DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7598#0323
CHAP. IX.]
MARC ANTONIO RAIMONDI.
781
of the portrait of Marc' Antonio, which was painted by RafTaele in
his fresco of the Heliodorus in 1511 or 12, (for that picture was
finished in the last of those two years), and which represents, I think,
the features and grave deportment of a man of about seven-and-
thirty, we may be justified in dating the birth of our artist about
the year 1475.*
It is probable that Marc' Antonio resided in Bologna until
the middle of the year 1509. One of the plates which, from its
style of design, there is every reason to believe he engraved at
Bolos- na, is dated in December, 1508 ; and we have several others
by his hand, of the same character, which appear to have been
executed about the same period, or shortly afterwards. As for
Vasari's statement, that the set of thirty-six wood-cuts by Albert
Durer of' the Life of Christ' made their appearance at Venice about
the time of Marc' Antonio's arrival in that capital; that he im-
mediately imitated them on copper, counterfeiting even the mark
of the original artist; that Albert in consequence repaired to Venice,
and complained to the magistracy; and that Marc' Antonio was
prohibited from affixing the mark of Albert upon his engravings in
future; it can but be considered as a hasty and incorrect narration,
founded, like many passages in Vasarj, upon some imperfect tradi-
tion which he had formerly heard. That Marc' Antonio did coun-
terfeit the mark of Albert Durer upon his copies of seventeen of the
wood-cuts of the Life of the Madonna by that artist, and also upon
a few copies which there is reason to believe he had previously made
" Gioanne Fhiloteo, that is, Alessandro
" Achillini, in his ' Viridario,' which he
" finished writing in the year 1504, reverse
" of fol. clxxxviii. Printed in Bologna
"by Ilieronymo di Plato, 1513." It re-
mains for the collectors of ancient engraved
portraits (as Zani observes, from whom I
have taken this document) to discover, if
they are able, the above-mentioned portrait
of Achillini, so well engraved by the hand of
Marc' Antonio. See Zani, ' Materiali,' &c.
p. 135.
* It may be proper to observe, that Hei-
necken and Bartsch both suppose Marc'
Antonio to have been born several years later
than the above mentioned period; and that
the latter writer believes him to have lived to
an advanced period of the sixteenth century.
MARC ANTONIO RAIMONDI.
781
of the portrait of Marc' Antonio, which was painted by RafTaele in
his fresco of the Heliodorus in 1511 or 12, (for that picture was
finished in the last of those two years), and which represents, I think,
the features and grave deportment of a man of about seven-and-
thirty, we may be justified in dating the birth of our artist about
the year 1475.*
It is probable that Marc' Antonio resided in Bologna until
the middle of the year 1509. One of the plates which, from its
style of design, there is every reason to believe he engraved at
Bolos- na, is dated in December, 1508 ; and we have several others
by his hand, of the same character, which appear to have been
executed about the same period, or shortly afterwards. As for
Vasari's statement, that the set of thirty-six wood-cuts by Albert
Durer of' the Life of Christ' made their appearance at Venice about
the time of Marc' Antonio's arrival in that capital; that he im-
mediately imitated them on copper, counterfeiting even the mark
of the original artist; that Albert in consequence repaired to Venice,
and complained to the magistracy; and that Marc' Antonio was
prohibited from affixing the mark of Albert upon his engravings in
future; it can but be considered as a hasty and incorrect narration,
founded, like many passages in Vasarj, upon some imperfect tradi-
tion which he had formerly heard. That Marc' Antonio did coun-
terfeit the mark of Albert Durer upon his copies of seventeen of the
wood-cuts of the Life of the Madonna by that artist, and also upon
a few copies which there is reason to believe he had previously made
" Gioanne Fhiloteo, that is, Alessandro
" Achillini, in his ' Viridario,' which he
" finished writing in the year 1504, reverse
" of fol. clxxxviii. Printed in Bologna
"by Ilieronymo di Plato, 1513." It re-
mains for the collectors of ancient engraved
portraits (as Zani observes, from whom I
have taken this document) to discover, if
they are able, the above-mentioned portrait
of Achillini, so well engraved by the hand of
Marc' Antonio. See Zani, ' Materiali,' &c.
p. 135.
* It may be proper to observe, that Hei-
necken and Bartsch both suppose Marc'
Antonio to have been born several years later
than the above mentioned period; and that
the latter writer believes him to have lived to
an advanced period of the sixteenth century.