Natali, Carlo, called II GuardoUno, an Italian painter and architect who devoted himself largely to sacred subjects, was born at Cremona about 1590. He studied successively under Andrea JMainardi and Guido Reni ; and subsequently resided during a number of years at Rome and Genoa, observing all that was most valuable, and exerting his ov.'n talents in the art. Among his best paintings is his St. Francesca Romana, in the church of S. Gismondo at Cremona, which Lanzi ranks above mediocrity. Natali did not execute many works in painting, being principally devoted to archi- tecture. His edifices are principally at Genoa and Cremona; but none of them are mentioned. He was living in 1683. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine A rts, ii, 609.
Natali, Francesco, a painter who devoted him- self mostly to sacred art, was the brother of Giuseppe, whose style he adopted, and whom he nearly approach- ed, and even surpassed in dignity. He executed many works on a large scale for the churches in Lombardy
and Tuscany. He was also much employed at the courts of the dukes of Massa, Modena, and Parma, iii which latter city he died in 1723. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine Arts, ii, 609.
Natali, Gio. Battista, an Italian painter and architect, the son of Carlo Natali, devoted himself to secular and religious subjects. He was born at Cremona about 1630, and was instructed in both arts by his fa- ther, and afterwards went to Rome for improvement, where he pursued his studies under P. da Cortona. On returning to Cremona he was employed for the church- es, and established a school of painting upon the prin- ciples of Cortona, although without many follo\vers. There is a large painting by him in the Predicatori dis- playing some skill, representing the Holy Fat7-iai-ch burning heretical books, which Lanzi says is not un- worthy of a follower of Cortona. As an architect, none of his works are mentioned. He died about 1700. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine Arts, ii, 609,
Natali, Giuseppe, an eminent painter of sacred and secular art. was born at Casal INIaggiore, in the Cremonese territory, in 1652. According to Zaist, pos- sessing a natural genius for the art, he went to Rome, notwithstanding the opposition of his father ; and from thence to Bologna, where he assiduously studied the works of Dentone, Colonna, and Mitelli, the most fa- mous perspective and architectural painters of the age. He flourished precisely at the period which the archi- tectural painters consider the happiest for their art, Lanzi says, " He formed a style at once praiseworthy for the grandeur and beauty of the architecture, and the elegance of the ornamental parts judiciously introduced. He gratifies the eye by presenting those views which are the most charming, and gives it repose by distribu- ting them at just distances. In his grotesques he re- tains much of the antique, shunning all useless exhibi- tions of modern foliages, and varying the painting from time to time with small landscapes. The softness and harmony of his tints elicited great commendation." Na- talis found abundant employment, and decorated many churches and public edifices. He also executed a great many oil paintings, which were in the highest repute. He died in 1722. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine A rts, ii, 609.
Natalia, a term used in the early Church for the days on which martyrdom was suffered by some of her number, as if they were birthdays; and just as the hea- thens used to have festivities on memorable days, so these early Christians used to celebrate annually such birthdays of martyrs into the kingdom of God. The graves of the departed were visited, and after a time festivities were allowed. See Hase, Ch. History, p. 68. See also Natalitia.
Natalis the Theodotian. See Theodotius.
Natalis (Noel), Alexander, a distinguished Ro- man Catholic theologian, was born at Rouen Jan. 19, 1639. He studied at first in the Dominican school of his native city, and joined that order in May, 1655. His talents having attracted the attention of his superiors, he was sent to Paris, where he first studied, then taught, the- ology, and received the degree of D.D. in 1675. Col- bert appointed him to write a history of the Church, and in consequence he published in 1677 the first vol- ume of his Selecta historice ecclesiasticce capita et in loca ejusdem insignia dissert ationes historicce, critica, dog- maticce, the twenty-fourth and last volume of which appeared in 1686. It extends down to the close of the Council of Trent. It is written in the spirit of Gal- licanism, learnedly, but in a dry, scholastic style. This was followed by the Historia ecclesiastica Veteris No- rique Testamenii (Paris, 1G99; Lucca, 1754; Bingen-on- the-Rhine, 1785-90), one of the most important works of the Gallican school, but the character of which is more dogmatic and polemic than historical. The free, Gallican spirit of this work caused it to be condemned by pope
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Innocent XI, who by a bull of July 13, 1684, forbade [ the reading of Natalis's works under penalty of excora- | munication, Natalis, however, did not retract, but de- ■ fended his work, and it was linally withdrawn from the Index by pope Benedict XIII. In 170(5 Natalis became provincial of his order. His sight began to fail him in 1712, and, becoming entirely blind, he was obliged to discontinue his labors, lie died in the convent of the Jacobins at Paris, Aug. 21, 1724. His principal works, besides the above, are, Theolor/ia dof/matica et morulis (Paris, 1093, 1703, 1743, 171)8): — Prcecepta et reffu'ce ad , jmedicatores verbi dicini iiifurmumlus : — Expositio lite- rulU et morulis (S. S. Evangeliorum), etc. (editio novis- | si ma. Paris, 1709, 2 vols. 4to), etc. See Herzog, Real- i Kiicykldpiidu', X, 222 sq. ; Mosheim, Kcdes. Hist. vol. ii ; j llase, Ch. Hist. p. 8; .Schaft", Hist. Christian Ch. i, 18; i llagenbach. Hist. Doctr. ii, 199, 206 ; Ch, Remembrancer, 1802, p. 35 ; nibliothecu Sacra, vii, 59. (J. II. W.)