Raphael having been thus made acquainted with the mode of proceeding adopted in his engravings by Albert Dürer, was desirous of seeing his own works treated after that manner; he therefore caused Marco Antonio of Bologna,[1] who was well practised in that branch of art, to prepare numerous studies from them; and in this Antonio succeeded so well, that Raphael commissioned him to engrave many of his earliest works, namely, the Slaughter of the Innocents, a Last Supper, the Neptune, and the Santa Cecilia, when she is being boiled in oil?[2] Marco Antonio subsequently executed a number of engravings, which were afterward given by Raphael to II Baviera, his disciple, who was the guardian of a certain lady, to whom Raphael was attached till the day of his death, and of whom he painted a most beautiful portrait, which might be supposed alive. This is now at Florence, in the possession of the good and worthy Botti, a Florentine merchant of that city,[3] who is the friend and favourer of all distinguished men, but more especially of painters; by him the work is treasured as if it were a relic, for the love which he bears to the art, but more especially to Raphael. Nor less friendly to artists than himself is his brother Simon Botti, who, to say nothing of the fact, that he is held by us all to be one of the most friendly among those who benefit our arts, is to myself in particular, the best and truest friend that ever the long experience of many years made dear to man: he has besides given proof of very good judgment in all things relating to our own art.
But to return to the copperplate engravings. The favour which Raphael had shown to II Baviera was afterwards the cause which induced Marco of Ravenna, and many others, to labour in that branch of art; insomuch, that what was formerly the great dearth of engravings on copper, became eventually that large supply of them which we now find. Hugo da Carpi, moreover, whose fine powers of invention were turned to the discovery of many ingenious and fanciful
- ↑ The life of Marco Antonio Raimondi, of Bologna, will follow.
- ↑ This is not St. Cecilia boiled in oil, but the martyrdom of Santa Felicitas and her sons.— Bottari. For the legend of this saint, the reader is referred to Mrs. Jameson, Sacred and Legendary Art, vol. ii., p. 266, et seq. See also Richa, Chiese Florentine, vol. ix.
- ↑ Still in Florence, in the Tribune of the Uffizj, according to Masselli, but according to Schorn it has been removed to the Pitti Palace.
