[Footnote 99: I adopt this mode because "little has hitherto been published on the Sicilian School," as the Sig. Hackert observes in his _Memorie de' Pittori Messinesi_. I had not seen that book when I published the former edition of the present work, and I was then desirous that the memoirs of the Sicilian painters should be collected together and given to the public. I rejoice that we have had memoirs presented to us of those of Messina, and that we shall also have those of the Syracusans and others, as the worthy professor gives us reason to hope in the preface to the _Memorie_ before mentioned, which were written by an anonymous writer, and published by Sig. Hackert with his own remarks.] [Footnote 100: The history of the art in Messina enumerates a series of pictures from the year 1267, of which period is the S. Placido of the cathedral, painted by an Antonio d'Antonio. It is supposed that this is a family of painters, which had the surname of Antonj, and that many pictures in S. Francesco, S. Anna, and elsewhere, are by different Antonj, until we come to Salvatore di Antonio, father of the celebrated Antonello di Messina, and himself a master; and there remains by him a S. Francis in the act of receiving the Stigmata, in the church of his name. Thus the genealogy of this Antonello is carried to the before mentioned Antonio di Antonio, and still further by a writer called _il Minacciato_ (Hack. p. 11), although Antonio never, to my knowledge, subscribed himself degli Antonj, having always on his pictures, which I have seen, inscribed his country, instead of his surname, as _Messinensis_, _Messineus_, _Messinæ_.] [Footnote 101: The _Memorie de' Pittori Messinesi_ assert, that at Rome he was attracted by the fame of the works of Masaccio, and that he there also designed all the ancient statues. They add, too, that he arrived at such celebrity, that his works are equal to those of the best masters of his time. I imagine it must be meant to allude to those who preceded Pietro Perugino, Francia, Gio. Bellini, and Mantegna; as his works will not bear any comparison with those of the latter masters.] [Footnote 102: In the first epoch of the Venetian School.] [Footnote 103: The following inscription, composed at the instance of the Venetian painters, is found in Ridolfi, p. 49. "_Antonius pictor, præcipuum Messanæ suæ et totius Siciliæ ornamentum hâc humo contegitur: non solum suis picturis, in quibus singulare artificium et venustas fuit: sed et quod coloribus oleo miscendis splendorem et perpetuitatem_ PRIMUS ITALIÆ PICTURÆ _contulit, summo_ SEMPER _artificum studio celebratus._"]