327 



VERONESE, PAUL. 



VERRIUS FLACCUS. 



32$ 



Giacinto, was a painter, but he died in the flower of life, in 1673. 

 Lanzi states that Passeri says that Alessandro was called L'Orbetto from 

 a defect in the eye : but Passeri does not assert this, he simply mentions 

 the fact of a defect in the eye, and says that he was called L'Orbetto 

 because when a boy he used to lead his father about, who, he had 

 heard, was blind. The works of this painter are admirably coloured ; 

 they appear not to have suffered any change of tint whatever from 

 their original state, owing probably to the groat care with which ho is 

 known to have mixed his colours and selected and prepared his oils. 

 The National Gallery contains one small picture a ' Cupid and 

 Psycho ' by Alessandro Veronese. 



VERONESE, PAUL. [CAGLIABI, PAOLO.] 

 VERRI, PIE'TRO, was born at Milnn, of a noble family, in 1728. 

 He studied at Rome and at Parma, after which he obtained a com- 

 mission in an Italian regiment in the Austrian army, and served in 

 Saxony in the war between Austria and Prussia. After the peace he 

 returned to his native country, and was made a member of the Council 

 of Economy instituted by Maria Theresa for the duchy of Milan, in 

 1765. He took an active part in the administrative and financial 

 reforms which were effected about that time, and especially in abolish- 

 ing the practice of farming to private individuals or companies the 

 various branches of the revenue of the state, a system which was 

 injurious both to the people and to the treasury ; and also in drawing 

 the plan of a new tariff or scale of duties, which proved a great relief 

 to industry and commerce. His principal works are: 1, 'Memorie 

 Bull' Economia Pubblica dello Stato di Milano,' in which he shows the 

 decline of that country during the two centuries of Spanish dominion, 

 and ascribes it to the ignorance of its rulera and the absurdity of the 

 laws ; 2. ' Iliflessioni suJle Leggi Vincolanti principalmente sul Com- 

 mercio dei Grani,' in which he advocated the principle of absolute 

 liberty; 3, 'Meditazioni sull' Economia Politica,' which were published 

 in 1771, and have been translated into several languages; it is an 

 elementary but useful book. He besides wrote ' Storia di Milano,' 

 down to the conquest of Charles V. in the 16th century, the publica- 

 tion of which was completed after the author's death. He also 

 published ' Osservazioni sulla Tortura, e singolarmente sugli effetti 

 che produsse all' occasioue delle unzioni malefiche alle quali si attribul 

 la pestilenza che devasto Milano 1'anno 1630,' an historical episode 

 which has been since treated by Manzoni in his ' Promessi Sposi.' 

 Verri has contributed greatly to illustrate the history of his native 

 country, Milan. He continued in office in the economical adminis- 

 tration of the duchy of Milan till 1786, when he retired to private 

 life. He was made a knight of St. Stephen, and was a leading member 

 of the ' Patriotic Society,' instituted at Milan in 1777, by Maria 

 Theresa, for the encouragement of agriculture, arts, and manufactures. 

 When the French invaded Lombardy in 1796, Verri was appointed 

 member of the municipal council of Milan, but he died of apoplexy 

 in June of the following year. His biography has been written 

 by Isidoro Bianchi, Professor Ressi, Pietro Custodi, and lastly by 

 Camillo Ugoni. He was one of the most distinguished and estimable 

 Italians of the generation that preceded the French revolutionary 

 invasion. 



VERRI, ALESSANDRO, younger brother of Pietro, is chiefly 

 known for a work, partly imaginative and partly historical, entitled 

 ' Le Notti Romano al Sepolcro dei Scipioni.' The author evokes the 

 souls of the leading political men of various ages of ancient Rome to 

 appear before him in the newly discovered vaults of the tombs of the 

 Scipios, and makes them hold dialogues about the deeds of their 

 earthly career. He tears down the veil of blind admiration, so long 

 held sacred by Italian tradition and Italian vanity, and reveals the 

 vices, the crimes, and the mistaken patriotism of ancient Rome. The 

 style and language of the work are powerful and impressive. Ales- 

 sandro Verri died in 1816. Both Pietro and Alessandro were the 

 chief contributors to a literary journal of considerable merit, entitled 

 ' II Gaffe,' published at Milan. 



VE'RRIO, ANTO'NIO. This Neapolitan painter was born at Lecce 

 about 1639; and after he had made some progress in painting, for 

 which he had displayed a great ability at a very early age, he visited 

 Venice, to study the colouring of the Venetian school. After making 

 a stay sufficient for his purposes in Venice, he returned to his native 

 plac?, and the success which attended the execution of some gay 

 works there induced him to try his fortune at Naples, where, in 1660, 

 he painted a large composition in fresco of Christ healing the Sick, 

 in the college of the Jesuits, which was conspicuous for its bright 

 colouriug and forcible light and shade. Dominici says that Verrio 

 had such a love for travelling that he could not remain in his own 

 country. He went to France and painted the high altar of the 

 Carmelites at Toulouse. Shortly after this, Charles II. wishing to 

 revive the manufacture of tapestry at Mortlake, which had been 

 interrupted by the Civil War, invited Verrio to England ; but when 

 he arrived, Charles changed his mind, and intrusted to him the 

 decoration in fresco of Windsor Castle. Verrio executed a series of 

 extensive frescoes in that palace, with as much facility of execution 

 as insipidity of invention. He painted most of the ceilings, one side 

 of St. George's Hall, and the chapel ; but few of his works are now 

 left. The following instances may serve as illustrations of the taste, 

 character, and judgment of Verrio: On the ceiling of St. George's 

 Hall ho painted, Antony, earl of Shaftesbury, in the character of 



Faction dispersing libels ; in another place he borrowed ' the ugly 

 face' of Mrs. Marriott, the housekeeper, for one of the furies, in 

 revenge for a private quarrel he had had with her; and in a compo- 

 sition of Christ healing the Sick, he introduced himself, ir Godfrey 

 Kneller, and Mr. May, surveyor of the works, in long periwigs, as 

 spectators. The painter of these works was recorded in the following 

 inscription, written over the tribune at the end of the hall: 'Antonius 

 Verrio Neapolitans non ignobili stirpe natus, ad honorcm Dei, 

 Augustissimi Regis Caroli Secundi, ot Saucti Georgii, molem hanc 

 felicissima manu decoravit.' 



Verrio was paid enormously for these and many other works he 

 painted in England. Vertue found a paper containing an account of 

 moneys received by Verrio for works executed in Windsor Castle 

 from 1676 to 1681, not including those in St. George's Hall, amounting 

 to 5545?. 8s. 4d. The king also gave him the place of master-gardener, 

 and a lodging in St. James's Park. Verrio was of very expensive 

 habits, and kept a great table, and " often," says Walpole, " pressed 

 the king for money with a freedom which his majesty's own frankne?s 

 indulged. Once at Hampton Court, when he had but lately received 

 an advance of a thousand pounds, he found the king in such a circle 

 that he could not approach. He called out, ' Sire, I desire the favour 

 of speaking to your majesty.' ' Well, Verrio,' said the kin?, ' what 

 is your request ? ' ' Money, Sir : I am so short in cash, that I am not 

 able to pay my workmen, and your majesty and I have learned by 

 experience that pedlars and painters cannot give credit long.' The 

 king smiled, and said that he had but lately ordered him 1000?. 'Yes, 

 Sir,' replied he, 'but that was soon paid away, and I have no gold 

 left.' ' At that rate,' said the king, ' you would spend more than I do 

 to maintain my family.' ' True,' answered Verrio, ' but does your 

 majesty keep an open table, as I do ? ' " 



After the accession of James II. Verrio was again employed at 

 Windsor in ' Wolsey's Tomb-house,' then destined for a Roman 

 Catholic chapel. He also painted James and several of his courtiers 

 in the hospital of Christchurch, London : he painted likewise at 

 Bartholomew's hospital. 



After the Revolution he gave up his place of master-gardener, and 

 refused to paint for William III. He executed however at this time 

 the extensive works for Lord Exeter at Burleigh-house, which are 

 considered Verrio's best productions, and they are amon^ the best 

 specimens of the prevailing style of that age. For these paintings 

 alone, says Dr Waagen, Verrio was paid more money than Raffaelle 

 or Michel Angelo received for all their immortal works. He was 

 occupied over them about twelve years, with a salary of 1500?. a year, 

 besides his keep, and an equipage at his disposal. He painted also 

 at Chatsworth and at Lowther-hall. Walpole says that the altar- 

 piece of the Incredulity of St. Thomas, in the chapel at Chatsworth, 

 is the best piece he ever saw by Verrio : it is a very bad one. Verrio 

 was eventually persuaded by Lord Exeter to serve William III., and 

 he was sent to Hampton Court, where, besides other things, he 

 painted the great staircase so badly, that it has been supposed that 

 he did it so designedly : but that is very improbable. Towards the 

 end of his life he began to lose his sight, and Queen Anne granted 

 him a pension of 200/. a year, but he did not enjoy it long : he died 

 at Hampton Court in 1707. The statement of Dominici that he was 

 drowned in Languedoc is evidently an error. 



Walpole has described Verrio's style with great piquancy, but with 

 as much truth; he says he was "an excellent painter for the sort of 

 subjects on which he was employed, that is without much invention, 

 and with less taste : his exuberant pencil was ready at pouring out 

 gods, goddesses, kings, emperors, and triumphs, over those public 

 surfaces on which the eye never rests long enough to criticise, and 

 where one should be sorry to place the works of a better master I 

 mean ceilings and staircases. The New Testament or the Roman 

 History cost him nothing but ultramarine ; that, and marble columns, 

 and marble steps, he never spared." 



Scheffers of Utrecht worked twenty-five years for Verrio, and he 

 employed a painter of the name of Lanscron seven or eight years at 

 Windsor. 



VE'RRIUS FLACCUS, a Roman grammarian of the time of 

 Augustus. He was a freedman, but distinguished himself so much 

 by his learning and his method of teaching, that Augustus appointed 

 him instructor to his two grandsons Caius and Lucius, the sons of 

 Agrippa, and transferred him with his whole school to the Palatium, 

 on condition however that ho should not admit any additional pupils 

 to the number he had already. Ho had an annual salary of one 

 hundred sestertia. He died in the reign of Tiberius at an advanced 

 age. At Prseneste a statue was erected to him in the lower part of the 

 forum, opposite the Hemicyclium, which contained on large marble 

 plates the Fasti, which Verrius Flaccus had drawn up for the Prcc- 

 nestines. (Sueton., 'De Illustr. Grammat.,' 17.) These Fasti are the 

 so-called Fasti Prsenestini, of which considerable fragments were 

 discovered in 1770, and published by P. F. Foggini, under the title 

 Fastorum anni Romani a Verrio Flacco ordinatorum reliquiae, ex 

 marmorearum Tabularum Fragmentis Prrcneste nuper effosis collect 

 et illustratse,' &c., Rome, 1779, fol. They are also printed in F. A. 

 Wolf's edition of Suetonius, vol. iv., p. 321, &c,, and in Orelli's ' Col- 

 lection of Roman Inscriptions ' (c. xxii., vol. ii., p. 379, &c.). Before 

 the discovery of these Fasti, which are of the highest value, some 



