.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Lo Stregozzo (The Witch's Procession) is, in Bruce Davis's words, 'one of the most magnificent yet most puzzling prints of the sixteenth century' (Davis p. 112). While for some elements of this astonishing composition the pictorial sources have been identified, the overall subject remains a mystery. The witch is clearly derived from Dürer's treatment of the subject (B. 67), which in turn is related to Mantegna's figure of Invidia in The Battle of the Sea Gods (B. 17,18) (see previous lot), while the figures of the naked youths show a close resemblance to some of the soldiers in the Sala di Constantino by Giulio Romano. This has let to the hypothesis that the entire composition might be by Giulio Romano.
Even more so than the subject of the print and its authorship, controversy surrounds the question of who might have executed it. Considering the technical mastery, it seems most likely to have been engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi. The later addition of the initials A.V. on the trumpet and on the tablet however implies that Marcantonio's pupil Agostino Veneziano was to a certain degree involved. Whether Agostino simply obtained the finished plate and printed it, whether Marcantonio and Agostino collaborated on it, or whether the Stregozzo is entirely the work of Agostino remains the subject of debate.
Even more so than the subject of the print and its authorship, controversy surrounds the question of who might have executed it. Considering the technical mastery, it seems most likely to have been engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi. The later addition of the initials A.V. on the trumpet and on the tablet however implies that Marcantonio's pupil Agostino Veneziano was to a certain degree involved. Whether Agostino simply obtained the finished plate and printed it, whether Marcantonio and Agostino collaborated on it, or whether the Stregozzo is entirely the work of Agostino remains the subject of debate.