CREBILLOX, CLAUDE PROSPER JOLYOT DE, aon of the pre ceding, was born at Pada in 1707. He wrote a numb er of romances, which acquired a great popularity, owing, as some say, more to their extreme licentiouanesa than to any intrinsic merit. His strict moral character is always brought forward as a remarkable contrast to the great laxity of his writings. lie was well known as a member of two convivial societies, called the Dotninicaux and the Caveau, the latter of which enrolled among its names those of Piron, CoUd, and Gallet. Crobillon the younger died in 1777.
The remark that hie fame is only owing to his obscenity does not to us seem wholly true. The fact is that hia novels, in spite of their outrageous indecency, contain a remarkably accurate picture of the motives that actuate persons in a corrupt atate of society. Still, the philosophy which they ioculcate is of a morbid nature (being much like that of Rochefoucault), and only those whose minds are unassailable by impurity can peruse with any profit the novels of Crobillon.
CltEDI, LORENZO DI, one of the best of the old Florentine painters and sculptors, was born at Florcuce about 1453. His real name was, according to Vasari, Lorenzo Sciarpelloui, and he acquired the name of Credi from his master, a distinguished goldsmith at Florence in that time. Lorenzo however did not remain long with Credi ; his skill in drawing warranted his exchanging the art of the goldsmith for that of the painter, though he had distinguished himself as a goldsmith, and he accordingly entered the school of Verrecchia in which ho was the fellow-pupil of P. Pcrugino and of Lionardo its Vinci, tho latter of wham he afterwards imitated.
Lorenzo was Verrocchio's favourite pupil; and when Verrocchio went to Venice to make the bronze equestrian atatue of liartolomeu Colleoni FETIROCCISIO, ANDHRA DE[.], be left Lorenzo in charge of all
his affairs at Florence. Lorenzo visited his master several times while he was engaged at Venice, and after his unexpected death in 1438 carried his body home to Florence. Verrocchio made Lorenzo di Credi his priucipal heir, and expressed a desire in his will that he might be eutrusted with the completion of the monument of Colleoni. Credi did not take poesession of any of Verrocchlo's property, except his drawings and works of art ; the rent ho made over to his relations.
Lorenzo di Credi was an excelleut painter. 'Birth of Christ,' formerly in the monastery of Santa Chlara, but now in the gallery of tho Academy at Florence, is one of the beet works in that admirable , collection ; it ie excellent in expression, in colouring, and iu the ere cution both of the principal and the accessory parts. His best work however, in the opinion of Vasari, is the picture of the 'Madonna and Child,' with Saints Julian and Nicolas, painted for a chapel of the convent of Cestello, but at present in the Louvre at Paris, No. 958, and in excellent preservation. Vasari mentions many of Lorenzo's works, several of which are now lost, but there are still a few ' Holy Families' by him in Florence and other parts of Italy. Credi, when old, having become wealthy by his labours, retired into Santa Maria .Nuuva at Florence, and died there, according to Vasari, in 1530, aged seventy-eight; but the date Gaya has shown to be incorrect, whatever the age may be, for he was still living in 1536, but ill and bed-ridden. Gianantonio Sogliani, who lived with Credi twenty-four years, was his most distinguished scholar.
(Vasari, rite de' Pittori, &c.; Gaye, Carteggio d'Artisti.)