The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 3 (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. 3 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century
Lanzi, Luigi
Painting -- Italy -- History
Next to this artist, according to Ridolfo and Zanetti, are to be
enumerated Giovanni and Antonio Vivarini, who flourished about the year
1440. The authority they adduce for this, is an altarpiece in San
Pantaleone, which bears the inscription of _Zuane e Antonio da Muran
pense 1444_. But this Giovanni,[16] if I mistake not, is the same who
signs his name on another picture in Venice, _Joannes de Alemania et
Antonius de Muriano pinxit_; or as it is thus written in Padua, _Antonio
de Muran e Zohan Alamanus pinxit_. Giovanni, therefore, was a companion
of Antonio, a German by birth; and traces of a foreign style are clearly
perceptible in his paintings. The reason of his omitting to insert his
birthplace in the picture at San Pantaleone, arose, I suspect, from the
fact of his name and acquaintance with Antonio being too well known to
admit of doubt. After the year 1447 there is no more mention made of
Giovanni, but only of Antonio; sometimes alone, sometimes together with
some other of the Vivarini. Thus, his name is subscribed alone in San
Antonio Abate di Pesaro, upon an altarpiece of the titular saint,
surrounded by the figures of three young martyrs, with some smaller
paintings attached; the production of a very animated colourist, and
displaying forms inferior to none in the school of Murano. I have seen
two other specimens, in which he is mentioned together with a second
Vivarino. The least excellent of these is to be found in San Francesco
Grande, at Padua, consisting of a Madonna, with some saints, in various
compartments; and, at the foot of it, is the following memorandum, _Anno
1451, Antonius et Bartholomeus fratres de Murano pinxerunt hoc opus_.
Similar to this, the two brothers had produced another the year
preceding, in the Certosa of Bologna, where it is still in a high state
of preservation, beyond any other specimen I have seen belonging to this
family. There is much worthy of commendation in each figure of the whole
piece; features dignified and devout; appropriate dresses; care in the
disposition of the hair and beards, united to a colouring warm and
brilliant.
According to what appears, Bartolommeo must have been held of less
account than Antonio, until the discovery of painting in oil being
introduced into Venice, he became one among the first to profit by it,
and, towards the period in which the two Bellini appeared, was held in
pretty high repute.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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