RAIIIIONDI, MARC ANTONIO, a celebrated engraver. was b. at Bologna in 1487 or 1488. lie studied for several years under the celebrated painter Francia, the head of the old Bolognese school. On quitting Francia's studio, he went to Venice, and having seen there, for the first time, prints froth the wood-cuts after Albert Dttrer, he engraved on copper two sets of prints from that great master's designs, viz., those Illustrating the "Life of the Virgin," and of the "Life and Passion of Christ;" to that of the former he attached the cipher or monogram of Albert DiIrer, and it is said that the artist com plained of the deception to the senate, but only obtained an order that in future the monogram of Albert Darer should not be copied; at all events, the latter set is without the monogram or mark. From Venice Raimondi proceeded to Rome, soon attracted the notice of Raphael, and engraved those works after that master that are so highly valued. Raimondi greatly improved his style by imitating the remarkable delicacy and clearness exhibited in the engravings of Albert and Lucas van Leyden; and though, per Imps, in these qualities he (lid not surpass, or perhaps equal, these masters, he went far beyond them in power and purity of drawing, which he carried further than any other engraver; indeed, it has been stated that Raphael, himself assisted the engraver in draw ing on several of the plates.
After Raphael's death, having engraved some plates after drawings of a licentious kind by Giulio Romano, be was thrown into prison by Clement VII., but was afterward
liberated, taken under the protection of the pope, and fully employed. This prosperous State of, matters, however, soon terminated, for on the sack of Rome by the Spaniards under the Constable Bourbon, in 1527, lie was plundered of all be had, and was obliged to flee and take refuge in Bologna, where be seems to have lived till the period of his death, the exact date of whioh is not known, but it must have been after 1539, for a print by him, after Giulio Romano, of the "Battle of the Impitlue," bears that date.
Good impressions of this eminent engraver's works bear. perhaps. a higher value than any other engravings; but there are numerous impressions from his plates to be met with which are of little value, having been thrown off after they had been greatly worn, and repeatedly retouched. The best impressions are without the name of any publisher. After the plates were taken from the stock of Tommaso Bariambi, they came into the possession of Antonio Salamanca; afterward, they passed through the hands of Antonio Lafreri, from thence to Nicholas van Aelst, and lastly, became the property of Rossi or De Rubeis, and by that time they had been completely worn out.—See catalogue of Haimondi's engravings by baron Heineken, and Bartsch, vol. xiv. Very fine collections are to be seen in the British museum and the Louvre.