CORREGGIO. 



Voitcgzio. markable degree, greatness and beauty of form. They 

 "•"■"V""' were much studied by the Carraccis, and considered 

 by them as models for their imitation. It has been 

 doubted whether Correggio ever visited Rome ; but 

 whoever considers the style of design in this composi- 

 tion, will be induced to believe that he had seen and 

 studied the works of Michael Angelo In the lunettes 

 he has represented the four Evangelists, with the four 

 Doctors of the Church These figures, again, are re- 

 markable for their resemblance to the style of Raphael. 

 This resemblance is still more apparent in the St John, 

 painted on the door of the vestry of the same church j 

 from all which it is argued, that Correggio did not, 

 as some have supposed, confine liimself to the ca- 

 sual sources of improvement which existed in his na- 

 tive province, but that he had carefully availed himself 

 of whatever he could derive from an attentive study of 

 the works of his great predecessors. Following the 

 account given by Vasari, it has been usual, with the 

 subsequent biographers of the painters, to expatiate on 

 the obscurity in which Correggio lived and died — the 

 low prices-paid for his labours — the timidity, diffidence, 

 and melancholy of his disposition ; and they close their 

 sad account by informing us, that he lost his life in a 

 fever, which was occasioned by bearing home on his 

 shoulders sixty crowns in copper money, which he had 

 received as payment for one of his works. What pro- 

 portion of truth there may be in this statement, it is 

 quite impossible to decide. The story of his death is 

 generally believed to be true. But if we consider the 

 cheerful gaiety of many of the characters he introdu- 

 ced into his compositions — the importance and extent 

 of the works which he undertook and executed — and 

 the remarkably excellent and costly materials which he 

 often employed, — it is not certainly the conclusion to 

 which we should be very naturally conducted, either 

 that the habits of his mind had been characterised by 

 melancholy and diffidence, or that obscurity and indi- 

 gence were among the list of evils with which he had 

 to struggle. But these facts, be they as they may, are 

 of little importance to be accurately known. The va- 

 rious and contradictory theories which have been pro- 

 posed, and the solicitude with which their respective 

 authors have endeavoured to give them the appearance 

 of probability, are perhaps worthy of any notice only 

 in as far as they tend to shew the interest with which 

 the subject of them has been regarded, and as exem- 

 plifying the natural and laudable propensity of the hu- 

 man mind, to attach importance even to the accidental 

 and accompanying circumstances which have attended 

 great talents in their progress to excellence and cele- 

 brity. 



At the time that Correggio appeai-ed, the art of paint- 

 ing had, by slow and progressive steps, arrived to great 

 perfection. But, notwithstanding that dignity and gran- 

 deur of form which had been invented by the super- 

 human powers of Michael Angelo — although splendor 

 and truth of colouring were conspicuously exemplified 

 in the works of Titian, while expression and grace ap- 

 peared in those of Raphael, — it still remained to com- 

 bine, in an eminent degree, these different excellencies 

 in one style. It seems admitted, by competent judges, 

 that in the best works of Correggio, this happy union 

 has been effected in a more remarkable degree than is 

 to be found in those of any other painter. Even those, 

 however, who are most zealous in his praise, do not 

 pretend to deny that his drawing is, in general, inac- 

 curate ; although several of his works demonstrate that 

 lie fully understood this branch of his art, and that he 



could practise it when he chose. It does seem strange, Cor 

 that, with the power of sometimes being excellent in "" 

 what is so justly considered of primary importance, he 

 could allow himself to degenerate into habitual incor- 

 rectness of design. With regard to the style of Correg- 

 gio, and particularly to this unaccountable paradox in his 

 practice, we may quote the words of the late Mr Barry 

 in one of his letters to Mr Burke. " I shall say no- 

 thing of Correggio's ceilings in the Duomo and in St 

 Giovanni at Parma ; they are, I will allow, what might 

 be expected from the great abilities of such a man. But 

 as I do not like this kind of painting where macchia 

 and effect is more consulted than expression, beauty, 

 form, and character, so I shall leave for others to say 

 about it Avhat they please. Correggio's fragment of the 

 Annunciation is excellent, full of grace and beauty. 

 His Madona della Scudella is admirably well coloured in 

 all the parts, but the drawing is bad, and much want- 

 ing in the proportion, &c. This picture is a convin- 

 cing testimony that he was ignorant of drawing (very 

 ignorant), and yet some part of his other picture of S. 

 Girolamo, at the Academy, proves as convincingly that 

 he drew well, and very well, and in excellent, proper, 

 and variegated proportions. To reconcile this might 

 be more difficult and troublesome than useful, and 

 therefore I will only suppose either that this Madona 

 della Scudella was an early work of Correggio's, or that 

 sometimes he made light of the drawing of his figures, or 

 that sometimes he succeeded in his drawing more from 

 pains and a habit of mere imitation, than from principles 

 and knowledge. There are other pictures by him in 

 S. Giovanni, in which there is much to praise and some- 

 thing to dispraise. In the Palace of S. Vitale is a little 

 Madona and Child by him, which is very excellent, 

 and much like Titian's manner of colouring, which is 

 very different from the general style of Correggio." 



With regard to this last remark, it must be observed, 

 that the colouring of Titian is only to a certain degree 

 compatible with the peculiar excellencies which cha- 

 racterise the style of Correggio. It was one of the 

 great objects which this painter had in view, to give 

 throughout the whole of his works a certain delicacy 

 and softness in the outlines, so that in many instances 

 his figures seem as it were blended with the grounds on 

 which they are painted. To this is owing one of the 

 most characteristic circumstances in his style ; for al- 

 most to this alone is to be ascribed that extreme deli- 

 cacy and tenderness of effect, which we look for in 

 vain in the works of the Roman or Venetian schools. 

 Now, it is a fact well known to the professors of the 

 art, that in proportion as the contour is made soft and 

 blending, in the same proportion it becomes necessary 

 to discharge all decided and positive colour from the 

 picture ; and, on the other hand, whenever such deci- 

 ded and positive colours are introduced, it is absolutely 

 necessary to support these by a corresponding strength 

 and hardness of outline. There is therefore a natural 

 limit to the compatibility of the peculiar qualities 

 which, in this respect, Correggio had it in his view to 

 combine, and of that limit he seems to have been tho- 

 roughly aware. The law of art by which he was guided 

 in this respect is plainly founded in nature. The de- 

 gree of light, which shews strongly and sharply the 

 outlines of objects, (in every instance, excepting in the 

 case of their being seen opposed to a light,) must at 

 the same time serve to show their local colours in a cor-» 

 responding degree of distinctness ; and, on the other- 

 hand, if we diminish the light which falls on objects, 

 till at last we lose sight of all sharpr.e^ of outline, we 



