CRESPI

crespi, giuseppe maria (1665-1747), italian painter, called "lo spagnuolo" from his fondness for rich apparel, was born at bologna, and was trained under angelo toni, domenico canuti and carlo cignani. he then went through a course of copying from correggio and barocci; this he followed up with a journey to venice for the sake of titian and paul veronese; and late in life he proclaimed himself a follower of guercino and pietro da cortona. he was a good colourist and a facile executant, and was wont to employ the camera obscura with great success in the treatment of light and shadow; but he was careless and unconscientious. he was a clever portrait-painter and a brilliant caricaturist; and his etchings after rembrandt and salvator are in some demand. his greatest work, a "massacre of the innocents," is at bologna; but the dresden gallery possesses twelve examples of him, among which is his celebrated series of the seven sacraments.