CARPI. COO DA, • celebrated old Italian wood engraver, who lived V the early pert of the 16th century, and has the credit in Italy of having bum the Inventor of printing In light and 'hale with wooden Islooka ficateely • circumstance of his life is known beyond the above and that Lie father was Count Astollo di Canicho; though it ha* beer; steed, we are not aware on what authority, that he WU born about 1441. and died about 1530: It is only certain that ho flourished in the euly part of the 15111 century. From his name it would appear that he was been at Carpi. but even this is disputed : bosoms to have lived chleily at Modena lie was also a painter, and rouse authorities make him the scholar of Parenegiano, others the scholar of Raffaelle. Ic paintiog however he did very little; only ens of his pictures is recorded, *St Veronica between St. Peter and St. Paul,' and that for the following singular inscription upon It Ugo da Carpi ha tette questa pitturn sena.* pennello; chi non to erode el becca it cervello ' (' Ugo da Carpi painted this picture without a brush ; who does not believe it may scratch his head'). lie painted it with his finger. It is still preserved
in the sacristy of St. Peter's at Rome, and when it was shown to Michel Angelo he coolly remarked, "It would have boon a much better picture if lie had used a brueh." Heineken and Bartsch describe thirty-one of Ugo's prints, but only some of these have his name to them. It is difficult therefore to Identify his cuts, because Andreani and Antonio da Trento engraved in a similar style, and also published many prints without their names. Ugo's prints are very scarce, and nearly all after Raffaelle aud Panne giano : some of them are very largo. They are generally well drawn, and executed with perfect understanding of the light and shade : the earliest date upon them is 1518. Vaud, in the 'Life of Idarcantonio,' mentions as among his masterpieces ' Diogenes and his Tub,' after Parmegieno; and ' /Eueas bearing away Anchises,' after Raffaelle. lie used generally three blocks : one for the outline, another for the middle tints, in which the high lights were cut out, and the third fur the shadows.