Original engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi after Albrecht Dürer, c. 1510

The Betrothal of the Virgin

Engraver:
Marcantonio Raimondi, also simply Marcantonio, (c. 1480 – c. 1534) was an Italian engraver, known for being the first important printmaker whose body of work consists mainly of prints copying paintings and prints by other artists.

Details:
For sale is an original engraving by Marcantonio (Bartsch XIV.406.626). Later impression on wove paper.

It is a very close repetition in the same direction of the respective woodcut from Dürer's Life of the Virgin (Meder 194). The print shows the betrothal of Mary and Joseph. Below in the plate with the monogram of Dürer.

About 1505 Marcantonio started to make copies of Dürer's woodcut series, the Life of the Virgin. This was extremely common practice, although normally engravers copied other expensive engravings rather than the cheaper woodcuts. However Dürer's woodcuts had raised the standard of the medium considerably, and since Marcantonio continued to copy a large number of both Dürer's engravings and woodcuts, he must have found it profitable.

His early copies included Dürer's famous AD monogram, hence Dürer made a complaint to the Venetian Government, which won him some legal protection for his monogram, but not his compositions, in Venetian territory - an important case in the slowly evolving history of intellectual property law.

Leaf size: c. 29 x 21 cm

Condition: 
- trimmed at the platemark, upper corners verso with remnants of former mounting
- otherwise very well-preserved


This is an original, no reproduction!

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