the latter also in altar-pieces. Some other Flemish artists must have resided there a shorter time, by whom I have seen in some palaces pictures of large size, and to all appearance painted on the spot; and these I regard as additional aids to a school that benefited at that time more from example than from instruction. Footnote 68: In the Dictionary of the Artists of Urbino the existence of this artist is rejected as fabulous; and it is attempted to substitute for him, in Soprani's work, Antonio Viviani, who was indeed in Genoa. Considerable weight is given to the conjecture, from the family of Antoniano not being mentioned in Urbino; and I may add the circumstance of not finding any other works of this Antonio than those named by Soprani and his copyists. And how is it possible that one who came to Genoa an accomplished master, should not have left, either in Urbino or the neighbouring territory, even a vestige or memorial of his pencil? The young artists of Genoa, thus enriched in the course of a few years by fresh examples, entered on a new career, and adopted a more vigorous and grander style than they had before practised. And not a few of them, after receiving the rudiments of instruction in their native place, repaired to Parma, or Florence, or Rome, to finish their studies; and from these and other sources added celebrity to their country. Thus the seventeenth century did not possess in Genoa so decided a character as the preceding, nor so select or ideal: it had however an abundance of excellent artists, and particularly of the best portrait painters and colourists, sufficient indeed to supply Venice with at her least happy epoch. It would also have attained a higher pitch of repute, if the plague of 1657 had not swept off a vast number of promising artists; the names of some of whom, cut off at an early period of life, may be found mentioned in Soprani. The primary cause of this revival of the art in Genoa may be ascribed to the riches and to the taste of her nobility, who invited and supported these eminent foreign artists. And in the next place much of this merit is due to Paggi. There was at one time great danger of these excellent colourists being negligent designers; and it is indeed a common opinion, adopted also by Algarotti, that the best colourists are seldom correct in design. Paggi, in this important point, supported the credit of the school. He had studied design among the Florentines, the best masters in Italy; and he composed for the instruction of youth a small treatise, entitled _Diffinizione o sia Divisione della Pittura_, which he published in 1607. Soprani considers it a useful compendium, and containing, in plain and unaffected language, the principles of the art. It is mentioned with particular commendation in a letter of the younger Vasari, which must make us regret the loss of it; and it would be desirable to search the libraries where papers of this