of something that seems real to us because it is so
familiar to our imagination, or because it is something that we know might
have happened, that it has all the naturalness of an actual reproduction
of a fact. There may be interior or landscape _genre_ pictures. The first
represent familiar in-door scenes--the latter are landscapes with animals
or figures to give a life element and to tell a story.

The name of the family of which I speak was Da Ponte, but it was called
Bassano, from the birth-place of JACOPO DA PONTE BASSANO (1510-1592), the
father, who was the most important of the family. He studied in Venice,
but returned to his native town. His portraits are fine; among them are
those of the Doge of Venice, Ariosto, and Tasso. His works are very
numerous and are seen in all galleries. He introduced landscapes and
animals into most of his pictures, sometimes with great impropriety.

We come now to ANTONIO ALLEGRI, called CORREGGIO (1493-1534), who was born
at the end of the fifteenth, but did his work in the beginning of the
sixteenth century. His name of Correggio is that of his birth-place, and
as he was not born at any of the great art centres, and did not adopt the
precise manner of any school, he, with his followers, stand by themselves,
and yet, because his principal works were done at Parma, he is sometimes
said to be of the school of Parma.

When Correggio was thirteen years old he had learned to draw well. He
studied under Andrea Mantegna and his son Francesco Mantegna. From these
masters he learned to be very skilful in drawing, especially in
foreshortening, or in representing objects seen aslant. But though he
learned much of the science of art from his teachers, his grace and
movement and his exquisite light and shade are all his own, for they did
not possess these qualities.

[Illustration: FIG. 47.--PORTRAIT OF CORREGGIO.]

Foreshortening is so important that I must try to explain it; and, as
Correggio is said to be the greatest master in this art since the days of
the Greeks, it is quite proper for me to speak of it in connection with
him. The art of foreshortening is that which makes different objects
painted on a plane or flat surface appear as if they were at different
distances from the eye of the person who is looking at the picture, or as
scenes in nature appear, where one part is much farther off than another.
To produce this effect it is often necessary to make an object--let us
say, for