The appearance of Marc Antonio forms the most bril liant epoch in the history of Italian art. He was born at Bologna about the year 1488, and there commenced his studies as a painter under the tuition of Raibolini, an artist of considerable celebrity at that time. In these he appears to have made great progress. It is not known under whom he learnt the art of engraving, but it is probable that it was from some one of the goldsmiths of that day. His first engravings arc the four heroes, and his Pyramus and Thisbe, dated 1502, taken from the designs of Raibolini. • Being desirous of improving himself by travelling, he went to Venice, where he first saw the works of the German engravers, particularly a set of wood cuts by Albert Durer, representing the life and passion of Christ. These he copied with such accuracy on cop per, that they were often sold for the originals; which coming to the knowledge of Albert, he came to Venice, and instituted a prosecution against him for the piracy before the senate.
The excellence of Roman design, which, by the ge nius of Michael Angelo and Raffaelle, aided by the dis interment of the chef d'cruvres of ancient art, and the magnificence of the Medici, had now reached its acme, attracted Marc Antonio to Rome, where his merit soon recommended him to the notice and friendship of Raf faelle, who employed him to engrave from his designs under his own eye, and is said (though without suffi cient evidence,) to have assisted him in correcting the outlines on his plates. The first plate which he execu ted from the design of Raffaelle, was Lucretia stab bing herself; and in it he seems to have exerted all his abilities to make it neat and delicate : and soon after, the plate of the judgment of Paris; a work possessed of much more spirit and freedom. His engravings af ter Raffaelle are very numerous, and are all marked with that correctness of scientific delineation, and beau ty of character in his heads, which distinguish his works, and which place him, in this respect, in the highest rank of engravers of any age or nation.
The style of Marc Antonio, however, possesses none of the blandishments of smooth delicate execution, to which his German contemporaries had attained in so eminent a degree. His manner is dry and unattractive, without any attempt at the representation of local co lour, or the charms of chiar' oscura, or reflected light.
Among the many young Italian artists whom the re putation of Marc Antonio had attracted to Rome, for the sake of his instruction, the following may be named ; Agostino de Musis, Marc da Ravenna, Giuglio Bonaso ni, Nicolo Beatrici, and Enea Vico. His school was likewise frequented by several artists Germany, such as Bartholomew Beham, George Penz, James Block, and many others.
Marc Antonio, during the life time of Raffaelle, de voted himself almost exclusively to engraving the works of that master ; but on his death, which happened in 1520, he executed several plates from the works of Giuglio Romano, and amongst others a set of lewd sub jects, accompanied with verses from the pen of the poet Aretino. This so highly offended Pope Clement VII.
that he was cast into prison, from whence he was with great difficulty released, at the intercession of Cardinal Giuglio de Medici and Baccio Bandinelli, the sculptor.
In gratitude to the latter of these, he engraved, from a picture of his, the famous print of the martyrdom of St Laurence ; in which, the drawing of the naked (which he corrected) is excellent, the draperies are ample, and the character of the heads well expressed : qualities much greater than can be looked for From the reputa tion of Baccio Bandinelli. The last dated print we bane of him is the battle of the Lapithx, 1539.
After Marc Antonio, the credit of Roman art was well maintained by his pupils, whom we have already mentioned, as well as by Georgio Ghisi, better known under the name of Mantuanus, his sister Diana, and their relations, Giovanni Battista and Adam Ghisi ; though in none of the higher excellencies. of the art has he ever been equalled by any of his successors. Agostino de Musis introduced, in a few of his engra vings, the method which has since been called Stip pling. It had been occasionally practised as far back as Martin Schoen and Albert Durer ; the latter of whom employed it in imitating the texture of beaver hats, &c. Agostino perceiving that it was peculiarly expressive of softness and delicacy, executed flesh with it. A spe cimen of his method will be found among his works, in a small plate of an old man seated on a bank, with a cottage in the back ground : in this, the face of the fi gure is entirely stippled with the graver ; hut this oc curs in his works only in one or two instances.
The art of engraving had been hitherto nearly con fined to small plates ; but Cornelius Cort opened the way to a more important walk in the art. Ile was horn at Hoorn, in Holland, in 1536. It is probable he was first instructed by Jerome Cocke ; but after having en graved a considerable number of plates from the Dutch and Flemish painters, he went to Italy. He first settled at Venice, where he resided in the house of Titian, and engraved some of the finest works of that great painter. He afterwards established a school at Rome, where he executed those admirable works after Raphaelle, and others of the Roman school, which are much sought after by the judicious collector. The plates of C. Coil are wrought entirely with the graver, in a bold, open, and masterly manner, and display more freedom of exe cution than had been attempted before. The drawing is correct and tasteful ; and his back grounds, particu larly his landscapes, are managed with great skill and address.