FABRIA'NO, FRANCESCO DI GENTILE DA, commonly called OINTILE Da Faaniatco, was born at Fabriano, in the Mare of Ancona, about 1370. He was instructed by his father Niccolb in the phsical and mathematical sciences, and was placed with Allegretto di Zs uzio, called Orate da Fsbriano, to learn painting. Gentile executed many works in fresco and a tomperh at Gubbio and other cities of the Mare of Ancona; and also at Orvieto, Florence, and Siena. lie painted in 1428 a Madonna for the Cathedral of Orvieto, and he is styled in the. register of the cathedral—" egregius magiator inagis trorum." lie painted In the same year at Florence a picture of the ' Adoration of the Kings,' for the sacristy of Santa Trinith, which is now in tho gallery of the academy at Florence, and is one of its choicest pieces. But his masterpiece, according to Vasari, was an altar-piece of the Virgin, &c., in the church of San Niceolb at the gate of San Miniato, painted in 1425, now lost, with the exception of two fragments still in the church. Gentile worked also with great distinction at Venice and at Roma : he was presented by the Senate of Venice with the patrician toga, and a pensiou for life was granted to him for a painting in the council-chamber of the naval victory of the Venetians over the fleet of Frederic Barbarossa in 1177: it fell to pieces in the 18th century through damp. At Rome he painted some
of the decorations of the church of San Giovanni In Lateran°, ordered by Pope Martin V.; and a fresco of the 'Madonna and child with St. Benedict and St. Joseph,' over the tomb of Cardinal Adimari, iu the church of Santa Maria Nueva ; all of which have now perished. It was the latter work which excited the admiration of Michel Angelo, and led him to any that his style was like his name—Gentile.
The colouring and execution of Gentile were excellent for his period, and he was one of the most meritorious artists of his time. His works, though not to be compared with those of Masaccio, or even of Fre Giovanni da Fiesole, were au immense improvement upon the rigid meagre forms of Giotto and his school. Gentile taught Jacoppa Bellini at Venice, and that painter's eon Gentile was Fabriancee namesake. Gentile left various writings on the origin and progress of art, on the mixing of colours, and on the art of drawing lines; but whether they still exist, does not appear. He died about 1450.