The Ecstasy of Saint Cecilia
| Reference: | S46885 |
| Author | Marcantonio RAIMONDI |
| Year: | 1515 ca. |
| Measures: | 157 x 258 mm |
€2,250.00
| Reference: | S46885 |
| Author | Marcantonio RAIMONDI |
| Year: | 1515 ca. |
| Measures: | 157 x 258 mm |
€2,250.00
Description
St Cecilia holding a portitative organ, looks up towards a clearing in the clouds in which five angels with musical instruments appear (viol, triangle, harp); at her feet is an open music book, a pipe with four holes visible, a representation of a harp and a tambourine ring; she is accompanied by St Paul, St John the Evangelist , St Augustine and Mary Magdalen.
Engraving, circa 1515/16, lettered on harp "RAPH.IVE".
This print is based on Raphael Sanzio's painting commissioned by Elena dell'Oglio in 1514, now in the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna. The date of execution of the painting is perhaps a year or two later, according to the dating to 1515-1516 of the preparatory drawing in sanguine with the figure of St. Paul preserved in the Teylers Museum in Haarlem and the dating to 1514 of Giovan Francesco Penni's model, taken up in Marcantonio Raimondi's engraving, both of which attest to the early stage of the composition from which the final painting departs even considerably. It is debated, therefore, whether this print derives from a lost sketch by Raphael or from Penni's drawing.
“A Marcantonio Raimondi si deve con ogni probabilità la prima versione a stampa di S. Cecilia di Raffaello. Nella più recente bibliografia raimondiana (Shomaker, 1981) gli anni 1515-16 proposti per l'incisione confermano una datazione quasi a ridosso dell'esecuzione dell'opera di Raffaello. A lungo si è discusso a proposito delle varianti iconografiche tra stampa e dipinto. Le posizioni della tradizione critica possono sostanzialmente articolarsi secondo tre punti: l'affermazione generalmente accettata, sia pure con varianti, della derivazione dell'incisione da una prima idea raffaellesca; l'ipotesi secondo cui un disegno della Santa Cecilia conservato al Petit Palais, attribuito da Oberhuber a G.F. Penni, costituisca il precedente diretto della stampa o, al contrario, l'incisione sia il modello per il disegno. […] Premesso che esiste una generale opinione a sostegno della derivazione della stampa da un prototipo raffaellesco cui fa riferimento anche il disegno del Petit Palais - concordiamo con Kristeller e Dussler nel sottolineare il processo di convenzionalizzazione operato dal Raimondi, rispetto al dipinto e al suo eventuale schizzo preparatorio perduto” (cfr. Marzia Faietti, La trascrizione incisoria, in “L’Estasi di Santa Cecilia di Raffaello da Urbino nella Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna”, pp.187-191, n. 179.
Raimondi's Saint Cecilia was reproduced as a counterpart in the three copies described by Bartsch, one of which is attributed by his pupil Marco Dente.
Beautiful proof, printed on contemporary laid paper with watermark not well readable, trimmed at marginal line, minimal oxidation, otherwise in good condition.
Bibliografia
Bartsch, Le Peintre graveur (XIV.101.116); Delaborde, Marc-Antoine Raimondi: Etude Historique et Critique suivie d'un catalogue raisonné des oeuvres du maitre (143.92); Marzia Faietti, La trascrizione incisoria, in “L’Estasi di Santa Cecilia di Raffaello da Urbino nella Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna”, pp.187-191, n. 179.
Marcantonio RAIMONDI (Sant'Andrea in Argine 1480 circa - Bologna 1534)
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Marcantonio Raimondi is considered the greatest engraver of early Renaissance and the first to spread the work of Raphael. He was born in San’Andrea in Argine, near Bologna. His first artistic apprenticeship took place in Bologna, around 1504, in the workshop of Francesco Francia, painter and goldsmith.
His first known engraving is dated 1505. In 1506 he went to Venice to live and work; in this year, he started developing his own personal style for, in his production of that period, is quite evident the influence of Mantegna and Dürer. According to Vasari, Raimondi met Dürer in Venice, for they were both living there at the same time, but they had a quarrel over the reproductions, on copper, of Dürer’s seventeen woodcuts of the Vita della Vergine. After 1507, he turned to different models, especially those coming from Rome and Florence. He was in Rome in 1509, where he was introduced into the circle of the most important artists working in the City, such as Jacopo Rimanda from Bologna. In the same year he met Rapahel in the workshop of Baviera; the following year Raimondi became popular as the main interpreter of Raphael’s paintings. The Lucrezia can be considered the starting point of their cooperation and a sort of second beginning for Raimondi’s new style. In any case, together with the engravings representing Raphael’s works, Raimondi went on with the publication of his own subjects, especially antiquity, whose influence can be seen in his whole production (cfr. Dubois-Reymond 1978).
Between 1515-1516 Marcantonio started showing a keen interest for chiaroscuro, maybe under the influence fo Agostino Veneziano and Marco Dente, from Baviera’s workshop.
Till Raphael’s death, in 1520, Raimondi worked and lived in the background of the great artist from Urbino and engraved his works and those of his scholars.
His business went down after the Sacco (sack) Di Roma in 1527, when he was obliged to pay a huge amount of money to the invaders of the City to save his life.
He died in Bologna before 1534, in complete misery.
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Marcantonio RAIMONDI (Sant'Andrea in Argine 1480 circa - Bologna 1534)
|
Marcantonio Raimondi is considered the greatest engraver of early Renaissance and the first to spread the work of Raphael. He was born in San’Andrea in Argine, near Bologna. His first artistic apprenticeship took place in Bologna, around 1504, in the workshop of Francesco Francia, painter and goldsmith.
His first known engraving is dated 1505. In 1506 he went to Venice to live and work; in this year, he started developing his own personal style for, in his production of that period, is quite evident the influence of Mantegna and Dürer. According to Vasari, Raimondi met Dürer in Venice, for they were both living there at the same time, but they had a quarrel over the reproductions, on copper, of Dürer’s seventeen woodcuts of the Vita della Vergine. After 1507, he turned to different models, especially those coming from Rome and Florence. He was in Rome in 1509, where he was introduced into the circle of the most important artists working in the City, such as Jacopo Rimanda from Bologna. In the same year he met Rapahel in the workshop of Baviera; the following year Raimondi became popular as the main interpreter of Raphael’s paintings. The Lucrezia can be considered the starting point of their cooperation and a sort of second beginning for Raimondi’s new style. In any case, together with the engravings representing Raphael’s works, Raimondi went on with the publication of his own subjects, especially antiquity, whose influence can be seen in his whole production (cfr. Dubois-Reymond 1978).
Between 1515-1516 Marcantonio started showing a keen interest for chiaroscuro, maybe under the influence fo Agostino Veneziano and Marco Dente, from Baviera’s workshop.
Till Raphael’s death, in 1520, Raimondi worked and lived in the background of the great artist from Urbino and engraved his works and those of his scholars.
His business went down after the Sacco (sack) Di Roma in 1527, when he was obliged to pay a huge amount of money to the invaders of the City to save his life.
He died in Bologna before 1534, in complete misery.
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