Carlo RAIMONDI (Bocche di Cattaro 1809 - Parma 1883) Gaetano SILVANI (Parma 1798 - 1879) Paolo TOSCHI (Parma 1788 - 1854) "Saint Lucia and Sant'Apollonia" Original etching and engraving from a subject by Francesco Mazzola called il Parmigianino (Parma 1503 - Casalmaggiore 1540) painted in fresco around 1523 in the first chapel of the left aisle of the Monastery of San Giovanni in Parma, for the series entitled "Of all the frescoes by Correggio in Parma and four by Parmigianino drawn and carved in copper by Paolo Toschi and his school ”published in files from 1844, conceived, designed and curated directly by Toschi and then by his school with the approval and financing of the Duchess Maria Luigia decided already since 1839 and of which he will be table II. Beautiful specimen in the first state of four in the very rare proof version of first of all the letters, with the detail added to drypoint on the left side and the handwritten handwritten wording “Remark proof chosen by Paolo Toschi for Mr. .. Willcox ( ?) "From the left to the center, printed on a sheet of thick unpinned paper, with large margins practically uncut beyond the imprint of the slab, with slight brownings, small foxing points and traces of dirt with large white edges but overall in excellent general condition. Apell claims that only thirty prints were made of the first state of these subjects. Medioli Masotti speaks of this type of evidence: "In the Avanti Letter copies of the reproduction series by Correggio and Parmigianino, the figures of angels or ornamental motifs are just mentioned with a burin between the copper footprint and the margin of the part engraved. The specimens marked by these figures have always passed the state test phase and represent excellent runs of the first state before letter; they usually came in homage to prominent personalities. The figurine was canceled with the burnisher before the specimens were drawn by letter. " A specimen like ours, under proof of remark, without indication of recipient, is preserved in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York. In the fresco Sant'Apollonia indicates with his left hand to Saint Lucia, clearly recognizable by the classic hagiographic attribute of the eyeballs placed on a plate to witness the martyrdom suffered, an instrument that he holds with his right, probably a pincer interpreted graphically in poorly corrected by Toschi as the palm of martyrdom both in the engraving and in the preparatory watercolor. This error most likely derives from the precarious conservation conditions in which the painting was already at the time. Bibliography: Apell "Handbuch fur Kupferstichsammler" Leipzig 1880 p. 433. Medioli Masotti "Paolo Toschi" Parma 1973 p. 126,127, p. 163 n ° 257. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/767030 Measurements in mm: 392 x 287