Anecdotes of Painters, Engravers, Sculptors and Architects and Curiosities of Art (Vol. 3 of 3) by S. Spooner (best ebook reader under 100 TXT) 📖

in flight. Having thus lashed himself into sufficient

frenzy, he performed miracles, according to Palomino, in the field of

battle-pieces, throwing off many bold and spirited pictures of Pharaoh

and his host struggling in the angry waters, or mailed Christians

quelling the turbaned armies of the Crescent. Few will withhold from him

the praise of Bermudez, for brilliancy of coloring, and for the skill

with which the dust, smoke, and dense atmosphere of the combat are

depicted.

 

 

 

 

MARCH'S ADVENTURE OF THE FISH FRIED IN LINSEED OIL.

 

 

Palomino says that March had gone out one day, leaving neither meat nor

money in the house, and was absent till past midnight, when he returned

with a few fish, which he insisted on having instantly dressed for

supper. His wife said there was no oil; and Juan Conchillos, one of his

pupils, being ordered to get some, objected that all the shops were shut

"Then take linseed oil," cried the impetuous March, "for, _por

Dios_, I will have these fish presently fried." The mess was therefore

served with this unwonted sauce, but was no sooner tasted than it began

to act as a vigorous emetic upon the whole party, "for indeed," gravely

writes Palomino, "linseed oil, at all times of a villainous flavor, when

hot is the very devil." Without more ado, the master of the feast threw

fish and frying-pan out of the window; and Conchillos, knowing his

humor, flung the earthen chafing-dish and charcoal after them. March was

delighted with this sally, and embracing the youth, he lifted him from

the floor, putting him in bodily fear, as he after wards told Palomino,

that he was about to follow the coal and viands into the street. As for

the poor weary wife, she thought of her crockery, and remarking in a

matter of-fact way, "What shall we have for supper now?" went to bed;

whither her husband, pleased with the frolic of spoiling his meal and

breaking the dishes, seems to have followed her in a more complacent

mood than common.

 

 

 

 

A PAINTER'S REBUKE.

 

 

José Antonilez, a Spanish painter, studied under Francisco Rizi at

Madrid. When the latter was occupied in preparing some new scenery for

the theatre at Buon Retiro, Antonilez spoke of him as a painter of

foot-cloths--an expression which was soon communicated to his master.

Rizi immediately administered a wholesome practical rebuke, by

commanding the attendance of Antinolez on his Majesty's service, and

ordering him to execute a piece of painting in distemper. The unlucky

wag, being quite ignorant of the mode of performing the work, and too

proud to confess it, worked for a whole day, at the end of which he had

merely spoiled a large piece of canvas. "So, sir," said Rizi, quietly,

"you see painting foot-cloths is not so easy after all;" and turning to

his servant, added, "here, boy, take this canvas and carry it to the

cistern to be washed."

 

 

 

 

A PAINTER'S RETORT COURTEOUS.

 

 

Jean Ranc, an eminent French portrait painter, was sometimes annoyed by

impertinent and vexatious criticism. Having exhausted all his talent

upon a particular portrait, the friends of the sitter refused to be

pleased, although the sitter himself appears to have been well

satisfied. In concert with the latter, Ranc concerted a plan for a

practical retort. After privately painting a copy of the picture, he cut

the head out of the canvas, and placed it in such a position that the

original could supply the opening with his own veritable face,

undetected. After all was ready, the cavilers were invited to view the

performance, but they were no better pleased. Falling completely into

the snare, the would-be critics were going on to condemn the likeness,

when the relaxing features and hearty laughter of the supposed portrait,

speedily and sufficiently avenged the painter of their fastidiousness.

 

 

 

 

ARDEMANS AND BOCANEGRA--A TRIAL OF SKILL.

 

 

These Spanish painters contended in 1689 for the office of Master of the

Works in the Cathedral of Granada. Bocanegra was excessively vain and

overbearing, and boasted his superiority to all the artists of his time;

but Ardemans, though a stranger in Granada, was not to be daunted, and a

trial of skill, "a duel with pencils," was accordingly arranged between

them, which was, that each should paint the other's portrait. Ardemans,

who was then hardly twenty-five years of age, first entered the lists,

and without drawing any outline on the canvas, produced an excellent

likeness of his adversary in less than an hour. Bocanegra, quite daunted

by this feat, and discouraged by the applause accorded to his rival by

the numerous spectators, put off his own exhibition till another day,

and in the end utterly failed in his attempt to transfer the features of

his rival to canvas. His defeat, and the jeers of his former admirers,

so overwhelmed him with mortification, that he died shortly after.

 

 

 

 

A PAINTER'S ARTIFICE TO "KEEP UP APPEARANCES."

 

 

The Spanish painter Antonio Pereda married Doña Maria de Bustamente, a

woman of some rank, and greater pretension, who would associate only

with people of high fashion, and insisted on having a duenna in constant

waiting in her antechamber, like a lady of quality. Pereda was not rich

enough to maintain such an attendant; he therefore compromised matters

by painting on a screen an old lady sitting at her needle, with

spectacles on her nose, and so truthfully executed that visitors were

wont to salute her as they passed, taking her for a real duenna, too

deaf or too discreet to notice their entrance!

 

 

 

 

A GOOD-NATURED CRITICISM.

 

 

Bartolomeo Carducci, who was employed in the service of the Spanish

court for many years, was expressing one day his admiration of a newly

finished picture by a brother artist, when one of his own scholars drew

his attention to a badly executed foot. "I did not observe it," replied

he, "it is so concealed by the difficult excellence of this bosom and

these hands"--a piece of kindly criticism that deserves to be recorded.

 

 

 

 

ALONSO CANO AND THE INTENDANT OF THE BISHOP OF MALAGA.

 

 

The Bishop of Malaga, being engaged in improving his Cathedral church,

invited Cano to that city, for the purpose of designing a new tabernacle

for the high altar, and new stalls for the choir. He had finished his

plans, very much to the prelate's satisfaction, when he was privately

informed that the Intendant of the works proposed to allow him but a

very trifling remuneration. "These drawings," said Cano, "are either to

be given away, or to fetch 2,000 ducats;" and packing them up, he

mounted his mule, and took the road to Granada. The niggardly Intendant,

learning the cause of his departure, became alarmed, and sent a

messenger after him post-haste, offering him his own price for the

plans!

 

 

 

 

CANO'S LOVE OF SCULPTURE.

 

 

Skillful as Cano was with the pencil, he loved the chisel above all his

other artistic implements. He was so fond of sculpture that, when

wearied with painting, he would take his tools, and block out a piece of

carving. A disciple one day remarking that to lay down a pencil and take

up a mallet, was a strange method of repose, he replied, "Blockhead!

don't you see that to create form and relief on a flat surface, is a

greater labor than to fashion one shape into another?"

 

 

 

 

CASTILLO'S SARCASM ON ALFARO.

 

 

Juan de Alfaro first studied under Antonio del Castillo at Seville, and

subsequently in the school of Velasquez at Madrid. After his return to

Seville, he was wont to plume himself upon the knowledge of art which he

had acquired in the school of that great painter; and he also signed all

his pictures in a conspicuous manner, "_Alfaro, pinxit_." This was too

much for Castillo, and he accordingly inscribed his Baptism of St.

Francis, executed for the Capuchin convent, where his juvenile rival was

likewise employed, "_Non pinxit Alfaro_." Years after, Palomino became

sufficiently intimate with Alfaro, to ask him what he thought of

Castillo's sarcastic inscription. "I think," replied the unabashed

object of the jest, "that it was a great honor for me, who was then a

beardless boy, to be treated as a rival by so able an artist."

 

 

 

 

TORRES' IMITATIONS OF CARAVAGGIO.

 

 

Matias de Torres, a Spanish painter, affected the style of Caravaggio.

His compositions were half veiled in thick impenetrable shadows, which

concealed the design, and sometimes left the subject a mystery.

Francisco de Solis was standing before one of them, in the church of

Victory at Madrid, representing a scene from the life of St. Diego, and

was asked to explain the subject depicted. "It represents," said the

witty painter, "_San Brazo_," St. Arm, nothing being distinguished but

the arm of a mendicant in the background.

 

 

 

 

PANTOJA AND THE EAGLE.

 

 

Palomino relates that a superb eagle, of the bearded kind, having been

captured in the royal chase, near the Prado, the king (Philip III.) gave

orders to Pantoja to paint its likeness, which he did with such

truthfulness that the royal bird, on seeing it, mistook it for a real

eagle, and attacked the picture with such impetuosity that he tore it in

pieces with his beak and talons before they could secure him. The

indignant bird was then tied more carefully, and the portrait painted

over again.

 

 

 

 

THE PAINTER METHODIUS AND THE KING OF BULGARIA.

 

 

Pacheco relates a remarkable effect produced by a picture from the

pencil of Methodius, who resided at Constantinople about 854. He was

invited to Nicopolis by Bogoris, king of the Bulgarians, to decorate a

banqueting-hall in his palace. That prince left the choice of his

subject to the artist, limiting him to those of a tragic or terrible

character. The sister of Bogoris, during a long captivity at

Constantinople, had become a convert to the Greek church, and greatly

desired that her brother should renounce paganism; therefore it was

probably at her instance, in this case, that Methodius painted the Last

Judgment. He succeeded in depicting the glories of the blessed and the

pains of the damned in such a fearful manner, that the heathen king was

induced in his terror to send for a Bishop, and signify his willingness

to unite with the Greek church; and the whole Bulgarian nation soon

followed his example.

 

 

 

 

JOHN C. VERMEYEN AND CHARLES V.

 

 

This Dutch painter was invited to Spain by Charles V., and accompanied

that monarch on his expedition to Tunis, of which he preserved some

scenes that were afterwards transferred to Brussels tapestries. He

followed the court for many years, and exercised his art with honor and

profit, in portrait, landscape, and sacred subjects. The palace of the

Prado was adorned with a number of his works, particularly eight

pictures representing the Imperial progresses in Germany, and Views of

Madrid, Valladolid, Naples, and London; all of which perished in the

fire of 1608. Vermeyen was an especial favorite of Charles V., who

ordered his bust to be executed in marble, "for the sake of the gravity

and nobleness of his countenance." He was very remarkable for his long

beard, which gained him the surname of _El Barbudo_ or _Barbalonga_. In

fact, so very lengthy was this beard, that Descamps says the Emperor in

his playful moods used to amuse himself by treading on it, as it trailed

on the ground!

 

 

 

 

BLAS DE PRADO AND THE EMPEROR OF MOROCCO.

 

 

In 1593 the Emperor of Morocco applied to Philip II. for the loan of a

painter, to which the latter made answer that they had in Spain two

sorts of painters--the ordinary and the excellent--and desired to know

which his infidel brother preferred. "Kings should always have the

best," replied the Moor; and so Philip sent him Blas de Prado to Fez.

There he painted various works for the palace, and a portrait of the

monarch's daughter, to the great satisfaction of her father. After

keeping the artist several years in his service, the emperor finally

sent him away, with many rich gifts; and he returned to Castile with

considerable wealth. The Academy of San Ferdinando possesses a fine work

by him, representing the Virgin and Infant seated in the clouds.

 

 

 

 

DON JUAN CARRENO

 

 

This Spanish painter was a favorite with King Charles II. He was

painting his Majesty's portrait one day in the presence of the Queen

mother, when the royal sitter asked him to which of the knightly orders

he belonged. "To none," replied the artist, "but the order of your

Majesty's servants." "Why is this?" said Charles. The Admiral of

Castile, who was standing by, replied that he should have a cross

immediately; and on leaving the royal presence, he sent Carreño a rich

badge of Santiago, assuring him that what the king had said entitled him

to wear it. Palomino says, however, that the artist's modesty prevented

him from accepting the proffered honor. His royal master continued to

treat him with unabated regard, and would allow no artist to paint him

without Carreño's permission.

 

 

 

 

CARRENO'S COPY OF TITIAN'S ST. MARGARET.

 

 

Palomino was one day in company with Carreño at the house of Don Pedro

de Arce, when a discussion arose about the merits of a certain copy of

Titian's St.