Three Engravings of Secular Subjects

Agostino de’ Musi, named Veneziano after the city he grew up in, was one the most prolific engravers of the first half of the 16th century. His career began in Venice in the first quarter of the century, before he moved to Rome join Raphael’s workshop as a pupil of Marcantonio Raimondi. He remained there until the Sack of Rome, then returned to Venice. The present lot comprises three prints which exemplify his stylistic versatility and the different phases of his career as a printmaker. The first is an early and extremely rare print of his Venetian period, deeply influenced by Giorgione, Titian and Giulio Campagnola (see lot 42). Another rare and fascinating print of similar dimensions from this period was offered at Christie's, New York, on 27 January 2017 (lot 76). The second print is a copy in reverse of the Battle of Ravenna, originally engraved by the anonymous Northern Italian engraver known as the Master Na.Dat., while the third print, undoubtedly from Agostino’s Roman period and clearly inspired by Raphael, depicts a maritime scene with the nude figures of Eros and Venus in a very classical style.