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
[Footnote 67: The old painters varied the manner of their
superscriptions, even in the following ages, according to the taste of
the Greeks. _Sebastianus Venetus pingebat a._ 1520; is written upon a
St. Agatha in the Palazzo Pitti; and this corresponds to the EPOIEI,
_faciebat_; by which the Greek sculptors wished to convey, that such
work was not intended to exhibit their last effort; so that they were at
liberty to improve it when they pleased. The subscription of Opus Belli
is obvious, and similar ones, drawn from the ERGON, (for example,)
LUSIPPOU which we see in Maffei. I recount in my fifth book as singular,
the epigraph _Sumus Rogerii manus_; it is, however, derived from the
Greeks, who, for instance, sometimes wrote CHEIR. AMBROSIOU. MONACHOU,
as I read in a Fabrianese church called Della Carità, where there is a
picture of the General Judgment; the figures very small, and highly
finished, upon a large tablet; with, I think, more figures than are seen
in the Paradise of Tintoretto. CHEIR BITORE, was written by Vittor
Carpaccio, under his portrait cited in the index. I omit other forms
better known. That adopted at Trevigi, _Hieronymus Tarvisio_, is very
erudite; and it is imitated from the military _latercoli_, in which,
with the same view, the soldier and his country are named. In short,
where the words _fecit_ or _pinxit_ are not used, the best plan was that
of giving the proper name in the genitive case at the foot of the
picture, as the engravers of Greek gems were wont to do in inscriptions,
as AULOU DIOSKORIDOU, &c.]
[Footnote 68: Pascoli, tom. i. p. 199.]
[Footnote 69: Vasari.]
[Footnote 70: Verona Illustrata, tom. iii. p. 277.]
[Footnote 71: Gloria is a name given in Italy to a representation of the
celestial regions.]
[Footnote 72: Vasari.]
[Footnote 73: In the dictionary of Guarienti, in the article, Gio.
Abeyk, appears an account of a picture of this artist, existing in the
gallery at Dresden, bearing date 1416; a time, says the writer, when he
enjoyed his highest reputation, by painting in his second manner, in
oil. It represents the Virgin in a majestic seat with the divine infant,
who is seen very gracefully receiving an apple from St. Anne, seated on
a couch of straw. The young St. John is seen assisting, and also St.
Joseph, whose countenance represents the portrait of the painter
himself. The introduction of arms shews that the picture must have been
executed for some distinguished person. It is in high preservation, and
is pronounced by Guarienti the miracle of painting, from its display of
extreme diligence, even in the minute furniture, and particularly
because the chamber in which the scene is represented, the couch, the
window, the pavement, executed _a punto alto_, together with the whole
action, are conducted with the most exact rules of perspective.]
[Footnote 74: In 1454 he was in great credit at Perugia. (See Mariotti,
Lett. Perug. p. 133.)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account