Page:Biographical catalogue of the principal Italian painters.djvu/139

 108 MQNSIGNORI— MONTORFANO. most of the works mentioned by Yasari have perished. His brother, Girolamo, of the order of the Dominicans, was distinguished for a fine copy he made of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, at Milan, now in France. Francesco has signed nearly all his remaining pictures *' Bonsignori," which appears to be his correct name. He lived chiefly at the court of Francesco, Marquis of Mantua; and, as he had deceived dogs and birds by his paint- ings, he was called The Modern Zeuxis. Works. Mantua, Santa Maria delle Grazie, St. Sebastian. Verona, San Ferando, the Madonna, with saints ; San Nazzaro, the Virgin and Child, with Saints. Milan, Brera, San Ber- nardino and San Ludovico. (Vasari.) MONTAGNA, Bartolomeo, paint- ed about 1500. Venetian School. The works of this old painter are still nu- merous in Vicenza, his native city. He was the scholar of Giovanni Bel-* lini, and is distinguished by a strong quattrocento manner, with much dry- ness of design, and a colouring infe- rior to Bellini's. He is said to have studied, also, under Andrea Mantegna. Montagna was also an engraver: his brother Benedetto became a celebrated engraver. In the Berlin Gallery is a Virgin and Child, with saints, by Mon- tagna. Works. Vicenza, San Bartolomeo, the Virgin and Child, enthroned, with Saints ; Santa Corona, the Magdalen, and other saints ; San Lorenzo, Christ appearing to Mary Magdalen ; and San Michele, Sant' Onofrio. MONTALTO. [Danedi.] MONTANINI, PiETBO, called Pe- TBUCCio Peruoino, b. 1619, d. 1689. Umbrian School. He studied under Ciro Fern and Salvator Bosa, but he painted chiefly landscapes in the style of the latter; in these he excelled. His figure-pieces are inferior. Many of his works are still in the collections at Perugia, and some are occasionally found in foreign collections. (Pascoli.) MONTEMEZZANO, Fsancesco, of Verona, d. young, about 1600. Vene- tian School. Scholar and imitator of Paolo Veronese, with considerable suc- cess, in many respects, particularly in the colouring of his heads, but as a Venetian his colouring is feeble: his portraits are excellent. Works. Venice, church of San Fran- cesco della Vigna, the Annunciation ; Santa Marta, St. Jerome, Ssc. ; in San Niccolo, the Titular, in glory. (Za- netti.) MONTI, Francesco, b. at Bologna, 1685, d. 1768. Bolognese School. Pupil of Giuseppe dal Sole. He was employed at Turin, and executed large works there, with many figures, both in fresco and in oils. He painted, also, for the churches of Bologna, and at Brescia, ^here he settled, and left his principal works. His daughter Eleo- nora painted portraits. Francesco Monti, called II Brescianine delle Bat- taglie (6. 1606, d. 1712), was probably her brother. He settled in Parma, and painted chiefly battle-pieces in imitation of Bourguignon. (Crespi.) MONTORFXNO, Giovanni Dona- To, painted in 1495. Lombard School. He painted some historical subjects at Milan : his figures are of the quaUrO' cento taste, and wanting in grace, but his heads have a strong natural expres> sion. Some of the ornaments of his pictures are in the old style in relief. He appears to have considerably ex- celled in perspective. In the refectory of the Dominicans of Santa Maria delle Grazie, at Milan, he represented the Crucifixion, opposite the Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci, a dr- cumstance by which' the fame of Mon- torfano has suffered. In San Giorgio, at Brescia, is Saint George with the Dragon, attributed to him.