6. Hieronymus (Jerome) Hopfer (fl. 1528-1563)
after Domenico Campagnola (ca. 1500-1564)

Battle of the Naked Men

(click on image to print)
Hopfer, Battle of the Naked Men

Battle of the Naked Men

Iron etching, Bartsch 44 ii/ii, Hollstein 49, 246 x 219 mm., ex collection Franz Degenhard (Lugt 658a). An unusually fine impression of the second state, with the Funk number 53 at the base, on good laid paper with small margins all around. Hieronymus’ effort here is not the usual slavish copy of an earlier work. Firstly, it is in the same direction as Campagnola’s engraving, so he did not take an impression of that print and trace through it onto a plate (it would be in reverse if that were the case). More importantly, he makes the print into an effective vertical composition by extending the top and filling it with stylized foliage, as well as changing many smaller details. And, of course, it is etched on iron rather than engraved on copper. It may not be a Hopfer invention, but what emerges is a Hopfer-like print, impressive on its own. The Hopfers worked in Augsburg. Hieronymus was one of the two artist sons of Daniel and by far the more talented one.