Morghen

Morghen, RAPHAEL SANZIO CAVALIERE, a famous engraver, was born at Naples, June 19, 1758. His first instructor was his father, a mediocre engraver of German origin. But he gave such indications of talent that at the age of twenty he was sent to Rome to study under Volpato, then considered the best engraver in Italy, whose daughter he married in 1781. His progress was very marked, and even his first works obtained great success. Raphael's celebrated figures in the Vatican of 'Poetry' and 'Theology' were engraved by him in 1781; and he afterwards produced a succession of engravings of a very high class from many of the masterpieces of art: amongst these may be mentioned Raphael's 'Madonna della Seggiola' and the 'Transfiguration'; the 'Madonna del Sacco,' by Andrea del Sarto; the 'Duke of Moncaco,' by Van Dyck; and by his burin, Da Vinci's 'Last Supper,' notwithstanding its decay, has been rendered with such consummate skill as to lessen the regret felt for the evanescent condition of the original work. He accepted an invitation from the grand-duke to reside at Florence, with a pension of 400 scudi and a free residence, under condition of establishing a school of engraving; and he received marked attentions from the Emperor Napoleon, to whom in 1811 he dedicated his engraving from the 'Transfiguration,' the grand result of sixteen years of labour. He died at Florence, April 8, 1833. His Life, with a portrait and catalogue of his works to the number of 254, was published by his pupil, Niccolo Palmarino. The works of Morghen will always hold a very prominent place in the history of Engraving (q.v.). See Fred. R. Halsey, Raphael Morghen's Engraved Works (New York, 1885).