Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/497

 In Valencia. 467 These were the schools of Valencia, Toledo, Seville and Madrid. But the two first were soon merged into the others. The school of Valencia, which had been founded by Juan de Joanes, and rendered famous by Ribera and the Ribaltas, was united like the smaller schools of Cordova, Granada and Murcia, to the parent school of Seville (or Andalucian) ; whilst that of Toledo, as well as the local schools of Badajoz, Saragossa and Valladolid were merged in the school of Madrid (or Castile), when that country- town had become the capital of the monarchy through the will of Philip II., and had carried off all supremacy from the ancient capital of the Goth." 1. The Valencian School. It is only right that this school should be mentioned before those of Andalucia and Castile, for it was especially through it that the lessons of Italy came to Spain. Of this generation of Spanish artists, formed by contact with the Italians, the first is Vicente Juan Macip (1505-7 — 1579), called Juan de Joanes. of Fuente la Higuera. Notwithstanding his importance as the leader of this school, and his merit as an artist, he is still almost unknown out of Spain, and is not very popular even there. His works are everywhere rare, except in Madrid. Francisco de Ribalta (1550-60 — 1628) learned his art first at Valencia, but subsequently perfected his style by studying the great masterpieces in Italy, especially Raphael and the Carracci. On his return to Spain, Ribalta was much honoured and patronized, and his works have since been highly praised. His pictures are chiefly to be seen in Valencia, and rarely to be met with out of Spain. His son, Juan de Ribalta (1597 — 1628), if he had lived to H H 2