_Paris Bordone_ (Venetian: 1500-1570).
Paris Bordone, one of the most splendid colourists of the
Venetian School, was born of a noble family of Treviso. "He was
taken," says Vasari, "at the age of eight to certain of his
mother's kindred in Venice, where, having studied grammar and
become an excellent musician, he was sent to Titian." With him
he remained for a few years, and afterwards "set himself to
imitate the manner of Giorgione to the utmost of his power."
"Though Venetian in his education, he took a path peculiar
to himself, and it is only a very inexperienced eye that can
mistake him for Giorgione or Titian. He is remarkable for a
delicate rosy colour in his flesh, and for the purple, crimson,
and shot tints of his draperies, which are usually in small
and crumpled folds" (Kugler). His most famous work--the large
picture in the Venetian Academy of "The Fisherman presenting
the Ring of St. Mark to the Doge"--is a masterpiece of gorgeous
colouring. "The moment you come before the picture you say,
'_What_ a piece of colour!' To Paris the Duke, the Senate, and
the miracle are all merely vehicles for flashes of scarlet
and gold on marble and silk" (Ruskin's _Guide to the Venetian
Academy_, p. 17). He painted sacred subjects, mythology,
and portraits. In all alike he found occasion for the same
brilliant display of flesh-tints and stuffs. Visitors to the
Italian lakes will find a Holy Family by Bordone at Lovere, in
the Accademia Tadini, which is another of his masterpieces.
There are some fine portraits by him at Hampton Court, and No.
674 in our Gallery is a very characteristic example. Chloe in
the picture before us belongs to the same type. "The ideal
of beauty for women in Italy during the sixteenth century
was--perhaps because so difficult of attainment!--extreme
blondness. Palma seems to have had no other aim than to fill
his canvases with expanses of fair flesh and yellow hair. Paris
Bordone succeeded Palma as the fashionable beauty-painter, and
continued the tradition" (Mary Logan: _Guide to the Italian
Pictures at Hampton Court_, p. 28). The fame of Bordone led
to his being invited to France by Francis II. in 1558-1559 to
paint the ladies of the Court. He was knighted by the king. He
also visited Augsburg to execute commissions for the merchant
princes of that city. "He lives quietly in his own house," says
Vasari, "working only at the request of princes, or others of
his friends, avoiding all rivalry and those vain ambitions
which do but disturb the repose of man."
Daphnis and Chloe, a shepherd and shepherdess, whose life and love were
a favourite Greek story, are about to be crowned by Cupid with a wreath
of myrtle.