In Bernardino Luini (1475?-1533?) we have a lyrical artist. He is said
to have been a pupil of one Stefano Scotto, but he was deeply impressed
by the art of Borgognone, and early in the sixteenth century came under
the influence of Leonardo. Indeed, it was almost impossible at that
period of Milanese art for a painter in that school to resist the style
of Leonardo. Although Luini’s works are reminiscent of the greater
master, he strove after originality; he was an industrious painter
rather than an artist of genius. Luini is never very emotional, never
passionate, never dramatic. His figures are characterised by sweetness
and grace; his types are refined but insipid and are apt to become
monotonous. It is as a painter of frescoes that he succeeds best, and
the Louvre is fortunate in possessing several of his works in that
medium. The best are a _Nativity_ (No. 1359), and an _Adoration of the
Magi_ (No. 1360). The _Head of Christ_ (No. 1361) is inscribed:
POSCE NE DUBITA QUOD
QUODCV̄ PATRI IN NOMINE MEᵒ
PETIERIS FIET TIBI.
They were acquired in 1867 from the collection of the Duke Antonio
Litta Visconti Arese, of Milan. The Louvre also contains fragments of
large fresco paintings of the _Forge of Vulcan_ (No. 1356), a _Child
Seated_ (No. 1357), and a _Child Kneeling_ (No. 1358). They form part
of the series, which is now preserved in Milan, but formerly decorated
the Villa Pelucca near Monza; they were removed from there in 1817.
These three fragments have been transferred from plaster to canvas or
panel. The four frescoes (Nos. 1362-1365) are by a pupil. The art of
Luini as a painter on panel is seen to advantage in the _Holy Family_
(No. 1353), the _Virgin and the Infant Christ_ (No. 1354), and _Salome
receiving the Head of St. John the Baptist_ (No. 1355).
The arrival of Leonardo da Vinci, when little over thirty years of age,
at the court of Lodovico Sforza at Milan revolutionised art in that
city. The exquisite rhythm and balance and the remarkable gestures and
facial expression seen in his _Last Supper_ must have made a profound
impression on all the Milanese, people and painters alike. Not having
been educated in the profound principles that gradually built up the
school of Florence, whence the great painter came, the majority of the
native artists were so overcome by his power that in time they became
enslaved by the magic of his brush.
Ambrogio da Predis (1455?-1506?), who worked as Leonardo’s assistant
on the National Gallery’s replica of the _Virgin of the Rocks_ in this
collection (No. 1599), is not represented here. Another assistant
and pupil of Leonardo was Bernardino de’ Conti. As we have seen, he
may be the painter of the _Profile Portrait of a Lady_—or _La Belle
Ferronnière_ (No. 1605)—which is officially regarded as being of the
“School of Leonardo.” A similar attribution is also given to the
_Madonna of the Scales_ (No. 1604), which should rather be assigned
to Cesare da Sesto (1477-1523), a sickly and insipid imitator of
the master. Another of Leonardo’s imitators was Marco d’Oggiono
(1470?-1540). His copy of Leonardo’s _Last Supper_ (No. 1603) is
perhaps of greater interest than his own _Holy Family_ (No. 1382) and
_Madonna and Child_ (No. 1382A).
One of the more original of the imitators of Leonardo was Boltraffio
(1467-1516), whose _Madonna of the Casio Family_ (No. 1169) was
formerly in the Milan Gallery, where any picture containing a portrait
of that poet might reasonably have been expected to remain. This
picture is the painter’s masterpiece.