851. VENUS SLEEPING.
Sebastiano Ricci (Venetian: 1659-1734).
An unimportant work by a painter who worked for several years in this country, and covered many walls and ceilings with his facile compositions. Examples of his religious and mythological pictures may be seen at the Dulwich Gallery. Ricci, says Dr. Richter in his catalogue of that collection, "is one of the most attractive painters of the Italian decadence. His compositions are lively and ingenious, without, however, being profound." There are also several of his works at Hampton Court. He was born at Belluno in the Venetian State, and before coming to England was employed by the Duke of Parma and at the Viennese court in decorating the palace of Schoenbrunn. He left England in disgust on finding that the work of decorating the cupola of St. Paul's was to be entrusted to a native artist, Sir James Thornhill. "Ricci had great facility in imitating the style of other masters. His picture of the 'Apostles adoring the Sacrament' in the church of S. Giustina at Padua is painted in imitation of the cupola of S. Giovanni at Parma by Correggio; and his 'S. Gregorio' at Bergamo recalls the works of Guercino. But his most successful imitations were those of Paul Veronese, many of which he is said to have sold as by that master. He deceived the French painter La Fosse, who avenged himself by the sarcastic remark, 'For the future, take my advice and paint no more Ricci's'" (Bryan).