Marcantonio Raimondi – a major Italian master of the High Renaissance, the founder of reproductive engraving. Raimondi was born in Bologna and studied in the workshop of Francesco Francia, from whom he mastered the art of incisal engraving, and later under the direction of the student B. Beham – the art of etching.
A significant influence on his work had the art of A. Dürer. Raimondi issued several series of copies of the master’s works, one of which with the monogram of A. Dürer was sold in Venice as genuine.
The indignant great master sent complaints to the Venetian Senate, after which Raimondi removed the monograms from the copies. The artist also made copies of works by Michelangelo and experienced a great creative impression of his works. But the most famous copies of the works of Raphael. One of the first works made on the composition created by Raphael was the incisal engraving of Lucretia. She aroused the admiration of the great master of strict elegance, accuracy in the transfer of style.
It is this work, according to the testimony of J. Vasari, that convinced Raphael of the talent of the favorite and marked the beginning of the establishment of friendly relations between them. Other famous works: “Venus, Mars and Cupid.” 1508. Cutting engraving; “Warriors bathing”. 1510. Cutting engraving; “Bethlehem beating babies”. OK. 1510. Cutting engraving; “The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence”. Cutting engraving.