ROMANO, Giulio, a famous painter of the Roman school, was born at Rome in 1492. He was the favourite pupil of Raphael, who had such an affection for him, that he appointed him, with John Francis Penni, his heir. He first signalised himself by his Battle of Constantine, which he painted from a design of Raphael’s, and which was particularly admired by Poussin.

When he had completed the hall of Constantine in the Vatican, from Raphael’s designs, he went to Mantua, where the patronage of the Gonzaghi family excited him to those great works, and those magnificent plans by which Mantua and the palace Del T. have been so highly decorated. In the decorations of this palace, Julio prepared the cartoons, and had the pictures executed by his pupils; but he afterwards corrected and finished them. Modem pencils are said to have covered the touches of Julio, especially in the Fable of Psyche, the Allegories of Human Life, and the Giants Storming Heaven, where his composition and design are alone seen. In the fresco paintings of the old palace or corte of Mantua, which refer principally to the histories of the Trojan war, his peculiar merits are better perceived.

Helen Asleep, Vulcan forging arms for Achilles, are considered beautiful, and Minerva slaying Ajax is regarded as sublime.

The most remarkable of the altar pieces of our artist are the three frescoes of St. Marco; and in the church of St. Christofero, the athletic figure of that saint supporting the infant Jesus. His Martyrdom of St. Stephen on the head altar of the church of St. Stephen at Genoa, is preferred to them all.

His conceptions were more extraordinary and more elevated than even those of his master, but not so natural. He was wonderful in the choice of attitudes; but did not perfectly understand the lights and shades, and is frequently harsh and ungraceful. The folds of his draperies, says Du Fresnoy, are neither beautiful nor great, easy nor natural, but all extravagant, like the fantastical habits of comedians. He was, however, superior to most painters, by his profound knowledge of antiquity; and, by conversing with the works of the most excellent poets, particularly Homer, he made himself master of the qualifications necessarily required in a great designer. Julio Romano was also well skilled in architecture. He was employed by Cardinal de Medicis, who was afterwards pope under the name of Clement VII.; he ultimately settled in Mantua, whither he was invited by Frederick Gonzago, marquis of that city, in order to avoid his being justly punished for having drawn at Rome the designs of twenty obscene plates, engraved by Mark Anthony, to which Aretine added the same number of sonnets. Julio Romano embellished the city of Mantua with many of his performances, both in painting and architecture, and died in that city in 1546, at 54 years of age.

Romans, a city of France, in the department of the Drome, and the arrondisement of Valence, situated on the right bank of the Isere. It has considerable manufactories of stockings, caps, hats, and silk goods, and makes large quantities of oil from wallnuts. The fruit, especially melons, is chiefly sent to Grenoble. It contained in 1836, 9285 inhabitants. Lat. 45. 6. Long. 4. 57. E.