Lo Stregozzo [The Witches' Procession], after Raphael or Giulio Romano

If he did not invent reproductive engraving, Marcantonio Raimondi was the first to develop it systematically. First active in Bologna, he went to Rome around 1510. There he entered a collaborative relationship with Raphael and dedicated himself to interpreting the master’s designs. A prime manifestation of the new classical style, these engravings established the conventions and demonstrated the profitability of translating works of art into print. Through them Raphael’s style became the coin and foundation of European art. And from them stems the tradition that would dominate engraving for nearly four centuries. This is perhaps Raimondi’s most intriguing print. It features a witch astride a giant animal’s skeleton and conjures other elements associated with witchcraft. Whatever the meaning, there is no mistaking the extension of an archaeological spirit to fantastic lore. Especially coherent and warm, this impression underscores the reference to low-relief sculpture. Extravagant and stylized, the invention was likely owed to Raphael’s principal assistant, Giulio Romano. The tremendous variety and responsiveness of stroke indicate that the engraving, sometimes attributed to Agostino Veneziano, is a late masterpiece of Raimondi. The museum possesses seventy engravings by Raimondi and his principal assistants, Veneziano and Marco Dente.