The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 5 (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. 5 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century
Lanzi, Luigi
Painting -- Italy -- History
His historical pieces are rare; but not so a number of others, containing
one or two half-length figures, and still less his Madonnas. One of the
most beautiful is in the Albani palace, painted for Clement XI., with the
Holy Child; and another, representing her grief, belongs to the Princes
Corsini, extremely graceful, as is also the Angel seen consoling her. It
would be difficult to decide whether he excelled most in oils or in fresco,
which last is the kind of painting in which great artists have ever
distinguished themselves. He spent the closing years of a long life at
Forli, where he established his family, and left the proudest monument of
his genius in that grand cupola, perhaps the most remarkable of all the
pictoric productions belonging to the eighteenth century. The subject is
the Assumption of our Lady, the same as in the cathedral at Parma; and
here, too, as there, it exhibits such a real paradise, that the more we
contemplate it, the more it delights us. Near twenty years were devoted to
its production, from time to time; the artist, occasionally, during that
period, visiting Ravenna, to consult the cupola by Guido, from whom he took
his fine figure of St. Michael, and some other ideas. It is reported that
the scaffolds were, against his wish, removed, as he appeared to be never
satisfied with retouching and bringing the work to his usual degree of
finish.
From these two masters I now proceed to their disciples, and shall annex,
also, a few others, who sprung from other schools. Pasinelli had the good
fortune to inherit, from Canuti, an excellent master, a number of fine
scholars, on the latter quitting Bologna. One of these was Gio. Antonio
Burrini, who, while he retained his first master's manner, became attached,
also, to the composition of Paolo, so much to the taste of Pasinelli.
Indeed, he himself appeared naturally inclined to it, by the richness of
his imagination, and his surprising eagerness and industry in his works. He
devoted much time to Paolo Veronese, at Venice, often imitating him in
those pictures which are referred to his first style. Distinguished among
these is an Epiphany, painted for the noble Ratta family, which yields to
very few pieces in their collection. He subsequently executed a martyrdom
of S. Vittoria for the cathedral of Mirandola, in competition with Gio.
Gioseffo dal Sole; who on beholding it so greatly superior to his own
picture, was bitterly mortified. He was reassured, however, by Pasinelli,
their common master, who predicted he would become a better artist than
Burrini, whose own facility of genius would at length betray him into a
mere practical line. And this prediction was very exactly fulfilled, though
he continued upwards of fifteen years to paint with tolerable care, both
for the Prince of Carignano at Turin, and at Novellara. He in particular
appeared to advantage as a fresco painter at Bologna, being by some termed
the Pier da Cortona, or the Giordano of his school.
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