Although self-taught, Morandi became an accomplished printmaker, creating more than one hundred prints during his lifetime and serving as chair of the printmaking department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna from 1930 to 1956. For his prints, Morandi used only one technique--etching--creating volume and space by varying the density of cross-hatching. He claimed that he immersed his etched plates in acid only once, finding the perfect "bite" for the effects he wanted to achieve. However, recent research reveals that he undertook copious testing to discern the time needed to repeatedly immerse the plate in acid to achieve desired effects. Close inspection of our print reveals sensitive wiping of the ink on the plate to achieve light and dark areas and an overall gray background. Morandi frequently cited the eighteenth-century French artist Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin as an influence. That is easily seen in this early print, specifically in the addition of two elements to the arrangement: the placement of a knife hanging over the edge of the tabletop and the inclusion of a draped cloth (panneggio) in the foreground. And, although not directly inspired by Chardin, the inclusion of food (specifically two rustic bread sticks) is also a departure from his usual repertoire of objects.

Karin Breuer