DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22421#0310
ginning of the 16th century: of Andrea Mantegna, Francesco
Francia, Sandro Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, Luca Signorelli,
Giorgione, &c, many of whose compositions have only been pre-
served to us in this form. At the same time this portion of my
task is by no means a light one, as all will admit who, like myself,
have devoted their lives to the investigation of the history of art.
It becomes, however, the duty of each in turn to submit the results
of his experience to the judgment of those interested in the inquiry,
since the common consent of connoisseurs on certain points can
hardly fail to extend and establish the facts connected with the
history of art.* Very rare, or hitherto unknown, plates, especially
when of subordinate value, I shall only slightly mention. The
numbers in brackets refer to the description of the engraving in
the ' Peintre-Graveur.'
Although a more interesting survey might have been effected
by taking the plates as well chronologically as according to the
conjectured schools and masters, yet I have preferred to consider
them in the order which they occupy in the folios of the British
Museum, so that my observations may be thus more serviceable to
those going through the collection : while such as are more espe-
cially interested in the subject will not shrink from the trouble of
themselves comparing schools, masters, and periods together.
Highly remarkable is the fragment of a very hard engraving in
the early style of the art, of the fresco painting of the Last Supper,
only recently discovered at Florence, and which is looked upon as
the work of Raphael. Not having seen this fresco, I am unable
to give any opinion as to its origin. This fragment of the en-
graving contains the figures of half the Apostles, including Judas,
but not the figures of the Saviour and St. John. The background
consists of rich architecture in the taste of Pinturicchio. At all
events, the fact of this engraving proves how highly the fresco must
have been esteemed shortly after the time of its execution. Passa-
vant believes it to have been executed from a design by Perugino.
A very old and careful copy of Martin Schongauer's St. Barbara.
(Bartsch, vol. vi. p. 148, No. 63.)
* In order to form my opinions impartially I purposely refrained from reading the
essays on old engravers published in the Kunst-Blatt of 1850 by my friend M. Passavant,
till I had completed my own observations on this department of the British Museum.
I have now the satisfaction of finding that my decisions agree mainly with his. I
have, therefore, subsequently added a note showing when he agrees or differs with me.
Francia, Sandro Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, Luca Signorelli,
Giorgione, &c, many of whose compositions have only been pre-
served to us in this form. At the same time this portion of my
task is by no means a light one, as all will admit who, like myself,
have devoted their lives to the investigation of the history of art.
It becomes, however, the duty of each in turn to submit the results
of his experience to the judgment of those interested in the inquiry,
since the common consent of connoisseurs on certain points can
hardly fail to extend and establish the facts connected with the
history of art.* Very rare, or hitherto unknown, plates, especially
when of subordinate value, I shall only slightly mention. The
numbers in brackets refer to the description of the engraving in
the ' Peintre-Graveur.'
Although a more interesting survey might have been effected
by taking the plates as well chronologically as according to the
conjectured schools and masters, yet I have preferred to consider
them in the order which they occupy in the folios of the British
Museum, so that my observations may be thus more serviceable to
those going through the collection : while such as are more espe-
cially interested in the subject will not shrink from the trouble of
themselves comparing schools, masters, and periods together.
Highly remarkable is the fragment of a very hard engraving in
the early style of the art, of the fresco painting of the Last Supper,
only recently discovered at Florence, and which is looked upon as
the work of Raphael. Not having seen this fresco, I am unable
to give any opinion as to its origin. This fragment of the en-
graving contains the figures of half the Apostles, including Judas,
but not the figures of the Saviour and St. John. The background
consists of rich architecture in the taste of Pinturicchio. At all
events, the fact of this engraving proves how highly the fresco must
have been esteemed shortly after the time of its execution. Passa-
vant believes it to have been executed from a design by Perugino.
A very old and careful copy of Martin Schongauer's St. Barbara.
(Bartsch, vol. vi. p. 148, No. 63.)
* In order to form my opinions impartially I purposely refrained from reading the
essays on old engravers published in the Kunst-Blatt of 1850 by my friend M. Passavant,
till I had completed my own observations on this department of the British Museum.
I have now the satisfaction of finding that my decisions agree mainly with his. I
have, therefore, subsequently added a note showing when he agrees or differs with me.