Longhi, first instructed by Balestra, and afterwards by Crespi, aimed at pleasing the eye in collections, by those humourous representations of masks, of conversazioni, landscapes, &c. which we find in various noble houses. Angelo Venturini, also a Venetian, is mentioned in the Guida of Zanetti, for his paintings in the church of Gesù e Maria, of which he adorned the ceiling, and various portions of the walls. Another pupil of Balestra's, in Verona, was Carlo Salis, who approached very near his style, more particularly in the handling of his colours. He prosecuted his first studies in Bologna, under Giuseppe dal Sole. Some of his pictures are also to be met with in the state, such as his San Vincenzio, in the act of administering to the sick at Bergamo, a piece finely mellowed, and more than commonly spirited. An artist named Cavalcabò, a native of a district in Roveredo, was instructed by Balestra, and afterwards by Maratta. In the choir of the Carmine at his native place, he left behind him a very beautiful altarpiece, representing the Holy Simone Stoch, with four lateral pieces of great merit. For a more particular account of these and other works by this artist, we may refer the reader to his life, written by the Cavalier Vannetti. The whole of the names, however, we have here mentioned, scarcely excepting that of Balestra himself, have been thrown into the shade by the talent of the Conte Pietro Rotari. He was honoured with the title of painter to her court, by the empress of all the Russias, and in her dominions he closed the period of his days. This very elegant artist, who devoted many years to the art of design, succeeding in attaining a grace of feature, a delicacy of outline, united to a vivacity of motion and expression, and to a natural and easy mode of drapery, that would have left him second to none of his age, had he possessed, in an equal degree of perfection, the art of colouring. But his productions often partake so much of the chiaroscuro, or at least of a strong ash colour, as to render them remarkable among all. Some, indeed, have attributed this defect to want of clearness of sight, while others conjecture it must have been owing to his long practice in design, previous to his attempting colours, in the same manner as Polidoro da Caravaggio and the Cavalier Calabrese are known to have failed as colourists, falling like him into a weak and languid tone. The education he received from Balestra may also have tended to produce it, as both he and the disciples of Maratta were somewhat addicted to a certain duskiness of style, which we may particularly observe in several examples seen at Naples, where he resided for some time. Whatever it be owing to, there still prevails a repose and harmony in that melancholy expression of his colouring, that is far from unpleasing, in particular where he affords somewhat warmer touches to his tints. This he appears to have done in