Among his more distinguished followers was Penni, called Il Fattore, who followed closely and successfully the style of his master, until he became corrupted by an overstrained taste for the colossal. But Giulio Romano was his favourite pupil, and the subsequent heir, along with Penni. of his fortune. He joined a degree of bold ness and poetic fire to the milder graces of his master's style, mingling a little of Michael Angelo's vigour and daring in design, but with a harshness of light and shade, which is often at variance with the composure of his sub ject. He painted chiefly in fresco, of which some mag nificent specimens may be seen at Mantua. Perin del Vaga was chiefly occupied with the grotesque and orna mental painting, and Polidore de Caravaggio in imitating the antique basso-relievos, which he painted in the most beautiful chiaro scuro ; in this style he has never been equalled for elegance of outline, and effect of execution. Polidore was associated in this mode of painting with Ma turino.
At a later period, the Zuccari supported the reputation of the Roman school, and studied the works of Raphael ; they even ventured, in some particulars, upon superior re finement, as has been observed in a picture of the annun ciation by Federico. It had been remarked as a solecism, in Raphacl's picture of theology, that the irradiance of the Almighty is interfered with by an extraneous light ; in the picture of Zuccaro he introduces the sun in full splendour, whose beams are, notwithstanding, subordinate, and over come by those issuing from the Deity. Baroccio was a painter of merit, and likewise Raffailin di Regio, Passig nani, and Arpino, although the art had already begun to decline considerably. Arpino introduced, with dexterity, great fire and bustle into his pictures, but crowded them with figures to excess. Nothing requires more judicious management than a multitude of figures assembled on one canvas, so apt are they to fatigue the eye, and distract attention, if at all offensive to the unity of action intended to be represented. The ancient artists of Greece very carefully avoided the hazard of crowding their subjects, either with many figures, or with that complication of de corations so prevalent in some of the modern works. We have several remarkable instances among our great artists, since the revival, of this difficulty being successfully over come, where the subordinate groups, by very obviously becoming spectators themselves of the scene of action, as well as those who look at it, contribute powerfully to the interest of the subject, by their seeming sprrapathy with the feelings they seem to indicate.
Michael Angelo Caravaggio somewhat arrested the art in its downward progress. lie aimed at great simplicity of colouring, but fell into a dark sombre manner, very fitting to the subjects he generally selected, such as nocturnal skirmishes and rencontres, treachery and murder, with strong effects of light and shade. It was not without cause that these scenes of assassination and outrage seemed to dwell upon his mind, as his life had been often exposed to hazard from the stiletto of his enemies; to escape them he fled to Naples, and thence to Malta, where he painted the picture of the decollation of St John, which still remains in that island.
The best colourist which the Roman school has to boast a, after its great leader, was Andrea Sacchi. He was a learned and careful artist, painting little, but well, so that his works are rare. Like Raphael, he was remarkable for graceful simplicity and correct design.
Salvator Rosa applied the style of Caravaggio to land scape, into which he threw a character of sombre wild ness exceedingly striking, and heightened by imposing groups of figures. Sir Joshua Reynolds gives the cha racter of Salvator's style in these words : " He gives us a peculiar cast of nature, which, though void of all grace, elegance, and simplicity, though it has nothing of that ele vation and dignity which belongs to the grand style, yet has that sort of dignity which belongs to savage and un cultivated nature ; but what is most to be admired in him is, the perfect correspondence which he observed between the subjects which he chose, and his manner of treating them. Every thing is of a piece ; his rocks, trees, sky, even to his handling, have the same rude and wild charac ter which animates his figures." His talent, though generally known in landscape, was not confined to that branch ; as he has left several martyr and striking incidents of history, as the conspiracy of Catiline, &c. which are painted in a bold and vigorous style.
Gaspar Poussin, although a Frenchman, may be classed in the Roman school, as it formed both the rule of his style and the constant theatre of his efforts. He painted in landscape, ornamented with figures, displaying wonder ful command of every accident and appearance of nature, and suffusing a classical air over every thing he did.