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
Besides Franceschini and Crespi, many others were educated by Cignani.
Their names have been given by Zannelli, who published their lives; a book
I have vainly endeavoured to obtain while engaged in writing the present
work. By Crespi we have an account of some pupils whom he instructed in
perspective and landscape, as well as in flowers; this skilful preceptor
being accustomed to ascertain the young artists' talents, and confine them
to the inferior, when not competent to the higher branches of art, and even
to direct them to other professions when unequal to these. Such pupils as
he retained, ought not, then, to be lightly contemned, although little
celebrated, either because they died young, were dispersed abroad, or
obscured by brighter names. Among such are Baldassare Bigatti, Domenico
Galeazzi, Pietro Minelli, known in history by a few altar-pieces. Matteo
Zamboni died young, leaving in some private houses a few specimens of his
works, as much in Cignani's style as those of any artist. I am uncertain
what public works he conducted in Bologna; but he acquitted himself well,
for his age, in two histories at S. Niccolo in Rimini; the one representing
St. Benedict, the other S. Pier Celestino. Antonio Castellani is included
by Guarienti in the school of Cignani, though I think by mistake, as he
belongs to that of the Caracci. Not so Giulio Benzi, also mentioned in the
Guide of Bologna, and to be distinguished from the Genoese of that name. I
may observe the same of Guido Signorini, recorded by Crespi, and not to be
confounded with another Guido Signorini, heir to Guido Reni. So far of the
artists of Bologna.
Federigo Bencovich was a foreigner of a Dalmatian family, and I give his
name as he himself wrote it.[51] In the Dictionaries it is spelt Boncorich
and Bendonich; and by Zannelli, Benconich; so that foreigners may be well
excused for often mistaking the names of Italian painters. Federigo,
commonly called in his own time, Federighetto, acquired more of Cignani's
solidity than amenity of style; correct in his design, strong in his
execution, and well informed in the best principles of his art. Some of his
altar-pieces are at Milan, Bologna, and Venice; though most of his
productions adorn collections, even in Germany, where he resided many
years. In that of the Signori Vianelli of Chioggia, mention is made of his
S. Jacopo Sedente; and in another collection, of Count Algarotti, at
Venice, his landscape, with a village girl, to which Piazzetta added
another figure. Occasionally, his manner is somewhat too much loaded with
shadows, but by no means to be pronounced contemptible, as asserted by
Zanetti, (p. 450) in opposition to the opinion of Guarienti.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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