Page:Bryan's dictionary of painters and engravers, volume 1.djvu/203

 1513 ; in -which year Pinturicchio died at Siena of starvation and neglect, deserted, it is said, in his illness by his heartless wife Grania. Pinturic- chio was a very prolific artist, and left many works, all executed in the old-fashioned tempera, for he never mastered the art of oil painting. He was fond of landscape backgrounds, but they are over- crowded, and his paintings are loaded with too much gilding and architectural ornamentation to be in good taste ; with all these faults, he was one of the best masters of the Umbrian school. To the above-mentioned works may be added the following :

Assisi. 5. Mary A ngeli. Berlin. Musnum. Dresden. Gallery. London. J'if. Gall. Paris. Louvre. Perugia. Accadania. Eome. Vatican. Siena. Academy. God the Father. St. Augustine, St. Benedict, and St. Bernard (Jormerly ascribed to Pervgino). A Reliquary. Portrait of a Boy. Sv. Catharine of Alexandria. The Madonna and ChQd. The return of Ulysses to Penelope. {A fresco transferred to canvas ; formerly in the Pctrucci Palace, Siena, painted ahout 1509.) Madonna and Child between St. Gregory and another Saint. The Virgin between SS. Jerome and Augustin {painted in 1493 for the convent of Santa Anna, Perugia). Coronation of the Virgin {painted about 1500). Virgin enthroned with Saints {painted about 1501).

There are two important frescoes by him in the Sistine Chapel, at one time attributed to Penigino, fragments of fresco in the Penitenzieri Chapel, decoration in the Colonna Palace, a fresco in the Capitol, and fragments of work in the Castle of Sant' Angelo, all in Rome. (See ' Pinturicchio,' by E. M. Phillipps, London, 1901.)

BIAGIO, Martino fDi Bartolommeo) di, was the Bon of Bartolorameo di Biagio, a goldsmith of Siena, and a contemporary of Taddeo Bartoli. His name appears in the roll of the Guild of the Siencse painters, in 1389, but his first knovn work is in a church at Cascina, which is now desecrated. There will be found a series of frescoes representing the 'Virgin and Cliild,' between SS. Catharine and Agatha, life-sized figures of the Saints, colossal figures of the Virtues, and scenes drawn from the life of the Virgin, with a ' Crucifision,' that is dated 1396. He seems to have remained in Pisa up to 1404, having painted in 1403 a ' Virgin and Child, between Saints,' that is now in the Hospital of Santa Chiara, in that city. In 1405 and 1406 Martino decorated the three chapels of San Cres- cenzio, San Savino, and San Niccol6, in the Duomo of Siena. In 1407 he aided Spinello to decorate the Sala di Balia, Siena, where his part was the ornamentation of the ceiling with allegorical half- figures of the Virtues. He was appointed umpire in the valuation of Taddeo Bartoli's paintings in the Chapel of the Palace of Siena, and seems to have filled several offices in the government of the city between the years 1410 and 1428. His deatli probably occurred in 1433. tsciano. Boniche Coll Madonna and Child. Signed i% 1403. Pisa. Academy. Marriage of St. Catharine. 1403. Siena Academy. Madonna with Saints {three'i.

BIAGIO ViKCENZo DI, commonly called Catena, possibly from a partiality for jewellery, was bom probably at Treviso, and flourished towards the close of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. He was a painter of no great origin- ality ; he studied at Venice under Bellini, whose influence is perceptible in his works ; and he was also an indtator of Giorgione. Catena painted portraits with skill, and was also much esteemed for his easel pictures of historical subjects ; he was employed in decorating the churches of Venice, some of which still contain works by his hand. His will, dated 1531, proves him to have been alive in that year, but we have no later record of him. The following are a few of his works:

Berlin. Museum. Madonna and Saints and donor. ,. „ Portrait of Count Kaimiuid Fugger {one of Ills lest works). Dresdeu. Gallery. Madonna with Saints. Liverpool. /?i5^?'t«(io«. Madonna and doiia.tor {ascribed to him by Crowe and Cavalcasellc). London. JS'at. Gall. 'Warrior adoring the Infaut Christ. „ „ St. Jerome in his study. Padua. Com. Gal. Presentation in the Temple. Paris. Lou vre. Keception of Ambassadors. Pettr.^rg. Mermiiaije. Virgin and Child with SS. Pt ter and John the Baptist. Venice. Ducal Pal.^ Madonna and Smuts. „ S. Simeone. The Holy Trinity.

BIANCHI, Baldassabe, was born at Bologna in 1614. He was first a scholar of Giovanni Paderna, but afterwards studied under Agostino Mitelli, with whom he painted prospective pieces at Sassuolo. He passed the greater part of his life in the em- ployment of the' dukes of Modena and Mantua, whose palaces he ornamented with a large number of his paintings. He also decorated the theatres of Modena and Mantua. He died at Modena in 1679. Orlandi states, that he had a daughter, Lucrezia

BlAXcni, who also distinguished herself in the art.

BI.NCHI, Federigo, a Milanese, was a scholar, and subsequently son-in-law, of Giulio Cesare Procaceini. Orlandi reports that at the early age of seventeen he painted three works in fresco, in the cloister of the monastery of the Padri Zoccolanti, at Milan. Several other works by this master were in the churches of that city. He was greatly patronized by the duke of Savoy, who held his talents in high estimation, and honoured him with the title of ' Cavaliere,' and a gold chain and medal. He flourished in the 17th century.

BIANCHI, Francesco, (or Francesco del BiANCHO Ferbaro.) Called II Frare, was born, ac- cording to Vidriani, at Ferrara in 1447. Modena is also mentioned as the place of his birth. His works were much esteemed in his time, and are said by Vidriani to have been gracefully designed, and painted with a fine impasto of colour. He also gives him the credit of having been the instructor of Correggio. He died in 1510. His works are now rarely seen. The Louvre possesses. a ' Virgin and Child enthroned with two Saints,' and the Modena Gallery an 'Annunciation of the Virgin,' and other works.

BIANCHI, Giov. Paolo. See Blanots.

BIANCHI, IsiDORO, called 'da Campione,' was a native of Milan, and flourished about the year 1626. He studied under Pietro Francesco Mazzu- chelli, and was one of the ablest followers of his style. He excelled in fresco painting more than in oil, as is evident in his works in the church of Sant' Ambrogio at ililan, and in different churches at