RAPHAEL MENGS.
ANNOTATIONS
UPON THE
ANTECEDENT MEMOIRS.
Mengs, as has been said, composed thefe
memoirs to supply the defeats in the life of Cor-
reggi° as written by Vasari ; and as there are many
who, from the credit of this author, and of his
Annotators, will think that these may be calum-
nies to discredit them, I conceive these notes ne-
cessary, in order that the reader may be able to
judge on which side the truth is.
What Vasari says of Correggio in general, is
evident confusion and contradiction. He makes
Correggio to have a timid soul, and so much a
friend to parsimony, that in consequence of his
avarice he became more miserable than it is
possible to express.
The works of Correggio, and the expences
that attended them, contradict this supposed ava-
rice ; nay, even prove that he was of a most
liberal turn of sentiment ; and lastly, that he was
not poor, since his labours did not render him so
mean a recompense as they would generally wiffi
US to underhand.
ANNOTATIONS
UPON THE
ANTECEDENT MEMOIRS.
Mengs, as has been said, composed thefe
memoirs to supply the defeats in the life of Cor-
reggi° as written by Vasari ; and as there are many
who, from the credit of this author, and of his
Annotators, will think that these may be calum-
nies to discredit them, I conceive these notes ne-
cessary, in order that the reader may be able to
judge on which side the truth is.
What Vasari says of Correggio in general, is
evident confusion and contradiction. He makes
Correggio to have a timid soul, and so much a
friend to parsimony, that in consequence of his
avarice he became more miserable than it is
possible to express.
The works of Correggio, and the expences
that attended them, contradict this supposed ava-
rice ; nay, even prove that he was of a most
liberal turn of sentiment ; and lastly, that he was
not poor, since his labours did not render him so
mean a recompense as they would generally wiffi
US to underhand.