Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/514

506 already enumerated, and which he executed in company with Agostino, produced many others entirely with his own hand; they are known by his signature as above described, and are all good and commendable. There have, moreover, been many other artists since those here named, who have laboured well and successfully as engravers, and have effected so much that in all countries people are now enabled to see and enjoy the works of the most eminent masters. Nor have there been wanting men who have found means to produce works on blocks of wood which have aU the appearance of having been executed in chiaro-scuro with the pencil, an ingenious and difficult thing. This has been done, among others, by Ugo da Carpi, who, although but a moderately successful painter, did nevertheless give proof of a most acute understanding in many singular and curious productions. It was Ugo da Carpi who first attempted, as I have said in the thirtieth chapter of my Theoretic Discourse, to execute engravings with two blocks or plates, the one of which he used in the manner of a copper-plate for hatching in the shadows, while he gave the tint of colour with the other, leaving for this purpose the strokes of his engraving so white in the lights, that when the impression was taken off it appeared to have the lights heightened with white lead.

In this manner Ugo da Carpi treated a design which Raphael had made in chiaro-scuro, the subject of the work being a Sybil, who is seated and reading, while the clothed figure of a child stands near, and gives her the light of a torch. Finding that he had succeeded well in this, Ugo became emboldened, and attempted to produce prints of three tints from blocks of wood. With the first he made the shadow, from the second, which was of a somewhat paler hue, he obtained the middle tint, and the third being hatched supplied the brightest colour of the picture, and gave the lights of the white paper. In this attempt also our artist succeeded, and executed a plate wherein he represented Eneas bearing Anchises on his back, whileTroy is flaming behind them. He likewise produced a Deposition from the Cross shortly after, with that story of Simon Magus which had been executed by Raphael for the cloth of arras in the beforementioned chapel of the Papal Palace. These were followed by David slaying Goliah, and the Flight of the Philistines, of