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
We shall next proceed, according to our plan, to treat of certain
painters of landscape, of battle pieces, of perspective, flowers, and
similar subjects. Henry de Bles, a Bohemian, better known under the name
of Civetta, an owl, from the frequent introduction of that bird into his
landscapes, was an artist who resided for a long period in the Venetian
state. Besides his specimens of landscape to be met with in Venice, and
which uniformly present some traces of ancient crudeness, he painted a
Nativity of our Lord, for San Nazaro in Brescia, resembling in its style
of composition the manner of Bassano. Its prevailing tone is
sky-coloured, and in the features of its countenances it partakes of a
foreign expression. I have also seen small pictures from his hand
intended for cabinets, often thronged with minute figures, known by the
name of _Chimere_ and _Stregozzi_, or witch pieces, a kind in which he
was extremely fanciful. But on this head we shall have occasion to
return to him in a short time, and proceed to a Flemish artist, who
flourished, about the beginning of 1600, in the state. His name was
Lodovico Pozzo, or Pozzoserrato, called also da Trevigi, from his long
residence in that city, where he died, leaving it, as Federici relates,
beautifully decorated with specimens of his hand. He excelled in the
representation of distant objects, like his rival Paol Brilli of Venice,
in such as were viewed near; and he is more pleasing and select than the
latter in, his variation of clouds and distinctions of light; while at
the same time he was celebrated for his altarpieces. Subsequent to these
appeared several foreign artists, eminent for their skill in landscape,
in the time of Boschini at Venice, where several specimens of their art
must be still in existence. They were afterwards extolled likewise by
Orlandi. There was a Mr. Filgher, a German, who very happily represented
the different seasons of the year, and even the different lights
throughout the day; a Mons. Giron, a French artist, extremely natural in
all kind of views, both of a terrestrial and aerial character, and a M.
Cusin who imitated the noble manner of Titian in his landscapes, with
much success. Nor ought we to omit Biagio Lombardo, a citizen of Venice,
an artist highly commended by Ridolfi, who declares that he rivalled
both the best Italian and Flemish painters in his landscape. Girolamo
Vernigo, surnamed also da' Paesi, and particularly celebrated in his
native city of Verona, where he fell a victim to the plague in 1630, is
entitled to rank in the same list. Jacopo Maffei succeeded admirably in
his display of incidents at sea, a picture of which kind was engraved by
Boschini. Another artist of the name of Bartolommeo Calomato has been
pointed out to me by his excellency Persico, in his cabinet of medals;
and he ought apparently to be referred to this epoch, judging from his
less vigorous and less refined style, although graceful and lively in
his expression.
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