The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 4 (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. 4 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century
Lanzi, Luigi
Painting -- Italy -- History
If we examine into further particulars of his style, we shall find
Ferrari's warm and lively colouring so superior to that of the Milanese
artists of his day, that there is no difficulty in recognizing it in the
churches where he painted; the eye of the spectator is directly attracted
towards it; his carnations are natural, and varied according to the
subjects; his draperies display much fancy and originality, as varied as
the art varies its draperies; with middle tints, blended so skilfully as to
equal the most beautiful produced by any other artist. And if we may so
say, he represented the minds even better than the forms of his subjects.
He particularly studied this branch of the art, and we seldom observe more
marked attitudes or more expressive countenances. Where he adds landscape
or architecture to his figures, the former chiefly consists of very
fanciful views of cliffs and rocks, which are calculated to charm by their
novelty; while his edifices are conducted on the principles of the best
perspective. As Lomazzo, however, has dwelt so much at length on his
admirable skill both in painting and modelling, it would be idle to insist
upon it further. But I ought to add, that it is a great reflection upon
Vasari that he did not better know, or better estimate such an artist; so
that foreigners, who form their opinions only from history, are left
unacquainted with his merit, and have uniformly neglected to do him justice
in their writings.
Ferrari's disciples for a long period maintained the manner of their
master, the first in succession with more fidelity than the second class,
and the second than the third. The chief part were more eager to imitate
his expression and his facility than the elegance of his design and
colouring, even so far as to fall into the bordering errors of negligence
and of caricature. The less celebrated scholars of Gaudenzio were Antonio
Lanetti da Bugnato, of whom I know of no remaining genuine production;
Fermo Stella da Caravaggio, and Giulio Cesare Luini Valsesiano, who are
still to be met with in some of the chapels at Varallo. Lomazzo, in the
thirty-seventh chapter of his Treatise, besides Lanino, to come shortly
under consideration, mentions, as imitators of Gaudenzio, Bernardo Ferrari
of Vigevano, where two sides of the cathedral organ are painted by his
hand; and Andrea Solari, or del Gobbo, or Milanese, as he is called by
Vasari at the close of his life of Coreggio, in whose age he flourished. He
says he was "a very excellent and beautiful painter, and attached to the
labours of the art," adducing some of his pictures in private, and an
Assumption at the Certosa in Pavia, in which Torre (p. 138) gives him
Salaino as a companion. His two most distinguished pupils were Gio. Batista
della Cerva and Bernardino Lanino, from whom sprung two branches of the
same school, the Milanese and that of Vercelli.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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