Boschini, and even of Orlandi, who had bestowed so much commendation
upon his rival. He ranks, in his native province, as high as Salmeggia,
and he certainly appears to have possessed a still more enlarged genius,
more decision, and more talent for extensive works. A pupil of Morone,
the great portrait painter, as we have already mentioned, he evinced a
taste for the Venetian School, attaching himself in particular to Paul
Veronese, in whose style he conducted some of his best productions. He
was ambitious of surpassing him likewise in point of design, which he
assuredly did in his naked figures, exhibiting even the adult form with
a degree of masterly power. He had acquired the best method of painting
in fresco, in his native place, and he succeeded in it admirably, as
appears from the choir of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he represented the
Virgin received into Heaven, a very spirited and varied composition,
abounding with figures of angels and of prophets, truly great; the
distinguishing characteristic, perhaps, of this artist's genius. Nor did
he appear to less advantage in oils, more particularly when the
immediate vicinity of other celebrated painters put his talents to the
test. Of this kind the most successful, perhaps, are his Daniel in the
Lions' Den, and his picture of San Francesco receiving the stigmata,
forming side pictures to one of the best altarpieces by Lorenzo Lotto at
San Spirito; yet they are nevertheless worthy of that distinguished
post. His Crucifixion, between various saints, placed at Santa Lucia,
has been still more highly extolled as one of the finest productions the
city has to boast, and preferred by many judges to any of the
altarpieces of Talpino. I shall abstain from expressing an opinion upon
a subject in which artists themselves would disagree, merely observing
that it is more difficult to meet with inferior or careless pieces from
the hand of Salmeggia than from Cavagna's. He had also a son a painter
of the name of Francesco, called Cavagnuola, who, surviving his father,
acquired some degree of celebrity. He attached himself wholly to the
style of Gianpaolo, as well as certain foreigners sprung from the same
school, such as Girolamo Grifoni, in whose productions we seem to trace
the copy of a copy of the style of Paul. If the artists named Santa
Croce belong to Bergamo, and to one family, as we are informed in the
_Guida_ of Padua, we ought here to insert the name of Pietro Paolo, the
least distinguished among the Santa Croce, but not unworthy of
commemoration for one of his Madonnas at the Arena, and for other
pictures at different churches in Padua, in all of which he appears
attached to the school of Cavagna, or at least to the less mannered
class of the Venetians.
Subsequent to the above two artists, we meet with the name of Francesco
Zucco, a good pupil of the Campi at Verona, and of Moroni at Bergamo.
From this last he acquired the art of giving a singular degree of spirit
to his portraits, and from Paul Veronese the mode of ornamenting them
with most taste and fancy. Even in his larger compositions he sometimes
adhered so closely to the same artist, that several of them were
ascribed even by his fellow citizens to Paul, a circumstance that
occurred to his pictures of the Nativity and of an Epiphany, on the
organ of San Gottardo. He adopted, moreover, a variety of manners,
apparently ambitious of displaying to the public his power of imitating
Cavagna or Talpino, as he pleased. Contemporary with these artists, he
so far rivalled them, (as in his San Diego at Le Grazie, or in the large
altar at the Cappuccine,) as to approve himself worthy of such
emulation. In other works he gives us occasion to wish for a better
union of his colours, in which he cannot be pronounced equal to the
first masters of the school, so admirable in this department.
Subsequent to the year 1627, there was no want of artists of ability at
Bergamo, among whom we may mention a Fabio di Pietro Ronzelli, whose
style, if not sufficiently select and ideal, was at least solid and
robust. To his we may add the name of Carlo Ceresa, an artist of much
study and research, pleasing in his colouring, and having apparently
formed his taste upon the models of the best age, successful in giving
ideal beauty to his countenances. The former of these, most probably the
son of one Piero, known as a good portrait painter, and respectable in
point of composition, painted the Martyrdom of San Alessandro, for the
church of Santa Grata, while the latter added the two side pictures
without the least traces of mannerism. Contemporary with both these,
Domenico Ghislandi distinguished himself as a painter of frescos, more
particularly in architecture. He was the father of Fra Vittore, called
likewise Frate Paolotto, whom we shall have occasion to mention
hereafter. At present it will hardly be desirable that I should extend
my remarks to other names scarcely heard of beyond the limits of their
native province; though in justice to the city I must observe that in
its dearth of native talent, it spared no expense in decorating public
places with the works of the best foreign artists, of every country.
Ample proofs of this liberality may be seen in the cathedral and the
adjacent church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Such are among the advantages
enjoyed by cities, which are equally in possession of taste and of
riches. But when deficient in either of these, they will be compelled to
adopt the plan pursued in rural occupations, where each agriculturist
employs the oxen that belong to his own fields.
Crema, at this period, might pride itself on having produced such an
artist as Carlo Urbini, who, though of limited genius, was very pleasing
skilful in perspective, and equal to grand historical pieces. He had
afforded a specimen of his powers in one of the public halls, in which
he exhibited national battles and victories, besides having employed his
talents in different churches. In ornamenting that of San Domenico,
however, an artist of the name of Uriele, most probably of the Gatti
family at Cremona, was preferred before him, though extremely inferior.
This injustice seemed to alienate his mind from his native place, and he
proceeded to Milan, by whose writers he has been recorded with honour.
Yet his history piece at San Lorenzo, conducted in fresco, seems to
contain rather the seeds than the fruits of noble painting, and he
appears to greater advantage in oil colours, as we gather from his
picture of our Saviour taking leave of his virgin mother previous to his
sufferings, a production ornamenting Santa Maria near San Celso, where
it may compete with the best Lombard masters of that time. Lomazzo makes
mention of him in reference to such as produced pieces most suitable to
the places for which they were intended; an useful practice, familiar to
the old masters, who took care to adapt their pictures, not only to
places, but to household furniture, insomuch that in many of their vases
and drinking cups, which we meet with in the kingdom of Naples, are
represented, for the most part, scenes of festivity, mysteries, and
fables of the Bacchanalian God. Subsequent to him flourished Jacopo
Barbello, whose paintings in various churches at Bergamo are extolled by
Pasta, more particularly in that of San Lazzaro, an altarpiece
representing the titular saint, remarkable no less for its dignity of
design, than for decision of hand. In the series of this school I find
mention of no other artist after him, a school distinguished in its
origin by the name of Polidoro, and afterwards adorned by few but very
select artists.
We shall next proceed, according to our plan, to treat of certain
painters of landscape, of battle pieces, of perspective, flowers, and
similar subjects. Henry de Bles, a Bohemian, better known under the name
of Civetta, an owl, from the frequent introduction of that bird into his
landscapes, was an artist who resided for a long period in the Venetian
state. Besides his specimens of landscape to be met with in Venice, and
which uniformly present some traces of ancient crudeness, he painted a
Nativity of our Lord, for San Nazaro in Brescia, resembling in its style
of composition the manner of Bassano. Its prevailing tone is
sky-coloured, and in the features of its countenances it partakes of a
foreign expression. I have also seen small pictures from his hand
intended for cabinets, often thronged with minute figures, known by the
name of _Chimere_ and _Stregozzi_, or witch pieces, a kind in which he
was extremely fanciful. But on this head we shall have occasion to
return to him in a short time, and proceed to a Flemish artist, who
flourished, about the beginning of 1600, in the state. His name was
Lodovico Pozzo, or Pozzoserrato, called also da Trevigi, from his long
residence in that city, where he died, leaving it, as Federici relates,
beautifully decorated with specimens of his hand. He excelled in the
representation of distant objects, like his rival Paol Brilli of Venice,
in such as were viewed near; and he is more pleasing and select than the
latter in, his variation of clouds and distinctions of light; while at
the same time he was celebrated for his altarpieces. Subsequent to these
appeared several foreign artists, eminent for their skill in landscape,
in the time of Boschini at Venice, where several specimens of their art
must be still in existence. They were afterwards extolled likewise by
Orlandi. There was a Mr. Filgher, a German, who very happily represented
the different seasons of the year, and even the different lights
throughout the day; a Mons. Giron, a French artist, extremely natural in
all kind of views, both of a terrestrial and aerial character, and a M.
Cusin who imitated the noble manner of Titian in his landscapes, with
much success. Nor ought we to omit Biagio Lombardo, a citizen of Venice,
an artist highly commended by Ridolfi, who declares that he rivalled
both the best Italian and Flemish painters in his landscape. Girolamo
Vernigo, surnamed also da' Paesi, and particularly celebrated in his
native city of Verona, where he fell a victim to the plague in 1630, is
entitled to rank in the same list. Jacopo Maffei succeeded admirably in
his display of incidents at sea, a picture of which kind was engraved by
Boschini. Another artist of the name of Bartolommeo Calomato has been
pointed out to me by his excellency Persico, in his cabinet of medals;
and he ought apparently to be referred to this epoch, judging from his
less vigorous and less refined style, although graceful and lively in
his expression. He was remarkable for his small pictures representing
both rural and civic views, along with small figures very animated and
well composed.
A taste for battle pieces had begun to gain ground in this part of Italy
from the time of Borgognone. The first who procured for himself a name
in this branch was Francesco Monti, of Brescia, and a pupil of Ricchi,
as well as of Borgognone himself. He was commonly called II Brescianino
delle Battaglie, the Brescian battle painter, in which line he exercised
his talents in different Italian cities, ultimately establishing himself
at Parma, where he opened a school, and instructed one of his sons in
the same style of painting. He pursued, as far as lay in his power, his
master's example, though he remained much inferior to him in point of
colouring. His productions are not scarce, but in many collections they
do not appear under his name, being frequently attributed to the school
at large of Borgognone. One of his fellow citizens and scholars, called
Fiamminghino, but whose real name was Angiolo Everardi, acquired great
reputation also by his battle scenes, but they are seldom to be met
with, owing to his having died young. Another of his disciples, a native
of Verona, named Lorenzo Comendich, flourished also about the year 1700,
in high repute at Milan. Antonio Calza, a Veronese, is to be referred to
the same period. Being ambitious of representing military actions, he
left the school of Cignani, and transferred his residence to Rome,
where, assisted by Cortesi himself, he met with success. He spent his
time in Tuscany, at Milan, and in particular at Bologna. There we meet
with his pictures pretty abundantly, innumerable copies of them having
been taken by his pupils, who by frequently varying the disposition of
the groups, succeeded in giving a seeming novelty to his pictures. Upon
the authority of the Melchiori MS., I am inclined to add to the list of
good battle painters, Agostino Lamma, a Venetian, who employed himself
for collections; and in that of Sig. Gio. Batista Curti, there is a
piece of his representing the Siege of Vienna, very excellent in point
of taste, modelled according to his custom upon that of Matteo Stom.
Towards the year 1660, when the three artists, Civetta, Bosch, and
Carpioni, had already filled the galleries with that very tasteful class
of pictures called capricci; when Salvator Rosa had produced such
curious examples of his transformations and necromancies; and Brughel,
surnamed _dall'Inferno_, had drawn from the scenes of that abyss, and
from its monsters, a large supply for every capital in Italy; at that
period another artist, Gioseffo Ens, or Enzo, the son of him I have
mentioned in the preface, and father of Daniele, a tolerably good
figurist, was acquiring rapid celebrity in Venice with some highly
imaginative little pictures, partaking in some measure of the style of
the above artists. For the chief part they represent allegorical
fictions, in which are introduced sphinxes, chimerae, and monsters in
grotesque shape; or to speak more correctly, perhaps, extravagances of
imagination quite unauthorized by ancient example, and formed out of the
grotesque union of various parts of different animals, much in the same
manner as they are seen by persons in their delirious dreams. Boschini
adduces an example of this strange poetical folly at page 604, where
Pallas is seen putting to flight a troop of these wild fancies, haunting
an old decayed mansion, buried in fire and smoke, as the symbol of
Virtue dispersing the shades of ignorance and error. In such a career
did Enzo arrive at the honour of being made a Chevalier of the Cross, by
his Holiness Pope Urban VIII. Subsequently, however, he applied himself
with more judgment to the study of truth, and left behind him, in
Venice, several altarpieces, one of which adorning the church of the
Ognissanti is extremely beautiful. I have also noticed in different
collections some burlesques of dwarfs, &c. from the hand of Faustino
Bocchi, a Brescian, and pupil to Fiamminghino. He was admirable in his
portraits of these embryos, as it were, of the human race;
representations by no means displeasing to some of the ancients, and of
which we have examples afforded us in what are termed Etruscan vases. In
the production of fables, in which the dwarfs were to appear as actors,
he displayed the most fanciful combinations, and in the Carrara
collection at Bergamo, there is represented a sacrifice of these
pigmies, and a popular feast in honour of an idol, full of humour, in
which one of them is seen caught in the claws of a crab, while some of
his own party attempt to save him, and his mother hastens, half
distracted, to his relief. In order to convey a better idea of their
size he inserted a small water melon, which appears almost like a
mountain by their side. The design does not seem to differ much from
that of Timanthes, who introduced little satyrs, in the act of measuring
one of the Cyclops' thumbs with their thyrsus, as he lies asleep, to
give a just notion of his bulk. It is to be regretted that Bocchi became
addicted to the sect of the _tenebrosi_, owing to which many of his
labours seem to be fast losing their value.
The same period likewise abounded in painters of flowers and fruits, in
every part of Italy; but I observe that their names are, for the most
part, forgotten, or where they exist in books, are accompanied by no
mention of their works. Fortunately, among the pictures at Rovigo, I
meet with the name of Francesco Mantovano, whether his surname or
patronymic is uncertain, an artist who excelled in similar works about
the time of Borghini; besides those of Antonio Bacci and Antonio Lecchi,
or Lech, both florists, and all mentioned by Martinioni in his
_Additions to Sansovino_. To the number of these add the name of
Marchioni, a native of Rovigo, an artist considered as the Bernasconi of
the Venetian School, from her singular skill in flower painting, though
not equalling the Roman lady in point of celebrity. Their works are to
be seen in some of the collections at Rovigo, which abound also with
many celebrated figure painters, no less of the Venetian than of other
Italian Schools.
Pictures of animals do not seem to have been much in vogue with Venetian
artists about this period, if, indeed, we are not to include Giacomo da
Castello in the Venetian state. From verbal communications I learn that
in collections at Venice he is not at all rare. I have seen only a few
specimens at the Caza Rezzonico, and these consisting of various species
of birds, drawn with great truth and force of colouring, as well as
beautifully disposed. Domenico Maroli, a painter of flocks and herds, as
well as of other rural subjects, was born at Messina, and exercised his
talents in Venice. He was intimate with Boschini, who extolled him as a
new Bassano, and as a specimen of his talents, inserted in his _Carta
del Navegar_ an engraving after one of his designs. It represents a
shepherd with his flocks, figures of cows with a dog, very forcibly and
beautifully drawn; and it is altogether one of the best designs that has
been engraved for that work. There resided also at Venice, where he was
employed in the Casa Sagredo, and in that of Contarini, an artist named
Gio. Fayt di Anversa, who, in addition to his paintings of fruits, and
various rural implements, was esteemed one of the best copyists of
animals, both alive and dead, in which he displayed a very polished,
natural, and novel manner.
Among the perspective pieces of this epoch, ornamenting different
collections, those by Malombra, as I have before stated, have been
particularly commended by Ridolfi. And in architectural views we may
mention Aviani, a native of Vicenza, very superior in this branch, as
well as in sea views and landscapes. He was born during the lifetime of
Palladio, or at least while his school still flourished, and resided in
a city where every street presented specimens of a taste for
architecture. He thus produced pictures of so fine a character, filled
with little figures by Carpioni, under his direction, so extremely
pleasing, that it is surprising he did not acquire equal celebrity with
Viviano and other first rate artists. Probably he did not long flourish,
and then, for the most part, in his native place. In the Foresteria, or
Stranger's Lodge, of the Padri Serviti, are four of his views,
exhibiting temples and other magnificent edifices, while several more
are to be met with in possession of the Marchesi Capra, in the
celebrated Rotunda of Palladio, as well as of other nobles in various
places. He likewise decorated the ceilings, or cupolas of several
churches. Indeed there was then a pretty considerable school established
for this branch of the art in Brescia. Tommaso Sandrino was an artist
who distinguished himself in it, as well as Ottavio Viviani his pupil,
though he displayed a less sound and more loaded style than his master.
Faustino Moretto, belonging to the same state, employed himself more at
Venice than at Brescia. Domenico Bruni was an artist highly extolled by
Orlandi; he exercised his talents at the Carmini, in his native place,
as well as at Venice, along with Giacomo Pedrali, also a Brescian, who
flourished in the time of Boschini. Together with these appeared Bortolo
Ceru, whose scenes have been engraved in aqua fortis by Boschini
himself. Zanetti also records the name of Giuseppe Alabardi, called
Schioppi, and of Giulio Cesare Lombardo, an artist still superior to
him. I might here introduce other artists and architects of the
ornamental class, distinguished in proportion to their antiquity; for
towards the close of the century architectural exhibitions became too
much loaded with vases, figures, and a variety of ornament, which
detracted much from that simplicity of taste so essential in some way
towards the effect of every thing really great or beautiful.
A kind of minor painting is believed to have been introduced at this
epoch, by a priest called Evaristo Baschenis, from Bergamo. He
flourished contemporary with the three great artists, Cavagna,
Salmeggia, and Zucchi; and he appears to have been instructed by one of
these in representing every kind of musical instrument with much nature
and effect. He arranged them upon tables covered with the most beautiful
kinds of cloth, and mingled with them music books, leaves, boxes,
fruits, inkstands, &c., drawn just as they might happen to lie; and from
these objects he composed pictures executed with so much art as quite to
deceive the spectator. Such was their effect, that they are still very
much valued in different collections. There were formerly eight of them
to be seen in the library of San Giorgio, the ingenuity of which has
been highly commended by Zanetti.
[Footnote 77: In the _Memorie Trevigiane_, I find that this artist was
known also at Rome, in the Guide to which place, however, his name is
not to be met with. I have some doubt it may have been confounded with
that of Gio. Carbone. But this last was from S. Severino, and a follower
of Caravaggio; the other a Venetian, attached to Titian; and, in some
pictures he produced at San Niccolo of Trevigi, he subscribes not
_Carbonis_, but _Carboncini opus_.]
[Footnote 78: Let no one, from this instance, altogether condemn the use
of varnishes in the restoration of paintings; for by the application of
mastic, and of gum water, according to all the most recent experiments,
the colour does not suffer. But oil is injurious to ancient paintings,
for the new never becomes incorporated with the old, and, in a short
time, every fresh touch is converted into a stain.]
[Footnote 79: _Quattro-centisti._ Artists of the fourteenth century.]
[Footnote 80: Literally from below to above. Foreshortening on a
ceiling.]
[Footnote 81: Vide pp. 512 and 513.]
[Footnote 82: V. tom. ii. p. 196; and, in the same place, I gave him as
a pupil to Dario Pozzo, on the authority of the Commendatore del Pozzo.
But writers disagree in regard to the chronology of this man; which,
until it be further cleared up, may rest, for me, without this honour.]
[Footnote 83: An account of him may be found, tom. ii. p. 198, and in
the series of painters of the Barocci school.]
[Footnote 84: Melchiori informs me of a pupil of his, unknown to Pozzo,
probably because a non-resident in Verona. This was Father Massimo
Cappucino, a Veronese by birth, and, in the historian's opinion, an
excellent artist. In proof of this, he mentions four large pictures,
placed in the dome of Montagnana, besides several altarpieces,
distributed by him among the churches of his order. Along with this
ecclesiastic I find mention of two contemporary lay brothers, who
assisted him in the art, neither of them unworthy of being placed upon
record. These are Fra Semplice, a native of Verona, and pupil to
Brusasorci, and Fra Santo, of Venice; both of whom were particularly
employed in painting for churches and convents, within the Venetian
territory. Fra Semplice produced also some for Rome. A fine picture of
San Felice, from his hand, placed at Castelfranco, was engraved in
1712.]
[Footnote 85:
Io mi son un che quando
Amore spira noto; ed a quel modo
Che detta dentro vo significando.--_Purg._ C. 24.]
[Footnote 86: Tom. ii. p. 266.]
VENETIAN SCHOOL.
EPOCH IV.
_Of Exotic and New Styles in Venice._