The foundations of the art of Verona were laid in Paduan soil by
Altichieri, who initiated the school of Verona. Veronese art early
found expression in the naive pictorial and mediæval style practised
by the medallist-painter Antonio Pisanello (1397-1455), whose name
appears to have been an endearing diminutive. He was a follower, if
not a pupil, of Altichieri. The frequency with which he signed himself
“PICTOR” on his medals leads one to suppose that he looked upon himself
as a painter first and foremost, and contemporary records seem to
confirm this. His art was so highly reputed in Northern Italy that
the Venetians thought it advisable to invite him to Venice in 1421 to
assist Gentile da Fabriano in painting frescoes, now destroyed, in the
Doge’s Palace.
Jacopo Bellini also worked at Verona. He is known to have painted
a picture of the _Crucifixion_ for the Chapel of S. Niccolò in the
Cathedral at Verona in 1436, but, after exercising considerable
influence on the art of Northern Italy, it was in 1759 hewn down by a
Canon with a view to beautifying the chapel!
Unfortunately, there are only two frescoes from the hand of Pisanello
at Verona, while no more than four authentic easel paintings by him
are known to exist, two of them being in the National Gallery. He is
known to have travelled extensively in Italy, and to have worked also
at Mantua, Ferrara, and Rimini. The traditions of mediæval chivalry and
the pictorial parade of pomp and mundane realism which are reflected in
his work show that his contemporaries were justified in the high esteem
in which they held him.
Pisanello’s love of depicting birds and animals is shown in his two
pictures in the National Gallery, but in the _Portrait of a Princess
of the Este Family_ (No. 1422A, or No. 1422 _Bis_) he is shown to have
been a lover of flowers also. This small panel was formerly attributed
to Piero dei Franceschi, the Umbrian artist. For many years it hung
among the Drawings, being apparently considered unworthy of a place in
its proper environment, among the Italian primitive paintings, where
it is now hung. It was purchased in 1893 out of the Felix Bamberg
collection. The lady is seen in profile to the left. Her hair is
dressed according to the fashion of the period, the front hair being
plucked out to render the forehead round and high, while the nape of
her neck for the same reason is hairless. She wears a white dress
with loose-falling red sleeves; a sprig of juniper (_ginevra_) is let
into her dress just above the left shoulder. It has been assumed from
this that we here have a _Portrait of Ginevra d’Este_. She was the
daughter of Niccolò II. d’Este by his second wife, the infamous and
ill-treated Parisina Malatesta, who was decapitated in 1425. Ginevra
(1419-1440) became the wife of Sigismondo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, in
1433, and died three years later. The background is composed of pinks
and columbines, among which fly four highly decorative butterflies.
The embroidery on the left sleeve of the dress is patterned with the
_impresa_ of a crystal vase set round with pearls. It is interesting
to note that Ginevra’s husband, Sigismondo, is probably the Donor in
the _Madonna and Child and a Kneeling Donor_ (No. 1159A or No. 1279)
by Jacopo Bellini which hangs next to it on the left. The only other
painted portrait by Pisanello known is the later, and larger, one of
Leonello d’Este in the Bergamo Gallery.
Bono da Ferrara (fl. 1450-1461) was a pupil of Pisanello, and Oriolo
(fl. 1450) was a follower of his; their pictures are extremely rare.
The Louvre contains no picture by Liberale da Verona (1451-1536),
a master who had many pupils, among whom may be included Girolamo
dai Libri (1474-1556) and Francesco Caroto (1470-1546). The _Madonna
and Child and St. John the Baptist_ (No. 1318), which is officially
catalogued under the name of Girolamo, has long been held to be by
Caroto.
Domenico Brusasorci (“The Rat-burner”) (1494-1567) was the father of
Felice Riccio and a pupil of Caroto. He has been claimed as the author
of the _Madonna and St. Martina_ (No. 1163), which passes in the
Catalogue as being by the very late Roman painter Pietro Berretini da
Cortona (1596-1669). Other versions of this composition, representing
St. Martina triumphing over the Idols, are known. A large number of the
prominent Veronese painters are unrepresented in this collection, but
the influence of Liberale is frequently seen. The _Council of Trent_
(No. 1586) may be assigned to Paolo Farinati, although it is regarded
by the authorities as coming from the hand of Titian. By the time that
Farinati died, art in Verona had passed into decline.
One of the most decorative painters in Italy in the sixteenth century
was Paolo Veronese, who although a native of Verona spent the best
years of his life in Venice. He is usually included among the artists
of Venice.