Biography

Italian engraver and designer, known also as Jacobus Parmensis or Jacobus Veronensis. He was a pupil of Marcantonio Raimondi in Rome and achieved distinction as an engraver on copper and, later, as a designer of medals and engraver of gems. In Rome, the printer and publisher Baviera introduced him to Rosso Fiorentino, whose allegory Fury he engraved. Caraglio continued to collaborate with Rosso and engraved several suites, two after Rosso and eighteen after Perino del Vaga. After the Sack of Rome (1527), Caraglio took refuge in Venice, where he made engravings after Titian. His presence is recorded there until 1537. By 1539 he was in Poland, probably at the recommendation of his friend Pietro Aretino, who had contacts in the court of Bona Sforza (1494-1557), wife of Sigismund I, King of Poland. By 1545 Caraglio entered the service of the King as goldsmith, medallist and engraver of hardstones.

In the latter part of his life he returned to Italy, and after working for a time at Verona, settled on his own estate near Parma, which he sometimes inscribed on his plates.

His plates, about 70 in number, are chiefly reproductions of works of the Italian masters - Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo, and others.