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
We must not take our leave of the Cinquecentisti[22] without first noticing
a cavalier of Faenza, who flourished till the year 1620, in which he died
at the age of 83. His name was Niccolo Pappanelli, and such was his
enthusiasm for the art, that he attended all the most distinguished masters
then in vogue at Rome. On his return to his native place, he produced,
along with some pieces of mediocrity, a few of an exquisite character, such
as his picture of S. Martino at the cathedral, so well executed in point of
design, force of colouring, and expression, as to be truly admirable. He,
too, attempted to follow in the track of Barocci.
Footnote 22: Artists of the fifteenth century.
Other artists of Romagna, belonging to this period, are treated of in the
schools where they chiefly flourished, such as Ingoli of Ravenna, at
Venice, Zaccolini of Cesena at Rome, and Ardente, a native of Faenza, in
Piedmont.
BOLOGNESE SCHOOL.
EPOCH III.
_The Caracci, their Scholars, and their Successors, until
the time of Cignani._
To write the history of the Caracci and their followers would in fact be
almost the same as to write the pictoric history of all Italy during the
last two centuries. In our preceding books we have taken a survey of almost
every school; and everywhere, early or late, we have met with either the
Caracci or their pupils, or at least with their successors, employed in
overthrowing the ancient maxims, and introducing new, until we reach the
period when there was no artist who, in some respect or other, might not be
said to belong to their school. Now, as it is grateful to the traveller,
after long following the course of some royal river, to ascend still higher
to its source, so I trust it will, in like manner, prove delightful to my
readers, to be here made acquainted with those principles that conferred
this new style upon the world of art, and in a short time filled with its
specimens, and took the lead of every individual school. What, in my
opinion, too, is still more surprising is, that it should owe its origin to
Lodovico Caracci, a young artist, who appeared of a slow, inactive
intellect in early years, and better adapted to grind colours than to
harmonize and apply them. He was advised, both by Fontana, his master at
Bologna, and by Tintoretto, who directed his studies in Venice, to adopt a
new profession, as quite unqualified for the art of painting; his fellow
pupils likewise bantering him with the epithet of the ox, in allusion to
his extreme dulness and tardiness. Indeed, every thing seemed to conspire
to discourage him; he alone did not despair; from the obstacles he had to
encounter he only gathered courage, and inducements to rouse, not to alarm
himself. For this, his dilatory character, did not spring from confined
genius, but from deep penetration; he shunned the ideal of the art as a
rock on which so many of his contemporaries had suffered shipwreck; he
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