Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Marco Calavrese

by Giorgio Vasari

 

THE PAINTER MARCO CALABRESE.

[born 1485—died 1542.]

When the world becomes possessed of a great light in any science, the splendour of the same illumines every part, but where the beams thereof are stronger or weaker, according to the influences exercised by air and site, the miracles worked by it are proportionably greater or smaller. And there are, of a truth, certain places which continually produce minds evincing aptitudes and powers, of which others are not capable, and whereunto they cannot attain, whatever amount of labour they undergo, no endeavour enabling them to acquire the same degree of perfection. If, when we see a particular place producing certain kinds of fruit which had not previously grown there, we admire and are rejoiced, much more may we feel thus when we discover a man of distinguished genius in a country wherein none of similar eminence in the same vocation had previously been remarked. And thus it was in the case of the painter, Marco Calavrese.^[1] This artist left his native land of Calabria, and selected Naples for his abiding place, induced to that choice by the beauty and pleasantness of that city and of its site, although he had set forth on his w^ay with the purpose of repairing to Rome, there to attain the ultimate perfection which is acquired by the study of painting in that place. But so sweetly did the song of the syren sound in his ears— he delighting most especially in the tones and practice of the lute—and so gently did the soft waves of the Sebeto dissolve his determination to depart, that he remained the prisoner in body of that attractive land, until he rendered up his soul to heaven, and his mortal remains to their native earth.

A vast number of works were executed by Marco, both in oil and fresco, and he displayed a larger amount of ability than was evinced in that country by any other artist exercising his vocation there during the same time with himself. Of this we have a proof in his paintings at Aversa, which is situate about ten miles from Naples; and still more clearly was the same made manifest hy a picture in oil, painted for the high altar of the church of Sant’ Agostino, which is surrounded with rich decorations; as, also, by various pictures exhibiting figures and historical representations. Among the latter, Marco depicted Sant’ Agostino Disputing with Heretics; above and beside which are events from the life of Christ, and saints in various attitudes.^[2] In these works, which display a decided advance towards the good qualities of the modern manner, we discern considerable facility, with exceedingly beautiful colouring. The Dispute of Sant’ Agostino was one of the many laborious works which this master executed for that city, as well as for many other parts of the Neapolitan kingdom.

Marco always lived a joyous life, and denied himself no reasonable gratification; he had neither rivalry nor opposition to contend with from the artists of his vocation, and being in the highest favour with the nobles of his adopted country, he received very large remuneration for the works which he executed. Having attained to the age of fifty-six, he died of an ordinary malady in the year 1542. The Neapolitan painter, Giovanni Filippo Crescione, was a disciple of Marco. This artist has painted many pictures in company with his brother-in-law, Leonardo Castellani, and still continues to do so; wherefore, as these masters are living, and in the constant practice of their art, I need not make further mention of them in this place. The works of Maestro Marco were performed from 1508 to 1542.

There was another Calabrian, who was the companion of Marco, but I do not know his name. He worked in Rome during a long time, with Giovanni da Udine, and produced numerous pictures, which he executed entirely alone, in that city, more especially façades in chiaro-scuro, of which he painted many. The painting of the chapel of the Conception, in the church of the Trinità, is by this artist, who acquitted himself in that work, which is in fresco, with great ability and diligence.

At the same time lived Niccola, most commonly called Maestro Cola della Matrice,^[3] who executed numerous works in Ascoli, in Calabria, and at Norcia, all of which are worthy of notice. They acquired for him the reputation of being an excellent master, nay, one of the best that had ever been seen in those parts.^[4] This artist gave his attention to architecture also, and such buildings as were erected at Ascoli, or in the whole of that neighbourhood during his time, were constructed by him. He never gave himself the trouble of proceeding to Rome, but remained constantly at Ascoli,^[5] without visiting other countries or changing his abode. He was living there happily with his wife, who was of a good and honourable family, and was besides endowed with singular excellence and elevation of character, when the factions rose into strife at Ascoli, and all things were thrown into confusion. This happened during the Pontificate of Paul III.; and among those who fled was Cola d’Amatrice, who departed with his wife, but was pursued by the soldiery, and more on her account, she being a beautiful young woman, than for any other reason. Perceiving this, and convinced that she had no hope of saving her own honour and the life of her husband, she resolved to cast herself from the high cliff on which they stood, and threw herself accordingly into the abyss beneath. The men who were pursuing them seeing what had happened, and feeling sure that she must be not only killed by the fall, as was the case, but dashed to pieces, refrained from doing her husband any further injury, and leaving him, returned into Ascoli.

Having thus lost a wife of such merit, and worthy indeed of eternal commendation. Cola d’Amatrice passed the remainder of his life with but little enjoyment. No long time after this unhappy event, the Signor Alessandro Vitelli, who had rendered himself master of Matrice,^[6] took Maestro Cola, who was becoming old, to Citta di Casteilo, where he caused him to paint numerous frescoes in his palace, with many other works. These being completed, Maestro Cola then returned to finish his days at Matrice.

This artist would without doubt have acquitted himself very well if he had exercised his art in places where competition and emulation might have forced him to have given more attention to the study of painting, and compelled him to exert the good abilities with which it is manifest that he had been endowed by nature.

---

1. Marco Cardisco, called II Calabrese from Calabria his native place, is believed by some authorities to have been a disciple of Polidoro da Caravaggio; by others, Andrea da Salerno, to whose style that of Marco is thought to approximate more closely, is said to have been his master. See Lanzi’s History, Neapolitan School, epoch 2, vol. ii,, p. 20, et seq.
2. Paintings by Marco are still to be seen in the Church of Sant’ Agostino at Naples, but on a different subject from that here given. The Father Orlandi doubts whether the pictures here described were in Sant’ Agostino of Aversa, and believes them to have been executed for the Church of that Saint in Naples. — German and Florentine Editions 1838-45.
3. Or Amatrice, a small town in the farther Abruzzo.
4. The Marquis Amico Ricci gives numerous details respecting this master, in the Memorie degli artisti della Marca d'Ancona, vol. ii., p. 86, et seq.
5. There is a picture by Cola d’Amatrice in the Oratory of the Corpus Domini at Ascoli, which is highly estimated in that place; it represents the Saviour administering the Last Supper to the Apostles. See Lanzi, vol. ii., p. 27.
6. Amatrice.