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

38 VINCENZO FOPPA
the buildings of the University. This house was in fact in the very centre of
the art-life of Pavia, for almost opposite the Monastery and Church of
S. Martino was the parish Church of S. Maria Gualtieri, and in that district,
in the street known as Strada Nuova (the present Corso Vittorio Emanuele),
the painters of Pavia had their workshops. From a deed of August 25,
1463,' we learn that Giovanni da Vaprio, Giovanni da Senago, and Leonardo
Vidolenghi da Marzano all had their bolteghe here. From another deed of
September 27, 1464/ we gather that Bertolino della Canonica, a painter whose
close connection with Foppa at Pavia and Genoa is well known, must also
have been a near neighbour of Master Vincenzo, his workshop being spoken
of as "situated in the quarter of Porta Laudense, in the parish of S. Martino
in Pietra Lata." Near this workshop, in the neighbouring quarter of Porta
S. Vito, we find Bertolino acting as a witness on September 21, 1466, in company
with Foppa's brother-in-law Bartolomeo Caylina of Brescia, who had
settled at
Pavia.'
On March 3rd of the following year, 1463, we have another ducal
missive, this time addressed to Foppa himself, ordering him to go at
once to Milan and to take with him a panel which he had received
from Papi, the Duke's servant, in order that it might serve as a model
for a picture of the Madonna which Foppa was to paint for Francesco
Sforza, a work referred to in the document as "a figure of Our Lady for
us " (Doc. No. 9).
This document was incorrectly deciphered by Caffi as " a figure of our Lady
and ourself" ("Nostra Donna et noi "), and was consequently interpreted to
mean that Foppa had been summoned to Milan in
of the Duke and Duchess.^
order to paint the portraits
Count Malaguzzi has now given the correct version,
which is "a figure [or representation] of Our Lady for us." The painter
is further ordered to take with him the picture which had served as his
model,
even if his own version of it was not finished, which proves that his services
were urgently needed at Milan; and the Duke adds the reason, "because
we desire to employ you in other works for us, therefore come at once with
the said picture,"* In all probability these works at Milan had to do, among
other things, with the decoration of the hospital, the first stone of which was
1 Arch. Not. Pavia, Atti di Giov. Battista da Vallate.
- Arch. Not. Pavia, Atti di Guiniforte Strazzapatti.
'
Atti di Guiniforte Strazzapatti.
* Arch. Star. Lo)nb., 1878, p. 99. Caffi also failed to note that this document
certainly did not refer to a work which Foppa was to execute at Milan, but to a picture
which he had already begun and possibly even completed at Pavia, for the document
says " whether finished or not."
* Doc. No. 9.