Prints

The finest work of the Renaissance remain popular choices for art print reproductions, be it for art fans or followers of Christianity

Sebastiano del Piombo is a respected artist whose work is sometimes selected for reproduction but his career remains lesser known than the true Renaissance masters such as Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Indeed the latter helps to promote del Piombo's work via their well known career collaborations.

A high profile exhibition in the UK highlighted their work as colleagues and helped to bring a greater prominence to Sebastiano's ouevre. For such a prestigious institution as the National Gallery in London to devote a major exhibition to the work of Sebastiano and Michelangelo underlines the signficance of their collective achievements.

There remains a relatively small selection from this master's career to choose from when after a reproduction print. With just 20-30 paintings currently attributed to Sebastiano, plus a small collection of portrait drawings, one is somewhat limited when finding something to add to our home. Compare that directly to his teacher, Michelangelo, who has literally hundreds of artworks remaining in a variety of different mediums. The same can be said for Da Vinci and Raphael too.

One interesting aspect of the style of this artist was his combination of Roman and Venetian techniques, combining a classical approach of the former with the brighter colours of the latter. This makes some of his best work ideal for art print reproductions, particularly if framed and finished off with a small inlay card to separate the artwork from the inside of the frame.

There are occasions where artwork reproductions can serve as an excellent momento from a recent holiday, perhaps a visit in person to see an original Sebastiano painting. Adding it to your wall can remain you of its beauty and the holiday on which you got to see it. Alternatively, others might use them as study pieces, particularly with drawings.

You might compare his drawings with those of Michelangelo's side-by-side in your own home and see how one artist had influenced and inspired the other in this medium.