But how shall we choose with any confidence amidst this galaxy of artists full of fire and genius? How assert any special supremacy in favour of Milan, Venice, or Florence? To contrast these schools one with the other, we need solid data, not merely the anonymous works mostly available for the purpose. We may, however, begin by unfolding, in fairly chronological order, the list of Italian artists mentioned by history as having specially applied themselves in modern times to the difficult art of gem engraving: -

1300. Peruzzi, a Florentine engraver.

1379. Benedetto Peruzzi, of Florence, resident subsequently in Padua.

XlVth c. Filippo Santa Croce, "II Pippo".

1464. Paolo Giordano, bust of Paul II.

1470. Giovanni Boldu, of Venice.

1494. Giovanni delle Corniole, portrait of Savonarola.

1495. Francesco Francla, of Bologna.

1495. Marco-Azio Moretti, of Bologna.

1496. Marco Tassini.

XVth c. Domenico dei Cammei, of Milan.

- Foppa, surnamed Caradosso, of Milan.

- Marmita, of Parma.

1508. Niccolo Avanzi, master of Matteo del Nassaro.

1508. Galeazzo Mondella ,, ,. ,,

1513. Michelino.

1513. Pietromaria da Pescia, author of Michael Angelo's seal?

1520. Lodovico or Luigi Marmita.

1523. Giovanni Bernardi, of Castel Bolognese.

1523. Matteo dei Benedetti, of Bologna.

1523. Lione Aretino.

1523. Matteo del Nassaro, pupil of Avanzi and Mondella.

- Giovanni Maria di Mantova, pupil of Matteo.

- Brugia Sforzi. pupil of Matteo.

1531. Domenico di Polo, a Florentine, pupil of Gio. delle Corniole.

1534. Alessandro Cesari, surnamed il Greco; signature AAEZANAP0E.

1537. Giovanantonio dei Rossi, of Milan.

1537. Girolamo Fagiuoli, of Bologna.

1537. Domenico Poggini.

1537. Salvestro. (Silvestro?)

1539. Giovan-Jacopo del Caraglio, of Verona.

1546. (†) Valerio Belli, of Vicenza "il Vincentius".

1550. Nicolo Avanzo.

1550. Giovanni Bernardi.

1550. Luigi Anichini or Nichini, of Ferrara, resident in Venice.

1556. Cosimo da Terzio, engraver to Philip II. of Spain.

1556. Clemente Birago, of Milan, diamond engraver.

1556. Jacopo da Trezzo, of Milan, engraver of crystal vases.

1560. Giuliano of Milan, ,, „ „

1560. Francesco Tortorino, „ ,, „

1574. Maestro Ambrogio, of Milan.

1574. Maestro Giorgio, of Milan.

1574. Domenico Compagni.

1574. Stefano, of Milan.

1584. (†) Antonio Dordoni, of Buseto, near Parma.

1587. (†) Annibale Fontana, of Milan.

1596. (†) Flaminius Natalis, of Roma.

XVIth c. F. Agostino del Riccio, of Florence.

,, Domenico di Polo, of Florence, pupil of Gio. delle Corniole.

„ D. Calabrese, of Rome.

„ Francesco Furnio.

„ Camillo Leonardo da Pesaro.

,, Severo, of Ravenna.

„ Jacopo Tagliacarne, of Genoa.

„ Nanni di Prospero delle Corniole, of Florence.

1600. Adoni, a Roman engraver.

1600. F. Tortori.

1621. Giovanni Stefano Carrioni, of Milan.

1621. Michele di Taddeo Castrucci.

1621. Giacomo Chiavenna, of Modena. 1621. Giacomo Gasparini.

1621. Cristofano Giafurri.

1621. Jacopo di Giovanni, "il Monicca".

1621. Giovanni Pericciuoli, of Sienna.

1621. Tommaso Vaghi, of Modena.

1670. Stefano Mochi, associated with Borgognone.

1672. Guiseppe-Antonio di Bartolommeo Torricelli.

- Gaetano Torricelli, son and pupil of foregoing.

- Guiseppe Torricelli. ,, ,, ,, 1680. Giovanni Fabj, pupil of Valder. 1700. Rey, engraver, resident in Rome.

1709. Francesco-Maria-Gaetano Ghinghi, born 1689. 1716. Domenico Landi.

1729. Giovanni Costanzi, of Rome.

1733. Laurence Natter, a German, settled first in Rome and then in Florence.

1737 (†) Flavio Sirleto, a Roman engraver.

- Francesco Sirleto, his son and pupil.

- Raimondo Sirleto, ,,

1740. Carlo Costanzi, son of Giovanni, diamond worker.

17411. Antonio-Maria Barnabe, born 1720 in Florence, pupil of Ghinghi.

Francesco Borghighiani or Borghigiani, born May 28, 1727. in Florence.

1747 (†) Tommaso Costanzi, brother of Carlo.

1730. Andrea Cavini. 1750. Masini of Venice. 1750. Andrea Santini.

1750. Louis Siries, a Frenchman, settled in Florence.

1750. Stefano Passaglia, of Lucca or Genoa.

1750. Andrea Ricci, of Padua, surnamed Briosco Crispo.

1750. Godefred Graafdt, surnamed il Tedeseo (German), settled in Rome.

1750. Girolamo di Gasparo Rosi, of Leghorn.

1752. Laurence-Mary Weber.

To these might be added : Amastini, Beltrami, Berini, Catenacci, Dorelli, Garelli, Girometti, whose names we have met without further particulars as to their date and country.

Archaeology, as a science, is quite recent, and it is but lately that investigators have succeeded in detecting with any certainty, not only the counterfeits of antiques by the ancients themselves, but also stones that have been retouched or to which signatures have been attached by modern hands. Hence it will be readily understood how important it is for sound criticism to possess works actually signed, or at least sufficiently well authenticated to serve as types wherewith to determine the stones engraved by the first masters.

Amongst gems of this class we may mention the superb cameo of the Paris Cabinet of Medals, representing the bust in armour of Francis II., by M. Chabouillet, unhesitatingly attributed to the hand of Matteo del Nassaro of Verona, one of the illustrious engravers of the Renaissance. Invited to France by that monarch, Matteo rose to such favour that he was soon appointed chief engraver to the Mint. Hence, if to him must be referred the portrait in question, seeing that he was at that time the only artist capable of executing it, all the more interesting becomes the study of this work in forming a further estimate of the influence the Italian artist may have had on the French school of gem engraving.

Before proceeding further, let us call attention to a work by Piermaria da Pescia, which, though not wanting in merit, acquired far greater repute than it deserved. We refer to the carnelian intaglio, representing a bacchanalian scene, and known as the seal of Michael Angelo. This stone was long taken for an antique, and extremely curious is the tradition attributing its possession to the illustrious painter of the Sixtine Chapel. Two of the female figures representing grape gatherers are a reproduction of the group of Judith, giving the head of Holofernes to her attendant, forming the subject of a fresco painted by Michael Angelo in the Vatican. But this very circumstance, which should have settled the date of the intaglio, actually led to a contrary supposition. It was assumed that the antique gem must have belonged to the Florentine painter, and that he had not scrupled to take his inspiration from the group of grape-gatherers, transferring them to the Biblical scene. Such is a specimen of the standard of criticism as understood during the two last centuries. In point of fact, the pretended antique never belonged to Michael Angelo, and the name of its author is even now perfectly legible in a rebus representing a fisherman, engraved on the exergue of the gem.