Vincenzo Foppa of Brescia, founder of the Lombard school, his life ...

INTRODUCTION
The Lombard School has received less attention from students of the
history of Italian Art than any other school of painting in Italy. This may
perhaps serve to explain the singular fact that no complete life of a master
who may justly be termed the true founder of the Lombard school has ever
appeared, though many valuable contributions to the subject have been made
in recent years by Alizeri, Beltrami, Malaguzzi, and others.
The school vi^hich for many years vv^as dominated by Vincenzo Foppa is
usually termed the "Milanese"; hereby, of course, should be understood
not the school of painting which flourished in the city of Milan alone, but
that of the whole area of Milanese territory within the limits of the Duchy.
We have preferred, however, to use the more comprehensive term "Lombard
" as a designation more applicable to the school of Foppa in contradistinction
to the later school of Leonardo da Vinci, which is pre-eminently the
"Milanese school."
In this volume the life of Foppa has been treated from the historical
rather than from the critical standpoint, the conclusions being founded upon
the testimony of documents, wherever this was possible.
Documentary research is one of the most important factors in the accurate
and scientific study of the history of art ; for where historical basis is lacking
even the most closely reasoned arguments are liable to break down. At the
same time, it would be impossible to overrate the importance of the work
achieved by the critic. It is obvious that in their several ways both archivist
and critic may render invaluable assistance to the true understanding of the
subject ; but to this end both must work in harmony, the one completing and
verifying what the other has accomplished.
Only by such means can we ever
hope to achieve a history of art resting upon the sure foundation of established
fact, and not upon the visionary fabric of individual impressions.
From this point of view, therefore, we venture to hope that some small service
may have been rendered to the cause which we have so much at heart, by
bringing together all the particulars relating to Vincenzo Foppa that we have
been able to discover, by testing them and arranging them in chronological
order for the use of future students in this field.