in this manner by Jeronimo Cocca,[1] and in Rome the Visitation, painted by Fra Sebastiano Veneziano, in the church of the Pace, was also thus engraved, as was the work of Francesco Salviati painted, on the same subject, in the chapel of the Misericordia.[2] In Venice likewise the Festival of Testaccio, with many other works, were engraved in the same manner, by the painter Battista Franco, as well as by other masters.
But to return to the simple engravings on copper. After Marcantonio had engraved the large number of works mentioned above, it chanced that II Rosso arrived in Rome, when Baviera persuaded him to allow some of his works to be published in copper-plates, and Rosso accordingly gave a commission to that effect to the Veronese Gian Jacopo del Caraglio,[3] who was at that time reputed to possess great facility of hand, and who was zealously labouring to imitate Marcantonio. The subject given by Rosso was an anatomical study of a figure holding a death’s head in the hand, and seated on a serpent, with a swan singing beside him. This design succeeded so well in the engraving, that Rosso caused the same artist to execute some of the Labours of Hercules on several tolerably large plates, the Slaying of the Hydra, for example, the Combat with Cerberus, the Killing of Gacus, the Breaking the Horns of the Bull, the Battle with the Centaurs, and the Centaur Nessus carrying off Dejanira. These plates also succeeded admirably well, rendering good and beautiful engravings, insomuch that Jacopo was next commissioned to engrave the story of the Magpies, who,
- ↑ Zani found this painter inscribed as follows: Hieronimus Cocceius Pictor. Antw., 1556. He was born in Antwerp in 1510, and died there in 1570. He was a painter also, but is better known as an engraver, having published almost all the works of Raphael, with many of the Roman antiquities. It was from this master that Vasari obtained the greater part of his intelligence respecting the artists of the Netherlands.
- ↑ A fresco which is still in existence, but has suffered greatly from repeated restorations.
- ↑ We learn from Zani that Caraglio flourished until the year 1551. Certain commentators reproach our author for having said so little of so excellent a master, but the Commendatore Dal Pozzo has said nothing of him, “wherefore there is no cause,” remarks Bottari, “for attributing Vasari’s silence to ill-will.”
