Sculptura: or, the history and art of chalcography, and engraving in copper: with an ample enumeration of the most renowned masters and their works. To which is annexed, a new manner of engraving, or mezzotinto, communicated by his Highness Prince Rupert to the author of this treatise / John Evelyn.

John Evelyn

Date:: 1755

Credit: Sculptura: or, the history and art of chalcography, and engraving in copper: with an ample enumeration of the most renowned masters and their works. To which is annexed, a new manner of engraving, or mezzotinto, communicated by his Highness Prince Rupert to the author of this treatise / John Evelyn. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$numerable others. It would be tedious (as we faid) to tranfcribe the names but of the pieces only of all thcde renowned men whom he there celebrates for their engravings on armour, cups, rings, glafs, even to the very [figulina vafa calataft\ “ earthen u veftels,” fuch as Cotys brake of purpofe, left fome other unexpected accident or mifchance might put him into paffion, as Plutarch tells the ftory*. Hydrise and water pots were thus wrought,, and Pliny fpeaks of the engraving even of bread. 5Tis yet obfervable, that very few were found who took any plealure to engrave in gold (as we con¬ ceive) being too foft a metal; but multitudes that wrought in filver, efpecialiy the famous Mentor, of whofe work Yarro affirms he had a peice in. his poiTeffion, which he infinitely valued , for, it feems, he had never rinifhed above eight, which were moft of them loft. Two more of his cups had L. Craftus the orator, prized at [c.hs.] 64 an hundred fefterces, about 800/.\confejJus eft, tamen fe nunquam his uti, propter verecundiam auftum.] fo rich, it feems, and magnificent they were,. cc that even this great perfon profefied he never a durft make ufe of them out of pure modefty,- and to avoid the cenfure of being thought too “ luxurious.5’ Martial defcribes another, where; a lizard was fo lively reprefented, men were afraid it would bite ; Inferta phialie Mentoris manu do eta Lacerta vivit, CP timetur argentum. Next to Mentor, was Acragus, Boethus, and M y s , whole mafter-peice was expofed at Rhodes; \ . * Flut.. in Apophthegm especially$