Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 06 (of 10): Fra Giocondo to Niccolo SoggiVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 06 (of 10): Fra Giocondo to Niccolo Soggi
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
Now, the fame of Marc' Antonio having grown very great, and the art of
engraving having come into credit and repute, many disciples had placed
themselves under him in order to learn it. And of their number, two who
made great proficience were Marco da Ravenna, who signed his plates with
the signature of Raffaello, "R.S.," and Agostino Viniziano, who signed
his works in the following manner: "A.V." These two engraved and printed
many designs by Raffaello, such as one of Our Lady with Christ lying
dead at full length, and at His feet S. John, the Magdalene, Nicodemus,
and the other Maries; and they engraved another plate of greater size,
in which is a Madonna, with the arms outstretched and the eyes raised
towards Heaven, in an attitude of supreme pity and sorrow, with Christ,
in like manner, lying dead at full length.
Agostino afterwards engraved a large plate of the Nativity, with the
Shepherds and Angels about the hut, and God the Father above; and he
executed many vases, both ancient and modern, and also a censer, or
rather, two women with a vase perforated at the top. He engraved a plate
with a man transformed into a wolf, who is stealing towards a bed in
order to kill one who is sleeping in it. And he also executed one of
Alexander with Roxana, to whom that Prince is presenting a royal crown,
while some Loves are hovering about her and adorning her head, and
others are playing with the arms of Alexander.
[Illustration: THE DEATH OF LUCRETIA
(_After the engraving by =Marcantonio Bolognese=. London: British
Museum, B. 192_)
_M.S._]
The same masters together engraved the Last Supper of Christ with the
twelve Apostles, on a plate of some size, and an Annunciation, all after
the designs of Raffaello; and then two stories of the Marriage of
Psyche, which had been painted by Raffaello not long before. In the end,
Agostino and the above-mentioned Marco between them engraved almost all
the works that Raffaello ever drew or painted, and made prints of them;
and also many of the pictures painted by Giulio Romano, after copies
drawn for that purpose. And to the end that there might remain scarcely
a single work of Raffaello that had not been engraved by them, they
finally made engravings of the scenes that Giulio had painted in the
Loggie after the designs of Raffaello.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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