Raimondi, Marc Antonio

Raimondi, Marc Antonio an Italian engraver who devoted himself to classical and sacred art, was born at Bologna in 1487. He was a student first of Francesco Francia, but perfected himself under Raphael, who favored him so greatly that Raimondi may be placed by the side of his great master. The two artists together exerted such a great influence upon this particular branch of art that the works of that time have never been excelled in draving and clearness of outline, though much surpassed in gradation of tone and delicacy of modelling. It should be remembered that it was from the drawings, and not the finished pictures, of Raphael that Marc Antonio worked. He was especially remarkable for the exactness with which he colpied; he seems to have been willing to lose himself entirely in the master he reproduced. His life may be said to have been devoted to multiplying the works of Iaphael. He also executed a few plates after Michael Angelo, Mantegna, Bandinelli, and Gitlio lomano. He was imprisoned on account of some plates after the designs of the latter, which were so indecent as to enrage Clement VII, and it was with difficulty that his release was obtained by some of the cardinals and Bandinelli. In 1527 Raimondi was in full favor in Rome, when he was driven away by the sacking of the Spaniards. He was plundered, and fled to Bologna. His last work was done in 1539, in which year he is said to have been killed by a nobleman of Rome, because he had engraved a second plate of the Murder of the Innocents, contrary to his agreement. His works are numerous, and in selecting them great attention should be paid to the different impressions, for some of the plates have been retouched by those who have had them, until they are greatly changed. The best impressions have no publisher's name. Heineken gives a complete catalogue of his prints. Very fine collections are in the Louvre and in the British Museum. At Venice Raimondi engraved, after Durer, two sets of prints — viz. those illustrating the life of the Virgin and the life and Passion of Christ. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog.. Generale, s.v.