The role of this “other” artist has in literature been juxtaposed to that of a translator. Bartsch wrote in his workLe Peintre-Graveur(1803), that the print made by an engraver after a painter’s design is an equivalent to a text translated in another language. He continued stating that finding a good engraver is equally difficult as finding a good translator. In some cases, the engraver was given the possibility (and responsibility) to correct the mistakes made by the painter himself.28 Vasari tells a characteristic story in this respect of the work of Marcantonio, and his engraving of theThe Martyrdom of St Laurence byBandinelli. Bandinelli complained to the Pope, stating that the engraving was not an exact copy and that it thus was full of mistakes. When Marcantonio visited the Pope and showed the engraving in question, the Pope concluded that Marcantonio had not committed any mistake and he had in fact even corrected the mistakes originally made by Bandinelli.29 There is nothing unusual about an artist wanting to mark his work of art with his signature. Signatures, their use and their role have been indicative of the evolution of approaches to authorship and the role it played in the life and work of artists, as well as to how its “inherent” value was to be protected.30 The choice of the signature, its placement on the artwork and the way this was meant to protect the author from potential counterfeiters become valuable indicators of authorship, remuneration and attribution. Dürer signed his works with his initials already at the age of fourteen, while he started using the exact same monogram from his early twenties. At the time, there was a long line of artists that used signa81 frantzeska papadopoulou skarp 27 Spinks, Jennifer and Wouk, Edward, ‘Introducing Albrecht Dürer’s material world.’ In Albrecht Dürer’s material world, edited by Edward H. Wouk and Jennifer Spinks, Manchester 2023, pp. 35–47. See even, Spinks, Jennifer, ‘Objects in motion: Albrecht Dürer’s Nemesis.’ InAlbrecht Dürer’s material world, ed. by Edward H. Wouk and Jennifer Spinks, 1–6, Manchester 2023. 28 Bartsch, Adam von, Le Peintre graveur. Vienna: Imprimerie de J. V. Degen & Pierre Mechetti (vol. 16–21), [and others]; Leipzig: J. A. von Bartsch (later edition), 1803–1821.21 volumes in French. 29 Pon, Lisa, Raphael, Dürer and Marcantonio Raimondi: Copying and the Italian Renaissance Print, 2004 p. 25. 30 Rubin, Patricia, ‘Signposts of Invention: Artists’ Signatures in Italian Renaissance Art’, Art History, volume 29, Issue 4, September 2006, pp. 563–599. Branding art
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