Chapter VII (Xxi.)
Of Painting in Oil on Panel or on Canvas.
§ 83 Oil Painting, Its Discovery and Early History
A most beautiful invention and a great convenience to the art of Painting, was the discovery of colouring in oil. The first inventor of it was John of Bruges in Flanders,202 who sent the panel to Naples to King Alfonso,203 and to the Duke of Urbino, Federico II,204 the paintings for his bathroom. He made also a San Gironimo,205 that Lorenzo de’ Medici possessed, and many other estimable things. Then Roger of Bruges206 his disciple followed him; and Ausse (Hans)207 disciple of Roger, who painted for the Portinari at Santa Maria Nuova in Florence a small picture which is to-day in Duke Cosimo’s possession. From his hand also comes the picture at Careggi, a villa outside of Florence belonging to the most illustrious house of the Medici. There were likewise among the first painters in oil Lodovico da Luano208 and Pietro Crista,209 and master Martin210 and Justus of Ghent211 who painted the panel of the communion of the Duke of Urbino and other pictures; and Hugo of Antwerp who was the author of the picture at Santa Maria Nuova in Florence.212 This art was afterwards brought into Italy by Antonello da Messina, who spent many years in Flanders, and when he returned to this side of the mountains, he took up his abode in Venice, and there taught the art to some friends. One of these was Domenico Veniziano, who brought it afterwards to Florence, where he painted in oil the chapel of the Portinari in Santa Maria Nuova. Here Andrea dal Castagno learned the art and taught it to other masters,213 among whom it was amplified and went on gaining in importance till the time of Pietro Perugino, of Leonardo da Vinci and of Raffaello da Urbino, so much so that it has now attained to that beauty which thanks to these masters our artists have achieved. This manner of painting kindles the pigments and nothing else is needed save diligence and devotion, because the oil in itself softens and sweetens the colours and renders them more delicate and more easily blended than do the other mediums. While the work is wet the colours readily mix and unite one with the other; in short, by this method the artists impart wonderful grace and vivacity and vigour to their figures, so much so that these often seem to us in relief and ready to issue forth from the panel, especially when they are carried out in good drawing with invention and a beautiful style.