Spada, Lionello

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Lionello Spada (lyōnĕl´lō spä´dä), 1576–1622, Italian painter, active mainly in Emilia. His signature was an L placed across a sword [Ital. spada=sword]. His work shows influence of the grand manner of the Carracci, as in The Burning of Heretical Books (San Domenico, Bologna), and of Caravaggio's naturalism, seen in dramatic religious and genre scenes such as The Way to Calvary (Parma). In his late works his manner became softer and warmer under Correggio's influence. An example is The Marriage of St. Catherine (Parma). Other works are in Reggio and Modena and in the Louvre.