alvator Rosa at Naples, took him under his protection, and conducted
him to his bishopric of Viterbo, where he painted several historical
works, and an altar-piece for the cathedral, representing the
Incredulity of St. Thomas. On his return to Rome, the prince Gio. Carlo
de' Medici employed him to execute several important works, and
afterwards invited him to Florence. During a residence of nine years in
that city, he greatly distinguished himself as a painter, and also as a
satirical and dramatic poet; his Satires, composed in Florence, have
passed through several editions. His wit, lively disposition, and
unusual conversational powers, drew around him many choice spirits, and
his house was the great centre of attraction for the connoisseurs and
literati of Florence. He fitted up a private theatre, and was accustomed
to perform the principal parts in his comedies, in which he displayed
extraordinary talents. He painted many of his choicest pictures for the
Grand Duke, who nobly rewarded him; also for the noble family of the
Maffei, for their palace at Volterra.

SALVATOR ROSA'S RETURN TO ROME.

After Salvator Rosa's return to Rome from Florence, he demanded
exorbitant prices for his works, and though his greatest talent lay in
landscape painting, he affected to despise that branch, being ambitious
of shining as an historical painter. He painted some altar-pieces and
other subjects for the churches, the chief of which are four pictures in
S. Maria di Monte Santo, representing Daniel in the Lions' Den, Tobit
and the Angel, the Resurrection of Christ, and the Raising of Lazarus;
the Martyrdom of St. Cosimo and St. Damiano, in the church of S.
Giovanni.

The brightest era of landscape painting is said with truth to have been
in the time of Pope Urban VIII., when flourished Claude Lorraine, Gaspar
Poussin, and Salvator Rosa. Of these, Salvator was the most
distinguished, though certainly not the best; each was the head of a
perfectly original school, which had many followers, and each observed
nature on the side in which he felt impelled to imitate her. The first
admired and represented nature in her sweetest appearance; the second,
in her most gorgeous array; and the third in her most convulsed and
terrific aspects.

SALVATOR ROSA'S SUBJECTS.

Salvator Rosa painted history, landscape, battle-pieces, and sea-ports;
and of these he was most eminent in landscape. The scholar of
Spagnoletto, he attached himself to th