The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 6 (of 6) From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century (6 volumes) — Inside the Classic

The Artist Index as a Biographical Database

The first index, spanning over 160 pages, records each painter with the date of birth (b.) and death (d.), followed by the authority for that information. For instance, Niccolo Abate is listed as “b. 1509 or 1512, d. 1571. Tiraboschi.” The index does not provide biographies; it is a finding aid. Lanzi often notes discrepancies: for Giuseppe Pedretti, he gives a death year from the Guida di Bologna but adds an alternative birth date from Oretti’s memoirs. This careful citation reveals Lanzi’s method—he weighs sources without resolving every conflict. The index also includes obscure figures like “Alberegno, flourished in the fifteenth century” with only a volume reference, showing that even minimally documented artists earn a place. Readers can trace how Lanzi built his narrative from these data points.

Abbreviations and the Translator’s Role

A prefatory note explains that abbreviations in the indexes—such as “b.” for birth and “d.” for death—are “perfectly intelligible to the English reader.” This small editorial intervention by translator Thomas Roscoe signals that the volume is designed for practical use, not decorative display. The indexes also include an erratum: “Page 96, line 17, in some copies, for 1666 read 1766.” Such a correction, placed before the indexes, underscores the volume’s function as a corrigible reference tool. Roscoe’s translation, published in London in 1828, makes Lanzi’s Italian scholarship accessible to an English audience, and the indexes are the key that unlocks the entire work.

The Second and Third Indexes: Bibliography and Subjects

Index II lists “Historical and Critical Publications relating to the Art, cited in the Work.” This bibliography is not annotated; it simply records titles and authors, serving as a scholarly backbone. Index III covers “some of the most important Matters contained in the Work.” Together, these indexes reveal Lanzi’s range: he draws on Vasari, Ridolfi, Malvasia, Zanetti, and local guides (e.g., Guida di Bologna, Guida di Genova). The subject index likely includes topics such as schools, techniques, and iconography, though the excerpts do not show its entries. A reader consulting the indexes can quickly locate discussions of, say, the Carracci or Venetian mosaic workers, and then cross-reference the artist index for biographical details.

How the Indexes Shape a First Reading

For a reader new to Lanzi’s history, this volume is best used as a portal. Begin with Index III to identify a topic—for example, the Venetian school—then note the volume and page numbers. Turn to the artist index to find relevant painters, such as “Albani, Francesco, Bologn., b. 1578, d. 1660. Malvasia.” The source abbreviation points to the bibliography in Index II, where one can locate Malvasia’s Felsina Pittrice. This layered referencing system rewards patient exploration. The indexes also reveal Lanzi’s reliance on manuscript sources (marked “MS.”) and local guides, indicating that his history is built from both published and unpublished materials. A first-time reader should treat this volume not as a conclusion but as a key to the entire set.

Lanzi’s sixth volume is a testament to eighteenth-century scholarly rigor. Its indexes do not merely list; they cite, correct, and connect. For the modern reader, they offer a map of Lanzi’s sources and a method for navigating his five-volume history. Approach this volume as a reference companion, not a narrative, and let its abbreviations and cross-references guide your exploration of Italian painting.

There’s something touching about a book that ends not with a flourish but with an index—names, dates, sources, the quiet scaffolding of a lifetime’s looking. It feels like leaving a gallery at closing time. I found the same gentle patience in that other volume, On the Laws of Japanese Painting: An Introduction to the Study of the Art of Japan — Inside the Classic, as if both authors trusted their readers to stay awhile.