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
The artists, educated in the school of Giovanni, who flourished at
Friuli, were two natives of Udine: Giovanni di M. Martino, as he is
entitled in some family documents, and Gio. Martini, by Vasari; and
Martino d'Udine, who in the _Storia Pittorica_, is called Pellegrino di
S. Daniello. The style of the former was harsh and crude, though not
destitute of grace in the countenances and in the colouring. The name of
Pellegrino was bestowed upon the latter by Bellini, in honour of his
rare genius, while the name of the country was attached to him from his
long residence in S. Daniello, a territory not far from Udine. This city
is, nevertheless, the place where he appears to most advantage, in
competition with Giovanni; as the same emulation they had felt while
fellow pupils, continued, as sometimes happens, when they became
masters. In that city appear the labours of each, and more particularly
in the two chapels contiguous to the dome, where the first of them was
employed in the year 1501, the second in 1502. Giovanni, in his
altarpiece of St. Mark, there produced the richest specimen which
appeared from his hand; and Pellegrino left that of his St. Joseph,
preferred by Vasari, in some degree, to the work of Martini. I have seen
the last mentioned picture in oil, faded indeed in colour, and in other
respects defaced; yet still worthy of admiration for its architecture,
which gives a graceful fulness to the whole canvass, and a striking
relief to the three figures, consisting of S. Joseph with the holy child
in his arms, and S. John the Baptist, each of which displays the finest
contours and the best forms. Other specimens of the same pencil are to
be seen in Udine, among which are the SS. Agostino and Girolamo, in the
public council hall, a picture remarkable also for its power of
colouring.
As this artist advanced in age, he improved in the softness of his
tints, as well as in every other quality. The altarpiece at Santa Maria
de' Battuti, which is in Cividale, and represents the Virgin seated
between the four virgins of Aquileja, besides the Saints Batista and
Donato, and a cherub, partakes of Giorgione; it is enumerated among the
rarest paintings of Friuli, and was executed in the year 1529. Yet above
any of his productions, are esteemed those various histories of the life
of our Saviour, painted in fresco at S. Daniele, in the church of S.
Antonio, together with the titular saint, and several other portraits of
the brethren of that chapel, so richly adorned by his hand, all
breathing and glowing proofs of his art. By his means, also, one of the
pictoric schools of Friuli rose into high repute, and will be elsewhere
described.
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