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
Further, among the scholars of Parma, there remain several who acquired
less fame. A Daniello de Por is mentioned by Vasari in his life of Taddeo
Zuccaro, who, according to his account, received some assistance from
Daniello, more in the way of instructions than example. Yet he records no
other of his productions besides a piece in fresco, to be seen at Vito,
near Sora, where he invited Zuccaro to join him as an assistant; nor does
it appear that he commends him for any thing beyond having acquired from
Coreggio and Parmigianino a tolerable degree of softness of manner. In fact
he must have rather occupied the place of a journeyman than of an assistant
of Coreggio, and I suspect he is the same from whom Vasari obtained some
information respecting this artist, in particular, such as related to his
avarice, which the historian had assuredly no reason either for
disbelieving or inventing. But a superior pupil of the same school will be
found in M. Torelli, called a native of Milan in the MS. of Resta, where he
is mentioned as the companion of Rondani, in executing the Frieze at San
Giovanni in Parma, painted in chiaroscuro. It was taken from the design of
Coreggio, who received likewise the proceeds from the work. It is added by
Ratti, that the first cloister of the same monastery was also adorned with
singular felicity by the same hand.
The names of the following artists all enjoy more or less celebrity in
Italy at the present day; but it is not therefore certain that they were
all the pupils of Coreggio, nor that they all observed the same manner.
Like young swimmers, some of them seem cautious of leaving the side of
their master, while others appear fearful only of being seen to approach
him too nearly, as if proud of the skill they had already acquired. To the
first class belongs Rondani, who was employed along with Coreggio at the
church of S. Giovanni, and to him is chiefly attributed a grotesque
contained in the monastery, assigned to the school of Antonio, though we
may detect some figures of cherubs which appear from the master's hand. Yet
Rondani was accustomed to imitate his master pretty accurately in his
individual figures; and on the exterior of the church of S. Maria
Maddalena, he drew a Madonna, that in want of historical evidence, might
have been attributed to Coreggio. There is also an altar-piece at the
Eremitani, representing saints Agostino and Geronimo, so much in the
Coreggio manner as to be esteemed one of the best pictures in Parma. But
Rondani was unable to reach the grandeur of the head of the school; he is
accused on the other hand of having been too careful and minute in the
accessaries of his art, which we gather, indeed, from one of his frescos in
a chapel of the cathedral, and in general from his other works. They are
rarely to be met with in collections, though I have seen one of his
Madonnas, with a Child, in possession of the Marchesi Scarani at Bologna,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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