d of making prints
from three blocks to Antonio da Trento, caused him to execute a large
sheet in chiaroscuro of the Beheading of S. Peter and S. Paul. And
afterwards he executed another, but with two blocks only, of the
Tiburtine Sibyl showing the Infant Christ in the lap of the Virgin to
the Emperor Octavian; a nude man seated, who has his back turned in a
beautiful attitude; and likewise an oval print of the Madonna lying
down, with many others by his hand that may be seen in various places,
printed after his death by Joannicolo Vicentino. But the most beautiful
were executed later by Domenico Beccafumi of Siena, after the death of
Parmigiano, as will be related at greater length in the Life of
Domenico.

Not otherwise than worthy of praise, also, is the method that has been
invented of making engravings more easily than with the burin, although
they do not come out so clear--that is, with aquafortis, first laying on
the copper a coat of wax, varnish, or oil-colour, and then drawing the
design with an iron instrument that has a sharp point to cut through the
wax, varnish, or colour, whichever it may be, after which one pours over
it the aquafortis, which eats into the copper in such a manner that it
leaves the lines of the design hollow, and impressions can be taken from
it. With this method Francesco Parmigiano executed many little things,
which are full of grace, such as the Nativity of Christ, a Dead Christ
with the Maries weeping over Him, and one of the tapestries executed for
the Chapel after the designs of Raffaello, with many other works.

After these masters, fifty sheets with varied and beautiful landscapes
were produced by Battista, a painter of Vicenza, and Battista del Moro
of Verona. In Flanders, Hieronymus Cock has executed engravings of the
liberal arts; and in Rome, engravings have been done of the Visitation
in the Pace, painted by Fra Sebastiano Viniziano, of that by Francesco
Salviati in the Misericordia, and of the Feast of Testaccio; besides
many works that have been engraved in Venice by the painter Battista
Franco, and by many other masters.

But to return to the simple copper-plate engravings; after Marc' Antonio
had executed the many works that have been mentioned above, Rosso
arrived in Rome, and Baviera persuaded him that he should have some of
his works engraved; wherefore he commissioned Gian Jacopo Caraglio of
Verona, who was one of the most skilful craftsmen of that day, and who
sou