When Guido and Domenichino had each of them painted a picture in the
church of Saint Andrew, Annibal Carrache, their master, was pressed to
declare, or give his opinion, which of his two pupils had excelled. The
picture of Guido represented St. Andrew on his knees before the cross;
that of Domenichino represented the flagellation of the same Apostle.
Both of them in their different kinds were capital pieces, and were
painted in fresco, opposite each other, to eternize, as it were, their
rivalship and contention. ‘Guido,’ said Carrache, ‘has performed as a
master, and Domenichino as a scholar. But,’ added he, ‘the work of the
scholar is more valuable than that of the master.’ In truth, one may
perceive faults in the picture of Domenichino that Guido has avoided;
but then there are noble strokes, not to be found in that of his rival.
It was easy to discern a genius that promised to produce beauties, to
which the sweet, the gentle, and the graceful Guido would never aspire.
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