Anything like an account of the artists by whom painting was carried to its high est pitch, of sufficient comprehensiveness to exhibit their peculiar msthetic qualities, can not be attempted in so short a notice as this; but that deficiency is in some degree sup plied by, and reference is made to, the biographical notices of distinguished painters given in this work under their names. Keeping this reference in view, therefore, the next step is to note the relative positions generally assigned to the most distinguished painters of that period, with reference to the estimation in which their works are now held. Leonardo da Vinci (q.v.), (1452-1519), Michael Angelo ;Buonarotti (1474-1563), and Raphael or Handl° Sanzio of Urbino (1483-1320), are universally acknowledged as the three greatest among the Italian artists; but two other names may be added as worthy to be put in an equally high place—those of Titian (q.v.), (1477-1576), and Antonio Allegri, surnamed Correggio (q.v.), (1594-34). These five painters exhibit in their works, some of them the whom, others the greater portion of the various elements —which in the earlier periods of art had existed apart, and composed distinct styles— united, and more highly developed; while each of them has taken up one of these ele ments, and carried it not only further than lfis predecessors had clone, but further than it was by his contemporaries, or by any subsequent artist. Thus we see in Leonardo's celebrated picture of the "Last Supper," that though he has adopted the traditional style of composition handed down from Giotto's time, and carried out the religions feeling and dignified expression aimed at by the older masters, the whole is deepened and ele vated by the manner in which it is worked (Mt—namely, by a mind and hand possessing mastery over all ttn: elements that are combined in the production of the highest works of art. Michael Angelo was aPproficient in all the qualities that constitute a painter, but he carried several of them—viz., grandeur of design, anatomical knowledge, and power of drawing—far beyond all other artists of his own or of later times. Titian and Correg gio, again, with great power over every art-element, have each carried one quality further than all other artists—the former, color; the latter, light and shade. Raphael is gener ally allowed the first place among painters, for, though each of the four artists just referred to carried one, or perhaps two, of the qualities of painting further than he did, he excelled them in every other element but the one for which each was particularly dis tinguished, and in several of the highest qualities of art he attained to greater excellence than any other artist; the expression of dignity of movement by broad masses and grand lines aimed at in the works of Masaccio, is successfully realized in the cartoons at Hampton court; and the pictures in which Perugino and Francia so earnestly and suc cessfully embodied female beauty, maternal affection, and infantine purity, are as much inferior to pictures of similar subjects by Raphael as they are above those executed dur ing the decadence of Italian art, Besides the five leading referred to, there were many other Italian artists of great talent, who may be ranged in three classes: 1. the contemporaries of those artists; 2, those influenced by their style; 3, their scholars. Among their contemporaries, the works of Fra Bartolommeo (1469-1517) and Andrea Vanucchi, called Andrea del Sart° (1488-1530); both Florentines, deservedly rank very high. Giorgio Barbarelli, called Giorgione (1478-1511), was, tinder Bellini, a fellow pupil of, and is generally styled the rival of 'Titian; and his works, which are of great excellence, prove that lie was worthy of that name. In class 2, Correggio himself may rank as being influenced by Leonardo's style, but the great prominence of his other qualities makes his style original and independent. On Bernardino,Luini (about 1460, living in 1530), LeonartIo's influence is direct; and as he.was an able painter, his pictures are valuable for embodying many of those qualities in art which Leonardo had so much improved. Sebastiano del Piombo. a Venetian (1485-1547), studied under Gio vanni Bellini and Giorgione; and after settling in Rome, became intimate with Michael' Angelo, who employed him to paint some of his designs, with a view of benefiting by his admirable coloring. His pictures are greatly esteemed, as uniting rich color to grandeur of design. Class 3. All the five leading artists above referred to had pupils or scholars, particularly such of them as, like Raphael, were much engaged in extensive works in fresco, in the execution of which assistants are generally employed. A com plete list of these, however. would occupy too much space here. Among the scholars of Michael Angelo, Daniele da Volterra (1509-66) was the best; and among Raphael's scholars, the first place is generally accorded to Giulio Pippi or Romano (q.v.), (1492 1546). After the first quarter of the 16th c., painting in Italy, except in the Venetian school, showed symptoms of rapid decline; that school, however, continued its vitality longer than any other in Italy, having flourished with all the life of originality during the whole 16th century. This is attested by the productions of many able Venetian painters; hut among those, the works of Jacopo Robusti, or Tintoretto (q.v.), 1512-94), and Paolo Caliari, or Veronese (q.v.), 1528-88). are by far the most important. The pictures of the former exhibit great vigor in composition, and much richness of color— the former quality evincing the influence of Michael Angelo; the latter, that of Titian. Veronese ranks before even Tintoretto; his compositions are animated and full, and as a colorist he is a powerful rival to Titian, not aiming at the rich glow of that master's tints, but excelling every artist in producing the brilliancy and sparkling effect of mid. daylight on figures gorgeously attired, and seen against backgrounds enriched with land scape and architecture. The other great schools of Italy, however, as already said, had less vitality than the Venetian, and showed symptoms of decay at the end of the first quarter of the 10th century. Raphael left numerous scholars and assistants; many of
these, after his death in 1520. quitted Rome. The pillage of that city by the French under Bourbon in 1527 had also the effect of dispersing them, and this naturally-led to the style of Raphael, so far as they could acquire it, being transplanted into other parts of Italy; but Raphael's style was founded on his own peculiar feeling for the beautiful, and on his own peculiar grace; and all that his scholars had acquired or could was mere imitation of his external forms, without the spirit and pure feeling of which these forms are the expression. The imitation of Michael Angelo became the great object with the Florentines; but his scholars and imitators being unable to comprehend his powerful spirit, and not possessing his technical powers and theoretical knowledge, their pictures are merely exaggerated compositions of academic figures. Nor were Correggio's scholars more successful in following his walk, for they exaggerated the peculiarities of his style, which in their hands became affected and insipid. Leonardo's scholars repeated his distingaishing qualities, modified by their own individual peculiarities, and avoided that academic ostentation displayed by the followers of the masters just named. Their reputation therefore stands higher.
The German painters who succeeded Darer, Van Leyden, and the other celebrated artists of their period, before referred to, endeavored to improve their national style by the study of Italim art, at first attempting to combine the two styles, and afterwards, to the close of the 16th c., devoting themselves exclusively to the study or imitation of the Italian painters. The works of these artists, the worst productions of any school, form a connecting link between those of the famous old German toasters and the vigorous, varied, and attractive works of the painters of the Netherlands in the 17th century.
Towards the end of the 16th, and during the first half of the 17th c., a revival of art in Italy was attempted. This was sought for in two ways by two classes of artists; the larger body were known by the name of eclectics, from their having endeavored to select and unite the best qualities of each of the great masters, combined with the study of nature; the other class Were distinguished by the name of naturalisti, and they aimed at forming tut independent style, distinct from that, of the earlier masters, based on the indiscrim inate imitation of common life, treated hya bold and lively manner. In their develop ment, both classes exercised an influence on each other, particularly the naturalisti ou the eclectics. Eclectic schools arose in various parts of Italy, but the most celebrated was that at Bologna, founded by Lodovico Carracci (1555-1619), assisted by his two nephews, Agostino Carracci (1558-1602) and Annibale Carracei (15604609), the most eminent of the three. .Many painters of mark were reared in this school; among those, Dotmnico Zampieri, called Domenichino (q.v.), (1581-1641), and Guido Reid (q.v.), (1575-1642), were by far the most eminent. The art of the eclectics has been greatly overrated. Till recently, the leaders of that school were always placed on an equality with the best toasters of the early part of the 16th c., and far above any of the painters of the 15th century. These notions have recently undergone a complete change; it is now acknowledged that the attempt of the eclectics to combine the excellences of various great toasters, involves misapprehension with regard to the conception and prac tice of art, for the greatness of the earlier masters was brought out in their individual and peculiar qualities, the uniting of which implies a contradiction. Michael Angelo Amerighi da Caravaggio (q v.), (1569-1609) was the founder of the naturalisti school; he resided principally at Rome, but at a later period went to Naples, Malta, and Sicily. The naturalisti were in their greatest strength at Naples, where they perseveringly opposed the followers of the Carlucci, their leader being Giuseppi Ribera (q.v.), a Span iard, hence culled Spagnoletto (1593-1056). With much of the force of Caravaggio. he united more delicacy nail greater vivacity of color. The historical or scriptural subjects of Salvator Rosa (q.v.), (1615-73) are in the style of the school of.thc naturalisti; hut on account of his genre pieces and landscapes, Salvator is entitled to occupy the place of the originator of a style noted for certain qualities of poetic feeling. The influencel of the school of the naturalisti lead more important results than that of the eclectics, for it affected to some extent the leading masters of the Spanish school. At Rome. eon temporaneously with Domenichino, Guido, and other leading masters of the schools of the eclectics and uaturalisti, the three following artists elevated landscape-painting to a high position—Nicholas Poussin (q.v.), a Frenchman (1594-1665); Claude Gelee, also a native of France (1600-82), called Claude Lorraine (q.v.); and Gaspre Duchet, named Gaspar Poussin (q.v.), born in Rome, but the son of a Frenchman (1613-75). Among the great masters who occasionally practiced landscape-painting as a distinct branch of art, the earliest were Titian and Giorgione; the Carracci (particularly Annibale) carried out their style with considerable success; the landscapes of Domeniehino are esteemed, and other scholars of the Carracci turned their attention in that direction. The reputa tion of N. Poussin is principally based on his figure-pietures, the subjects of which were mythological and scriptural. Into these pictures, he endeavored, with considerable success, to infuse the classical style; but his compositions were generally arranged with a large space of landscape background, which was in many cases not the least important portion of the picture; and these, and the pictures he painted falling strictly under the class of landscapes, are disting,uished,for largeness of style and poetic feeling. Claude and Gaspar directed all their efforts to landscape, and attained to high eminence in that department or art.