Among his other works of the Mantuan period are: "Saint Sebastian." in the Gallery of Vienna: "Saint George," in the' Academy of Venice: "Summer." "Autumn," and the "Triumph of Scipio." in the National Gallery, London. In later life he painted a large number of Madonnas, of which there are good examples in the Utlizi at Florence. the National Gallery, London, the Dres den Gallery, and the Trivulzin Collection, Nilan. Particularly famous is the ":\ ladonna della Vit toria" (1490. painted in c•onunemoration of a supposed victory over the French. and now in the Louvre. Under a eanopy of fruit and leaves, the Virgin, surrounded by saints, is represented blessing Francesco Gonzaga.
Mantegna was a highly cultured man for his day. was well versed in classical literature, numbering among his friends prominent Human ists. like Felice Feliciano, who dedicated a book to him. No other painter of the Rena iAganee understood antique art. as did Mani egna. Ilis paintings were its sculpture transferred to can vas, and hp mastered completely its decoration. The figure's and draperies are sharp and rigid, and his archwology is sometimes more learned than artistie. Ile was a severe student of na ture, and an intense realist. His portraits are full of strength and eharaeter. his ideal fig ures noble and grand. No artist of the early Renaissance had greater invention and imagina tion. His execution was careful. his tion good. and the exeellenee of his drawing is attested by the finished in the Louvre, British Museum, Uffizi, and other collections. As a colorist he did not stand on the same high level. All of his work was in tempera; and his wall paintings, which were painted upon dry plaster, are improperly called frescoes.
Mantegna was the greatest line-engraver of Northern 'Italy, and his influence upon that art was potent not only in Italy. but in Germany
as well. Unlike Italian engravers before him, he engraved copper plates from his own designs. At first his technique was primitive, but it im proved with the study of German engravings. In all cases his invention is more interesting than his technique. The best-known plates of his Path= period are the "Flagellation of Christ," and "Christ at the Gates of Hell:" to the :Mantuan period belong the "Resurrection of Christ," "Deposition from the Cross," and En tombment." This last plate had a greater influ ence upon art than any other ever executed. Its composition was adopted by Raphael in his pic ture of the same name, by Holbein (q.v.) in the "Basel Passion" series, and the figure of Saint John was used by Darer in his "Crucifixion." Mantegna also engraved a number of classical subjects, the best known of which are two Bac chanals and two "Battles of Tritons," and sev eral plates from the "Trimuph of C:csar." Ile had a large number of followers who developed his technique and engraved his compositions, the best known of whom was "Jaeopo de' Bar bari." l3fnttooR.?rttv. The sources for the life of 3Iantogna are chiefly his correspondence and other documents. Consult: Basehet, "Doetunents stir Mantegna," in Gazelle des Beaux-Arts, vol. xx. (Paris, 1866). Vasari (q.v.) is unreliable upon Manteg,na. The best and most complete modern authority is Kristeller, Andrea Man legna. trans. by Strong (London. 1902). \Volt mann's biography in Dohme, Kunst and Kiinstler !Wiens (Leipzig, 1878), is a scholarly treatise. Crutwell, Mantegna (ib., 1902), is a good brief account, while Cartwright's biography in the "Great Artists Series" (London. 1881) is of a popular character. Consult also the monographs by Thode ((Bielefeld, 1897) and Yriarte (Paris, 1902).