A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF
Vercellese Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, newly arrived
in his native city ; reports, which brought him
home to study for a time under that painter, whose
influence his worlds so strongly betray, but whose
bitter rival he subsequently became. In Rome he
studied carefully the works of Raphael and Michaelangelo, but his best works are to be found in
Siena itself. He was largely employed by his
fellow-townsmen, not only in executing works of
art of all kinds, but as critic, valuer of, and
authority on, the works of other artists. Ex-
amples of his work as a bronze founder may
be seen in six angels holding lamps in the choir
of the Cathedral at Siena, for which he received
11,600 lire. His most highly-praised works :
'Scenes from the Old Testament,' &c., inlaid on
the Pavement of the Cathedral, are hardly worthy
of the lavish encomiums that have been expendeii
upon them. The drawing in them, which may be
better enjoyed from the Cartoons, some of which
are still existing in the Siena Academy, and
from the large woodcuts by Andrea Andreani,
which may be seen in the Uffizi Gallery and
Marucelliana Library in Florence, is remarkably
fine ; but his attempts to produce a tour de force
with chiaroscuro effects in parti-coloured marbles
are not altogether satisfactory, and do not com-
pare to advantage with the simpler work of his
predecessors in the same place. His paintings,
clearly influenced by the stronger artistic per-
sonalities with whom he came in contact at various
times, are generally unpleasing ; his figures being
often curiously elongated. His composition and
colouring, however, occasionally have considerable
merits. In 1513, in rivalry with Bazzi, he decorated
in fresco the fa9ade of the Palazzo dei' Borghesi
in Siena. In 1518, in competition with Bazzi and
Girolamo del Pacchia, he executed certain scenes
from the 'Life of the Virgin' (her Marriage and
Death), and also an altar-piece for the Oratory of
St. Bernardino. In 1529, and again in 1536, he
was employed to decorate the Sala del Concistoro
of the Palazzo Pubblico: and in 1536 he was
associated with Anton Maria Lari (nicknamed il
Toizo), in designing and erecting a triumphal arch,
a vast papier-mach^ horse and other decorations
in honour of the visit of the Emperor Charles V.
Several of the private palaces in Siena contain
wall and ceiling decorations by this master : and
we read that he was also employed to complete
the famous banner, painted by Bazzi in 1525, for
the Compagnia di S. Sebastiano in Camollia. By
some authorities he is said to have died on May
19, 1550 ; others state that his death did not
occur until the following year. His principal
works, exclusive of those already mentioned, are
to be found :
Pica. Florence. Genoa. Siena. Cathedral. Pitti. Palazzo > Pianco. j J cademy. „ Church of ) the Carmine, j Munich. Pinakothek. LonJon. Nat. Gallery. Scenes from the Old Testament, and the four Evangelists. Holy Family. Holy Family. Descent into Limbo. Fall of the Kebellious Angels. St. Catherine receiving the Stigmata. The Birth of the Virgin. St. Michael subduing Satan. Holy Family. Marriage of St. Catherine (?). RH.Il.C.
As an engraver, we have by him some excellent woodcuts ; and he engraved some plates, both etched and with the graver only, which show the hand of a great master, although they may not be so pleasing to those who are accustomed to look for neatness of handling. He sometimes marked his prints with his name, Micarino fe., and some-' times with a B, divided in the middle, thus ^T) ,
We have the following prints by him: ±J PauluB III. Poiitifex Maximus ; without a name. 1515 An Old Man standing, and a Young Man lying down ; Micarino, fee. Three Academy Figures ; without a name. The Nativity ; after Titian ; a woodcut, fine. The Virgin embracing the Infant Jesus ; a woodcut, three tints. St. Peter holding a Book and the Keys ; a woodcut, in chiaroscuro. St. Philip holdmg a Book and a Cross ; the same. St. Andrew, with his Cross ; the same. A Philosopher, with a Cloak, sitting ; the same. St. Jerome kneehng before a Crucifix ; a woodcut. Ten subjects of Alchemy, on the first is inscribed Mecarinits de Sinis iitrentor.
BECCARUZZI, Francesco, was bom at Conegliano, in the Friuli, and was a disciple of Pordenone, whose manner he followed : he painted with considerable reputation, both in oil and in fresco. Many of his works, in the churches and convents atTrevigi, are described by Kidolfi. One of his best performances, according to that author, was the picture he painted for the church of the Francis- cans, at Conegliano, representing St. Francis re- ceiving the Stigmata, with several Saints. Beecaruzzi flourished in the 16th century.
BECERRA, Gaspaeo, a Spanish artist of great celebrity, was born at Baeza, in Andalusia, in 1520. He excelled as a painter, a sculptor, and an architect. The patronage bestowed on the arts by Charles V. induced Becerra to visit Rome for improvement ; he went at a time when Michelangelo was in the zenith of his fame ; and it is said by Palomino, that he had the advantage of studying under that great master. He was much influenced by the works of Raphael and of Daniele da Volterra. On his return, in 1556, he was taken under the protection of Philip II., and executed some works in fresco, in the palace at Madrid, which attracted general admiration. In 1563 he was appointed painter to the Court. He was one of the first reformers of the Spanish school, by introducing a superior style, founded on that of Buonarroti. Many of his works are in the public edifices at Madrid, Valladolid, Astorga, and Zamora. He died at Madrid in 1570. The designs of Becerra are very rare, and are much esteemed for the great care he bestowed on them ; for he justly considered design as the foundation of painting. [For a full account of his works in the public buildings, see Bermudez's ' Diccionario historico.']
BECHON, J., a native of France, who flourished about the year 1670, engraved several plates of landscapes, executed in a clear, neat style.
BECK, August, a designer and painter, born at Basle, in Switzerland, in 1823, studied art at Dusseldorf ; his works chiefly represent horses and battle scenes. From 1859 up to 1871 he drew for the illustrated paper of Leipsic. He died at Thun in 1872.
BECK, David, was born at Amheim (or Delft) in 1621. He had the advantage of being a scholar of Van Dyck, and became one of his ablest disciples. He was at least the most successful. King Charles
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