manner executed numerous stories in fresco from the life of Jesus Christ, these last giving evidence of much more power in design than do those of Boccaccino.
Altobello subsequently painted a chapel in fresco in the church of Sant’ Agostino at Cremona, and this he did with a very graceful and beautiful manner, as may be seen by every one. In the Corte Yecchia at Milan, the Piazza or Court of the Palace that is to say, this master depicted an armed figure, clothed after the manner of the antique and standing erect; many others were executed in the same place, and about the same time, by other masters, but that of Altobello was the best of all.
When Bonifazio died, the above-mentioned stories from the life of Our Saviour Christ in the Cathedral of Cremona, were left unfinished, when such of them as had been commenced by Bonifazio were completed by Giovan-Antonio Licinio of Pordenone, [1] called in Cremona De’ Sacchi; that master painted five stories in fresco, depicting the Passion of Our Saviour Christ therein, with a manner of much dignity and grandeur, the figures large and very bold in style, the colouring powerful, the foreshortenings full of force and life, qualities by which the Cremonese were taught the good and true method of painting. Nor was this done in fresco only, seeing that in the same cathedral, and on one of the pilasters about the centre of the church, there is a picture on panel by the hand of Pordenone, which is, indeed, most beautiful. This manner of painting was subsequently imitated by Cammillo, the son of Boccaccino, in the principal chapel of San Gismondo, without the city, which that Cammillo painted in fresco; and in this, as well as other works, he succeeded so well that he finally became a much better artist than his father had been. He was, nevertheless, so dilatory and indolent in his proceedings that he completed but few works, except such as were small and of but little importance.[2]
But the artist who most carefully imitated the good man-
- ↑ For the Life of this master, see vol. iii. of the present work, p. 260, et seq.
- ↑ This painter is mentioned by Lomazzo and Lamo, as before cited. See also the Count Vidoni, ut supra. He died in the year 1546.
gives some account of this Bonifazio, as does Zaist, Notizie istoriche de’ Pittori Cremonesi.
