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Giorgio Vasari, Life of Marcantonio of Bologna and Other Engravers of Prints, Florence (1568)

Source: British Library: 137.d.14-16, Part Three, Vol 1, pp. 294-299 Title page

Citation:
Giorgio Vasari, Life of Marcantonio of Bologna and Other Engravers of Prints, Florence (1568), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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Chapter i Page 5

þÿ
Then, having grown both in power and in courage, as he saw that is works were prized, Albrecht executed some copper plates that astonished the world. He also set himself to make an engraving, for printing on a sheet of half-folio, of a figure of Melancholy, with all the instruments that reduce those who use them, or rather, all mankind, to a melancholy humour; and in this he succeeded so well, that it would be possible to do more delicate engraving with the burin. He executed three small plates of our Lady, all different one from another, and most subtle in engraving.

But it would take too long if I were to try to enumerate all the works that issued from Albrecht's hand. For now, it is enough to tell that having designed a Passion of Christ in 36 parts, and then having engraved them, he made an agreement with Marcantonio Bolognese that they should publish these sheets jointly, and so it happened in Venice. On account of this, many marvellous things were done in Italy through the agency of these prints, as described below. While Francesco Francia concerned himself with painting in Bologna, among his many followers was a youth called Marcantonio, who, being more gifted than the others, was brought on by Francia. Since he had been with Francia for many years, and was much loved by him, Marcantonio took on the name of the Francia's family. Marcantonio had a better sense of artistic skill (disegno) than his master, and handled the burin with ease and delicacy. He made, because they were much used at that time, belt-fittings and other nielloed [silver] things, which were very beautiful, since he was outstanding in this particular technique. Seized, as many people are, with the desire to travel the world and see different things and the ways in which craftsmen worked, Marcantonio was sent by Francia with good grace to Venice, where he was well-received by the craftsmen of that city. Meanwhile some Flemish merchants had arrived with many woodcuts and copper engravings by Albert Dürer, which Marcantonio saw in the Piazza of San Marco. He was stunned by Dürer's style and technique, and spent almost all the money he had brought with him from Bologna on these prints. Amongst those he bought were the Passion of Christ cut in 36 woodblocks in octavo which had been printed shortly before by said Albert Dürer. This series began with the sin of Adam and the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Paradise by the Angel, and continued to the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Marcantonio having considered how much honour and profit could be gained through the practice of this art in Italy determined to do this with all care and diligence, and thus began to counterfeit those prints by Albert, studying the method of cutting and everything about the prints he had bought. These copies were held in high reputation on account of their novelty and beauty, and everybody thought to have some. Having then counterfeited in copper engraving, the same size as the woodblocks which Albert had cut, the entire Passion and Life of Christ in 36 sheets, and put on them the sign that Albert used on his works, ie: AD, he succeeded to such an extent in making works in the same manner that, not knowing that they had been made by Marcantonio, people believed them to be the work of Albert, and they were bought and sold as his. News of this having been sent to Albert in Flanders, and having sent him one of the counterfeited Passions





Chapter 1 Page 1

þÿ<tab>The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects
<tab><tab><tab><tab><tab><tab>Written by Giorgio Vasari




<tab><tab><tab><tab><tab>The First Volume of the Third Part




<tab>With Licence and Privilege of Our Lord Pius V and the Illustrious and Most <tab>Excellent Lords, Duke and Prince of Florence and Siena








<tab><tab><tab><tab><tab>Published at Florence by Giunti, 1568


Chapter 1 Page 2

þÿ<tab><tab><tab><tab><tab><tab>THIRD PART




<tab><tab><tab><tab>Life of Marcantonio of Bologna and Other
<tab><tab><tab><tab><tab><tab>Engravers of Prints


Chapter 1 Page 6

þÿAlbert was so enraged that he set off from Flanders and went to Venice, and took recourse to law at the Signoria, complaining against Marcantonio. However, Albert could obtain no other satisfaction but this, that he prevented Marcantonio from using his name and monogram on his works.



Translation by: Dora Thornton, 'The Use of Dürer Prints as Sources for Italian Renaissance Maiolica', in G. Bartrum (ed.), Albrecht Dürer and his Legacy, (London: British Museum, 2004)

    

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