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 shortness of their career interrupted the fame of two other
Venetians, both dying young, after having given the most astonishing and
lively promise of future distinction. The name of one was Lorenzino, who
produced, at SS. Giovanni and Paolo, several finely designed ornaments
over a tomb, with two noble figures of Virtues, still highly esteemed
for their symmetry, their attitude, and their colouring. The other was
Natalino da Murano, as excellent in portrait as any other of the fellow
pupils of his time, as well as a good composer in pictures for private
ornament, from which Venetian dealers reaped greater profit than the
artist. One of his Magdalens, which, in spite of frequent retouches,
preserved much of the Titian manner, was put up to sale in Udine, where
I saw it; and after some difficulty deciphered his name and the date of
1558, in very faint characters. There was likewise one Polidoro, a
Venetian, who supplied the shops to abundance with specimens of his
sacred figures. He appears, for the most part, a feeble disciple of
Titian; one who made a trade of his profession. To judge from an
altarpiece preserved at the Servi, and some other pictures in Venice, we
may pronounce him a tolerably good composer, though he never
distinguished himself much in the rank of his contemporaries. Yet when
the great school declined, his labours, such as they were, acquired more
esteem, and were exhibited in the studios of those artists, much in the
same manner as sculptors are accustomed to collect specimens of ancient
marbles, however inferior, as advantageous in the pursuit of their art.
Such is the influence of a great master's reputation, and the maxims of
a flourishing epoch, in the estimation of an artist's merit. Doubts have
been started as to his real name, although in the Necrologio of S.
Pantaleone he is expressly called _Polidoro Pittore_. This supposition
appears to have arisen from a little oblong painting, in the style of
Polidoro's Madonnas, preserved by the noble Casa Pisani, where is formed
so valuable a collection of monuments and books. The painter's name
affixed to it, is "_Gregorius Porideus_;" but whatever resemblance we
trace in the two names, it is not sufficient to mark Polidoro for the
author of that piece, most probably the production of one of Titian's
imitators, whose name is fallen with many others of an inferior class,
into oblivion. We must not, however, include that of Gio. Silvio, a
Venetian, which, omitted in the history of his native place, still
vindicates its title to notice, by numerous works dispersed throughout
the state of Trevigi, and a very elegant altarpiece, executed for the
collegiate church of Piove di Sacco, a municipality of the Padovano. It
represents San Martino in his episcopal chair, between the two Apostles
Peter and Paul; three angels form the accessaries, two in the act of
raising his pastoral staff, and the third playing upon a harp, at the
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