The Notre Dame Scholastic
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Disce Quasi semper victuriis ; vive quasi eras moritoms. VOL. XVIL NOTRE DAME, INDIANA, JANUARY 26, 1SS4. No. 20. The Engraver. tempts; liut Salvator, encouraged by their tacit ap probation, soon began to embellish the convent He graves the block with delicate outlines walls in the same manner. This was too much Where light and shade will blend in beautv soon; for the procuratoi-'s patience. One fine day the A winding range of hills, a sinking nioon walls of both convent and garden were newly Above dark ranks'of militarj pines. whitened, and notices placarded in conspicuous Cold as the North his blue ej'es' silence shines. places, threatening severe penaltie-s on anvone who But all his soul is swept away with June, should henceforth venture to soil them with daub- Where loud the battle-music beat in tune, in^s of any description. Salvator, highlv indig And marching columns crushed the Southern vines. nant at this proceeding, complained bitterly to Again he wears the soldier's cap, again Padre Cipriano, the good Superior; but the latter Feels the swift passion leaping in his veins, showed him that he had himself provoked those And hears the ti*ead of thrice ten thousand men strict measures by encroaching on the toleration Thunder in wrath by desolated plains.— of the Father Procurator, who had a perfect right The door swings open, breaking through the spell— to act as he had done. The boy, silenced but re •' But in that vale," said he, "mj' Captain fell!" sentful, revensred-himself bv caricatures of the MARION AfutR. Procurator and others who had in any way dis pleased him. This line of conduct made him many enemies, and at last obliged the Superior to write to his father to take him home. Salvator was Salvator Rosa. then fifteen yeai"s of age. On his return home the boy was placed in the BY B. S. office of a Notary. There he continued for some time studying law, but giving all his leisure mo Salvator Rosa was born in Renella, a small vil ments to music, poetry and painting. Many of his lage in the environs of Naples, of poor but honest romances became the fashion in Naples, and some parents.. His father was a master-mason who, of his sonnets and satires have come down to our having" acquired some knowledge of Geometry, own day. Pie would have given himself up en assumed the title of architect. This did not bring tirely to his artistic pursuits were it not for the feai* much wealth to the struggling family: however, of displeasing his father; however, he privately Antonio Rosa was a laborious, active man, and he took lessons in painting from his imcle Greco. managed to support his six children comfortably Plis talents were.too real not to soon show him the and to provide for their education. I-Iis_ wife, incapacity of this master, and he devoted himself Giulia Greca, belonged to a family of painters; to the study of Nature, spending all his holidays 'she would willingly have brought up Salvator wandering along the sea-shore, or penetrating into (who was her eldest son) to that calling, but An the savasre g^orsres of the Abruzzi. His sister tonio prudently represented to her the small bene about this time marrying a painter of considerable fit which had accrued to her family from their ar talent called Fracanzano (a pupil of the celebrated tistic pursuits, and the very precarious livelihood Ribera surnamed Lo Spagunoletto), Salvator at which they earned. Salvator, who showed a quick last obtained his father's consent to apply himself intelligence and a woncjerful memory, was sent to seriously to painting under the direction of his the College of the Somacchi, the Superior of which brother-in-law, and to give up the study of the law had benevolcntlj' offered to educate the boy, and, in which he evidently made no progress. should he show signs of an ecclesiastical vocation, Plis talent now developed itself with extraordin to help him to follow it. Salvator made rapid prog ary rapidity, and he often brought back sketches . ress under the tuition of the good Fathers, and at the after two or three days' solitary rambles in the age of twelve knew by heart many passages of Vir mountains which amazed Fracanzano. On one of gil. But his delight was drawing, and the white these occa.sions he was taken prisoner by the brig walls of the s:arden were soon covered with char- ands who then infested the wild mountain range coal sketches. Padre Cipriano and the older Su of the Abruzzi. They at first suspected him of periors indulgently shut their eyes to his boyish at taking plans of their mountain fastness; but finding 3o6 THE NOTRE DAME SCHOLASTIC. he was only a poor artisi, they released iiim on l-.is sonally acquainted with him, but that-he had reason executing a picture for his ransom. This episode to think that the signature was an- assumed name, in his life is said to be commemorated in the beau intended to hide an amateur of good family who tiful picture of a scene in the Abruzzi mountains did MOt wish his real one known. Laufranc asked now preserved in the Louvre, though he has sub no more; Jacobo hastened to Rosa, and ordered stituted for the brigands two warriors who are several pictures at a miserable price which he then restino- on the rockv piatform where he was sold to Laufranc for a very high one. This lasted formerl}- surprised b}* the robbers, while in the some time; but the jealousv of a confi-crc betrayed distance a hunter is taking aim at a passing bird. the secret to Liuifranc, who at once hastened to His father died when Salvator was seventeen, make Salvator's acquaintance, and they became and thenceforth the struggle for existence became attached friends. By the aid of this new friend a hard one. He was the only support of his fam- his pictures were sold at a better price, and the \\y. and without friends or protectors, with his young painter began to amass a small sum destined talents onh- half cultivated: what means of earning to pay his expenses to Rome, where Laufranc a livelihood were left to him? He toiled unremit- strongly urged him to go. A fortunate chtmce tinsflv, but saw his familv reduced to the most ab- offered: a pupil of Falcone's, whose drawings Sal solute poverty notwithstanding his exertions. Un vator corrected, wished to continue his studies in able to buy materials for his paintings, the}- were Rome, and proposed to bring Rosa with him; the advanced to him at an exorbitant nue bv the Tew- latter accepted with transports of joy, and they set ish picture-dealers who were his only customers, out.- Salvator had just completed his twentieth and often when he finished a picture and joyfully year at the epoch of this journey. With all the brought the price to his moiher, they would find passionate enthusiasm of his nature, he devoted after the indispensable household expenses had himself to studying the treasures of art and anti been paid that not enough was left to buy can quity which the Eternal City contained; the days vass and colors for another. His courage and were too short.for his ardor; he inade no account filial devotion at this period of his life speak highl}' of fatisrue, but the excessive heat of summer in favor of Salvntor's disposition and famih^ affec brousrht on one of those dansferous Roman fevers, tion; but his mother saw tliat his efforts could not so often fatal to strangers; and although the native keep them from starvation, while his own career strength of his constitution saved his life, the doc was completely frustrated by the heav}' burden tor imperatively insisted on his leaving Rome as- laid on his young shoulders. She therefore looked soon as his strength allowed. When his health out for a situation, and at last obtained one as a was restored, he reappeared in his friend Falcane's servant in the house of a Neapolitan lord; her atelier^ and for the ensuing four years labored with eldest daughter found emploj-mcnt in the same unremitting assiduity; but Rome was ever before place; the third was.taken into a convent (thanks his eyes, and the little he had seen of it only made to Ribera's intervention), and the two 3-oungest him long to return. By Laufranc^s aid, he was " sons were placed in an orphanage. Shortly after, attached to the household of Cardinal Brancaccio, Salvator's j-bunger sister fell ill of privations and a great patron of.art and liberal protector of its fatigue.(for Fracanzano v»'as not much better off votaries, and he thus returned to Roriie a second than his wife's family), and the poor young woman time in 163S. His style and his talent were so literally died of inanition. Her death was deeply original that it was impossible to confound his felt b}-^ the young brother whose entrance into life productions with those of any other painter, and was so painfull}-shadowed; not yet nineteen years his new stay in Rome was in every way advan of age, he had become prematurely old in this tageous to him. weary struggle for daily bread, and his character Cardinal Brancaccio, having been appointed received an impress of melancholy which ever after Bishop of Viterbo, commissioned Salvator to paint distinoruished him.