Giordano may be said to have been born with a pencil in his hand, and by
constant practice, added to a natural quickness, he acquired that
extraordinary facility of hand which, while in his subsequent career, it
tended to corrupt art, materially aided his fame and success. He was
also indefatigable in his application. Bellori says, "he made twelve
different designs of the Loggia and paintings by Raffaelle in the
Vatican; and twenty after the Battle of Constantine by Giulio Romano,
besides many after Michael Angelo, Polidoro da Caravaggio, and others.
The demand for his drawings and sketches was so great, that Luca, when
obliged to take refreshments, did not retire from his work, but gaping
like a young bird, gave notice to his father of the calls of nature,
who, always on the watch, instantly supplied him with food, at the same
time repeating, _Luca, fa presto_. The only principle which his father
instilled into his mind was despatch." Probably no artist, not even
Tintoretto, produced so many pictures as Giordano. Lanzi says, "his
facility was not derived wholly from a rapidity of pencil, but was aided
by the quickness of his imagination, which enabled him clearly to
perceive, from the commencement of the work, the result he intended,
without hesitating to consider the component parts, or doubling,
proving, and selecting, like other painters." Hence Giordano was also
called, _Il proteo della pittura_, and _Il Falmine della pittura_--the
Proteus, and the Lightning of painting. As an instance of the latter, it
is recorded that he painted a picture while his guests were waiting for
dinner.