PAINTERS AND ENGRAVERS.
drawings, and among them the portrait of the
Empress Maria Theresa. She is represented in
the Dffizi Gallery by her own portrait.
BALDASSARE, who worked at Forli about the year 1354, is supposed to be the author of a frag- ment of a series of paintings which once adorned the church Di Schiavonia. That which remains is now in the gymnasium at Forli, and represents the Adoration of the Magi and figures of SS. Peter, Jerome, Paul, Augustin, three figures, and two horses, "creations that do more honour to the school of Giotto in these parts than any assigned to the artists named by Vasari " (Crowe and Caval- caselle, ' A New History of Painting in Italy,' 3 vols. 1864).
BALDI, Antonio, a designer and engraver, bom at La Cava, in the kingdom of Naples, about 1692. After having passed some time under Solimena he became a pupil of Magliar, to learn the art of en- graving. He chiefly resided at Naples, and was living, Zani says, as late as 1768. He engraved several plates, principally from his own designs, amongst which are :
The Emperor Charles VI. ; oval. Don Carlos, King of the Two Sicilies oval. Nicholas Cyrillus, physician ; after S. Cyrillus. Maria Aurelia Caraccioli, a Nun ; oval. St. Ignatius Loyola ; oval ; Ant. Baldi ex Proiotypo, The Monk Raffaele Manca, with an Angel ; oval. The Communion of St. Mary of Egypt; A. Baldi., in. et sc. St. Philip Neri in Heaven ; inscribed Ctii nomm dedit, Ige. St. Emilins interceding for the Neapohtaus; t)iio Emigdo in terr(E, ^c. St. Gregory, with the subjects of his Miracles, 1738; Ant. Baldly fee.
BALDI, Lazzaro, was bom at Pistoja in 1624. He went to Rome when he was very j-oung, and became a scholar of Pietro da Cortona. Under so able an instructor he became a very eminent artist, and painted several pictures for the churches and public edifices at Rome, which are particularly described by the Abate Titi. In the pontifical palace at Monte Cavallo there is a fine picture h^' this master, representing ' David and Goliath,' and in the church of St. Luke an altar-piece of the ' Martyrdom of St. Lazarus.' He also worked in Camerino, Pistoja, and Perugia. He died at Rome in 1703. In the Vienna Gallery there is a picture by him of ' St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, raising a dead child,' which has been engraved by J. Axmann. As an engraver, Baldi is known by one single work, 'The Conversion of St. Paul,' marked Lazzents. Baldus. Pistoriensis. invenit et. excudit.
BALDINI, Baccio, a Florentine goldsmith and engraver, is a master of whom little is known. Vasari tells us that he engraved after the designs of Botticelli, and that he was a disciple of Maso Finiguerra, who is said to have been the inventor of engraving in Italy. Nothing has been ascertained for certain about Baldini's life, but it is supposed that he flourished from about 1460 to 1485. Almost all the writers on the subject agree that he worked in conjunction with Botticelli, but as their works are executed in the same manner, and bear neither name nor monogram, it is almost impossible to identify them. The following are some which are most frequently attributed to Baldini :
Plates for the ' Monte Santo di Dio.' 1477. Nineteen Plates of Dante's Inferno, printed at Florence by NiccolS Lorenzo della Magna, in 1481. Twmty-four of the Prophets. Twelve of the Sibyls. Theseus and Ariadne. Designs for jeweller's ornaments. For an exhaustive list of works attributed to Baldini, and for a further account of the artist, see Meyer's ' Kiinstler-Lexikon.'
BALDINI, PiETKO Paolo. According to Titi, this artist was a native of Rome, and was a dis- ciple of Pietro da Cortona. He flourished in the middle of the 17th century. He painted historical subjects, and several of his works in the public edifices at Rome were deservedly admired ; among others, some pictures in the churches of San Nic- colo da Tolentino, and Santa Maria di Loretto; but above all an altar-piece representing the ' Cruci- fixion,' in the church of Sant' Eustachio, finely composed, and designed with great care and correctness.
BALDINI, Fra Tiburzio. This painter was a native of Bologna, and flourished in the early part of the 17th century. It is not said under whom he studied ; but, according to Averoldo, he painted several pictures for the churches and convents at Brescia, of which the most esteemed were the ' Marriage of the Virgin with St. Joseph,' and the ' Murder of the Innocents ' in Santa Maria delle Grazie. His taste reminds us of the excellent school that flourished in 1600 — magnificence in the architecture, great copiousness of composition, and clearness of efEect ; but in the general tone of his tints, and of his flesh, somewhat of a coldness.
BALDINI, VlTTORlo, an Italian printer and engraver on wood, who, according to Papillon, flourished about the year 1600. He died at Ferrara in 1618. Among other prints he executed the woodcuts for an edition of Tasso's ' Aminta,' printed by him at Ferrara in 1599. He worked for the Duke of Ferrara, and for Clement VIII.
BALDOVINETTI, Alesso, was bom in 1427 at Florence. It is not known who was his master; Baldinucci supposes that it was Uccelli. About his youth Vasari tells us only that Alesso, being desirous to study painting, left the business of his father, who was a rich merchant. In 1448 he was registered as a member of the Guild of St. Luke: "Alesso di Baldovinetti, dipintore." There exists a curious note-book by the artist (Ricordi di A. Baldovinetti, published by G. Picrotti, Lucca, 1868), wherein some of his lost pictures are mentioned. Albertini states ('Me- moriale,' 1510) that Baldovinetti assisted Andrea del Castagno and Doraenico Veneziano in tlia fresco paintings of Santa Maria Nuova, executed betsveen the years 1439 and 1453, but these have been destroyed. The following are the only pic- tures by the master which are still preserved : In the cloisters of Santa Annunziata he painted between the years 1460 and 1462 a large fresco representing ' The Nativity, with the Adoration of the Sliep- herds.' In 1465 he furnished the design for the portrait of Dante, painted by Domenico del Michelino in the duomo of Florence. In 1470 he executed the large panel picture representing the ' Holy Trinity adored by the Saints Gualberto and Benedict,' for the altar of the church Santa Triniti, now in the Academy at Florence. His wall paint- ings, in the choir of the same church, representing scenes from the Old Testament, with many portraits of distinguished contemporaries, were completed in 1496, and valued in the following year by the four great artists — Gozzoli, Perugino, Filippino Lippi,. and Rosselli — at 1000 golden florins. These were
however, destroyed in 1760.
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