In the 15th century a very different style prevailed ; and although the artist. of this period still designed with great stiffness and in the Gothic sane, they produced many admirably coloured pictures as the brilliancy and composition of colour, but in the local l ours and reflexes they were yet deficient. The leaders of the improved style were some painters of the small island of Murano, and it has the glory of having been the nursery of the greatest painters of Venice : Titian studied at Murano. The first painters of this place were Quirico, Bernardino, and Andrea 4* 31arano ; but its great ornaments were the Vivarini. The oldest of this family is Luigi Vivarini the elder, by whom there is an excellent picture in its style of John the Baptist in the Venetian academy. The next in order of time of this family were Giovanni and Antonio Vivarinl, according to ltidolfi and &nett!, who lived about 1440. That there was a Giovanni Vivarini however is doubted by Lanzi. The only authority for mentioning him is the following inscription upon an altarpiece In San Pantaleone :—" Zuane e Antonio da 3luran 1444. But this Zuane is, according to Lanz', the German known as Joanne' de Aleinania and Johan Ahunanna, which is evident from the two following Inscriptions :—" Jemmies de Alemania ct Antonin, de Muriano ranxit," on a picture now in the Academy, formerly in the Scuola della Carith; and "Antonio de Moran e Zohan Ahunanua pinxit,“ on a painting at Padua. The remaining artist. of this family were Bartolomeo, the brother of Antonio, and Lnigi Virarini the younger. In the Sala dells Antiche l'itture, in the Venetian Academy, there are several pictures by these toasters: they differ little in style from the works of the Bellini. Bartolomeo was the first of the Venetians who painted in oil : his first oil picture Is dated 1473 ; it is In the church of SS. Giovanni a Paolo. In the Scuola di San Girolamo there is an excellent picture of that saint with the lion, 17 Luigi Vivarini the younger. The principal contemporaries and nvals of the Virarini in Venice were Jacopo Nerito of Padua and Nasoochio di Daman° the elder, both scholars of Gentile de Fabrisno, who was employed In Venice in the beginning of 15th century; also Jacopo Bellini, Francesco and his son Jacobello del Fiore, and s Morazone : also a Donato, and Carlo Crivelli, scholars of Jacobello. Jaoobello attained great celebrity : there are works by him in different parts of the Venetian territory, bearing dates from 1401 to 1432. Donato was superior to his master In style. There was likewise • Vittorio Crivelli, who lived about the end of the 15th century.
Besides the painters already mentioned, there were others of equal merit in other parts of the state, in Bergamo and Brescia. In the former place a Commenduno ; in the latter Brandolin Testorino and Ottertail° Brandin ; also a Vineenzio Civerchino at Creme ; Stefano da Zerio or &bete, a painter of great ability, and a Vincenzio di Stefano, his eon, at Verona the latter was the master of Libemle, who became the best painter of Verona of his time. At Verona, also In the letter part of the 15th century, was Vittore Finnan°, who executed many celebrated works in Venice and in Roma, but they have all perished; there are however yet a few of his works at Verona. From the Recount. of Piaanello's works, they appear to have been of a very superior description, especially in design. lie surpassed all his I contemporaries In painting horses and other animals ; he was also one of the most famous medalists of his time. Jacopo Tintorello and 3Iareello Figolino of Vicenza were likewise distinguished artists of this period ; the latter painted in an original manner, and if the period assigned to him by Itidolfl be correct, 1150, he had a better knowledge of light and shade and perspective, and a greater delicacy of execution, than perhaps any of his contemporaries. The greatest master however
of this period was Francesco Squarcione of Padua, who formed there the greatest school of painters ever brought together by one man : he had 137 scholars, and his museum of drawings and antiques was the richest known at that period. Ile had himself travelled over the whole of Italy and visited many pate of Greece for the express purpose of making a collection of drawings of the best remains of ancient art. lie lived in great affluence, and divided many of his commissions among his scholar*. The celebrated illustrated book of anthems in the church of the Misericordia, commonly ascribed to Mantogna, is now by competent judges considered one of the commissions of Squarcione executed by his numerous scholars. There is only one work at Padua known to have been done by Squarcione, painted for the Lazara family in 1452: it is excellent in colouring, in expression, and in perspective. Mantegna, Marco Zappe, and Jacopo Bellini were scholars of Squarciono.
Trevigi also had its distinguished painters at this time : the follow ing are mentioned by historians : Antonio, Liberale da Campo, and Giorgio da Trevigi : San Vito also had its Andrea Bellunello, who, as his countrymen thought, rivalled both Zeuxis and Apelles. don with him was Domenico di Tolmezzo.
Towards the end of the 15th century, about 1470, a great change took place in the Venetian method of colouring : the old methods of painting in distemper (A tempera), and with gums, &e, (t1 guazzo), were Laid aside for what is now generally called oil-painting. This method was introduced into Venice by Antonello da Messina, who had learnt it in Flanders of John van Eyck. Roger of Bruges, likewise a scholar of Van Eyck, is said also to have visited Venice. The first Veuetinns who distinguished themselves in the new method were the Vivarini and the Bellini. Giovanni Bellini acquired the reputation of the most distinguished painter of his time in Venice : he painted from 1464 until 1516, and executed many works of various degrees of merit, highly finished, brilliantly coloured, but perhaps always in a dry manner ; his figures however are frequently well drawn, and his expression was often excellent. Unlike most painters, he improved as he grew old, and condescended to borrow beauties from much younger masters : he endeavoured in his later works to imitate the design and colouring of Giorgione, his own pupil. His eider brother, Gentile Bellini, though very inferior to him, also acquired a great name. Ile was sent by the Venetian government to Constanti nople to paint the portrait of Mehemet IL and other works. The Sukan had sent to Venice for a painter. The school of the Bellini, more particularly of Giovanni, was numerous and celebrated ; but as, with the exception of Giorgione and Titian, their echolrua painted in a style nearly identical with their masters, it will be sufficient here to mention the names of the principal : Benin Bellini, Girolamo Mocetto, Nicole Moretto, Marco Marziale, Giambattista Cima, Giovanni Martini, and Martino da Udine, or Pellegrino di San Daniello. There were others who painted in different styles and belong to other schools. Giovanni Bellini had two distinguished rivals, and perhaps superiors, in Vittore Carp uceio of Venice and Marco Basaiti of the Friuli : some of the works of the latter are the finest specimens of what may be termed the Gothic style that have ever been produced.