet with her tears and hair as an act of seeking forgiveness. Raimondi is recognized as a master engraver during the Italian High Renaissance of the sixteenth century. Earlier in his career, he copied engravings by Albrecht Dürer, which eventually led to legal action between the two artists. Later, Raimondi traveled to Rome, where he began reproducing works by Raphael, the artist of original version of this scene of Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee. Raimondi continued to duplicate and engrave Raphael’s paintings, incorporating his own details and adjustments into the pieces. Through these reproductions, he helped expand Raphael’s art across different European countries. His engravings not only preserved Raphael’s paintings but also demonstrated how the art of printmaking played a vital role in spreading Italian Renaissance art to broader audiences.
– Rianna Hundley (Berea College Class of 2027), ARH 263: Intro. to Museum Work, Fall 2025