Giorgio Vasari

“ After these things, Giulio Romano, whose modesty would never permit him to have any of his own works engraved during the life-time of his master, lest he should seem to be attempting a competition with Raphael himself; Giulio Romano, I say, after the death of the divine Raphael, caused Marcantonio to engrave two combats of horses from his designs, on tolerably large plates, with all the stories of Venus, Apollo, and Hyacinth, which he had painted in the bath constructed at the Vigna of Messer Baldassare Turini, of Pescia. ”

“ The method of executing wood-cuts with two blocks and the imitation of chiaro-scuro thus invented by Ugo da Carpi, was adopted by many who, following in his footsteps, have given existence to large numbers of very beautiful works.
Among those who succeeded Ugo in this manner was the Sienese painter Baldassare Peruzzi, who produced a plate in chiaro-scuro of similar kind, representing Hercules driving Avarice, a figure loaded with vases of gold and silver, from Mount Parnassus, where the Muses are seen in beautiful and varied attitudes; an admirable and much commended work. ”

“ Now Raphael had for many years had a young man called Baviera with him, who was employed in the grinding of colours, and as he had also acquired some knowledge of art, Raphael commanded that Marcantonio should make the engravings, but that Baviera should take the impressions, to the end that his works might be thus all finished, seeing that he was selling these prints, both in the gross and in detail, to whomsoever might desire to have them. Having set hard to the work accordingly, they struck off vast numbers, which brought very great gains to the master ”

“ On one plate, of half-folio, he delineated Melancholy, surrounded by all those instruments which are wont to bring thoughts of sadness to him who uses them, or to the man who listens to their strains; the whole being so well expressed that it is not possible for the burin to produce more delicate effects. [20] In small plates he likewise engraved three figures of Our Lady, all varied, the one from the others, and of the most subtle and delicate workmanship. But if I were to attempt the enumeration of all the works which proceeded from the hand of Albert Dürer it would lead me much too far ”

“ After Marcantonio had engraved the large number of works mentioned above, it chanced that II Rosso arrived in Rome, when Baviera persuaded him to allow some of his works to be published in copper-plates, and Rosso accordingly gave a commission to that effect to the Veronese Gian Jacopo del Caraglio, [54] who was at that time reputed to possess great facility of hand, and who was zealously labouring to imitate Marcantonio. The subject given by Rosso was an anatomical study of a figure holding a death’s head in the hand, and seated on a serpent, with a swan singing beside him. ”

“ In our theory of painting we said but little of copperplate engraving, seeing that it was then sufficient for our purpose to show the method of engraving on silver with the burin, which is a square instrument of iron, cut diagonally, and with sharp points; we will, therefore, take the occasion of this life to say what may seem needful to the better understanding of the subject. ”

“ Having then conceived the desire which is felt by so many men of seeing somewhat of the world, and of the mode of proceeding in use among the artists of other lands, Marcantonio departed for Bologna, with the good favour of his master Francia, and repaired to Venice, where he was well received among the artists of that city. At the same time there arrived in the same place certain Flemings, who brought numerous copper-plate engravings and wood-cuts by Albert Dürer, which were then seen by Marcantonio exposed for sale on the Piazza di San Marco. ”

“ After the above-named masters came Lamberto Suave, [58] also an excellent engraver of copper-plates. By his hand we have thirteen plates, representing Our Saviour Christ with the twelve Apostles, and which, as regards the engraving, are brought to the utmost perfection. If Lamberto had been as well versed in design as in execution, and as his works prove him to have been endowed with industry, thought, and care on all other points, he would have been a truly admirable master of his art. ”

“ In another of his works Albert Dürer represented a Woman in the Flemish costume on horseback, with a footboy in attendance on her; and on a large plate of copper he engraved a Nymph borne away by a sea monster, while other nymphs are seen bathing. Of the same size and executed with the most masterly perfection, is a work wherein the master has attained to the very perfection and ultimate term of this art ”

“ It was Ugo da Carpi who first attempted, as I have said in the thirtieth chapter of my Theoretic Discourse, to execute engravings with two blocks or plates, the one of which he used in the manner of a copper-plate for hatching in the shadows, while he gave the tint of colour with the other, leaving for this purpose the strokes of his engraving so white in the lights, that when the impression was taken off it appeared to have the lights heightened with white lead. ”

“ Gian-Jacopo afterwards commenced the Rape of the Sabines for Rosso, and this would without doubt have proved an admirable work, but, the plunder of Rome supervening, it could not be finished, Rosso having left the city, and all the plates having been lost. It is true that the painting has since fallen into the hands of the copper-plate engravers, but the result is but a poor affair, having been executed by such as did not understand the subject and thought only of making money. ”

“ In the year 1512 there appeared sixteen small copperplate engravings by the hand of the same master; [28] these represent the Passion of Christ. They are admirable works, and exhibit the perfection of beauty, grace, and softness, in small figures, which have force and relief also in the highest degree. But this rivalry further incited Luca of Holland, who in his turn resolved on renewed efforts, and executed twelve similar, [29] and very beautiful plates, but not equal in perfection to those of Albert, whether as regards design or execution. ”

“ This work pleased Michelagnolo so much when he was a youth that he set himself to colour it.
Martin was followed by Albert Dürer who with more power of design, superior judgment, and more copious invention, began to execute Avorks of similar character at Antwerp. [9] He took much pains to imitate nature, and sought to approach the Italian manner, which he always appreciated; he thus produced works even in his youth which were considered equally beautiful with those of Martin, and engraved them with his own hand, signing them with his name. ”

“ Marcantonio meanwliile continued Iiis engravings on copper-plate, and on plates of a small size lie represented the Twelve Apostles, in various attitudes, with many Saints, male and female; and this he did to the end that such poor painters as did not possess any great powers of design might avail themselves of the same in their need. He likewise engraved the nude figure of a young man, with a lion at his feet, and who is attempting to furl a large banner swollen by the wind, and driven in a direction contrary to that in which the youth would have it be ”

“ As a further confirmation of the truth of this opinion, it may be remarked that in the year 1511, Albert Dürer executed the entire life of Our Lady in twenty plates of the same size, these being so beautifully done, that, whether we consider the invention, the composition, the perspective, the buildings, or the vestments and heads of old or young, they are all such that it would not be possible to produce anything better. ”

“ This design succeeded so well in the engraving, that Rosso caused the same artist to execute some of the Labours of Hercules on several tolerably large plates, the Slaying of the Hydra, for example, the Combat with Cerberus, the Killing of Gacus, the Breaking the Horns of the Bull, the Battle with the Centaurs, and the Centaur Nessus carrying off Dejanira. ”

“ There are, besides, in this plate Cyclops, occupied at their forges, and which are very well done; the whole work is indeed an exceedingly fine one. In another plate Enea Vico engraved the Leda of Michelagnolo, with an Annunciation, after the design of Titian; the Story of Judith, painted by Michelagnolo in the papal chapel, and the portrait of the Duke Cosimo de’ Medici, [61] when he was very young: the figure last-mentioned, which is in armour, was designed by Baccio Bandinello. ”

“ There are besides two large plates by the hand of Giovan-Battista, which prove the richest fancy; they exhibit the Burning of Troy, are well-designed, and display wonderful powers of invention, with the most attractive grace. These and many other plates by the same hand, are signed with the following letters, J. B. M.
Nor less excellent than those above-mentioned was Enea Vico of Parma, [60] who engraved the Rape of Helen after a picture by Rosso, and on another plate the God Vulcan forging arrows in his workshop, with Loves for his assistants, also after a design by Rosso. ”

“ After this, Marcantonio repaired to Rome, where he devoted all his attention to design, [25] and Albert returned to Flanders, where he found another competitor who had already commenced the execution of engravings, very delicately finished, in competition with his own manner. This was Luca of Holland, [26] who, although not possessed of similar force in design with Albert Dürer, yet equalled him on many points in the use of the burin. ”

“ Nor have there been wanting men who have found means to produce works on blocks of wood which have aU the appearance of having been executed in chiaro-scuro with the pencil, an ingenious and difficult thing. This has been done, among others, by Ugo da Carpi, who, although but a moderately successful painter, did nevertheless give proof of a most acute understanding in many singular and curious productions. ”

“ Much ability in the same pursuit was also displayed by Giovan-Battista of Mantua, [59] a disciple of Giulio Pomano; this was rendered obvious in a picture of the Madonna among other works: Our Lady has the Divine Child in her arms, and the Moon beneath her feet. Certain heads, wearing helmets after the antique manner, engraved by Giovan-Battista, are also of great merit; as are two plates, in one of which is a Captain of the Forces, on horseback, and in the other a military leader of equal degree on foot. ”

“ In this work the artist has expressed Gluttony and Self-indulgence in the person of Reuben, whom he has shown mounted on a hog. Simeon 'wields a sword, to intimate Homicide, and the other heads of the Tribes are delineated with other attributes; such, namely, as the artist considered to be characteristic of each. In a finer and more delicate style of engraving, Jeronimo next put forth the Life and Acts of David, in ten plates, from the time when he was anointed by Samuel that is to say, to the moment when he appeared before Saul ”

“ For this work Enea has merited and will long deserve high praise, and those who have attacked his book of medals have proved themselves guilty of injustice, for whoever considers the great labour and pains he has bestowed, on the work, with the extensive utility as well as beauty of the sajne, should and will excuse him, even though he may have sometimes erred in matters of minor importance, [64] seeing that faults committed merely from want of better imformation, or from a too easy credulity, are worthy of pardon. ”

“ They have thus conveyed to the Ultramontane people and nations a knowledge of many things which those distant lands could not otherwise have obtained; and if it be true that many plates have been badly executed, because the avarice of certain engravers has led them to think more of making gain than of obtaining honour or of doing justice to the work they were treating, yet there is much merit, on the other hand, to be discovered in many, besides those of whose excellence we have spoken above. ”

“ He was born in Antwerp in 1510, and died there in 1570. He was a painter also, but is better known as an engraver, having published almost all the works of Raphael, with many of the Roman antiquities. It was from this master that Vasari obtained the greater part of his intelligence respecting the artists of the Netherlands. ↑ A fresco which is still in existence, but has suffered greatly from repeated restorations. ↑ We learn from Zani that Caraglio flourished until the year 1551. ”

“ Being largely rewarded for all that he did by the generosity of the above-mentioned sovereign, Caraglio was enabled to expend large sums which he invested in purchases of land in the territory of Parma, to the end that he might pass his old age in the enjoyment of his native country, and the society of his friends and disciples, securing at the same time that repose demanded by the labours of many years. ”

“ But to return to the subject of copper-plate engraving. The works of Albert were an incitement to Luca of Holland, who did his utmost to follow in the traces of Dürer, and after the productions above enumerated, he engraved stories from the life of Joseph on copper, as also the four Evangelists, the three Angels who appeared to Abraham in the Valley of Mamre; Susannah in the Bath; David in Prayer; Mordecai led in triumph through the city on horseback; Lot inebriated by his Daughters; the creation of Adam and Eve ”

“ The hollow of a rock in the cavern, which forms the burialplace of Lazarus, is particularly to be specified, with the light which falls on some of the figures, as giving manifest evidence of rich and fanciful invention. ”

“ Enea likewise designed and engraved fifty plates which have contributed largely to the convenience as well as satisfaction of artists and others. These exhibit the various costumes of different nations, such as are worn that is to say in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, England, Flanders, and other parts of the world, habiliments of men as well as women, and those worn by the peasantry as well as by citizens ”

“ There is one also, and which is very fine, of a peasant who is in the act of having a tooth drawui, and is so completely absorbed by the pain which he suffers that he takes no notice of a woman who is robbing him of his purse All these productions of Albert Dürer and Luca have given rise to many other and similar works, which have been since executed by various Flemish and German artists. ”