A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF
scapes of Teiiipesta are enriolied with figures by
Belucci.
BELVEDERE, Abate Andrea, born at Naples in 1646, was, it is said, a scliolar of Ruoppoli, and ex- celled in painting fruit and flowers. He was one of the artists employed by Charles II. of Spain ; and in conjunction with Luca Giordano (wlio painted the figures), he executed several of the ornaments of the Escorial. His touch was firm and free, and was peculiarly adapted to the imitation of the still- life he represented, whilst his knowledge of chiar- oscuro enabled hira to give his works a natural and pleasing eifect. He quitted painting for the study of literature, and died in 1732 — according to some authors at Venice, to others at Florence.
BEMBO, BoNlFAZio, of Cremona, flourislied from about 1455 to 1478. He was employed by Fran- cesco Sforza at Milan and Padua, but after liis patron's death he removed to Cremona. He painted there, in Sant' Agostino, full-length portraits, in fresco, of Francesco Sforza and his wife, Bianca, which have been much damaged by restoration. Pictures by him also remain in the cloister of La Colomba, at Cremona. Bembo was an able art- ist, spirited in his attitudes, magnificent in his draperies, and glowing in liis colours.
BEMBO, GlANFBANOESCO,who was either younger brother or son of Bonifazio, flourished at Cremona till 1524. He is supposed to liave visited Rome, and is thought to be identical with a painter wlio was there known as Vetriario. His works are seen in Cremona, in the cathedral of which citj* are an 'Adoration of the Kings,' and a 'Presentation in the Temple ; ' in San Niccoli is a ' St. Nicliolas with the Virgin ; ' and in San Pietro is a ' Madonna,' dated 1524, his last known work. Bembo'a pic tures contain very slight traces of the antique: lie resembles Fra Bartolommeo in point of colour- ing, but is inferior to him in the dignity of his figures and in his drapery. Rosini has given a print of a votive picture by him, the design of which lias much of the grace and dignity of Raphael.
BEMMEL, Van. A family of landscape painters of this name flourished, during the 17th and 18th centuries, at Nuremberg and elsewhere. Those whose biographies are given were the most note- worthy members of this numerous but somewhat unimportant family. The accompanying genea- logical table is appended, in order to illustrate, in as short a space as possible, the relationships of these artists.
WILLEM VAN BEMMEL (1630-17081. . 1 , Jobauu Georg (1669—17231. I Peter (lOSi— 17541. Joel Paul (1713- ). Juliann Noah (1716-17681. Oeois Christoph Gottlieb (1738—17941. ChrisLopU. Julianu Cliristupli. 1 -L Karl Sebastian Simon Joseph (1743—17961. (1747—1791).
BEMMEL, Peter von, the second son and pupil of Willem van Bemmel, was born at Nuremberg in 1G85. He painted landscapes ; and was especi- ally successful in representing thunder-storms and winter-scenes. His works are seen in the galleries of Brunswick and his native city. He etched six plates of landscapes, and died at Ratisbon in 1764. His sons, CuKiSTorH and Johann Christoph von Bemmel, followed the art of their father.
BEMMEL, Willem van, a Dutch landscape painter, was born at Utrecht in 1630. He was the scholar of Herman Saf tleven, and, like his instructor, excelled in painting landscapes. Not satisfied with the scenery of his native country, he went to Italy, and passed some years in making drawings of the most picturesque views in the environs of Rome. On leaving Italy he travelled through Germany, and settled at Nuremberg in 1662, where he met with great encouragement, and became the founder of a numerous family of artists. The studies he had brought with him from Italy were an excellent resource to him in the composition of his pictures, which were frequently enriched with figures by l{oos and others. His landscapes have rarely found their way to England, but may be seen in the galleries of Vienna, Dresden, Augsburg, Frankfort, and Nuremberg. He etched six plates of landscapes which are dated 1654, and show the hand of a master. He died at Wuhrd, near Nurem- berg, in 1708.
BENAGLIO, Francesco, was a follower of Gi- rolanio Benaglio, and is said to have painted a fresco at Santa Maria della Scala in 1476.' There are still existing several frescoes by him in dif- ferent churches in Verona. The dates of his birth and death are unknown.
BENAGLIO, Girolamo, a painter of Verona, flourished in the 15th century. An altar-piece, of the ' Madonna and Saints,' dated 1487, and several panels by him, are in the Verona Gallery.
BENAKD, J. F., a French engraver, who resided at Paris about the year 1672, engraved several architectural and ornamental subjects for the work published at Paris by Jean Berain.
BENASCHI, Giovanni Battista, Cavaliere, (or Beinaschi,) a Piedmontese painter, was bom at Turin, in 1636. He was instructed in the rudi- ments of art by Spirito, and then went to Rome, where he became the scholar of Pietro del Po ; but afterwards formed his style from an imitation of the pictures of Lanfranco. The principal works of this artist are at Naples, where he painted several ceilings, and other works in fresco. He possessed an inventive genius, and was an able designer, lie died in 1688. There is an etching by this painter of a ' Holy Family,' after Giovanni Do- menico Cerrini, who was his intimate friend.
BENAVIDES, Vincente de, a Spanish painter, born at Oran in 1637. He was a scholar of Fran- cisco Rizi, at Madrid ; he afterwards became a good painter in fresco, and was mucli employed in theatrical decorations. He was appointed painter to Charles II. in 1691, and died in 1703.
BENAZECH, Charles, a son of Peter Paul Benazech, was born in London in 1767. He studied under Greuze, and in Rome ; he was in Paris during the Revolution, and is best known by his four pictures of ' Events in the Life of Louis XVI.,' which were engraved by Luigi Schiavonetti. He usually painted portraits, some of which he himself engraved. He died in 1794, in London.
BENAZECH, Peter Pahl, an engraver, who is said to have been born in London about the year 1744. He was a pupil of Vivares, and, according to Hasan, worked some time at Paris, but returned to England. We have several plates by hira of landscapes and other subjects, of which the follow- ing are the principal : Peasants playing at Bowls ; after A. van Ostade. Fishermen ; after 1 'ernet. Return from lishiug ; after the same.
A Calm at Sea ; after the same.
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