LUCA**, a celebrated Italian artist, called by some writers “The Proteus of Painting,” was born at Naples, in the house adjoining that inhabited by his future master the famous Ribera, better known as Spagnoletto. The date of his birth is a moot-point among authorities; some assigning it to the year 1632; others, and among them Velasco, with a greater show of probability, to 1629. After studying under Ribera at Naples, he became the pupil of Pietro da Cortona at Rome, whom he assisted in many of his works. Leaving Rome, he visited the famous schools of Bologna, Florence, and Venice, studied the great masters there, and made many copies of their works. He executed these so well and so quickly, that his sketches came to be in great demand. His father, who was noted for his avarice, turned his son’s gifts to good account, and would hardly allow him time to eat his meals in peace, continually crying out, “Luca, fa presto” (make haste, Luke), so that the young Giordano was at last known by no other name among his companions. The rapidity of his execution may be inferred from the following story, which is pretty well authenticated. While engaged one day on a painting of Jesus and his twelve disciples, he was interrupted by his father summoning him to dinner; “Luke, come down immediately, the soup will be cold.” “I shall be there in a moment,” answered Luke, “I have only the twelve apostles to do now.” It is said that he often used his fingers instead of the brush, and never spent more than half an hour upon a half figure of the size of life. To this astonishing rapidity of hand, however, he joined a fine imagination, teeming with ideas; and his fame at length became so great that it reached the ears of Charles II. of Spain, who invited him to his court, and commissioned him to paint fresco-pieces for the Escorial. After Charles’s death, Giordano returned to Naples, where, despite his fame achieved, his wealth, and his advanced age, he continued as busy as he had been in his youth, when he had both his name and his fortune to make. He died at Naples in 1704 or 1705.

As a painter, Giordano has no claim to be ranked among the Raphaels, Titians, or Michael Angelos of his own country. But the versatility of his talents, the fire of his compositions, and his fine powers of colouring, entitle him to respectful mention in the history of art. Even his drawing, which has been severely criticised, is perfectly correct in those pieces on which he chose to bestow time and pains. But the wideness of his aims, and his perpetual haste, prevented him from attaining the first rank in any of the many styles which he affected. His best pieces are his frescoes at the Escorial, at Florence, and at Rome. His grand altarpiece of the Fall of Lucifer and Battle of the Angels in one of the Neapolitan churches, is reckoned his masterpiece. There are some fine cartoons and other pieces of his in the galleries of Dresden and London.—See Lanzi.