The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 1 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth CenturyLanzi, Luigi
History
The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 1 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century
Lanzi, Luigi
Painting -- Italy -- History
We learn from history[66] that Antonio educated in Paolo Uccello, a
great artist in perspective; and in Gherardo Starnina, a master in the
gay style, of whom there are yet some remnants, in a chapel of the
church of Santa Croce. They are among the last efforts of the school of
Giotto, which succeeding artists abandoned, to adopt a better manner.
One exception occurs in Antonio Vite, who executed some works in the old
style, in Pistoia, his native city, and in Pisa. I may here observe,
that Starnina and Dello Fiorentino shortly after introduced the new
Italian manner in the court of Spain, and returned to Florence with
honour and with affluence. The first remained to enjoy them in his
native country, until the time of his death: the latter returned back to
increase them; and, according to Vasari, he left no public work in
Florence, except an historic design of Isaac, in green earth, in a
cloister of the church of S. Maria Novella: perhaps he ought to have
said, that he left various works, for several are there visible, all in
the same taste, and so rude, as to induce us to reckon him rather a
follower of Buffalmacco than of Giotto. But he excelled in small pieces;
and there was none then living who could more elegantly ornament
cabinets, coffers, the backs of couches, or other household furniture,
with subjects from history and fable.
Among the disciples of Taddeo Gaddi I have named Jacopo del Casentino,
of whom there are some remains in the church of Orsanmichele. Jacopo
taught Spinello Aretino, a man of a most lively fancy, as may be
gathered from some of his pictures in Arezzo, no less than from his
life. He painted also at Florence, and was one of those who had the
honour of ornamenting the Campo Santo of Pisa with historical paintings.
His pictures of the martyrs S. Petito and S. Epiro, are noticed by
Vasari as his best performances. He was, however, inferior to his
competitors by the meanness of his design, and the style of his
colouring, in which green and black are predominant, without being
sufficiently relieved by other colours. The fall of the angels still
remains in S. Angelo at Arezzo, in which Lucifer is represented so
terrible, that it afterwards haunted the dreams of the artist, and,
deranging both his mind and body, hastened his death. Bernardo Daddi was
his scholar; a man less known in his own country than at Florence, where
he executed a picture, seen on the gate of San Giorgio (See Moreni, lib.
v. p. 5.); as was also Parri, the son of Spinello, who modernised his
style somewhat on the manner of Masolino. The latter excelled in the art
of colouring, but he was barbarous in the drawing of his figures, which
he made extravagantly long and bending, in order, as he was used to say,
to give them greater spirit. One may see some remains of them at Arezzo
in S. Domenico, and other places. Lorenzo di Bicci of Florence, another
scholar of Spinello, was the Vasari of his time, for the multiplicity,
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