Piazzi, Calisto

Piazzi, Calisto an Italian painter, was born at Lodi, and flourished from 1524 to 1556 as. appears from the dates on his pictures. According to Orlandi, he was one of the most successful imitators of Titian. Lanzi says that his picture of the Assumption of the Virgin, in the collegiate church of Codogno, is worthy of ally of the disciples of Titian. It is a grand composition, containing figures of the apostles, and two portraits of the Marchesi Trivulzi. In the church of the Incoronata, at Lodi, he painted three chapels ill fresco, each ornamented with four beautiful histories. One contains the Mysteries of the Passion, another the Acts qf St. John the Baptist, and the third the Life of the Virgin. "It is currently believed," says Lanzi, "that Titian, in passing through Lodi, painted several of the heads — a story probably originating from the exceeding beauty that may be observed in them." He sometimes imitated the style of Giorgione, as may be seen in his altar-piece in the church of St. Francesco at Brescia, representing the Virgin among several saints, which is esteemed one of the most beautiful productions in that city. He executed many works for the chlilches in other cities, particularly atr Crema and Alessandria. In the cathedral of the latter city are several of his best works. Lanzi rebukes Ridolfi, who commends him for nothing except his coloring, whereas "he boasts a very noble design, is tolerably select in his forms, and rich, and harmonious in his coloring. His Wedding at Cana, in the refectory of the Padri Cisterciensi, at Milan, is truly a surprising production, no less for its boldness of hand than for the number of its figures, which seem to live and breathe, though the whole of them are not equally well studied, and a few are really careless and incorrect." Lomazzo also, speaking of his Choir of the Muses — in which he introduced the portraits of the president Sacco and his wife, for whom it was painted — says, "I may, without fear of temerity, observe that it is impossible to produce anything more perfectly graceful and pleasing, and more beautiful in point of coloring, among works in fresco."