E.77 Fantuzzi, Scene of Sacrifice, III
(Final version)
Etching by Antonio Fantuzzi, 27.2 x 40.4 L (Paris, Eb 14d).
Three states:
I. Faintly inscribed in drypoint with Fantuzzi’s monogram on the highlighted riser of the first step in the very center at the bottom, and below it: • A FONT • BELEOY 1542 . Ro0 • INVE (the 5 backwards); also engraved further to the right with the inscription: A FONTANA BELEAVAF.
II. The drypoint inscriptions of State I have almost entirely disappeared.
III. To the right of the engraved inscription appears in drypoint possibly a date and some letters that cannot be deciphered (Poughkeepsie).
Fig.E.77 (State III, Poughkeepsie)
Bartsch, XVI, 1818, 348-349, 27, as Fantuzzi after Rosso. Herbet, II, 1896, 278 (1969, 74), 27, as Fantuzzi after Rosso. Zerner, 1969, A.F.23 (London).
COLLECTIONS: London, W3-174 (I). New York, 24.63.1104 (II). Paris, Ba 12; Eb 14d; Ed 8b Rés., no. 135 (all II). Paris, Arsenal, Vol. 168, no. 63(2) (II) (see Schéfer below). Poughkeepsie, no. 75.12 (III, from Lucien Goldschmidt, Inc., New York, Cat. no. 43, 1975, p.14, no. 44, Fig.). Vienna, It.III.3, p.22 (II). Washington, 1985.25.1, red brown ink.
LITERATURE:
Mariette, Abécédario, 1858-1859, 22-23, as Fantuzzi after Rosso.
Schéfer, 1894-1929, cols. 554-555, no. 63.
Kusenberg, 1931, 164.
Barocchi, 1950, 127, and Fig. 78, as an arbitrary copy by Fantuzzi of Rosso’s fresco.
Panofsky, 1958, 120, Fig. 7 (New York), 124, 166, n. 16.
Zerner, 1964, 75, 83, Fig., p.76, as 1542?.
Zerner, in EdF, 1972, 261, no. 308, 262, Fig. (London), and in Fontainebleau, 1973, I, 98, Fig. 71, II, 82, no. 308 (London).
Béguin and Pressouyre, 1972, 138, Fig. 206 (London).
Carroll, 1975, 20, and Fig. 5 (New York).
Carroll, 1978, 28, 33, Fig. 15 (Poughkeepsie), 47, n. 17.
Zerner, IB, 33, 1979, 247 (London).
Borea, 1980, 258, no. 652 (London).
Carroll, 1987, 31, 45, 278-282, no. 88, with Fig. (Poughkeepsie).
Brugerolles and Guillet, 1994, 196, 198, and n. 11, Fig. (Paris, Ensba), under no. 63, and 40, under no. 15, as Fantuzzi.
This etching is based on a lost drawing by Rosso or by an assistant, the appearance of which is recorded in three copies, in Haarlem (Fig.D.65A), St. Petersburg (Fig.D.65B), and Turin (Fig.D.65C). Fantuzzi’s etching is identical to the composition shown in these copies, and all are almost exactly the same size. This is also the size of the copy of another drawing of this scene in Ensba in Paris (Fig.D.64).
The etching is in the opposite direction of Rosso’s fresco and of the drawings related to it. The print differs from the copies in only small details. Fantuzzi’s scene is slightly extended to the left and consequently more of two figures are visible there. This was probably done to fill out the plate. A piece of architecture has been added in the distance in the upper left corner. At the lower left, the woman’s bare foot has been extended rather than bent at the toes as in the drawings. Coiffures have been slightly changed and the anatomy of the nude youths has been elaborated. But the latter in the print look like the youths in the copy of the other drawing, indicating that the three copies of the first drawing are probably not accurate here. The tree also has been furnished with masses of individual leaves in the etching. In the various small ways that Fantuzzi’s scene has been elaborated, this has been done in the spirit of Rosso’s own style. Fantuzzi’s etching probably shows Rosso’s Scene of Sacrifice better than any other surviving representation of it, including in certain respects the fresco itself, which was, it would seem, largely executed by an assistant.