The monogram was not only used by the artist himself but also by those copying his work, in engravings and prints. Below an example of the use of the monogram in the engravings produced by Marcantonio as a copy of Dürer’s work. (see figure 5, p.86) Although signatures and monograms were placed on paintings to identify the artist behind the work, the role of monograms in prints becomes even more crucial.34 This may be due to the fact that this is a collective art form, with several contributors involved. There is the painter, the engraver and usually even a publisher. In most cases all of them were mentioned through the use of their monograms in the same print.35 (see figure 8, p.91) Figures 7 and 8 are illustrative of the importance of monograms in prints (see page 90–91). The original in figure 7 includes one in the up right corner, Dürer’s monogram that is almost not visible. The copied print on the other hand, in figure 8, is filled with monograms, of the artist (Dürer), the printer (Marcantonio) and the publisher. While it might seem like the use monograms constitutes a sign of authenticity, and thus bare the risk of a free ride on the goodwill of Dürer or of other well-known artists, this could also be seen as a means of guaranteeing attribution. In other words, using Dürer’s symbol might be a way of referring to the “Grand-Peintre”, the artist behind the drawing as such. In the same way other important contributors to the printing process are mentioned by means of their monogram, such as for instance that of the publisher.36 The introduction of printing technology in the art world had a considerable effect on how art was produced and distributed, as well as how the artist was profiled. The printing technology allowed artists such as Dürer to expand their clientele above the rich and famous. In principle anyone could own artwork, while the sizes of the prints were such that could be transported without particular difficulties allowing the artist to reach new markets. 84 disruptive technology and materiality as vessels of authorship Follow the money 34 Rubin, Patricia, ‘Signposts of Invention: Artists' Signatures in Italian Renaissance Art’, 2006, pp. 563–570. 35 Pon, Lisa, Raphael, Dürer and Marcantonio Raimondi: Copying and the Italian Renaissance Print, 2004, pp. 39–51. 36 Bartsch, Adam von, Le Peintre graveur 1803–1821.
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