made a citizen of Spoleto.[1] Here Giovanni executed various works, as he did in all the other cities of Umbria: in Assisi more particularly, where he painted the altar-piece for the chapel of (Santa Caterina, in the lower church of San Francesco,! receiving the commission for this work from the Spanish Cardinal Egidio. Another picture by his hand is a San Damiano; and for the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli he painted certain half-length figures the size of life;[2] these are in the small chapel, wherein San Francesco died: they represent some of the companions of St. Francis, with other saints, all depicted with great animation: in the centre of all is San Francesco himself, a work in rilievo.
But among all the disciples of Pietro here enumerated, Andrea Luigi of Assisi, called V Tngegno, deserves to be considered the best master: in his first youth this artist vied with RatFaello da Urbano, under the discipline of Pietro, who availed himself of L’ Ingegno’s[3] assistance in all the more important works undertaken by him; as, for example, in the Andience-chamber of the Exchange in Perugia, where there are most beautiful pictures by his hand;[4] in the works of Pietro executed for Assisi; and, finally, in the chapel of Pope Sixtus.[5] In all these labours Andrea gave such decided proofs of his ability that he was expected to surpass his master by very much, and so, without doubt, he would have done, but that fortune, who is almost always
- ↑ Mariotti, Lettere, p. 195, has shown that Lo Spagna became a citizen of Spoleto before the death of Pietro, and had married a lady of that city eight years previous to the death of his master.
- ↑ The beautiful altar-piece by Lo Spagna, here alluded to, is in the chapel of St. Stephen in this church, it represents the Madonna enthroned, with three Saints on each side. The painting is in good preservation, and may be considered the master-piece of the artist.— See Mezzanotte, ut supra.
- ↑ Still in very fair condition.
- ↑ The errors of Vasari, in respect to this artist, have been repeated by all succeeding writers, Mezzanotte among the number. Nor was it until llumohr had published his admirable “Researches,” (Italienische Forschnngen,) that they were corrected. For many interesting details respecting L’ Ingegno, which cannot here find place, the reader is referred to that work, and also to the same author in the Kunstblatt, for 1821, No. 73. — See also Passavant, and Dr. Waagen, with the reply given to that writer by Forster in the Kunstblatt, for 1837, p. 94.
- ↑ Orsini admits that L’ Ingegno may have assisted Pietro in the Sistine chapel, but denies that he did so in Assisi, where, as he declares, this artist never worked.
