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

2IO
VINCENZO FOPPA
we are justified in regarding it as a late work, and as a product of the last
years of the fifteenth century or even of the opening years of the sixteenth.
The picture was formerly held to be entirely repainted, but Mrs. Herringham
who has examined it carefully states that this is not the case, but that on
the contrary it is in very good condition. Of the early history of the picture
we unfortunately know nothing. The large dimensions prove that it must
have been an important altarpiece, and the admirable finish of every detail,
the technical skill and carefulness of execution displayed throughout the picture,
would lead us to suppose that, like the Castello Madonna, it may have been commissioned
by a donor of some prominence. When speaking of the drawing
representing the Justice of Trajan we referred to the fact that Giov. Maria da
Brescia's engraving of that subject showed a decided connection with the
Adoration of the Magi.^ On comparing the illustration of the picture with
that of the engraving it will be seen how close is the analogy between the two
compositions in the build and movement of the horses, and in the pose, types,
and gestures of many of the figures. Might we not infer, therefore, that a
picture with which this Carmelite monk of Brescia was evidently familiar,
may have been produced for some Brescian donor, and was at that date
(1502) either in Foppa's workshop or hanging over an altar in one of the
churches of the city ? Brescian guide-books unfortunately make no allusion
to such a picture, but neither does any Pavian or Milanese writer mention it;
and in the absence of all pedigree and taking into consideration the fact that
an engraver of Brescia made great use of the composition for his own
work, the Brescian origin of the composition seems not improbable. At
some time unknown to us it was bought by the agents of Cardinal Fesch and
was one of the numerous pictures which formed his collection in Rome."
Had the Cardinal been allowed to return to his diocese at Lyons the whole of
his gallery would have been bequeathed to that city, but this was not permitted,
and some years after his death the collection was sold (in March, 1845),
and the Adoration of the Magi was purchased by Mr. Bromley Davenport for
;i£^200 ; on the sale of his pictures in 1863 it passed to the National Gallery.^
To this period, perhaps, should be ascribed a picture in the collection of the
Abbe Lefevre at Versailles, representing the Madonna with angels adoring
the Infant Saviour and an abbot kneeling behind her, an interesting work
which must be regarded as in the main by the hand of Foppa, in spite of
1 Chap. II, p. 49.
2 See Gal. de feu S. Ex. le Card. Fesch, etc., pp. 193, 194.
^ A small composition founded upon this picture and executed by some feeble
painter of the Lombard school is in the sacristy of S. Maria Novella in Florence,
where it was discovered by Professor Corrado Ricci, who kindly informed us of its
existence.