Antonio da Trento

The similarity between Parmigianino’s drawing style and Antonio’s cutting of the line block have led scholars to conclude that Parmigianino may have drawn directly onto the block before turning it over to the cutter. Typical of Antonio’s method, the green tone block provides the middle ground with highlights created by the white of the paper and darks by the hatchings of a gray line block. Other impressions have been printed with blue, brown, or red for the tone block.

Vasari lists this print as Seated Man from Behind, but the beautiful young man has been more recently identified as the mythical Narcissus, gazing into a shallow pool. In the foreground is Echo, the nymph who loved Narcissus in vain and gradually wasted away to a pile of rocks, leaving only her voice behind.