DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68073#0123
NORTH ITALIAN
97
“But the fact that this new style was outside the traditions of the
Florentine School of Painting must have hindered its development,
and in reality Leonardo had no disciple in Florence. With Fra Barto-
lommeo and Andrea del Sarto, it is the old character of the School that
reappears to follow out its natural evolution through the whole course
of the Sixteenth Century.
“In the North of Italy, on the contrary, the precision of line and
observation of detail form a predominant character of those Schools
of which Mantegna is the most illustrious representative. These
Schools, therefore, found in Leonardo a teaching that responded to
their ancient traditions; and we may thus understand how the seed
planted by Leonardo in the soil of Milan struck such deep root and
produced such beautiful flowers there.
“But however this may be and whatever may have been the causes
of this admirable blossoming of Milanese Art in the early years of the
Sixteenth Century, we may say that it represents in a highly learned
form one of the researches that have the most occupied Italian genius,
—I mean the seeking after beauty pursued in the harmonious accord
between form and poetry.”
Francesco Squarcione (1394-1474), was a native of Padua, the son
of a notary. Beginning life as a tailor and embroiderer, he chose to
become a painter, but first he decided to travel. He made a tour
through Italy and, it is said, visited Greece. It is in 1441 that his
name first appears in the Paduan Guild of Painters. Squarcione
achieved more reputation as a teacher than as a painter; and it seems
that in executing what commissions came to him he either gave over
his orders to his talented pupils, or had them, indeed, do most of the
work under his name. It is now thought that it was Mantegna’s
refusal to continue painting for Squarcione that led to the rupture
between master and pupil and not Squarcione’s anger at Mantegna’s
marrying Nicolosia Bellini, which has long been a favorite legend.
Squarcione’s school, however, was the most famous of its time and
brought him the title of “Father of Painters.” The list of his pupils
runs to about a hundred and thirty-seven. One of the features of
Squarcione’s workshop was his fine collection of fragments of statues
97
“But the fact that this new style was outside the traditions of the
Florentine School of Painting must have hindered its development,
and in reality Leonardo had no disciple in Florence. With Fra Barto-
lommeo and Andrea del Sarto, it is the old character of the School that
reappears to follow out its natural evolution through the whole course
of the Sixteenth Century.
“In the North of Italy, on the contrary, the precision of line and
observation of detail form a predominant character of those Schools
of which Mantegna is the most illustrious representative. These
Schools, therefore, found in Leonardo a teaching that responded to
their ancient traditions; and we may thus understand how the seed
planted by Leonardo in the soil of Milan struck such deep root and
produced such beautiful flowers there.
“But however this may be and whatever may have been the causes
of this admirable blossoming of Milanese Art in the early years of the
Sixteenth Century, we may say that it represents in a highly learned
form one of the researches that have the most occupied Italian genius,
—I mean the seeking after beauty pursued in the harmonious accord
between form and poetry.”
Francesco Squarcione (1394-1474), was a native of Padua, the son
of a notary. Beginning life as a tailor and embroiderer, he chose to
become a painter, but first he decided to travel. He made a tour
through Italy and, it is said, visited Greece. It is in 1441 that his
name first appears in the Paduan Guild of Painters. Squarcione
achieved more reputation as a teacher than as a painter; and it seems
that in executing what commissions came to him he either gave over
his orders to his talented pupils, or had them, indeed, do most of the
work under his name. It is now thought that it was Mantegna’s
refusal to continue painting for Squarcione that led to the rupture
between master and pupil and not Squarcione’s anger at Mantegna’s
marrying Nicolosia Bellini, which has long been a favorite legend.
Squarcione’s school, however, was the most famous of its time and
brought him the title of “Father of Painters.” The list of his pupils
runs to about a hundred and thirty-seven. One of the features of
Squarcione’s workshop was his fine collection of fragments of statues