for which reason all that he did was with the invention and design of Sandro Botticello.
This process having been brought to the knowledge of Andrea Mantegna, in Rome, gave occasion to his commencing the practice of engraving his works, as we have already related in the life of that master.[1] At a later period the invention passed into Flanders,[2] when a certain Martino,[3] who was then considered by the people of Antwerp to be a most excellent painter, executed numerous works in that manner, and sent great numbers of impressions into Italy, all of which bore the impress M. C.[4] The first which thus arrived was the Five Foolish Virgins with their lamps extinguished, and the Five Prudent Virgins having their lamps burning; this was accompanied by a figure of Christ Our Saviour on the Cross, with San Giovanni and the Madonna at the foot thereof. The last named work is so good an engraving that the Florentine painter in miniature, Gherardo,[5] set himself to copy the same with the burin, and he succeeded in this attempt exceedingly well, but could not proceed therewith, seeing that he did not live long after having commenced it.
Martin afterwards published the Four Evangelists in four circular engravings, with Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles on small plates, and Veronica, with six saints of similar size. He also executed escutcheons of arms belonging to various German nobles, and having supporters of human figures, some nude, others draped.
Another work published by Martin was a San Giorgio
- ↑ See his life, vol. ii. of the present work, p. 262.
- ↑ The German writers will not admit that the assertion of the Art of Engraving having “passed from Italy into Flanders,” or Germany, is proved, describing works of this kind as executed at an earlier period than that cited by Vasari. See also Duchesne, Voyage d'un Iconophile, Paris, 1834; and Quandt, Entwurf zur Geschichte der Kupfersiecherkunst, Kunstblatt for 1833, No. 56.
- ↑ Martin Schön, called also Schonganer and Hübsch Martin. For details respecting him see Ulms Kunstleben im Mittlelalter, Ulm, 1840. See also Zani, Enciclopedia Metodica, and Bentsch, Peintre Graveur.
- ↑ For the numerous monograms of this master, see Bryan, Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, London, 1849.
- ↑ See his life, vol. ii. of the present work, p. 197.
Inferno, which appeared in 1481, after designs by Sandro Botticello, are with probability attributed to Baccio Bandelli.
