DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51584#0155
MANTEGNA.
151
amounts to this—that he was employed in keeping
sheep, and being conducted to the city, entered, we
know not by what chance, the school of Francesco
Squarcione.
About the middle of this century, from which
time we date the revival of letters in Europe, the
study of the Greek language and a taste for the
works of the classical authors had become more and
more diffused through Italy. We are told that “ to
write Latin correctly, to understand the allusions of
the best authors, to learn the rudiments at least of
Greek, were the objects of every cultivated mind.”
Classical literature was particularly studied at the
University of Padua. Squarcione, a native of that
city, and by profession a painter, was early smitten
with this passion for the antique. He not only tra-
velled over all Italy, but visited Greece in search
of the remains of ancient art. Of those which he
could not purchase or remove, he obtained casts or
copies ; and, returning to Padua, he opened there a
school or academy for painters, not indeed the most
celebrated nor the most influential, but at that
time the best attended in all Italy. Squarcione
numbered one hundred and thirty-seven pupils, and
was considered the best teacher of his time. Yet of
all this crowd of students the names of three only
are preserved, and of these only one has attained
lasting celebrity. By Squarcione himself we hear
only of one undoubted picture displaying great
H 2
151
amounts to this—that he was employed in keeping
sheep, and being conducted to the city, entered, we
know not by what chance, the school of Francesco
Squarcione.
About the middle of this century, from which
time we date the revival of letters in Europe, the
study of the Greek language and a taste for the
works of the classical authors had become more and
more diffused through Italy. We are told that “ to
write Latin correctly, to understand the allusions of
the best authors, to learn the rudiments at least of
Greek, were the objects of every cultivated mind.”
Classical literature was particularly studied at the
University of Padua. Squarcione, a native of that
city, and by profession a painter, was early smitten
with this passion for the antique. He not only tra-
velled over all Italy, but visited Greece in search
of the remains of ancient art. Of those which he
could not purchase or remove, he obtained casts or
copies ; and, returning to Padua, he opened there a
school or academy for painters, not indeed the most
celebrated nor the most influential, but at that
time the best attended in all Italy. Squarcione
numbered one hundred and thirty-seven pupils, and
was considered the best teacher of his time. Yet of
all this crowd of students the names of three only
are preserved, and of these only one has attained
lasting celebrity. By Squarcione himself we hear
only of one undoubted picture displaying great
H 2