The reputation of the Florentine school was supported by a numerous list of artists, of whom w e shall only men tion a few of the most distinguished. Of the imitators of Leonardo da Vinci, Luini arrived at the closest resem• blance. Although still inferior to his master, it is some times difficult to distinguish them. There are some fine specimens of this master at Milan, particularly one in the Ambrosian library. Piet•e Perugino was an insipid pain ter. Fra Bartolomeo followed the manner of da Vinci and Raphael.
Andrea del Sarto excelled as a chaste and accurate pain ter, without much fire and genius, but always pleasing, and generally qualified with an air of melancholy. lie died in the year I 530. Pontormo and Rosso were likewise followers of the style of Leonardo.
Michael Angelo was imitated by Daniel de Volterra, but in a hard and laborious manner, as it was his statues principally that were the subjects of study to most of his followers. He was followed with a degree of blind zeal that contributed very much towards the falling off of the art ; as the style of Michael Angelo was of a description to be supported only by a bold, original, and powerful ge nius. Accordingly, in his followers, we find the turgid swollen muscles carried the length of caricature. The severity so striking in Michael Angelo's countenances, the vigour of attitude that seems to spurn the frailty of human nature, becomes, in the translations of many of his followers, a sort of prancing buffoonery, which is far from agreeable. Greatness of manner, the sublime and refined, is ever on the verge of the ridiculous, and will unavoida bly fall into it, whenever it flows from any other source than that of original inspiration. it were needless to run over a number of names. It was but Michael Angelo Ira vestie, varying only in proportion to the abilities of the individual artists, which continued for above one hundred years after the death of this great master. At this period, the style of painting in Florence underwent a change, and became more varied and more vigorous under the efforts of Cigoli, Allori, and Rosselli, who had extended their stu dies to the masters of other schools, as well as their own. They were followed by Carlo Dolce, so excellent in Ma donnas and small pictures, which he finished with exqui site delicacy of pencil and feeling in the expression. Mo
desty and placid humility were the characters he delight ed in ; patient grief and resignation ; penitence, or the heavenly joy that beams in the countenance of a suffering martyr. Pietro de Cortona was quite of a different taste —all fire and vivacity, with rich colouring, and clever dis position of his groups, but defective in expression. It is difficult to distinguish his pictures from those of his pupil Ciro Ferri. For a detailed account of the Florentine pain ters, the work of Vasari may be consulted. He was like wise a painter, though of moderate merit.
Roman school.
In the most important and pleasing attributes of the art, in having given the first name that stands on the cata logue of its great masters, Rome may take the precedence of all other schools of painting. The stimulus of exam ple it owes undoubtedly to Florence, and seems very early to have profited by the light that began to restore the arts to view in the thirteenth century. Specimens exist, and names are recorded, of artists, that were cotemporary with Giotto, Cirnabue, and the other harbingers of the Floren tine school ; but differing in no essential of style or merit. It is enough for the history of the art to know that they did exist. But the spring was wanting, which, under more favourable circumstances, might have enabled the early artists of Rome to contend more successfully with their Florentine neighbours, for the palm generally attributed to them, of being the first leaders of its revival. In the monuments of ancient art, with which Rome was so pro fusely stored, she carried in her bosom the seeds of future greatness, which, like a young shoot from an ancient stem, required only to be protected in its youth, to raise its head in the semblance of its prostrate sire ; for the elements of excellence were there already. disposed to spring up into luxuriance so soon as the fostering hand of encourage ment and culture should he presented. But at this period, Rome was either sunk in the lnire of bigotry and mutual distrust, or abandoned altogether by her clerical masters. It was not until the re-transference of the Papal chair from Avignon to Rome, that much assistance or protection could be expected from the influence of government.