DENTE DA RAVENNA, Marco

Italian engraver. He was active in Rome during the early 16th century. Some early writers confused him with Silvestro da Ravenna, and his family name was unknown until its rediscovery by Zani. He studied with Marcantonio Raimondi and was strongly influenced by the latter’s style. He often collaborated with Agostino Veneziano, another Marcantonio student who also had some influence on Dente’s work. Dente was evidently born in Ravenna, although his birth date is undocumented. His earliest signed and dated print is inscribed 1515, suggesting that he was active from c. 1510 and was probably born in the late 15th century. He was killed in the Sack of Rome in 1527.

Dente produced over 60 reproductive engravings, primarily after works by Raphael and his circle and after the Antique. Occasionally he made engravings after other artists, such as the Massacre of the Innocents (1520-21) after Baccio Bandinelli. He engraved several copies after Marcantonio prints that were based on Raphael designs. Two examples of this, the Massacre of the Innocents and Judgement of Paris, were considered by Bartsch to be among Dente’s best works. Other engravings may derive directly from Raphael drawings, such as the Venus Wounded by the Rose’s Thorn. Dente’s only print to include an inscription with his full name (MARCVS RAVENAS), rather than a monogram, is his engraving after the Laokoon, which shows the antique statue before its restoration.