Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/428

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CARP ASIA


374


OARRACCI


the saints, and they included such subjects as: "The Life of the Virgin", "The Life of St. Stephen", "The Life of St. Jerome", and "The Life of St. George". The first two are found in museums of Europe, but about 1560 the others were placed, with the "Miracle of St. Tryphonius" and the "Call of St. Matthew", in the little Venetian church of San Giorgio de' Schiavoni, the best place in the world in which to make Carpaccio's acquaintance. The eight unframed panels found in the church of Saint Alviso, signed "Carpathius" and dealing with the histories of Joseph, the Queen of Sheba, Job, and Rebecca, are attributed, although without positive proof, to the youthful period of the master.

Carpaccio's style, like that of all the Venetian painters of the time, bore the imprint of Mantegna's influence. Architecturally he was inspired by Lom- bardi, but, his peculiar charm lay in knowing better than any other artist how to reproduce the incom- parable grace of Venice. Long before the time of Guardi and the Canalettis, Carpaccio was the his- torian and the poet of its calle and canali, and his work, together with Marin Sanudo's Journal, pro- vides the best picture extant of the golden age of the republic. Carpaccio was the most truly Vene- tian of all the artists of Venice, and, of course, it is there that he can be best understood and appreci- ated. Moreover, he was the most Oriental, and his work abounds in the costumes and views of the East. In 1511 he had completed a panorama of Jerusalem that he offered in a letter to the Marquis of Mantua. It might naturally be supposed that Carpaccio had accompanied Gentile Bellini to Constantinople, but it has been ascertained that he limited himself to copying Reuwich's pictures in Breydenbach's " Itiner- ary", published at Mainz in I486.

His genius is of a most realistic turn. He has nothing of Giovanni Bellini's deep, religious lyricism; besides, his expression lacks vigour. His "Martyr- dom of the Ten Thousand" in the Academy of Venice is among his feeblest efforts, being merely a happy, tranquil, although quite pleasing, conception, lumi- nous and life-like, and characterized by exquisite dignity and an indescribable air of cheerful heroism. His great equestrian picture of St. Vitalis at Venice was the most beautiful piece of decorative painting prior to the time of Paul Veronese. When pathetic, Carpaccio is charming. Nothing is more instructive than to compare his "Life of St. Ursula" with Mem- ling's famous shrine in Bruges. With the Venetian everything merges into splendid spectacles and cere- monies. However, his "Saint's Vision" is one of the most beautiful paintings of virginal sleep ever made. His "St. Jerome in his Cell" yields nothing in point of nobility to Diirer's fine print, and his last pictures, such as "The Holy Family" at Caen and the eloquent "Pieta" at Berlin, reveal a soulful intensity of which his earlier productions gave no promise.

Vasari, he ViU (15571; Ridolfi, Meraviglie dell' arte (Venice, 164S, in 4to); Hi-skin, St. Mark's Rest (London); Ludwig and Molmknti, Viltore Carpaccio, la vita e le opere (Milan, 1906, in 4to); Rosen*hal, Carpaccio (Paris. 1907); he Wyzewa, Les matins italims d' autrefois (Paris, 1907). Louis Gillet.

Carpasia, a titular see of Cyprus. Carpasia, Karpasia, also Karpasion (sometimes mistaken for Karpathos) is said to have been founded by King Pygmalion near Cape Sarpedon, now Cape St. An- drea, at the extreme end of a peninsula on the north-east shore of Cyprus, a short distance north of t In- modern FLhizokarpaso. Its first-known bishop, St. Philo, was ordained by St. Epiphanius in the fourth century; he hat lefl a commentary on the

Canticle of Canticles, a, letter, and some fragments. Hermolaus was present at Chaleedon in 451. The chroniclers mention three other names, and a fourth


occurs on a seal, all without dates. Another is quoted in the "Constitutio Cypria" of Alexander IV (1260). The see was suppressed in 1222 by the papal legate, Cardinal Pelagius, but it figures in later episcopal lists. During the Latin domination the Greek Archbishop of Arsinoe (Famagusta) was obliged to reside at Rhizokarpaso.

P. G., XL, 9-154; Kerameus, Analecta. I, 393-399: Fabri- cius, Biblioth. grceca, ed. Harles. IV, 751. X, 479; Mas- Latrie. Histoire de Chypre, passim; Idem. L'ile de Chypre, 46; Hackett. .4 History of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus (1901), 31S, 320.

S. Petrides.

Carpi, Diocese op (Carpensis). — The city of Carpi is situated in the province of Modena, Centra] Italy. It belonged originally to the famous Countess Ma- tilda, from whom it passed to the Holy See (1115- 1215). From 1215 to 1319 it was subject to Modena, and from the latter date until 1525 was ruled by the Pio, vassals of the Holy See. In 1 531 ) ( lharli s V, who had occupied Carpi since 1525, made it over to Al- fonso (I) d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. Carpi was created a see only in 1779, by Pius VI, the first bishop being Francesco Benincasa. Under Julius II it be- came immediately dependent on the Holy See, hav- ing previously been under the jurisdiction of Modena. The cathedral, built by King Aistulf in 756, was en- tirely rebuilt and richly embellished by Duke Alberto Pio. In 1855 Carpi became a suffragan of Modena. The diocese contains a population of 70,000, with .'il parishes, 50 churches and chapels, 84 secular and 4 regular priests, and 4 religious houses for women.

Cappelletti, he chiese d'ltalia (Venice, 1S44). XV, 401; Ann. eccl. (Rome, 1907), 369.

U. Benigni.

Carpini, Giovanni di. See Piano Carpini, Gio- vanni DI.

Carr, Thomas. See Pinkney, Miles

Carracci, Agostino, an Italian painter, engraver, and etcher, b. at Bologna, 16 August, 1557; d. at Parma, 22 March, 1602. The son of Antonio Car- racci, a tailor, he was nephew of Lodovico and brother of Annibale. He began his art life as a goldsmith; but, urged by his uncle, the youth abandoned plas- tic for graphic art, and studied painting, first with Fontana, who had been Lodovico's master, and later with Passerotti. The fame of Correggio's master- pieces drew Agostino to Parma, and afterwards, ac- companied by Annibale, he made a long sojourn in Venice, where he became a distinguished engraver under the celebrated Cort. In 1589 he and his brother returned to Bologna and with Lodovico started the "School of the Carracci" (see below, Lodovico), in which he taught while working de- votedly at painting. In his native town is his masterpiece, "The Last Communion of St. Jerome". a beautiful work, showing Correggio's influence. Agostino helped in the decoration of nearly every great palace in Bologna, and his poetic imagination was of great avail when with the matter-of-fact Annibale he assisted in the decoration of the Farnese Palace in Rome. He was a poet, and an interesting sonnet of his tells the students of the "Academy" what parts to choose from each school of painting and from the masters of the past in order to attain perfection. In 1600 Annibale and Agostino had a disagreement, and the latter left for Parma, where for the rest of his life he painted for the duke. Agos- tino was a master of engraving; he introduced what is called "the large style", and the lines of his plates were broadly and boldly laid. His influence in the art of engraving was felt far beyond the bounds of Italy, and his technic with the graver was widely imitated. His plates were freely and beautifully executed, there is an admirable expression on all his faces, and the execution of the hands and feet is