DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62783#0120
CHAPTER VIII.
OF ANDREA POZZO.
Andrea Pozzo was native of Trent, and a Jesuit. He became an
architect and a painter, rather by the force of his own genius than
the instructions of a master. The practice of copying the pictures
of the best Venetian and Lombard masters, had given him a good
style in colouring and design, which he improved in Rome, where he
remained many years. Fie went also to Genoa and Turin, and in
both these states may be seen many of his pictures, the best of
which are those that most resemble the manner of Rubens, to imitate
whose style he aspired. His pictures in oil are rare, for he finished
but few. He was always a skilful painter, was judicious in his com-
position, select in the choice of his forms, his colouring agreeable
and lively, his handling free and expeditious. His celerity was
surprising ; he finished a portrait in four hours, which he had been
required to paint by a person who was going to leave Italy for Ger-
many the same day.
He occupied an honourable rank among those who decorated
buildings. The roof of the church of St. Ignatius, at Rome, is his
principal work, and that is sufficient to establish his fame, if he had
painted nothing else. This work combines novelty of invention with
harmony of colouring, and picturesque fire, which is admired both by
Maratti and Carlo Ferri; the latter of whom was astonished, that in
so few years, Andrea had, as he said, with such a masterly hand,
filled the Piazza Navona with figures. He concluded by observing,
that.if the horses of other painters walked, those of Pozzo galloped.
In perspective, he ranks among the most eminent; and, even on
concave surfaces, he was able to make all the parts appear convex;
as, for instance, the paintings on the Tribune at Frascati, where he
pourtrayed the circumcision, and in the Corridor of Jesus at Rome.
He however obtained most reputation, by deceiving the eye with
imaginary cupolas in many churches belonging to his order : he also
painted theatrical scenes, introducing colonnades and buildings with
OF ANDREA POZZO.
Andrea Pozzo was native of Trent, and a Jesuit. He became an
architect and a painter, rather by the force of his own genius than
the instructions of a master. The practice of copying the pictures
of the best Venetian and Lombard masters, had given him a good
style in colouring and design, which he improved in Rome, where he
remained many years. Fie went also to Genoa and Turin, and in
both these states may be seen many of his pictures, the best of
which are those that most resemble the manner of Rubens, to imitate
whose style he aspired. His pictures in oil are rare, for he finished
but few. He was always a skilful painter, was judicious in his com-
position, select in the choice of his forms, his colouring agreeable
and lively, his handling free and expeditious. His celerity was
surprising ; he finished a portrait in four hours, which he had been
required to paint by a person who was going to leave Italy for Ger-
many the same day.
He occupied an honourable rank among those who decorated
buildings. The roof of the church of St. Ignatius, at Rome, is his
principal work, and that is sufficient to establish his fame, if he had
painted nothing else. This work combines novelty of invention with
harmony of colouring, and picturesque fire, which is admired both by
Maratti and Carlo Ferri; the latter of whom was astonished, that in
so few years, Andrea had, as he said, with such a masterly hand,
filled the Piazza Navona with figures. He concluded by observing,
that.if the horses of other painters walked, those of Pozzo galloped.
In perspective, he ranks among the most eminent; and, even on
concave surfaces, he was able to make all the parts appear convex;
as, for instance, the paintings on the Tribune at Frascati, where he
pourtrayed the circumcision, and in the Corridor of Jesus at Rome.
He however obtained most reputation, by deceiving the eye with
imaginary cupolas in many churches belonging to his order : he also
painted theatrical scenes, introducing colonnades and buildings with