PART II. SHORT LIVES OF THE PRINCIPAL PAINTERS OF NORTH ITALY. (Chiefly Venetian.) "Tis with our judgments, as our watches, none EXPLANATION : THE (ninety) short biographies of the chief Italian painters represented in Venice are arranged alphabetically, according to the names by which they are most generally known; for example, TITIAN in place of Vecelli, TINTORETTO instead of Robusti, etc. Their family names, or other appellations, are given under the commonly used name, and cross references to these names are inserted where necessary. Under the name of each artist are the school to which he belonged and the date of his birth and death. The less important painters are noted in the description of the Academy, preceding the account of their pictures. The dates given differ in some cases from those in previous works on the subject, as careful searches of documents relating to Italian art history have corrected the dates of many painters' lives. Italian proper names and words are generally accented on the next to the last syllable, but where this is not the case an accent is employed, as, for example, Garófalo, Palma Gióvane. All vowels are always pronounced in Italian, but the Venetians often elide the final vowel and soften the g and j to z, etc. ; thus Giovanni becomes "Zuan" in the Venetian dialect. At the end of quotations, the letters "C. & C. " stand for Crowe and Cavaleaselle; the names of other authors are given in full. The abbreviations used are: ALIENSE Aliense was born on the island of Milo, of Greek parents, and went to Venice when young. Lanzi says that Paolo Veronese dismissed him from his studio on account of jealousy, advising him to confine himself to small pictures. He studied casts of the antique, modelled in wax, and copied Tintoretto with so much assiduity as entirely to forget what he had learnt from Paolo Veronese. Aliense was misled by the innovations of the "mannerists." By attaching himself to Girólamo Campagna, an architect of great influence, he obtained many commissions both for palaces and churches in Venice. With Tintoretto he assisted in the decorations made for the entry of Henry III. into Venice. Some of his best works are in the "Sala dello Scrutinio." ANTONELLO DA MESSINA Ven., c. 1444-c. 1493. Vasari's account of Antonello is quite inaccurate, and many statements that he made about this painter have since been proved to be unfounded. He probably never visited Flanders, and certainly never had a quarrel with Andréa del Castagno (who died in 1457). Antonello was the son of Salvadoro d'António, a painter of Messina, and he probably acquired the rudiments of his art in Sicily. The date of his birth is now placed at about 1444 (not in 1414, as given by Vasari).1 Antonello resided for a time in Naples, where, it is said, he saw some paintings in oil by Jan van Eyck, which so excited his curiosity that he went to Flanders to acquire the art, then little, if at all, known in Italy; but it is more probable that he learnt how to use the oil medium from Flemish artists in Italy." His earliest authentic picture is dated 1465,3 and he could not have known Van Eyck, who died three years before he was born. It is popularly supposed that Antonello introduced the art of oil painting into Italy when he went to Venice in 1473; but it was not a secret then, and Giov. Bellini (then a man verging on fifty) did not obtain it by the ruse of having Antonello paint his portrait in oil, as the legend states, though he may have acquired the art from him in some more honourable manner. After revisiting Messina Antonello settled in Venice, where he passed the remainder of his life. His knowledge of the method of finishing with glazes of oil pictures with a tempera ground-a method not then practised in Venice-no doubt gave him a greater importance in the esteem of the Venetians than his artistic endow 1 See Morelli, also Milanesi's note in Sansoni's " Vasari," ii. 568. 2 See account of Oil Painting, p. xxii. 3 The "Salvator Mundi" in the National Gallery, London. ments really warranted. Albrecht Dürer, who visited Venice for the first time in 1494, when Antonello had just died, does not once mention him in his letters or notes, which omission would imply that Antonello could not have held the high position in the art world of Italy that Vasari claims for him. "As a colourist Antonello had few equals " (Layard); but his reputation as a painter is really due to the influence that the works of the Vivarini, the Bellini, and Carpáccio had upon him. ANTÓNIO DA MURANO. See VIVARINI. ANTÓNIO VENEZIANO (António Francisci de Venetis). A Venetian painter who, according to Vasari, went to Florence and became the pupil of Angelo Gaddi. He painted a number of works there, and frescoes in the Campo Santo at Pisa. There are few paintings by him in Venice. ANTÓNIO BADILE. Ven., 1517-1560. António Badile ("Pick-axe ") was born at Verona, and belonged to a family of painters of inferior merit. His importance chiefly lies in the fact that he was the master of Paolo Veronese. ANTÓNIO BALESTRA. Ven., 1666-1740. Balestra ("Cross-bow") was born in Verona, and received his first instruction from Giov. Zébbio, but when twenty-one he went to Venice and became the pupil of Bellucci. He visited Bologna and Rome, and in the latter city he attended the school of Carlo Maratta, whom he imitated. He subsequently resided for many years in Venice. He tried to select the best points from every school, and though taught in Venice, there is nothing particularly Venetian about his style. There are a number of pictures by Balestra in the churches of Venice. BARBARELLI. See GIORGIONE. JACOPO DE' BÁRBARI (or Di Barbarino Jacob Walch). Ven., c. 1440-50-c. 1515. There has been much doubt as to the history of this artist, but it is now fairly well authenticated that he was a Venetian calling himself De' Bárbari, from the patrician family whose patronage he enjoyed. He was born in Venice about 1440-50, and died at Brussels about 1515. About 1490 he went to Nüremberg to learn engraving, where he influenced A. Dürer considerably, and he does not appear to have returned to Venice for any length of time. In Germany he was known as Jacob Walch (i.e. "Wälsche," "The In his early works he was influenced by Giov. Bellini and Antonello da Messina; but his style is more German than Italian. As a painter he deserves to be better known. There are certain characteristics in his works which may easily be seen, such as a slightly open mouth, an overhanging eyelid, the drapery falling in straight folds, and good colour. MARCO BASÁITI. Ven., c. 1490-1527. 'Basáiti was born of Greek parents who settled in Venice, and is believed to have been the assistant of Alvisi Vivarini (c. 1503), whose style he followed in the early part of his career. His later works show the influence of Palma Vécchio, Giov. Bellini, and in some cases of Carpáccio. He was a brilliant colourist, and especially successful in landscape backgrounds. Little is known of his life. "His treatment, both of form and character, was meagre and dry; still he brought the technique of oil painting to great perfection; his colour is amazingly pure, and the details admirably finished." (Woltmann.) LAZZARO BASTIANI (Or SEBASTIANI). Ven., c. 1450-c. 1508. He is supposed to have been a native of Padua, but settled in Venice in 1470. He was a pupil of Alvise Vivarini, and came under the influence of Giov. Bellini as his master did. Not much is known of his life, except that in 1470 he was an honoured member of the college of San Girólamo, Venice, and in 1508 he was chosen by Bellini to value the frescoes by Giorgione on the Fondaco de' Tedeschi. His works, which are rare, are often under other names. THE BASSANI. JACOPO BASSANO (Jacopo, or Giácomo, da Ponte). Ven., 1510-1592. There were six painters of the North Italian family of Da Ponte, commonly called BASSANO. Jacopo ("Il Bassano ") was the son of the elder Francesco, a follower of the Bellini, who established himself at Bassano. He first studied with his father, and afterwards with Bonifazio I. at Venice. In his later works Jacopo was greatly influenced by Titian. He returned to his native town, and with his four sons, Francesco, Giov. Battista, Leandro, and Girólamo, set up a manufactory of pictures, which were sold in the fairs of the neighbouring cities, and became popular over all the north of Italy. They were among the earliest painters of the genre style; they treated sacred subjects in a homely, familiar manner, which pleased the people, and at the same time spread over their works a peculiar gem-like radiance of colour which fascinates even judges of art. Jacopo's knowledge of the nude and of design was small, and his ideas were limited, but he painted with much assiduity. He had a great predilection for depicting animal life. A peculiar feature by which Bassano and his school may be known is the intentional hiding of the feet, for which purpose household utensils were introduced. The chief interest of the works of Jacopo Bassano consists in the colouring, which is generally very brilliant, and he often cast over his landscapes a subdued half-tint, which is very attractive. Francesco and Leandro were his most talented sons, but they never equalled their father, while Giov. Battista and Girólamo were merely copyists of his pictures. FRANCESCO BASSANO. Ven., 1549-1592. Francesco was the eldest son of Jacopo (da Ponte) and his best pupil. He went to Venice, where he was employed in decorations of the Doges' Palace. He committed suicide during a hypochondriacal attack. His works are less vigorous than those of his father, whom he imitated. LEANDRO BASSANO. Ven., 1558-1623. Leandro was the third son of Jacopo (da Ponte) Bassano, and received his instruction from him. In 1594 he established himself in Venice, where, for his excellence in portrait-painting, he was made a Chevalier of San Marco by the Doge Grimani. As a painter he occupies about the same rank as his brother Francesco, inferior to his father, and inclined to the mannerism of the age. His copies of his father's works were so good that they were frequently sold as originals, hence the great number under Jacopo's name. FRANCESCO BECCARUZZI. Ven. c. 1500-c. 1550. Born at or near Conegliano, he was probably a pupil of Pordenone, whom he imitated. He had some reputation as a painter both in oil and fresco. Some of his works have been erroneously assigned to Giorgione. In his sketchy treatment he shows very plainly the decline of the Venetian school. The particulars of his life are obscure. |