DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7597#0312
chap, iv ] PROBABLE INTENTION OF THE SULPHURS. 279
the process used by Finiguerra in making his casts of sulphur. It
was indeed most ingenious; and to any one who considers the ex-
quisite delicacy of the engraved work which, first printed with
earth, was afterwards to be transferred to the sulphur cast, with
every minute stroke of the burin—strokes liner than the finest hair
—perfect and entire, would appear altogether incredible, did not
the existence of the monuments themselves constrain the belief.
As to the purpose for which these sulphurs were made, Vasari is
silent. Lanzi* and Seratti have supposed them to have been the
means used by Finiguerra to ascertain the effect of his work before
he introduced the niello; the latter of those writers adding, that he
could not introduce into the cavities of his engraving any extra-
neous matter, because it would have prevented the niello, after-
wards, from adhering properly to the silver. Both of these opinions
seem destitute of any solid foundation. To the first it may be
objected, that the sulphur of Seratti has been found exactly similar
to the silver Pax in its finished state, which makes greatly against
such an opinion ; and what, it may be asked, in reply to the second,
was the earth, pressed into the cavities of the engraving, prepara-
tory to the sulphur, but extraneous matter ? Seratti, however, no
doubt, meant glutinous or oleous matter.
Upon these points, Bartsch is very satisfactory. " It is clear,"
says that writer,-f- " that every thing advanced by Lanzi and Zani, as
" to the necessity and the intention of these sulphurs, is but simple
" conjecture.....Our experience fully convinces us that Maso,
" when he wanted to see the effect of his work, had no occasion to
'* resort to any other expedient than the one employed in our days
** by every engraver of copper-plates; that of filling the strokes of
ff his engraving with some kind of black. It is true that this
* method is not always sufficient for the engraver whose plate is
■" destined to throw off impressions upon white paper; because the
* " Storia Pittorica," torn. i. p. 78. f " Le Peintre Graveur," torn. xiii.
et seq. p. 14. et seq.
the process used by Finiguerra in making his casts of sulphur. It
was indeed most ingenious; and to any one who considers the ex-
quisite delicacy of the engraved work which, first printed with
earth, was afterwards to be transferred to the sulphur cast, with
every minute stroke of the burin—strokes liner than the finest hair
—perfect and entire, would appear altogether incredible, did not
the existence of the monuments themselves constrain the belief.
As to the purpose for which these sulphurs were made, Vasari is
silent. Lanzi* and Seratti have supposed them to have been the
means used by Finiguerra to ascertain the effect of his work before
he introduced the niello; the latter of those writers adding, that he
could not introduce into the cavities of his engraving any extra-
neous matter, because it would have prevented the niello, after-
wards, from adhering properly to the silver. Both of these opinions
seem destitute of any solid foundation. To the first it may be
objected, that the sulphur of Seratti has been found exactly similar
to the silver Pax in its finished state, which makes greatly against
such an opinion ; and what, it may be asked, in reply to the second,
was the earth, pressed into the cavities of the engraving, prepara-
tory to the sulphur, but extraneous matter ? Seratti, however, no
doubt, meant glutinous or oleous matter.
Upon these points, Bartsch is very satisfactory. " It is clear,"
says that writer,-f- " that every thing advanced by Lanzi and Zani, as
" to the necessity and the intention of these sulphurs, is but simple
" conjecture.....Our experience fully convinces us that Maso,
" when he wanted to see the effect of his work, had no occasion to
'* resort to any other expedient than the one employed in our days
** by every engraver of copper-plates; that of filling the strokes of
ff his engraving with some kind of black. It is true that this
* method is not always sufficient for the engraver whose plate is
■" destined to throw off impressions upon white paper; because the
* " Storia Pittorica," torn. i. p. 78. f " Le Peintre Graveur," torn. xiii.
et seq. p. 14. et seq.