GIORDA'NO, LUCA, an Italian painter, was b. of impoverished parents. at Naples, about 1632; studied under Ribrera or Spagnoletto, and made rapid progress. Singu larly enough, considering his fine imagination and delicate touch, both his early produc tions as well as those of his more mature years, indicate rather a power of beautifully .correct imitation than any marked originality or elevation of genius. On leaving Ribrera's school, Giordano repaired to Rome, where he became the scholar and fellow worker of Pietro da Cortona. Subsequently, he went to Lombardy and Venice, to familiarize himself with the styles of the schools of art there. After some time he pro .cecded to Madrid, in 1692, at the request of Charles II., king of Spain, who desired his assistance in the embellishment of the escorial. His pleasing freedom of manner and .genial humor rendered him a special favorite during his residence at the Spanish court, which he only quitted for Italy on the death of the king, 10 years later. The extreme rapidity of execution for which Giordano was remarkable, enabled him to produce a pro digious number of works, but undoubtedly told detrimentally against their excellence. With some bleniishes, they possess, however, many beauties, and are chiefly admired for their spirited animation of character, and harmonious freedom of treatment, they also excel in boldness and perfection of the foreshortening. The palaces Riccardi and Petti -contain some fine specimens of this artist's style, but his best paintings are in the galleries of Dresden and Naples, and the escorkil at Madrid. Giordano died about 1704. The
name of Fa presto, which distinguished him through life, referred to his father's incessant injunction to work quickly, in order that the proceeds of his labor might relieve the indigence of the family.
GIORGIO'Nrt", or GIORGIO BARBARELLI, one of the/ most poetical and fascinating of Italian painters, was b. about 1478 at Castelfranco, in the Venetian territory of Trevisano. He studied under Giovanni Bellini, but quickly surpassed his master; for while Bellini's style is distinguished for its minute finish and cramped precision, that of Giorgione literally revels in freedom and breadth of outline, and gorgeous depth of color. Unfor tunately for art, Giorgione died in 1511, at the early age of 33. His works are of course limited in number, but they are among the most rare and exquisite examples of the Venetian school. Scriptural scenes, highly original in idea and treatment, portraits, and a few sweet idyllic scenes, representing pastoral concerts and sylvan enjoyments, form the subjects of these pictures, which all glow with the fine imagination, the•rich color ing, and the energy of touch, that are Qiorgione's distinctive attributes. The Lombard galleries and the Louvre possess the best authenticated originals of Giorgione, whose imitators were numerous.