Schiavone learned to etch by studying the prints of Parmigianino, the first Italian to realize the medium's potential for approximating the spontaneity of a drawing. Even more experimental and sketchy in his approach than his mentor, Schiavone created a number of lively depictions of mythological scenes. Here, the seeming swiftness of his line conveys the drama of Daphne's transformation—before our eyes, her fingers grow into branches and her toes root into the ground beside her father, the river god Peneus.

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