Page:Biographical catalogue of the principal Italian painters.djvu/175

 14i EIBERA— EICCI. and graphic tmth of representation. The preparation for the Martyrdom of St Bartholomew, in the Berlin Gal- lery, is an exception to his ordinary tareatment ; the mere indication of the torture gives a shuddering interest to the spectator, which in the grosser representation, hecomes converted into revolting disgust only. With all his great power, Rihera was unsuccessful in high religious sentiment, or even in mythological scenes ; indeed, he is an unpleasing artist, says Kugler, in all those suhjects where either grandeur or beauty is indispensable. This holds as a common objection to all the great Naturalistic painters of the school of Garavaggio; the ordinary life tiiey selected, with the purely material or imitative treatment of the subject, combined with a strong technical man- nerism in colouring, and light and shade, present the consciousness of art-work so palpably to the mind, that the contemplation or apprehension of the subject itself, is lost in the con- sideration of the technical skill ex- pended over it. It has too much art to allow the mind to be engrossed by the subject, and not sufficient nature to admit of illusion, and consequent disregard of the means effecting it. Bibera was, from the very nature of his style, an excellent portrait-painter, for male heads. He had many followers at Naples, among whom were Salvator Bosa and Luca Giordano, who imitated and copied his works, and many, doubt- less, of the pictures imputed to Bibera, are by the hands of his scholars. BeUsario Corenzio, Giambattista Carracciolo, and Bibera, formed them- selves into a cabal to exclude, whether by intimidation or otherwise, all rival talent from Naples. Domenichino, Annibal Carracci, the Cav, d'Arpino and Guido, were all more or less victims of tills infamous cabaL Many of Bibera*8 finest works are in Spain, in the Escurial, Buenretiro, Prado, &e. He etched some works. Neither the time nor place of his death are known. Works. Naples, Sma. Trinitik, St Jerome : San Martino, in the choir, the Last Supper : Oappella del Tesoro, Martyrdom of St Januarins: Studj Gallery, Silenus. Bome, Corsini Gal- lery, Venus lamenting over the body of Adonis. Dresden, Martyrdom of St. Lawrence. Munich, Death of Se- neca. Berlin Galleiy, St Jerome in Meditation ; and the preparation for the Martyrdom of St Bartholomew, already noticed. London, National Gallery, a Pieta: Bridgwater Galleiy, Christ teaching in the Temple : Apsley House, Strogozzo: Burleigh House, Repose in Egypt: Stratton House, Holy Family. Alton Towers, his own Portrait ( Cean Bermudez, 2>omtntd.) BICCHI, PiETRO, called II Luc- CHESE, b. at Lucca, 1606, d, at Udine, August 15, 1675. Tuscan School. A scholar of Passignano in Florence, and an imitator and scholar of Guido Beni in Bologna. He practised also for some time in France. He afterwards studied and resided long at Venice, where he became an imitator of Tin- toretto. Two altar-pieces by him are in the church of San Francesco at Lucca. He also painted much at Udine, and generally in the Milanese and Venetian States; but his oil-pio- tures have decayed. Lanzi especially praises San Baimondo at the Domini- cans at Bergamo: and the Epiphany in the Patriarchal Church in Venice: in the Dresden Gallery is the Betro- thal of St Catherine. {Baldinvcei.) BICCI, Antonio. [BiSBALXTHaA.] BICCI, Cahillo, b. 1580, d. 1618. Ferrarese School. He was the scholar and assistant of Ippolito Scarsella, called Lo Scarsellino: he imitated the manner of his master with such sue- cess, that the works of the scholar may