Naldini, Baptista

Naldini, Baptista an Italian painter who devoted himself to religious subjects, was born at Florence in 1537. He first studied under Jacopo Carrucci, called I1 Pontormo, and afterwards under Angiolo Bronzino. According to Baglioni, he visited Rome during the pontificate of Gregory XIII, and painted several altar-pieces for the churches, among which is a picture of the Baptism of Christ in La Trinita de' Monti, and the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist in the church of that saint. On returning to Florence he was chosen by Vasari coadjutor in his works in the Palazzo Vecchio, and retained by him about fourteen years. Vasari makes honorable mention of Naldini even when a young man, commending him as skilful, vigorous, expeditious, and indefatigable. Naldini painted many pictures at Florence, especially the Deposition from the Cross and the Purification at S. Maria Novella, praised by Borghini for their judicious composition, correct design, elegant attitudes, beautiful coloring, and excellent perspective. His pictures are criticised by Lanzi as having the kneejoints too large, the eyes too widely opened, and generally marked with a certain fierceness; the coloring often characterized by changeable hues. In teaching his scholars, he followed the prevailing method of employing them to design after the chalk drawings of Michael Angelo, and giving them his own finished paintings to copy. He was living in 1590. See Spooner, Biog. Hist. of the Fine Arts, 2:606.