Page:Biographical catalogue of the principal Italian painters.djvu/207

 176 STEFANI— TASSL Neapolitan writers to have painted in oil. He executed some works in fresco for the churches of San Francesco and Santa Maria delle Grazie, and also for the chapel of the Minutoli in the cathedral. His brother Pietro was distinguished as a sculptor. {Domi- niei.) STEFANO, ToMMASo di. [Giot- TINO.] STROZZI, Bernabdo, called II Cappuccino, and II Pbetb Genoyese, b, at Genoa 1581, d. at Venice, August 3, 1644. Genoese School. The scholar of Pietro Sorri. He became a Capu- chin at the early age of seventeen, and in his first works showed a strong reli- gious tendency; but the poverty of his family induced him to leave the clois- ter for a time ; he was, however, forced to return to it, on the death of his mo- ther, by the monks of his order ; and on account of his opposition was kept in close confinement for three years, when he escaped to Venice, and finally established himself there. Strozzi was a great colourist, and had a ready invention ; was of a naturalist tendency in his style, and on this ac- count partly became an able portrait- painter ; but his flesh tints are red, his shadows dark, and his drawing infe- rior; he painted commonly half figures. He painted in fresco and in oil ; his frescoes are limited to Genoa, and he was considered one of the best masters of his time : his pictures are numerous in Genoa and Venice ; there are some also at Novi, Voltri, and Milan; and they are not uncommon in picture gal- leries in or out of Italy. Works. Genoa, Palazzo Pubblico, the Virgin and Child : San Domenico, Paradise (fresco) ; Oratorio di San Tommaso, the Last Supper: Palazzo Prignole, Holy Family ; John the Bap- tist ; Incredulity of St. Thomas ; St.Paul ; Charity, &c. : Palazzo Marcello Du- razzo, Holy Family : Palazzo Pallavi- cini, Madonna; St. Francis: Palazzo Doria, Triumph of David (fresco). Venice, at the Teatini, St. I^wrence distributing Alms ; San Benedetto ; St Sebastian. Dresden Gallery, David with the Head of Goliath ; Rebecca at the Well ; Esther before Ahasuerus ; a Female playing the Bass Viol. Louvre, Virgin and Child; St. Anthony. {So- pranif Batti.) SUARDI. [Bramantino.] TASSI, Agostino, b. at Perugia, 1566, d. at Rome, 1644. Roman School. His own name was Buonamici, that of Tassi he adopted, as that of his patron, whom he served as a page. His youth was remarkable for its dissipation and its consequent misfortunes; he was condemned for some time to the Tus- can galleys ; and during the period of his successes at Rome he appears to have led a uniformly scandalous life. He was self-taught, and showed early an ability in painting landscape and architecture : after his release he prac- tised some time at Leghorn, and here, through his opportunities of seeing variety of costume and shipping, ac- quired a taste for and skill in pro- ducing such subjects, decorating his compositions with small figures. He returned to Rome in the commence- ment of the Pontificate of Paul V. (1605-21), and found a new patron in Cardinal Lancellotti, whose palace he decorated, in fresco, with landscape, marine views, and ornaments, in- troducing also many appropriate figures. Paul Bril was at the height of his reputation at this time, and his works may have had considerable in- fluence on Tassi ; Passer! does not state that Tassi was ever Bril's scholar. He executed extensive works also in the Palazzo Quirinale ; and in some of the more important figures introduced, he used to secure the aid of Lanfrvnoo,