, named Medula, an eminent artist, was born in 1522, at Sebenico, in
, named Medula, an eminent
artist, was born in 1522, at Sebenico, in Dalimtia. His
parents, who were poor, placed him with a house-painter at
Venice, where, at his leisure hours, he acquired a superior
taste, by studying the etchings and compositions of Parmigiano and the works of Giorgione and Titian in the public
buildings of the city. At length, Titian, being informed
of his unfortunate situation and promising talents, took
him under his care, and soon afterwards employed him in
the library of St. Marco, where Schiavoni is said to have
painted three entire cielings. Feeling. his strength, he ventured to paint, in competition with Tintoretto, a picture
for the church of the Santa Croce, representing the visitation of the Virgin to Elizabeth; and though he did not
equal his antagonist, yet he received a considerable share
of applause. Schiavoni was accounted one of the finest
colourists of the Venetian school, and to colouring sacrificed almost every other attribute of the art; yet his compositions are managed with great dexterity, and executed
with astonishing freedom. Two of his most admired works
are in the church of the Padri Teatini at Rimini, representing the Nativity and the Assumption of the Virgin, and
his “Perseus and Andromeda,
” and the “Apostles at the
Sepulchre,
” are in the royal collection at Windsor. He
died at Venice in 1582, at the age of sixty.