_Martino da Udine_ (Venetian: 1470-1547).
Martino of Udine was called also Pellegrino of San Daniele (a
village near the former place). According to Vasari, he was a
pupil of Giovanni Bellini, who, astonished at the marvellous
progress of his pupil, gave him the name of Pellegrino--that
is, rare, extraordinary. More probably, however, it should
be interpreted merely as a stranger or foreigner at Udine,
Martino being of Dalmatian origin (see for a full account and
discussion of this painter Morelli's _German Galleries_, pp.
18-23). He was, says Sir F. Burton, "one of those men who,
with little native genius, have yet the capacity of absorbing
material from others, and of working it into new forms with
success. Thus Pellegrino turned out some works which, while
they carry the foreign stamp of Giorgione, Titian, Pordenone,
or other great contemporaries, nevertheless show considerable
freshness of conception and treatment." His altar-piece, of
1494, in the church of Osopo, shows the influence of Cima da
Conegliano. From 1504 to 1512 he was frequently at Ferrara
working for the Duke Alfonso. In 1519-1521 he painted a part
of the choir of S. Antonio at S. Daniele (the earlier part
was painted in 1497); in this, his best work, he appears as
an imitator not only of Pordenone but of Romanino. In 1526 he
went, apparently for the first time, to Venice, there to buy
colours for a large picture which he had engaged to paint for
the church of Cividale: that picture shows his study of Palma.
Pellegrino combined with painting the business of a timber
merchant. "That so mediocre a painter as Pellegrino should have
attained high honour in Friuli need," says Morelli, "surprise
no one who knows the other painters of that little country.
The value of anything in the world is comparative. The Friulan
race never manifested the same talent for art as, for instance,
their neighbours of Treviso."
On the right of the throne is St. James, with his hand on the shoulder
of the donor of the picture; on the left St. George, with the dead
dragon at his horse's feet.