M A RCANTONI O HE mastery o f form and th e absol ute f ac ility and te chnical ’ acc omplishment sh own in th e best of Mar canto nio s pl ates are no t th e b est r ecommendati o n o f h is art to th e mod ern ama e u Aca em e e o h as e n e so m to o e me e t r . d ic p rf cti n t d d uch f st r r m at on and c u th e mal e ual e a o ne o en i it i r sh s l r individ iti s, th t is ft - h e t empt ed from v e ry surfe i t to o ve r estimate th e v al ue o f r e v o lt and t t n a te o a i th e me e o a d o m of n and to s rivi g f r rigin l ty in r utw r f r thi gs, fo rge t th e r e al q ualiti es of a great maste r amid th e av e rage p ro d ucti o n e mu b e co e e a a e a o o o n o f th e o f his fo ll ow rs. It st nf ss d th t gr t pr p rti sixtee nth - ce nt ury e ngrav i ngs in Italy suff ers fro m t h e ove rwh e lmi ng o f Ra ael T h e e n av e o f th e ece n ce we e i nflue n ce ph . gr rs pr di g ntury r f ar o m a a n n th e ame ev e of e ca of c enc but h e fr tt i i g s l l t chni l pr i i y, t y s el do m fail ed to sh o w an i ndep end e nce that ch aracterises e v e n th e o of t h e ea Re a an e in a min or w rks rly n iss c I t ly . A o d n to a a M a can on o o e as an e av e in th e cc r i g V s ri , r t i w rk d ngr r e ce o f Ra ae wh o u ed acto um B av e a to n and s rvi ph l , t rn h is f t i r printi g, wi th th ese two adjutants carri e d o n a consid e rabl e tr ade in r epr o o h i wo O ne ou d e e s h ad ac ua be e ductions f s . rks w l xp ct, if thi t lly n ’ th e ca e a Ma ca on o en av n o u a e mo e co e t s , th t r nt i s gr i gs w ld h v r nsist n ly ’ e oduce Ra h ae f e c u e or e co e as in th e a e o f r pr d p l s inish d pi t r s fr s s, c s Rub en and th e e a e wh o o e un e mme i a e ec o s ngr v rs w rk d d r h is i d t dir ti n . B ut w t M a can o n o a t a ne ve th e ca e u a f ew i h r t i this is pr c ic lly r s . J st of n co e o d a c o e th e fi n e com o o h is pri ts rr sp n f irly l s ly with ish d p siti ns , e h alatea xxx h th e a n th e Fa e na h . t e G t e g. ( ) wit p i ting in rn si , but maj o rity o f th e pl ates which are re l ate d to fr esco es in th e V ati can and to o e a n n Ra ae eem to av e ee a e n om th r p i ti gs by ph l , s h b n t k fr e h e o ne b th e ma e th e co e o f wo T h e fi ed sk tc s d y st r i n urs h is rk . nish c ompositions ge ne rally sh o w an advance in th e de v e lopme nt o r c once ntrati on of th e d esign bey ond th e state in whi c h it is r e nd e r e d M a ca o n by r nt io . This co nsiderati on h as led to so me d o ubts be ing cast o n t h e G REAT E N G R AVE RS t ma e a o a Ra ae and Ma a o o as ela e by a a in i t ss ci tion of ph l rc nt ni r t d V s ri . But a a o e fi t ea o f th e e v e and e en in a e o f V s ri wr t with in f y y rs nt, v f c a riori a e a o a ea e . B e e p p rob biliti s his tr diti n should c rry gr t w ight sid s, a e o e o e e o was o a c Ra ae in p ri d wh n cl s r producti n nly in its inf n y, ph l migh t q uite well h av e p re fe rred to l eav e M arcantonio th e l i be rty fi e b en u as an e av e me e n h im justi d y his g i s ngr r, r ly sup plyi g with d a n to e v e o own wa r wi gs d l p in h is y . I n an a e e e h e e ma e e in y c s , wh th r work d in this nn r d ir ctly ’ Ra ae e v ce h e mu o me o w av e o b a e ma o f ph l s s r i or not, st s h h t in d ny ’ th e ma e e a a u e f or a and e a o a e em st r s pr p r tory st di s h is p intings, l b r t d th a e of v e o with s tting h is own in nti n . Th e re are v e ry f ew exampl es in wh i ch th e o rigin al d rawings use d b t h e e av e can b e a e two of th e mo e a n e one f or y ngr r tr c d , st c rt i b ing t h e Lamentation B th e A mo ea M e m O o and ( . 37) in sh l n us u , xf rd , an o th e r f or th e M assacre qf th e 1nnocentr (xx11 and X X I I I ) in th e B M e m W e av e as f ar as o e n a e e ea th e ritish us u . h , p ssi bl , i dic t d b n th a e th e e th e e a b ut m a e a pl t s sourc s of ngr vings, i n ost inst nc s i t is only e a o to a fi e om o o a can b e v e e e r l ti n nish d c p siti n th t gi n , whil in oth rs th e r e l ati o n to p ainting and e v e n p ainter must b e l e ft e ntirely u efi ned nd . ’ In most o f M arcan tonio s w o rk d on e at R ome (wh e r e h e li v ed o m 1 1 0 Ra ae mu b e e a e as th e e e fr 5 until ph l st r g rd d chi f inspi r r, th ough B aldassare P eruz z i may h av e suppli ed th e original d esigns f o r ' t h Tr ium h a Scz io a te a a th e L v e e at e a . t e . oth r pl s ( g p f p , f r dr wing in ou r ) I n th e ea e a e at B o a e e h e was a rli r p rt of his lif ol gn , wh r born bout 1 80 h e m av e e o e or a a ed m 4 , ust h r pr duc d d pt co positions by his ma e th e o m - a e F a e F a a see I th e st r, g lds ith p int r r nc sco r nci ( ), but ma o a e ma e ma b e own o a j rity of his pl t s in this nn r y h is rigin l work .