Saint Michael defeating Lucifer

Little is known about Giovanni Pietro Possenti, an etcher and painter who worked in Bologna, Venice and Padua. Some of his etchings bearing his monogram GP had previously been attributed to the German 17th-century etcher Georg Pecham (active circa 1593 - 1604). His exiguous but attractive graphic oeuvre is characterised by a rather loose touch, unconventional compositions and expressive accents. The present sheet is a rare impression of one of only three religious prints by the artist. Possenti's rapid, sketchy style makes the most of the etching technique and lends it the immediacy and vivacity of a drawing.