The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 2 (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. 2 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century
Lanzi, Luigi
Painting -- Italy -- History
Some artists, who resided out of the kingdom, we shall notice in other
schools, and in the Roman School we have already spoken sufficiently of
Conca and Giaquinto; to whom we may add Onofrio Avellino, who resided
some years in Rome, executing commissions for private persons, and
painting in the churches. The vault of S. Francesco di Paola is the
largest work he left. The works of Maja and Campora are to be found in
Genoa, those of Sassi in Milan, and of others of the school of Solimene
in various cities. These artists, it is to be regretted, sometimes
passed the boundaries prescribed by their master. His colouring, though
it might be more true to nature, is yet such as never offends, but
possesses on the contrary a degree of amenity which pleases us. But his
scholars and imitators did not confine themselves within their master's
limits, and it may be asserted, that from no school has the art suffered
more than from them. Florence, Verona, Parma, Bologna, Milan, Turin, in
short, all Italy was infected with their style; and by degrees their
pictures presented so mannered a colouring, that they seemed to abandon
the representation of truth and nature altogether. The habit too of
leaving their pictures unfinished after the manner of Giordano and
Solimene, was by many carried so far, that instead of good paintings,
many credulous buyers have purchased execrable sketches. The imitation
of these two eminent men carried too far, has produced in our own days
pernicious principles, as at an earlier period did the imitation of
Michelangiolo, Tintoretto, and even of Raffaello himself, when carried
to an extreme. The principal and true reason of this deterioration is to
be ascribed generally to the masters of almost all our schools; who,
abandoning the guidance of the ancient masters, endeavoured in their
ignorance to find some new leader, without considering who he might be,
or whither he might lead them. Thus, at every proclamation of new
principles, they and their scholars were ready to follow in their train.
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