The Massacre of the Innocents (Left side), with man on horseback at center left, women and children below, group of figures standing on steps above, Herod seated on throne at upper right

Printmaking in woodcut and engraving came to Northern Italy within a few decades of their invention north of the Alps. Engraving probably came first to Florence in the 1440s, the goldsmith Maso Finiguerra (1426–64) used the technique. Italian engraving caught the very early Renaissance, 1460–1490. Print copying was a widely accepted practice, as well as copying of paintings viewed as images in their own right.

Domenico Campagnola was an Italian painter and engraver who was born in Venice around 1500. He was the son of the painter Giulio Campagnola and the brother of the painter and engraver Giovanni Battista Campagnola. Domenico Campagnola was trained in his father's workshop, where he learnt the art of engraving. He later became a painter and worked in Venice and Padua. His style was influenced by the work of Venetian masters such as Titian and Giorgione. Campagnola is known for his landscape paintings and engravings, which are characterised by their detailed and precise depiction of nature. His landscapes often feature ruins and ancient buildings, which he depicted with a sense of romantic nostalgia. In addition to his landscapes, Campagnola also produced religious works and portraits. He was a versatile artist who worked in a variety of media, including oil painting, fresco and engraving. Domenico Campagnola died in Padua in 1564, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful and intricate works of art that continue to inspire artists today.