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

APPENDIX I 287
mentioned in the Custodie Notturne of 1513, and belonged to a family of painters at
Brescia, six other members of which are known to us ; he was still living in 1550;^
Vincenzo Guzzago and Vinceuzo son of the late Tommaso, who lived with his
brother Girolamo, also a painter ; both are mentioned in the same volume of the
Custodie Notturne, and were still alive in the middle of the sixteenth century.'^
Vmcenso pittore and Vincenzo Capriolo son of the late Giovanni Battista, mentioned
in the Custodie of 1525 ;^ Vincenzo da C/iiari and Vincetizo da Seriate, who were living
at Brescia in the first quarter of the sixteenth century;* and Vincenzo da J^odi, a
decorative painter working at Brescia, mentioned by Pandolfo Nassino in 1531 ;*
Vincenzo Pacchia and Vincenzo Lticchini, who flourished at Brescia after 1525." Vincenzo
da Bagnolo son of Simone, to whom we alluded in Note 3 of this appendix, might also,
have called himself Vincenzo Bresciano.
as a native of Brescian territory,
Further search in the Brescian Archives would doubtless reveal the existence of
other painters bearing the name Vincenzo in
for our purpose those we have mentioned will suffice.
the first half of the sixteenth century, but
Note 6. The Technique and Condition of Foppa's Pictures in London.
(By Mrs. Herringham.)
The picture by Foppa of the Adoration of the Wise Men in the National Gallery
has darkened, but does not appear to be much repainted. As to technique, one's first
judgment is that it is tempera, as there is a thinness in the paint and a prevalence of
hatching in the flesh which are generally indicative of this method. Against this is
the fact of the lowering of tone, which is in excess of what is usual in this method,
whose great merit, as a rule, is to retain its clearness and high tone. It may possibly
be caused by a discoloured varnish, but does not seem to be quite of this nature.
In the transitional period in Italy there are some pictures where the tempera handling
is retained, but where the quality and substance of the pigment seem to indicate oil,
which is somewhat the appearance of this picture. Oil used alone darkens badly,
especially boiled oil. The great discovery in oil painting, which was not at first known
to all Italians, was the use of certain varnishes mixed with the oil, which locked up the
colours and prevented change. Amber varnish and balsams are of this nature, and
probably the latter at least came to be much used in Italy combined with other varnishes
and oils. There was endless experimenting in North Italy with complicated
varnish mediums. The upper part of the Virgin's mantle has been widened on both
shoulders and seems to be a later addition, and the outline of the head may also have
been altered. The flesh is painted over a greenish ground and is finished with hatching
which is sometimes tight and sometimes loose and stippled. There may perhaps be a
little repainting, especially in the fold shadows of the drapery and in the blue robe of
the Virgin. The methods of the gold work in this picture are as follows: The
collars of the kings' robes and the vases they hold are gilt with gold leaf toned with
1
Cust. Nott., 1513, f. 148 v. - Cast. Nott., 1513, f. 174 and 293
8 *
C. N., 1525, f. See Fenaroli, op. cit.,
S3.
pp. 306, 315.
* Registro, etc., *
f. 276. Fenaroli, pp. 310, 312.