Postcard from Alba

I did this digital engraving from a photograph I took a few years ago in the charming medieval town of Alba…located in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. If you look on a map, you will find it located about an hour south of the major city of Torino (Turin). This area is known for its white truffles, peaches, and most especially, its fine wines. I know because I have downed many a glass of their fine reds (squisito!).

The city is an old one, dating back before the rise of the Roman empire. During the days of the empire, the city was known as Alba Pompeia. Although most of the Roman ruins are gone, you can find a few here and there. 

Back in medieval times, Alba was once known as the “city with a hundred towers.” Some are still left. This image shows one side of the Piazza Duomo (known as a “Portici” in Italian). On the other side of the piazza is the Alba Cathedral of San Lorenzo, which was built in the 12th century and has been “remodeled” several times over the centuries. In Italian, Duomo means dome, hence the name of the piazza.

I love simple scenes like this one, and one of my favorite all-time art forms is wood engravings. Very simply, an image is carved by the artist on special type of wood, then used to make a print. Almost all engravings are printed in black and white, but there have been a handful done in color.

Is been fun for me to try and recreate the art form digitally, and this image is one of my very few successes. But I will keep plugging away.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com.

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