At a somewhat later period, the last scholar of Maratta, Agostino Masucci presents himself to our notice. This artist did not exhibit any peculiar spirit, confining himself to pleasing and devout subjects. In his representations of the Virgin he emulated his master, who from his great number of subjects of that kind, was at one time called Carlo dalle Madonne; as he himself has commemorated in his own epitaph. Like Maratta he imparted to them an expression of serene majesty, rather than loveliness and affability. In some of his cabinet pictures I am aware that he occasionally renounced this manner, but it was only through intercession and expostulation. He was a good fresco painter, and decorated for pope Benedict XIV. an apartment in a casino, erected in the garden of the Quirinal. He painted many altarpieces, and his angels and children are designed with great elegance and nature, and in a novel and original style. His S. Anna at the Nome S. S. di Maria, is one of the best pictures he left in Rome; there is also a S. Francis in the church of the Osservanti di Macerata, a Conception at S. Benedetto di Gubbio, in Urbino a S. Bonaventura, which is perhaps his noblest composition, full of portraits (in which he was long considered the most celebrated painter in Rome), and finished with exquisite care. Lorenzo, his son and scholar, was very inferior to him.
Stefano Pozzi received his first instructions from Maratta, and afterwards became a scholar of Masucci. He had a younger brother, Giuseppe, who died before him, ere his fame was matured. Stefano lived long, painting in Rome with the reputation of one of the best masters of his day; more noble in his style of design than Masucci, and if I err not, more vigorous, and more natural in his colouring. We may easily estimate their merits in Rome in the church just mentioned, where we find the Transito di S. Giuseppe of Pozzi, near the S. Anna of Masucci. Of the Cav. Girolamo Troppa, I have heard from oral tradition that he was the scholar of Maratta. He was certainly his imitator, and a successful one too, although he did not live long. He left works both in oil and fresco in the capital, and in the church of S. Giacomo delle Penitenti, he painted in competition with Romanelli. I have found pictures by him in the state; and in S. Severino is a church picture very well conducted. Girolamo Odam, a Roman of a Lorena family, is reckoned among the disciples of the Cav. Carlo, and is eulogized in a long and pompous article by Orlandi, or perhaps by some friend of Odam, who supplied Orlandi with the information. He is there described as a painter, sculptor, architect, engraver, philosopher, mathematician, and poet, and accomplished in every art and science. In all these I should imagine he was superficial, as nothing remains of him except some engravings and a very slender reputation, not at all corresponding to such unqualified commendation.
Of other artists who are little known in Rome and its territories, such as Jacopo Fiammingo, Francesco Pavesi, Michele Semini, there is little information that can be relied on. Respecting Subissati, Conca is silent, though information might possibly be obtained of him in Madrid, at which court he died. In Urbino, which was his native place, I find no picture of him remaining, except the head of a sybil: Antonio Balestra of Verona and Raffaellino Bottalla will be found in their native schools, but I must not here omit one, a native of the state, who after being educated in the academy, returned to his native country, and there introduced the style of Carlo, at that time so much in vogue. Orlandi mentions with applause Gioseffo Laudati of Perugia, as having contributed to restore the art, which after the support it had found in Bassotti and others, had fallen into decay.
Lodovico Trasi, of Ascoli, is deserving of particular notice. He was for several years a fellow disciple of Maratta in the school of Sacchi, and was afterwards desirous of becoming his scholar. After studying some time in his academy, he returned to Ascoli, where he has left a great number of works both public and private, in various styles. In some of his smaller pictures he discovers a good Marattesque style; but in his fresco and altarpieces he is negligent, and adheres much to Sacchi, yet in a manner that discovers traces of Cortona. His picture of S. Niccolo at the church of S. Cristoforo is beautiful, and is one of the pieces which he finished with more than usual care. He has there represented the enfranchisement of a slave, at the moment the pious youth is serving at his master's table. There are some remarkable pictures of this artist in the cathedral, painted in distemper, particularly that of the martyrdom of S. Emidio. Trasi was the instructor of D. Tommaso Nardini, who continued on his master's death the decoration of the churches of the city, and his best work is perhaps in S. Angelo Magno, a church of the Olivetani. The perspective was by Agostino Collaceroni of Bologna, a scholar of Pozzi. Nardini supplied the figures, representing the mysteries of the Apocalypse and other scriptural events. It displays great spirit and harmony, richness of colouring and facility, which are the distinguishing characteristics of this master, and are perhaps better expressed in this picture than in any other. We may add to the two before mentioned painters, Silvestro Mattei, who studied under Maratta, Giuseppe Angelini, the scholar of Trasi, and Biagio Miniera, also of Ascoli, whom Orsini has noticed in his Guida.
There flourished about the same time in the neighbouring city of Fermo, two Ricci, scholars of Maratta, who were probably instructed before going to Rome by Lorenzino di Fermo, a good artist, though doubtful of what school, and who is said to have painted the picture of S. Catharine at the church of the Conventuals, and other pictures in the adjoining territories. The one was named Natale, the other Ubaldo; the latter was superior to the former, and is much extolled for his S. Felice, which he painted for the church of the Capucins, in his native place. He did not often pass the bounds of mediocrity, which is frequently the case with artists residing at a distance from a capital, and who have not the incitement to emulation and an opportunity of studying good examples. The same observation is, I think, applicable also to another scholar of Maratta, Giuseppe Oddi, of Pesaro, where one of his pictures remains in the church della Carità. We shall now return to the metropolis.
A fresh reinforcement to support the style of the Caracci in Rome, was received from the school of Bologna. I speak only of those who established themselves there. Domenico Muratori had been the scholar of Pasinelli, and painted the great picture in the church of the Apostles, which is probably the largest altarpiece in Rome, and represents the martyrdom of S. Philip and S. James. The grandeur of this composition, its judicious disposition and felicity of chiaroscuro, though its colouring was not entirely perfect, gave him considerable celebrity. He was also employed in many smaller works, in which he always evinced an equally correct design, and perhaps better colouring. He was chosen to paint one of the prophets in the Basilica Lateranense, and was employed also in other cities. In the cathedral of Pisa, he painted a large picture of S. Ranieri, in the act of exorcising a demon, which is esteemed one of his most finished works. Francesco Mancini di S. Angiolo in Vado, and Bonaventura Lamberti di Carpi, had better fortune in Bologna, in having for their master Carlo Cignani. Mancini, when he came to Rome, did not adhere exclusively to his master's manner, as he was rather more attached to the facility and freedom of Franceschini, his fellow scholar, whom he somewhat resembles in style. He seems, however, to have had less despatch, and certainly painted less. He was chaste in his invention, and followed the example of Lazzarini; he designed well, coloured in a charming manner, and was numbered among the first artists of his age in Rome. He painted the Miracle of S. Peter at the beautiful gate of the temple, a picture which is preserved in the palace of Monte Cavallo, and is copied in mosaic in S. Peter's. This picture, which is a spirited composition, and well arranged in the perspective, is his principal work, and does not suffer from a comparison with those mentioned in the Guida di Roma, and others scattered through the dominions of the church. Such are pictures with various saints in the church of the Conventuals of Urbino, and in that of the Camaldolesi of Fabriano; the appearing of Christ to S. Peter in that of the Filippini, in Città di Castello, and the various works executed in oil and in fresco at Forli and at Macerata. He painted many pictures for foreign collections, and was commended for his large compositions. From his studio issued the Canonico Lazzarini before named, whom, as he lived amongst other followers of Cignani, I shall reserve with them to the close of the Bolognese school. Niccola Lapiccola, of Crotone, in Calabria Ultra, remained in Rome; and a cupola of a chapel in the Vatican painted by him, was copied in mosaic. There are some pictures by him in other churches; the best are, perhaps, in the state, particularly in Velletri. I have heard that he was a disciple of Mancini, though in his colouring he somewhat adhered to his native school.
Bonaventura Lamberti is numbered by Mengs among the latest of the successful followers of the school of Cignani, whose style he preserved more carefully than Mancini himself. He did not give many works to the world. He had, however, the honour of having his designs copied in mosaic by Giuseppe Ottaviani, in S. Peter's, and one of his pictures engraved by Frey. It is in the church of the Spirito Santo de' Napolitani, and represents a miracle of S. Francesco di Paola. The Gabrieli family, which patronised him in an extraordinary manner, possesses a great number of historical pictures by him, which are in themselves sufficient to engage the attention of an amateur for several hours. Lamberti had the honour of giving to the Roman School the Cav. Marco Benefial, born and resident in Rome, a painter of great genius, though not always equal to himself, rather perhaps from negligence, than deficiency of powers.
The Marchese Venuti[[87]] extols this master above all others of his time for his accurate design, and his Caracciesque colouring. His monument is placed in the Pantheon, among those of the most celebrated painters, and to his bust is attached the eulogy bestowed on him by the Abate Giovenazzo, where he is particularly commended for his power of expression. The factions to which he gave rise still subsist, as if he were yet living. His admirers not being able to defend all his works, have fixed on the Flagellation at the Stimmate, painted in competition with Muratori,[[88]] and S. Secondino at the Passionisti, as the subjects of their unqualified approbation; pictures indeed, of such science, that they may challenge any comparison. To these may be added his S. Lorenzo and S. Stefano, in the Duomo of Viterbo, and a few others of similar merit, in which he evidently imitated Domenichino and his school. His enemies have designated him as an inferior artist, and adduce several works feeble in expression and effect. The impartial consider him an eminent artist, but his productions vary, being occasionally in a grand style, and at other times not passing the bounds of mediocrity. This is a character which has been ascribed to many poets also, and even to Petrarch himself.
Our obligations are due to the Sig. Batista Ponfredi, his scholar, for the memoirs of this eminent man. They were addressed to the Count Niccola Soderini, a great benefactor of Benefial, and more rich in his works than any other Roman collector. His letter is in the fifth volume of the Pittoriche, and is one of the most instructive in the collection, although altered by the editor in some points. I shall transcribe a passage from it, as it may be satisfactory to see the actual state of the art at that time, and the way in which Marco contributed to its support. "He was so anxious to revive the art, and so grieved to see it fall into decay, that he frequently consumed several hours in the day in declaiming against the prevailing conception of style, and urging the necessity of shunning mannerism, and adopting a style founded in truth, which few did, or if they did, attempted not to imitate its simplicity, but adapted it to their own manner. He directed the particular attention of his pupils to the difference between the production of a mannerist, and one which was studied and simple, and founded in nature; that the first, if it were well designed, and had a good chiaroscuro, had at first sight a striking effect from the brilliancy of its colours, but gradually lost ground at every succeeding view, while the other appeared the more excellent the longer it was inspected."—These and other precepts of the same kind he delivered in terms perhaps too cynical; not only in private, but in the school of design at the Campidoglio, at the time that he presided there; the consequence was that the inferior artists combined against him, deprived him of his employment, and suspended him from the academy. Some further information respecting Benefial was communicated to the public in the Risposta alle Lett. Perugine, p. 48.
From a scholar also of Cignani, (Franceschini,) Francesco Caccianiga received instructions in Bologna, whence he came to Rome, where he perfected his style and established himself. He was a painter to whom nothing was wanting, except that natural spirit and vigour which are not to be supplied by industry. He was employed by several potentates, and two of his works executed for the king of Sardinia were engraved by himself. Ancona possesses four of his altarpieces, among which are the Institution of the Eucharist, and the Espousals of the Virgin; pictures coloured in a clear, animated, and engaging style, and easily distinguished among a thousand. Rome has few public works by him. In the Gavotti palace is a good fresco, and there are others in the palace and villa of the Borghesi, who generously extended to him a permanent and suitable provision, when overtaken by poverty and age.[[89]]