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
There may still be seen some of the first plates, with the signature
"M.R." for Marco Ravignano, and others with the signature "A.V." for
Agostino Viniziano, re-engraved by others after them, such as the
Creation of the World, and God forming the Animals; the Sacrifices of
Cain and Abel, and the Death of Abel; Abraham sacrificing Isaac; Noah's
Ark, the Deluge, and the Animals afterwards issuing from the Ark; the
Passage of the Red Sea; the Delivery of the Laws from Mount Sinai
through Moses, and the Manna; David slaying Goliath, already engraved by
Marc' Antonio; Solomon building the Temple; the Judgment of the same
Solomon between the two women, and the Visit of the Queen of Sheba; and,
from the New Testament, the Nativity and the Resurrection of Christ, and
the Descent of the Holy Spirit. All these were engraved and printed
during the lifetime of Raffaello.
After the death of Raffaello, Marco and Agostino separated, and Agostino
was retained by Baccio Bandinelli, the Florentine sculptor, who caused
him to engrave after his design an anatomical figure that he had formed
out of lean bodies and dead men's bones; and then a Cleopatra. Both
these were held to be very good plates. Whereupon, growing in courage,
Baccio drew, and caused Agostino to engrave, a large plate--one of the
largest, indeed, that had ever been engraved up to that time--full of
women clothed, and of naked men who are slaughtering the little
innocents by command of King Herod.
Marc' Antonio, meanwhile, continuing to work at engraving, executed some
plates with small figures of the twelve Apostles, in various manners,
and many Saints, both male and female, to the end that the poor painters
who were weak in design might be able to avail themselves of these in
their need. He also engraved a nude young man, who has a lion at his
feet, and is seeking to furl a large banner, which is swollen out by the
wind in a direction contrary to his purpose; another who is carrying a
pedestal on his back; and a little S. Jerome who is meditating on death,
placing a finger in the hollow of a skull that he has in his hand, the
invention and design of which were by Raffaello. Then he executed a
figure of Justice, which he copied from the tapestries of the Chapel;
and afterwards an Aurora, drawn by two horses, on which the Hours are
placing bridles. He also copied the Three Graces from the antique; and
he engraved a scene of Our Lady ascending the steps of the Temple.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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