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^be Brt of tbe IDatlcan BY MARY KNIGHT POTTER ^be Brl of tbe ipittt ipalace BY JULIA DE W. ADDISON OTe Bet of tbe Xouvre BY MARY KNIGHT POTTER
tTbe

Brt of tbe IDenice BcaDemi^ BY MARY KNIGHT POTTER ^be Brt of tbe Batfonal (Bailer^ BY JULIA DE W. ADDISON tibe Brt of tbe 2)res&en (3alleri2 BY JULIA DE W. ADDISON ^be Hrt of tbe praDo BY CHARLES S. RICKETTS tTbe Hrt of tbe IRetberlanD
Galleries

fiJS

fS^ JJ5 jV^

BY DAVID

C.

PREYER
:ffiel0ian (Ballcrfes

cvo ^i^ cvc

^be Hrt
L. C.

of tbe BY ESTHER SINGLETON

Wo
gij

PAGE & COMPANY

Publishers, Boston, Mass.

C^

DONNA VELATA
By Raphael;
in the

Stanza of the Education of Jupiter


{See page 2gb)

be Hrt of tbe
f^tttl
With
an Appreciation of

l^alace
^

a Short History of the

Building of the Palace, and Its Owners, and


Its

Treasures

Julia de
Author of

By Wolf Addison

" Florestane the Troubadour," etc.

Illustrated

Boston L, C, Page & Company


Publishers

Copyright, 1903

By

I,.

C.

Page

& Company

(Incorporated)

All rights reserved

Published October, 1903

Fifth Impression, April, 1908

Sixth Impression, February, 1910

(iTolonial

^rrss

Eloctrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonda Boston, Mass., U. S. A.

&

Co.

THE LIBRARY BRfGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY PROVO, UTAH

Contents
CHAPTER
I.

PAGB

II.

III.

IV.

LUCA PiTTI AND HiS PaLACE The Growth of the Collection The Hall of Venus The Hall of Apollo

32

46
68 TOO
130
160

V.
VI.
VII.

VIII.
IX.

X.
XI.
XII.

The The The The The The

Hall Hall Hall Hall

of Mars of Jupiter of Saturn of the Iliad Stanza of Prometheus

206
246 290 312
333
362 377

Stanza della Stufa and the Stanza OF THE Education of Jupiter Stanza of Ulysses and Stanza of Justice The Stanza of Flora and the Stanza
.

DEI Putti
XIII.

The Royal Apartments and the Boboli


Gardens
Bibliography Index

379

Xi8t of miustrattons
PAGE

Donna Velata
By Raphael ;

{See page 2q6)

Frontispiece

in the

Stanza of the Education ofJupiter


.

Facade of the Pitti Palace Garden -Front of the Pitti Palace Venus and Vulcan with Cupid
By
By
Tintoretto ; in the Hall of Venus

22
.

27

48
52

Marriage of
Titian
;

St.

Catherine
Hall of Venus

in the

Angelo Doni
By Raphael;
By
Murillo
;

69
in the

Hall of Apollo

Madonna and Child


in the

1^

Hall of Apollo

PietA
By Fra
Bartolontnteo
;

84
in the

Hall of Apollo

Infant Prince Leopold de Medici


By
St.
Tiber io Tito
;

95

in the

Hall of Apollo

Peter Raising the Widow Tabitha


By
Guercitto
;

96
100

in the

Hall of Apollo

Mars Preparing for War


By Rubens ;
in the

Hall of Mars

Four Philosophers
By Rubens ;
in the

106

Hall of Mars

EccE Homo
By
Cigoli; in the

no
Hall of Mars
.

Howard, Duke of Norfolk (Detail)


By
Titian
;

112

in the

Hall of Mars

Judith with the Head of Holofernes By A llori ; in the Hall of Mars


VU

"5

VUl

3Lt0t of IHlusttattons
PAGE

Hall of Jupiter Three Ages of Man


By
Lotto
;

130

in the

Hall ofJupiter

Conspiracy of Catiline
By Rosa ;
in the

142
152

Hall ofJupiter
in the

Annunciation
By A ndrea del Sarto ;
By Raphael ;
in the

Hall ofJupiter

Madonna of the Chair


Hall of Saturn

160

Madonna del Granduca


By Raphael ; By Raphael;
in the

170

Hall of Saturn

Vision of Ezekiel
in the

Hall of Saturn

Head of Mary Cleophas


Disputa
By A ndrea
St.
del Sarto
;

....
;

186

Detailfrom the Deposition, by Perugino

/ the

Hall of Saturn

188
in the

Hall of Saturn

John Asleep
By
Carlo Dolci ; in the Hall of Saturn

197

Hall of the The Concert


By
Giorgione

Iliad
;

206
208
Hall of the Hiad

in the

Christ Enthroned By A Caracci; in the Hall of the Hiad Tobias and the Angel
.

212
218

By

Biliverti ; in the
-

Hall of the Hiad

Altar Piece
By Fra Angelico ;
in the Stanza of Prometheus

250

Madonna and Child


By Fra Filippo Lippi; in the Stanza of Prometheus

254
-

Madonna of the Rose Bush


By
Botticelli
;

....

266
272

in the

Stanza of Prometheus
Stanza of Prometheus

The Epiphany
By
Pinturicchio
;

in the

Stanza della Stufa, with Dupre's Statues of Cain and Abel La Zingarella
By
B;y

292

304
324

Garofalo ; in the Stanza della Stufa

Temptation of

St.

Jerome

....

Vasari ; in the Stanza ofJustice

%iBt ot iniustrattons
Stanza of Flora, with Canova's Venus Allegorical Head
Bj'

ix

PAGB
. .

336
347

Furini ; in the Stanza of Flora


.

Pallas and the Centaur


By
Botticelli ; in the

366
372

Royal Apartments
.

The Amphitheatre, Boboli Gardens

PLAN OF THE PITTI PALACE


I.

2.
345-

6.
7-

8.

Hall of Venus Hall of Apollo Hall of Mars Hall of Jupiter Hall of Saturn Hall of the Iliad Stanza della Stufa Stanza of the Education of
Jupiter

910.

Bath-room
Stanza of Ulysses Stanza of Prometheus

II. 12. Corridor of 1314. 15-

Columns

16.

Stanza of Justice Stanza of Flora Stanza dei Putti Galleria Poccetti

(The

Hrt of tbe pitii palace


CHAPTER
LUCA
PITTI

I.

AND HIS PALACE


its

There

is

no gallery of

size in the

world so

replete with

gems of

art

and acknowledged masterof painting in Italy as the

pieces of the Golden


Pitti Palace.

Age

One

cannot but wish that there were


repre-

more of the masters of the Early Renaissance


sented,

and

it is

true that there are no examples of

mediaeval devotional art.


It

may

be here observed that art

is

seen in the

Pitti in all stages of its flowering,

from the time

of budding to the period of decay

from the sweet,

pure lights of Fra Angelico and the moth-wing


tints of Botticelli to the

somewhat degenerate

art

of Salvator Rosa, Guido Reni, and Carlo Dolci;

but of

all

grades of artists represented in this assemis

bly there

some example of
I

interesting,

and usually

xtbe Htt ot tbe


work.

IPtttt

palace

typical,

Here we may

revel in the ideal real-

ism of Raphael;

the soft glow of Murillo;

the

devotional seriousness of Fra Angelico, Pinturicchio,

Perugino, and Botticelli; here are spread before us


the beautiful Madonnas of Andrea del Sarto, called the " faultless painter " the quaint worldliness of
;

Fra Filippo Lippi; and the


of Leonardo.

poetic, rippling smiles

There are also many noble examples

of the Italian portrait, by those


**

whom

Ruskin terms

patient,

powerful workers " of the fifteenth cenportrait


painters.

tury,

and by many succeeding


all

Nearly

the schools of Italy are represented, from

the fifteenth century forward, culminating in the


rich glories of the great Venetians, Titian, Veronese,

and Tintoretto.

The

setting for the pictures


if

is florid,

and might

be trying

the pictures themselves were not of such

absorbing interest that the visitor does not have

much time

to consider the surroundings.

The
is

style

of interior decoration in the Pitti Palace


objectionable
ceilings

of an

late-Renaissance

type,

gilded

bossy

ornamented with indifferent

frescoes,

and

exhibiting

what Browning

calls

" stucco twiddlings

everywhere."

The rooms

are

named

in

romantic

taste after various persons

and

attributes of classic

times.

Henry James speaks of

these apartments as
Pitti,

" those dusky drawing-rooms of the Palazzo


to

which you take your way along that tortuous

Xuca

ipitti

an& tis l^alace

tunnel that wanders through the houses of Florence,

and

is

supported by the

little

goldsmith's booths on
rich

the Ponte Vecchio.

In the
and
is

and

insufficient

light of these beautiful rooms, to look at pictures,

you

sit in

damask

chairs

rest

your elbows on

tables of malachite."

There

no denying that these


in

rooms are gaudy and meretricious


the

taste;

but

they are just as historically true to their day as are

more pleasing Gothic and Romanesque


This
late

interiors
its
still

to their time.
later

Renaissance and

decadence are typical of the people

who

lived

in these periods.

Age.

The latter may be called The Golden Age had preceded it.

the Gilded

Raphael,
apol-

Titian, Leonardo, Del Sarto

these need no
is

ogy
of

even

mediaevalists can appreciate these un-

deniably great painters;

but there

a vast horde

men who came after them, not worthy to be named with them, and yet who possessed fine qualities,

and

produced

significant

pictures.

These
in the

pictures,
Pitti

and the very best of them, hang

Palace.

They have never been given


is

their
is

due.

While there

obvious decadence, there

also decided merit to be seen.

While there can be no question that the


pictures
in the Stanza of

early

Prometheus are vastly

more

interesting

and satisfying than the works of


it

the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries^

would

be very narrow to say that

all

art during these

Hbe art
centuries

of tbe pttti palace


it

was

bad, because

failed to interpret the

sacred legends as spiritually, or to portray


as archaically, as did Fra Angelico
It

them

and Fra Lippo.


to admire the
earlier

happens to be the fashion

now

fascinating
ters.

immature conceptions of the

mas-

It

is

much

easier for us to appreciate

and

love the works of these cloistered souls than to

admire the works of the

men who lived in conditions more like our own. But we cannot overlook the fact that we force ourselves into an unlater

necessary ignorance of two whole centuries of art


if

we

fail

to perceive the excellences

as well as

the defects in the pictures of


Caracci,
Dolci.
skill;

such

men

as

the

Guido Reni, Salvator Rosa, and even Carlo

These men exhibit a marvellous technical


they approach nearer to the outward appear-

ance of natural objects in their drawing than did


the early religious painters, even
if

they are often


allowance,
if

stagey and

artificial.

We
all

can

make

we
as

care to do so, for

these shortcomings;

just

we make

allowance for the technical imperfec-

tions in the older masters, as

certainly obliged to do.

we rejoice The rage for

to,

and are

culture has

made
and

it

far

more

interesting to superficial students

of art to rave over anything that has to be explained


interpreted^ than to

admire the works of an

age which was

less intellectual

and

dealt less with

Xuca
legends, arid
life.

iptttt

an^ Dts palace

more with

the glad, cheerful facts of

The

three most prominent schools of art in Italy

were the Florentine, which was famous for its comprehension of form the Umbrian, in which religious
;

feeling

and grace are the predominating features;

and the Venetian,

the

school

in

which colour

played a greater part than in either of the others.

Art may be roughly subdivided into two


ples:

princi-

one, the idea of illustration,

and the

other,

the idea of decoration.

Either of these principles


is

developed to the exclusion of the other


plete.

incom-

If a picture consists of illustration simply,

with no consideration of the decorative quality, a

newspaper cut or a photograph


as well as a painting.

will serve its turn

On

the other hand, a painting


in colour

which has a beautiful harmony

and form,
message

and yet which


subject, conveys

is

not intelligently conceived as a


artistic

no more complete
It

than does a kaleidoscope.


but
it

may

please the eye,

does not instruct the mind;

and

art is inis

tended to do both.

The

purest combination

that

of a great subject treated in a real way, in which


the facts are portrayed through the
beauty.

medium

of

The

Florentines,

besides being painters,

were also sculptors;

their art recognized

fewer rethe Vene-

strictions than that of the

Umbrian and

tian schools, hence their paintings took

on more of

XEDe art ot tbe

Iptttt

palace
was often
of the

the relief of sculpture, and their sculpture


pictorial.

Colour was never, with them^ the chief

consideration, as with the Venetians.

Many

most pleasing pictures by Tintoretto are technically


faulty in drawing.
all

But there was one


united.
;

ideal before

the schools of the Renaissance,

one principle
to portray

in

which they

all

That was,

things as they actually were


peculiarities,

to recognize individual

and

to depict rather than to design.


ideal, as

Types were no longer the

with the Greeks.


all
little

Apelles would have smoothed

away

per-

sonal irregularities in his subject, whereas Leonardo

and Durer spent days


dividual touches.

in trying to catch these in-

The Greek

ideal of beauty
;

had

been to present abstract perfection


ideal

the Renaissance

was

to

show the

variety in personal attributes,

not to be confused in any one type.

In place of the old Byzantine Guide to Painting,


these

men
it

of the later Renaissance had Leonardo da

Vinci's priceless advice to help

them

in their labours.

And

would be well

if all

persons would cultivate


laid

their perceptions

by the simple means


"

down

by Leonardo,
is

as^ for instance, in


:

the passage which

here quoted

When you

are well instructed in


to

perspective,

and know perfectly how


different forms,

draw the

anatomy and

...
.

it
.

should be your
.

delight to observe

and consider

the different

actions of men.

... Be

quick in sketching these

Xuca
with
slight

ipitti

and

Ibis ipalace

strokes

in

your pocket-book,
. .

which
full,

should always be about you.

When

it is

take another; for these are not things to be rubbed


out, but kept with the greatest care, because

forms

and motions of bodies are so


the

infinitely various, that

memory

is

not able to retain them therefore pre-

serve these sketches as your assistants and masters."


It is said that "

Titian and Raphael are the paint-

ers for

women; Michelangelo and


men."
Equally true
is
it

Tintoretto the
that there are

artists for

some

artists

represented in the Pitti Palace

who
be

appeal only to sentimentalists.

majority of the pictures in the gallery


is,

may

said to be religious, that

they represent some

subject

vitally

or

apochryphally

connected

with

Biblical teaching.

Many

deal also with the semi-

mythical acts of saints, which some people, owing


to an ignorance of the legends of the Church, find
it

little difficult

to appreciate.

But the calm, un-

questioning religion of Fra Angelico differs essentially

from the

intellectual appreciation of

Leonardo

da Vinci; and as widely from the stern, unsympathetic interpretations of Michelangelo.

There

is

no

cheerfulness in Michelangelo's portrayal of spiritual

emotion;

the key-note of his religion

sordid duty
presses
it,
;

and

is

gloom

wrath
is

as

Mr. G. B. Rose exwith the

"his soul

really

Hebrew

prophets "

he has not read aright the Revelation.

Ubc Hrt

ot tbe

l&tttt

palace
matter of taste

Fashions change so
in art, that
it is

much

in the

impossible to say always what will

be the future standing of certain works, when they


exhibit

any

salient quality.

This quality

may be
spirit

either disliked or

admired exceedingly

at various

periods, according to the

way

in

which the

of the time determines the standard of excellence.

Mrs. Jameson, for instance, was considered a

woman

of taste in her day ; and yet her choice of the greatest


pictures in the Pitti collection includes

Guido Reni's
but

Cleopatra, and Allori's Judith, and Salvator Rosa's


Cataline!

Good enough

paintings, all these;

who

to-day would select them and say nothing of

Giorgione's Concert, Raphael's


toretto's

Donna

Velata, TinLippi's

Venus and Vulcan, and Filippo appealing little Madonna!


effect of this gallery

Particularly exhilarating seems to have been the

upon Horace Bushnell, who


:

notes in his diary during his Italian travels

" Spent

the morning in the Pitti Palace; the place


finer
all in

go away from
feelings,
if

a glow; I seem to have breathed a


all

atmosphere, and

my
I

good
feel

have any, are invigorated.

conscious that
I

my
it

eye

is

forming and perfecting, and

know

that

must be a

benefit to us, as regards writing


life,

and

the conduct of

to

have dwelt in such an atmos-

phere and
It is

felt

such an influence."

unfashionable just

now

to admire

Domen-

3Luca
ichino, Caracci,

ipfttf

anb

Ibis H^alace

and other
is

late

men

of the Renais-

sance.
ralistic

Ruskin
angels

particularly irritated

by the natuhe inveighs

which they painted;


" a

against what he calls

sky encumbered with

sprawling infants
children,

offensive studies of barelegged

howling

and

kicking

in

volumes

of
late

smoke; " and he remarks with a sigh that the


painters do not seem to

know

the difference between

angels

and cupids.

And

yet,

granting

all

this,

why

should one therefore shut one's eyes to the

manifest grace and loveliness of the picture by Annibale Caracci in the Pitti, entitled Christ in Glory

with Saints, and such pictures as the delightful

and too
verti,

little

known Tobias and


little

the Angel, by Bili-

and Guido Reni's


his usual

Bacchus (which

is

free

from

mannerisms).

One

should be broad enough to see and recognize


it

merit wherever

exists,

whether or not

it

happens

to be in one's special line of preference.

Mrs. Jame-

son
is

is

right

when she

claims that the Pitti gallery

rather a selection than a collection of the most

valuable

gems and masterpieces of

art.

The

Pitti

Palace stands on a slight eminence,


it

the upper ridge, as


in a hillside.
It

were, of a natural depression


in 1441,

was begun

by Luca

Pitti,

a wealthy, proud, ambitious rival of the Medici and


Strozzi,

successful merchant, a leading politi-

10

Zbc art

of tbe

ipitti lC>aIace

cian, a vain tyrant,

who, though overbearing and

determined in attack, proved weak and irresolute in


his final defeat.

Luca
the
first'

Pitti is declared

by Guiciardini to have been

citizen of Florence.

He

felt

early the lust

for power,

and entered public


It

life

while he was
life

very young.
there
is

was not a peaceful

at best:

an old saying, which was once written by

some keen observer on the margin of the Sumptuary


Statutes
" If there
is

a person

whom you

hate,

Send him

to Florence as officer of State/*

was governed by the Priors of the Arts, a company of eight men selected from among the members of the guilds and crafts, and presided ovef
Tlie city

by a Gonfalonier of
the Signoria,

Justice.

This body was called


public

and lived

at

charge in the

Palazzo Signoria for their term of

ofifice,

which was

two months.
positions
:

Luca

Pitti

had held various of these


to Sforza, in Milan;

he was Prior, Gonfalonier, Ambassador

to

Rome,

also

Ambassador

and he was most enterprising


venture, which,

as a merchant.

While

he was Gonfalonier he undertook a certain business


it

must be admitted, would have

been a credit to the best of men.


trading-vessels
to

He
those

sent out ten

England,

Constantinople,
in

and
were

Barbary;

such

expeditions

days

Xuca
hazardous.

pltti

anb

Ibis

palace

"
the fact

But whether he was blessed by Providevil,

dence or assisted by his familiar

remains that his ventures were lucky, and Florence

was the
florins

richer

by

over

one hundred

thousand

through his boldness.

The

people imme-

diately recognized their indebtedness,


gifts

and showered

upon him

in gratitude.

By

such means he

managed to get the confidence of the Florentines, so that when he decided to spread nets for their
entanglement and for his

own advancement,
officers,

the peo-

ple ran unsuspectingly into the snares laid for them.

Wishing

to appoint his

own

he determined

to oppose the Medici, and to reign in their stead.

This was a bold project, and the only wonder

is,

not that Luca Pitti was ultimately defeated, but that

he was able to keep

his

head up as long as he

did.

He

had

all

the vivacity of ambition necessary to a

party leader, and he undertook to oppose the liberal

movements
for those

in the

government.
it

His opportunity soon occurred, as

usually does

who

are bent upon

evil.

Cosimo de Medici, not


personal ambition of

in the least suspecting the

Pitti,

decided that he could be


so he
for.

made

useful as a catspaw for the Medici;

gave Luca the very chance he had been looking


meeting of the Signoria

This occurred when, as Gonfalonier, he called a


in

order to change the Balia.


citizens to

The

Balia

was a board of

whom was

12

Ube Hrt

of tbe pitti palace

given the power to levy taxes, and to perform other


municipal functions.
a
Pitti's

ambition was to have

new Balia elected from among his adherents; and so, when the Signoria, contented with the existing conditions, refused to appoint a new Balia, he and
Cosimo decided
call

to ignore the action of the Signoria,


their interests

and that the best course for


a Parlamento;

was

to

namely, a general meeting of

the citizens in the Piazza Signoria to vote upon

names which were proposed for a new Up to this point Pitti had appeared
only the interests of Cosimo;

Balia.

to consider

but he was quietly

scheming on his own account

to surprise his ally,

and
his

by a coup

d'etat to elect a Balia

composed of

own

conspirators.

This triumph he achieved when,


the recognized signal for such

on the 9th of August, 1458, the Parlamento assembled in response


tO'

a meeting, the ringing of the great bell in the Palazzo

Vecchio.
lace

Cosimo had agreed

to

overawe the popu-

by having two thousand of his soldiers on Meanwhile Pitti had secretly arranged to guard.
post six thousand foot-soldiers and three hundred

mounted guards, so

that after the voters


all

had assem-

bled they could prevent

entrance to or exit from


it

the square, thus warning Cosimo that

would be

vain to thwart any proposals which might be

by Luca

Pitti.

When

Pitti

nominated

his

made own men


his son

for the Balia,

Cosimo de Medici, who, with

Xuca
Pietro,

lC>itti

anb

1bfs

palace

13

by

his

was within the Palazzo Signoria, surrounded gnards, reaHzed that he had warmed a viper,
shifted.

and that the balance of power had

Cosimo dared not oppose such a formidable array


and the people, many of them of the lower
general cheerfulness of
classes,

probably would have agreed to anything out of


spirit.

been a gay sight,

the

For

it

must have
and
there,

motley-coloured throng,

with the armed

men

interspersed here

seen against the cold gray walls of the venerable


palace, with the picturesque Signoria

mounted on

a platform, making speeches and smiling in an ingratiating


if

not a sincere way.

The

people, pleased

with the attractions of the pageant, shouted their


approval,

and when

this

unanimous assent was


In order to give a
affair,

obtained, the

show was

over.

high-toned and religious aspect to the whole


a solemn procession

evacuated to
citizens

was formed, and the square was the sound of the Te Deum. So the

withdrew^ not suspecting that they had

now

passed under a

new regime which should


some time
to come.

result in

their oppression for

For no

sooner did Luca Pitti gain the supremacy than he


started

an unmerciful system of taxation.


old,

Cosimo de Medici was now growing


less

and was

keen and

less

strong physically than he had

Luca ruled him with the iron hand of one who has attained his power through his own cunbeen.

14

tCbe art of tbe

Ipttti iC^alace

ning, and, until the old man's death, never ceased to oppose and govern the Medicean faction.

During
Pitti
it,

this period of his success Pitti

began to

think of erecting his great residence, and the Palazzo

was

built,

largely, as Machiavelli expresses


**

through the people's


completion."

making him

presents for

its

Possibly this means that they were

unlawfully taxed, or possibly that they were so

under the

spell of this

popular leader that they en-

joyed paying this tribute to his success.

Another

means of completing and enhancing the richness of the work was employed Pitti would offer refuge
;

and protection
adornment.

to exiles

and thieves within


its

his palace,
its

provided they could

assist in

building and

Ruskin, in "
Pitti's

The Lamp

of Power,"

sums up Luca
self

method

in his drastic

way,

" This rapacious gentleman,

who

gathered to him-

a great fortune by knavery and maladministralittle

tion of justice, built this as his


literally

town-house,

out of the spoils of the people of Florence,

whom

he induced to make presents towards

its

completion and decoration."

Cosimo's famous words were probably spoken to

Luca Pitti when he said " You follow the infinite, and I the finite. You lay your ladders in the sky,
:

and

lean
I

them

close to earth, lest I

may

fly

so

high that

may

fear to fall."

He

stood aside,

aged and weary,

satisfied to let his

prosperous rival

Xuca
go
his

ipitti

an&
:

Ibis

palace

is

own way, saying " You and I are like two great dogs who rush at each other and then pause and sniff. As both have teeth, each passes on his way. Look to your own business, and I will attend
to mine."

The

followers of Pitti were called Del Poggio,


hill;

because Luca's palace stood on a

while the

Medici were alluded to as Del Piano^ because their


palace

was

in the plain below.

When Cosimo

died, his son Pietro,

younger and

more active, seeing the plight into which his faction had fallen, decided upon the overthrow of Luca As a guileful opening wedge with which to Pitti.

commence
and
even
his
Pitti

his

work he introduced a

friendly sug-

gestion that an alliance between the houses of Medici

would not be unattainable

so that Pitti

made the proposition of a marriage between own daughter and young Lorenzo de Medici.
suit,

Pietro encouraged the

playing with his foe,

while he prepared to
call

strike.

For

in planning to

another Parlamento, Pietro

knew

that the Signo-

ria

were too wise

to

back

Pitti

a second time.

Even Cambi, who was a


those

quiet, gossiping writer of

the day, exclaims, with unwonted fervour,

" Let

who
in

read this learn never to grant a Balia,


Better to die

and never to allow a Parlamento.

sword

hand than to permit a tyrant to be raised


city."

up over the

i6

Ube art
The

ot tbe pitti palace

people were tired of Pitti's rule, and were


B}^

only too ready to restore the Medici to power.


the force of his

own
With

example, Luca Pitti had inad-

vertently taught Pietro de Medici


better of him.
fair

how

to get the
last

promises to the

and

placid

condition

of

pseudo-friendship,

Medici he had

called a

Parlamento
;

in his turn;

and

lo'!

applied the old proverb, "

villain

must be beaten
were the

with a villainy "

for there in the square


to enforce the

body of armed men ready


rule, just as

Medicean

they had been formerly a host to sus-

tain Pitti.

Meanwhile,

Pitti's friends

had seen that he was

about to be tricked^ and had tried to warn him.


Niccolo Soderini came to him, and tried to induce

him
had

to

guard against the treachery which was soon

to be practised

upon him by the Medici; but Luca

practically deserted his

own

party, for he

was

hoping for further reconciliation with Pietro through


the fact that one of his nieces had married Giovanni

Tornabuoni, and he counted on this

fact,

together

with his projected alliance, to cement the friendship


of his opponent. Niccolo pleaded with him in vain, exclaiming, " I can do the city no good alone, but
I

can foresee the evils that will befall her.


of

This
its

resolution
liberty;

yours will rob the country of


will lose the

you

government, and
rest will

I shall

lose

my

property,

and the

be banished,"

Xuca

pitti anJ)

Dis palace

17

And Soderini proved to be somewhat of a prophet. When Luca Pitti's adherents found that their chief
was on
the verge of defeat^ they began deserting to

the Medicean side, so that by the time Pietro

was

ready to

act,

the material for his triumph


Pitti,

to his hand.

seeing at last

not wisely but too well, and that

was ready that he had trusted his enemy now had

him on the
scruple,

hip,
fell

mistook his fear for a conscientious

and

an easy prey, without much oppoof Pietro de Medici.

sition, to the plots

In

fact,

the victory of Pietro

a positively courteous plan.


Pitti

was conducted on The Priors invited


which Pietro
Pitti faction

and

his friends to a meeting, at


ill

was too
to lay
ratified

to appear.
in the

Certain propositions were

made, resulting

promise of the

down
Pitti

their

arms;

and these promises were


to the sick-room,

by protestations of undying friendship!

Then

was conducted
terrible

and he
in

and Pietro had quite a sentimental interview,


which the

Luca

is

reported to have wept

The Medicean Parlamento was


to thwart the proposals for the

held on the 2d

of September, 1464; Luca Pitti had

made no
Balia;

effort

new

in fact,

some

historians affirm that, seeing that his glory


to save his

had waned, Luca, anxious

own
The

neck,

had

gone with compromises to


in order to ensure his

Pietro, betraying his party


safety.
fact that

own

he

himself,

although

undeniably

the

ringleader,

XT be

Hrt of tbe pitti palace


in his party to escape specific

was the only man

punishment, gives colour to this theory.


lowers of Pitti were banished
receiving
;

The

fol-

he himself, although
the

no

sentence,

was

practically ruined;

marriage between his daughter and Lorenzo de


Medici was broken off;

and

his

friends

turned

against him, and began demanding the return of


their gifts,

assuming that they had been but loans;

and the elderly man,

who had

so gloried in his vanity


life,

and power, sank away out of public


is

and there

no further record of

his career.
is

Though

the ultimate fate of Pitti

unknown, he
his

succeeded in leaving behind him as a symbol of his

power one monument, which has always borne

name
ument
which
city,

in spite of the fact that for centuries

the property of his rivals, the Medici.


is

was This monit

the Pitti Palace

that building in Florence

exhibits,

among

the numerous palaces of the

the special feature of the feudal survival in the

early Renaissance.

Luca
day

Pitti

had employed the best architect of his

Brunelleschi, the great Florentine,

who had
Cosimo
It

built the

dome
and

of the cathedral in Florence.

de Medici had employed Michelozzo in erecting his


palace
;

Pitti

wished to outdo his

rival.

must

be confessed that he succeeded.

Brunelleschi re-

ceived the commission for the design in 1440.

He

was then a mature man

of sixty years of age, with

Xuca
much

lC>itti

an&

t)is iC^alace

previous experience to guide him, so that he


this

brought to bear upon

work the accumulated


life.

wisdom of

a long and useful

When
Pitti

purchasing the land for his palace, Luca


in the selection of a

showed much foresight

noble situation, to display to the best advantage the

magnificence which he intended to lavish upon his


house.
to one

He

bought a house and vineyard belonging


Bandecca, a

Monna

known

family of Rossi^

member of who owned some


Ponte Vecchio.

the well-

dwellings

on the other
Gardens,

side of the

Then he

bought the piece of land now occupied by the Boboli

then

called Bogoli,

for

which he gave

450

florins.

Also he had to pay indemnities for

many

houses which had to be destroyed to enlarge


that the

new mansion^ so undertaking was a costly one. The


the space for his

whole

people also exlavish

pressed

some disapproval of

this

outlay,

claiming that he would ruin himself, and airing their


discontent at his

extravagance.

Luca met

their

objections by inviting about one hundred of the


chief complainers to a great banquet, arranging that

each guest upon this occasion should have for his


seat a large sack of

money.

After

this,

the criticism
gifts of

abated;

his friends hastened to

make him

propitiation.

Luca made a boast


"windows of his

to

Cosimo de Medici that the


larger than

new house should be

20
the great
it

trbe art of tbe pittl I^alace

doorway of the Medici


to Brunelleschi

Palace.

No

doubt

gave pleasure

(who had not won

the commission to build the Medici Palace) thus to

outshine his rival Michelozzo.

Vasari relates that


Strozzi that he

Pitti also

boasted to Filippo

would build a palace large enough


its

to contain the Strozzi Palace in


this

courtyard; but

cannot be a true story, for the Strozzi Palace


built

was not

until five years later.

Vasari also

says that the plans of Brunelleschi were carried out

by Luca Fancelli; but as Luca Fancelli was born


in 1430,

he would only have been about ten years

of age at this time

so, unless

he was an infant

prodigy, the building

another Fancelli;
Silvestro, so
cellis in
it is

was undoubtedly begun by later Vasari alludes to him as

probable that there were two Fan-

Florence.

By
to
its

the time Brunelleschi died, the palace had risen

second storey, and his

final

design could be
Solidity of
scale

traced easily in the completed part.


structure

on a very grand and imposing


florid taste of

was

the chief concession which the great architect


to the

made

somewhat

Pitti.

Simplicity

and richness of material (not


the building.
in

detail)

characterized

The

original design

was compact and


to-day

good proportion, intended

to be three stories high.


it

Only the

central part of the palace as

is

Xuca

pttti

an^

Ibis

palace

21

appears in the original design.

The wings were

added

later.

Many
Doric.

writers speak of the Pitti Palace as being

But there
it,

is nO'

characteristic of Doric archiit is

tecture about
it

except that

massive, in which

more resembles Etruscan work.


windows
in the

There

is

no

classical detail

about the fagade except pediments on

the

lower storey

and those were


'

not in the plan, but were added in late Renaissance


times, as a filling for the plain

round arches placed

there by Brunelleschi.

Almost the exact intention of the


been discovered through three sources
of information on this subject
is

architect has
:

one source
is

a plan, which

now

in the Uffizi

another

is

a picture in the

Church

of San Spirito, an altar-piece painted by Alessandro


Allori, in

which the fagade of the


is

Pitti

Palace ap-

pears;

and the third

in the portrait of a lady,


;

probably some

member of the Pitti family through an open window in the background of this picture the Pitti Palace may be seen. By means of these
discovered. Professor

three suggestions and other material which has been

Cosimo Conti has proved that


first

the design of the palace, as

planned, called for

three central arches in the basement

and a row of

seven windows above.


proportionate features

Many of the somewhat diswhich now exist are not due

to Brunelleschi, but were later additions.

An exam-

22

XTbe Hrt of tbe ptttf palace


it

ination of the palaxre as


this.

now

stands will prove

Some

persons consider that the facade


if

is

too

much
it

like a jail;

the palace stood in a narrow street,

this impression
is

might be

justified;

but placed as

on an eminence,
is

its profile is

majestic and stern

without seeming too forbidding.

For

its size,

the

ruggedness

not too pronounced.


it is

The

separate

stones of which

built are

enormous; but there

are so

many

of them, that they do not strike the

beholder as presenting more than a good bold surface.

Some
men.

of the single blocks

among

those which

help to support the terraces are monoliths as long


as five
sistent

They

are as

little

worked as
flat

is

con-

with an approximately

surface;

they

were hewn roughly from the quarry.


is

Their colour
effect of
is

dark gray, which adds to the rugged


pile.

the

The whole

front as

it

stands to-day

475

feet long;

the distance from the centre of one


centre of the next
is
is

window to the The fagade

twenty-four

feet.

unornamented.

There are balus-

trades which run at the top of the three stories,

enclosing three balconies, which appear in proportion


to be hardly

more than
is

string-courses.
in the building as
it

Leader Scott remarks that "

now

stands there
length,

great want of balance.

The
has

immense

in

proportion to

its

height,

disastrously exaggerated the horizontal lines."

This

Xttca
IS

IPitti

anb

Ibis iC^alace

owing

to the later additions to the plan.

In the

facade are no vertical divisions except such articulations as the constant repeat of the round-arched

windows
height,

indicate.

Each

storey

is

forty

feet

in

and the arches twelve

feet across.

These

three storeys should properly have been surmounted

by a heavy cornice^ as

is

the Strozzi Palace,

what

Ruskin

calls

" a solemn frown of projection, not

a scowl, as in the Palazzo Vecchio."


Brunelleschi's sketch, however,
it

Judging from

was to have been


built

topped with an open loggia.

Bartolommeo Ammanati, who

the bridge
to continue
that time

known

as Ponte Trinita,

was engaged

the building in the sixteenth century.

By

the palace had passed into the possession of the

Medici, and has ever since been the royal residence


in Florence.

Buonacorsi

Pitti^

a grandson of Luca, was living


but, being

there in 1529, as head of the family;

heavily in debt, he decided to

sell

the place.

So

Cosimo

I.

de Medici bought

it

for his wife Eleanor


all its

of Toledo, in 1549, together with

grounds, an
into

orchard, and several large farms.

He moved

the palace, with his family and his court, on


IS, 1550.

May

The

building which

to the original

Ammanati added about 1568 structure was the whole cortile, and

24

Ube art

of tbe itti palace


to the second

the garden front^


floor.

and also the wings


continued
to

Succeeding

owners

enlarge
II.

the

palace, especially

Grand Dukes Cosimo

and Fer-

dinand IL,

who

inaugurated several changes between

1620 and 1631.

The
until

was not extended to its full length 1640, Giulio and Alphonso Parigi designing
palace

the continuance of the fagade.

The

wings, which advance far into the open,

crater-like piazza in front of the house,

were added,

between 1768 and 1839, under the auspices of the


Lorraine family, by the architect Poccianti.

While Bartolommeo Ammanati was building the


cortile, the
fit

reigning grand duke evidently thought

also to

do away with certain feudal expressions


in the

about the house:

ground

floor,

which had

never had any windows, but was a simple, fortresslike

structure,

round-arched windows were introIt is quite

duced at

intervals.

remarkable that this

proceeding did not weaken the superstructure, but


the effort to relieve the gloom of the bare, straight
wall seems to have succeeded.

The back of

the Pitti Palace displays the

first

use of the style called " rustication."


free-stone blocks are placed

The

gigantic
in

one above another

the pilasters,

first

a large and then a small one,

giving a peculiar effect of reticulation to the edges,

Xuca

iC^ittf

anb

ftfa iC^alace

2^

which, in lines of support, are usually smooth and


straight.

To

an extent

this

form of treatment might


it is

be regarded as decoration; but

of a sturdiness

which

defies

elaboration and has never been exeffect.

celled in

majesty of

Ruskin^

who

greatly

detested most of the forms in which Renaissance


architecture chose to disport
self
itself,

expresses him-

most warmly

in

admiring

this noble pile, saying,

" His eye must be delicate indeed


to see the Pitti
alludes to
its

who would
!

desire

Palace polished " and again he

" noble rudeness,'' which

may

be op-

posed to both " the useless polish and barbarous


rustications of
principles

modern

times."

Ruskin outlines

his

on the subject oi these stones


passage
:

in the Pitti

in the following
art,

"

As

in

higher works of

the pleasure of their hasty or imperfect exeis

cution

not indicative of their beauty, but of their

majesty and fulness of thought and vastness of


power.

Negligence
it,
*

is

only noble

when

it

is,

as

Fuseli hath
to purpose
is

the

shadow of

energy.'

Sufficiency
;

is

the test of

some forms of work beauty


at, as,

not always the ideal arrived

for instance,

the stones of the foundations of the Pitti Palace."

George Eliot speaks of the


regularity." This

Pitti

Palace as " a won-

derful union of Cyclopean massiveness with stately


is

a very apt expression regarding

the facade, the whole stateliness of which, aside

26

Ube Hrt

of tbe

lC>itti

t^alace
the solemn

from the consideration of


repeat of
its

its size, lies in

well-proportioned arches.

One

striking feature, which


is

amounts almost to a

decorative motive,

the extreme depth of the vousthe great wedge-shaped stones

soirs of the arches;

are arranged like gigantic fans over each window,

spreading so far on either side that they nearly


meet.

These bold arches over the windows conimpression which

stitute the leading feature in the


is

carried

away by most

observers

who have
floor

not

been specially trained to a study of architecture.

The
is

taste displayed in the

ground

windows

not pleasing, for they are of a thin Renaissance

design, with pediments^


soles,

and are supported on conlions,

between which are carved heads of


called "

with

what are usually


reality ducal

crowns " (but which are in


their heads.

caps)

upon

From

the

open mouth of one of these lions flows the purest


water in the
city;
it

comes from the far-away


It is also

hill-

country of Pratolino.
the exigencies of

unfortunate that

necessary to

fill

modern conditions have made it the dignified arched windows all


Brunelleschi had planned to have

over the fagade with hideous square inner case-

ments and panes.


each
large

arch

subdivided

and

filled

with two
is

smaller ones, with a column in the centre as


in the Pazzi Palace.

seen

Professor Conti has discovered also that

all

the

tii

u < <
Pi

H H

O H O
I

&a

Q
<:

Xuca

pttti

an5

Ibis

palace

27

arches of the basement were originally doors instead

of windows.

Among

the tests which he applied

was that of observing the ceilings in the interior. The rooms between these openings have vaulted
ceilings, while those into

which the openings were

cut have plain barrel-vaults, showing that doors had

been used to give ingress to them direct.


outside, too,

On

the

may

still

be seen the iron staples on


to swing.

which the hinges of the doors used

The

three balustrades across the front

based Ionic capitals on each baluster.

show deBelow the


which
great

balustrades are heavy moulded string-courses, which


cast

some shadow,

but,
it

owing

to the length

they have to travel,


is

is

hard to realize

how

really their projection.

In the back, or garden-front, as

it is

often called,

of the Pitti Palace, extensive spaces are laid out

and enclosed by the great walls of the building.


It

would seem
enough

as

if

the front of the palace were

lavish

in its use of large stones;

but on

the other side they are almost as numerous.

Here

is

a great open square courtyard, or cortile,

like that at the

Farnese Palace

in

Rome, and

this is

surrounded on three sides by the building;

while

on the fourth side

is

a stone terrace one storey high,

serving as a connecting link between the palace and


the Boboli Gardens which
largest cortile in Florence,
lie

beyond.
is

This

is

the

and

part of Brunei-

28

Ube art

of tbe pitti palace


although added to later

leschi's original building,

by Ammanati.

The

reticulated effect of the rus-

tication here predominates,

and

is

the

first

obvious

quality in the work, just as the deep voussoirs, on a


flatter

plane,

were the leading

characteristics

of

the faqade.

The

three storeys are ornamented with

applied orders and repeating arches.

On

the basefloor,

ment the
Ionic;

capitals are Doric;


third,
is

on the second

and on the

Corinthian.

The
owing

effect

of columns, however,

practically lost,

to the

fact that the rustication is carried

on up and down
courses,

the shaft, reducing

it

to a vertebrate pile of small

and large stones


pilasters is lacking.

in

alternating

so

that

the feeling of vertical rib-support usually given by

The

heavily projecting string-

courses continue the horizontal effect which pre-

dominates on the other fagade.

The windows

set

within heavy arches are headed alternately, square

and round.

On

the keystones of the arches are

carvings in the spirit of

Renaissance grotesque,

each stone showing a shield or some pseudo^human


device.

On

the second floor the stones of the rustications

are cut square;

on the third
;

storey, they are elab-

orately rounded off


is

the effect of the second storey

that of piled-up boxes, and the third, of piled-up

cushions.

On

such an enormous scale these features


but,

pass muster;

considered in detail,

it

would

3Luca
be
difficult

iC^ittf

anb

'tis l&alace

29

to decide which

was worse.

There

is

no comparison between the masonry of the main fagade and that of the garden front; the first is so far superior both in sincerity of intention and
in proportion.

But the garden front usually appeals

more

to the popular idea of grandeur, and

must

have puffed up mightily the soul of Luca

Pitti.

On
tain,

the terrace

is

a handsome and showy founis

the ample basin of which

surrounded by

those

mythological

beings

usually

denominated

" putti,"

figures of perpetual youth,

masquerading

as infants versed in worldly wisdom^ a cross between

a cupid and an infant prodigy.

Eight of these

are here to be seen perched in Delsartean attitudes

around the edge of the basin.


raised

This fountain

is

on

several steps,

and

is

octagonal in shape.

In the midst are some strenuous sea-gods and mer-

maids writhing
smaller
flat

in the effort to sustain a series of

stone basins, into which the water plays.

The

usual allowance of dolphins

may

be detected
in

in this design,
detail,

which

is

restless

and inadequate

and yet has withal the general large


is

effective-

ness which

so characteristic of the developed

Renaissance.

The Misses Horner,

in their delightful "

Walks

in

Plorence," describe a mule in black marble at one

end of the surrounding colonnade, saying naively


that
it is

supposed to commemorate the animal

who

30

XLbc art of tbe

lC>itti

alace

carried the materials for the building of the palace.


If

a single mule was responsible for the conveyance

of these stones^ he certainly deserves recognition

Considering hov^

on the

Pitti

many hands have been at work Palace, and how many heads have
its

contributed ideas and designs for


in the centuries

amplification

between

its

first

erection
call
it,

and the

present day^

it is

hardly correct to

as a

com-

plete whole, the

work of

Brunelleschi.

It is interesting to

note what various appreciative

men have
ods
:

written about the palace in different periclerk of the English Privy

James Howell, the

Council,
II.,

who saw

it

under the reign of Ferdinand

in

62 1, and Joseph Addison,

who was
is

there

in 1702.

"
that

The
it

duke's palace," says Howell, "

so spacious

occupieth the

room of

fifty

houses at the

least."

Joseph Addison, the great British


in his "

essayist, says

Remarks on

Italy "

"
:

There are some

beautiful palaces in Florence

and, as Tuscan pillars

and

rustic

work owe

their origin to this country,

the architects always take care to give them a place


in

the great edifices that are raised in Tuscany.

The
solid

duke's

new

palace

is

a very noble
it

pile,

built

after this manner,

which makes
It
is

look extremely

and majestic.

not unlike that of the


built

Luxembourg

at Paris,

which was

by Marie

Xuca

ipttti

an& tie palace

31

de Medici, and for that reason, perhaps, the work-

men

fell

into the

Tuscan humour.
in

There are

abundance of pictures

the several apartments,

by the hands of the greatest masters."

CHAPTER

II.

THE GROWTH OF THE COLLECTION

When
tion of

Pitti built his palace


it

it

was with no

inten-

making

the

home

of a great collection

of art treasures;

it

was

to be his private residence

made

beautiful

and

attractive for his personal use.

Beyond the decoration of the rooms, he added no

The growth of the collection of paintings which now adorn the palace was a process of generations. The
significant

pictures

which

have

survived.

different

owners gradually added paintings that apthese accumulated in

pealed to their taste;

such

numbers from time


Europe.

to time that at last the palace art hardly second to

became a gallery of

any

in

At

first

without deliberation, then con-

sciously, with the

aim of making a great

collection,

the palace

was developed

into a treasure-house of

artistic excellence.

The

first

stage in the growth of the collection

was begun when the palace passed from the hands


of the Pitti family into those of the Medici.
3*

This

XCbe
transfer

Growtb

of tbe Collection
Pitti,

33

was made when Buonacorso

a grand-

son of Luca, finding himself without the wealth


necessary to maintain so vast an estabhshment, sold
it

1549 to the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I. de Medici (1519-1574), for his wife,
in

Eleanor de Toledo.

The Medicean
immorality,

acquisition of the property

marked

a strange combination of artistic sense with glaring

which

characterized

the

subsequent

occupants of the palace.

Cosimo

I.

de Medici was a great patron of art


in all but ethical matters.

and a leader

He

is

re-

membered
dering his

for the

most brutal crime perhaps that

any of the Medici ever committed: that of mur-

own

son in the presence of his mother.

There have been many episodes of horror connected


with the Medicean
rule,

but none more cowardly

and heartless than

this act.

His

virtues,

whatever

they were^ must pale before this supreme act of his


evil
life;

however,

it

must be remembered that


its

Florence owes

much

of

outward beauty to the

direct influence of this powerful warrior

and

aesthete.

Cosimo

I.

was a great
all

philanthropist.

Universities

and academies were


he patronized

built

and endowed by him, and


Benvenuto
Cellini

the liberal arts.

would never have been able to leave so great a mark on the art of his time if it had not been
for the generous friendship of Cosimo,

who

appre-

34

Zbc Htt

of tDe itti palace


in

dated the wild nature


thing akin to his own.

which he recognized some-

The Palazzo Vecchio owes


and loggias
in Florence:

much

of

its

solemn grandeur to Cosimo's additions.

He
for

built various arcades

those public shelters where the citizens might meet


discussions
in

the open

air,

protected

from

the glare and heat of the sun.

found
son,

it

in his heart to

And yet this man murder his own son. This


sufficient hered-

though but a youth, had shown


possible for

make it have murdered his own


itary taint to
this lust for

him already

to

brother.

From

father to son

blood seems to have been one of the

inheritances of this terrible family, as well as their

keen appreciation for the beautiful things of

life.

Cosimo

I.

may

be said to have begun the

collecit,

tion in the Pitti Palace, for,

having bought

he

bequeathed

it

to his successors^

who

carried out his

ideas in the accumulation of artistic things.

Francesco
succeeded his

I.

(1541 1581), the son of Cosimo, father as second grand duke, and con-

tinued to reign in the Pitti Palace.


as great a

He was

not

man

as his father, but he


art.

was equally

famous as a patron of
sciences,

A
and

student of
art

many

his love for letters

was one of
an expert

the ruling passions of his

life.

He was

chemist, and frequently received his secretaries of

when he stood before the furnaces in It was Francesco I. who founded atory.
state

his labor-

the Uffizi

tCbe (Srowtb of tbe Collection

35

Gallery and encouraged the rising artists of his


time, especially Giovanni da Bologna, for

who

executed

him the celebrated group of the Rape of the Sabines, which now stands in the Loggia di Lanzi.
Besides the other additions

made by Francesco
two are
:

to

the art collections of the Pitti,

particularly

associated with the history of his life


trait of

one the por-

Bianca Capello, and the other the statue

of his Archduchess Johanna of Austria,

made by

Giovanni da Bologna.

The name
ried to his

of Bianca Capello suggests the chief


life.

romance of Francesco's

He was

already mar-

rather plain Austrian wife,

when by
St.

chance he was passing through the Piazza of

Marco and saw a very beautiful woman looking out of a window; this was Bianca, the wife of a young Florentine, Pietro Buonaventuri. He fell
violently in love with her, and, after the death of
his wife,

he married her.

The

statue of

Johanna

of Austria, which

now

stands in the Boboli Gardens,

under the name of Abundance, was begun by Giovanni da Bologna at the request of Francesco, but

when the fickle grand duke met Bianca, he countermanded the order, and the statue was left unfinished
until

Ferdinand had

it

completed by a pupil of the


is really

sculptor,

named

Tacca. This statue

monupor-

ment
trait

to the unfaithfulness of Francesco.

The

of Bianca, which hangs in the Pitti Palace,

36

Ubc art

of tbe ittt lC>alace


she and Francesco died

recalls the further fact that

on the same day, probably poisoned by Ferdinand,

who immediately ascended the ducal throne so, by common report, Ferdinand became the murderei*
:

of his brother and his sister-in-law.

The

ramifications of family

murders among the

Medici are as numerous and as involved as their


genealogy.
birth,
evil

Murder was as common with them as more common than natural death. The
finally

and cruel tendencies of the family

seemed

to pass away, for the latest

members of the family


this
it

were comparatively moral;


the

seems to contradict

dogma

of heredity, but

was

parallel to the

swan-song, and typical of the exotic, for no sooner

had the Medici turned


they died out.

into

an honest family than

Ferdinand

I.

(1549 1609) proved

to be a better

man

than the outset of his rule indicated.


his career

whole

was

a benefit to Florence.

On the He was
of his

the purchaser of

many

valuable works of art and the

founder of the Villa Medici at Rome.


artistic treasures

Many

he brought to Florence, and housed

them

in the Uffizi

and the

Pitti Palace.

The Niobe
strain into

group was bought by him.

He

married a princess

of Lorraine, and thus introduced a

new

the blood, and improved the inheritance.

This

in-

heritance exhibited itself in the negatively good but


invertebrate

Cosimo

II.

(15901621).

This kindly

Zbc rowtb
man
with small
ings, all of

ot tbe Collection

37

turned his attention to crusades out of season,


result.

He was

also a collector of paint-

which came

finally to the Pitti Palace.

Matteo de Medici, a son of Cosimo, born

in 161 3,

was a great general


apartments in the

in the Imperial

army, and had

Pitti,

and

collected art treasures

with which he enriched the galleries.

The Grand Duke Ferdinand


Cosimo
11. ,

II.,

the

son

of

Hved between 16 10 and 1670.

He

mar-

ried his cousin, the Princess Vittoria della Rovere,

and through her endowed the gallery with


great collection of her father,

all

the

Duke Federigo

of
11.

Urbino, and also gave the collection of Cosimo


his father, for the

same purpose.
II. Italy

These paintings

had hung, up to

this time, in the Uffizi.

During the

reign of Ferdinand
field

was

selected as a battle-

by the French, Spaniards, and Germans,

who

indulged in wars and rumours of wars with unceasing pertinacity, invading Italy for the purpose

of settling their

own

disputes.

Ferdinand did what

he could to protect the arts


befriending,

in these troublous times,

among

others, Galileo,

whom

the

Pope
his

and

inquisitors

had attacked.
111.^

He was
of the

followed by Cosimofull

who had

hands quite

enough

in repairing the

ravages

war and famine of his father^s reign. Although, like some other pious people, he succeeded
in antagonizing his

wife to such a degree that she

38

Ube art

ot tbe pitti palace


in France,

returned to her

home

he was nevertheless

addicted to good works outside the immediate family.

Yet withal he

levied fearful taxes

upon

his

subjects, but they

were probably

tired of rebelling

against imposition, and his reign

was on the whole


gentleman

a peaceful one.

With

the son

of this philanthropic

the family of Medici became extinct.

By

the Treaty of London, in 1718, and through

various other political complications, which are aside

from our purpose, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany


passed into the hands of Francis
II.

of Lorraine.
in

Under Francis
and the
Pitti

II.,

twenty or more of the salons


filled

the Pitti were rearranged and

with pictures;

Palace was finally organized as a rec-

ognized gallery about 1798.

The

decorations of the various salons had been

progressing since the days

when

Pietro da Cortona

commenced work
arotti the

in the Pitti.

He

and Cino

Ferri,

superintended in their work by Michelangelo' Buon-

Younger, decorated

five halls, dedicating

each in the flamboyant manner and style of the

day to some divinity of Olympus, which,

in turn,

had been chosen as being


accredited to

typical of

some
was

virtue
called

Cosimo

I.

Thus^ one

hall

was supposed to symbolize another, the Hall of Jupiter, from which niaturity one was intended to infer that great majesty was
the Hall of Saturn, and
;

Ube Ctowtb

of tbe Collection
after
that,

39

an attribute of Cosimo;

the Hall of

Mars, symbolizing energy (which none will denyto have characterized the first

grand duke)

the

Hall of Venus, supposed to convey the suggestion


of sweetness of disposition (regarding which attri-

bute there might be a difference of opinion)

the

Hall of Apollo was painted to typify the splendour


of

Duke As

CosimO',

which he certainly held unchal-

lenged.
that enchanting old writer
it,

and

traveller,

Dr.

John Moore, expresses

" There

is

more fancy

than taste displayed in those paintings."

The
:

quaint

doctor goes on to speak of the subjects chosen,


treating

them

in his usual

humourous vein
is

"

The

subjects are different

from what

naturally ex-

pected from the

name

of the room^ being representa-

tions of the triumph of Virtue over Love, or

some
the

other memorable instance of continency.

As

Medici family have been more distinguished for the


protection they afforded the arts than for the virtues

of continency and self-denial,


subject

it is

probable that the

was

left entirely to

the painter."

The dukes
ence wisely.
left
tria,

of the family of Lorraine ruled Flor-

This

first

duke, Francis H., afterwards

the duchy and married Maria Theresa of

Austheir
in

thereby becoming emperor consort.

But

son, Pietro Leopold, returned to

govern Florence

1763, and proved to be a great reformer, living to

40

trbe art Of tbe IMtti palace

the end of the eighteenth century.

Tuscany became

under his rule an Austrian province.

He

and

his

mother appear, however,

tO'

have had rather stern

and Puritanic
letters to

tastes in art.

Sir

Horace Mann,

in his

Walpole, inveighs against this


really only the natural reaction

strictness,

which was
libertinage

from the
the

which had so long been

in the ascendency.

He

writes of the ill-taste of one Botta,


this

who was
in

Grand-Maistre at

period,

and who,

spoiled rather than improved the Pitti Palace.

1763, " He

has

made sad work," Mann remarks,


and
is

" with the

palace,

in the garden.

His arrangement of the


first

pictures

to

make

it

depend

upon the

fresh-

ness of the gilding upon their frames, and then upon

the position of the figures in each picture, which


figures

must not turn

their backs

upon the throne

Calvin and Luther, by Giorgione, were turned out

with the most impious contempt, as not worthy to


stand in the presence of so orthodox a prince as
is

coming here!
shows

His mother (Maria Theresa)


naked leg or an arm!

will

not Jallow any picture to hang in her department


that
either a

This

ill

agrees with the Medici taste of the collection they

have

left.

Imagine that grave matron running the


!

gauntlet of the gallery

"

Later,

Mann

writes, "

famous picture by Titian was turned out of the room

where the canopy

is,

because the figures almost


the picture of Calvin and

turned their backs to

it;

Zbc (Browtb
no

of tbe Collection

41

Luther has been dismissed with Catholic fury, and,


I fear, will find

better place than in that horrid,

ill-painted

hall at the

end of the apartment, that


see

the

young prince may

how
"
!

the enemies of the

Church ought
Pitti

to be treated

When Grand Duke


Palace in 1765, a

Pietro Leopold

came

to the

new

era began in the patron-

age of the arts

in Florence.

For some reigns there


added
in the salons;

had been no

special decorations

but now, according to the Abbate Luigi Lanzi, " the


palace and royal villas were repaired and embellished,

and, amid the succession of undertakings that attracted the best artists,

painting was continually

promoted."

If

we do

not agree that this

was an
this

age of great progress


it

in art,

we must

perforce admit
activity;

was a time of great industry and


is

prince
lection,

reported to have " weeded " the Pitti colto

and

have added many new gems

in place

of those which he had discarded.

Ferdinand

III.

also protected the arts after the

manner of
right

his taste,

and according to the

light of

the generation in which he lived.

He

finished the

wing of the

Pitti

Palace,

and added many

Venetian pictures, and also some French ones.


Later, under the regency of the queen mother,

Marie Louise, the


liantly
;

arts
tells,

flourished

still

more

bril-

and Lanzi

as a contemporaneous event,

how

" Canova has been requested to produce a

new

42

XEbe art of tbe

ipitti

Ipalace
lost to

statue of Venus, a

model of the Medicean,

us by chance of war."

During the Napoleonic wars


from the
gallery,

sixty-three of the choicest pictures

not to mention the statue of the Venus de Medici,

and twenty-two
fifty-six of these

tables of malachite, porphyry,

and

such materials, had been taken to Paris.

By 1815

were returned.
dispersed,

In

8 18 the Galleria Gerini, a famous collection

of paintings,

was

and purchases were


to the

made from among


fifty-two thousand

these
francs.

gems

amount of

These additions sugin the Pitti Gallery,

gested the need for

more room

and

in 18 19 the

Hall of the Iliad was decorated by

Sabatelli for the purpose of enlargement.

Finally,

after

all

these

vicissitudes,
It

the

Pitti

Palace saw a marvellous change.

saw a grand
Tuscany's

duke

fleeing,

returning, and fleeing again, as the

popular feeling urged him.

The

last of

came to the throne in Under him the Pitti was thrown open to 1824. the public in 1833. Leopold was a man of rather
grand dukes, Leopold
II.,

mild and fluctuating principles, interested in the


arts

and

sciences, but not of stern


politics.

enough

stuff to

cope with Tuscan

The

people became disit

contented, and Leopold seems to have thought


better to leave

them than to argue with them.

In

" Casa

Guidi

Windows," Mrs. Browning,

living

opposite the Pitti Palace, relates

much

of this strange

Ubc (Browtb
the grand duke:
"
I like

of tbe Collection

43

transition period in Italian history.

She describes

his face.

The

forehead's build

Has no

capacious genius, yet perhaps

Sufficient comprehension, mild,

And

careful nobly

not with
stifle

and sad.
care that wraps

and make mad, But careful with a care that shuns a lapse Of faith and duty, studious not to add A burden in the gathering of a gain. And so God save the Duke, I say with those Who that day shouted it."
Self-loving hearts, to

But the duke was


ities
"

vacillating

and weak. and the

Frightened
responsibil-

at the expectations of the people

of his

office,

he

fled

ignominiously in 1848.
I

From Casa Guidi windows

looked out.

Again looked, and beheld a different sight. The Duke had fled before the people's shout
f

Long

live the

Duke

'*
'

Perhaps the crowning disappointment


leader

in this volatile

was experienced when he returned in a year, guarded by Austrians, afraid to face the people
he had wronged.

whom
"

From Casa Guidi windows gazing then I saw and witness how the Duke came back. The regular tramp of horses and tread of men
Did smite the
silence like
.

an anvil black

And

sparkless.

Then
With

gazing,

beheld the long-drawn street


full in

Live out from end to end

the sun

Austria's thousands.'*

44

Ube Htt
pitiful

of tbe pltti

palace
for

ending to a grand duchy;

Tuscany
i860.

never accepted another grand duke.

After Leopold,
Italy in

Tuscany became a part of United But the


Pitti

Palace was, and

still is,

the royal resiIts chief

dence whenever the king goes to Florence.


claim to distinction to-day
is

an

artistic rather

than

an historic one.
In the Pitti Palace, under the guidance of the

Cardinal Leopold de Medici, the celebrated Platonic

Academy was

refounded, the original founder hav-

ing been Lorenzo the Magnificent.

Encouraged by
his brother, to

the success of this undertaking, this prelate interested the grand duke, Ferdinand
II.,

found the valuable Academy

del

Cimento, in 1657.

The meetings were held in the royal apartments of the Pitti, and among its members were Magalotti,
Torricelli, Viviani, Rucellai, Borelli,

and other noted

men

of the day.

It

is

said that through the in-

fluence of their experimental philosophy, the acad-

emies in France and England were commenced.

Many famous
given at the

spectacular

entertainments
I.

were

Pitti.

When Cosimo

married his

daughter Lucrezia to Prince Alphonse d'Este, a


scenic performance in the line of opera, or, rather, a

drama with music, by Francesco


sented.

Corteccia,

was

prefirst

This

is

considered to have been the

combination of music and acting in Europe.


April,

In

1600,

when

Marie

de

Medici

married

Ube (Btowtb
'*

of tbe Collectiort

45

Henry IV. of France, a second


entitled

spectacle with music,

Euridice," written by Octavio Rinuccini


Peri, literally

and composed by JacopO'


time the Recitative.

proved to be
first

the birth of Italian opera, introducing for the


It is

interesting for music-

lovers to connect the Pitti Palace with the originals

of Italian operatic

art.

CHAPTER

III.

THE HALL OF VENUS

The
Palace

best
is

way

to study the paintings in the Pitti

to examine them

room by room.
in
it

Though
be, since
still

this plan of

grouping the pictures


is

moderately

sized

rooms

often arbitrary, as

must
it

there are fourteen separate apartments^

has

the advantage of detaching a few masterpieces from


the others so that they

may be

seen in a measure

by themselves.

The

official

catalogue gives the Hall of Venus


;

as the first

room

and, though this


it

is

not the

room

usually entered at once,

serves the purpose of

introducing the visitor immediately into the presence


of several of the greatest paintings, and facilitates
the systematic inspection of the whole gallery.
the Hall of

In

Venus we are confronted

at

once by

two of the great Venetians of the Golden Age


Titian and Tintoretto.

The
names:

school of Venice
Titian, Veronese,

was dominated by three


and Tintoretto.
Titian

46

Ube
livdd

Iball of IDenus

47

from 1477 ^^ ^S7^y Veronese from 1528 to 1588; while Tintoretto was not born until 15 18,

and, living to a ripe old age, died in 1594, thus outliving the other two.

The

" Italians called Tintoretto the " thunderbolt

of painting; he expresses, as Symonds points out, " moods of passion and emotion by brusque lights,

luminous half-shadows, and semi-opaque darkness."

Veronese supplemented

this sterner stuff

by "

ele-

vating pageantry to the height of a serious art."

Thus

these three together

show

all

the excellences

of the magic spell of Venetian

art.

The
as the

Pitti

Palace

is

fortunate in having so repre-

sentative

and so satisfying a picture by Tintoretto


Burckhardt
"

Venus and Vulcan with Cupid.


it is

says that

"hardly to be matched in Venice;


is

and Tintoretto
in
his
full

so

little

seen outside of Venice,


that
this

perfection,

picture
flesh

will

repay the most careful study.

Human

has

never been more perfectly painted;


the recumbent

the figure of

woman

is

delightful, without a sugit

gestion of nakedness,

although

is

nude.

Mr.

Kirkup pronounces
sentation of the

this

" the most perfect repre-

human

flesh

which the

art of paint-

ing has produced."

Milo

is

nude.
is

Venus is nude as the Venus de While it might be conceded that


with her Venetian

the head

hardly ideal enough for the goddess of

beauty,

yet the whole effect,

48

Ube Hrt

ot tbe pitti palace


is

hair-ornaments of pearls,

pleasing.

The crouch-

ing figure of Vulcan, represented as the proud father,


is

beautifully handled,

and the green glow of the


with

stuff

on which Venus
scene

reclines is in fine contrast

the rich flesh-tints.

The

is

almost domestic.

The

father

is

bending over the mother and child with affection

and true

solicitude; in this case the

more woddly-

wise of the family holds in her right hand a quiver


of arrows, which she
is

about to entrust to the keepfirst

ing of the child, presumably


in his duties.

instructing
in his hand,

him
and

He

has a

little

bow

appears to be listening to the maternal advice.


picture
is

The
is

full

of noon-light;

Phoebus's chariot

seen in the clouds nearly above the tent, outside

of which the family has gathered.

charming
This

landscape background completes the picture.


is
is

one of Tintoretto's
in his

earlier

works^ and the colour

most cheerful

vein.
is

Tintoretto

was

also called " Furioso," for there

that in the quality of his

work which sometimes


zeal,

betokens a positive rage of

rapidity of

execution born of impatience to see the whole effect

a willingness to leave the effect to do

out any further attempt to finish


a great

work withor polish. He was


its

Modem;

effect

was sometimes achieved

at

the expense of accuracy.


great geniuses

He was

one of the few

who

could afford to slight the tech-

Q
h-( PUl

M 3 C
<u

U >
X H I ^ ^ <u < j3 U a D pH > o Q (U ^
-<-

1^

.-)

...

-4-1

4->

<i5

-(-

w
>

D H

Zbc
nical

Iball of

Denus

49
in

requirements, as too

many men imagine


do to-day.

their conceit that they can

His paint-

ing of
tuous,

women shows
for he

that his nature


refined types

was not volupverging rather


in

draws

on the masculine than on the feminine


proportions.

their

He

combined the great generous mode

of treatment with the mediaeval purity of intention

and love of

art for its

own

sake.
is

Tintoretto's
to be poetic.

imagination
It is

sometimes said not


not poetic as Tennybut as Dante,

true he

is

son and Longfellow were poetic;


Milton, and
degree,

Browning were

poetic, so, in a

marked

was Tintoretto.

In treating the

human
into

form he combined a feeling for the


a spirit of refinement which

colossal with

was then coming

fashion;
graceful,

so that his

women
in

are often slight and

less

Junoesque than those of Michelthe art of his age


in

angelo.

His position

was

similar to that occupied

the literature of our


is

day by Tolstoi.

His poetry

expressed in great
in word-pic-

masses of light and shade instead of


tures.

Tintoretto's colour
his feeling for colour

is difficult

to characterize, for

was

as subtle as his feeling


in a glad

for form,

and he paints sometimes

warm

glow, and sometimes in sombre shadows, according


to the

mood

inspired

by

his subject.
is

As a

general

thing, however, his colouring

not sharp, having

50

XTbe Hrt ot tbe


in

iplttf

palace
In the
shall

a low key

preference to a high one.

numerous
observable.

portraits

by Tintoretto which we

find in the Pitti Palace, this trait of neutrality is

Usually his colouring does not obtrude


in this

upon one; one might say that


employs
chiefly,

he

is

closer

to actual nature than the other Venetians, for he

whether

in his landscapes, figures,

or flesh-tints, such colours as one

commonly

sees

or

fails to notice in

the average scene. His compo-

sitions

seldom strike one as intentional harmonies

in colour.

In his handling he varies as

much

as in his colour,

using every style of treatment from delicate perfection of detail to the boldest

sweep of a broad
his

brush.

There are instances of

having painted

trees in five strokes of the brush;

and there are


and elaboration

also instances of his painting a series of beads in

a head-dress with as
as Raphael bestowed

much

finish

upon the necklace of the Donna

Velata.

The
cution

facility

and rapidity of Tintoretto^s exe-

was one of the chief reasons for his pictures preserving a harmony of action and feeling in all parts. They were painted, generally, while the mood was on him, and were not the
after-elaboration.
result of painstaking

The

original

inspiration

was

usually carried out before the spontaneity had waned.

Annibale Caracci, in a

letter

from Venice written to

XLbc Iball or

Wenus

s^

his cousin, Louis Caracci, says that " he

had seen

Tintoretto sometimes equal to Titian^ and at others

much below

Tintoret."

Evidently his rapid work

and impulsive rendering of the passing emotion


sometimes led him astray.

The Thunderbolt seems


streak, too.

to have had a playful

patron once ordered a "St. Jerome

in the Forest,"

and Tintoretto painted

it

in a

some-

what usual way, placing the


ing, such as

saint in a slight clearselect for devotional

one would be apt to


the patron

purposes, with a thick background and surroundings

of trees.
ture,

When
in

came

to look at the pic-

he

criticized the fact that St.

Jerome was not

actually

the

woods, and asked Tintoretto to


this particular.
left

change the composition in


the captious customer had

So when

the studio, Tintoretto

mixed some tempera, and painted a thick growth of


foliage over

the figure of the saint.


again,

When

his

patron
"

came
is

Where

the saint was not visible. St. Jerome? " asked the surprised man.

" In the forest, as you requested," replied Tintoretto.

with more humour than one would have credited him with, replied, " Well,
the patron,
then, I think

Whereupon

you had

better take

Tintoretto, laughing, took a

him out again." sponge and washed of^

the superincumbent bushes, leaving the picture as

he had originally planned

it.

Here we make our

first

acquaintance with Titian

Zbc Uxt
This

of tbe

lC>itti

palace
St.

in the beautiful canvas, the


erine.
is

Marriage of

Cath-

much

the

same treatment of the subartist in the

ject as that

by the same

National Galare in
flower,

lery in

London.

the central

The Madonna and Child position; Mary is plucking a

while the infant^ with an apple balanced on his


upraised hand, throws himself back in the embrace
of St. Catherine,
encircles his little
St.

who

kneels in the foreground

and

body with her arms.

The young

John kneels near

by, with an ineffable expression

of love and wonder on his face.

Green, blue, and

gold are the key-notes of colour in this picture, relieved

by the red robe of

St. John.

Ruskin thinks that

if it

were not for the

flock

of sheep and the figures in this work, the landscape,


taken as a painting of nature, would be overcharged

with green and blue.

This picture goes to bear

out Ruskin's statement that Titian rarely paints sunshine, but instead a certain " opalescent twilight "

which has " as much of human emotion as


it,"

of imitative truth in

and he bids us contrast

this picture in the qualities of its lights with the

glowing Rubens near by,

if

we would

understand

the difference, although Ruskin considers Titian a

^greater painter than Rubens.

He

says that while

Titian sometimes conceives a subject imperfectly,


yet his " glory of hue " always redeems Titian
it.

was the

greatest of the Venetians.

While

^ S H

<u

W
r-t

c O ^^

Zbc
some question
this picture,
it

Iball ot

Denua

S3

is is

thrown upon the authenticity of


sufficiently characteristic in

most
short

respects to warrant our pausing to

make a

study of the artist whose works

we

shall so often

meet at various points

in the Pitti Palace.

Although
a way,

this is a picture

which

may
:

be

criti-

cized as a religious subject treated in too naturalistic

we may

quote Ruskin in reply


is

"

The

relig-

ion of Titian

like that

of Shakespeare, occult

behind his magnificent equity."


It is

not remarkable that Titian had

all

his life

a keen appreciation for the romantic and poetic in


landscape, for his earliest impressions were formed

among
atic,

the

hills

of Cadore, where he

was born,

a mountain

district,
is
:

between the Alps and the Adri-

which

described by Titian's

anonymous biogat Pieve,

rapher thus

"

The famous

Titian

was born

the principal castle of the country of Cadore, a castle

reputed impregnable, resting on a very large


to which ascent
is

hill

by a single path surrounded by

broken rocks and inaccessible precipices.


foot of the fortress lies the
in

At

the

town and the palace

which the Vicars chosen by the council of Cadore


It is

reside.

a place of small circuit, but prettily


is

laid out.

In the centre of the piazza

a fountain

of limpid water.

Noble palaces are

in the neigh-

bourhood."

In criticizing landscape painters, Rus-

kin remarks that Titian and Turner are the only

two

54

Zbc Hrt

ot tbe ptttt palace

men who

ever really

drew a

tree.

But more than

the influence of the Cadore scenery was that of the

lagoons of Venice, the spell of which entered into


his veins

when he went

to paint there in his maturity.

Longfellow has put into the mouth of Michelangelo

some words about

Titian's colouring:

" You have caught

These golden hues from your Venetian sunsets

Or ...

or from sunshine through a shower

On

the lagoons or the broad Adriatic.

The

uttermost that can be reached by colour

Is here

accomphshed."

His colours have stood three


Titian's

centuries.

method of

painting,

though common to

many
is

later artists,

a treatise

was original with him. There by Palma Giovane which tells how the

master handled his pigments.

He

says

that he
first,

painted the entire surface of the canvas

as

a bed or substratum for the other colours to rest


upon.
lights

After this foundation (in which the merest

and shades were indicated) was


its

laid,

the

canvas was turned with

face to the wall for

months.
out,

Every now and then he would bring

add a touch, or scrape away an excrescence,


in a spot of colour

it

dab
put

with his thumb, and, when


in the composition,

he had reached the next stage


it

away

again.

He

literally

painted with his

fingers almost as

much

as with his brush.

The

ttbe Ibail of IDenua


finish

ss

which was applied at the

last

was smooth,

and

it

was

filed

and rubbed down

until the gloss

was almost

like porcelain.

Aside from the question


greatest brush-worker
his

of inspiration, Titian
of any time. broader.

was the
life,

Later in

work grew much


travellers

story

is

told of

some German
one day.

who

visited Titian's studio

These gentlemen

ventured to remark that they thought there was


only one master
that

who
It

really

understood

finish,

and

was Durer.
pictures

seemed to them that the Vequite

netian

never

attained

to

Durer's

smoothness.

To

this Titian replied that if

he con-

sidered extreme finish to be the end and


art he

aim of
early

might

easily

have

fallen into the errors of

Durer himself.

He then brought out one of his


it

glossy pictures to demonstrate to them that

was

not from the lack of ability that he no longer chose


to paint in this way.
detail of Crivelli or

He could

paint either with the

with the breadth of Velasquez.


also in the Hall of Venus,

Titian's Bella
is

is

and

one of the

finest

portraits that has ever been

painted.

This beautiful Venetian aristocrat stands

three-quarter view, in an easy attitude of stately


grace.

The

rich clothes

which she wears are not


at

strange to her:

she

is

home amidst

precious

stones and filigree, embroideries and pearls.

She

wears a decollete dress of blue, with sleeves of deep

S^

tEbe art of tbe

l&ftti

iPalace

Titian red, slashed with tiny white puffs.

long

chain hangs

down from

her throat.

The

details

of her dress are rendered with as

much

love for the

numerous
Veronese.

rich textures as could have been displayed

by that other great luxury-loving Venetian, Paul

She

is

playing in a very natural

way with

her girdle, a richly wrought bauble.


is

Her

head-dress

charming, with the same arrangement of Vene-

tian beads

made
She
is

familiar by Titian, Veronese,

Tintoret.

blonde, but a

warm
is

blonde

not
pearl

and

a pale one.

She wears earrings with long

pendants;

and a bewitching curl

seen lying on

her shoulder.
trait of the

The

picture

is

thought to be a porit

Duchess Eleanora of Urbino, for

is

the same face as that in her authentic portrait by


Titian in the Uffizi.
It

was painted

in

1535.

It

was among those taken


century;

to Paris in the eighteenth

on which occasion some blunderer em-

braced the opportunity of painting in a

new backpainted,''

ground.

'*

Nothing can exceed the delicacy and


which the
" the
flesh

subtlety with

and dress are

says

Crowe,

tones

being

harmonized and
appli-

thrown

into keeping

by a most varied use and

cation of glazings

and scumblings."
aristocrats,

In a portrait of this kind Titian was thoroughly at

not

home.

He was

by choice a painter for

for the populace.

Titian died of the plague in 1576.

When

the

trbe 1ball of tDenus

57

news of

his death spread, the authorities set aside

the regular law that forbade any person dying of


the plague to be buried within the city.

Since the

great artist had desired to rest in the Church of


the Frari, he
in

was taken there

in

solemn procession,

broad daylight, in defiance of danger and law;


all

such was the desire of the Venetians to pay

honour to
Giorgione
is

their greatest citizen.

In Venetian art Titian stands at the very head.


is

sometimes more luminous; Tintoretto

more startling; Bonifazio is brighter, and VeroIf any one man nese more formal and stately.
could combine
Titian.
all

these qualities, he

would surpass

But such a man has never

arisen.

With a sudden sensation of contrast we turn to examine the work of Albert Durer. What a cold, colourless, stiff conception of Adam and Eve How
!

different a treatment of the

nude form to that

in

Tintoretto's picture!

But we must try to see what


us best.

the schools of the North were doing in this great

Golden Age;

and Durer can

tell

So we

will look at Albert Durer's

Adam

and Eve,

who

seem as much out of place among the


glories of this
be.
Still,

rich clothed

room
beside

as actually

nude people would


is finely

the painting, though hard,

exe-

cuted.

Adam,

whom

crouches a stag in sub-

jection, holds a
is

branch bearing an apple, which he

just about to pluck.

His figure

is

much

better

s8

tbe art

of tbe

ff>ittt

Jbalace

modelled than that of Eve, whose shoulders slope


in a

most pyramidal manner.

Her

figure

is

not so

well painted.

She

is

looking at

Adam

in a

way

which Durer undoubtedly intended to be alluring


but tastes
differ.

She

is

taking an apple from the

serpent at the right of the picture.

are a lioness, some quail, and a parrot.


trial

At her feet The Terres-

Paradise looks a
feels that

little chilly

and unpropitious and Eve as

and one

any garment, even one composed

of leaves, would be a boon to


well as to the spectator.
in

Adam
in

These pictures were painted


originally

1570.

They were

the Hotel de

Ville at

Nuremberg, and were then absorbed into

the collection of the

Emperor Rudolf.

They may

have been intended as side-panels on a great reredos

which was never


riously minute,"
in trifles," but

finished.

Ruskin speaks of Durer as having been " glo-

and accuses him of being " intense


detail painting of

he commends the

the

little

branch which
it is

Adam

holds in his hand,

saying that

" full of the most exquisite vitality

and spring

in every line."
is

Michelangelo

reported as having said that he


if

admired Albert Durer so much that

he were not

Michelangelo, he would rather be Durer than the

Emperor Charles V.
Bellini visited

Durer one day, and, being much

struck by the delicacy of his lines, asked Durer to

XTbe Iball ot

Denus

59

show him what


them.

sort of a brush he used.

Durer

took out several ordinary brushes, and displayed

The Venetian

said,

'*

No,

want to see the


lines."

brush you use to paint long slim

Durer

took one of the brushes, and drew a line so long

and straight and


"
I

fine that Bellini marvelled, saying,


it,

could not have believed

had

not seen

it."

Durer was one of those priceless characters, whom,


in the

words of A. C. Owen, " no sorrow embitters,

no

lovelessness chills^

no

evil

overcomes, in which

enthusiasm never withers into fanaticism."

The

author of an article in the Edinburgh Review for


July,

1861, says:

"He
passed

possessed the hands of a

craftsman and the soul of a king."


died in 1528.

Albert Durer
Lent, as he

He

away during

had prayed that he might, " to keep


the

his Easter in

New

Jerusalem."
to turn to an

Now,
views

example of the
look at the

art of the

extreme South,

we may
is

two great marine

Number 4 and
is

15,

by Salvator Rosa.

One

of these, Ruskin says,


the sunrise which

" a passage of sea reflecting

thoroughly good^ and every

way

like

Turner
it,

the rest of the picture, as the one


I

opposite to

utterly virtueless.

have not seen

any other instance of Salvator's painting water with

any

care.

It is

usually as conventional as the rest


is

of his work, yet conventionalism

perhaps more

tolerable in water-painting than elsewhere.

And

if

6o
his trees

tlbc art of tbe pttti palace

and rocks had been good the

rivers

might

have been generally accepted without objection."


Salvator Rosa's Duplicity,

Number
It is

2,

shows a

man

with a mask.

It

was painted by the order


not an especially
Salvator was a

of Cardinal Carlo de Medici.

interesting specimen of his art.


dissipated

man, a

satirist,

and a buffoon.
jesting,

He

had
in

a grim sense of
this picture.
is

gloomy

which appears

" In such laughter the heart of


is

man

sorrowful, and the end of that mirth

heaviness."
picture, the

Salvator Rosa, whose

more important

Vow
lived

of Catiline, will be found in the Hall of Jupiter,

from 161 5
is

tO'

1673.

He was

a Neapolitan.

His colouring

subdued but lurid; he has a way

of allowing the whole canvas to be in dark shadow,


except for a few strong rays of central light,

manner which seemed to him to suggest mystery and " Sturm und Drang." Ruskin alludes to certain
qualities in his

work which he

calls

the " Alsatian

sublimities of Salvator."

The two landscapes by Rubens, one, with peasants. Number 14, and one representing Ulysses on the Island of the Phaeacians, Number 9, are both wooden
panels,
this

and hardly exhibit the best


Flemish master's
work.

qualities

of

great

But as ex-

amples of his treatment of landscape, they are both


interesting.

Ruskin remarks upon Rubens's feeling

for nature.

He

speaks thus of the two landscapes

ttbe 1ball of IDenua


under consideration
us with the
first
:

61

" Rubens perhaps furnishes

instances of complete, unconven-

tional, unaffected landscape.

His treatment

is

manly,

healthy,

and

rational.

Often condescending to
detail
:

minute and multitudinous


it

always, as far as

goes, pure, forcible,

and refreshing, consummate

in composition

and marvellous in colour."


Ulysses trying to hide himself

Number 9 shows

behind the bushes, while Nausicaa^ the daughter of


the king, having seen that a ship has been wrecked,

has raised her

veil,

and

is

looking for the castaways,


flee in terror.

while the other companions


a
little

There

is

town on the

seashore,
all

hill,

and a waterfall,

and a chateau on a

introduced into this paint-

ing.

The

figures are simply accessories, the real


artist

purpose of the
objects;

being to give these natural

he adds the necessary human touch by

relating a story while he displayed his rural tastes.

In the picture
motive.

Number
arid

14,

he

is

actuated by the same

The Apollo
8,
is

Marsyas, by Guercino,

Number

a thoroughly disagreeable subject, but well

handled.

The

action
tO'

is

too savage, the whole pic-

ture too cruel

make

it

a desirable possession for

any one.

Why
is

this subject

was ever chosen


interpretation

for

art purposes

a mystery.
is

Number 29

quaint

of

St.

Joseph, also by Guercino;

he holds a

staff

which

62

Ubc art

of tbe pitti t>alace

has budded in a perfectly symmetrical


ventional foliage.

way

intO'

con-

He

lays

one hand on his born

breast.

He is

represented as a very old man.

Biliverti

was a pupil of
His work,
style

Cigoli,

in Florence

in 1576.

like that of his master, is

un-

equal;

his

was extremely ornamental.

He

could not resist the disagreeable subject of Apollo

and Marsyas,
dictive
spite,

in his turn.

When

one sees the vin-

god taking

his

pagan vengeance with such


in the

on two canvases, hanging

same

hall,

one

is

fain to admit that lightning does sometimes

strike twice in the

same

place.

The Hall of Venus seems to be full of flaying episodes! The martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, by Ribera, confronts us when we have already had
enough of
this sort of thing in the

two

studies of

Apollo and Marsyas.

Ribera has painted Bartholo-

mew
some
saint

just being tied to a tree, while his executioners

are laughing, one of them, at the right, in the grueact of holding


is

up the knife with which the

to be slain.
;

The knaves
lies

are enjoying their

diversion

on the ground
It is

a severed head

very

Greek

in aspect.

evidently a regular day for

martyrs.

Bartolommeo Manfredi's Fortune Teller hangs


here.

Number

6.

It is interesting first for

being a

natural episode well painted, and also because the

work of

this artist is exceedingly

rare,

very few

tEbe t>aU of
collections possessing

Wenus

<3
his painting.

any example of

He
is

died young, living only from 1580 to 161 7.


rustic has been

waylaid by two gipsies;

one

a young handsome woman, with a studied inno-

cence of expression,
his

who

has undertaken to read

palm and

is

holding his hand lightly, pointing

to a line denoting brilliant fortune.


fellow
is

The

foolish

laughing with delight at the joyful news,

heedless of the fact that the old crone, with an

equally gleeful smile,


while.

is

picking his pocket


is

all

the

The

treatment of this picture


it

rather

smooth, and lacks atmosphere, but

is

effective,

and passes well among


in

in

more ambitious rivals the Hall of Venus. The young gipsy is clothed black, with red sleeves; a white cloth bound
its

about her head

falls to

her shoulders, setting off her

swarthy complexion

well.

The maroon

vest of the

victim and the white head-dress of the old


light

woman
is,

up and balance the


11

rest of the picture,

which

upon the whole, a good composition.

Number

is is

a St. Catherine, by Bassano.


the saint,

The

central figure

bound to the wheel upon

which she suffered her martyrdom.


upturned, and a vision
is

Her

eyes are

vouchsafed her of an angel

bearing a crown, while another angel carries a naked


sword.

The

soldiers

and populace standing about

are overcome and alarmed at the sight.

The

picture

has a foreground crowded with fragments of wheels,

64

XTbe Hrt of tbe pttti palace

dying humanity, and a confused heap of men.


saint rises triumphantly

The

above

all this

disorder, giv-

ing praise to Heaven for the miracle.

There

is

something very alluring about the Spon-

salizia (espousals),

by Manetti, Number
sitting

12.

Four

happy couples are


lighted only by
raised torch, at the

around an apartment,

Hymen's

torch.

Hymen

stands, with

left,

looking about

among

his

victims

he

is

a thoroughly sympathetic guardian.

The

chief couple,

whose

nuptials are evidently being

celebrated, sit at the right, looking extremely con-

tented with one another.

They

are dressed superbly

in all the trickery of the bridal, the

youth wearing

a hat with

feathers,

and the bride a turban covered


are clad in brocades and satins.
in gala dress, but

with jewels.

They

Other couples are seated about,

none so

festive as these two.

In the lower

left

corner are two people whose backs only are visible.

The

turn of the girl's head and the upturned face

of the youth are very charming.

The

light,

being

thrown on
ful effect,
fire.

all

from a
if

central point,

makes a

delight-

as

the group were sitting around a

In the Triumph of David, Matteo Roselli has


painted a spirited picture.
the heads lack
virility.
it is

It is full

of action, but

The
fresh

figures of the

women

are graceful, and

and beautiful

in colour.

In the centre, David, in a yellow

tunic, advances,

Ube

Iball of

Denus

65

carrying the head of Goliath;


giant
is

the sword of the


is

in

his other hand.

He

conducted by
in-

maidens dancing before him, bearing musical


struments.

Matteo

Ro'selli

was born

in

Florence in
ability

1578.

He

had not the originality nor the

to imagine or to carry out any great conception.

Next we come upon a fine rich Rembrandt, NumRembrandt is always original in his porber 16.
traits;

this one, of

an old man, being no exception

to the rule.
lost in

The

eyes are cast down, and he seems

thought; he looks just as his family must


sitting,

have seen him,


is

unconscious that any one


in front of him,

observing him.

His hands are

and the
way.

fingers locked alternately, in

a very natural

It is

one of the most easy and masterly comits class.

positions of
St.

Martina, by Pietro da Cortona,


full

is

thrill-

ing composition

of events in
virgin,
is

all

directions.

St.

Martina was a
ander Severus.
over the idols

Roman
There
in the

martyred under Alex-

a legend that she triumphed

Temple of Apollo, where they


to

had taken her with the intention of forcing her


sacrifice.

The

lightning

came from heaven and


saint is seen in the centre

shattered the temple.

The

of the picture, her eyes rolled up, with a real expression of surprise and

awe upon her

face.

The
are

lightning

is

descending upon the

idols,

who

falling to the

ground from

their pedestals,

and upon

66

XTbe Htt ot tbe pitti palace

the evil

men who would

injure the beautiful

girl.

The
is

falling temple is seen in the near background.


is

There

a confusion of fallen figures;

and there
In

great animation in the general composition.

the distance, on the right, are seen an obelisk and

a circular temple supported by columns.


Rustici,

a young Sienese

artist,

who
is

died in 1625,
style,

has painted, in very late decadent Renaissance


the death of the Magdalen.
heavily,

Mary

seen repenting

supported by two angels, one of


her with a cross.

whom

airily presents

The

picture.

Number
is

26, representing the Parable


Feti.
is

of the Vineyard,

by Domenico

In the
sitting

painting before us, the lord of the vineyard


in

a comfortable armchair out


it

in the street

at

least

appears to be the

street^,

as there are houses


as

about;

he waves

his

hand in argument

he ex-

plains his theory to the labourer

who

stands before
is

him, leaning on his spade.

At the

right

another

man who might be called an idler in the market-place. Number 30, an illustration of the Parable of the
Lost Piece of Money,
ico Feti.
is

also
is

by the hand of Domen-

The woman

looking for the lost coin.


little

She
few

is

in a vast cellar

with

furniture,

and what

bits there

are are grouped at one end, or else


if

overturned, just as they would be

one were search-

ing for anything in an apartment.

The woman

is

alone in the middle of the room, stooping low to

Zhe IbaU

of tDenus
in

^7
little

examine the ground, carrying


towns

her hand a
still

lamp of the same pattern as those used


in
Italy.

in small

against the wall

Her shadow is cast up darkly behind her. The strong contrasts

of light and shade in the picture are very well

managed.
Cigoli, in

Number

27, has painted a representation

of the incident related in St. John's Gospel,

when
it

Peter sees the risen Lord upon the shore, and, as the
apostle relates, "

When Simon

Peter heard that

was the Lord, he


the other disciples

girt his fisher's coat

unto him, for


sea.

he was naked, and did cast himself into the

And
were

came

in a little ship, for they

not far from land, dragging the net with fishes."


Christ
is

on the shore and Peter

is

just stepping

from the water.

CHAPTER

IV.

THE HALL OF APOLLO


In the Hall of Apollo we
Raphael Sanzio
loved artist
tures
all
is

first

make

the acquaint-

ance of Raphael, although only as a portrait-painter.


is

probably the most generally be-

who

ever lived.

The

key-note of his picavoids extremes oi

a cheerful serenity.

He

kinds.

Leonardo leaned

to the intellectual

and the
Raphael

psychical;

Titian glorified the physical;

maintained the golden mean, and painted in his


creative

work the

real

with an ideal touch.

But
is

in his portraits the ideal is

thrown
realistic.

aside.

absolutely exact,

He

pitilessly

Raphael

always painted what he saw.

If his

model was an
;

ugly woman, he painted her as she was


representing a

if

he was

handsome man, he was equally true to nature; when he turned his glance inward and painted what he saw in his own imagination, he was a great idealist. He was an idealist because he was
so

much

saw,

of a realist

he transcribed exactly what he

either the actual flaw of nature, or the actual

spiritual vision.
68

ANGELO DONI
By Raphael;
in the

Hall of Apollo

XLbc Iball of Hpollo

69

The

portraits of

the earliest

Angelo and Madelena Doni are painted by Raphael. They hang in the

Hall of Apollo, numbered 59 and 61.

They were
These

executed about 1505 in Florence, and are on wood.

Angelo Doni was a great friend of Raphael.


portraits

are

among

the

best

that

Raphael has
are rather

painted, especially that of Angelo.


stiff,

They

and have a

slightly

wooden and varnished


school.

expression, like most

works of the Umbrian

Angelo, being perhaps more interesting-looking


as a

man

than Madelena was as a woman,


subject.

is

the

more pleasing

He

is

represented in three-

quarter view, clothed in black and red, with a double

golden clasp at his throat, and a black beretta on


his head,

from which the chestnut hair

falls thick

and

short about his neck.


painted,

The
The
is

short fat hands are well

and the rings which adorn one of them are


expression of the fine

beautifully rendered.

eyes and the delicate shape of the face are strong

and
left

refined.

The
trifle

picture

not idealized

and

if
it,

the
as

eye

is

out of drawing, one pardons


Botticelli

one does when

paints

the most

lovely
at
all.

Madonna with
of the pencil
is
is

eyes which

do not match
in

There are a few great pictures


not really

which a

slight error
It

felt

to be a blemish.

a test of greatness

when

this is the case, for as a


first

rule the

drawing

is

of the

importance, and dis-

counts

all

other beauties cf technique.

The

portrait

7o
is

Ube Hrt

ot tbe
;

iplttt

palace

most minutely painted

one can almost detect the


is

separate hairs, and yet the effect


timidity of inexperience
is

not petty.
;

The
They

in both portraits

but the

promise of the master touch predominates.

show some influence of Leonardo da Vinci (compare them with the Monaca and the Goldsmith, both in the Pitti), and also recall the work of Ghirlandajo. Madelena sits turned towards the left, as Angelo
has

turned towards the right,

so that

the

two
is

portraits

might be hung as companion

pieces, fac-

ing one another.


closely confined

Her
by a

uninteresting blond hair


net,

which

is

held in place
dress,

on the brow by a black


relieved

ferronniere.

A pinkish
stiffness.

by blue velvet trimmings, has enough white


to redeem
is
it

about

it

from actual

The
the
little

position

not unlike that of Leonardo's


the hands are in
stolid face

Monna

Lisa in the Louvre:

much
has

same position; but the heavy,


in

common

with Leonardo's sprightly model.

The

flesh-tones in this face, however, are


sitely

most exqui-

handled, the clear tones merging into the

delicate gradations of greenish

shadow.

The

shad-

dows are luminous.


enamel.

The

finish is

almost like an
observes, "

Madelena Doni was one of the famous

family of Strozzi, but, as


difficult

Muntz

it

is

to believe that the noble blood of the Strozzi

circulated in the veins of this bourgeoise."

Of

the truth of the likeness in the portrait of

the

Iball of

apoUo

it

Pope Leo X. there can be small doubt.


hideous,
squint-eyed,
fat,

most

thick person this;

and

Raphael has not


the

flattered him.

The
is

character of
sitting in a

man

is

laid bare.

The

Pontiff

richly carved armchair, turning slightly


left (his

towards the
cardinals.

right )^

and behind him stand two

These are

also' portraits,

the one on the right being

Julius de Medici, the cousin of

Leo X., who afterwards became Pope Clement VIL, and on the left, Cardinal Luigi de Rossi, who was secretary to the This latter portrait is thought to be by Pope.

Giulio Romano',
picture.

who

assisted in the
is

work upon
some

this

Apparently the Pope

supposed to be
cause.

presiding at

some

debate, or listening to
lifelike.

The pose known to

is

wonderfully

The Pope was

be near-sighted, and he

may

be observed

to hold in one

hand the reading-glass of the period.


wits,

There was a saying, current among the Roman


"

Many
X.'*

blind

cardinals

created

the

blind

Pope,

Leo

There
ticity

is

an interesting anecdote about the authenIn 1523 Ferdinand,

Duke of Mantua, passed through Florence on his way to visit the Pope in Rome, and was much struck by the nobility of Raphael's portrait of Leo X., one
of this picture.
of the cardinals in the picture being that same Pope,

Clement VIL,

whom

he was on his way to

see.

When

the duke arrived in

Rome, he

told the Pontiff

72

trbe art of tbe pitti iPalace


the picture,

how much he had admired


Pope
a

and the

sent orders to Ottaviano de Medici to prepare

pleasant

surprise for the duke by having the

portrait sent to
his return to

him

as a gift, to greet

him on

Mantua.

Ottaviano, however, with true

Medicean
hired

foresight,

had no intention of robbing

Florence in order to obey papal orders, so he quietly

Andrea

del Sarto to

make

a copy, which he

forwarded with much flourish to Mantua.

No

one

suspected the fraud, for the copy was apparently


perfect.

One

day, however, the discerning Giorgio

Vasari happened to be in Mantua with his friend,


Giulio

Romano.
admired

Upon
it,

Giulio's expressing a lively

admiration of Raphael's portrait, Vasari replied that


he, too,

but that
!

it

was not by Raphael.

Not by Raphael " exclaimed the astonished Romano; " why, I ought to know, for I can detect

"

my own
" It
is

brush-marks

"
!

by Andrea
it

del Sarto,'' replied Vasari, " I

can prove

to you."

And

he turned the picture

around, and there, behold, was the sign with which

Del Sarto marked


interlaced in a

all

his pictures,

an A with a V

monogram. At this, Giulio was so overcome by amazement that he expressed himself more than ever delighted by the painting. " For,"
said he, "
it is

a marvel that a
!

man
"

can so flawlessly

imitate the

manner of another

Raphael's original hangs in the

Pitti,

and Andrea's

ttbe 1ball of
copy
is

apoUo

is

in Naples.

About 1841 the question arose


;

as to the authenticity of the Pitti original

but, after dull

due pamphlet controversy,


lengthy, the decision

which was

and

was reached

that the one in

Florence was the true portrait by Raphael,


other instance of good coming out of
evil,

anas is

so constantly demonstrated during the reign of the

Medici

Had

it

not been for Ottaviano's deceit,

Florence would not have possessed this treasure


to-day.

was painted after the execution of Cardinal Petrucci, who had conspired against Leo,
portrait

The

and attempted

his

life.

The

features are certainly


it

those of a vital man, with

whom

would be danand
is

gerous to tamper.

It

was painted

in 15 18,

good example of the third or Roman manner of the

Crowe considers it worthy to be ranked with the Sistine Madonna and as a technical work of art
master.
;

this portrait is certainly the equal of the great

Dres-

den

picture.
is

tribute to the lifelikeness of the

portrait

a tradition that Cardinal Pescia

(who

must have been quite as near-sighted as


trious chief)

his illus-

once knelt before


it

it,

presenting bulls

to be signed, supposing
flesh

to be the Pontiff in the

The
table,

accessories of the picture are

most beautiopen on the

fully treated;

the missal which

lies

and the

delicately chased bell

which stands

74

trbe art of tbe pftti lC>alace


details,

near by, are delightful

and yet are painted

without the varnished nicety of the master's earlier


style of finish.

The

colour scheme carried out, perspirit

haps intentionally, the

of the times and of the

man.

All shades of red, merging into brown, are

fused into an inexpressible harmony, relieved only

by dark white and the tiny scraps of colour


missal.
If
it

in the

be true that there


alliance

is

a language of

colour,

and an

between colour and sound,

then Raphael has indeed

made

a judicious use of his

opportunities in depicting

roundings.

blind

Leo X. all in red surman, when asked by Viollet le

Due to tell what was his impression of the colour red, The replied, " Red is the sound of the trumpet."
textures of the varied fabrics and materials in this
picture are faultlessly portrayed.

A copy by
della

seen

Madonna Lucertola, which is in Madrid^ may also be Giulio Romano was the pupil in this room.
Giulio

Romano

of Raphael's

whom

Raphael always chose to carry out certain

parts of his pictures, because his touch

was more in sympathy with Raphael's own than that of any other follower of his school. So it is an especially

good copy of

this picture
is

which we have

to examine.

The
and

painting
this little

on wood.
is

Lucertola means lizard,


seen basking on a broken

emblem

base of a column in the extreme right of the picture.

Raphael's Madonnas, being so numerous, are

Ube

Iball of

Hpollo
trifling detail,

75

usually dominated by

some such

Madonna of the Goldfinch, the Madonna of the Diadem^ Madonna of the Chair, and of the Linen Window; both of these last being in the
such as the
Pitti Gallery.

The
full,

virgin in this picture which


is

we

are

now

considering

a characteristic type of Raphael, with


placid,

round curves and a

oval

face,

in

those days the fashion in beauty.


to be laid amidst the ruins of a

The scene appears Roman structure,

fragments of carved stone occupying the right of


the picture;
St.

Joseph, leaning upon them, con-

templates the other

members of the family

(as seems

to have been his custom, judging from the

number
child

of times one sees him so represented).

The
'*

on Mary's knee leans to


presenting a
scroll,

St.

John,

who

stands by

upon which are the words,


infant Christ
is

Ecce

Agnus
lutely

Dei."

The

turning to look
is

back at his mother, upon whose face there

abso-

no expression to denote any

special

frame of
and
is

mind.

The

child's face is expressive of glee,


full
little

the eyes are

of

life.

At

the Virgin's feet


roll

a charming

cradle,

with a

of swathing
it.

bandage lying half-undone upon the grass beside

Near

by, in the central foreground, a snail

is

mean-

dering.

The background

is

a charming rural one,


left,

with buildings on a

hill at

the

and a graceful

76

XTbe Htt of tbe

ipitti

palace
is

rivulet in the distance.

The

family

grouped

at

the foot of a tree.

We
hang

now come
in the

to a consideration of the great

Spanish master Murillo, two of whose Madonnas


Hall of Apollo.

These two are the

only examples of Murillo's work in the Pitti Palace.

The
is

first,

the

Madonna

of the Rosary,

Number
It

56,

probably an earlier work than the other.


artist Acciaj,

was
III.,

bought from the


his turn

by Ferdinand

for about $1,020 in our money.

The

artist

had

in

bought
is

it

from a Roman picture


It is

dealer.

The Virgin
and he
as
all
is

seated, with the infant

on her knee,
very lovely,
has rather a

playing with a rosary.

Murillo's

Madonnas

are;

but

it

crisper touch than the other picture.

Number

63,

which

is

quite " vaporous " and full of that delicious

yellow light which Murillo knew so well


produce, often considered
artificial

how

to

by carping

critics.

The
eyes.
is
is

child

is

turning to look directly out at the

spectator, with a
It

most glorious pair of


and peaceful.

large, liquid
it

may

not be an intellectual picture, but

strikingly beautiful

The

colouring

mellow and

restful.

Bartolome Esteban Murillo was born


1

in Seville in

6 18, and became, from the most unpropitious be-

ginnings, one of the foremost artists in the world.

As

a youth he worked, in a small, inconspicuous


in

way,

a studio

in Seville,

with few appliances and

MADONNA AND CHILD


By
Murillo
;

in the Hall of

Apollo

tCbe Iball of Apollo

77

no models, except when one of the


to strip

and pose for a leg

was willing or an arm. He had no


class

money

being a poor boy, he had to turn his talents

to practical account without regard to

any sense

of pride that he might

feel,

so he began his artistic

career by painting religious pictures for the public

Feria " was a proverbial expression in Spain for a " daub," but the slight
fairs.

" Pittura

de

la

remuneration which these early efforts brought him

was

necessarily

his

chief

consideration,

so

he

" daubed "

away
saints

bravely,

shipping off

Madonnas

and popular

by the dozen, and doubtless bene-

fiting all the

time by the practice which his prolific

pencil gained.

At

the

same time he was supporting


at this

an invalid

sister,

and yet he made enough


to

trade to enable

him

go

to

Madrid

to study.

As

soon as he arrived he made himself


quez, his

known

to Velas-

own

fellow townsman, then court painter.


ability that

Velasquez was so struck with the youth's

he lodged him
for

in his

own

house^ and got permission

him

to copy pictures in the royal galleries.

Murillo, like most artists, progressed


style of painting to another,

from one
as having

and

is

known

three manners

his

first,

" Frio," or cold manner ;

his second, " Calido," or

warm

style;

and, in about

1656, his " Vaporoso," or vaporous manner, began,

by which we

chiefly

know

him, and

is

to be seen

7^ in the
in

ttbe art of tbe

iC^ttti

t)alace
less

Madonna and Child, Number 63, but Number 56. Murillo died in 1682.

so

In this hall hang two famous Titians

the

well-

known Magdalen, and


which
is

the portrait of Pietro Aretino,

numbered
and

54.

Pietro Aretino was a poet and a wit, a pamphleteer,


sensualist,

courtier, with

whom

Titian

was

inti-

mate for more than


person with his
full

thirty years.

He

is

a striking

beard, his accentuated features,

and

his

handsome

clothes,

a
I.

russet tunic
portrait

and red

mantle, with a gold chain.

The

was painted
as a present

for Aretino in 1546, and given by to his kind patron,


that the

him

Cosimo

de Medici.

The

fact

payment
is

for the portrait finally devolved

upon Cosimo
peculiarities.

quite in

keeping with Aretino's

He

himself described the picture as


;

a " hideous marvel " probably he really considered


it

as representing

him

truly as an engaging

and

dashing man.
pital of

Aretino was born in 1492 in a hos-

Arezzo, of parents whose names are not


his father

known, except that


Arezzo

who,

was a gentleman of

however, laid no claim to Pietro.


environment, Pietro Are-

Brought up

in such baleful

tino turned cmt to be just the sort of person that

might have been expected.


as " a grand,

He

has been described

handsome

bully."

His

services

were
for

bought by

all

the princes and dukes


articles

who wished

them

he wrote scurrilous

about the enemies

Ube

Iball of

Hpollo

79

of his patrons, and was never above smirching a


reputation by obscene doggerel or by " false wit-

ness " to order.

He was

a high liver and a low liver


satiriz-

by turns
ing
all
**

he toadied to the aristocracy while

who

did not respond to his advances.

He

was a
result

self-made

man

" in the

wrong
was

sense;

and the

was a

glutton, a slanderer,

and a spendthrift,
for his interest

apparently generous
to be lavish.

when

it

Aretino was so popular and so famous that his face was represented on " pipe-heads and china-

ware "

shops of Venice, but when he ventured to satirize Tintoretto, the " Thunderbolt " got hold
in the

of him, and gave him such practical advice and

such convincing proof of his error, that Aretino


seen leaving the studio in tears;

was and no more was

heard from him in that quarter.


It is

strange that Titian ever became intimate with


still

Aretino, and

stranger that the friendship should

have been of such long duration;


possible that Titian's

but

it

is

quite

main

intention

was simply

make an enemy where the only alternative was to make a friend. Undoubtedly a clever rogue like Aretino was good enough company when he was
not to
well disposed,
bore.

and probably was,

at least, never a

Aretino had made himself indispensable to certain


persons high in authority by learning some of the

8o
political

Ube Hrt

ot tbe pittt palace

machinery of the times.

He

pursued

ai

consistent course of blackmail with those to


interests
it

whose

was

that

no

ill

reports should be spread.

He has
hill.

been likened to a fungus battening on a dungthat he


teacher.

was his boast school and never had a


It
is

had never been to

He was

early

and

thoroughly versed, however, in the study of

men

and morals, which


son much farther.

an excellent substitute for

book-learning, and will carry an unscrupulous per-

He

sat for his portrait to Titian in

1527; Titian,

in that year,

having written from Venice to Marquis

Gonzaga
ness."
Pitti

at

Mantua, "

have taken the opportunity


like-

of Messer Pietro Aretino's arrival to paint his


This, however,
Palace,

was not the


times.

portrait in the
lost.

but an earlier one, since


several

He

painted Aretino

Some

ill-natured

people tried to discredit the influence of both of


these

men by
spite.

claiming that Titian could do nothing

but paint portraits and Aretino could do nothing but


distil

The

portrait of Aretino in the Pitti Gallery is

idealized.

The brow

is

quite powerful,
fire

and the large

dark eyes have some

in

them.

The

look of
traceis

cunning and bluster and of effrontery are


able,

still

but they are toned down, and the result

not unpleasant.
blended.

The pigments

lie

thickly
is

and well
and

The

action of the figure

excellent,

XTbe 1baU of
the colouring has great

HpoUo

8i

warmth and depth. Titian made no attempt to discover new and strange combinations in pigments. He used a palette in no way peculiar, but like the great organist who knows how
to elicit unsuspected tones

from the usual stops of


judiciously, so Titian
differ-

the organ, by combining

them

brought results from ordinary pigments very


ent

from those achieved by common

painters.

Aretino died in 1557.


for him, "

An

epitaph

was written

Here

lies

Aretino, the Tuscan poet,

who

said

ill

of every one except of Christ, and he excused

the omission, saying that he had never heard of

Him."
Pietro Aretino received splendid gifts from Francis L,

and the Emperor Charles V. bestowed a great

chain upon him^ which he wears with


portrait.

pomp

in his

In spite of the scurrilous writings which

he perpetrated, he composed a paraphrase on the

Seven Psalms.
In sending this portrait to Cosimo I., Aretino wrote " Surely I breathe here; the blood circulates,
:

and

I see

myself in a painting.

Had

given the

artist

a few more crowns, he would have bestowed


dress, the silk,

more pains upon the materials of the


the velvet, and the brocade;
chain, for
Titian's
It
it is

say nothing of the

indeed painted sic transit mundi."


is

Magdalen

a picture familiar to us

all.

was painted

for Francesco Maria,

Duke of Urbino,

82

zbc Hrt
is

ot tbe Ipttti

palace

and

on a wooden panel.
she
is

The

eyes of the saint are

turned upwards;
thick,

weeping, and holding her

long tresses about her nude form in a rather


(if
it

inadequate attempt at modesty


at all).

is

an attempt

Titian boasted that this subject was always

a remunerative one,

and that he has received two


it.

thousand scudi for

Crowe and

Cavalcaselle

allude to this picture in the most flattering terms.

Perhaps there are no two pictures about which the


recognized authorities so disagree as this and the

Madonna
much

of the Chair, by Raphael.


is

Crowe assumes
His only
its

that the picture

absolutely beautiful, and that too


its

could not be said in


is

praise.

criticism

that

it

bears the marks of haste in

execution, and that Titian's motive

a pure one
a

that

was not
is

quite

his intention

was simply

to paint

handsome woman, and

that his best art

displayed

in calling attention to her faultless anatomy.


lustre of the skin

The

and the metallic golden quality

of the hair are relieved against one of Titian's dark


landscape backgrounds.

Crowe and

Cavalcaselle

consider the model too beautiful to be real.

How

different

an impression did the same picture

make upon John Ruskin!

As

to this Magdalen,

Ruskin, always frank, speaks out with special directness, calling her " disgusting," with
little

no apology and

qualification.

He

sees in her " a stout, redfeature, with

faced

woman,

dull

and coarse of

much

ttbe <)aU of tIpoUo

83

of the animal even in her expression of repentance,

her
and as

eyes strained and inflamed with weeping."


tell

But he goes on to
think
first

why

Titian painted her thus,

his interpretation differs


it

from that of many


it

critics, I

best to quote

directly.

Titian,

being the
the

to disregard the accepted theory that


lovely,

Magdalen must have been young and


that
it

"

saw

was

possible for plain

women

to love

no

less

than beautiful ones;

and for stout persons


It

to repent as well as those

seemed to him that

more delicately made." the Magdalen " would have

re-

ceived her pardon none the less quickly because her

wit was none of the readiest, and would not have

been regarded with

less

compassion by her Master

because her eyes were swollen or her dress disordered.


It is just

because he has set himself sternly


is

to enforce this lesson that the picture

so painful;

the only instance, so far as I remember, of Titian's

painting a

woman markedly and

entirely belonging

to the lowest class."

Ruskin believes that no Vene-

tian picture ever stirred a base emotion^

and that

in

the treatment of the female form majesty predominates, as in

Greek
in his

art.

Very coy
ture
is

remarks about

this disputed pic-

La

Fontaine,
is

who saw

it

in 1663.

^^

^^"

serves that she


able;

" grosse et grasse " and very agreepenitents

adding,

"These newly-made

are

H
fly

Ube Hrt
and
all

of tbe t^itti fialace

dangerous;

men

of sound judgment will

from them."
But setting aside the subject and considering the
execution

painting technically,
tory.
It is

its

is

most

satisfac-

signed upon a vase of ointment which appears in the right corner, " Titianus."

Over the door

in the

Hall of Apollo hangs the


It is

grand Pieta of Fra Bartolommeo.


of

one of the
world
"
It is

most perfectly dignified Depositions


art.

in the
:

In the words of an accepted critic


cite

not possible to

an instance

in

which a

lifeless

form

is

rendered with more

flexibility

or with more

anatomical accuracy.
ing, the

As

regards the foreshorten-

Magdalen

is

unsurpassed."

The body

of

Christ, extended
St.

on a linen

cloth, is sustained

by

John;

on the right the Magdalen embraces


head of her dead Son, while

the feet of the Saviour, while the Virgin in the centre holds tenderly the

she kisses him on the forehead, and supports his


in her other hand.

arm

There were two

figures of St.

Peter and St. Paul which were formerly supplementary to this group, but they were afterwards separated

from the

rest.

Woltmann

alludes to the fact


is

that " the emotional sentiment of the scene

ren-

dered with classic reserve and perfect beauty of line

and expression."

The background
in
is

is

sombre and

gloomy landscape,
the hour

keeping with the subject and


depicted.

when

the scene

< X
4)

J3

< H
O

B
'o pq

XEbe t)all ot Hpollo

85
Living- near

Bartolommeo was born


the gate of

in

1469.

San Pietro

Gattolini,

he acquired the

nickname, Baccio della Porta (Bat of the Gate).

He was one of the


of Savonarola, of
trait.

Piagnoni, that

is

to say, a follower

whom

he painted a masterly por-

After the death of his leader he became a


in order, as

Dominican

he believed, to save his

soul.

He
cio;

did not care for the ancient Greek ideals, pre-

ferring the models of Lippi, Orcagna, and Massac-

going back even as far as Giotto for inspira-

tion.

He

forms an interesting link between the

mediaeval painters and Michelangelo.

His large compositions were as clever as


traits,

his por-

and

his simplicity

and beauty of arrangement


his chief char-

and clearness of outline are among


acteristics.

His figures are strong, with calmness


his perspective
is

and reserve of expression; and


his

good,

comprehension of the proportions of the


unerring.

human form
and

He

draws most

correctly,

his colouring is sober

and transparent.

The reason why he


the figure nude.

accentuated the body under


first

the robes so cleverly was that he always

drew

He

combined some of the Christian

purity of the old masters with the pagan beauty

of the later ones;

he balanced the values of both,

without becoming either florid or narrow.

Although
masters

he did not
vOf

rise to the height of the great

the Renaissance, he exhibits

more of

their merits

86

zhc Htt

ot tbe ipttti palace

than any other second-rate man.

From Savonarola
learned the

he had acquired the taste for simple habits and


purity of thought.
art of

From Leonardo he
real into

making the

foil

for the ideal;


for

from Michelangelo he drew


imposing attitudes
in

inspiration

the

which he placed

his figures.

He

derived grace and charm from the study of

Fra Angelico and Raphael.


in every direction,

While he borrowed

he yet avoided copying servilely

from any one master, and he made what he had


borrowed
his

own by adding an

individual touch.

He was

an impersonation of the acquired science and


art.

the refined taste of Florentine

Fra BartO'lommeo
which resulted
"

finally

caught the severe

chill
:

in his death, as described

by Vasari

Having laboured

perpetually beneath a

window,

the rays from which poured constantly upon his


back, one side of his

body became paralyzed."

He
in

was

sent to the baths at

San
figs,

Filippo, but " having

eaten very plentifully of

he was attacked,

addition to his previous malady, with a violent access of fever,

which finished the course of

his life

in four days," so that

he died, when he was forty1

nine years of age, in the year

7.

The
astery

Pieta

was executed on wood


San

for the

Augus-

tine friars outside the Porta

Gallo.

This mon-

being destroyed at the time of the siege of

Florence, the picture

was taken

to

San Jacopo Tra

Zbc IbaU
Fossi,
Pitti

of

SpoUo
it

S7

whence the grand duchess had


Palace.

taken to the

This was one of the

latest pictures

by Fra Bartolommeo.

Had he

lived

longer,

he

might have developed a


greater dramatic

style characterized

by a
his

power than
us.

that of

any of

works which remain to


to study another
ject,

In connection with this picture,

it

is

interesting

famous treatment of the same subdel Sarto,

the Deposition, by Andrea


58.
It

which

hangs here, numbered


rendered exquisitely.
ters of a

It is

a spiritual picture,
for the sis-

was painted

convent where Andrea had gone to escape

the plague
it

when

it

was raging
III.
is

in Florence.

Later,
in the

was bought by Ferdinand


Ferdinand
Christ

I.

and placed
to the Pitti.

Uffizi.

moved

it

The dead
lifeless

supported by the Evangelist,

while the Virgin kneels beside him, and clasps the

hand

in hers.

There

is

a refined and elevated

realism in the picture.


quisite than

Nothing could be more ex-

the hands.

The Magdalen and

St.

Catherine are on the right.

In the Magdalen re-

morse

is

depicted in a restrained and untheatric

attitude,

and genuine

self -forgetting

sorrow charis

acterizes her expression.

The

colouring

good, St.

Peter wearing a deep yellow robe, while the


dalen
is

Maggold.

in green
is

and

dull rose colour.


is

In St. Cath-

erine the green

continued, and

mixed with

88
St.

ube art

of tbe pittf palace

Paul supplies the complementary red in the com-

position,

and the Virgin, as

usual, is in blue.
is

Rembrandt's portrait of himself


esting.

most

inter-

As

every one knows, this artist was one of

the greatest of the Holland school, flourishing there

during the seventeenth century, and most


in

prolific

works of striking
is it

light

and shade.

So marked
brilliant light

a peculiarity

of the Hollander to paint faces

with deep shadows on one side and

on the

other, that his

name has come


effect "

to stand for
is

this style,

and a " Rembrandt

common

studio talk with every photographer.


trait depicts

This por-

Rembrandt with no beard, and was


1634.
it

executed

about

The grand duke


His
life

Ferdi-

nand HI. bought


for

in 18 18

from the Gerini Gallery.

Poor Rembrandt!
pose.

was a

pathetic one,

he was a character without

real strength of pur-

In his early days, married to Saskia, the wife

of his choice, and

whom

he loved with

all

the depth

of which his nature was capable, he was a gay, lighthearted, good-natured fellow, amiable, devoted, and
clever.

After her death everything was changed for

him.

He was
art
is

one of the few instances of an


not enough to engage his
life

artist

whose

when

Of him literally it other conditions are changed. may be said that " the light of his whole life died
when

He

was done." He declined in every way. became morose and brooding and indifferent to
love

Zbc
dim, but

t)all of
life.

apoUo

^9

the remaining claims of


it

His genius did not


story
that

took on a

new note of melancholy.


His
life's
is

Morally, too, he declined.


of a

weak nature from which the one prop has been

withdrawn.
Once, when Rembrandt was in great need of
funds, he took a novel

way
it

tO'

realize quickly

on

some of
of his

his

belongings.

He

advertized the fact

own

death,

saw to

that the report

had wide
house.

circulation,

and then he announced a

sale of his

pictures, finished

and unfinished,

at his

own

was crowded. The smallest sketches brought immense sums. When a safe time had elapsed, Rembrandt came to life again. But he
auction

The

found that the Dutchmen would never trust him


again.

Number 36

is

by Girolamo da Carpi, and

is

portrait of Archbishop Bartolini Salembeni, seen in


full face, in episcopal

robes of violet.

The

portrait

painted on wood,

was executed
lived until

just after Salembeni

had been appointed to the Cathedral of Pisa by

Pope Leo X.
age of

He

1556, dying at the

fifty-six years.
is

Another episcopal portrait

that

of

Bishop

Girolamo Argentino, Number 35, painted in the school of Morone, a Venetian master of the sixteenth century, of

whom we

shall treat later.

The

bishop

is

shown

full face

with a gray beard, clad in

90

tlbe Hrt of tbe

IPtttt

palace
beretta.

a black bishop's robe, and wearing a


glove
is

held in his right hand, while the other rests

on a parapet.

The

inscription reads

" leronimus

Argentinus Episcopus Eharensis

et Brachiensis."

large blonde Juno confronts us in


is

Number

37.

This picture

by Veronese, and

is

usually spoken
artist,

of as a portrait of the wife of the


there
is

although

no other record

to

show

that the artist

was

married.
to

She
right.

is

turned three-quarter face, looking


criticism

the

Taine's

of

this
:

picture,
*'

though

drastic, is

perhaps merited.

He says

This

portrait reaches the comic.


old, double-chinned,

She

is

forty-eight years

has the air of a court-dowager

and the

coiffure of a poodle-dog.

She looks pompous

enough, and proud of her charms; her perfect contentment and general roundness suggest a fine turkey

ready for the

spit."

The

lady wears beautiful pearls,

well painted in the taste of Veronese.

Fortunately

she does not indulge in too


clad in a
white.

many

colours,

being

somewhat loud arrangement of black and

The Supper
by
his school,

Emmaus, by PaJma Vecchio or hangs near. (It is possibly the work


at

of Zelotti, a follower of Palma.)

Palma Vecchio
14801548.
is

was a member of the Venetian


in a red tunic

school,

In the centre of the painting Christ

seated,
in

and a black mantle, holding


is

one

hand the bread which he

blessing with the other.

Ube
The

l)all of

apollo

91

pilgrims, at opposite ends of the table, are in

the act of recognizing" their Master, and expressing


their surprise

and awe.
is

The

servitor, in the dress

of a Venetian sailor,

trying to get the attention

of one of the disciples, to ask whether he will take


wine, which he carries in a flagon.

In the forefacing the


least

ground

sits

a very breezy

little

dog,

observer,

and looking ready to bark on the

provocation.

The

still-life is

well rendered, but the


is

treatment of the whole picture


brilliant

less

clear

and

than most of the works of this master.


in the

An

open window
landscape.

background shows a charming


is

The whole
is

a well-ordered group, but

without inspiration.

Number 39
is

a Holy Family, by Bronzino.

It

painted on wood.

The Holy Child

rests asleep

in the foreground, ions,

with his head supported on cushSt.

and

is

being embraced by the young


in a blue

John.

His mother,

mantle and a robe of rose,

together with St. Joseph, are just behind the children.


hill.

The background represents a The Madonna is distinctly Greek


dress,

castle

on a

in type,

and

classic in the

arrangement of her hair and draperies.


is

Her

which
fitted

a clinging diaphanous robe,

has a closely

neck-band, which extends in a


secured by a jewel.

deep point

in front,

The
is

St. Julian of

Christofano Allori;

Number

41,
at--

a significant composition, rendered peculiarly

9
tractive

tCbc Htt of tbe pitti ipalace by the young figure which occupies the and by the
lights,

central place,
in

which are thrown


of St. Julian

a convincing manner.

The legend
it.

is familiar,

but the picture can hardly be interpreted


St.

without an allusion to

Julian Hospitator,

when
and

young man, had


mother

his

the

accidentally slain his father


is

story

a long one

under
The
re-

a misconception that they were robbers.

morse which he suffered was the


his conversion, leading

special cause of
all

him

to

welcome
it

strangers

with unwonted hospitality.


night, while in his
little

So

is

told that

one

boat on the lake, he heard


help, and,

a mournful voice crying out to him for


listening,

guided by the tones to the opposite side

of the river J he found a poor leper boy,


to be taken across the stream.

who wished

Instantly Julian

rowed

across, took the

youth in his boat, and conhouse, where he laid

veyed him to his


his bed, lavishing

own

him

in

on him every tenderness and

care.

In the morning the young leper arose, and, throwing


off his disguise, stood revealed as the Christ, say-

ing to Julian, " thy penitence


hand.'*

The Lord hath


accepted,

sent

me

to thee, for

is

and thy

rest is near at

Not long

after that the faithful Julian died,


saint.

and was recognized as a


the

In the picture, the scene selected for representation


is

moment when

the leprous youth

is

being lifted
St. Julian,

carefully

from the boat

to the shore.

trbe *all of flpollo


in a red tunic

93
leper,

and a blue mantle, receives the

while a sailor assists him to step ashore.

The

boat-

man on

the right wears a red drapery about his


in the

head, while a yellow stuff girds his loins;

background the wife of Julian


charity to other poor wayfarers

is

seen dispensing

on the doorsteps of
not exactly
is

her house.
It

must be admitted that the picture

is

realistic.

The

leper

is

too prophetic of what he

to appear the next morning.

But

his figure

is

be-

yond

criticism as a lovely conception of youthful

beauty and an example of fine drawing.

All the

heads and faces are idealized into beautiful types;


it
is

by most

critics said to

be the masterpiece of

Allori.

The

gesture of the youth, as he steps lightly

to the shore, where St. Julian has landed before

him
is

so that he

may

be there to render assistance,

very graceful.

The semi-nude
is

figure of the boatis

man looming up

against the sky

a fine piece of of the usual

colour and design, but there

little

ruggedness of the Italian boatman about him.

Number 42

is

a soft, pleasing, harmless repre-

sentation of the Magdalen, by Perugino, of

whom

we
is

shall hear

more

later.
if

In this picture, the subject

not the object,

one
It is

may

be permitted to use

such an expression.

simply a charming, rather


;

affected girl, with pretty


is

brown shadows

her

name

seen on her red corsage.

Her hands

are meekly

94

ttbe Art of tbe pint C^alace

crossed on her breast.

She wears a green mantle with a furred edge which is soft and attractive.
Perugino evidently believed
in penitence

understood

rather than expressed.

The Salembeni Holy Family is very attractive. rather an unusual choice The scene is an interior for the subject. Mary and Joseph are sitting by a table with the Holy Child, while through a door

at the back the domestic sights of the kitchen are


visible.

On

the floor,

little

St.

John stands, or

rather runs, his

arms

full
is

of tiny puppies, while

the mother

dog behind him

chasing him for having

taken
abeth

away her young


is

ones.

At the

left,

St. Eliz-

seated, spinning.

She and the others are


Francis, quite

laughing,

much amused

at the incident.
St.

Next

to this occurs Cigoli's

a familiar subject and well painted.

The

scene

is

an outdoor one, with the saint clad


In the background

in his

brown

habit in an attitude of ecstasy, kneeling before a


crucifix.

may

be seen the con-

vent of

La

Vernia.

The

face

and hands are beau-

tifully rendered,

and the whole tone and manner of


a more

the painting restful and devotional.

The Young Bacchus, by Guido


cheerful subject.
in contrast with

Reni,

is

This

is

a bright, laughing face,

much

of this artist's work.

Guido

Reni does not often choose a pagan subject; when

he makes such a

selection,

he does

it

full justice.

<
O

o O
Ph

a>

jC
--

(I,

>

TLbc Dall ot apollo

95

The

child

Bacchus holds on a platter a graceful cup

near his
contents.

lips,

and

is

about to drink of

its

brimming
needs
is

little

attendant carries a large jug,


fill

evidently prepared to
to be replenished.

up the cup when

it

On

both childish faces

an

expression of enjoyment.

Although the face of

Bacchus

is

that of a child,

Guido has succeeded

in

infusing into the youthful mirth of his smile a certain flavour of worldliness, such as

one sometimes
has had to
life.
is

sees in the face of a street urchin

who

turn his wits to his

own

support early in

The
which
deity.

painting of the detail of the picture

most

exquisite, notably the treatment of the grape-vine,


is

entwined around the head of the young


leaves are just at the point of wilting

The
person.
all

little,

as they

would do

in contact
is

with the

warm

little

Young Bacchus

a genuine rogue,

with
child.

the fascination of a pretty, mischievous

Number 49
Tito.
It

is

a most engaging

little

portrait of

the infant Prince Leopold de Medici, by Tiberio

was painted

in

161 7.

Prince Leopold
IL, the

being the son of the Grand


picture

Duke Cosimo

was probably
it

actually executed at the Pitti

Palace, for

is

unlikely that a royal baby


all
!

would
"

have been carried to a studio, " cradle and


lies

He

on a couch, the general

effect of the
is

colouring

being golden and pearl.

He

apparently quite nude,

96

XTbe Hrt ot tbc ptttt palace


lies in

and

a placid, phlegmatic way, with his

little

bare toes peeping out, not seeming to mind the contact


if
it

of the embroidered coverlet, which looks as

must have scratched.


most
delightful.

The

textiles

in

this

picture are

This was the Prince Leopold


cardinal by Clement X.,
to literature
in portraits,

who was made a and who devoted his life


specially interested

and

art.

He was

and the large

collection at the Uffizi

was

made by him.
Pitti collection.

He also left many pictures to the He died in 1675, at fifty-eight years

of age.

The subject of this picture is so engrossing that we have so far neglected the artist, who was a Florentine, doing most of his work in the early seventeenth century.

He

painted principally miniatures,


this

and many were bought by


pold de Medici.
royal collection.

same Cardinal Leo-

Some of them may be seen in the Though somewhat stiff, his figures
still-life
is

are delicately handled, and his


fine.

usually

Guercino's interesting group of St. Peter raising


the
50.

Widow
The

Tabitha (Dorcas)

is

the one

numbered

lights

and shadows are extremely marked,


artist.

as they generally are in the pictures by this

This picture

is

by many considered to be the masterIt

piece of Guercino.

was painted
his

in

16 18,

when

he was at the height of

power.

< X H
>-t

PQ

< H

o O
D.

^ < O VM o Q 1 ^ W w 0) H
J,

ctf

iTi

-t->

O Z
t-H
t-H

o
J2

<
oi

<u
13

H W
pL.

> PQ

H
CT)

XEbe l)all ot HpoIIo

97

In Guercino's painting, the young widow, the light


striking full

upon her face and her

feet

and illuminat-

ing the long outlines of the body,


bier at the right of the canvas.

lies

extended on her
Peter in a com-

St.

manding

attitude stands

by the

bier, his right

hand
about
Sev-

raised in pronouncing his


rise again,

command

to the

dead to

while his

left

hand grasps

his cloak

him.

His figure and head are superbly drawn.


about in attitudes of sorrow.
is

eral people stand


first

The

to attract the eye

the figure of a

woman on

the right, near the bier.


breast,

With both hands on her

and her upturned face evincing the utmost


is

sorrow, she
miracle.

imploring the saint to perform his


lights are
is

The

thrown strenuously upon


lovely, as also
left,

this figure,

which

most

upon the

back of a
ies

woman on

the extreme

whose drapernoble, stalwart


carries a small

and head-dress

recall

some of the

women

of Tintoretto.

This

woman

child in her arms.

The
is

colours of
rich,

brown and white

about her are

warm and

and the handling of

the whole picture

delightful.

Cigoli's " Deposition " rather suggests the poses

of models.

It is

not an especially sympathetic ren-

dering of the subject,

Number

51.

Hanging

in the

same room with the magnificent painting of Fra


Bartolommeo,
it

suffers

by contrast.
lowering the body from

Three

disciples are seen

the cross, while St. John, in a red robe, sustains the

9^

Zbc Hrt

ot tbc ipitti ipalace

feet of the

dead Christ.

At

the left

is

the Virgin
at

in tears, with the nails

and the crown of thorns

her

feet.

Mary

Cleophas, Nicodemus, and others,

stand about in various poses.

and there are angels


dalen's back
is

The Magdalen kneels, hovering in the air. The Magis

turned, and

well drawn.

She

is

clad in glowing satins.

The Madonna,

in the fore-

ground,

is

the best figure.

She turns away from


tears coursing

the painful sight, and her face expresses real grief

not a stage
face
trical
is

substitute,

the

her cheeks, and her brow drawn with anguish.

down Her

thoroughly expressive.

Ecstatic and theat-

elements are absent in this picture.


52, the Sacra Conversazione

Number

(a

name
pic-

usually given to a
saints appear),

Holy Family
is

in

which other

by Pordenone,
too

an interesting

ture of the Venetian school.

A very Venetian treatsuch as the lagoons


artist.

ment of the subject


all

it

is,

the personages are


73,

clad in

damasks and
in the

stuffs

were famous for

days of the

striking canvas

is

Number

Spagnoletto's

St. Francis,

who

is

seen to the knees, standing.

His

eyes are cast up to heaven, and he holds in his hands

human

skull.

There are no other whole

accessories.
story.
It is

The
very

man and

his attitude tell the

dramatic, without being theatrical.

Number

55

is

a charming baby portrait of the


little

much-upholstered

Duke of Urbino, by

Baroccio.

Xtbe t)aU of flpoUo

99

Nothing could be more appealing than the sweet


little face,

the only sign of

life

amidst the

stiff rich-

ness of his wrappings, looking out

from

this

mass

of the gorgeous detail of his pompous surroundings.


Little

Federigo

lies in his cradle,

covered with richly

embroidered

stuffs.

He was

the son of Francesco


still
I.

Maria of Urbino; while he was


and
della

a youth, he

married the daughter of Ferdinand


his

de Medici,

own daughter was that Princess Vittoria Rovere who married Ferdinand II., so in this
baby was doubly connected with the

way

this royal

family at the Pitti Palace.

pretty
62.

Holy Family^ by Andrea

del Sarto, is

Number

The

children are beautifully rendered,

and are both of exquisite grace.


seen in profile, and St. Joseph
is
is

The mother is asleep. The whole


in 1521, for

in

Andrea's warm, rich colour, and the compoIt

sition is satisfactory.

was painted

Zanobi Bracci.

Maratta has painted


in adoration before

St. Philip
altar.

Neri on his knees


is

an

He
is

clad in rich

brocade vestments.
both arms extended;
the altar.
St.

The
the

figure

graceful,

with

Madonna

appears above
sanest, his

Philip Neri

was one of the

most
times.

practical,

and thoroughly good men of

CHAPTER

V,

THE HALL OF MARS


In the Hall of Mars we may see two of the best
examples
talents,

of

Rubens's

workj

exhibiting

all

his
pic-

and few of

his blemishes.

These two

tures
called

are

Mars Preparing
of

for

War

(sometimes

The Consequences

War), and the noble

portrait

group of the Rubens Brothers with the


the great allegorical painting,

philosophers, Lipsius and Grotius.

Examining
variety in
It
its

first

Mars Preparing

for

War, one

is

struck with the


its

action and the breadth of

treatment.

was painted about 1625.


as
all

It is entirely

the

work

of Rubens, not laid in and painted largely by his


pupils,

were many of
Mars, clad
in

his pictures.

It

exhibits

nearly

the characteristics of his style.

The

cen-

tral figure.

armour, with sword and


to war, led

shield,

is

pressing

onward

by one of

the Furies, Alecto, who, with the torch of Discord

extended in her sinewy right hand, grasps and pulls


the warrior with her
left.

Although

his steps

do

100

S3

Pi
111

^
-

Ztoc Dall of /IDars


not
falter,

loi

and the action of

his

whole body

is

for-

ward
his"

to

do the behest of the Fury, yet Mars turns


at the volup-

head and looks regretfully back

tuous figure of Venus,


the other side,

who

is

clinging to him, on

beautiful

nude,

with

all

the

plump

yet
is

pliant

qualities

of

Rubens's

women.

Venus
Cupid

attended by Love,
in vain.

who

also pleads with

Mars, but
lie

The arrows and

the

bow

of

unheeded

on the ground, and other upon an open book, while


an allegorical figure of

weapons are to supplant them.

Mars

treads relentlessly

beneath his stalwart form, stretched helpless on the

ground in the shadow,


Study.

lies

Harmony, symbolized by a woman bearing a lute, has also been thrown down; his next step bids fair to encroach upon her. Farther to the right,
also dashed to the

ground and holding


by which his art

aloft a
is

comof

pass, the instrument

made

use, is the figure typical of Architecture.

broken

capital lies at his left hand.

Charity, grasping an

infant in her arms,

is

seen behind these.

In the air

hover emblematic figures of Famine and Pestilence.

On

the left of the picture

is

seen the open portal

of the Temple of Janus, and Europe, in dire despair,

both arms upstretched and her face expressive of


suffering, leans tottering forward, symbolical of the

overthrow of Empire.
corner
sits

In the shadow of the

left

little

nude

child with a crystal globe

102

xcbe Htt of tbe pitti palace


is

upon which
Peter

cross.

In the far distance

may

be

discerned a battle in progress.

Paul

Rubens was perhaps the greatest

master of the Flemish school.


1577.
first

He was

born

in

He

spent

some time

in Italy,

going there

in 1600.

He was

especially

drawn to Venice,

where the progress of


and Veronese, had

art appealed to him.

When

he arrived there, the great Venetians, Titian Tintoretto


all

been dead for some years

but the inspiration of their work


pression on the Flemish artist.
there
is

made much im-

In October, 1607,

a record of his having been in Florence in

order to attend one of the noted Medicean marriages.

In

1608
first

he returned to Antwerp
wife being Isabella Brandt.

and

married, his

The
above
"

jealousies of artists never

made much imspirit

pression
all

upon Rubens, whose genial


such petty annoyances.

rose

He

used to say:
;

Do

well,

and people
will
affable,

will

be jealous of you
their jealousy."

do

better,

and you

overcome

He

was of an

cheerful disposition, always a

careful student.

In

1626 his wife died, and he

remained a widower until 1630, when he married

Helen Fourment, she being then sixteen and he


fifty-three.

Rubens was quite a


and England as well as

traveller,
Italy.

and

visited Spain

He was

also a states-

man, and was entrusted with some

diplomsitic work.

tEbe 1ball of ObavB

103

He was

a rich man, and well born.

This combinadiplo-

tion has ever been rare in artists.

While on a

matic mission to England,

London nobleman
that the ambassa-

happened to say to him

"I hear

dor amuses himself sometimes with painting." To " No the painter amuses which Rubens replied
:

himself with diplomacy."

Antwerp was May, 1640. clouded with gloom and sorrow on the occasion
Rubens
died
in

of his passing away.


cious to his native city,

His

life

had been very preall

and he was endeared to


painting

by

his

winning personality.
characteristic of
his
is

The
light,

primarily

joyous

sunlight,

warm,

soft flesh-paint-

ing,

with perhaps a superabundance of the pink

glow of blonde and ruddy colouring; he delighted


in portraying the nude, for, as his biographer, Calvert,
is his

remarks, "

To

a capable painter, nakedness


It

opportunity."

has been questioned whether

as a follower of the Renaissance he

was

in

sympathy

with Greek art;

should say, rather with Roman,

and sometimes pretty degenerate

Roman

at

that.

While
he
is

in his life

he was unimpeachable, in his works


sensual.
:

sometimes

Mrs.
"

Jameson

has

summed up
many

his defects thus

To
to

venture to judge

Rubens," she says, "


of his pictures.
all;

we ought

have seen a great

His defects may be acknowlthey are in


all

edged once for

senses gross,

104

tCbe Hrt of tbe

ipitti

f^alace

open, palpable; his florid colour, dazzling and garish


in
its

indiscriminate excess;
his

his exaggerated
his
his-

redundant forms;

coarse allegories;
his vulgar

torical improprieties;

and prosaic verhe painted

sions of the loftiest

and most

delicate creations of

poetry;

let all

these be granted

...

if

heavy forms, has he not given them souls?


animated them with
ity
all

and
vital-

his

own

exuberance of

and

volition

'*

Rubens painted about


the most immense
artist.

fifteen

hundred works,

number ever produced by one Contentment was one of his greatest charms.
visited

One day he was


to tempt

by an alchemist, who

tried

him

to injudicious investment in a supposed

discovery of the Philosopher's Stone.

He

informed
it.

the alchemist that he had himself discovered

The
up

visitor exclaimed with surprise.

Rubens held

his palette, replying, " Here, I will

show

it

you

*'
!

He worked
ing
letter

altogether

from

living models;

and
to

while he was painting in Paris he wrote the followto

M. de Chennievres, asking him


to paint

secure

him

certain

models for three sirens which he


:

had occasion
third
saio,

"

beg of you to arrange

for us that there

may

be retained for me, in the

week following

this one, the

two

ladies Caslittle

from the Rue de Vertbois, and also that


for I reckon

niece, Louisa;

making three

studies

for sirens, and these three persons will be to

me

Ubc

fcall of {VbatB

105

of great succour and help,

much on account
still

of the
their
diffi-

expression of their faces, and

more from

magnificent black hair, which I should have


culty
in

finding elsewhere;

the same with their

figures."

"

Whatever imperfections
from

in his art

may have

resulted

his unfortunate

want of seriousness

and

incapability of true passion," says Ruskin, " his

calibre of

may
it

see

mind was such that I believe the world another Titian and another Raphael before
saying a great deal for Ruskin, with his
but Ruskin
is

sees another Rubens."

This

is

mediaeval and ascetic preferences;

very generous in his remarks about Rubens, and

he so

clearly defines the position of


it

Rubens

in the

world of art that

is

well to give his

own words
work doing
all this;

on

this subject

"

While Angelico wept and prayed

in his olive-shade, there in the

was

different
.

dank

fields

of Flanders

much hardening

of hands and gross stoutening of bodies in


.
. .

fleshy,

substantial,
still,

humanities

humanities

iron-shod humanities, but

which God had his

eye upon, and which won, perhaps,

...

as

much
that

favour in his sight as the wasted aspect of the whispering monks of Florence.
it

(Heaven forbid
still!)

should not be

so, for

most of us cannot be monks,

but must be ploughmen and reapers


are

And
Ru-

we

to

suppose that there

is

no

nobility in

io6

trbe art of tbe tttt iC^alace

bens's masculine
this,

and universal sympathy with


large

all
it,

and with

his

human

rendering of

gentleman though he was by birth and feeling and


education and place

... he had

his faults, perhaps

great and lamentable faults, though


his time

and

his

country than his

more those of own; he has

neither cloister breeding nor boudoir breeding, and


is

very unfit to paint either in missals or in annuals

but he has an open-sky and wide-world breeding in

him, that

we may

not be offended with,

fit

alike for

a king's court, a knight's camp, and a peasant's


cottage."

The

celebrated portrait of

Rubens and

his brother,

together with the two philosophers,


Grotius,
is is

Lipsius and
It

next to the painting just described.

as fine as

some of

Titian's portraits,

and

is

one

of the best things ever done by Rubens.

In a room with marble columns and a delightful

outlook upon a fortified town, three persons are


seated around a table, while one, the painter himself,

stands modestly at one side.


is

He

has a red

beard and moustache; this


trait of

as satisfactory a por-

himself as any that Rubens has executed.

Phillip Rubens, the brother of the artist, sits next

him, at the
is

left

of the picture, holding a pen.

He

a handsome fellow, younger than his celebrated

brother, but
thicker.

much

like him.

His hair

is

darker and

He

wears a

full rufif.

This Phillip Rubens

FOUR PHILOSOPHERS
By Rubens
;

in the

Hall of Mars

Xtbc Dall of /ar5

107

was
to

quite a celebrated philologist.

He was

taken

Rome

by Peter Paul, and there became librarian

to Cardinal Colonna.

He was made
Antwerp

Secretary of

the Senate on his return to

in 1609.

On
book.

the right occupying the centre of the comis

position,

Lipsius, his finger resting

upon an open

Justus Lipsius (1547 1606) was a distin-

guished humanist, born in Brabant.

Though eduAt Leyden


this

cated by the Jesuits, he early took the Protestant


side,

but later returned to the Church.

he taught for eleven years, and during

time

he prepared his editions of Seneca and Tacitus.

His

classical

knowledge and

his respect for antiquity his

gave him a great reputation as a scholar, and


political

writings were used as a justification of

persecution.

Grotius
1583, and

is

in profile.

He was
jurist,

born in Delft, in

was a great

diplomat, and ecclesi-

astical debater.

As

a youth, his precocious genius


verse,
at
fif-

was famous. At nine, he made good Latin was ready for the university at twelve, and
teen edited the extensive
pella.

works of Marcianus Cathe famous


treatise, "

With Erasmus, he was one of


His

scholars of his age.

De

Jure Belli,"

was a masterpiece.
tation to England.

In 161 5 he was one of a depu" I Causabon wrote of him


:

cannot say
seen so

how happy I esteem myself in having much of one so truly great as Grotius,

io8

ube art
man!

of tbe itti palace


This
I

a wonderful
I

knew him

to

be before

saw him, but the rare excellences of that divine genius no one can sufficiently feel who does not see his face and hear him speak. Probity is stamped
upon
piety
his features;
his conversation savours of true

and profound learning."


work.

His reputation

rests

upon
and

his varied accomplishments

and

his scholarly

scientific

He was

a countryman of

whom

Rubens was proud, and there was a sympathetic interest between the two, owing to their somewhat
similar talents in learning

and diplomacy.
is

The
a
little

still life

in the picture

excellent, especially

vase of transparent glass, holding tulips,

placed by the bust of Seneca (tulips being the favourite flower of Lipsius).

The vellum books on


beautifully

the table are finely rendered, and the detail of the

costumes

and

accessories

handled.

There

is

hardly any bright colour in the picture.

The

chief intention of the master has been to give

lifelike portraits of the

men, rather than to compose


one of the most delightsaint
is
is

a decorative picture.
St.

Francis by Rubens

is

fully graceful figures.


is

The
he

kneeling, and

seen only half-length;

in profile,
lithe,

and the
little

lines of the figure are strong

and
is

canted a

backward from the hips; he


him.

outside his grotto,

in prayer, appealing directly to the

heavens above

XTbe Iball of /IDars

109

Generally acknowledged as one of the greatest


historical

portraits

in

the world,
its

Raphael's Pope

Julius 11. stands out in

dusky whites and rich


one

brown
to

reds.
is

There has been some controversy as


the original,

which

this

in the Pitti,

or the one in the Uffizi.

A very impartial
is

statement

of the reasons for the disagreement

given by

Henry

Strachey, in a recent scholarly


I

monograph
one

on Raphael, which
having the
dict as
it

quote.

Strachey points out


portraits, so that

the difference between the


facts to

two

go upon may accept

either ver-

seems to him most convincing:


in the Uffizi portrait is of quite a
Pitti.

"

The mouth

different shape

from that of the

In the former

the lips are scarcely visible, while the comers of

the
fact,

mouth are turned down


a horrible mouth.

decidedly.
in the Pitti

It

is,

in

Now,

example,

the lips are clearly shown, and the corners of the

mouth

softened.

But the mouth has become a charprocess has been at


is

acterless one.

The same

work

upon the
on the

nose.

In the Uffizi the nose

big and

bulbous at the end, while the top of the nostril


left

runs up

to-

a point suggesting the lifting

of the nostril for a snarl.

The

top of this nostril

in the Pitti is not so pointed,

and the end of the


while in the Uffizi

nose

is

less

heavy.

The

eyes in the Pitti picture


dull,

are deep sunk and


portrait

somewhat

sudden

lights

and shadows give them ex-

no

Ube Hrt

ot tbe

Ipitti

palace
face in the Uffizi

traordinary vivacity.

The whole

has the air of having preserved the accidents of


the
sitter's

features, while that in the Pitti

seems

to be rather a courtly softening of unpleasant characteristics.

But the authentic


to

portraits of

Raphael

show him

have been

relentless in his naturalism."


will never be settled to the

Probably the question


satisfaction of
all.

The best picture that Cigoli ever painted is Ecce Homo, Number 90. The group of three
ures
is

the
fig-

placed on a balcony.

Pilate has brought

Jesus forth to show him to the multitude.


centre Christ
is

In the

seen standing

full face,

crowned with
a torn

the

Crown

of Thorns, and his hands confined to^

gether by a chain.

At one
is

side a

man

in

white shirt and a red hat

removing the mantle

with which the Saviour has been covered, while


Pilate, in a

yellow brocade robe and a turban, leans


is

forward, pointing to the sufferer, and act of exclaiming, " Behold the Man "
!

in

the

The

ex-

pression in Pilate's eyes

is

that of extenuation

and

pleading with the populace for mercy.

The

soldiers

are grouped in the background awaiting orders.


the balustrade
lies

On

the scourge.

The drawing and


It is,

colouring are both excellent.

on the whole,

as satisfactory a treatment of this painful subject

as any presented in the Renaissance school.

The

fatigue and

human endurance

are well depicted on

ECCE HOMO
By
Cigoli
;

in the Hall of

Mars

Xtbe iball of flDars


the face of Christ.
It

comes nearer being a natural

representation of suffering than most paintings deal-

ing with this scene.


interpretation of the

The artist has caught the true moment chosen for portrayal.
exaltation.

There

is

the languor of physical pain, not yet relieved


spiritual

by any uplifting

The hands
little

are not so well managed.


in virility
;

They are

lacking

they are effeminate and small,

hardly

the hands of a Galilean peasant


at the carpenter's trade.

who had worked


are the only

The hands
is

really

weak element

in the picture.

The

history of this picture

an interesting one.

Monseigneur Massimi wished to obtain the best


painting which could be produced dealing with this
subject.

So he gave the order


that there

to three artists, Pas-

signano, Caravaggio, and Cigoli.

Neither of these

men was aware

were other competitors.

When
Cigoli

the three pictures were presented, that of

was so

far superior to the others that the

prelate returned
It

them and retained only

this one.

was afterwards owned by the celebrated musician, Giovanni Severi, and later, through him, came into

possession of the Medici.

portrait

which one would

like to think of as
is

a companion piece to the Bella of Titian


portrait of a

Titian's

young man

in black.

Number

92.

The
it

type

is

very Venetian, with reddish-brown hair and


but
is

blue eyes, and finely chiselled features;

112

Ube Hrt
The

of tbe pltti palace

generally alluded to as a portrait of

Howard, Duke

of Norfolk.

subject stands almost full-face,

with one hand placed carelessly on his hip, while

he holds a glove in the other.

Taine, in his "

Voy-

age en
trait
:

Italic,''

speaks in highest terms of this por-

" It
of.

is

one of the greatest masterpieces that

know

It represents a

man
;

of thirty-five years,

all

in black, grave,

with a steady gaze;

the face

rather thin, the eyes pale blue

a delicate moustache

meets his slight beard.

He

is

of a great race, but


life; de-

he has seen more than one manoeuvre of


lights, anxieties, the

knowledge of danger have


face

left

their

marks upon

his

...

it

is

the face of

one energetic, yet weary, and also a dreamer."

The canvas shows


drawing
that
it is

the figure half-length, but the

is

life-size.

This portrait

is

so striking
record of
it

remarkable that
it

we have no

other than that


tian.
silk,

was painted by the great VeneThe black texture of the garment is that of
This portrait has unusual
alive.
virility,

not velvet.

is

wonderfully

Titian has been quoted as saying that red, white,

and black are the only colours an


first

artist needs.

At
of

glance one would say that he had literally car;

ried out this theory in the picture Titian's work,

but, like
it

much

upon

closer

examination

will be

found to glow with that ineffable quality of handling which Ruskin has aptly called " a peculiar mys-

HOWARD, DUKE OF NORFOLK (DETAIL)


By
Titian
;

in the Hall of

Mars

Xlbe 1baU ot /iDats

"3

tery about the pencilling, sometimes called softness,

sometimes freedom, and sometimes breadth;


in

but

reality a

most subtle confusion of colours and

forms," in the same


of
its

way

that a mosaic
is

owes much
exactly like

beauty to the fact that no stone


stone, so that even the

any other

broad spaces of
of
little

plain colour are in reality

made up

varie-

gated dots.
It

would be

difficult

to point to a better portrait,

technically considered, than this one, painted at

any

period of the development of art, ancient or modern.

Near
pannata.

by.

Number

94,
is

is

the

Madonna

del

Imap-

This picture

of doubtful authenticity,
It

but has usually been attributed to Raphael.

pears to be one of Ruskin's " hetes noir/' for he

speaks of

its

" repainted distortion " being redeemed

only by the light which comes in from the linen

window,

whence
if

the picture derives

its

name,

" Impannata " signifying a cloth window.


It is

generally conceded that the picture

was

be-

gun by Raphael,
position

not finished by him.

shows that the original

The comintention was for

a round picture, which would have taken in the

four chief figures and St. Elizabeth


knees,

down

to the
left.

she occupying the foreground at the


is

The Madonna
figures.
St.

on a higher

level

than the other

Elizabeth and

Mary Magdalen have

brought the child to his mother, and he, turning

114

Ubc Hrt

of tbe pittt iPalace


is

to look after them,

in the act of expressing


in
is

by

an embrace his joy at being

her arms again.

The
still

expression of Mary's face

rather passive, but


his evident

one can detect a look of pleasure at

preference for her.


St.

John appears to be quite an afterthought,

an addition to the general group;


being the patron saint of Florence, he
side purposely.

and, perhaps
is

placed out-

This

is

particularly likely to have

been the plan, since Raphael has represented him


as too old to be an integral part of the scene.
Sit-

ting apart, and pointing to the others, he seems


rather to be interpreting the picture than to be a

part of

it.

The heads

are exquisite in modelling,

the aged face of Elizabeth and the fresh fair beauty

of the Magdalen being in good contrast each to


the other. Indeed, the whole picture must be purely
it

symbolical, for

the

much an anachronism that Magdalen should be a grown woman while


is

as

Christ

is

an infant, as that
stripling.

St.

John should
picture
is

at the

same time be a
ground

The

sometimes
doubtless

attributed to Giulio

Romano.

There

is

for this theory,

for Giulio

worked some-

what
on

in the master's vein (that is

during his second

manner), and may have done a good deal of work

among other of the Madonnas and Holy Families. The picture is on wood, and was painted
this

for

Bindo

Altoviti, a young-

and handsome Floren-

JUDITH WITH THE HEAD OF HOLOFERNES By Allori in the Hall of Mars


;

Ube

1ball ot /lDar6
Altoviti

115

tine banker, about 15 13.

had also a palace

near Raphael's

villa

on the bank of the Tiber in

Rome.
of

The picture afterwards came into possession Grand Duke Cosimo, and it was placed in his
In 1587
bit
it

chapel.

was

in the Uffizi.
is

A
The

grand

of colour

Christofano Allori's

Judith with the

Head

of Holofernes,
is

Number

96.

figure of Judith

queror,

she

no imaginary female conand no doubt Allori shudfor this


Allori's

is

a very real person, being the mis-

tress of the artist himself,

dered as he indulged his grim humour;


picture represents the
mistress,

famous Mazzafirra,

and has a sketch of her mother

in the back-

ground.

The

picture of Judith

was ordered

for

Cardinal Alexander Orsini, and Allori painted these


portraits in a sort of

morbid resignation, putting

himself as a corpse into the hand of Judith.

The

head of Holofernes
Allori.

is

a portrait of Christofano

He knew

only too well that the price of the

painting would be instantly absorbed by these rapacious

women, and

this rather ghastly allegO'ry

was
his
dif-

soon interpreted by those


dissipations.

who knew him


were painted

in
at

Three

replicas

ferent times,

the one which hangs


Judith's
is

in the Corsini

Palace

is

much more
original

bold in expression, showing

an ugly, snarling frown on the face of Judith.


the
Pitti

In

not

an essentially

vicious face.

small copy hangs also in the Uffizi.

ii6

trbe Hrt of tbe pitti ipalace


colouring of this picture
is

The
the

one of the most

striking things in the entire gallery,


first
is

and

is

often

thing mentioned by visitors.

The robe of
ex-

Judith

of a most gorgeous deep yellow, suggest-

ing infinite riches of texture.


pression of the face, which
beauty,
blue,
is is

The triumphant

of a typical Jewish
red,

well rendered.

There are touches of

and green

in the painting,

which add to the


It
is

magnificence of the general

effect.

not a

sympathetic subject, but


in

it

is

treated

by a master
experience

a masterly manner.

The

personal

of the artist, thus interwoven in the old Bible story,

has significance, and supplies the


of interest for those
it

human
The

element

who would

otherwise regard
long-lidded,

only as a disagreeable subject.

cruel eyes of Judith are comparatively passive in

the painting in the Pitti;

elsewhere he has drawn

his mistress as a veritable bad-tempered fury.

She
hand
her

stands well-poised, striding forward, her

left

firmly clutching the hair of the head which she

has severed from the body of Holof ernes;


right

hand

still

holds the sword

and the old

woman

behind her looks at her with approving admiration.

The

picture

was taken to

Paris,

where

it

remained

from 1799 to 18 1 5. While this picture was


by Schlegel, who,
to
it

in Paris,

it

was examined
of Holofemes

in his

"Esthetic Essays," alludes

thus

"

The

Judith with the

Head

Ube

Iball ot

/ars

117
in ex-

by Christofano Allori has much merit both


pression and outline of the figure.
is

Our

attention

immediately caught by the beauty and splendid

attire of the

Hebrew

heroine, as well as by the

expression of simple piety and wonder in the head


of the old

woman, and

the external correctness of

the representation."

The first worthy example we have met in this gallery


It is

of Guido Reni which


is

here numbered lOO.

a fine composition, in the best

manner of the
a

master, and with few of the affectations which spoil


so

many

of his pictures.

In the

first place, it is

cheerful subject treated in a happy

humour.

The Rebecca
understood;
in

at

the

Well requires a detailed


the treatment and
;

knowledge of the story before the picture can be

some

pictures

use of colours constitute the chief interest


the subject chosen
is

in others

as

much

a part of the comIt

position as the actual planning of the figures.


is

much more

interesting
is

when

this

is

the case.
it

Like music, which


bine both

unsatisfactory unless
is

com-

harmony and melody, so

a picture untreat-

satisfactory unless the subject is

worthy of the

ment given

it.

Many
is

fine paintings lack

sentiment

because the subject

a painful one, and


fail

many good
to ex-

compositions in music

to satisfy our longings

because they have either melody or


cess,

harmony

and are not properly balanced.

ii8

TLbc Hrt of tbe pittt palace


is

This picture of Guide's


in the Hfe of Rebecca,

taken from the incident


the steward of Abra-

when

ham, having been sent to the land of Mesopotamia,


arrives in the city of Nahor.
Eliezer, the steward,

had been sent to bring back a wife for Isaac, the


son of Abraham;
see

and he trusted that he should


to

among

the

women who came

draw water

such a damsel as should justify him in approaching


her on this delicate matter.

And

before

many

minutes had passed, Rebecca

with her pitcher on her shoulder came out from


her dwelling, and at the same time came
others.

many
where
she
is

Rebecca

is

described as fair to look upon.


is

The

episode chosen by the artist


is

that

Rebecca

bringing her pitcher to Eliezer;


is

the chief centre of the picture, and

handing the

jug to him.

At

the

left is

little

boy, carrying a
gifts
inter-

casket, evidently that

from which Eliezer takes


;

of gold to offer the damsel

the boy

is

much

ested in the general situation,

and looks over

his

shoulder, smiling at the spectator in a jocular way.

Probably the mission of the steward has become a


jest

among

the retainers

it is

quite a

human touch
way.

to represent the

boy as sympathetic
left is

in this arch

In the background at the


a camel.

seen a

man

holding

Evidently Guido Reni has not had

many

opportunities to study this special breed of beast.

The women

are gathered about the well, amused

tEbe IbaU ot {tbavB


at the strange

119

way

in

which the

visitor

has ad-

dressed Rebecca, and apparently interested to see

what

will

come of the

interview.

There

is

good
in

deal of thought

and portrayal of human nature

the poses of the

women.

One

of them, on the right

of the well,

is

much

entertained,

and stands

in a

stage pose, with one hand on her hip, and holding


aside her draperies so as to display her limbs
;

per-

haps trying to convince the steward that he might

do

better

by coming to
is

her.

The

picture

is

quite

a merry one, and

rendered with more

spirit

than

most of Guido's
genius for
cility,''

scenes.
in 1575,

Guido Reni was born


art.

and showed early

He was

called " the father of fa-

so easily did he accomplish his purpose.


early Italian painters,

He
is

was devoted to the

whom

he studied

intelligently.

As he

said himself, " It


is

designing that

is difficult;

colour

quickly at-

tained."
painter.

Hawthorne considered him a marvellous


" There
is

no other," he

says, "

who seems

to achieve things so magically

and inscrutably as

he sometimes does." he considered his


"

Some one asked him which


greatest picture.

own
I

He
will
I

replied

The one on which


it

am working now.
it

And

if I

am working on
then
"
!

another to-morrow,
will

be that,

and the day after

be the one
illness,

am

doing

After a tedious

Guido Reni died

on the eighteenth of April, 1642,

120

Ube Htt

of tbe l&itti iC^alace


of the Magdalen by Cagnacci

The Assumption
is

rather an unattractive picture.

The Magdalen
Both

is

being carried up to heaven by an angel.

of them look thoroughly uncomfortable.


is

The angel
bearing the

flying practically

on

his back, with his draperies

floating off extended

on

either

side,

whole weight of
raised

his substantial

burden on his upsits

hands.

The Magdalen

with

clasped

hands and upturned gaze,

in the attitude of

one

who

rides horseback in a side-saddle.

She seems

bliss-

fully unconscious of the painful efforts of the angel,

whose

face

is

hidden, and

who

is

not remarkable
correctly fore-

for anything but that his figure

is

shortened.

A fierce and defiant gentleman is Van Der Werff's


Duke
of Marlborough.

He

stands grasping a baton

he wears a wig of flowing curls after the fashion of


his times;
aside,

and, from the cloak which he has laid


rests

and which

upon a tree-stump

at his side,

the Order of the Garter


its

may

be seen hanging, with

pendent figure of St George.

The Madonna Enthroned, by Soggi, shows Our Lady with the child upon her knee, sitting on a high throne. The child leans forward to bless a warrior saint who stands at his right side. On
the other side of the composition
a
is

the Baptist as

man

of middle age.

This

is

not a realistic repreideal concep-

sentation of the

Holy Family, but an

tibe Iball of /IBats


tion of the

121

Madonna and

Child enthroned

they are

supposed to be perpetually young in heaven.


Titian's portrait of

Andrea Vesalius, a celebrated

surgeon, hangs here,


in

Number

80.

He

is

sitting

an armchair, with an open book in one hand, and

glasses in the other.

He

has a long gray beard, and


it,

wears a sombre garment with fur about


Italian medical

such as

men

wore.

Vesalius was born in

15 14, at Brussels, but his fame

was acquired

in

Bologna and Pisa, where he became a great anatomist,

and taught

his

profession.

He

got

into
to

trouble in Spain,

where Charles V.

called

him

answer the charge of having dissected a Spanish


gentleman.

Less

liberal

than the authorities of to^

day

in

such matters, they condemned him to death,

but his sentence was changed to banishment for


life

by Philip H.

On

his

way back from


The
all.

Spain,

he was wrecked on the coast of the Island of Zante,

where he died of exposure.


injured that of late
it

picture

is

so

much

has been questioned even

whether
of
it

it

be by Titian at

There are parts


to its authenticity.

which bear strong witness


is

There

also a

charming Holy Family by Andrea


hazy
style.
is

del Sarto, painted in a deliciously

The
de-

figure grouping

is

well arranged.

There

original or striking about the accessories,


tails

no
It

nothing

from which
in

it

might have taken

its

name, as are

common

the

Madonnas of Raphael.

was

122

Zbc Srt

of tbe pittf palace

painted on wood, about 1529, for Ottavio de Medici,

who
it

paid double the price demanded for


It
is

it

because

so entirely satisfied him.

certainly restful

and dreamy; pearly


lection of types.

in colour;

pleasing in the sesits

The Virgin
St.

with the Infant


present.
in the

on her knee, and

John and Elizabeth are

In the days of Vasari, this

Madonna hung

chamber of the widow of Ottavio, and was much


admired by the
critic.

Cardinal Bentivoglio, by

ing full-length portrait.

Van Dyck, is a strikNumber 82. He is seated.


curtain
full
is

Near him
lace
letter

is

a table.
is

A
On
in
.

draped behind
office,

him, and he

dressed in

robes of

with

and brocades. and a vase of


in

the table are an opened

flowers.

Cardinal Bentivoglio

was born
teen,

Bologna

15 19.

He

became papal

secretary to Clement

VII when he was only sevensent

and

later

was

by Paul V. to Flanders

He was the author of a work, " History of the War in the Netherlands," and also wrote memoirs. He was one of Galileo's judges, and tried
as nuncio.
to use his influence in the astronomer's favour, but

unsuccessfully.

Cardinal Bentivoglio died in 1644.


is

Number 83
retto,

a very living portrait, by Tinto-

of Luigi Cornaro.

This Venetian nobleman

in his early
life entirely

days was dissipated.


before he

He

reformed his
treare-

grew

old,

and wrote a

tise

on

sobriety.

He

became a prominent and

Ube

Iball ot /iDars

"3
when

spected citizen before his death, which occurred

he was ninety-six years

old.

The Santa Conversazione, Number 84, in a landscape of some charm, is either by Bonifazio Veronese (not Paolo, the great Venetian) or by Palma
Vecchio.
Critics are divided.

This Holy Family represents the Madonna seated


in the midst

on the ground, where

she, together
is

with

the child Jesus,

who

is

in her lap,

silhouetted

against the trunk of a great tree, the upper leaves

of which are visible at the top of the canvas.


St.

Little

John runs to meet them.

St. Elizabeth,

a charm-

ingly portrayed middle-aged

woman,

sits

on the

ground

at the right of the picture, holding a half-

open volume.
John.

Mary
is

turns to speak to the child

The
left,

infant

on the

being interested by a personage

evidently the portrait of a doge or

other Venetian grandee,

who

is

giving the child

a miniature of the world in the shape of a geographical globe.

The baby

puts his hands on

it

in the

way any
which
is

little

child will
it.

do upon a smooth surface

presented to

The
is

face of this portrait


painted.
It

(probably the donor)


represents a

beautifully

man

of forty-five, with hair cut in the

short, thick fashion of the day,

and wearing a

rich

mantle of crimson with a heavy gold chain about


his neck.

crown

is

placed at the feet of the


at the side of the

Ma-

donna and Child, while

donor

124
stands a

XTbe Hrt ot tbe


little

ipittt

palace

dog,

who

appears to be regarding the

spectator with curiosity.

Numbers 87 and 88 are two wooden panels painted by Andrea del Sarto. They were the tops
of marriage-chests recently alluded
in the set of furniture
to,

which were

ordered by Borgherini for

his son's

marriage gift when he took Margherita


All the pieces were decorated

Accajuoli to wife.

by the best

artists of the day,

Baccio d'Angelo,
lids

Del Sarto, Pontormo, Granacci being among those


selected.
It fell to

Andrea's share to paint the

of two linen-chests, which he did in his finest manner,

portraying scenes

from the

life

of

Joseph.

They were such choice works of art that an attempt was made to carry them off during the Siege of Florence. The King of France had an agent, Giambattista della Palla,

who persuaded

the government

to give
ace,

him permission

to sack the Borgherini Palset of furniture to

and take the entire


I.,

send to

his patron, Francis

in

hopes that this propitiatory


to aid the republic.

tribute

would induce him

But

when

the raiders arrived at the Borgherini Palace,

they had to encounter Margherita,


vile broker! " she

who

firmly re-

fused to allow them to enter peaceably.

" Begone,

exclaimed;

*'

reprobate salesman!

How

dare you fancy that you can carry off the

ornaments of a noble house?"

With a prolonged

Ube

Iball of /IDats

1^5
their

tirade, she succeeded in dissuading

them from

attempt.

The

panels are composed in a quaint method,

transcribing the history so as to


picture out of
it,

make only one


it

instead of dividing

into smaller

panels in the

more usual way.


in

The Repose
restful picture,

Egypt, by Paris Bordone,


cool,

is

shady and

with the

spell of the

Venetian lagoons in the air rather than the Egyptian atmosphere.

In this picture of Paris Bordone, Mary, Joseph,

and the Child are gathered


Jesus
is

at the foot of a tree.

holding out a
is

little

wild flower to his

mother and Joseph

extending his hand upward to

the tree, while angels are casting

down

fruit to him.

Ruskin's remark that some artists do not


difference between angels
to

know

the

and cupids might apply

these

little

creatures,

who

play

among

the

branches in a state of nudity.

The

preparations

are going forward for refreshments.

woman
is

at

the

left is

unpacking a hamper of provisions.

The
par-

light scarf about the shoulders of the figure


ticularly delicate.

The

face of the Child

is

very

human and
The

very young, which cannot be said of


in the Renaissance.

some of the Holy Infants painted


landscape background
is is

varied.

At the
fruit.

feet

of St. Joseph

a flagon of wine,

and a dish upon

a white cloth, laid ready to receive the

126

ttbe art of tbe UMtti Ibalace


in this

There are two pictures


St.

room representing
have developed
full

Peter in tears, one by Guido Reni and one by

Carlo Dolci.
the
''

Both of these

artists
its

lachrymose manner " to


to say

extent.

It

is difficult

which of these paintings one would


St.

rather be obliged to live with.

Peter

is

sitting

before a grotto weeping, with his hands clasped,

and

his eyes, like nearly all of Dolci's saints, cast

up to heaven.
near by.
.

The

cock

is

crowing upon a rock


in

The
is

picture

was executed

1654.

Here, too,

the Sacrifice of

Abraham by

Chris-

tofano Allori.

Abraham
is

holds aloft the scimitar

with which he
stands
stroke.

preparing to smite Isaac,

who

meekly,

with

bowed head, awaiting the

The

angel reaches out of the cloud above,

bit

too realistically, for he has grasped

firmly

by the arm, and stays the

Abraham With sacrifice.


in the accepted

his right

hand the angel expostulates

attitude of " argument."

The head

of the

ram

is

seen in the bush at the right, close to the pyre.

In the background

is

the ass laden with panniers,

which has accompanied them.

The whole composioriginally larger,

tion seems to be condensed into too small a space,

possibly the canvas

was

and

has been trimmed


proportions.

down by

degrees to

its

present

There

is

an Annunciation by Andrea del Sarto,

Number

97, inferior in

power

to other treatments

Ube Dall
has good colour, but
in

ot flDat6
later.

127
It

by him of the same subject to be seen


is

not strong in composition,


either of the others.

which

it

differs

from

angel has arrived, and sinks upon one knee.


starts

The Mary

back from the prie-dieu at which she has

been at her devotions.

trifle

back of these two

figures stands St. Michael holding the scales.


it

As
This

was painted

for the
is

Convent of San Gallo, the

figure of a
is

monk

introduced by courtesy.

supposed to be a portrait of Filippo Benizzi, one

of the founders of the order of the Servites.

The
seen

angel wears fringed ecclesiastical vestments.


Cigoli's
in

Magdalen

is

not important

when
It is

company with

his great
is

Ecce Homo.

num-

bered 98.

The

saint

sitting at the foot of a tree.

Her

eyes are upturned in the inevitable


crucifix

manner of
in

Magdalens; a

and a vase of ointment are

the chief accessories.

She holds a book


nude.

her

The tears are coursing down her cheeks, but for some reason she does not greatly move the beholder to sympathy. The profile view of her nude figure is good. The crucifix
hands.
figure
is

The

hangs on the rocky wall, and on a projection near


her hand
is

poised a

human
is

skull.

Guercino's St. Sebastian


the worse for wear,
tude, offering

a graceful youth, none

who

kneels in a charming attito

two votive arrows

Heaven.

Aurelio Luini, the painter of the picture num-

128

XEbe Hrt of tbe

Iptttt

palace
Lombard
It
is

bered 102, was an artist of the

school,

born on Lake

Como

in 1530.

His picture of the


probably a

Magdalen

is

painted on wood.

portrait of one of his friends, for she appears in

modern

clothes, with her hair

much

dressed,

and
This

wears precious stones and a gold necklace.


version of the saint
if it
is

a departure from tradition;


it

was painted

originally for a Magdalen,

leads

one to fear that the

artist preferred to represent

ha"

before her conversion!

She holds the usual vase


if it

of perfumes, but lovingly, as

were

bric-a-brac,

while she flashes an arch look at the spectator.

The only picture by Luca Giordano in the Pitti The is Number 104, the Immaculate Conception. Virgin is standing on the new moon, above the
terrestrial

globe,

upon which
feet.

is

seen the serpent


is

wTithing beneath her


stars.

She

crowned with

A
Love

most exquisite

bit

of fresco, taken from the


is

wall and framed as a picture,


" of Volterrano.

the " Sleeping


is

The treatment

as soft

and

broad as in a modern picture of the French school.

The charming
restful.

child is sleeping with his

head

rest-

ing on his arm.

The

attitude

is

casual,
is

and yet

The

expression on the face

that of di-

vine innocence, and yet one would not be surprised


if,

when

the eyes opened, there were a depth of

worldly wisdom hidden there.

TLbc Dall ot /iDats

129
called

Another picture by Volterrano


Love,

is

Venal

Number

105.

It

is

an unpleasant subject,
It

though a technical

success.

represents Venus,

or her prototype, leering, while she takes an arrow

and blunts the end of

it

by biting

it

with her teeth.

The

figure

is

seen about to the waist.


little

stands an evil-looking

At her side Cupid, who might more

properly be denominated Cupidity,


into the other

who

is

pouring
trinkets

hand of Venus money and from a casket which he carries.


brated portrait artist himself,

In the school of Sustermans, but not by the


is

cele-

a head of Galileo,
looks

Number

io6.

The astronomer
is

sad

and

weary; a heavy expression


his eyes, almost

on

his

brow and about

amounting to a scowl. He has a beard and moustache. His doublet is buttoned up


closely in the middle.

CHAPTER

VI.

THE HALL OF JUPITER


In the Hall of
Jupiter, Veronese, the third of the
is

great Venetian masters,

revealed to us.

It

is

unfortunate that in the Pitti Palace, complete as


is

the collection in

many

types of pictures,

we have

no example of the
nese;

truly characteristic

work of Vero-

namely, the pageant.


filled

He

excelled in large

canvases

with
silks,

gorgeous men and women,


satins,

dressed out in

and brocades and


jewels,

ar-

mour, bearing banners,

fruit,

and

all

the

scenic properties of a great painter of high life in

the richest and most voluptuous centre of costly


living,

Venice

in the Renaissance.

In some of his work, particularly in representing

men, he resembles Rubens


in

he portrays animal force


his

brawny and
little

lusty bodies;

women have

often

too

of the intellectual element in their beauty,


pieces of

and are simply pleasing


hibit

anatomy to exthis
skilful

the

fair

garments with which

painter loved to clothe them.


130

All the people are

o
< X

ttbe Iball of Jupitet


large,
it

131

with monumental decorative proportions

but

is

the spectacular rather than the thoughtful or

poetic in

which he indulges.

He was

exactly the

sort of painter to please a nation of rich merchants.

His religious pictures are usually


Venetian scenes; he
to
is

set in essentially

show

forth a

out in their best

home when he has group of worldly women tricked finery than he is when trying to
more
at

interpret Scriptural stories.

He showed good

judg-

ment do

in

seldom choosing tragic or emotional scenes,

for he

had not the necessary quality

in his art to

justice to them.

There

is

a love of display, and


society about his work.
is

withal, an air of stately

good

The

great culmination of his power

in his picture

of the Marriage of Cana at the Louvre;


the focus of Titian's genius
in
is

just as

in the

Assumption

Venice, and that of Tintoret in the Paradise


in that

and the Crucifixion


city.

same doubly dowered

Although Veronese seldom chose the greatest and most inspiring


tkat
subjects,
it

may

also be said of

him
His and

he never chose an unworthy subject.

habitual preference

was

for graceful, playful,

almost
graphic

trivial effects treated seriously,


art,

with noble,
intent.

and always with high moral

He was never vulgar. Of the three great Venetians with whom we are here principally concerned, he
stands as the apostle of light and
gaiety.

132

ITbe Hrt of tbe pitti t>alace


picture representing the

The
notice,

Three Maries
first

at the

Sepulchre on Easter morning comes

to our
is

Number
is

134.

The rock-hewn tomb


At

at

the left and


trees

cut into a hillside, above

which are

two angels examining the linen clothes, etc. One of them is crouching at the door of the sepulchre, and the
and shrubs growing.
the door are the
other,

standing erect, raises the forefinger of his

right hand, pointing to heaven, in the act of telling

the three

has
is

risen.

women that the Saviour is not here but The nimbus of light about their heads
fire.

not painted in the conventional manner of the

earlier masters, but is rather a mist of

Vene-

tians generally so painted their halos.

Raphael has

done the same


Vatican.

in his Liberation of St. Peter in the

The
in the

three figures of the Maries are in varying


all

attitudes,

expressing surprise.
is

The one more


clothed in those

foreground than the others

shades of gold and rose colour which occur in Venetian glass.

Veronese could not

resist

an opportunity

to render a luminous silken material;


is

and her head


is

turned quite away, so that only her figure


carries a basket in

seen.
is

She

one hand, and the other

placed upon the shoulder of the next

woman.

This

companion

is

clad in shades of orange, red,

and

green, mingled in true Venetian spirit with rich


effect.

She wears a charming head-dress, a

veil

Zbc Dall
being
of

ot Jupiter

133

wound about her head to emphasize the shape her coiffure. The third Mary is only seen in part,
she
is

being behind the other two;


folds of her green mantle

gathering the

around

her,

and

is

gazing

earnestly at the angel.

The
to be

other picture by Veronese, which would seem

complementary to the Three Maries,

is

that

which represents Jesus taking leave of

his mother.

Christ stands at the right of the picture, in profile.

The
a

figure

is

not satisfactory, and

is

the

work of

man who

felt

the value of painting rather in exIt


all,

ecution than in expression. the figure of the Saviour at

is

not essentially
it

might be any
raised

well-draped courtly personage.

The
is

right

hand, with the fingers spread symmetrically apart,


is

displeasing, especially as
lattice,

background of

drawn against a which makes this part of


it

the composition confused.

But the arrangement of

drapery,
ject,
is

when

studied independently from the sub-

extremely lovely.
exquisite grace.

The

large,

broad folds

hang with
steps;

The Mother Mary


her head
is

sits at

the foot of a flight of


veil,

draped by a white

and her

garments also clothe her with clinging folds; but


the figure lacks power.

The depth
such a scene

of feeling which
is

one would look for


ing.

in

entirely lack-

Three other women, probably

saints,

occupy

the position behind the

Madonna and

at her left

134
side.
is

Zbc Hrt
The one
The
of

of tbe

t>itti

palace

whom
Her

only the head can be seen

very pleasing.

hair and head-dress are

most

artistic.

other

woman

holds her hands upon

her heart, and looks at Jesus with

much

reverence.
it
is"

There

is

some grace

in the attitude, but

not

artistic.

Above, at the top of the

flight of stairs,

stands another

woman much
;

in the

shadow, lean-

ing against a pillar

she and her draperies are finely

disposed, although a subordinate part of the


position.
lucent.

com-

The

tones of the colours are soft and


is

Veronese

always master of

tints.

Veronese understood how to paint with as bold an impression as a scene-painter, and yet with
such effect of
life as finished

work seldom produces.


dog or a
still-

A
life

few touches of

his can paint a

subject so that the actual thing portrayed seems

to be present in a defined shape.

But while, as
a few careless

Ruskin points

out,

it

appears as

if

strokes of the brush have caused this result, the


real fact is that these apparently heedless strokes are

the refinement of artistic intention,

made

possible

by the knowledge bred of long experience, that

knowledge

which
is

guided

the
;

brush

unerringly.

" All great art


is

delicate art

and

all

coarse art

bad art " (Ruskin).

Number 140
Leonardo.

is

the famous Monaca, or


is

Nun, of
in the

This portrait

the only

work

Pitti Palace, besides the

Goldsmith, that has usually

trbe t)all of Jupitet


been attributed to Leonardo.
sider
it

13s
critics

Some

conIt
is

of the school of Piero di Cosimo.

painted on wood,

and

is

exquisite

in

its

finish.

Taine
says
:

is

most enthusiastic about the


is

picture.

He

" This

not an abstract being, emanating

from the

painter's brain, but

an actual

woman who

has lived, a sister of


full

Monna

Lisa in the Louvre, as

Is of inward contrasts and as inexplicable. she a nun, a priestess, or a courtesan? " This being,

who

appears so piquant to the traveller,


in a very

is

shown

in three-quarters view,

low corsage of

black, with reliefs of white in delicate veiling.

The
She
be

transparent effects are beautifully rendered.

holds a small book in her hand, on which


descried the

may

name

of Christ;
in fact,

the background repit is

resents a monastery;

said to be a view

of the ancient Hospital of St. Paul, which stood


originally in the place of Santa

Maria Novella.

An

arch of the arcade


this

is

directly behind the


is

head of
supposed

mysterious nun, showing that she

to be walking in the cloister.

The
is

picture has been ascribed in turn to Franci-

abigio, Ghirlandajo,

and Perugino.

The costume
life,

certainly a
all

little

unusual for one in cloister

hence

these speculations.

In reality the face

has not very

much

that

is

complex, being a serious,


if

calm countenance, which,


tion nun's habit,

draped in the regulaexcite remark.

would hardly

The

13^

XCbe art of tbe


is
it

IPitti

IPalace

painting of the hands

fine.

The Grand Duke

Ferdinand

III.

bought

from Marquis RicolHni.


first place,

There
is

is

some

internal evidence that this picture

not by Leonardo.
is

In the

eye

in

bad drawing,

a
is

the farther

fact almost irreconci-

lable with the absolute technical skill of

Leonardo.

The beauty

of his faces

not always of the conit

vincing and obvious type;

is

a subtle charm of

the soul shining through the expression, which gives

them
us.

their virility.

But they are always

faultlessly

drawn.

Anatomically Leonardo has never failed


said to

He was

have been the most thoughtful

painter except Albert Durer,

and he had a thor-

oughly creative mind.

The striking picture in low tones of brown, called The Fates, has been attributed to Michelangelo, but much doubt is thrown upon its authenticity. It
more probably by Rosso Fiorentino, from a design by the master. The three elderly crones, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, stand in a monumental
is

group.

Clotho carries the spindle in the backLachesis,


in

ground;
thread,

the

centre,
in

has

twisted

which she holds taut

her right hand,


while Atropos,

emblematical of the thread of

life,

with her shears,

is

holding the blades ready to cut

the thread at a signal from Lachesis, upon whose


face she has fixed her eyes.

The Greek

ideal of the Fates

was usually three

trbe 1baU of Jupftet


lovely

137

young

girls,

goddesses
life

but Michelangelo

had seen that side of

which led him to draw


sat for the pic-

them as witches.
ture (for
it

The model who

is

a repeat of the same head in three

varying positions) was an old

woman who

used

to visit Michelangelo constantly at the time of the


siege of Florence, to offer the services of her son
as a warrior.

There are

in the Uffizi, in the

De-

partment of Drawings, two studies for their heads.


This picture
tirely the
is

hardly robust enough to be enhis types are usuis

work of Michelangelo;
But
it

ally

more exaggerated.
and even
if it is

a powerful picit

ture,

by Rosso Fiorentino,
it,

merits

the

words of Kugler as applied to


terribilita "
is

" Severe,
is
is

keen, and characteristic."

In this picture there


for

none of the "


famous
;

which the master

but there

a certain grimness and a noble


all

grotesque, which, as Ruskin says, occurs in

truly

great originators,
Tintoret.

in

Dante, Michelangelo, and

In some of these the appreciation of the


**

grotesque

rules the entire conception

...

to such

a degree that they are an enigma and an offence


.

to

all

the petty disciples of formal criticism."

Lotto's Three

Ages of

Man may
we

be compared

with Giorgione's Concert, which


Hall of the
Iliad.

will see in the


it

As

a composition,
all

is

really

more

conscientiously painted,

the persons re-

ceiving equal attention, and the interest being only

138

Ube art

of tbe IMtti palace

slightly diverted to the central figure.

The
first

child is

such an exquisite bit of work that the


is

glance

instinctively

drawn

to

him

but as one looks from


all

right

and

left,

one finds that

the heads really

deserve study.
setting

The two
central

others are not merely a


one,

for

the

as

in

the

Concert.
it

Morelli ascribes this picture to Giorgione, and


is

certainly

quite worthy of the great Venetian.

At any

rate, if

he did not paint

it,

he was the

in-

spiration of the

The
is

child,

man who did. the first Age of Man,

seen

in

three-quarter face, and dressed in

brown and

red,

a typical Italian boy of the rich blond colouring

of the Lagoons.

The

straying locks of his hair,


falls

through which the light

with such inimitable

charm, suggest the carelessness of early youth as


to the conventional arrangement oi personal ap-

pearance, as does also the cap \yhich


hurriedly.

is

slouched on

the mystery and the joy of


the music
is

He

holds and studies a sheet of music,


this subtle art claim-

ing more of his thought than dress.

His gaze

at

not that of comprehension, but of exthe scroll of life


is

amination;

unrolling before

him by

degrees.
figure of a
is

The
picture

young man

at the right of the

seen in profile, looking also at the sheet

of music in the boy's hand, but with finger raised


in the act of interpreting to the

younger one some

>

Oi

<
%
Ci.

'A

M <
ri

^ o B Ol
4-*

aJ

(U

-1

u
oi

**

Zbc

Iball of Jupitet

139

of the obscure passages.

The
is

face of this

man

is

""among the most satisfactory things in


expression, while earnest,

art.

His

hopeful, buoyant, and

healthy;
point.

the picture

is

full

of optimism up to this
its

The green

tunic,

with

chaste and well-

disposed trimming, betokens the


sciousness.

dawn

of self-con-

No

scheme of colour could have been


the left looks over his shoulder,
retrospect.
is

chosen better to display his mature beauty.

The

old

man on

possibly

symbolizing

The

delightful

colour-scheme of the picture


red robe.

completed by his

His

face,
is

while bearing the marks of


not unamiable or cruel
;

age and experience,

the

large ear usually said to denote a generous tempera-

ment

is

much

in evidence.

Altogether the compo-

sition is full of

thought and thoroughly sympathetic.


all portraits.

The heads
people as
fail

are probably

They are such


any day, and

we might

see on the street

to observe until they are thus brought together

then these frankly characteristic types take on a

new

significance,

We're made so that we love First, when we see them painted, things we have passed Perhaps a hundred times nor cared to see So they are better painted Art was given for that
:

"...

God

uses us to help each other so


out.

Lending our minds

..."

Browning.

140

^be Hrt
and

of tbe pitti

palace
There
by-

Portraits
is

battles

abound

in this hall.

an

enormous warlike,

smoke-laden

battle

Jacques Courtois, the general hurly-burly of which


is

punctuated by

little

scintillating

eyes.

Rarely

is

seen a painting of an enraged crowd

made

so

convincing as by these small flashing eyes of the


combatants.
Courtois was called
II

Bourgognone,

and was a painter of the Roman


1

school, living

from

62 1 to 1675.

The warriors and

horses are in

armour, while a central figure represents a soldier


discharging his firearms at an enemy
prostrate on the ground.
in the

who

is

already

fortified city is seen

background, with mountains beyond.

There are two large war scenes by Salvator Rosa.


In one of these.

Number

133,

two detachments of
on the right
left is
is

cavalry are attacking one another;

are Turks wearing turbans;


lier

on the

a cava-

who

has been thrown, and

who

supposed to

be a likeness of the painter.


ing the inscription S
Salvator's name.

He holds
the

a shield bearsyllables of
is

A R O,

first

In the centre of this picture

a foot-soldier charging upon the cavaliers.


picture

This

was the

first

painted by Salvator Rosa in

Florence.

Another great

battle-piece represents the Battle

of Montemurlo, by Giovanni Battista Franco, an

inconspicuous Venetian painter, born in 1536 and

dying

in 1561, a

young man of some promise, and

trbe t)aU of Jupiter


loyal to his sovereign, Co'simo
this
''

Ht

I.

Vasari describes

battle-piece
affair of

in

his

Life of Battista Franco


in

The

Montemurlo,

which

all

exiles

and

rebels to the

duke were routed and taken prisoners,

having then ensued, Battista painted a story of the


battle

which had been fought, and mingled with

the facts certain poetic fancies of his own, which

displayed good invention.


extolled.
in the

The work was much

...

In the distance was the battle, but

foreground were the huntsmen of Ganymede,


with their eyes turned upward toward

standing,

the bird of Jove,


to

who

is

carrying the youth


Battista
it

away

the

skies;

this

part

borrowed from
his

Michelangelo, and had used


signify that the duke, while

in

picture to

still

young, had been

taken from his friends by the will of God, and so

borne up into heaven.

...

It

was painted by him


is

with extraordinary care, and upper rooms of the


Pitti,

now ...
most

in

the

which

his

illustrious

Excellency has caused to be entirely finished."


sons

Per-

who

are interested in these battle-scenes should

not

fail

to read the masterly description of


in his " Treatise

Leonardo
entitled

da Vinci,
"

on Painting,"
It is

How
In

to

Compose a

Battle."

one of the most

graphic bits of writing on this subject.

Number

135 another scene of carnage displays

the signature of the artist on the cornice of a temple,

Salvator

Rosa.

Rosa

is

better represented.

142

tCbe Uvt of tbe

t>itti

l^alace

however, by his most famous picture, the Conspiracy


of CatiHne.
It

hangs over the door of

this salon,

and

is

the next picture to be considered.

The masterpiece
this picture in Paris,

of Salvator Rosa represents an

episode in the conspiracy of CatiHne.

repHca of

was executed
it is

for the MartelH family

and

one of the most famous of Rosa's

Some claim that the Paris copy is the original. The figures were drawn from the demonstrative Neapolitans of his own day, dressed in ancient Roman costume. The scene is in the Palace of Catiline. The light,
historical

paintings.

falling

from above,
it

is

so reflected from the marble

walls that

illuminates the heads

and figures in

the centre and foreground.


falls

An

effective

shadow
is

upon the

rest of the picture.


altar,

In the centre

an antique tripod serves as an

which

about

to be used for the celebration of a ghastly ceremony.

Salvator Rosa depicts that fearful


Catiline,

moment when

having employed

all

his marvellous elo-

quence to detail the nature of his perilous enter'


prise,

has induced the conspirators to bind them-

selves to secrecy

and to the

terrible cause

by taking

a solemn oath, ratified by pledging each other in

wine mingled with human blood.


is

This ceremony

now Roman

in process.

Two men

in the dress of the

nobility stand in the foreground, clasping


altar.

hands above the

The one on

the

left,

a weak.

w 2 a 3 ^ H O
t-i
4-l

<;

u
Pi4

13

o
>H

X
(D
4-

u
ei
C4 en

O u >

XEbe Iball of 5upftet


evil-looking dupe,
is

143

holding a cup to receive the

blood which flows from his raised arm.

He

was

probably chosen for this hideous

sacrifice, to

supply

the blood for the conspirators to drink, because of


his brutal, uncertain nature, in hopes that this con-

spicuous part in the ceremony might so impress his

imagination

that

he

would be given additional


This

strength to maintain secrecy and good faith.


figure
is

intended for Quintius Curtius, and the

drawing of every lineament follows the description


of Sallust.

Treachery

may

be seen in the mean

and undecided
ing these

lines of his countenance.


is

Catiline himself

quite in the background, urg-

men to their duty with uplifted arm. The conspirator who clasps the hand of Curtius is better
looking than the traitor, but his beauty
fiery order.
is

of a brutal,

One would
way

expect neither justice nor

mercy

at his hands.

Neither of these

men

appears

to be in any

reliable, as

men

willing to bind

themselves by such an oath could hardly be, and


Catiline
still

feels the necessity for stimulating their

courage with his eloquence.


In the background at the
left

are

guard of

Sylla, in full

armour,

two of the old


price.

fighters wearied

with peace, and ready for action at any

They

are regarding Curtius and his opposite with ad-

miration and wonder.


spirators are seen

Some
right.

of the patrician con-

on the

One

of them, how-

144
ever,
sight,

XEbe Hrt ot tbe pitti palace


seems to turn with horror from the atrocious

and to loathe the idea of seahng an oath with

a hbation of

human blood

and yet he was planning

a
it

still

more

disastrous conspiracy of his own, for

is

the face of Julius Caesar, even at that time


all

envying Catiline, and longing to trample

other

powers

in subjection.
calls

Burckhardt

them " a choice company of

evil-

natured, vulgar, aristocratically attired vagabonds,"

which

is

doubtless

what such a company, meeting


like.

on such an errand, might be expected to look


Ruskin considers
of Salvator.
this

a very characteristic picture

In alluding to another head painted by him, he says " It is as elevated a type as he ever
:

reaches,

and assuredly debased enough; a

sufficient

image of the mind of the painter of


Salvator

Catiline.'^

Rosa was born

in

Naples in 1615.

He
style

was a scholar of Spagnoletto, and adopted the


of Caravaggio, so that
as his son.

we may

almost consider

him

He
he

is

always rather savage

in his se-

lection of subjects, for

he was an impulsive NeapoliNaples for

tan, although

left

Rome when he

was only twenty years of age, and spent his life in the Imperial City. While he was a youth in Naples, he joined the band known as " Compagnie
della

Morte," at the time of the popular tumult


Massaniello'
;

under
death,

but

at

Massaniello's

tragic

Rosa

lost heart

and

fled to

Rome.

tlbe Iball of Jupttet

145

That Rosa was an original and positive person is He wrote poetry, and his house was the certain.
resort of wits, artists,
ecclesiastical grandees.

and Hterary men, as well as

He

probably owes

much

of

his

bad reputation to the


with these
last

fact that

he took certain
In a picthe swine
the nose

liberties

mentioned guests.

ture of " Fortuna " could be seen,

among

who were

treading pearls under their

feet,

of one Church dignitary, and the eye of another;

people pretending to penetration detected a cardinal

masquerading as an
great personage

ass,

scattering with his hoof

the laurel with which his path

was strewn
in

another
ly-

was recognized

an old goat

ing on a bed of roses.

So
and

the scandal spread, and

Salvator Rosa was accused of sedition, privy conspiracy,

and

rebellion,

his
all

friends
evil

made him

draw up a formal

denial of

intent in his

picture before his life

was

really considered safe!

Perhaps he was rather scornful of the reigning


authority in

some other

matters, too;

for they

tell

a story of a certain picture painted by a surgeon,

very well done, but rejected by the Academy, as


the Academicians did not wish to recognize a doctor
in their midst.
it

Rosa took the picture and exhibited

among

his
its

own

things, without

any announcein

ment as to

authorship.
picture.

Artists

came

crowds,

and praised the


it

When

they had admired


it

to his satisfaction,

Salvator announced that

146

Ubc art
the

ot tbe IMttt

palace

was
if

work of

the surgeon.

" But," he added, " I


for,

think the Academicians have acted unwisely;

he were only a member of the Academy, they

would have the advantages of his services in setting some of the broken and deformed limbs that
occur in the exhibitions."

The

Nativity

is

pleasingly but not convincingly

rendered by Lelio Orsi, a painter of the


school, born in

Lombard
until

Reggio

in 151

1,

and painting

The Virgin is kneeling, in profile, bending toward the child, who lies on a linen cloth on the ground. The attitude is suggestive of Correggio's The shepoccasional treatment of this subject.
1586.

herds are assembled, and St. Joseph


attitude, leaning

is

present

his

on a stone, one hand crossed above


This position
painting
is
is

the other,

is

natural.

rather an

original touch.

The

not remarkable in

other ways.

The
pose.

portrait,

by Sustermans, of Vittoria
is

della

Rovere as a Vestal Virgin,

most delightful

in

There

is

great stateliness in her attitude,


I
'

as she stands holding in her hands a sieve, and


clad entirely differently

from any Vestal Virgin,

but doubtless as Sustermans conceived that they

might have dressed.


shoulders,

Her

hair hangs free on her

and she wears a green mantle.


thoroughly good.
II.,

The

whole

effect is

She was the wife


to live in

of Grand

Duke Ferdinand

who came

ttbe Iball of jupitet

u?
Cosimo
will

the Pitti in the seventeenth century, bringing with

him the
Vittoria

art collections of his

father,

II.

was

a daughter of that Francesco

Maria
be

della Rovere,

whose

portrait

by Baroccio

seen in the next room;


herited his art treasures,

and on

his death she in-

which were brought to

the Pitti as part of her dowry.


JoO'St

Sustermans was a Fleming, having been


in 1597.

born in Antwerp

But

his claim as a

Flem-

ish artist stops there.

He

went early

in life to Italy,

and painted court


his
life.

portraits

for the remainder of


II.,

In the time of Cosimo

he went to
portraits of

Florence,
all

where he remained, painting

members of the Medici Many of these pictures hang in the Pitti.


the
existing

family.

He was
III.

retained in the court until the death of

Cosimo

He

had the

talent of being able to retain a likeness

while flattering the individual,

perhaps
:

the most

essential quality in a popular portrait painter.


ler

thus

sums up

his

excellences

"

KugHe was of

decided realist tendency, an able draughtsman, a

powerful and clean colourist, and possessed

much

freedom of the brush."


1681.

He

died in Florence in

Number 118
It will

represents the artist,

Andrea

del

Sarto, and his wife, Lucrezia.

help us to understand

more

intelligently

the large

number of

pictures

by Del Sarto

in the

148
Pitti

trbe art of tbe pitti palace


Palace
if

we

look for a
life,

moment
born
his
in

intoi

the cir-

cumstances of his

which, in his case, so greatly

influenced his art.

He was

Florence in

i486, the son of a tailor,

whence

name,

" Del

Sarto."

His

real

name was Vanucci.


work

As

a youth,

he began to show promise of

artistic talents,

and

was

sent early to

in the studio' of Piero di

Cosimo.

After a short time of apprenticeship, he


friend,

and another ambitious young


a studio together.

none other
set

than the famous Franciabigio, decided to

up

These two fellows received as

many

orders as they could execute, and their studio

became a rendezvous for the wits and sages of


Bohemia.

Among

their intimates

was

Rustici,

who

must have been an


sion for exotic pets

eccentric genius.
;

He

had a pasand prick

among

these

was a hedgehog,
rooms
ser-

that used to roll itself up under the table

the shins of guests.


in his

Rustici had one of the

house flooded, and there he cherished

pents and aquatic curiosities.


If the innocent

Bohemian

freaks of these
his follies,

boon

companions had been the sum of

Andrea

might have

lived to realize a fortune


fell in love,

by his art;

but unfortunately, he

not wisely but too

well, the object of his devotion

being one Lucrezia,

the wife of a cap-maker,

general fascinator,

who and who

seems to have been a


turned the heads of

many young men.

Andrea's head followed those

Ubc

Iball of

Jupitet

149

of his contemporaries, and


a
little

it

seems to have turned

farther than the others, for,

when

Lucrezia's

husband died on a sudden, he married the widow,

and from that time

all

his

money went

toi

decking

her out for her progressive conquests.

Sweet, amiable, easily

led,

Andrea seems

tO'

have

worshipped

this

unworthy but enchanting woman.


inspiration for his

She became the


tures,

most sacred

pic-

most inappropriately

selected as his type for

the Virgin.
lovely that "

And the result is so Men have excused him,"


it,

inexpressibly
as

Browning

has expressed

describing the painter sitting in


religion,

one of

his

moods of conjugal
as
spiritual,

adoring his
interpreting

Lucrezia's
his

outward appearance,

emotions
people

and

common

mistake

among
in

who have

the artistic temperament

an unhealthy degree
" Let

my hands

frame your face

in

your hair's gold,

You

beautiful^Lucrezia that art mine

Andrea painted that Raphael did this The Roman's is the better when you pray,
But
still,

the other's Virgin

was

his

wife

Men

will

excuse me."

And
"

again:

You

Why, there's my picture ready made There's what we painters call our harmony
smile
?
!
.

So, keep looking so,

My

serpentining beauty, rounds on rounds

'*
!

ISO

XTbe art ot tbe pitti palace

Artists laboured

much

for the churches in those

days, and often received small equivalent for their

time and thought.


vite Convent,

For painting a Pieta


in

at the Ser-

Andrea was paid

a bunch of votive

candles.

The good

brothers evidently believed in

" casting their bread upon the waters," and no doubt


the candles returned to them in
wishes.

smoke and good

In 15 17 Andrea painted the renowned


del Arpie in the Uffizi.

Perhaps
all

this

Madonna Madonna is
in

one of the most beautiful of


recognized as
his,

those of the type


the

and presents Lucrezia


glory.
is

power of her youthful

In 15 18 followed the
in the
Pitti

powerful Disputa, which

Gallery

and, having the true spirit of applying his art even


to the crafts,

Andrea executed

also the paintings


lids

of the History of Joseph on the


riage-chests presented

of two marto

by Salvi Borgherini

Mar-

gherita Accajuoli on her wedding-day.

In 1523 Del Sarto

left

Florence for a time, to

escape the plague which

was raging

there.

He

went

to a convent for refuge,

where he painted the


and which
In 1524 the

exquisite Pieta, which hangs in the Pitti,


will

be described in

its

turn.

Madonna
is

in Glory with

Saints

was executed;
It is

this

also

to be seen in the Pitti.


that, as

worth while to notice


unpleasant to remem-^

time goes on, Andrea paints a more mature


as the Virgin.
It i^

woman

trbe t)all ot 5upitet


ber that this must have been because his wife

151

was
he

getting older, for she continued to be his model.

His power of delineation never waned,


died

for, as

when he was only

forty-two, he had no depictures are the

cadence.

Among

his

latest

two

Holy Families

in the Pitti,

and the large painting


unfinished on

of the Virgin in Glory, in which the portrait of

himself appears, and which was

left

his easel at the time of his death.

Some

of his

most powerful work occurs

in

these last efforts.

Surely he might have uttered without egotism the

words with which Browning


"

credits

him

No
I

sketches

first,

no

studies,

that's long past.

do what many dream of all their lives. Dream? Strive to do, and agonize to do,

And

fail in

doing."

Andrea
His

del

Sarto died of the plague in 1530.

wife, with that sense of self-preservation

which

characterized her, discreetly withdrew in order to

escape contagion, so that the painter died in solitude.

The

brothers of the Scalzo buried

him with

short delay.
his

Biadi alludes to this disposition of

remains as " the poorest possible " funeral.


is

Baldinucci
interest.

responsible for a narrative of


the artist Empoli

some

One day when

was em-

ployed copying Del Sarto's Nativity in the Servite


Cloister,

an old lady paused by him and watched

152

tbe art
at work.

of tbe

lC)itti

Ibalace
that one of the

him
wife.

She informed him

figures in the picture

was a

portrait of the artist's

Upon
it

his questioning her authority for the

statement,

transpired that she herself

was Lu-

crezia in the flesh.

She

is

reported to have lived

to be eighty-seven.

the Annunciation, by Andrea


Pitti; but this.

There are three treatments of the same

subject,

del Sarto in the

Number
is

124, above the door leading

to the next hall,

by

far the best.

The

picture

was

painted for the

monks
to

of

San

Gallo,

and hung for

a time in their church outside the Porta San Gallo.


It

was removed

then purchased in

San Jacopo Tra Fossi, and was 1626 by the Duchess Maria Maand hung
in the chapel of the

dellena of Austria,
Pitti.
It is

on a wooden panel.

At

the left stands

the Virgin, with an expression of surprise, hesitation,

and submission

she wears a dull red robe and the right the Angel Gabriel

a blue mantle.

At

kneels, with a lily in his left

hand; there are two

charming angels behind him, the painting of whose


heads
is

especially delicate.

There

is

a slight haze

which suggests that they belong to another world.

The background
scene
in
is

of this picture

is

famous.

The
air,

depicted as taking place in the open

a beautiful garden,
is

and a chaste Renaissance


This house has a portico

house

seen at the

left.

with a vaulted

ceiling,

above which, on a balcony,

ANNUNCIATION
By Andrea
del Sarto
,

in the

Hall of Jupiter

Ube

fjall of Jupitct

153

several persons are gathered.

On
is

the steps which

lead to the portico a youth


quisite landscape

resting,

and an ex-

shows beyond, while through the

open arches of the portico


ruin.

may

be seen a picturesque
little

Mary
is

has risen from a


inscription.
It

prie dieu,

upon

which

an

may

be thus translated

" Andrea del Sarto has painted thee here as he carries

thee in his heart; and not such as thou art,

Marie, to thy glory rather than to his renown."

Garofolo has painted a striking picture of Augustus and the Sibyl.

The

legend, as most of us

have heard,

is

an ancient one.

The Emperor Au-

gustus Caesar visited the Tiburtine Sibyl to ask her


to answer his question whether he ought to allow
his people to

worship him as a god, and to receive

divine honours, as the Senate had decreed.

The

Sibyl replied by causing a cleft in the clouds above

an altar; there, enthroned, were the Madonna and


Child, while a voice

was heard chanting, " Behold


Augustus then proCoeli.

the altar of the living God."


ceeded, after this vision,
line Hill the
tO'

found upon the Capito-

Church of the Ara


interesting,

In Garofolo*s treatment of the story the general

atmosphere
Sibyl
is

is

and the figure of the

a graceful one, although the proportions are


strained, the distance

little

from her neck to her


vision in the heavens

breast being too short, and from the breast to the

knee much too long.

The

154

Zbc art

of tbe ttti lC>alace

might have been better conceived; the Child looks


as
if

he were wading through the clouds.


is

The

scene
is

laid in

an open portico.

Augustus Caesar

dressed like an apostle rather than a


is

Roman Em-

peror; his figure

rather attenuated, as he kneels,

shading his eyes with his hand, looking carefully in


a diametrically opposite direction from the vision.

The

treatment of the draperies

of the

Sibyl

is

charming, her tunic falling in folds of quite a Gre^


cian aspect.

On

the floor

is

an extremely diminutive
possible that a Sibyl
it

lap-dog.

One wonders

if it is

could keep such a canine; and


look like an emperor's pet!

certainly does not


it

In other words,
It is
is

seems to have no raison


order to
one.
fill

d'etre.

put there in

a space.

The

picture

not a powerful

The
full

gigantic St.

Marc

of Fra Bartolommeo occu-

pies a large space in this apartment.

The
is

figure

is

of action, although seated;

it

restless

and

energetic.

The

saint

is

painted in a kind of niche,

with a shell-like apse above him.

While Delia

Porta had studied under Roselli, he had become


attracted by the

work of Da

Vinci, and his early

works are so
had been

fine as to

be almost miniatures.

He

criticized as

being unable to reproduce any-

thing on a large scale; so he defiantly painted this


St.

Marc, thereby silencing


first

all cavil

on that

score.

His method was

to

draw the

figure nude,

and

XCbe
then to drape
error
it,

KaU

ot Juptter
fell

iss
into the

and thus he never

of

drawing irrelevant folds with nothing

under them.

good

cavalier portrait

is

Number

126,

by Phi-

lippe de

Champaigne, one of the best of the Flemish

masters; he was born at Brussels in 1602, and died


in Paris

on the twelfth of August


is

in 1674.

This

portrait

of a

man

in

armour, with a sash-like


to hip,

scarf loosely crossed

from shoulder
is

and a

square lace

collar.

His hair

dressed in the elab-

orate curled style of the period.

There
Crespi,

is

a very sweet,
132.

human Holy Family by


St.

Number
bird,

This picture represents the


Joseph has caught
string, to

main
a

figures in half-length.

little

and brings

it,

tied

by a

show

to the Infant Jesus.

The

Child, in his mother's

arms,

is

hiding his face and motioning to his father


it

to take the bird away, or to set

at liberty.

The
arise

attitude

is

thoroughly
little

childlike,

and might

from

fear at the

wild bird,

when brought

into

such close proximity, or from sympathy at the bird's


captivity
;

in either case,

it is

a delightful and orig-

inal picture.

The

picture.

Number
style

129, of the

Woman
is

Taken
a

in Adultery, being

brought before Christ,

good

example of the

of Mazzolini, a painter of

Ferrara from 14811530, remarkable for his ex,treme finish, equal care being taken with
all details.

156

Ubc Htt
is in

ot tbe

mm palace
woman, who
Pharisees stand

Christ

the act of forgiving the

stands before him, her hands crossed and her eyes


cast

down.

The

hypocrites and

about; and the expressions on their faces are very


cleverly portrayed.

Doubt, disapproval, triumphant

virtue gloating

over exposed vice, with no con-

ception of the Christian ideal of protection and tolerance,

without

realization that their sin of hard-

heartedness and self -justification was quite as hid-

eous in the sight of the Lord as was the sin of the

woman whom
feeling

they condemn,

all

are

drawn with
is

and

force.

One

acid old person


at
is

turning

away, positively outraged


gerous doctrine;
stone.

what he considers danstooping to pick up a

another

Manozzi's Return from the Hunt


display of cavalier portraits.

is

a spirited

The men who have


on which

been participating in the chase are ranged up to

have

their pictures painted, behind a table

are deposited their spoils.

tumes are pleasant,


green;

the
are
cast.

The

colours of the cosis

figure at the right


left is

in

blue and tan, while at the


the
others

one
in

in blue

and

dressed

inconspicuous

shades of a neutral
is

The

central seated figure

good;

he

is

in black,

and holds the composition

together capitally.

Pheasants, rabbits, and wood-

cock seem to have been the game.


the right
still

The hunter

at

carries his

gun on

his shoulder,

and

tCbe 1baU of Jupftet


others have their hunting-pieces in their hands.
is

h7
It

a good picture of

its

class.

Rubens's Holy Family,


his usual vein,
in fact,
it

wholesome,

Number

139,

is

quite in

human, winsome,

is

a portrait-study of his

own menage,

with no suggestion, either in types, costumes, or


materials, of the subject
resent.
It
is

which

it

purports to repchildren

almost " jolly."


little

The

are

blooming,
father,

jocund

chaps,

and the mother,


types.

and grandmother are Rubens's usual


is

The mother woman. As


picture,
it

a good-natured, simpering Dutch-

to there being

any inspiration

in the

more than a proud grandmother and parents viewing two very rollickIt is said by some to be a ing, plump children.
is

impossible to find

studio piece.
a family group,

Nevertheless,
it is

considered simply as

thoroughly charming.

Ruskin

remarks that " Rubens wants the feeling for grace

and mystery."
istic at times.

It is true,

he was

toO'

baldly realhis

He

had a great way of painting

own

family in sacred scenes.

He

is

so

much imthem

pressed himself by the worldly and theatrical value


of certain subjects that he even advertises

according to those characteristics.


catalogue, for instance, he mentions
florins;
:

In his priced " Six hundred

a picture of Achilles clothed as a

woman.
by
of
full

Done by my

best scholars, the whole retouched

my

hand.

most beautiful

picture,

and

15^

tCbe art of tbe


beautiful

lp>itti

Ipalace
the appeal

many

young

girls."

He knew
is

to popular taste.

The Bacchanale
satyrs

of Rubens

a free fight between

and nymphs.

All laws are disregarded, and

they are capturing any one


the ground
lie

whom

they can.

On
the

a dead boar and a dead deer;

satyrs have evidently returned

from a hunting party,

and have

fallen in

with nymphs.

The

picture

is

numbered

141.
is

Magdalen, by Artemesia Gentileschi,

Num-

ber 142.

On
is

a table

is

seen a skull, and a vase of

perfume
lady

on the ground.

On

the table appears


Elegit."

the inscription, "


is

Optimam Partem
satin,

The

in a

very low-necked Italian Renaissance

costume of luscious

and evidently moves in


in ringlets,

good

society.

Her

hair

is

and there

is

nothing to suggest that the picture represents a


penitent, except that she
infallible
is

endowed with a
art.

halo,

proof of sainthood in
is

Near the

skull

on the table

a mirror.

Her

lips

are parted and

her body thrown slightly forward.

She might be

an opera singer trying to reach a high note.

Very few women painted in the era of the Renaissance, but among them was Artemesia Gentileschi, who worked at Pisa, where she was born in 1590. She was the daughter of an artist, and is said to
have been a most charming woman.

She was as

popular for her manners and appearance as for her

Zbc
talents as

Iball of

Jupiter

159

a painter.

She

lived for

some time

in

Naples, where she married.

She was influenced

by Guido Reni and Domenichino.


variety of style,
portraiture.

She had great

and was particularly famous for


picture

The

of

the

Magdalen was

probably begun as a portrait.


In this hall stands one of the most famous of
the great tables

made
in

of pietra dura, or Florentine

mosaic.

This style of work differs essentially from

the mosaic

made

Rome;

for in the

Roman
is

vari-

ety the tesserae are small, and the effect

produced

by innumerable tiny

bits of colour,

on something
while in pietra

the same principle as the closely clustered square


stitches in cross-stitch

embroidery;

dura the actual stones are cut and polished the exact
shape and size of the values they are to represent,
the edges fitted to a nicety, and the workmanship
necessarily

much more skilful than

in

Roman

mosaic.

CHAPTER

VII.

THE HALL OF SATURN


Is the

name
its

of Raphael less significant than

it

was

fifty

years ago?

Modern

criticism is not as

ready with
earlier

unstinted praises as

day; but no criticism

was that of an or modern spirit can

prevent a wholesome appreciation of the immortal


part of Raphael's genius.
*'

" His art/' says Benson,


is

is

above fashion, as

it

above criticism."

It is

a narrow person
particular style

who
own

can see beauties only in the


to prevail or to

which happens
day.

be

the fashion in his

Let us return to our

Raphael

in the

Hall of Saturn, with a mind free

from

prejudice,

and see what

is

really there of merit

or defect.

One

should not accept the rather degen-

erate cavil of iconoclastic eccentrics, to

whom

the

fact of unchallenged ascendency is in itself a chal-

lenge.

The most popular


in the Pitti
It is a
is

picture, perhaps, that is

shown

Raphael's

Madonna

of the Chair.

round

picture, familiar even to children in all


i6o

MADONNA OF THE CHAIR


By Raphael
;

in the

Hall of Saturn

Zbc
countries.
It

Iball ot

Saturn

i6i

has been more copied and engraved

To some sensitive souls than any other picture. But v^hat this signifies that it is " too common/'
are the quahties w^hich have thus appealed to so

many

generations?

Surely not a commonplaceness

of composition, handling, or colour.


sees the original can one possibly

Not

until

one

know

the real
inlike

power of

this picture.

There

is

an element of
it,

describable and uncopyable luminosity about

the Immaculate Conception of Murillo in the Louvre,

which has also been copied almost as often, and


yet which bursts
original like a

upon one when


picture, so full

first
is it

seen in the

new
is

of that subtle

quality

which

so different

from the work of


is

any

inferior artist.

Jhe

trouble

that so

much

undiscriminating and

lavish

praise

has been be-

stowed upon the Madonna of the Chair, that the

pendulum has swung the other way


us examine
It is
it

at last.

Let

and see what there


the

really is to admire.
little

a round painting on wood, a


diameter, and
is

over two

feet in

work of the master


and 15 14,
It

during his

Roman

period, between 15 lo

while he was working in the Vatican.


ably executed by order of

was prob-

Leo

X., or perhaps for

one of the acquisitive Medici.

There
painting.

is

a charming legend connected with the

The story is that a venerable hermit dwelt among the hills near Rome, who was called

62

ube art

ot tbe

IPitti

palace

Father Bernardo, and that in a frightful storm the


Hfe of this old

man was once

saved by his taking


estate

shelter in a great oak-tree

which grew on the

of a wine-dresser.

This wine-dresser had a lovely

daughter, Mary,

who was

hospitable and kind to

the hermit on this occasion.

When

Father Bershelter,

nardo departed from the wine-dresser's

he

pronounced a blessing upon Mary, and also besought the Almighty that the friendly tree might
be distinguished by some special favour.
After

many
tree

years the hermit died.

In the meantime, the


it

had been cut down and sections of

prepared

for heads for the wine-casks.


sitting

One day Mary was


in her
stick

by one of these casks with a child

arms.

An

older child ran to

show her a

which

he had fashioned into a


to be in search of a
tially

cross.

Raphael, reported

model for a Madonna, providen-

came up

at the

moment when

this propitious

tableau presented

itself.

He

immediately appro-

priated the top of the wine-cask, and sketched the

group then and

there.

He
del

carried

umph, and the Madonna


result.

Thus the

hermit's

away in triSeggiola was the final blessing was realized,


it

and both Mary and the oak-tree were immortalized.

Modern

critics find in this picture


spirit.

small evidence

of the devotional

There are absolutely none

of the superstitious or symbolical elements which

occur in so

many

of the precious earlier

Madonnas

trbe Iball of Saturn


of the Italian schools.
It is

163
realistic

an absolutely

picture of a devoted mother

hugging her
extreme

child close,

and a happy
with them.

little

chubby brother or cousin playing


it

But

is is

little

in

Taine to

say that the mother

a Circassian or Greek sultana,

clutching her infant with the beautiful gesture of


a savage animal
!

That there

is

not as

ual as earthly beauty in this picture


tainly grant.
It is

much spiritwe must cer-

rather a glorifying of maternity

than an exposition of the mediaeval interpretation of


the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
this is

But

not a valid objection.

An

artist

has a right
beliefs;

to interpret a scene according to his

own

and

it is

not unlikely that the

Holy Family
similar

in

Naz-

areth presented a

somewhat

outward ap-

pearance to other families of their period and locality.

The

subtle difference between the


families,

Holy Family
in

and other
so

which has been expressed

many

early pictures

by

visible halos

and

attitudes

of conscious piety,

may

in reality
is

be quite as

much

a license of the painter as

this entire realism.


its

Each mode of representation has


but the

own charm;

gross

Madonna because we

of the Chair should not be called


love also the refined and exalted

types of Fra Angelico and Lippo

Memmi.

Hawthorne expressed himself as convinced that this was the most beautiful picture in the world, and
George Eliot evidently found
religion, as she inter-

i64
preted
it,

Ube art
in the "
is

ot tbe

l^itti

ipalace

grave gaze of the Infant/' which,

she says, "

the final and lasting impression "


picture.

made

upon her by the

most interesting writer of travels


tells

in the eight-

eenth century. Dr. John Moore,


in connection

an anecdote

with the

Madonna

of the Chair.

He

says that one evening, in the Pitti Palace, where


the grand duke resided, a friend

was pointing out


rather

the excellences of

some of the
listen

pictures to him, while

" a gentleman in the company,

who would

remain ignorant than

to the lectures of a

connoisseur, walked on by himself into the other

apartments.

When

he returned, he

said,

know
would
in

no more of painting than


is

my

pointer;

but there
I

a picture in one of the other rooms which


all
. . .

rather have than

the portrait of a healthy,

handsome country woman with her child arms. We followed him, and the
. .

her

.'

picture

which pleased him so much was the famous Ma-

donna

del

Seggiola by Raphael.

Our

instructor

immediately pronounced him a


taste,

man

of

genuine

because without any previous knowledge or

instruction he

had fixed

his admiration

on the

finest

picture in Florence."

(But the gentleman expressed


told that
it

disappointment

when

represented the
*

Holy Family.)
admire the

"'Because,' said he,

though
it

art of the painter,


I

and thought
ever saw, yet

one
con-

of the truest copies of nature

Ube
fess

ftall of
is

Saturn

165

my

admiration

much
was
the

abated

when you inform


*

me
*

that his intention

to represent the Virgin/


cicerone.
?
'

Why

so ?

'

repHed

The Virgin
rank in Hfe/

Mary was not


said the other,

of high rank
'

No

could give additional dignity to


told

the person

who had been

by an angel from

heaven that she had found favour with God, and


that her son should be called the
. .
.

Son of the Highest

in the

countenance of such a woman, besides


I

comeliness,

look for the most lively expression of


gratitude,

admiration,
divine love.
is

and
I

virgin

modesty,

and

And when

am

told that this picture


lived,
I

by the greatest painter that ever

am

disappointed in perceiving no traces of that kind


in it/

What
I

justice there
it

is

in this gentleman's

remarks,

leave

to better judges than I pretend

to be to determine."

To show how differently two persons of different temperaments may be struck by the same picture,
I will

quote another traveller, George Stillman Hil-

liard,

whose opinion of the Madonna of the Chair


be compared with the analysis of
it

may
"
is

by Doctor

Moore's friend.
in
its

" Its chief charm," says Hilliard,

happy blending of the divine and the

human

elements.

Some

painters treat this subject

in such a

way

that the spectator sees only a

mother

caressing her child;

while by others the only ideas

awakened are those of the Virgin and Redeemer.

i66

Ube art

ot tbe pfttt palace

But heaven and earth meet on Raphael's canvas,

the purity of heaven and the tenderness of earth.

The

round, infantile form, the fond, clasping arms,

the sweetness and the grace belong to this world;

but the faces, especially that of the Infant Saviour,


in

whose eyes there


.

is

a mysterious depth of ex-

pression,

are touched by the light from heaven,

and suggest something to worship as well as something to love."

Circassian sultana,

Queen of Heaven,
It is

De Te Fabula
is

a healthy

peasant,

the
up
artist.

one comfort that no one has even


technical points that are

risen

to

announce that the picture

by some other

Among
space,

worth nothing, the


is

an unusual one for a group,


points out that perhaps this
is

well

filled.

Crowe
at the

accomplished

expense of the comfortable appearance of the

subjects,
bit

possibly the figure of the Virgin


fit

is

cramped to

the exigencies of the


it is

circle.

But

as a composition

graceful, and,

if

the costume

does somewhat suggest an undue mixture of East-

ern and Western

styles,

the colouring of the vari-

ous fabrics

is

relief

from the conventional blue


art.

Virgins which so abound in

Whether one
Raphael
is

prefers

Greek or Gothic

styles,

the only painter

who

unites in his

manner
for

the excellences of both.


fervour,

Greek beauty and religious

these

are no longer irreconcilable,

tCbe 1)aU ot Saturn


Raphael has succeeded
others
in fusing

167

them.

There are

who

can dehneate beauty as well as he; but

no other
nas.

artist

seems capable of combining

this rich

beauty with the spiritual exaltation of his

Madon-

In later testimony regarding this famous pic-

ture, I

quote from

again and again to

Lyman Abbott "I came back the Madonna of the Chair; be:

cause, as I stood before this picture, the purity of

the mother's

face,

and her protecting arm, and

the trustful repose of the child, inspired

me

with

a reverence for motherhood such as no philosopher


could have inspired by his argument, nor novelist

by

his story,

nor preacher by his sermon, nor even

musician and poet combined by their song."

Raphael Sanzio, the most universally acknowl-

edged popular painter of Italian

art,
is

was born

ins

Urbino

in

1483.

Raphael's style
:

generally di-

vided into three manners

his early or

Umbrian

manner, which was supposed, roughly, to extend

from

his first efforts until

about 1504; followed by


his
*'

his life in Florence,

where he developed
till

second

manner," the Florentine, from 1504

about 15 12;

when he went Vatican, his Roman, or "


after that,

to

Rome

to paint in the

third manner," succeeded

these other two, lasting until his pathetic death in

1520.

cursory examination of these three char-

acteristic styles in
self is

which

this artist expressed

him-

now our

purpose.

i68

Ube art
first

of tbe t>itti

palace
lofty,

The

manner was characterized by the

thoughtful conception to which


his handling at this time
clear.

we have

alluded;

was minute,

careful,

and

His colours were pure, and the whole work

reminiscent of the conscientious labour of his good


master, Perugino.

The
fuller

second, or Florentine,
style,

manner was simply


academic expres-

a development of this

and a broadening into


less

comprehension and a

sion.

The

third, or

Roman, manner was almost a new


it

school of painting, so vigorous and broad did

become; the tender smoothness of the early work


has disappeared, and in fresco broad brush-marks

and defined

lines,

and

in easel pictures a softer

mod-

elling of the outline, are observable.

More power,

more

ability to express in

fewer touches the idea that


these,

he intended to convey,
acteristics of

which are the charall

progress in the best artists in


in the

ages,

were marked

Roman manner

of Raphael.
this

To

what

farther

degree of

perfection
will never

amazing
his death
in a cold

youth would have attained


his life

be known, for

was only

thirty-seven years,

and

came

in 1520.

He

had been kept waiting

antechamber for an interview with the Pope, and

had taken a
ous
life.

chill,

which developed into the treacher-

Roman

fever,

which

in

a few days ended his

Count Baldassare, the author of that charm-

ttbe Iball of Saturn


ingly quaint work, "

169

The

Courtier," wrote to his


that I

mother

*'
:

It

seems to

me

am no
is

longer in

Rome,

since
all

my

poor dear Raphael

no more."

We

know

the touching story of

how Raphael
is

lay in state, with the unfinished picture of the Transfiguration

hanging over

his bed.

His tomb

to be

seen in the Pantheon in


his

Rome.

Some

years ago

remains

were exhumed and an examination

made, to verify the body beyond a doubt, as there

had arisen some question as to the place of


burial.

his

We

now

turn to the incomparable

Madonna

del

Granduca, another well-known Virgin of Raphael.


This, called

by some

critics

that has ever been painted,

which Raphael painted after


relli

Madonna was the first Madonna he left Perugino. Mothe loveliest

detects so

much

of the influence of Raphael's


Viti, that

earlier master,
it

Timoteo

he considers that

might be more properly


it

called the

Madonna

del

Duca, as

was very

likely painted in 1504, at

Ura

bino, for the

Duke Guidobaldo.
It

This point, how-

ever, is not of importance.

was the work of

youth of twenty-one, and there can hardly be a

more conclusive argument


of Raphael than this
fact.

for the preeminent genius

Carlo Dolci once had


it

it

in his possession, after

which

was purchased
then bought

for

the equivalent of about $20 from a poor widow.

The Grand Duke Ferdinand

III.

it

for

i^d

tbc Urt
so

of tbe t>itti tatac^


this

about $800,
transaction.

He

some one was enriched by was so devoted to the picture

that
it

he had

it

always in his apartments, and carried

with him on his travels wherever he went,

rather
is

an unwieldy mascot, one would think, as

it

on

wood, and measures over two


inches.

feet

by one foot nine

The composition
remarkable degree.

is

perfectly

satisfactory.

It

combines the spiritual and earthly elements to a


It

has

much

of that sweet piety

of sentiment that one sees in


earlier

Perugino and the


appears in
left

Tuscan

painters.

The Madonna

full face,

holding the Child seated on her

hand,

while with her right hand she gives him the usual
support suggested by his position.

The
is

infant's

eyes are directed toward the beholder, though lower

than the eye


the

level,

and the mother

looking in
ele-,

same

direction.

There

is

a suggestion of
if

vation in this arrangement, as

the two holy beings


in the

were looking downward upon the world;


child's

body there

is

a very

human

turn towards his

mother, as though for protection.

As Mr.

Still-

man

says, she

has the simplicity of a Greek statue


saint.

and the sweetness of a Christian

One

can readily understand

how

restful

it

must

have been for Ferdinand, after a tedious journey of


the eighteenth century, to
sit

down

before this noble

work of

art.

MADONNA DEL GRANDUCA


By Raphael
;

in the Hall of

Saturn

Ube Dall
The robe
veil

ot Saturn
is

171

of the

Madonna

a soft red, and the

mantle blue, verging on green.

She has a white

over her light hair, and the eyebrows are very

slightly defined.

As

the fashion of the day

was

to

pluck out the hairs from the eyebrows and forehead,


this feature is evidently intended to

convey the
as

local

idea of beauty.

The

eyelids are heavy;

Hare
. .

points out, " the holy, honest, and sad eyelid

which

is

exaggerated in the works of Francia and

Perugino."

This

is

one of the few Madonnas

in

which only the Virgin and Christ appear.


are no accessories
;

There
which

the draperies are of the simplest,


little

the child being nude except for a


is

scarf

twisted about him.

The

mystical element sugis

gested by a thread-like halo above each head

the

only

bit
is

of deliberate symbolism introduced.


a picture which illustrated the transition
first

This

from the

manner of Raphael to
:

his

second.

Muntz may be quoted


acquired complete
elling

" It

showed

that he
;

had

command

over himself

the

modcol-

became firm and precise to a degree unknown


of the Umbrian school, and the

to the painters

ouring became much clearer and more brilliant.'' " The Madonna del Granduca," says that appreciative critic,

A. C. Owen, " has

in

it

the mingling

of the last touches of the reverence and solemnity of the

Umbrian

school, with the earthly beauty, the


his

mere maternal expression of

new

style."

When

172

^be Hrt

ot tbe pitti palace


**

Mrs. Jameson wrote her


"

Diary of an Ennuyee,"

she alluded to a fact of interest concerning this


picture.

One
"

of the most beautiful of Raphael's

was suspended beside the bedside of the grand duke. She admits that she bribed the attendant to show her this room, which is never
exhibited,

Madonnas

and complains that the piety of the duke


satisfied

might just as well be


ture, so that

by some other

pic-

he need not

selfishly appropriate this

gem.
In Raphael's
165, the setting

Madonna

del Baldacchino,

Number

and background of the picture are

interesting, being a little apsidal chapel with a cof-

fered

vault,

supported on columns and pilasters


capitals.

with Corinthian
tre,

throne

is

in the cen-

on which
this

is

seated the Virgin with the Child;

and

throne

is

covered by a canopy, the curtains

of which are being raised by two very active angels.

The Virgin
ful.

is

a sweet type, something on the order

of the Granduca
St.

Madonna, and the


on the
left,

child

is

delight-

Peter,

in

good

cool yellows

and greens, holds a substantial key.


with an open book, stands next him.
is

St Bernardo,
St.

Bernardo

regarded as a patron of monastic learning.

On

the right are St. James the Less, and St. Augustine,
in bishop's mitre

and clothed

in red vestments, de-

monstrating with his right hand.

Two

charming

child angels at the foot of the throne are chanting

Ube
from a parchment
them.

"fcall

of

Saturn

173

scroll

which they hold between


of these

The broad treatment

two
is

figures,

which are familiar

to all art lovers,

admirable.

They suggest Fra Bartolommeo There is much about Raphael.


is like

quite as

much

as

the picture which

the handling of Fra Bartolommeo, especially

the general arrangement.

The

only parts which

are unquestionably by Raphael are the Virgin and


Child, St. Bernard

and

St.

Peter on the

left,

and

the upper part of St.


right.

James with the

staff

on the

The

angels above seem to be far on the

way

to turning somersaults.
trasts rather abruptly

Their extreme action con-

with the serenity of the rest

of the composition.

The next
small scale,

picture to be considered
it

is
is

Raphael's

Vision of Ezekiel, which, though


is

on a very

painted with a broad, dashing stroke

for so minute a picture,


finish of the earlier

and has none of the smooth


It

work.

was painted about the

time of his work in the Loggia in the Vatican.


In this picture Ezekiel himself occupies a minor
position, being seen only in the

dim distance down


is

upon the

earth, while the spectator

transported

to the heavens,

where the actual vision forms the


seated on the symbolical
principally

theme of the
beasts of the

picture.
is

The Eternal Father


bearing him upon
its

Four Evangelists, the eagle

wings, giving an expression

174

Ube art

of tbe Ipitti palace

of unrivalled lightness to the composition.


ject
I.
:

The

sub-

is

taken from the account in Ezekiel, Chapter


I

"

And

looked, and, behold, a whirlwind


fire
.

came

out of the north, a great cloud, and a


itself,

infolding
.

and a brightness was about


fire.

it,

out of

the midst of the

Also out of the midst thereof


. . .

came the
face of a
side:

likeness of four living creatures

and

as for the likeness of their faces, they four

had the

man, and the face

o^f

lion,

on the right

and they four had the face of an ox on the


they four also had the face of an eagle.
they w^ent,
I

left side;
.
.
.

And when

heard the noise of their

wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice


of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise

of an host;

and above the firmament that


as the
I

was the likeness ... appearance of a man above upon it. And
was over
their heads

saw

as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire

round about within

it,

and

it

had brightness
so

round about. ... As the appearance of the bow


that
is

in

the cloud in the day

O'f

rain,

was

the

appearance

of

the

brightness

round

about.

This was the apparance of the likeness of the glory


of the Lord.
face,

And when

I
O'f

saw

it,

fell

upon

my

and

heard a voice

one that spake."


could be suggested
it

No more
to a painter,

inspiring subject

and Raphael has used


St.

nobly.

The

eagle,

symbol of

John,

is first

to bear the hon-

VISION OF EZEKIEL

By Raphael

in the

Hall of Saturn

Ube

f)all ot

Saturn
St.

175

oured burden; below are the lion of

Mark and
Matthew
all

the ox of St. Luke, while the angel of St.

adores the Presence.

Two
in the
life

little

angels support

His outspread arms;

amber clouds

about

are indications of angelic

beautifully expressed.

Amber
eighteen

light

is

nowhere more perfectly luminous

than on this

little

wooden panel only


Ruskin's words,

thirteen

by
can

inches.

" Raphael

expatiate within the circumference of a platter,'*

might be applied to

this majestic

atom.
is

Some
God

critics

claim that the Almighty

too rem-

iniscent of Jove;

but any anthropomorphic idea of


Morelli detects Giulio
it

leads to such treatment.


here,

Romano's work

and considers

not Raphael's
it

except in design;
little.

with such a
in

result,

matters

It is

worthy of Raphael

any

case,

and ap-

pears in the main extraordinarily characteristic.

The
ried
it

picture

was executed

for

Count Vincenzio

Ercolani of Bologna, about 15 lo.


off,

The French
in

carit

and when

it

was returned

181 5,

was placed

in the Pitti.
is

The

portrait of Cardinal Bibiena

usually attrib-

uted to Raphael.

He

is

seated, turned three-quarter


ecclesisilk

face, in the usual red

and white garments of

astical dignitaries, as well as a purple

watered

cape and a red beretta.

One hand

lies

on the arm

of his chair, while the other holds a paper.


It is

claimed that this picture

is

a copy of an

176

Ube Htt

of tbe pttti palace

original in Madrid,

which belonged to Balthazar


is

Castiglione.

Passavant

the authority for this

statement.
represents

Others say that the picture in Madrid


another
person.

The

story

is

that

Raphael painted two portraits of Cardinal Bibiena,

who was

a great friend

O'f

his,
is

and whose name was

Bernardo Dovizi.

This

one of them, and the


is

other occurs in a fresco in the Vatican, where

shown the battle between the Saracens and the Romans in the port of Ostia. This portrait, now in the Pitti, was originally in possession of the Dovizi
family at Bibiena.

The
and

picture

is virile,

the hands being well formed


calculating,

refined,

the whole suggesting a

polished ecclesiastic.

Crowe thinks that the head is by Raphael, but that it was finished by subordi" The nates. I quote from his description of it
:

nose

is
it

long and tending to aquiline, yet fleshy

where

overhangs a large mouth, capable of vol-

uble speech and mobility.


in the face, in the

The

seat of

power

is

wide forehead free from

hair.

The

gray-blue eyes are clear and open, yet sug-

gestive of cunning."

Bernardo Dovizi was born of poor parents


Bibiena, a small

in

town

in the Casentino,

a valley

behind Vallombrosa.
interest in

Lorenzo de Medici took an

him while he was a youth, and brought him to Florence under his protection. He became

Ube
who

Iball ot

Saturn

177

the tutor to Lorenzo's sons, one of


vanni,
created

whom was

Gio-

afterwards became Pope Leo X.


cardinal,

Leo

him a

and

his

portrait appears

with that of his pontifical superior in Raphael's


painting of Leo's portrait.

Bernardo arranged for

the political intrigues and the pleasures of Leo, and

was a statesman and an author. The first idiomatic Italian drama is from his pen. Bibiena and Raphael
were friends and mutual admirers.
fered his niece to Raphael as a bride;
died, so the project

Bernardo ofbut the girl


out.

was never carried


1520.

There

are suspicions that he was poisoned, for he died

suddenly in

Rome

in

This picture should be compared with

Van Dyck's
is

Portrait of Cardinal Bentivoglio, also in the Pitti,

which

is

less

simply conceived.

This

a more

intellectual
Still

face,

though worn and

sickly.
is

another ecclesiastical portrait by Raphael

Tommaso
It is

Phaedre Inghirami.

It is generally sup-

posed to be a

replica, the original

being in Volterra.

on wood.
it.

Much
is

repainting and cleaning have


a
flat

injured
ries

There

look about the accesso-

which suggests that the pupils had a hand in


Passavant sees in
it

the work.

a strong reminder

of the work of Holbein, but as Raphael could never

have seen Holbein's


coincidence.
table,

pictures,

this

can be only a
is

The Roman

prelate

sitting

at

on which are an inkstand and several books.

17S

^be Htt
seems to be

of tbe ipittt palace


ready to write when the

He

in thought,

inspiration comes to him.

He

holds a pen in his


is

right hand, on the finger of which

a heavy ring.

Red and green predominate in the picture. Inghirami was a distinguished scholar, Vatican librarian,

and papal
all

secretary.
this

Like
to

cross-eyed people,
in
profile;

man

preferred

be

painted

Raphael

would

not

quite give
ject's

up so

characteristic a point in his sub-

face,

so he gave to the paralyzed eye an

abstracted gaze into space.

The whole

face ex-

presses intellectual investigation.


subject, corpulent

Considering his

and squinting, Raphael has suc-

ceeded in making a dignified portrait.


idealized

The

face

is

by the suggestion of thoughtfulness, not


flattering the features.
its

by beautifying or

The
is

finish

of the painting, with

delicate glazings,

accurate

and smooth.

Tommaso
both parents.
to

Inghirami was taken under the protec-

tion of the Medici at

two years of

age, having lost


;

Lorenzo had him educated

he went

Rome

to study

ond name

when he was thirteen. His secPhaedre was adopted by his friends

because of an occasion upon which he exhibited great presence of mind. Seneca's tragedy, " Hippolytus,"

was being

acted,

and Tommaso was playing


in the

the part of Phaedre.

Something

machinery

got suddenly out of order, and the performance was

Zbc *all
arrested.

ot

Saturn

179

Inghirami immediately took the stage,


reciting

and began
sion,

impromptu Latin

verses,

which

in those days

were considered an acceptable diver-

and he was so much applauded that the name

of Phaedre clung to him.


to Maximilian
I.

He
title

became ambassador
in

for Alexander VI.

1495* ^^

which time he received the

of Count Palatine.

Pope Julius II. made him Bishop of Ragusa in 15 10 and secretary at the conclave in 15 13, when Giovanni de Medici was elected Pope Leo X.

Raphael

has painted him in the red dress which he then wore.

He

died at

Rome, from the


It is

effects of

fall,

at the
this
it

age of forty-two.
portrait
is

not

known
it

just

when

came

into the Florentine collection, but

likely that

Leo X. obtained

from Inghirami

himself.

"

What

distinguishes

phael,"

says

Symonds,

the whole work of Ra" is its humanity in the

double sense of the humane and the human.


will not suffer his eyes to fall

He

on what

is

loath-

some or

horrific.

tragedy and death,

He

shunned stern

Even sadness and sorrow, take loveliness from him. His and painful subjects.
.
. .
. .

men and women


cent

are either glorious with youth or

dignified in hale old age.

Touched by
is

his inno-

and earnest genius, mankind

once more
flesh

gifted with the

harmony of

intellect

and

and

feeling that belonged to Hellas.

Instead of asceti-

"

iSo

tCbe art of tbe HMttf palace


is

cism, Hellenic temperance

the virtue prized by

Raphael."

Mr. Strachey
of the master, "

says,

in

summing up
upon
the

the genius
of the art

The wonder and worth

of Raphael seem to
in a

me

to rest

his possessing

supreme degree the

gifts of
.

rhythmic constructhought
is

tion

and

lyrical

beauty

ex-

pressed

firstly

by means of a rhythmic arrangement

of lines and spaces, and secondly by pure beauty of


faces

and

figures."

No

painter has ever appealed

so equally to intelligent

and uneducated,

to scholar

and to peasant.

Says Longfellow:
Raphael
;

...
He

is

not dead,

doth but sleep


lives

for

Who

immortal in

how can he be dead the hearts of men ?


his

To
is

turn

from Raphael to

master,

let

us
It

study Perugino's Deposition which hangs here.

one of his best

pictures.
in

Perugino was born


della Pieve.

1446 or I447 ^^ Castello There may be said to be only two

generations in art between


for Perugino

him and Fra Angelico,


Benozzo Gozzoli,

was once a

pupil of

and he

in turn

was a

pupil of the Beato Angelico.


dislike
is

He

showed much

of mist or mystery;
full,

everything he paints

in

clear light;

no
call

half-tones, distant shadows, or

sudden lights to

attention to salient points;

all is in

a glow, some-

XCbe t)all of Saturn

iSi

times almost as unadulterated as Fra Angelico's. Ruskin says that " no painter belonging to the purest religious school ever

mastered his art," and then

he goes on to say that Perugino comes nearest to


this mastery,

with his

lucid,

straightforward repre-

sentation of natural objects, treated nevertheless in

a devotional

spirit.

Vasari starts the scandal that


but the very fact that

Perugino was an atheist;

he was employed continually by Church dignitaries


disproves this theory.

The

ecclesiastics

were most

particular in those days,

and any

artist

who

did
al-

not hold orthodox views would not have been

lowed to paint
work.

altar-pieces.

Ruskin seems to be
in his

most impressed with the luminous quality

In the painting of draperies, Perugino had a manner quite his own.

Raphael

in his early pictures

had acquired some of the same


fall in

style;

the materials

dark, hollow folds, with curious shaped shadfolds.

ows and hood-like

ally plain in their texture,

no brocades were

His draperies were usuintro-

duced, and no jewels or embroideries;


is

ornament

supplied by delicate patterns running along the


little

edges of robes, or in

spots of gold or colour.

Gold he used quite


occasionally with
it,

freely,

even hatching the lights

as the early masters had done.

He

introduced gold often in the lights of hair and

in foliage.

i82

ube Hrt

or tbe pltti palace


1500,

In his pictures painted before

Perugino

used hatching in shading his faces;


riod,
is

after that pe-

he employed

it

also in other textures.

This

partly due to the difficulty of shading with tem-

pera painting;
it
it

the yolk of egg being the vehicle,


it

is

impossible to model
lie

as if

it

were
it

oil

paint;

must

as

first

applied, therefore

helps in the

effect of

shadow

to introduce the fine lines of hatch-

ing as a blending for the colours.

Occasionally he
is

undoubtedly used

oil;

but a part of his pictures

always

in

tempera.
is

story

told of

how Perugino
artist

read a lesson to

a very mean-spirited prior of the cloister of the


Ingesuati,

where the

was working.

As

ultrait

marine was an extremely expensive colour,


generally stipulated that the person

was

who

ordered

the picture should supply the ultramarine, so that the artist should not be put to such heavy expense.

This particular old prior was for ever watching and peering about to see if Perugino was using too much
ultramarine.
trust,

The
it

painter
in a

was amused

at his dis-

and repaid
his brush

way which must have been

very humiliating to the prior.

He

took occasion to

wash
was
that

unduly often, so that the ultramarine

precipitated into the water,

even more went


When
i.t

way than was


finished,

put on the picture.

he

had

he drained off the water, and, scraping


at the bottom,

up the powder

he presented

to the

the t)aU
suspicious prior,
father;

of ^atutrt

1S3

saying:

"This

belongs" to you,

learn to trust honest men, for such never

deceive those

who

confide in them, though they well

know how
yourself
if

to circumvent distrustful persons like

they desire
of
the

tO'

do

so."

The

beauty

landscape backgrounds

of

Perugino can hardly be appreciated unless one has


seen the country of Umbria.

Then only can one


with several

know how
enchanting
little

absolutely true are his delightful valleys,


vistas,

rolling

distances,

towns

visible at

once
hills,

in various places,

forti-

fied

towns capping
If

approached by winding
in the

white roads.
Assisi

one has stood

monastery at

and looked

off over the plain,

one can undervisible at once.


artificial.

stand

how

all

these things

may be

Otherwise the landscape might seem


finite distance,

In-

such as one could really see in so

clear a light as

Perugino

depicts,

is

here to be seen.

The

domestic, quiet, romantic country-side in which

he was reared gave him his idea of backgrounds


for religious pictures.

Painted about 1496, Perugino's Deposition

is

one

of his masterpieces, wrought at the time when he

was

in the flower of his genius.

The

space

is filled

in the

most unobtrusive and yet the most perfect

manner.
felt in

The

sense of immeasurable distance


is

is

the background, which

one of the lovely


is

landscapes for which Perugino

justly

famouSc

i84

tCbe art of tbe IMtti t>alace


filling

Both as a
tance,

of the immediate foreground and as

a suggestion of vastness in the treatment of the disit

is

unrivalled.

The

faces

have serenity of

beauty.
is

The

treatment of the body of

Our Lord
drawing

specially

worthy of

attention, being the

of a distinctly inanimate body, and yet showing


that flexible heavy weight characteristic of the dead.

The

expressions of

all

the faces are studies of a

refined type of restrained grief in different phases.

None
tions,

of the figures exhibit exactly the same emo-

and yet

all

are united in their feeling;

the

persons in the group are dominated by the central


figure.

The group

is

somewhat passive;

it

is

per-

haps too perfect and academic a composition to be


within the range of actual experience, but
thoughtful, and religious in the quiet
it

is

way
is

in

which

Perugino
the
fire

is

usually religious.

There

none of

of conversion nor of the divine ecstasy of

revelation in any of his work.

His figures never


a quiet brooding

have such action as those of Raphael (especially the


Raphael of Rome), but here
is

repose which must have been restful in the strenu-

ous

life

of fifteenth century Florence.


is

The

balance

and harmony of the grouping


than
its

more

noticeable

action.

"

The

expression of heart-stricken
is

sorrow," says Woltmann, "


sentiment of the landscape,
painted."

carried out by the


is

which

exquisitely

This picture has not the intensity of the

trbe 1baU of Saturn

1S5

Entombment

of Fra Bartolommeo, but


that work.
is

is

the legiti-

mate forerunner of

The

Saviour's body

sustained by Joseph of

Arimathea.

The Magdalen
is

supports his head.

The

Virgin mother
ing somewhat,

in the centre of the picture, crouch-

reaching forward with an expreshand of her


face.

sion too deep for words, taking the

dead son, and gazing into his


heads in the centre (for one
is

Over

their
this

tempted to treat

picture primarily as a composition), the pyramidal

form

is

secured by introducing the heads of

Mary

Salome and Mary Cleophas, one kneeling and the


other standing with upraised hands and bent head.

The head
At

of Mary, the wife of Cleophas,


finest

is

perhaps

one of the

drawings ever made by Perugino.

the right Nicodemus, clad in green and yellow

tones, with a turban

on his head,

is

holding the

lower part of the shroud, evidently having been


the one to bear the feet of the Saviour;
St.
left,

John
and
an

and the wife of Zebedee are seen on the


on the extreme right are three figures;
older man,
is

one,

showing the

nails of the Passion to

two younger persons.


figure, but

One
little

of these

is

a lovely

shows too

interest in the subject,

it is

the only figure in the picture in which the

eyes stray to the spectator, and crossed carelessly, as


if

whose hands are

posing for a portrait.

We

have chosen the head of Mary, the wife of

i86

Ube art

of tbe IMtti I>alace

Cleophas, to present in this book, instead of show-

ing the entire picture, because

it

exhibits in a rein

markable degree Perugino's


foreshortening.

skill
it is

drawing and

In this detail

possible to trace

the fine lines of the hatching, which are so characteristic of his style.
It is as

significant

an ex-

ample of the best features of


selected.

his

work

as could be

The
Chiara.
Pieta.

picture

was painted
is

for the nuns of Santa

This subject

usually

called

in

art

There was a

rich Florentine merchant,

one

Francesco Pugliese,

who
if

offered

the nuns
sell it

three

times the original cost

they would

to

him;

he also promised them a replica by the hand of


the same artist;

but they rejected his offer, for

Perugino admitted that he was not confident that


he could ever reproduce the picture.
After the suppression of the Convent of Santa Chiara, this pic-

ture went

first

to the

Academy, and
it

then,

under

the order of the French Commission,


to the Pitti.

was brought

One of the finest of Andrea del Sarto's pictures, and among the -most celebrated, is the Dispute of
the

Holy
has

Trinity,

or

"The
of

Disputa.''

It

was

painted for the


It

monks

San Gallo

early in 1518.

passed

through

many

vicissitudes.

The

church was destroyed during the siege of Florence,


in 1529,

and the picture was sent to San Giovanni

HEAD OF MARY CLEOPHAS


Detail from the Deposition, by Perugino
;

in the

Hall of Saturn

JLbc Iball ot Saturn


tra' Fossi.

187
in

Then

the flood of the

Arno

1555 rose

to such a height in this building that the picture

was badly
fact.

soaked, and

still

shows evidence of
it

this

In the seventeenth century

came

to the
it

Pitti Palace.

Crowe and
at

Cavalcaselle speak of
:

in terms of great appreciation

" In order to

show

that he

was

home

in every

mood, he accepted a
dis-

commission from the monks of San Gallo, and


thought out the noble altar-piece of the fathers
puting on the doctrine of the Trinity, in every line
of which stern

power and boldness are discerned.


his peculiar characteris-

Yet as usual there are abundance of the atmosphere


and vapour which are now
tics
.
. .

the attitudes

are grandiose;

the

forms

are well-proportioned, weighty, and nobly draped."

Andrea here shows


exhibits attitudes
trasted,

his intellectual

power more,

perhaps, than in any other of his works.

The group
It

and expressions admirably conof dignified action.

and

is

full

shows
Seis

the four saints

who

are indulging in this theological


sit

discussion standing, while at their feet


bastian and the Magdalen.

St.

In the heavens there

seen a vision of the Creator, shrouded in a red robe, sustaining the figure of Christ upon the cross, typi-

fying the eternity of the fact of the Trinity,

al-

though

disciples

may

disagree as to the interpre-

tation of the doctrine.

Indeed the varying interpretations of the doctrine

i88

Zbc Htt

ot tbe pitti palace


picture.

form the subject of the

Observe of what

diverse types are the saints selected, and to


different epochs they belong.
St.

what

Augustine, the

father of the theology of the Latin Church, stands


at the left of the picture, evidently

expounding

his

views to
in the

St.

Peter Martyr, who, the third figure

group, stands with an open book and a deterhis face, awaiting his turn to
is

mined expression on

make

reply.

Peter Martyr

dressed in the
at

Do-

minican habit.

Next him stands

the extreme

right, St. Francis of Assisi,

with his hand on his be seen.

heart, so that the stigmata

may

The

other

figures are St.

Lawrence with the


the
gridiron.

terrible
St.

emblem

of

his

martyrdom,

Sebastian

kneels, facing the disputants,

and Mary Magdalen,


holds the box

crouching at the feet of

St. Francis,

of spikenard with which she so often appears. the picture

As

was painted for the Augustine friars, it is natural that Andrea should have chosen the moment for representation when Augustine was apparently

confounding his opponents.

The

intro-

duction of the three saints


in

who

are not taking part

the argument illustrates the fact of the right

which the Augustines assumed to include within


their order all saints
centuries.

between the

first

and sixth

Thus

the figures of St. Lawrence, St.

Sebastian, and the

Magdalen are to be considered

DISPUTA
By Andrea
del Sarto
;

in the

Hall of Saturn

Ube

Iball of

Saturn

189

as complementary to St. Augustine in this composition.

There are very few symbols


each saint
is

in the picture, but


St.

distinguished in

some way.

Aud.,

gustine was Bishop of Hippo from 395 to 430 a.


so he carries as his
gustine, as
is

well

emblem the crozier. St. Auknown, was the author of the


also- his

" City of God," and wrote

" Confessions "


dissi-

after his conversion, for his youth

was one of

pation and waywardness.


St.

Peter Martyr was a powerful and influential

preacher, and
nified
figure,

no

artist

has ever drawn a more digthis

and majestic presentment of him than


which stands holding an open book.
is

His
is

noble head

disfigured by the gash which

the

sign of the death which he suffered.


inquisitor

While he was

general under

Pope Honor ius HI., he


he had delivered up to
of
their

had made many powerful enemies among certain


Venetian grandees,
justice

whom

without any consideration

rank

(which was too often a protection for lawlessness).

Two

of these noblemen determined to have

him

put to death.

So they hired

assassins to

waylay

him between Como and Milan, where he was obliged to pass through a wood. They struck him on the head with an axe; the blow felled him to the
ground, and they then turned their attention to
the
lay

brother

who accompanied

him.

They

190

Xtbe Art of tbe

IC>ittt

ipalace

stabbed this companion, and, returning, found Peter

Martyr,

who had

struggled to his

feet,

repeating
the

the Creed, and they finished their

work with
pacific

sword.
St.

Innocent IV. canonized him in 1253.


Francis Assisi was

much more
for St.
if

than

Peter Martyr, and the contrast between the two


figures
is

well maintained,

Francis's face

wears a puzzled expression, as

he would rather

leave the whole question in peace, and


his

go on with

own' meditations and good works.

St.

Lawrence
concerned;

is

clothed in a red dalmatic, and


;

has somewhat of a portrait pose

he does not appear

much
in

possibly he has discovered that

differences of doctrinal opinion are non-essentials

the
St.

life

of a true Christian.

Sebastian

seems to

have been

introduced

largely as a graceful bit of flesh-painting,


assist the general composition.

and to
a a

The Magdalen,
particularly
fine

dressed in shades of red,

is

portrait of the artist's wife,

and

this profile is

piece

of

anatomical

delineation.

The hands
tion.

of

all

the figures deserve special atten-

Probably no one ever drew hands more faultthan did Del Sarto.
is

lessly

This picture
"

full

of thought and an intimate

knowledge of the characters of each of the persons


represented.

The
"

master's delicious atmosphere,"

says

Woltmann,

is

already conspicuous, but

still

Ube
combined
in a

Iball ot

Saturn

191

very remarkable manner with a fine

clear outline."

Much

genuine study should be de-

voted to the true understanding of this incomparably fine work.

Although the
Correggio
the luminous

little

head,

Number

153,

is

the only

in the gallery,

it is

characteristic,

and has

glow of the
quality

artist's touch.

Correggio
like

was
in

essentially

Greek by nature.
of
his

He
mind.

is

Sappho
a

the

poetic

lyric artist of light

and shade,

not

He was

a great in-

ventor or a great designer or a deep thinker, but


the painter of joyful, soaring freedom, sweet, pure
ecstasy,

and innocent paganism.


little

He was

born in

an obscure
baptismal

town named Correggio


Allegri.

in 1494; his

name being Antonio

He

stands

like a Greek, neither

immoral nor moral; neither


simply a pagan, with the

religious nor scoffing;

joy of living in his veins.

His beings are rapturous

and

beautiful, hardly to be called sensuous, so un-

conscious are they of their

own

loveliness.

His

angels are rollicking cherubs perhaps, but they have

no arrows and carry no


of the earthy about them.
of the
air,

quiver.

There

is

nothing

They are

literally spirits

hovering about as Ariel hovered, and no

more

to be judged by either mediaeval or


is.

modern

standards than he

These angels are the


Correggio's work.

really typical

features of

Of

course he painted religious

192

Ube Hrt

ot tbe ptttt palace

scenes and other subjects, but his floating denizens

of the heavens are his

own

creations,

and they arc

worthy.
In an appreciation of Correggio, Mr. G. B. Rose
says
:

" Raphael's beauty

is

a kind that cannot be

divorced
neither

from

actual
evil,

goodness;
but

Correggio's

is

good nor

simply innocent and

glad."

Of
is

course the Church of the sixteenth cen-

tury did not appeal to his free sylvan nature, but


there

no suggestion

that

it

failed to inspire

him

with respect.

The sweet
ample of the

angel's head in the Pitti

is

a good exit

style of this unique master, but

is

to be regretted that there are

no more important
always

works of

his with

which

it

might be compared.
is

fascinating, cheerful Venetian picture

refreshing.

Giorgione's

Nymph and

Satyr,

Num-

ber 147,

is

one which

is

thoroughly sylvan, joyous,

and agreeable.
expression
'*

Popular usage has sanctioned the


as

" golden light "

applied to

Titian,

silver light "

when

describing Paul Veronese, and

" internal light " as characteristic of Giorgione.

Giorgione was

bom

in

one of the most romantic


In his

spots in the world, Castel franco, about 1477.


pictures

we may

see the spell

which the magnificent

natural beauties of his early


spirit.

home

laid

upon

his

He was unique in his power of painting landscape. He is a thoroughly picturesque figure

Ube

l)all ot

Saturn

193

himself, with a rare combination of talents, singing


divinely,

and playing upon the

lute so that nobles

vied with each other to have


concerts.

vades his

him perform at their The spirit of harmony and gladness perwork; he was the first great Venetian
spirit.

of the Renaissance, for his master, Gian Bellini,

was

still

mediaeval in his

Giorgione stands

as the great link between the old

smooth school

and the

later

glowing haze of Titian, Veronese, and


lived to be only thirty-six, dying of
1.

Tintoret.

He

the plague in 151

Giorgione was an intellectual painter.


lighted in allegory

He

de-

and legend; he enjoyed dream-

ing in colour, combining the mythical romance of


subject with the poetical suggestiveness of his col-

ouring and treatment.


conceit

Vasari

tells

of a whimsical

which he once employed


a

in order to paint,

as he

had declared that he could do, a nude study

in such

way

that the back, front,

and both

profile

views should be visible at once.

In order to ac-

complish his purpose, he painted the nude figure


standing with
its

back to the spectator on the bank


in the

of a limpid stream;
front view of the

water was reflected the

same

figure.

On

one side was

the burnished corselet, which the knight

was supreflected a

posed to have taken


profile

off,

and

in this

was

view of his

figure,

and on the other side

his other profile

was seen

in a mirror.

194

Ube Hrt

ot tbe pittt palace

He

painted flesh in a delightful manner, with no

suggestion of sensuality, yet without the developed

monumental

feeling

which characterized the


Giorgione

later

work of

Tintoretto,

whose women are no more nude


is

than Greek statues.

human and imaginative artist, for the normal human being has imagination, and it is no more characteristic of human nature to degrade and brutalize

a sympathetic

a subject than to idealize


is

it.

The nymph
is

a lovely creature, seen to the waist,

with the satyr immediately behind her.


usually called

The

picture

A Nymph
She

Pursued by a Satyr,
flight,

but her attitude does not suggest


pression
skins,
is

and her ex-

quite happy.

is

clothed in leopard

one shoulder being covered and one bare.


falls

Her

luxuriant hair

about her, and there

is

general air of spring and gladness throughout the


composition.

curious picture.

Number

148,

is

called
It

the

" Bambocciata," which means a caricature.

looks

like a fancy-dress party, or a dinner served to the

court retainers, such as the dwarf, jester, singinggirls

and the

like.

It
its

gives a very poor idea of

the real
is

power of
stiff,

painter,

Dosso Dossi,

for

it

a crowded,

hard piece of work;

but there
it

are details about

it

which are amusing, and


it

is

worth noticing.

Undoubtedly

is

an early work,
final

accomplished before Dossi had attained his

Ube
manner.

f)all of

Saturn

195

At

the

left,

partly nude, sits a dwarf, with

a crown of leaves;
cature of Bacchus.
ures,

he may be intended as a
Close about are the other

carifig-

two women, dressed in a gaudy and wanton manner, and a jester with his bauble; on the mosaic top of the table is seen a tambourine, and one of the figures in the background carries a bird. They
are
all

laughing in an abandoned mood.


little

One

of

them holds a

dog.
149, representing Ippolito Ippolito de

The

portrait.

Number

de Medici, was painted by Pontormo.


a favourite of his uncle. Pope Leo X.
in

Medici was the natural son of Giulio de Medici, and

His escapades
his

Hungary
his

will be alluded to

when we study
room.

portrait
spite of

by Titian

in the next

He

was, in

adventurous
Itri.

tastes,

made

a cardinal.

He
full

died in 1535 at
face,

This portrait shows him

with short hair, black beard and mous;

tache,
table,

wearing a sword

one hand

rests

upon a

and the other

is

laid

upon the neck of a dog.


I.

Van Dyck's
rietta

twin portraits of Charles

and Henall

Maria hang here;

both are familiar to

students of history.

Whatever may be
I.,

one's judg-

ment concerning Charles


history.

he will always be reckin

oned one of the most pathetic figures

English

His portrait always man,


full

recalls the sensitive,

refined

of prejudice, with a touch of mystic

fanaticism,

who was

compelled by his inheritance to

196

Ubc Hrt

of tbe plttf t>alace

deal with supreme questions of state requiring boldness, sincerity,

and wisdom.

His portraits always

present, as this

one does, the amiable and delicate

features of an aristocrat, elegant in manner, but

without force.

The next
Francis, and

is

Carlo Dolci's Santa Rosa.

She

is

represented in the habit of the third order of St.


is

crowned with a wreath of


deeds of charity.

roses.

Santa Rosa of Viterbo was a thirteenth century


saint,

and spent her

life in

While

she lived, she was the guardian of the people of


Viterbo, and after her death became their patron
saint.

She was celebrated for her eloquence.


is

The
kill-

picture

on wood, and was painted

in 1668.

Schiavone's large canvas representing Cain

ing Abel occupies the centre of one side of the room.


It
is

an unusual composition.
in

The two

figures,
fill

necessarily

extremely active attitudes,

the

whole space; the upraised arm of Cain reaches the


frame
at the top of the picture, while the

elbow of

the fallen Abel reaches the lower edge of the picture.

Thus,

literally,

the arms of the

two men,

meeting

in the centre of the picture,

form an unon the

broken link from top to bottom of the entire space.

Cain

is

towering over his brother,


life.

who

lies
is

ground, fighting for

The

picture

spirited,

and

is

good drawing of muscular brute


itself in

force, disis

playing

both figures.

The background

Ubc Dall

of

Saturn

197

a dark landscape with a luminous stretch of sky


visible

between the bushes.


of Carlo Dolci's least affected pictures
is

One

the

little St.

John

asleep,

Number
difficult

154.

The

child lies
finish is

in unconscious relaxation.

Although the
for

smooth,
a

it

would be

any one to paint

more

perfect representation of a sleeping child.


is

The

attitude

natural,

and the expression of the


a trou-

face indicative of

some dream which brings


brow.

bled look to his

little

He

lies

upon
thus,

his cross,

the insignia which the


ries,

young

St.

John usually
is

car-

and

his mother, beholding

him

praying

beside him, her face betokening a forecast of dread


for his future.

As
is

the

Madonna

is

often repre-

sented as sorrowing in anticipation over the child,


so St.

Elizabeth
all

here shown as beholding the


is

vision of

the pain that

to come.

Carlo Dolci, born in Florence


there January 17, 1686.

May

25, 1616, died

He

studied with Jacopo

Vignole, a prolific though careful painter.


tures are

His

pic-

marred by

affectation of religious feeling

and cloying sweetness.


his colouring are soft

Charles Blanc

calls

him

true representative of Jesuitical art.

The

tones of

and harmonious.

He was
his best

the last of the Florentine school.

Among

works are the Martyrdom of


ing
St.

St.

Andrew, the Sleep-

John, Christ in the Garden, and St. Peter

Weeping.

198

Ubc Brt

of tbe pitti palace


chiefly the

His paintings were


of working
brain

heads of the Sa-

viour or the Madonna, and the saints.

His manner
said that his

was very slow, and


in

it

is

was

affected by seeing

Luca Giordano proHis


it is

duce more work

four or five hours than he could


pic-

have accomplished in as many months.


tures have been so successfully copied that

said

that there are


galleries

more works attributed to him in the of Europe than he could have painted if
life.

he had done one every day of his

The Madonna
O'f

della Rondinella, or the


is

Madonna

of the Swallow, by Guercino,


this painter.

in the best style

The Virgin

sits in

the clouds, in

slightly

uncomfortable attitude, being so foreis

shortened that the child on her knee


a level with her

almost on
is

own

face.

The

child,

however,

charming.
perches^ a
lovingly,
ful

He
little

extends one chubby hand, on which


swallow.
his

He

is

watching the bird


in

and with

head on one side

a grace-

and

infantile attitude.

The
is

silhouette of his
is

little

shoulder against the neck of the mother

very pretty.

At the
is

right

an adoring angel, a
intellectual being.
is

most lovely type of

spiritual

and

The Virgin
ular,

beautiful;

the nose

rather irreg-

and for that reason not too

ideal to be strictly

human.

Her

hair

is

arranged
at the

in a careless yet be-

coming manner, bound

back with

fillets

and

parted in thick waves on the brow.

There

is

lumi-

Zbc
and a

f)all of

Saturn

199

nosity throughout the whole atmosphere of the picture,


Httle of the

haze and glow of Murillo.


detail is restful.
It is

Every

line is soft

and every

numbered

156.

Fra Bartolommeo's Risen Christ with Evangelists


is

a picture in the combined symbolic and realistic


this
artist.

manner of
Jesus
is

On

a pedestal in a niche

standing, his right

arm

raised

on high,

and

in the left

hand carrying a

staff

with a ball and

cross, his

body being draped

in white.

On

either

side of him,

on a lower plane, the four Evangelists


St.

are grouped;
St.

John and

St.

Luke and St. Mark on the right, Matthew on the left. These are
is

heavy,
school;

powerful figures, well painted in an old


the colour

subdued but strong.


they are seated on

An

emblematic group, consisting of two angel


;

children, occupies the foreground

a step, holding a circular device on which appears a landscape;

above

this is

a small tablet bearing

the inscription, " Salvator


chalice.

MVD"

and above

is

The

picture

is

signed " Bartolomeus C.

C,

pinxit., 1516.*'

The two great figures of Isaiah and Job, which are now in the Uffizi, were originally the side panels
to this composition,
scale.

which was on a very grand

There may be traced a certain influence from

Michelangelo in the drawing and proportions of the


figures.

200

Ubc Hrt

of tbe IPtttt palace

The Moses

of Giorgione,

Number

i6i,

is

a long
left is

panel, divided into separate scenes.

At the

seen the finding of


is like

Moses

in his little cradle,

which

a tiny coffin, on the shores of the river.

Two
ashore

women
by a

are stooping over the bank hooking

it

stick.

tree divides the composition, distin-

guishing this from the next scene, which represents


the exhibition of the infant in his cradle at the court.
All the costumes and types are strictly Venetian,

and

it

is

amusing to see these Venetian grandees


top-boots,

bending eagerly over the casket, examining the


child.

They wear

mantles, fur-collars,

and other adornments.


to view the

little

dog

is

jumping up
boys are

new

acquisition,

and two

little

burring up for a peep.

At the

right

is

an or-

chestra of musicians playing on bass-viol and lute,

while a

man

is

serving wine, perhaps to drink the


stranger.

health of the

little

The

figures are small

and serve

their

purpose as simple decoration.

They

are not accurate studies, but are minutely finished,

and evidently intended for the ornamentation of

some

piece of furniture.

Morelli gives the picture

to Bonifazio.

There are three Annunciations by Del Sarto


Pitti Palace.

in the

This one.

Number

163,

is

painted on a

long,

narrow

panel, horizontally disposed.

The

Vir-

gin starts back in terror and surprise at the apparition of the angel,

who

kneels before her at the oppo-

Ube
site side of
is

Iball of

Saturn
sill

201

the panel.

On

the

of the

window

there
lily.

a vase of flowers, and the angel carries a

Two

portieres are looped back at the upper corners,

suggesting that the scene occurs on a loggia.


are no other accessories.
della Scala.
It

There

was painted

for Julian

cheerful

little

panel

is

Giulio

Romano's Dance
a wreath

of Apollo and the Muses.


as a cover to a clavichord.

It

was evidently designed


It is literally

of graceful figures, engaged in a sprightly dance,


their

hands joined and their

lips

parted in song.
rest-

Adam and Eve are painted


ing on the ground.

by Campagnola as
hut
is

little

seen in the back-

ground
left

and on

their right is a lion, while

on

their

appears the inoffensive face of an ox; they are

reclining in graceful attitudes conversing under the


fruit-tree.
It is
relic,

At the

feet of

Eve

lies

human

skull.

a matter of conjecture
they being the
first

how they came by this human beings, and Cain


artist of the

not yet having manifested his fratricidal propensities.

Domenico Campagnola was an


school, one of the

Venetian
is

many
:

of

whom

Titian

said to
in the

have been

jealous.

Lanzi speaks of his style


"

following drastic terms


to a vastness of design

He

seems to have aspired

beyond that of Titian, and to

mark

the naked parts with a

more evident degree

of artifice."

One

of the most celebrated pictures in the palace

202
is

xrbe Brt ot tbe ptttt palace


del

Fra Sebastiano

Piombo's Martyrdom of
extremely

St.

Agatha.
rich;
ful

The

flesh tints are

warm and
figure of

and the picture ranks among the most beautiart.

specimens of Renaissance
is

The

the saint

noble and grand

the differentiation beflesh

tween the

tints of her

creamy
is

and the swarthy

faces of the executioners

striking.

Schegel,

in

his

''^Esthetic

Works," makes an

exhaustive and scholarly analysis of this picture.


"

How

can a subject so horrible form a beautiful


I

painting?" he asks; continuing, ''Indeed


seen the

have
after

many
first

spectators turn

away shuddering

glance, and blame the artist for his selec-

tion of such a subject,

and yet the very same per-

sons have stood in pleased astonishment before the

Martyrdom of

St.

Agnes by Domenichino,

or

have gazed on the Massacre of the Innocents, by


Guido, without turning away from the confused

heaps of dead bodies."


cited are in the
there,
it
;

Both of the pictures here


St.

Louvre Schlegel saw the

Agatha

having been carried to Paris

" Nothing of this description,"


visible
in

1799. he proceeds, " is

in

the picture of St.

Agatha.

No
for

blood,
as yet

no heartrending agony, no wounds;


the threatening

instruments

of torture have not

touched the body of the saint;

we do

not here see

that expression of fiendlike, revolting malice which

usually distinguishes pictures of this kind; every-

XCbe 1ball of Saturn

203

thing loathsome or disgusting being kept as completely out of sight as


is

possible in the representation

of a martyrdom.
the horror which

It
it

seems therefore probable that


inspires,

prompting every one,

after a first glance, to shrink

and turn away,

is

pro-

duced by the
resentation.

stern, soul-freezing reality of the rep-

The

artist

has chosen for his picture


the application

the

moment immediately preceding

of the torture.
noble

Already the majestic form of the


is

woman

uncovered; the glowing irons apantici-

proach her bosom, and the horrible idea of

pated suffering thus engendered cannot be other-

wise than painful to excess


tively

still

there are compara-

few who

will find its suffering insupportable,

those alone who,

overpowered by the exhibition

of suffering, overlook the lofty, godlike character of

the design

who

derive no pleasure from the majestic

beauty of the figures, or the fine arrangement of the


whole." " says
:

In alluding to the central figure, Schlegel

An

ashy paleness alone reveals the insupera-

ble terror of mortality at the horrible

doom approach-

ing; for her lofty countenance and gleaming eyes be-

speak more indignation and contempt for her miserable tyrant than concern for her

own

sufferings.

In
. .

the midst of torture she yet triumphs over

him

he seems to harden himself


pose, as
if

in his

once decided pur-

the stubborn cruelty were struggling with


better impulse

and subduing- a

Perhaps noth-

204

Xtbe Hrt ot tbc IMtti palace


is

ing in the whole picture

more worthy of

notice

than the two


raised,

soldiers,

armed, but with helmets

who

stand behind the tyrant and look at the

proceeding in perfect sympathy with the sufferer.


. .
.

Mute

spectators of
alter,

what they neither can nor

dare attempt to
.

they gaze only on the saint;

they seem by their entire and lofty sympathy

like

a strain of attendant music to perform the part of


. .
.

the chorus in Greek tragedy.

There

is

a reif

markable resemblance

between the two, as

they were designed to represent only one being,

though under a double form; and


is

this circumstance

yet

more

strikingly in affinity with the old chorus

of these tragedies."

The Tragedy
ber 182.

of the Forty

Crowned

Saints

is

painted by Pontormo with spirit and vigour in

Num-

The legend

is

that in the reign of Diocletian

there were four architect brothers, who, together

with their guild of workmen, were Christians, and


refused to assist in the building of heathen
saying,
**

edifices,

We

cannot build a temple to false gods,

nor shape images of wood or stone to ensnare the


souls of others."

They were immediately

recog-

nized as subjects for martyrdom, and were disposed

of in

many

ingenious ways.
in

some imagination, but


assume familiar
fourth day of

Pontormo has shown the main the martyrdoms


This happened on the

features.

November

in the year

400

a. d.

In

tCbe Iball of Saturn


the picture Diocletian
is

205

seen,

a youthful tyrant

directing the orgy of death, while in the background

on the

left

disproportionate infant angels are seen

inveighing against this unholy massacre.

In the Hall of Saturn

may

be seen also certain

Madonnas;

and

Salvator's
is

Poet

hangs

here,

Number
less

i8i.

There

also rather a

weak copy of
in

Titian, a Bacchanale,

showing a merry group of caredisporting themselves

sylvan

creatures,

harmless and joyous fashion.


are dancing along with

nymph and satyr cymbals the satyr is wound


;

with numerous snakes.


skull in the

little

fawn drags an ox-

foreground; and in the background an-

other satyr, holding a staff and waving his arms


aloft, is

dancing.

There are other good pictures which lack of space


alone prevents our mentioning.

CHAPTER

VIII.

THE HALL OF THE

ILIAD

In the centre of the Hall of the


Tuscan
sculptor.

Iliad stands a

marble group representing Charity, by Bartolini, a

The treatment

of the subject

is

the same as that of a fifteenth century statue in the


Bargello.

The
the
called

picture of

first

importance in this hall


Giorgione,

is

Monk at the Clavichord, by


The
Concert.

commonly

Giorgione, with his " spiritual

power and

practical sense," as

Ruskin claims for


intellect,"

him, and " his entirely perfect


us this picture.

has given

The work

is

very uneven, the central

figure being vital

and superbly painted, while the


the face of an

other two are not nearly as strong.

young Augustine monk with


and
is

ascetic sits at a clavichord

playing.
full,

The hands
rich chord

grip the keys


is

finely.

Evidently a

being struck.

The modelling

of the face, which


is

is

turned away looking over his shoulder,

master-

ful.

At

his left (the right of the picture) stands


206

O
J

<

Ubc Dall

of tbe Iflta^
is

207

priest in a white rochet, who'

resting his

hand

hghtly upon the shoulder of the player. In his other

hand he holds a musical instrument; judging from

what
the

is

seen of this instrument,

it is

a lute.

rather

self-concious youth poses for a full-face portrait


left.

on

He

is

dressed in yellow and black, with a

white-plumed
is listening.

hat.

By

courtesy

it is

assumed that he

These two figures are but accessories to


question as to what the picture repre-

the

first.

The

sents will probably never be

answered
it

to the satis-

faction of

all critics.

To one

bears one message,

to another something quite different.

But on one

point

all

must agree.

Whether Giorgione intended


that ineffable quality oi musical

to paint a portrait, an ideal head, or a genre subject,

he has caught for


thrall
;

all

as

Symonds so happily

expresses

it,

" the

very soul of music, as represented in Browning's


*

Abt Vogler,' passing through his Timothy Cole, who has made an
tells

eyes."

exquisite engrav-

ing of this subject,

a story of people

who

passed

through the gallery while he was engaged at his


work, illustrating the varying tastes and interpretations
first

of different tourists.

Two young

ladies

stood before the picture; each one expressed


it.

herself regarding

One

of them remarked upon

the glow of inspiration on the face of the player;


evidently he has struck a heavenly chord, and
it

has had such an

effect

upon the friend behind him

2o8
that
ing,
it

ubc art
" Oh, brother,
sister of this

of tbe pittt palace


violin,

has caused him to drop his


!

exclaim!

The
it

ferent impression

how grand how glorious " young woman had received a diffrom the picture. To her she said
laid his

seemed as
its

if

the violin had gotten out of tune, and

that

owner had approached and

hand on

the shoulder of the player, apologizing for being

obliged to request

him

to desist while the offend-

ing string was tuned.

two

girls

came

up, and,

Then the father of these when his opinion was asked,

he observed that the " guide-book said " that the


picture represented in portrait Calvin, Luther, and

Melancthon presumably, then, the significance might


;

be supposed to be that, while Luther struck the

first

chord of the Reformation,


chorus, and Melancthon,

Calvin joined in the


well,

Melancthon just

stood by and listened

But the father continued, with


state his

an expression of great wisdom, to


representation of the Three
in

own

personal belief that this picture was but another

Ages of Man the youth,


;

plumed pride of expectation, the mature man


life,

playing in the midst of


his violin out of tune
spirit

and the old man with


of

out

harmony with the


ladies

of the age.
these critics

When

had withdrawn, two old

ambled up.
of the " old beer saloon
!

One of them remarked upon the likeness monk " to " the one we saw in the lager"

They commented upon

the extremely

c o o

Ube

Iball ot tbe

ITltat)

209

disagreeable aspect of the painting, and proceeded

with their inspection of the other masterpieces of


the Pitti Palace.

Originally this painting


proportions.

was of somewhat
from
its

different

But

it

was

cut

frame and sent


the picture

to Paris in the days of Napoleon.

When

returned to

its

rightful owners, a strip

was added

at the top of the canvas,

and the plume

in the

young

man's hat was carried up rather unduly, so that the


handling of that detail must not be visited upon
Giorgione.

There
which
is
is

is

warm

golden glow over the whole,

perhaps a

little

dimmed by

varnish.

There
effect-

nothing more simple and at the same time

ive

among

the masterpieces of the sixteenth century.


it

Morelli claims that

is

an early Titian, and gives

some rather good reasons for this. Grant Allen accepts this amendment, and the Braun Catalogue
enters
it

as a Titian.

In any case, no matter by


to decide

whom

(and

who

is is

when

experts disain

gree?), the picture


the gallery.
in

one of the most interesting

In the time of Ridolfi this picture was

Venice in the collection of a Florentine merchant,

Paolo del Sera.

He

sold

it

to the

Grand Duke of

Tuscany. M. Claude Philipps believes that the model


for the

monk was
in

the

same as the

Man
is

with the

Glove

in the

Louvre, which likeness


favour of Titian as the

one of the

arguments

artist.

3IO

ube art

ot tbe iPittt palace

Gabriel d'Annunzio has exquisitely analyzed this


picture in an appreciation occurring in his
**

Flame

of Life."
"

quote from the translation by Kassan-

dra Vivaria

Whoever has looked

at the

Concerto with sa-

gacious eyes has fathomed an extraordinary and


irrevocable

of the

moment of the Venetian soul. By means harmony of colour, the power of significance
is

of which

as unlimited as the mystery of sound,


first

the artist shows us the


soul to

working of a yearning

whom

life

suddenly appears under the aspect

of a rich inheritance.

"

The monk

sitting at the harpsichord

and

his

older companion are not

monks

like those that Vit-

tore Carpaccio painted flying from the wild beast


that St.

Jerome had tamed.


essence,
:

They

are of nobler

and stronger
finer

and the

air they breathe is

and richer

it

is

propitious to the birth of a

great joy or a great sorrow, or a haughty dream.

What
must

notes do the beautiful, sensitive hands

draw

from the keys where they linger ? Magic notes they


be, certainly, to succeed in

working

in the
is

mu-

sician so violent a transfiguration.

He

half-way

through

his earthly existence,

he

is

already detached

from
life is

his youth, already

on the verge of decay, and


all its

only

now

revealing itself adorned with

good

things, like a forest laden with purple fruit, of


his

which

hands that were intent on other work have

ttbc fcait of tbc fliab


never

an
fall

known

the velvet bloom.

He

does not

un-

der the dominion of some solitary tempting image,

because his sensuality slumbers, but he undergoes

a confused kind of anguish in which regret over-

comes

desire, while

on the web of the harmonies

that he seeks, the vision of his past

might have been and was not

weaves

such
itself

as

it

before

his eyes like a design of Chimerae.


ion,

His compan-

who

is

calm because already on the threshold

of old age, divines this inner tempest; kindly and

gravely he touches the shoulder of the passionate

musician with a pacifying movement.

Emerging

from the warm shadow


sire itself,

like the expression of de-

we

see the yO'Uth with the

plumed hat and

the unshorn locks, the fiery flower of adolescence,

whom

Giorgione seems to have created under the


from, the stupendous

influence of a ray reflected

Hellenic

myth whence the

ideal

form of the Herand yet a

maphrodite arose.
stranger, separated

He
own

is

there, present

from the others as one having


good.

no care but
finitely his
is

for his

The music seems

to

exalt his inexpressible

dream and

to multiply in-

power of enjoyment.
life

He knows

that he

master of the

that escapes both the others;

the harmonies sought after by the player seem only the prelude to his

own

feast.

He

glances sideways

intently as if turning to I

know

not what that fasfascinate.

cinates

him,

and that he would

His

212
closed
kiss;

Zbc Hrt
mouth
is

of tbe pitti palace


a yet ungiven

mouth heavy with

his forehead is so spacious that the leafiest


it,

of crowns would not encumber


his hidden hands, I can only

but

if I

consider
in the

imagine them

act of crumpling the laurel leaves to


fingers."

perfume his

The

picture of Jesus enthroned in heaven with


is

attendant saints, by Annibale Caracci,

one of the

most exquisite of the compositions of

this master.

The

figure of the Saviour, seated

upon the clouds,


is
;

extending both his arms to the world below,


effably graceful.

inis

The

face

is

that of a youth

he

hardly more than eighteen, although the hands are


pierced,

showing that
after
his

it is

intended to represent the

Christ

crucifixion.

But whatever the

reason for representing Christ as so young a boy, the


result
is

one of the most beautiful

in

art.

On
sym-

either side of the central figure little angels

bolizing Night and

Day

are crouching; one deeply


in

shaded by a drapery around his head, the other


the full light.
gelists
:

On

either side, beyond, are the


left,

Evan-

St.

Peter at the

with his keys and

books, and St. John with his eagle and book on the
right.
restful.

All this part of the composition


If

is

refined

and
vis-

one could be vouchsafed a heavenly


like this.
city,

ion,

it

might be

Below, on the earth, appears a distant

with

domes and pediments showing, and a landscape

CHRIST ENTHRONED By A. Caracci


;

in the Hall of the Iliad

trbe 1ball of tbe Ifltab


connecting
it

213

with the foreground.

Here are four


be-

fine figures of saints.


left is St.

The
left,

first,

in the centre, at the

Ermengild, martyr, bearing a palm;


the Magdalen.
is

hind, at the extreme


right, St.

At

the

Edward

of England

kneeling with one


is

hand on

his heart while the other

placed on the

shoulder of the Cardinal Farnese.

St.

England may be

either St.

Edward

the

Edward of Martyr, who

wood by the wicked treachery of his stepmother, or St. Edward the Confessor, who is a later and more familiar saint. In the case of the
was stabbed
in a

former, his proper emblem

is

palm

in the case of

the Confessor, a dove and a ring.


attributes are present, there
is

As none of these no way of determining


In the back-

which English

saint

was intended.

ground

is

seen the creeping figure of a cripple, sup-

ported on his hands by blocks which enable

move independently
The

of his
is

him to The misshapen legs.

significance of this figure

not easy to determine.

colouring of the two central figures in the foreis

ground

almost entirely blue and golden hues

the

red cape of the cardinal enlivens the right side of


the picture.

The
all

Caracci are at the very head of the school of

Bologna.

They were

a remarkably talented family

were

painters, Ludovico, his brother Paolo,


It is

Agos-

tino',

and Annibale.

with Annibale, the painter

of the beautiful Christ Enthroned, that

we

are

now

214

XTbe art of tbe

Ipitti

palace

concerned.
in
1

Annibale Caracci was


all

bom

in

Bologna

560.

Nearly

art

which

is

worthy of the name


its

in the eighteenth century

owes

power

to the in-

fluence of this remarkable family.

They observed Correggio and his peculiarities very closely; they knew anatomy well, and understood the human figure. In treating costume, they were rather noted for good plain folds than elaborate detail; drapery well managed rather than decorated. Mengs does not consider them consummate as
colourists.

Indeed, their paintings are often badly


oil

faded.

This arose from too much

being used.

They employed blues freely; often to the verge of They abandoned the yellow tones which coldness.
had been so long
in

vogue.

Annibale was before

all

the rest in thus allowing blue to predominate.


is

It

a matter of taste whether this appears a virtue or

a defect in their work.

Annibale Caracci was a wonderfuly accurate and


rapid draughtsman.

In a group of artists

who were
few

discussing the Laocoon, he remained quiet until they

had

all

aired their knowledge, and then, with a

strokes of the pencil, he

drew the
;

statue, observing,

" Poets paint with


pencil."

words

painters speak with the

The
Rome,

Caracci are said to

mark

the last boundary

line of the

Golden Age

in Italy.

Annibale died in

in 1609.

Ube "baU
The Assumption Sarto, Number 191, The Virgin is top.
directed

of tbe fllfab

215

of the Virgin, by Andrea del


is

a large picture, round at the

seated on the clouds, her gaze

upwards, and her right hand extended.


is

The

face

that of a
is

woman who

has passed her

first

youth.
angels,
feet is a

She

surrounded by beautiful nude child-

two of

whom

hold tablets.

Below Mary's

most exquisite boy-angel,

in a strong light

he looks downward to earth, while pointing upward,


bidding the saints below to behold the
ion.

celestial vis-

Below are
gaze above.

several figures of apostles,

some

looking into the empty tomb, and some directing


their

There
is

is

only one false note

the portrait of the artist


his face

introduced, kneeling with

turned so that he looks over his shoulder


disagreeable impression

at the spectator, giving a

of inattention at so vital a moment.


figures

Some

of the

are unfinished.
is

The wood on which

the

picture

painted cracked, and this so discouraged

Andrea
upon
it.

that
It

he never quite completed his work

was, however, accepted by Bartolommeo

Panciatichi,

who had

ordered

it,

and

it

hung

in

the house of his son for a long time, being sold after-

wards

to the

Grand Duke Pietro Leopold.


is

The

quality of the atmosphere

luminous, and the draw-

ing of the figures beautiful. Observe particularly an


apostle at the extreme
slightly,
left,

with his right

arm

raised

and a figure near the centre who stands

2i6
startled,

trbe art of tbe itti ff^alace


with both hands
(beautifully

modelled)

lifted in a

gesture of surprise.

This picture

may be

seen in the illustration representing the Hall of the


Iliad.

The Assumption of the Virgin, by Andrea del Sarto, Number 225, hanging in the same room, is sometimes confounded with Number 191. The
upper part of the canvas
gio's
is

quite like

some of Correglights.

work, especially in the quality of the


sits in

The Virgin

the clouds, her hands joined, and

slightly upraised.

Her

eyes look out from the pic-

ture in a disinterested manner, and do not carry the

observer upward.
for a signal

and

She looks
as
if

as

if

she were waiting

that signal

were not coming


ac-

from above. The

little

angels,

which play such an

tive part in the scene

which the Madonna takes so

passively, are beautiful studies of foreshortening.

The

saints

below are rather academic; but the

central figure, with upturned profile

and extended
Margaret of
St.

arm, has such a beautiful hand that one forgets the


self-consciousness

of the pose.

St.

Cortona appears
garet

at the right, kneeling.


in

Mar-

was born

Tuscany, and

in her

youth was

a noted evil

liver,

having been

left

early an orphan,

and being overcome by the temptations of her surroundings.


a
little

One

of her lovers

dog

led her to the place

was murdered, and where he lay. The


her that she

sight of his mutilated

body so

afifected

tEbe Iball of tbe ITliab

217

repented, and reformed, and ever afterwards lived

a saintly

life.

In 1272, she took the habit of the

third order of St. Francis.

legend

is told,

that as

she knelt before the crucifix the head of the Saviour

was bent

in forgiveness.

She became the representto the people of Cortona.


is

ative of the

Magdalen
little

As

a rule the
;

dog

regarded as her attribute


it is

in art
St.

but in this picture by Del Sarto

omitted.

Niccolo de Ban, robed in a dalmatic and with


feet,

a mitre visible at his


at the left also.

assumes an admirable pose


a native of Lycia in Asia

He was

Minor.

His parents were Christians.


he
said to have stood

The

first

sign of early piety in Niccolo


birth;
is

was on the day of


up
for having called

his

in his bath, in

order to render thanks to


into the world.

God

him

He

is

probably the only saint on


!

record to begin so promptly his saintly calling

He

continued to be a most precocious child, and they


relate further that

he would never nurse on

Weddeter-

nesdays

or

Fridays, being

from the

first

mined

to observe all fasts.

Naturally his parents


life.

dedicated so remarkable a child to a religious

His father and mother died of the plague, and


him,
still

left

a young man, heir to vast wealth.

He

regarded his riches as a sacred stewardship, and


constantly gave large

sums

to the deserving poor.

Many

people were saved from lives of want or inhis

famy through

unknown

generosify.

One

narra-

2i8
tive
is

Zbc Hrt

of tbe

ft^itti

palace
to steal

related of an innkeeper

who used

children,

and serve up

their

limbs to his guests.

The

penetrating St. Niccolo approached the barrel


salted

where the remains of these victims were

down,

and made the sign of the cross over them; where-

upon the limbs


tributes

arose,

and the

children, entire, are re-

ported to have run


of
St.

home

to their parents.

Niccolo

are

three
to

balls

some
three

The

at-

claim

that

they are intended

represent

purses of gold which he threw in at the

house to save three unhappy

girls

window of a from ruin; some


that they

say that they are three loaves of bread which kept


a poor

widow from

starving;
St.

some say

signify the Trinity.

Niccolo died in 326.

His

remains were taken to Bari, in 1084, by some enterprising merchants,

who had

heard of the miracles

which the sacred body had wrought, and who went

and helped themselves to the


the

relics

unchallenged,

town having been


picture

recently devastated by the Sar-

acens.

was painted for the Cardinal of Cortona, and was placed in the Church of St. Antonio del Poggio in that city. The grand Duke Ferdinand
II.

The

bought

it

from Cosimo Passerini

in 1639,

and

it

was taken
is

to the Pitti Gallery.

Biliverti's

Tobias and the Angel, hanging above

the door,
iverti

one of his

finest

works.

Giovanni

Bil-

was a Florentine

living between

1576 and

TOBIAS

AND THE ANGEL


;

By

Biliverti

in

the Hall of the Iliad

XTbe iball ot tbe irita5


1644,

219

and a pupil of

Cigoli.

This picture was

painted in 1612 for Giovanni Cerretani, a


the Florentine Senate.
11.

member of The Grand Duke Leopold


Accia for 250 sequins.

bought

it

from the

artist

Although often accused of being affected and mannered (for


it

belongs to the decadent school),

it

has

a definite charm, even though that charm be some-

what dramatic.
the Angel.
it is

The

picture represents Tobias


is

and
out-

As
will

the story

told in the

Apocrypha,

probably unfamiliar to
it

many

readers.

An

line of

serve to interpret Biliverti's paint-

ing.

Tobias, the son of Tobit, had gone forth to


wife,

marry a
suffered

leaving at

home

his

father,

who
in

from blindness.

While the youth was on

his journey,
reality the

accompanied by a stranger

who was

Archangel Raphael, he came to the River

Tigris.

"

And when
wash

the

young man went down

to the

river to

himself, a fish leaped out of the river,

and would have devoured him.

Then the angel said unto him, Take the fish. And the young man laid hold of the fish and drew it
to land. " To

"

whom

the angel said

Open the

fish

and

take out the heart and the liver and the gall and
put them up safely."
.

The

angel then went on to explain to Tobias that

Jthes^e

parts of the fish are of virtue in exorcising

220
devils

Ube Htt
and

ot tbe pitti palace

in healing blindness.

returned home, his blind father " And he took hold of his father and strake of
the gall on his father's eyes, saying:

So when Tobias came to greet him.

Be

of good

hope,

my father." And the father was

healed of his blindness, and


his

Tobias, not knowing

who

guide had been on the

journey, wished to give him half of his riches; but


his

companion answered him:

" I

am

Raphael, one of the seven holy angels,


in fear before him, behold

and when they bow


Biliverti has

he

has gone when they rise up again."

chosen the dramatic

moment

in the

story,

and depicts Tobias and Tobit


just beginning to

his father,

with

newly recovered

sight, offering jewels to the angel,


tell

who
sage.

is

them

his great

mes-

The

instant of transition
is

from ignorance to
could hardly have

knowledge
action.

caught with considerable power and


critical

more

moment

been selected, and the expression and attitude of


the
figures

are not affected,


the

considering the su-

preme importance of

incident.

Tobias
in

has
his

made
hands,

his

offer of jewels,

which he holds
the

the

old man, with a slightly dazed ex-

pression,

quite

remarkably

indicating

unac-

customed sensation of

sight, stands

by; and each

shows dawning comprehension of the angel's words.

The

lips

of Tobias are parted in an exclamation

tbe tall

of tbe

lUab

2^1

of surprise and reverence;

the wings of the angel

are spread for flight; you feel that he will be gone


directly.

In point of

fact, instead

of such a picture

being a mannered and simply pretty study of a


scene, painted for the sake of introducing types,
is
it

full

of thought and study of a critical situation.

St.

Augustine interprets the story of Tobias and

the angel as being a symbolical story, saying, " Christ


is

young Tobias took living from the stream, whose heart, consumed by passion, put the
the fish which

demon to flight and restored sight to the blind." The heads of the three chief figures are beautifully
drawn, that of the angel being, as
it

were, a Greek
also are
is

head

in a

Renaissance setting.

The hands

modelled finely; the colour of the whole


Tobias's tunic
is

soft.

yellow, while Tobit wears a blue


is

fur-bordered robe; the angel


violets.
ful,

in soft

grays and
is

Thus even

the colour-scheme

thought-

each subject being clad in a shade to harmon-

ize

with his position in the legend.


is

The Sleeping Love, by Caravaggio,


ground stretched out
under him
existed,
in a in slumber.

lying on the
is

His wing

bent

way

which,

if

a Cupid with wings


natural.

would surely be very


his

On

the

ground are
any

bow and

quiver.
fails

In the Baptism of Christ, Veronese


special inspiration,
is

to give

though his treatment of the

subject

not objectionable.

The

face of Jesus

is

222
in

ttbe Htt ot tbe

B>itti

ipalace

shadow.

The

figure stands in a conventional

way,

the attitude being one of reverence and submission,

and

is

acceptable

if

not striking.

The nimbus about

the divine head

is

painted in regular rays, but they

are rays of simple light, in symmetrical disposition,

not

metallic

formed rays such as Carlo Dolci


Christ
is

has employed in his pictures of saints.

kneeling on a small rock in the bed of the river.

His arms are crossed upon

his breast.

The

Baptist stands, or rather leans upon a rock,


is

and conveys too much the impression that he


afraid to get into the water himself.

He

is

in

no

way

a figure equal to the

demand

of the subject.

Kneeling on the bank, rather in the middle distance,

and showing between the figures of Christ and


John,
is

St.

a nobly executed female saint.


is

Her upal-

turned face

in

Veronese's best manner, and


is

though the hand, which


eral effect is the

almost the only other


is

part of her which appears,

rather

stiff,

the gen-

most pleasing thing


left,

in the picture.

Two
ual,

angels are at the


cloth.

one of them holding

a white

The Holy
falls

Ghost, symbolized, as us-

by a white dove, hovers over the group radiat-

ing light

which

from above upon

all.

In

this picture

Paul Veronese had no opportunity to

paint rich textiles, but the lights are characteristic

of his

style.

The background

is

that of a thick

grove of trees suggesting that the spot chosen for

Ube

1ball of tbe Ulta^

223

the Saviour's baptism

was a shady

ncx)k

by the side

of the stream; quite a different conception from that


of

many
There

artists,

who have

painted the scene in the

broad open
is

river.

a general air of cool seclusion about the the clear sky

picture with

showing through the


This picture

leafy branches at the back.

may

be

seen in the illustration of the Hall of the Iliad.

On
gin,

either side of the large

Assumption of the Virportraits.

by Del Sarto, are rows of


is

At

the top

on the right
of Vincenzo

a picture by Pulzone, of Eleanora, wife

I.,

Duke
I.

of Mantua. She

was

a daughter

of Francesco

de Medici, and must have been

brought up

in the Pitti Palace.

She

is

dressed in

court costume, such as

we

usually call Elizabethan,

having an elaborate lace

ruff;

and her hair

is

dressed

high with a cap and jewels.

Scipione Pulzone was a

young

artist

of some promise, but he only lived to be

thirty-six years of age,

dying

in 1593,
art.

having come

to a considerable fame in portrait

He

reached

a standard of excellence which came partly from a


close study of Raphael
called,

and Del Sarto, so that he was

even in his youth, the

Van Dyck

of the Ro-

man

school.

He finished
and even

highly, especially the hair in


in the pupils of the eyes

his pictures;

he

often placed a reflection of the objects in the room,

giving an extremely real

expression,

even when
laboured,

viewed from a distance.

His

style

was

224
but
it

XTbe Hrt ot tbe pitti palace

was

full

of promise for future greatness, had

he

lived.

A
saint.

stiff

head of

St.
;

George, by Paris Bordone,


it

hangs

in this

row nothing about

suggests the

He

is

simply a

man

in

armour, with one un-

wieldy hand raised in benediction.

An unknown
much charm and
top of the

portrait

by

Tinelli

is

painted with

sprightliness.

Pulzone's portrait of Marie de Medici hangs at the


left line,

balancing that of Eleanora on the


in her

opposite side.

Marie looks much as she does


by Rubens. She
is

numerous

portraits

in

a decollete

corsage with high

stiff lace collar

flaring back in the

fashion which she usually affected.


in red

She
It

is

gowned
a very

and
'*

is

covered with jewels.

is

" dressy

portrait.

Marie de Medici was also a


I.

daughter of Francesco

de Medici, and was

bom
of

April 26, 1575, and married

King Henry IV.

France when she was twenty-five years of age.

This

monarch was addicted

to gallantries

which greatly

displeased the fiery disposition of his bride,

who
good-

laboured under the disadvantage of being

less

looking than the ladies

who had

superseded her in her

husband's affections.

It is said that his face

has of-

ten borne the marks of her nails, a method which she

adopted to show her disapproval of his reprehensible course of action.

She was the mother of Louis

XIII., and at the death of her husband became re-

XTbe Dall of tbe ITlta^


gent.

225

Her
is

great political career began then


familiar to
all.

her
even

history

She

lived to
in

be sixtyher youth.

five years old.

This portrait was painted

She died
There
;

at last, in Cologne, in 1643, without

the material comforts, exiled by her son, Louis XIII.


is

another portrait of himself by Andrea del

Sarto and one of Salvator Rosa, by himself, facing


the spectator, and holding his palette and brushes.

There

is

a superb Velasquez portrait,

thor-

oughly Spanish-looking

man

with a mantle slung

across his shoulder, the costume being of about

the year 1600.

The
IIL,

lowest portrait in this row.

Number
in

190,

is

by Sustermans, and represents the son of Federigo

King of Denmark.

It

shows a youth

armour,
col-

with a sash across his breast, and a large square


lar of elaborate lace.

He

is

rather a heavy-eyed boy,

with his hair cut straight across his forehead, too


close to his eyebrows.

The

portrait
us,

is

a decorative

one, and

is

familiar to

most of

through photo-

graphs.

A mediaeval,

serious countenance gazes at us

from

a small panel. Number 195, by Francia, at the bot-

tom of the row of


gallery,

portraits

on the other

side.

It is

as fine a treatment of the

human

face as any in this

and stands out

cool, restful,

and pure from


Francia,

among

the florid pictures of a later day.

or Francesco Raibolini, was a great

airtist

who

226

Zbc Hrt

ot tbe pitti palace


dying

lived in the early part of the sixteenth century,


in

1557.

His work has a fascinating quahty of


In his reHgious pictures he exhibits deep

naivete.

feehng.

The handhng

is

not so perfect as that of

Perugino, but " for mastery over oil painting," says John Addington Symonds, " and for charm of
colour,
is

Francia challenges comparison with what

best in Perugino,

though he did not attain quite

the same technical excellence."

There are
dinando
II.,

portraits, too,

by Sustermans, of Ferof Cosimo


I.

Bronzino,
lives

Number 209, and Number 212. Short

by
the

accounts

of

and errors of these princes


a portrait of
It

will be

found

in the

chapter upon the growth of the collection.

Number 215
doza, by Titian.

is

Don Diego da Menin 15 14,

was painted

while

Men-

doza was Ambassador to Venice for Charles V. of


Spain.
It is

a striking picture, and a

good

subject,
it.

although restorers have done their best to spoil

Don Diego da Mendoza was


duties as

a favourite of Charles

v., and entrusted by the emperor with important

ambassador and viceroy.

The emperor
of Valencia

conferred upon

him the

viceroyalty

when he left his kingdom for an expedition into Germany. Mendoza was also Ambassador to Rome and
Venice, and was brought into close relations with

Cosimo de Medici when Charles sought large loans


from the Florentines.

skilful

master of diplo-

Ube

Iball ot tbe Ultat)

227

macy, Mendoza was a poor soldier;


of Siena recovered from him their

and

it

was

through his lack of military foresight that the people


city,

which he

occupied under the pretence of rendering the inhabitants sure protection.


St.

Benedict

among
is

the Saints in Heaven, by

Paul Veronese,

a rich characteristic bit of the

master's gorgeousness.

The

saint

is

displayed in

a cope

O'f

regal magnificence;

he stands among the


is

clouds, with uplifted face.

His attitude
crozier.

benign

and
of

stately,

and he holds a

At

either side

him stand two other


These two
first

saints, in equally rich copes,

embroidered with figures and rendered most exquisitely.

saints are St.


disciples.
St.

Placidus, his

two
St.

Maur and St. Maur holds a

book and a censer;


martyr.

Placidus a palm, he being a

At

his feet kneel


;

many
is St.

virgins in vestScholastica, dis-

ments of nuns

among them
In the sky

tinguished by her attribute, a dove.


painted in 1572.
is

The picture was

seen a very ornately

dressed St. Catherine kneeling at the feet of Christ.

The

draperies could not be better disposed, either


efifect.

for near inspection or for distant

Guido Reni's Charity, Number


ture,

197,

is

an oval

pic-

and hangs above,

in a corner.

It is

a graceful
partly

composition

of clinging

children

about a

draped woman.
afifected.

Individually the figures are not

22S

Ube art
is

of tbc t>itti

palace

Hanging high
II.

the full-length portrait of Philip


Philip II.'s portrait by

of Spain, by Titian.
is

Velasquez

acknowledged to be the one which


Spanish king most
its

presents the

realistically,

but

one must attribute much of


to the genius of the artist.
flattered kings.
traits of the

monumental

effect

Painters have always

It is interesting to

have other porso that a


the

same subject by other

artists,

genuine impression

may be

gained

how

man

looked and what kind of a


Philip
II.,

spirit there

was

in him.

small in stature and dreary of countefits

nance, with a large protruding jaw,


tation.

his repu-

Industrious, master of intrigue, an adept

in

cruelty,

imperfectly educated,

grasping, avari-

cious, possessed of a great empire, with unlimited

power
his

at his
will,

command, he
all

ruled by the exercise of


either in

own

and destroyed

open warfare

or secret plot
of

who

withstood him.

Motley speaks
ventured near.

him as a

spider sitting in the centre of his web,


it

and entangling within

all

who

Sitting in his cabinet in the Escorial,


ible
bet,

and as

invis-

and hedged about as the Grand


he dictated the policy of the

Lama of Thistate. Few men


Treach-

have ever exercised so great a power, and fewer have ever used
it

for such

unworthy ends.

ery, conspiracy,

and assassination are not unjustly

associated with his name.

The murderer
that he should

of Will-

iam the

Silent,

it

is fitting

have

re-

Ubc Dall

ot tbe irua&

229

joiced at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew.

The

story of the Netherlands in revolt illustrates the


deliberate cruelty of his acts.

Philip

II.

and Alva

must be mentioned together.

In the small and narthat secretiveness

row head are evidences of

and

intrigue which hatched the plots;

and the lower


have here the
the
idea

part of his face indicates the determination and

energy that carried them outskill

We

of

of the

man who could conceive Spanish Armada and command


the
to put

resources
Philip

sufficient

the idea into operation.

determined to stem the tide of


heretics

modem

thought;

must be destroyed, and the Inquisition was


governed by motives partly

one
tion.

oif

the instruments used in a wholesale destruc-

He was

religious,

partly political, but the result

was the same; and


fail

the world, looking upon his face, can never


see there the cruelty

to

and bigotry which devastated


de Medici, painted
is

Europe and threatened England.


Cardinal
Ippolito
in

Hun-

garian battle costume,


vein.

in Titian's best portrait

He

is

turned three-quarters to the right, in

a red cap ornamented with a buckle and plumes.


his right

In

hand

is

a baton and in his left a sabre.

He
one.

certainly embodies the Venetian preference for

warfare over religion.

His history was a strange

He was

a natural child of GiuHano de Medici,

Duke

of Nemours, and

was born

in

Urbino

in 151

1.

230

'Q^be

Hrt ot tbe

ipitti

palace

Giuliano was a brother of Pope Leo X.,

who

be-

came
fitness

interested in his nephew,

and had him ap-

pointed cardinal, not on account of the young man's


for the calHng, but because
it

was a conIppohto
his first

venient favour for the

Pope to bestow.
and took

was of a very martial

disposition,

army when Charles V. assembled a host to go out against Solyman and the Turks. Clement VII., who was then Pope, appointed him as his legate, and gave him three hunopportunity to join the

dred musketeers, with


to Vienna,

whom

he proceeded joyously

His

distaste for the

more

peaceful fields

of Church disputations caused the Pope to pro^

nounce him

slightly insane.

He

allowed his mus-

keteers to run riot, and behaved himself in so lawless

a way that Charles V. had him arrested, but, knowing that


Ippolito

had found

favour

with

Pope
ap-

Clement, with
treaty,

whom

he wished to enter upon a


liberate the legate,
It

he decided to

who

peared at Bologna at the conference.


that,

was here
is

while sporting his Hungarian uniform, Titian

painted his likeness.


in a

The bronzed

visage

painted

remarkably

lifelike

way, and Titian has adapted

his style well to the exigencies of the subject.

The
"

description by

Crowe and

Cavalcaselle seems best


:

to quote in studying the detail of this picture

No

modulations are to be observed in a face the whole


character of which
lies in

the contrast between pol-

xrbe t)all of tbe ITliab

231

ished skin, sharp-cut features, and eyes of porten-

tous cunning.
in the

There

is

something grandly entire


life

whole head, to which Titian gives


without

and

elevation by a broad

and general rendering of the

lineaments,

any

research

of

miniature.
to

Smooth rounding and tone were


production of this
effect,

essential

the

and these Titian gives

with a warmth and softness of fusion truly admirable.


vas,

Looking

closely at the grain of the canis

one sees the art with which the colour


it,

strained over
is

the

skill

with which uniform gloss

broken with a touch or modified with a glaze.


Giorgionesque and mysterious glow
Titian's
is

the result."
It
is

head of Christ lacks character.


profile,

only a bust, the face nearly in


laid

and one hand

on the

breast.
It is

the draperies.

Red and blue predominate in an early work of the master,


and gloss of the period.

and has the

delicate finish

As

usual,

Titian has here " given tenderness by

transitions of half-tones

and broken contrasted

col-

ours," as

Crowe

describes his

method of mottling.

The picture has a landscape background. The weak, vicious face of Francesco I. de Medici confronts us in Broozino's portrait, Number 206.
This was the son of Cosimo L,

bom

the 25th of
arts

March, in 1541.

He

was a great patron of

and

letters,

but a disgraceful example of self-indul-

gence and weakness of purpose where moral ques-

232
tions

Ube art
were involved.

of tbe t^itti K^alace

He

became sovereign of Tus-

cany at thirty-five years of age.

He

used to

cir-

cumvent
in

plots

and conspiracies
in the
:

in the Pitti Palace

an ingenious way, narrated by his biographer,


''

and chronicled
which
I

Memoirs of Mark Noble/'

quote

"

He

perforated the six torquex in

the Medicean arms, which were put up very high


in the great hall of the Palazzo Pitti, and,

when
all

the magistrates sat in their judicial capacity,

was distinctly heard in a Here he often took his the other side.
that
said

was

gallery

on

post, and,

much

to his honour,

if

he detected

in

them any par-

tiality,

the cause

decree reversed,

was reexamined by himself, the and the judge punished.'*

Francesco married a lady of great virtue, the

Duchess Johanna of Austria, niece of Maximilian


II.

This good

woman was

kept in a state of con-

stant

excitement and fear, through the unlawful

affection of her lord

and master for the beautiful

Bianca Capello, wife of Pietro Bonaventuri.

The
in

grand duchess, piously trusting

in her religion, per-

formed a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Loretto,


order to win back the heart of her husband.

In

1572 she and her ladies

set

out for Loretto with


etc.,

offerings of golden hearts, candlesticks, crosses,

but in vain.

Our Lady

of Loretto

was powerless

against the substantial charms of Bianca Capello,

Ube *all
and Johanna was put
in 1578.

of tbe IHfab

1^33

aside,

and shortly

after died,

The
this

portrait of Bianca Capello, the cause of all

trouble,

Number
beautiful

204,

hangs

here.

It

was

painted also by Bronzino.

She

is

richly dressed.

She wears a

gown

of embroidered stuff

designed in square figures;

her sleeves are elab-

orately arranged to button their whole length, but

were
frills

left

open when the picture was painted.

Short

are around the upper parts of the sleeves and

around the shoulder.

The neck

is

open, and shows

a lace-trimmed chemisette;

the collar flares in the


veil.

Elizabethan fashion, and she wears a thin

She

has on a pearl necklace.

Bianca Capello was born in Venice, but was married at

an early age to Pietro Bonaventuri against

her father's wishes.

The

couple fled to Florence.


her,

There the dissolute Francesco de Medici saw


and
fell

Her defenders say that Bianca was a virtuous woman, and that she was never the mistress of Francesco. Her husband was a weak and lazy member of society, and Bianca was finally reduced to taking in washing to supdesperately in love.

port the family, sary


if

which would have been unnecesFran-

she had listened to her powerful adorer.

Finally,

however, the conditions changed.

cesco went about hinting that Pietro Bonaventuri

was

in the

way;

that

it

was not a grand duke's

434

tbe Htt

ot tbe titti t>alace

him to death, but that the same grand duke would pardon any assassin who chose to kill Pietro on his own account. One day, not long
business to put
after, the

unfortunate Pietro was discovered dead


his

on a bridge near
virtuous
in

home.

Bianca, who, though

the popular acceptance of the term,

was certainly very much attracted to the duke, went to him in all the " pomp of mourning," and demanded justice foT the *' murderer." Whereupon
Francesco replied
:

"

The

best justice I can give

you

marry you myself." This arrangement conforming absolutely with the proprieties as Bianca
is

to

conceived them, she and the duke were promptly

wedded on the I2th of October, 1579.


son died in infancy.

Their only

Some

years passed happily, and then the royal

couple received a visit from their brother, Cardinal

Ferdinand de Medici, who thought

it

a pity that two

people like his brother and his low-born consort

should so long occupy the throne of Tuscany, to

which he himself would succeed


pen both to expire.

if

they should hap-

nand came to
luncheon.

visit

So the kindly Cardinal Ferdithem, and they all sat down to

A tart

such as Francesco greatly enjoyed

was

set before

them.

of this delicacy,

Cardinal Ferdinand was


treat.

He and

Bianca ate a great deal


fasting,

and denied himself the


cidence, both Francesco

By

a curious coin-

and Bianca died that night.

xrbe Dall ot tbe Ulia^

235

This melancholy event took place on the 15th of


October, in 1587.
It is a

misfortune that the only two pictures in

the Pitti which have ever been attributed to Leo-

nardo da Vinci have been somewhat discredited


so that in
all

probability this greatest of artists


Still,

is

not represented in the collection.

the Gold-

smith and the Monaca have both been considered


as his

work

for generations,

and

it

is

interesting

to note the reasons for the change of opinion, as


well as the fact of their having been so long accredited to him.
.

The Goldsmith

is

now thought
It is

to be the

work

of Ridolfo Ghirlandajo'.

painted in low tones


colour in the pic-

of brown and black.


ture
is

The main
little

in the

charming

landscape in the back-

ground.

The

expression of the

man who examin his

ines a beautiful jewel


is

which he holds

hand
it

very living.

It

might

easily be a portrait, for

has certain faults of feature which are seldom chosen

by a painter
under
it is

in representing

an ideal subject.
is

The
But

lip is

heavy, and the chin

not regular.
;

a very pleasing picture nevertheless


filigree against the
is

the small

touch of

sombre texture of the


in

garment of the goldsmith

happy

relief.

Ridolfo Ghirlandajo was a painter of legitimate


pictures,

and was

also'

what
:

in

modern times would

be called a " decorator " not being averse to paint-

236

Ubc Hrt

ot tbe pittt
etc.,

palace

ing banners, standards,

and designing pageants,

triumphal arches, and decorations of heraldic character.

When
him

Ghirlandajo was in Rome, Raphael

invited

to assist

him with

his frescoes in the


little

Vatican;
refused,

but Ridolfo, with very

foresight,

thereby losing the opportunity of being

associated with the great master, and of having


his

name handed down


facility,

to posterity in connection

with that important work.

He

had much elegance

and

and a certain vivacity of manner which

enabled him to follow the style of Raphael in some


of his pictures.

Many

of his figures are strikingly

like those of Raphael.

But he painted rather for


therefore he

amusement than
what might be them

as a profession;
called

was

an amateur.

He

assembled
instructed
arts

a coterie of clever people around


in various oi the

him and

minor decorative

which

greatly fascinated him.


lent.

His portraits were excel-

He was

of a sunny, cheerful disposition, and

he lived to enjoy a peaceful old age, suffering some-

what from the gout, and bearing

it

with fortitude.

He
seer,

decorated several ceilings in the Pitti Palace,

and, as he grew old, he became a devoted sight-

and

visited all

new

buildings, gardens,

etc.,

that were in the vicinity


seen.

and could be conveniently


" one day that the Signor

Vasari

tells

how

Duke had gone

out of Florence, Ridolfo caused

himself to be carried in a chair to the palace, where

Ube

1ball of tbe 1Ilia5

237

he lived and remained the whole day, examining


the whole of that building, which
altered

was
it

so greatly

and transmuted from what

had formerly
Vasari was

been that he scarcely

knew

it

again."

at that time painting at the Pitti.

when he
I

departed, the old


I

man

In the evening, " Now shall said


:

die content, since

shall

be able to carry to our

artists

who

are in the other world intelligence to


I

the effect that

have seen the dead revived, the

deformed made
1560, and

beautiful,

and the old made young."

Ridolfo died at the age of seventy-five years, in

was

interred in Santa

Maria Novella.

In

Fra Bartolommeo's Virgin Enthroned, the


is

Madonna

seated in the centre, on a high throne,


is

above which

suspended a circular canopy susSt.

pended by four angels.

Bartholomew, standing

by on the
stands in

right, is
in his

very stocky, and holds a knife


hand.

and a book

On

the

left St.

Michael

full

armour, one foot advanced, giving a

light poise to the figure in strong contrast to the

heavy

St.

Bartholomew on the opposite


very noble.

side.

He

holds a furled banner, and a small palm in the other

hand.

His head

is

The

angels at the

foot of the throne are playing, one

upon a

violin

and the other upon a


graceful.

They are inexpressibly So much lampblack was used in this


lute.
it is

painting that

almost a monochrome.
relief,

It is

well

drawn, in good

and

is

a fine composition.

238

xrbe Hrt of tbc

ipittt

ipalace
is

The
kind.
St.

usual effect of a pyramid in composition

combined with much grace and action of a

stately

The

infant

is

placing a ring on the

hand of

Catherine.

St.

Reparata, in lovely garments,

kneels at the Virgin's feet.

ence was

named

for this

The Cathedral of Florsaint, who was for six

hundred years the patroness of Florence, from 680


to 1298.

She was a virgin of Cappadocia, and was She was tortured and then beheaded,
have issued from her

martyred under Decius when she was only twelve


years old.

and her

spirit is reported to

mouth in the form of a white dove when she died. Her usual emblems are a crown, a palm, and banner with a red cross on it. This picture was painted It hung in 1 5 12, in partnership with Albertinelli. originally in the Church of San Marco, but was
taken to the Pitti in 1690, where
it

was placed

in

the apartments of Ferdinand de Medici, son of Cos-

imo

III.

Antonio Gabbiani made a copy of


to the church;

it,

which

was given
to $800.

the price paid

was equal

Daniel Barbaro, by Veronese,


true to the
life.

is

a good portrait,

The man
is

is

sitting full face;

he

has gray hair, and


ermine.
the
left

clad in a black robe lined with

The hands

are magnificently painted.


It is

In

one he holds a handkerchief.

a thor-

oughly good Venetian portrait of the period.

Bar-

baro was Venetian Ambassador to the Court of

XCbe ftall ot tbe fltab

239

England during the reign of Edward the Sixth.

Born

in Venice,

he studied in Padua, and was

in-

terested in mathematics, botany,

and other

sciences.

After having been for some time in diplomatic service in Venice, he accepted the position of

Ambas-

sador to England in 1548.

In the Council of Trent

he was an earnest and active defender of the Church.

He

died in 1570.

St.

John the Evangelist, by Carlo Dolci,


of
''

is

as
It

mannered and smooth as most of


is

his pictures.

full

prettiness "
in Dolci's

and the
day
;

style of grace that


is

was admired
ception to

it

no adequate coninspired writer.

modern observers of the


full

Number
rior,

218, by Salvator Rosa, represents a war-

standing in

armour facing the

spectator.

He

is

a fierce person, with glittering eyes and a cruel

little

moustache above a
is

thick, sensual mo'Uth.

His

shock of wild hair

painted in a masterly manner,


in the

and the strong contrasts and soft outlines


picture suggests

Rembrandt.
is

The

foreshortening

of the right hand


ently the warrior

slightly doubtful;

but appar-

is

pointing out of the window,

perhaps to the

battle-field,

which may have been the

scene of a recent victory.

The Virgin and


Christ,

St.
is

John Adoring the Infant


a painting on

by Perugino,

wood

in oils.

This w^as rather an unusual vehicle for

this master,

who

g-enerally

employed tempera;

the picture has

240

XTbe Hrt ot tbe

Ipitti

palace
is

been restored a good deal, and the general tone


red and hard.
in prayer,

The Virgin

kneels with hands joined


sits

and regards the Infant, who

on a

very full-stuffed sack or bolster, and looks at his

mother without comprehending her


child
is

attitude.

The

supported by an attendant angel.


little

He

is

represented as a very natural

fat thing,

with

one finger
right

in his

mouth, and the forefinger of the

hand

raised,

probably not intended


angel
is is

to sug-

gest a blessing, though enthusiastic observers might

so interpret

it.

The

rather insipid, and,

on the whole, the picture


happiest compositions;

not

among
little

Perugino's
fig-

but the

kneeling

ure oi the young

St.

John, behind the Virgin (so


it

disposed in the perspective that


sible for

would be impos-

him

to catch a glimpse of the child


is

whom
landIt is

he

is

adoring),

very prettily handled.


is

The

scape in the background

most

delightful.

as romantic as the setting of a fairy-tale,

and yet
detail

not overdrawn for an

Umbrian

hillside.

The

on the robe of the Virgin and the angel, and the

work on the

angel's wings, are very effective

and

characteristic of Perugino's use of gold.

The head work. Not

of the Virgin

is

really a very beautiful

only

is

the expression of adoration to

be seen upon her

face,

but also there

is

a shade of

sorrow, a pathos, as she looks at the unconscious


child,

and yet

foresees, as she

was usually

believed

XLbc t)all ot tbe f lia&


to have foreseen,
all

241

that

is

in store for him.

drooping eyelids remind us of those of the


nas of Raphael, particularly the

The Madon-

Madonna Granduca.

may have been one to which the youth gave special attention when he came under the masThe head-dress is most gracefully ter's influence.
This head
arranged, and
the head.
is

an integral part of the design of


a portrait in Titian's school of

Number 221

is

Constanza, daughter of Ercole Bentivoglio, a captain of Florence.

She was the wife of Lorenzo


This
in

Strozzi of Ferrara, being married in 1510.


picture

was painted

1520.

Later she married

Filippo Tornielli of Navarre.

There
gione.

is

here a portrait of an aristocratic female,


is

the subject of which

not known, painted by Gior-

The woman

suggests the type which occurs

in Titian's

Sacred and Profane Love in the Bo-r-

ghese Gallery in Rome.


stiffly

She wears a wreath of


she
rib-

wound

foliage,

which seems to have been a

fashionable Venetian head-dress of the period;

wears gloves, and her sleeves are composed of


bons, in the

manner of Raphael's Donna Velata.


man, by Hans
is

portrait of a scholarly-looking

Holbein, hangs here.

He

is

not handsome, but

painted with such truth and richness of finish that

he appears to be almost good-looking.


of the hands
is

The

painting
else.

more remarkable than anything

242
St.

Ube Hrt

of tbe pitti palace


is

Margaret, by Carlo Dolci,

really inexcus-

able.

stout party, with a double receding chin,

she

is insipid.

This conception

is

one of the worst


this school.

examples of the meretricious features of


It

must have been intended originally as a


saint.

portrait,

and afterwards denominated as a

The Gravida

of Raphael

is

one of the instances

of the pitiless exactness with which the great artist

used to treat portraiture.


as the model looked.

This

is

doubtless precisely

One would
it is

not be cruel enough


it.

to say that there


finish

was an

idealized line in

In

and execution

a masterpiece;

of beauty,

as a thing

well,
It
is

no doubt the family of the lady


of the
first

admired

it.

rank in technique;

the surfaces of linen and damask are like those of

Del Sarto.
like Raphael.

The

foreshortening of one hand


portrait of

is

not

Compared with the


it

Madel-

lena Doni, however,


uine.

can

still

be claimed as gen-

Parmigiano painted the celebrated but unpleasing picture,

Number
She
at
is

230.

The

Virgin, in a blue
is

mantle and robe, leaning upon cushions,


tral figure.

the cen-

nothing more or

less

than an
her

affected court lady.

The
is

sleeping child

lies in

arms.

Angels

one side are adoring the


offering

infant,

and one of them

him

a crystal vase.

Near a portico

in

the background stands an old

man

unrolling a scroll,

xrbe Iball ot tbe Ifliab

243

The
ture
is

painter

was
in

so dissatisfied with this picture


it.

that he never finished

Everything in the

pic-

drawn

an affected and exaggerated way;


even the columns

the figures are long-drawn out;

of the portico are so long and slim that they are

of a ridiculous proportion;
the Madonna,
it is

and as

to the neck of
it

so long and sinuous that

has

caused the picture to be named "


oi the

The Madonna
" full of grace

Long Neck."

Vasari finds

it

and beauty."
of landscapes.

Parmigiano was principally a painter

He

and

his

wife,

Ippolita,

both

travelling about

and sketching, drew many scenes

for various Italian collections.

these

journeys

that

was on one of Parmigiano, not more than


It

forty-five years of age, died of a fever at

Rome.

Like so many persons

who have

a decided ability in
effort to

one

line,

he neglected that and made an

excel in one to which he

was not adapted, preferring


effect,

music.

"

He who

deceives himself, and persists in

attempting what he cannot

often finds that


in seekattain.''

he has

lost

what he does know and possess


to

ing to acquire that which he can never

So says Vasari, and he ought

know.
to heaven,

The Madonna Number 231, is


assisted

in the

Assumption by Lanfranco,

literally

swimming up

by an angel cherub, very

like those of

Cor-

reggio at Parma.
angel of

The Virgin is preceded by an maturer aspect, who is playing the violin

244

XTbe Htt ot tbe

Ibttti

ipalace
her, appar-

for her delectation, while, to

welcome

ently, are three small angels in the clouds, singing

out of a book.
idea of the scene.

Altogether a strange and erratic

In

Sustermans's Holy Family, numbered 232,

Victoria della Rovere appears as the

Madonna, with
II.

Cosimo

III. as

an infant, and

St.

Joseph represented

by the chamberlain of her husband, Ferdinand


a passing notice.

Guercino's Susannah and the Elders next claims

Susannah

is

represented as havit

ing an unusually uncomfortable time of


picture, for the elders, not content

in this

with gazing from

afar,

have approached, and are actually removing

her draperies!

The bath

itself is

an attractive one,

being a square basin of marble with several steps

and a

sedilia.

A
is

Holy Family of Rubens, Number 235, shows


It

the children in the act of caressing a pet lamb.

a delightfully fresh picture.


Christ Entering the

House of Mary and Martha

is

the subject of a picture.

Number

236, by Bassano.
there
is

It represents

a domestic interior;

no

ulti-

mate

wall, the dresser being placed apparently in

the landscape background.


dresser are rows of dishes;

On

the shelves of this

in the

foreground on
is

the right
in

is

fireplace,

where the cook


kettle.

engaged
is

skimming soup from a

Lazarus

seated

at the table cutting a loaf of bread.

Martha, rising

Zbc
I

t)all of

tbe 1lta5

245

from the
left

table, greets Jesus,

who

is

entering at the

Mary is already on her knees at the door, kissing the hem of his There are many domestic accessories garment.
through an arched doorway.

a cat and a dog

in the central part of the

room;
and,

some fowl
on the

laid

on a napkin on the ground;


the far corner, a

left side, in

man may

be

seen bringing in fish in a basket.

Leandro da Ponte, a son of Jacopo, was


Bassano
in 1558.

bom

in

He

kept a magnificent establish-

ment, having numerous retainers,

who

used to go

about with him, carrying his gold cane or his

mema

orandum book, and on


heavy chain.

the slightest provocation he


St.

would wear his gold insignia of

Mark upon
all

Bassano was always nervous for fear


his

of being poisoned, and had tasters to try


dishes.
in

He

was, in
setting,

fact,

a sort of Beau

Brummel

an Italian

and was more or

less a subject

of mirth.

He

died at Venice in 1623.

CHAPTER

IX.

THE STANZA OF PROMETHEUS


Amidst
ace, its
all

the glowing realism of the Pitti Paloif

one example

Fra Angelico might almost


cold, " early " picture, un-

be passed by as a
less

stiff,

we

realized that in
is

any work of

this

unique

master there

sure to be something of significance.


it

Before analyzing the picture,

is

well to consider

what a contrast there


Angelico and that of

is

between the work of Fra


pictures,

many whose
tO'

upon

a superficial glance, appear


qualities.

have the same general

In the
friar.

first

place,

the artist

was a Dominican
life

monk, living the unreal

of a monas-

tery,

with his time devoted to prayer, praise, and


it

painting,

is

not to be wondered at

if

the repre-

sentation of natural objects

came

less easily to

than the production

O'f

celestial

visions.

He

him was

trained near Assisi, and might be called the father

of

Umbrian

art;

he received some influence also


21$

from the

early Sienese school.

tlbe Stanza ot Iprometbeu^

247

He was
his ideal

a spiritual painter, not intellectual.


lofty soul
;

His

was a most pious and


had been

from early youth

to devote his talents to the Lord,

and the delineation of the face of Jesus or Mary

was a sacrament of divine


religion

service

to

his

mind.

Should a man whose art was

his religion, as his

was

his art, dare to treat the spiritual


if it

body
were

which he attempted to portray exactly as


a portrait of an earthly
to

woman? No;
lights, as

his

aim was
finest

do homage with the purest pigment, the


most unadulterated
and, as

gold, the

he conceived
his

the lights of heaven;

we gaze upon
is

conscientious finish and delicate lines and touches,

we

begin to realize that there

more here than


is

simple miniature painting;

there

reverence so

profound that
effects of the
detail

it

forgets sometimes the values

and

whole

in its ardour to accomplish each

in equal perfection.

" Angelico lives in an

unclouded light," says Ruskin; " his shadows themselves are colour,

his lights are not the spots, but

his darks."

One must

be lenient to some technical

defects in the work, for the sake of the

more
full

pre-

cious qualities which are too rare in our later artists.

In him, as Ruskin has said, there

is

" the

out-

pouring of the sacred

spirit."

His
gelico

real

name was

Giovanni.

He was

called

An-

from

his angelic qualities,

and after

his death

the Church conferred upon

him the

prefix of Beato,

248

tibe art ot tbe

t>ttti

palace

which was almost as much an honour as canonization.

The

painter of Fra Angelico's day

(1387
In most

1455) was much hampered by tradition.


monasteries there were artist-monks, the

men who

frescoed the walls and illuminated the books of their

convent;

and they followed a certain text-book,


in

which was used


*'

such religious houses (where


in

models were not encouraged

art!),

called

the

Byzantine Guide to Painting," which had come


the tenth or eleventh century, containing

down from

exact recipes for the arrangement and treatment of


religious subjects;
as,

for instance, the following

quotation

"

On

the character of the

physiognomy
three cubits;

of the Mother of God,


is in

The
Her

most Holy Virgin


is

her middle age.

height

her complexion the colour of wheat;


eyes are brown.

her hair and


beautiful eyes

Grand eyebrows and

a middle-sized nose and long fingers."


didactic directions are also given "

The most
Paint the

How to

Apocalypse," "
etc.

How to Represent the Tree of Jesse,"


so.

Artists

were not expected to depart from these

rules,

and were hardly ever known to do

Another book, a " Treatise upon Various Arts,"


by Theophilus, a monk of the eleventh century,
a fountainhead of quaint information.
technical points
is

He

gives

which were also

strictly observed.

Theophilus
colours.

tells

how

to grind, prepare,

and mix

Imagine, then, an eye painted according

Ubc Stanja
to this recipe
fill
:

of iC)rometbeU5
little
it

249

"

Mix

black with a

white and
yet

up the pupils of the eyes;


fill

add to

white, and

in

the eyes on both sides."

more For

rendering hair, this simple suggestion seems to have

been

all-sufficient
fill

"

Mix

little

black with ochre,

and

in the hair,

and mark them out with black."


the art training (aside

One

can hardly realize that these perfunctory conall

ventional directions were

from the invaluable education of personal experience) that the artists of the early period received.

naive and insufficient teaching there lay a wonderful spirit of devotion, and that " ca-

But behind

this

pacity for taking infinite pains " which under

mod-

ern conditions develops geniuses.

Listen to the
tell

preface of this holy man, Theophilus, and


if

me

yo'U

do not

feel

the pathos of the inadequate "


I,

result of such consecrated labour.

Theophilus,

an humble
to
all

priest, servant

of the servants of God,

wishing to overcome sloth of the mind or

wandering of the soul by useful manual occupation,


send a recompense of heavenly price.
the arts,
if

Skilful in

let

no one

glorify himself inwardly,

as

received
let

from himself and not from above:


in the Lord,

but

him be thankful

from

whom
.
. .

and through

whom

all

things are received.

Therefore, most beloved son, you will not doubt


that the Spirit of

God has

filled

your heart when


spirit

you have adorned

his temple.

Through the

f
)

^^o

Zbc Art

ot tbe

iC^ittf

ipialace

of Intelligence you have acquired the faculty of


genius.
.

Through the

spirit of piety

you regumeasfollows

late the nature, the destination, the time, the

ure,

and the means of the work."

(And here
"

a touch of very practical religion. )

And through
not steal in."

a pious consideration, the price of the fee, that the


vice of covetousness or avarice

may

Blessings

on the pure soul of Theophilus!


reading

Do
new With

not these old pictures in Florence take on a

meaning

after

his

exhortations?

Browning
"

How
Utter

shall
fit

we

prologuize,

how

shall

we
?

perorate,

things upon art and history

Feel truth at blood-heat and falsehood at zero-rate,

Make

of the

want of the age no mystery

'*
!

With a

tolerance,

then, bred, as
let

is

all

tolerance;

of understanding,

us examine

this

picture of

Fra Angelico's.
Unfortunately,
it is

not a very creditable specimen


it is

of his best work, and


is

good

deal restored.
sits

It

framed as a

triptych.

In the centre

the Vir-

gin with the Child standing on her knee, giving a


blessing.

The

decorative quality of the halos and

accessories are charming.

The
is

persistence of mis-

sal-painting on a large scale


received.

the chief impression

blue mantle over a pink robe, as pre-

scribed, clothes the Virgin.

The

Child

is

also in

09

(U
(U

P4

r1

"J

< o

Ube Stansa
rose colour.

ot lPrometbeu5

251

In her right hand

Mary

holds a box,

probably of some perfume or unguent.


the extent of the central composition,
inal
;

This

is

not

orig-

the delicate

work

in the

background should

be noticed.

On

the left

is St.

John the Baptist holdSt.

ing a cross, with his fur robe draped by a long


mantle.

In the same panel stands

Dominic, the
lily

founder of Fra Angelico's order, holding a


a book.
little

and

Abo've these two figures

is

an exquisite

Annunciation angel in a quatrefoil ornament!

On
and

the right of the triptych are St. Peter Martyr


St.

Thomas, who holds an open book showing


These are both
in the

Gothic lettering.
habit.

Dominican

Above them,

in a little quatrefoil, a small

figure of the Virgin balances the angel


side.

on the other

Over the gilded framework of the tabernacle


scenes

two small

may

be observed

Dominicans
painted

preaching and exhorting with some

spirit,

with more independence, since these scenes were not


included in the regularly prescribed rule for such
a picture.

The

faces

do not bear comparison with

those of the Paradiso in the Academia, nor yet with those of the familiar angels with musical instru-

ments which surround the Madonna of the


Like
all

Ufifizi.

paintings of

its

school,
It

it

is

more

interest-

ing in detail than in mass.

was painted

for the

monks of

St.

Peter Martyr.

It is interesting to

have

in the

same room with

252

XTbe Hrt ot tbe pitti palace

Fra Angelico's work a Madonna by Fra Lippo


Lippi.

Never was greater variance between two


artists.

monastic
choice,

Fra Angelico was a monk by

by temperament;

Fra Lippo Lippi was a


His father and mother
old, his

monk through
dians sent

circumstance.

dying when he was only eight years

guar-

him

to a

Carmelite convent.

In the

durance of a religious house (being of a roving and

merry temperament), he gave the good monks a


deal of trouble.

He

early developed a talent for

drawing, using his time in making caricatures, so


the prior became interested in his talent, and he

was

instructed in art.

He

had ample opportunity

for studying the frescoes of Massaccio in the Car-

mine Chapel.
and elopement.

Otherwise there

is

little

known
in

of

his life except Vasari's romantic story of his love

This rare scapegrace

Orders

conducted himself in a highly scandalous

way

in

the monastery tO' which he had been consigned. " You should not take a fellow eight years old,"
says Fra Lippo, in Browning's poem, " and

make

him swear to never kiss the One cannot tell the story
romance of the episode.

girls

"
!

in better

words than
and the

Vasari's, full of the flavour of their time

" Having thus received a


Sta.

commission from the nuns of

Margherita to

paint a picture for the high altar of their church,

he one day chanced to see the daughter of Francesco

XCbe Stan3a of iprometbeus


Buti, a citizen of Florence,

253

who had

been sent to

the convent either as novice or a boarder.

Fra

Filippo, having given a glance at Lucrezia, for such

was the name of the girl, who was exceedingly beautiful and graceful, so persuaded the nuns that he prevailed upon them to permit him to make a likeness of her for the Virgin in the

executing for them.


painter
fell

The

result

work he was then of this was that the


and
at

violently in love with Lucrezia,

length found means to influence her in such a

man-

ner that he led her


day,
.

away from

the nuns on a certain


their keeping.

and he bore her from

By

this event the

nuns were deeply disgraced, and the

father of Lucrezia
that he never

was so grievously

afflicted thereat

more recovered
tO'

his cheerfulness,

and But

made
cause,

every possible effort

regain his child.

Lucrezia, whether retained by fear or by

some other

would not

return, but remained with Filippo,

to

whom

she bore a son,

who was

also called Filippo,

and who eventually became a most excellent and


very famous painter like his father."

Fra Filippo was a

little later

than Fra Angelico,

being born in 14 12 and dying in 1469, but their


periods were near enough together for them to have

done work of a similar kind.


ent!

And

yet

how

differ-

No

Byzantine Manual here!

The

joy of por-

traying a lovely
zeal

woman

has superseded the holy

recommended by Theophilus.

very

human

254

XEbe art of tbe ^itti lialace


did his best realistic

man
is

work

in this picture.

The

child, instead of

bestowing a blessing on the world,


like

amusing himself

any baby, holding up the

seed of a pomegranate, and rubbing his toes and


the soles of his feet gently together, as
little chil-

dren do when they are interested.

Of course

there

may
in

be a deposit of serious teaching in this

act,

the seed of the pomegranate

may have been


loveliest

used,

a half-pagan way, to symbolize the shadow of

death.

The Virgin
art.

is

one of the

types

of Florentine

Fra Filippo Lippi has

painted-

many

beautiful
this

Madonnas, but a more exquisite


delineated by him.

one than
subdued;

was never
is

The
lids

expression on her face


the

evidently intended to be

eyebrows are raised and the

drooping; certain conventional methods of expressing sadness have been observed;


in the corners of the eye

and yet a touch

and mouth would produce

a most witching and arch expression.

Browning has

delightfully

summed up

the charm
is

and feeling of Fra Lippo's work.

Lippo

telling

how

the

monks

criticize his

work because of
it

his

venturing to paint nature as he sees


"

How, what's here ?


all

Quite from the mark of painting, bless us

Faces, arms, legs, and bodies, like the true

As much

as pea and pea


is

'tis

devil's

game

Your business

not to catch

men

with show,

MADONNA AND CHILD


By Fra
Prometheus Filippo Lippi; in the Stanza of

Ube Stan3a

of

ptometbeus

255

With homage to the perishable clay But lift them over it, ignore it all Make them forget there's such a thing

as flesh.

Give us no more of body than holds soul,

**
!

Paint the soul, never mind the legs and arms

Lippo's soliloquy follows this tirade:


*'

A
So

fine
ill

way

to paint soul,

the eye can't

by painting body stop there, must go farther

And

can't fare worse can't a painter


his flesh liker,
in their order
?

Why
Make
Both

lift

each foot in turn,


his soul

and

more

like ?

Take

the prettiest face,


Saint.
It is

The You

Prior's niece

Patron
if it

so pretty

can't discover

Sorrow or joy. Suppose I've made her eyes all right and blue. Can't I take breath and try to add life's flash And then add soul, and heighten them threefold ?
Or, say there's beauty with no soul at
(I
all

means hope, fear, Won't beauty go with these ?

never saw

it

put the case the same)


else

If

you get simple beauty and naught


get about the best thing
;

You

God

invents

That's somewhat

and

you'll find the soul you've

missed

Within

yourself,

when you

return

him thanks."

Verily Fra Lippo had grasped the principle expressed by D'Annunzio, " to create with joy." But
it

is

the joy of earth, not of heaven,

there

is

sensual appreciation in his painting- not to be found


in that of the saintly Angelico.

2s6

Ube Hrt

ot tbe pittt palace

The Madonna
in the Pitti, is

of the Pomegranate, which hangs


is

a round picture, and

said to be a

portrait

of

Fra Lippo's mistress, Lucrezia Buti.

The

proprieties of art are observed in so far as

the pink garment, blue robe, and white veil indicate.

The composition
It
is

of the picture

is

quite elaborate.

almost a biography of the Virgin,


at the

Anna

and Joachim are seen meeting

Golden Gate,

and on the other side


ing displayed to

is

represented the birth of

Mary, with the usual well-strapped-up bambino beits

admiring friends.

Burckhardt

considers these scenes in the background to represent the Visitation


It is

and the Birth of the


In every

Baptist.

a matter of interpretation;

such scenes might

easily be rendered almost alike.


is

way

this
in

one of the most satisfactory of the pictures

the gallery.
Filippino Lippi, the son of Fra Lippo, has also

Holy Family

in this

room.

Number

347.

It is

a round picture, the Virgin in the centre adoring

They are surrounded by exquisite angels, equal to some of Benozzo Gozzoli's; one of them standing at the left
the infant,

who

lies

on the ground.

is

showering rose leaves upon the baby.


are two angels kneeling,

On

the

right

with their wings

just fluttering
tist is

and hands folded.

The

little

Bap-

kneeling before the child.

balustrade^ suris set,

rounds the grass-plot on which the scene

and

TLbc Stansa ot lPromctbeu5


a rose hedge
tance
is
is

257

seen

all

around, while in the dis-

a peaceful pastoral view.

Filippino

was not a pupil of


in

his father, because


still

Fra Lippo died when Filippino was


he was born
1460.

a youth;

He

studied with Botticelli,


influence of his master.
Sta.

and shows
It

in his

work the

must have annoyed the nuns of

Margherita

in Prato,

when

Filippino, after all that


to

had occurred,

was employed
across

do some of
church;
his life

his best

work

directly

from

their

but these things will

happen.

Most of

he painted

in Florence,
cities

but did work in Lucca and some other


well.

as

An

anecdote

is

told of his

management of
still

perspective,

and

his ability to paint


is

Hfe.

In

one of his pictures there


the ground, which

a cleft represented in
that

was so naturally rendered

one evening, when some one knocked

at the studio

door, one of the pupils ran to hide in this crack some-

thing which he did not want to be seen.

Filippino

was taken

off in the height of his

power by a sud-

den and virulent attack of quincy, while he was

working upon a Deposition for the Church of the


Nunziata.
of his age.

He died in 1505, in the forty-fifth year He had inherited the happy temperajovial
father,

ment of
beloved.
artist

his

and was popular and

In readiness and inventive genius, this

has rarely been surpassed.

His

father's sin

258

Ube Hrt

of tbe iptttt palace


for in his blameless, cheerful

was more than atoned


life.

Another picture by Filippino hangs


of Lucrezia.

here, a nar-

row, long panel, representing scenes from the Death

The

pathetic story of Lucrezia

is

well

known
latine

how

this chaste

and virtuous wife of Col-

became the victim of the rapacious Tarquin,


killed herself.

and afterwards

The

episode chosen
is

by Filippino for the subject of and and


told

his panel

the

mohas

ment when Lucrezia, having assembled her


relatives

friends

them of her
picture
is

distress,

stabbed herself.
scenes.

The

divided into

two

The

first

represents the dying Lucrezia at

the door of the hous^, supported by Brutus,


is

who

pulling the dagger out of her heart.

Near by

are the husband, father, and other friends, with


expressions of grief and horror.

In Shakespeare's

graphic words
" Storm-still, astonished with this deadly deed

Stood Collatine and

all

his lordly crew

Till Lucrece's father that

beholds her bleed

Himself on her self-slaughtered body threw

And from the purple fountain Brutus drew The murderous knife, and as it left the place
Her
blood, in poor revenge, held
it

in chase."

The second

division

shows the corpse of the wife

of Collatine in the midst of the Court of Justice,

with the populace and the relatives

all

about,

some

Ubc Stansa
testifying to their grief

of

prometbeuB

259

and others to

their rage.

In the centre, near Liicrezia, Brutus presses for-

ward, at the right, holding a dagger, and inciting


the populace to vengeance.
"

When

they had sworn to this advised

doom

They did conclude to bear dead Lucrece hence To show her bleeding body thorough Rome,

And

so to publish Tarquin's foul offence

Which being done with speedy diligence The Romans plausibly did give consent To Tarquin's everlasting banishment."

The Tondo
sibly not

of a

Madonna, Number 348,

is

posis

by

Botticelli, as usually
critics to
It

supposed, and

said

by many

be a studio piece, the work

of his pupils.
istics,

has some of Sandro's character-

and

will serve to illustrate certain phases of until

his
in

manner

one has opportunity to examine,

the royal

apartments of the palace, the more

representative and undoubted

work of

the master,

the recently rediscovered Pallas and the Centaur.

Mr. Walter Pater has analyzed the quality of


Botticelli's

Madonnas

" Hardly any collection of

note

is

without one of these circular pictures, into


their heads so

which the attendant angels depress


naively.

Perhaps you have sometimes wondered

why
to

these peevish looking Madonnas,

conformed
at-

no acknowledged or obvious type of beauty,


you more and more, and often come back

tract

to

26o

Ube Hrt

of tbe fiitti palace

you when the Sistine Madonna and the Virgins of


Fra AngeHco are forgotten.

At

first

contrasting

them with

these,

you may have thought that there


abject even, for the abstract
Httle nobleness,
is

was something mean or


hnes of the face have
is

and the colour

wan.

Her

trouble

in the very caress of


is

the mysterious child


her,

whose gaze

always far from

and

who

has already that sweet look of devo-

tion
love,

which men have never been able altogether to

and which

still

makes the born

saint

an object

of almost suspicion to his brethren.''

In this tondo and in the

Madonna

of the Rose-

Bush near

by, these qualities are traceable, although

not in so marked a degree as in the two round


paintings by Botticelli in the Uffizi.

In the centre of the circular picture are the mother

and
fant,

child.

The

Virgin, seated,
tO'

is

holding the in-

and he reaches up
affection.

kiss her with a thoroughly

human

On
lily,

the right the Archangel Ga-

briel is seen, leaning

upon a balustrade.
and
St.
is

He

carries

the Annunciation

bowing

in adoration.

At

the left the

young

John, with a slender cross

resting against his shoulder, stands with his hands

crossed upon his bosom.


camel's hair.

He

wears the robe of

Behind him stands the Archangel


this face is certainly

Michael (very badly drawn;

not by Botticelli), carrying a naked sword.

In the
closed,

foreground

lie

two books, one open and one

tibe Stansa ot

prometbeus
Probably

261
this

as so often seen in religious art.

picture

was touched up by the master,


had a hand
in

or, if laid in

and commenced by him, there are certain evidences


that pupils also
it.

" Botticelli lived in a generation of naturalists,"

says Walter Pater, " and he might have been a


naturalist

mere

among

them.

But

this

was not enough


Sandro Bot" Botticelli "

for him.
ticelli

He

is

a visionary painter."
in
di

was born
Mariano

Florence in 1447, the son of a

tanner,

Vanni

Filipepi

was a nickname, and

signifies " little cask."

Sandro

was a
celli

pupil of Filippo Lippi.

Count Plunkett very

aptly describes the peculiar position held by Bottiin the art oi his time: find

"In
its

Botticelli's

work
earlier

we

an escape from the rigidity of the

school,

and yet a survival of


his angularity

spiritual feeling.

Though

and squareness of modelling

may remind
There
treatment
is
is

us of his immediate predecessors, he

has a grace and freedom that they never reached."

no

classical feeling in

him.

Mediaeval

applied to Greek

myth or

classic orna-

ment, so that the result was a well-combined Greek

and Gothic.
not

He was

a mystic.
tempera.

Botticelli painted in
oil paintings.

His pictures are


do'

Casual observers

not always

realize

what

is

the difference between his

method

and that of other painters whose pictures may hang


near his in a gallery.

There

is

a sort of bloom;

262
as.

XTbe Hrt ot tbe

Ipttti

palace

Browning, though not

in this connection, says,


It
is

"

common

grayness silvers everything."

the dusty quahty of the water-pigment contrasted

with the

oil vehicle.

Tempera
der,

consisted of the paint

ground to a powsize,

gums

of various kinds, glue, parchment


flour

and even sometimes a paste of

and water.

Egg
all

beaten up with water was used by Cennino

Cennini,

who wrote

a treatise in 1437, dealing with


art.

kinds of technicalities in

A glaze of albumen
in

was sometimes
sometimes also
quite dry and

applied to the finished work, and


oil

was rubbed
naivete

when

all

was
some

set.

Cennini's instructions have

of

the

mediaeval

of

Theophilus

"

And

now by
to teach

the grace of God," he says, " I should like

you to colour
is

pictures.

You must know


may
paint
col-

that painting pictures

the proper employment of

a gentleman

with velvet on his back, he


. . .

what he
as

pleases.

You must temper your

ours properly with yolk of egg, always putting

much

of the yolk as of the colours which you


it.

would temper with


very
fine, like

The

colours must be ground

water."

After several other minute

directions, Cennini evidently recalls that

he

is

ad-

dressing a " gentleman in velvet," and he adds


"

And now

it

is

time to leave your work and rest


.

yourself for a short space

you should always

take pleasure in your work."

Later, after a disser-

ttbe Stanza of

prometbeus
:

263
" These

tatlon on the painting of fabrics, he says

draperies

will

please

you much,

particularly

the

draperies in which you paint God."


rections
''

He

gives di-

How

to colour water or a river with or

without

fish."

The

" explicit "


is

or conclusion to
its

this interesting old

book

touching in

sweet,

unworldly devotion to the conception of art as a


religious ministry.

So concludes Cennino Cennini


St.

"

Praying that the most high God, our Lady,


St.

John,

Luke the
St.

evangelist and painter, St. EusSt.

tachius,

Francis, and

Anthony of Padua
and that to

may
those

give us strength to sustain and bear in peace

the cares and labours of this world;

who
it

study this book they will give grace to

study

well

and to retain

it,

sO'

that by the sweat

of their brows they

may

live

peaceably and maintain


finally

their families in this


in that

world with grace, and

which

is

to

come

live

with glory for ever

and

ever.

Amen."

The same spirit is observable in Botticelli's work. Even when he is painting a pagan deity, he has a quaint, ascetic way of dealing with the subject. In fact, as a master in the Renaissance, when the reaction against so-called religious painting
in

was merged
exactly,

the

passion

for

imitating

nature

he

stands almost unique.

One

can imagine what must

have been the teaching of Filippo Lippi to the young


Botticelli,

how he must have rejoiced

in his

bud-

264

XLbc Hrt of tbe pitti alace

ding genius, and his kinship with the soul of the


art

which was so
all

fast

sHpping away and being


ideals.

re-

placed on

sides

by new

The joy

to the

master must have been great when he found that


there

was

to be at least

one more painter of the

sweet, peaceful saints of an elder day, and of the


intellectual, attractively

human
their

faces
dolls

which are so
with
full

far

removed from the beautiful

pink

cheeks

who were winning


on every
side.
is

way

into the popu-

lar heart

" Botticelli's method," says

Count Plunkett, "


of Raphael, for he
tellect,

generally the converse of that

first

makes
it

his picture in his in-

and then translates


life.

into the language of


his art

every-day

Raphael

lifted

above the
but the
expres-

common.
sion."

To

Botticelli the

symbol of that

common was which was beyond human


manner

He

delighted in long, slim figures, and often


as Perugino,

gives action in the same

by
no-

poising the figure on one foot and allowing the other


to

have the appearance of dragging.

This

is

ticeable in the Pallas,

which

will

be treated

later.

Botticelli is the artist of a transition.

He

stands

at the point

where the Gothic and the Renaissance


is

meet.

As Michelangelo

a painter of the physical,


is

the muscles, and the anatomy, and as Titian

the

painter of the smooth and healthy fiesh, so Botticelli


is

the painter of the nerves.


pictures,

This

is

one reason why

his

so long unappreciated, appeal so to

tCbe Stansa of lirometbeus


the active, strenuous mcxiern temperament.

265

Every
it

normal person of any age can enjoy Raphael;


takes a certain

amount of

culture

and a certain
in the

strain of the exotic to appreciate Botticelli.

He

uses

more

brilliant colour, generally,

upper half of a picture than in the foreground.

As a draughtsman, he
he
is

is

supreme; as an anatomist,

extremely faulty.

Some

critics

complain that

his pictures are only tinted drawings.


is

His colour

subordinate to his

lines,

which are firm and unalmost uses an outline,

erring,

although not always accurately placed as

regards proportion.

He

and never allows

his colour to

model

his lines

away.

Some

criticize his

rendering of landscape, but whenit,

ever he does introduce

it is

very happily treated;


detail

and flowers are painted with much


ical

and botan-

accuracy.

The

real

and the imaginary are


he represents a
classic
artists did
spirit;

blended in his work.


story,

When

he does not do as the Renaissance

try to reproduce Greek types in a

Greek

rather, he takes the story independently of all the

tradition
sculpture,

of

its

former rendering
illustrates
it

in

painting or

and

according to the dic-

tates of his

own

mediaeval aesthetic nature.


characteristic

His colouring and drawing are both


only
of
himself.

They follow no preconceived


and
violets,

standard.

He

delights in carmines

and

has a wonderful

way

of glazing a colour so as to

2(>(>

XEbe art of tbe


it

l&ittt ffialace

give

lucidity

and transparency.
is

He

had a great
heightening

sense of what
freely in
his effects

decorative in art, and indulges


in fine detail,
O'f

ornament and

by delicate hatchings

gold.

His figures are always


is

in action;

frequently this
lightly

overdone;

they

float,

and are often too


his detail

poised for earth.

While

work

is

exquisite,

he lacks a feeling for proportion and general har-

almost a
shape.

mony.

It is

the grace and expression in his figures

transitory quality
lie in

which charm.

His

power does not


imagination.
tion
to
"

depicting actual contour and


illusive

His people are

and stimulate the


rela-

His pictures occupy the same


as
that

art
tO'

held

by

Spenser's

" Faerie

Queene
actly

literature.
is,

Does any one know exand yet does any one


fail

what

this quality

to enjoy it?

The Madonna
by,
is

of the Rose-Bush, hanging near

considered to be genuine by most authorities,


it

but doubted by Morelli, to whose scientific tests

does not entirely respond.

It is chiefly

remarkable,

on a

first

glance, for the strange experiment in

com-

position,

which has

led Botticelli to dispose the fig-

ures horizontally instead of vertically;

the extreme

stoop of the Virgin's figure and that of the Child,


as she lowers
this

him

to

embrace

St.

John, leading to
is

unprecedented

result.

There

a very beauti-

fully

painted rose-bush in the background,

from

MADONNA OF THE ROSE-BUSH


By
Botticelli; in the

Stanza of Prometheus

Ubc Stansa

ot

prometbeus
its

267

which the picture derives


siders
it

name.

Ulmann

con-

to be

by

Botticelli himself;

these experi-

ments and whimsical arrangements of figures are


quite characteristic of the
certain things about
it

work of Sandro.

It

has

which suggest the work of


painters, especially

some of

the

modern decorative
probably

those of the English school.


Botticelli

never

painted

the
if

portrait

which
it

is

called

La

Belle Simonetta, or,

he did,
This
is

is

certainly not the lady in question.


profile

no beauty, with her long-nosed


white head-dress.
says, "

and her long,

crooked neck, and clad in a quiet brown dress and

She

is

certainly, as

Woltmann
was
it

Simple

to excess."

La

Belle Simonetta

the mistress of Giuliano de Medici, and


safe to assert,

seems

from what one knows of the


in a rather

aesthetic

tastes of the family, that this is not

Well painted, though


is
still

named aright. wooden way, it


not impossible
it.

unconvincing;

however

it

is

that Botticelli

may

be responsible for

Vasari
but

mentions a portrait of Simonetta by


it is

Botticelli,

in the collection of the

Due d'Aumale,

in France.

She was a Genoese, the daughter of one Cattani, and married to a noble member of the family of
Vespucci.

This panel represents a much

less

ex-

alted personage, probably of less expensive tastes.

There

is

a quaint picture in this room.

336, an allegorical subject, treated

Number by an unknown

268

xcbe Hrt ot tbe

ipitti

palace
Across

Florentine artist of the fourteenth century.


the picture
Pestis
is

inscribed the motto,

''

Nulla Deterior
is

Quam

Familiaris Inimicus/^ which

to say,

in substance, that there is

no worse

evil

than the
is

treachery of a trusted friend.

youth

seen in
crea-

the background, playing with a serpent.


ture
is

The

twining

itself

gracefully round his ankles,


its

and he seems to be enjoying

society.

In the
re-

foreground the same youth has experienced a


verse,

the

snake has turned upon him, crushing


at him, as

his ribs,

and striking
It is

he

lies

overthrown
full

on the ground.
significance

not possible to follow the


picture,

of

the

for

it

was probably
private injury,
right sits the

painted in commemoration of

some

but this part

is

clear enough.

At the

Eternal Father, under a laurel-tree, just about to

discharge a bolt of winged lightning, which he holds


in his hand.

In the background

is

the city of Flor-

ence;

the cupola of the cathedral

may

be seen, and

also the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio.


is

This picture

rendered in the hard early manner of Florentine


but the faces are expressive.
portrait.

art,

The
I.

de Medici,

Number 337, is who was the sixth


to the throne of

that of Ferdinand

son of Cosimo

I.,

and succeeded
after

Tuscany

in

1587,

having removed for that purpose his brother,


re-

Francesco L, and his wife, Bianca, as has been


lated already.

great patron of the arts, Ferdi-

Ube Stanja
nand,

ot C>tometbeud

269

who had

been a cardinal ever since he was

fourteen years old,


tinue his external
until

was diplomatic enough to consanctity of life for some years,


his

the

rumour of

crime had blown over.

When

he looked over the accumulated treasure of

his deceased brother,

he was heard to remark sen-

tentiously that

if

only Francesco had realized the

importance

of

soul-culture,

he

would
and

not

have

wasted his time

in collecting jewels

bibelots.

He

arranged the historic match between his niece,

Marie de Medici and Henry IV. of France.

He
Don
the

was a great
in
all

diplomatist, his galleys being recognized

Italian ports.

His

titles

ran thus
;

"

Ferdinando, by the grace of


third

God

O'f

Tuscany, the
Siena,

Grand Duke;

of Florence and

fourth Duke;
Petigliano and

a Prince of Capistrano;

Count of

Suianus;

Lord of Porto- Ferario,


Castiglione, of Pos-

in the Isle of Elbe;

Lord of
arid

canio,
ter

and the

Isle of Giglio ;

the Third Great Mas-

of the Religious

Military Order of St.

Stephen."

Where

his personal interests

were menaced, he
the Pitti

administered justice freely and firmly; bandits were


instantly put
to- death,

and he had,

in

Palace,

little

recesses in the walls, into

which anon-

ymous

missives might be dropped, to inform

him

of any plots that might be discovered or hatched.

He was

the leading merchant of his dominions.

^10

ttbe Hrt of tbe pitti palace


to his honin his

There are many statues and inscriptions


our
in

Tuscany, for he was more universal


all

patronage of
Medici.

classes of

workmen than any

of the

Yet he

lived in a constant dread of being

poisoned in his turn;

and, in his advancing age,


tO'

spent his time concocting antidotes


poison.

all

known
indis-

He

would not allow a large and


to be

criminate group of retainers in his court, partly

from suspicion, not wishing

surrounded by

more people than he could watch.

He was marCosimo HI.,

ried in 1588 to Christina, daughter of Charles IH.,

Duke
1609.

of Lorraine.

His

eldest

son,

succeeded him in Tuscany,

He

died in February,

Number 338
Bellini.
It is

is

Madonna
At
is

of the school of the

a pleasing bit of the highly finished

early Venetian work.


a red robe

the

left,

the Virgin, in

and a green mantle, holds the infant on

her knee.
child
is

closed book

in his right hand.

The
quite

playing with a bird.

At
St.

his feet St. Cathis

erine kneels in adoration, her profile, which

on Greek

lines,

being shown.

James, in a rather

disinterested attitude, occupies the right of the centre,

also holding a large closed book

and a pilgrim's
employed.

staff.

The combination
side

of a landscape background
is

on one

and a curtain on the other

There are some reasons

for questioning the au-

thenticity of the picture representing the

Epiphany,

Ube Stansa
which
is

ot

prometbeus

271

generally ascribed to Pinturicchio.

Pin-

turicchio,

who was born


Umbrian

in

Perugia in 1454, was

a painter of the
detail,

school, dealing in minute

and a lover of pageantry, using opalescent


In these parinclined to think

colours and sumptuous decoration.


ticulars a casual observer

would be

that this picture exhibited most of his characteristics;

but the drawing

is

not fine and clear enough,

the feminine faces not full enough of the tender

beauty which
artist;
it is

is

inseparable from the

work of
It

this

more probably the work of


general
it is

his pupils,
is

possibly under his

supervision.

charming
it

picture,

and

reproduced here because

is

almost the only example in the Pitti of that

crowded, conscienticms, literal-minded dealing with


large sacred subjects characteristic of the

Umbrian

masters of the period.

Perugino

is

much broader;

he would have been content to have painted the

main

figures with a landscape background, but Pin-

turicchio

and

his followers delighted in portraying


in a group,

the actual

number of persons concerned


as

selecting such subjects

gave them opportunity


effect of

to revel in a pageant.
cession

The
in the

a festal proit

winding away

background, as
in

does

in this picture,
cially rejoiced.

was something

which they espe-

In analyzing this picture, one observes at the


right St. Joseph standing

and looking with pride

:27a

Ube Hrt

ot tbe pftti palace

and joy upon the Madonna and Child.


is

The Virgin
are.

a sweet, womanly type, but not so softly radiant

as the
is

Madonnas of

this

master usually

There

lacking that quality which Ruskin notes in the Madonnas of Pinturicchio, " in whom the hues of

the morning and the solemnity of the evening, the

gladness in accomplished promise, the sorrow of


the sword-pierced heart, are gathered into one lamp

of ineffable love."
knee, with his

The

child stands
in

on his mother's

hand upraised

blessing,

and

is

quite majestic in his pose.

They

are sitting under

an extremely
In fact
it is

tall

shed of very light construction.

one of those purely imaginary buildings

of the fifteenth century, which would be of no real


service as a shelter.

Before the child kneels one of the kings, an aged

man, with flowing beard and white


just placed his

hair.

He
is

has
also

crown

at the infant's feet,

and

offering a vase of costly perfume.

His draperies

are soft and clinging, but are richly trimmed with

gems.

These precious stones are painted with as


care as any of the

much

more important

parts of
in

the picture.

Behind him stands another king,

an equally

rich but even


is

more ornate costume.


king.

He

wears a turban, and


that presented by the

carrying a vase similar to

first

His turban would

indicate that he might be intended for the king

who

so often figures as a negro;

but he

is

here repre-

THE EPIPHANY
By
Pinturicchio
;

in the

Stanza of Prometheus

; :

Ubc Stansa

of

tometbeus

73

sented as a white man, with a pointed beard, and


rather Florentine than otherwise in his style.

The

third king stands at the left of this one, dressed all


in rich velvets,

with silken hose and jewelled hat


is

and
as
is

collar.

His crown

noticeable above his hat,


his turban.

also the

Moorish king's above


profile.
O'f

He
is

has an extremely straight


tight ringlets in the style

His hair

in

the Sienese youths of

that artist's day.

In one thing the painter has been


;

successful

he has studied types

and each man or

woman
sonality,
is

in this

minute work

is

absolutely different

from every

other.

Each

is

a separate study of pertruth.

worked out from a love of

There

no indication here of a picture ordered

to repre-

sent the Nativity at so


It
is

much

for the square foot.

the

work

of a loving, careful

man who

has
fill

done

his best.

The

figures thus far described

the foreground.

Immediately back of them come the Wise

Men

a solemn philosopher with a long beard


with smiling countenance,
ture;
left,

at the right

a cheerful, stout philosopher next him, looking off


full

of hope, to the fu-

and an

intellectual old

man, on the extreme

with bared head and short hair.


is

The
is

collar

of his mantle

embroidered most exquisitely.

Be-

tween him and the second Wise


head, which, from
the composition,
is

Man

a youthful

its

irrelevance at this point in

probably the painter's portrait;

a74
it

XTbe Hrt of tbe pitti palace


quite like the portrait of Pinturicchio himself

is

in the

Cathedral Library in Siena.

In the third row behind, the faces get more confused,

and are evidently

fitted in

to

fill

spaces

this

results in

many

of them being out of drawing, where

only a part of a head or face shows.

One

quaint
a
full,

head

is

seen behind the second

Wise Man,
set

all

jovial face,

wearing a round cap


laughing merrily,

with medallions

of

jewels,

and evidently just

catching sight of the infant toward


people are wending their way.
the mouth, with
is its

whom

these

The

expression of
is droll,

upturned corners,

and

the effort of an early painter to portray that most


all

elusive of
smile.

expressions of the

human

face,

the
in

Only Leonardo has thoroughly succeeded


it.

catching

gay cavalcade follows

in the distance;

camels,
their

men, riders on

fiery steeds,

and Turks with

turbans, are seen filing through a rocky gorge in

the mountainside, coming from the pleasant pastures

beyond.

The road may

be seen winding off for a

great distance beyond the figures.

As an

allegorical

complement to the

scene, in the background, at the

right, behind the hut,

may

be descried the scene of

the Flight into Egypt;

figured as usual by Joseph

walking, and
in the

Mary and

the Child riding on an ass

sky far above, and hardly to be noticed unit, is

less attention is called to

an angel

flying, direct-

tibe Stansa ot l&tometbeus


ing them on their way.

^73

Probably this

is

the angel

which appeared to Joseph


is

in his vision, for

Joseph

also seen asleep a

little

farther

up the road.

At

the base of the picture, on the

two opposite

sides,

occur the arms of the Vitelli family.

The

picture

was painted for them

at Citta del Castello.


is

Altogether the picture

interesting as illustrat-

ing the mediaeval tenderness, and the labour which

an

artist

was willing

to expend before time

was held

at such a prohibitive

premium.

The

fascinating child's portrait, by Sustermans,

of Cosimo III. de Medici, represents the infant son


of that good Ferdinand
della Rovere.
II.,

who

married Vittoria
all

Apparently the Medici were

des-

tined to be either brutes or prigs.

Cosimo

III.

was

a religious fanatic.
yet grasping

He was

morose and gloomy,


his subjects

and avaricious withal, and

were taxed unmercifully, and the money was simply


rolled

up

in

the state exchequer, while the court


in a

was carried on
ner.

parsimonious and bigoted manof which Cosimo was


saints'
relics.

The only extravagance

guilty

was the purchasing of

An
is

amusing account of

his taste in this direction

given in Mark Noble's " Medici Memoirs." He " The hand of such a saint, or the toe of such says
:

a confessor, were acquisitions of the utmost importance.

The

regalia of

Tuscany would have been

"

76

trbe art of tbe BMtti iC^alace

endangered by the offer of a whole dried or pickled

martyr

Cosimo had been a great


In

traveller in his early

youth, and was handsomely entertained in England.


1

66 1 his father married him

to

Margaret Louisa,
she was a great

daughter of the

Duke

of Orleans;

beauty, and had been brought up in the gay French


court,

and

little

relished the austere life to

which

she was thus doomed.

In 1670 Cosimo had suc-

ceeded to the throne, and the court became even

more intolerable to the young Frenchwoman. Cosimo objected equally to the lively manners of the French, in fact, the young couple were so entirely

uncongenial that Margaret returned to her father.

Cosimo's religious mania developed alarmingly


as he

grew

older.

At one time he was

seized with

a sudden desire to embrace the Sacred Napkin in

Rome;
so,

as none but a canon of St. Peter could do


until

he gave the Pope no peace

he had created

him a canon.
garb,
ecclesiastical

So he arrayed himself in canonical and repaired to Rome, luxuriating in the


dissipations incident to the

ceremony

of displaying the Holy Napkin.

Afterwards he

was permitted

to bestow a public blessing,

which

greatly gratified his vanity.

He

often used to
citizen.

go about Florence arrayed

like

an ordinary

On

one occasion a beautiful

woman came

to him,

and besought him to intercede

Ubc Stanza
with the
don,

ot

prometbeus

277

the

Duke Cosimo

III. for

her husband's par-

unfortunate gentleman had been bancould,

ished.

Cosimo promised to do what he

and
into

the pardon

was soon

received.

At another
it

time,

when
his

in the clerical capacity

he had taken

head to receive confessions, a

fair penitent con-

fided to

him

that she wished to reform her life;

and he gave her the necessary 500 crowns to admit


her into a convent.

The grand duchy extended


the Trappists during the reign of

its

hospitality
III.

to

Cosimo

When

he became confined to the house by failing health, he had some skilled mechanics and pageant managers come and arrange a procession of saints'
gies, so that
effi-

on the day of

his festival, each calendar

saint

would appear by clockwork; the duke would

then prostrate himself before the image.


III.

Cosimo

died in 1723, having held the sceptre for over

fifty years,

and having done nothing of

note.

The Magdalen Taken


subject.

to Heaven, by Zucarri, is

a strange picture and a strange treatment of the

The

scene

is in

the clouds,
is

a large ex-

panse, with small figures,


centre the

the motive.

In the

Magdalen
is

floats

up to heaven, nude, ex-

cept that she

covered from head to foot with a

filmy veil, which only serves to enhance the impression of nakedness.

Below, on the earth, are her


it*

straw matting and an altar with flowers upon

27S

xcbe Htt of tbe

Ipitti

ipalace
is

The

clouds are full of cherubs

the scene

almost

as theatrical as a ballet spectacle;


taste of the late sixteenth century

angels in the

hover about with

their hair neatly parted, playing

on harps,

lutes,

and

viols.

Farther up, the

celestial choir is seen

performing upon a pipe-organ, and singing their " joy over the sinner that repenteth/*

pair of pictures by Migna, painted from de-

numbered 367 and 378; they represent the Creation of Eve, and the Angel Driving Adam and Eve out of the Garden
of Eden.
In the
first

signs by Baccio Bandinelli, are

picture

Adam

is

shown

sleep-

ing peacefully in a careless attitude, while the Al-

mighty, represented as an old man,


forth.

summons Eve

The woman's

figure, springing into life, is

of course inferior to that painted by Michelangelo,


but has
ture,

much
first

the

same

attitude.

In the second picare being driven

the

man and woman


All
is

out of the garden.

is

confusion, rapid action,

and

ire.

The

angel

positively in a temper;

and

his victims are twisted with terror as they flee


his wrath.

from

The Holy Family


ful.

of Lorenzo di Credi
St.

is

delight-

It

is

a circular picture,

Joseph and the

Virgin kneeling in the cattle-shed adoring the holy


Child,

who

lies

with his head supported on a bunch


original thought, the artist has

of fagots.

By an

represented the O'x and ass kneeling on their front

'

Ube Stansa
legs!

of t>tometbeu3

279

The works

of Lorenzo di Credi are always

characterized by a tender religious sentiment, and


also a wonderful degree of finish.

He

was, in

fact,

almost too particular about the cleanliness of his


colours,

and was quite an

aesthetic

eccentric;

he

had each shade of every colour gro'Und

separately,

never mixing his pigments, so that often he would

have as many as thirty colours on his palette at


once
;

and for each shade he used a separate brush.


also morbidly careful not
in his studio,
fact,
to-

He was
dust.
call

have any move-

ment going on

for fear of raising


artists

He

was, in

what modern

would
If

a crank.

But the

results are very lovely.

there had been


his

no other means of attaining the end,


justified.

means would have been

As Vasari
be ob-

says, however, "

There should

in all things
it is

served a certain measure, and

always good to

avoid extremes, which for the most part are injurious."

Lorenzo

di

Credi was born in 1453, and

died in 1536.

His father had been a miniaturist,

and doubtless some of Lorenzo^s superlatively neat

ways were

inherited

from the necessarily careful


the

habits of this early teacher.

The only specimen of


relli

in the Pitti Gallery is

work oi Luca Signoa Holy Family, and it is

not very representative of his best manner.

The

Virgin, at the right, stands, in a robe of harmonized


reds, blues,

and yellows, holding the

infant,

who

28o

Ube art

of tbe pitti R^alace

appears to be in a rollicking mood, lifting one small


foot,

and evidently causing much astonishment

to

St. Catherine,

who

sits at

the table on the other side,

raising one

hand

in exclamation,

while in the other

she holds a pen in the attitude of one preparing to


write.
St.

Joseph, rather a secondary piece of work,


filling

introduced apparently for the sake of


position, leans

the comsaint,
is

one hand on the shoulder of the

and seems

to be speaking to her.
is

The Madonna

rather lacking in expression, as


St. Catherine,

also St. Joseph.

who
is

has a preternaturally small waist


vital

for the period,

more

than any of the others,

but

it is

the simple face of the peasant, not a study

of refined
ist,

womanhood.

Luca

Signorelli

was

a real-

as

we know from

his frescoes in Orvieto,

where
the
still

he must be seen to be fully understood.


Ghirlandajo's

Epiphany

is

painting

of

very early Renaissance, executed while tradition

governed the representation of sacred scenes.


the centre
is

In

seen the lowly cattle-shed.

Within,
is

the kings do

homage

to the

Holy

Child,

who

held
the

by

his

mother.

Many

others are gathered;

Wise Men,
their power.

the shepherds, and the animals attend

to render in

humble worship what

service lies in

"

brilliant easel picture,

charming for

its

com-

bination of the qualities of Leonardo and Credi,"


is

the testimony of

Crowe regarding

the

Holy Fam-

tEbc Stansa of fttomctbeus


ily
is

281

by

Albertinelli,

Number

365.
his

The

infant Jesus

resting

on the ground,

swathing clothes so

loosened that he
limbs.
tional

may
is

feel the

freedom of

all

his

The mother

adoring in a rather convenlies

way, but the chief charm of the picture

in the crouching 'figure of


is

an angel on the

left,

who

offering to the child the symbols of the Passion;

these he takes as a baby

would take any toys that


left

were given to

it.

He
it

holds the nails in his

hand

he

is

about to take the cross from the angel,


to him, also an olive-branch

who

is

extending

and a crown of thorns.


tion, " Gloria in Excelsis

In the clouds above are

three angels holding a scroll bearing the inscrip-

Deo''

If the picture

were

of no other value,

it

would be interesting

for the

charming

bit

of landscape so delicately painted in

the central distance.

delightful Florentine portrait.

Number

372, in
is

the costume of the early fifteenth century,

by

Castagno.
esting face,

The
and

subject has a clean-shaven, interis

dressed in a dull red doublet,

and wears a red and

cap,

from which a long


air

scarf

hangs

over his shoulder in a dashing sweep.


is is

His hair
alert.

curly,

his

whole

breezy and

He

a link between the Middle

Ages and the Renais-

sance.

Andrea
ality,

del

Castagno was an interesting personhis portraits

and by

we may

see that

he was

282

Zbc Hrt

of tbe

Ipftti

palace

able to catch subtle personal qualities in a likeness.

His

first artistic

inspiration

was under rather strange


in 1403,

circumstances.

He was bom,
until

on a

little

farm
life

in

Castagno, and had lived a plain country

from that time

he grew almost to man-

hood.

One

day, while he

was a cowherd, he hapand ran


for shelter
his

pened to be caught
to a small house, living

in the rain,

where

lived a

man who made


fairs.

by painting pictures for the

Just at

was employed on a little tabernacle which a countryman had ordered. Andrea,


this time the artist

the cowherd, was immediately interested;

he had

never before seen any one draw or paint, and the


idea delighted him.

When

he returned home, a

new
coal,

life

was awakened

in him,

and he spent much


on the

time experimenting, using such pigments as char-

and scratching with a

stylus

wall.

Finally the fame of this talented farm-hand reached


his neighbour, Bernardetto de Medici,

who owned

a great estate in this region, and he investigated


the case, and invited the boy to Florence to be educated by the best artists.
progress, and

Immediately he made
as one of the

was soon recognized

painters of his generation.

Castagno seems to have had an inherent

ability

for depicting varied emotions, and his straightfor-

ward

disposition,
life

so long fostered by the uncon-

ventional

of the farm, led him to paint without

Ubc Stan3a
flattery

ot

prometbeu0

283

and with much more realism than was usual


his contemporaries.

among

But some of the brutish

nature of the beasts with which he had

grown up
and

had clung to him; he was impetuous and ungoverned in his hates.


competitor,

He

disliked his associate

Domenico Veneziano, and, with


artist.

all his

savage instincts aroused, he lay in wait for him

one dark night, and murdered the


disguised his

He

had

own

appearance, and had returned

instantly after this dastardly act to his studio,

where

he was found quietly working when they came to

him of the news of the crime. exclaiming, " Alas, my brother! " and
tell

He
fell

ran out,

upon the

dead body with much simulation of

grief.

The

murderer was not suspected during his

lifetime.

No

one knew why he had elected to paint his own

portrait as Judas in the Last Supper, as he did soon


after this event, in the

Convent of

St.

Appolonio.
evil

But on

his death-bed the

weight of his

deed

was too heavy


it,

for

him

to bear,

and he confessed
guilt,

charging the priest to publish his

so that

no innocent person might ever

suffer for his crime.

The

tragic

and dramatic career of Castagno came


an Ecce

to an end in 1477.

Number 374
Bound
to the

is

Homo

by Sodoma.

It is

not equal in appreciative feeling to his noble Christ

Column, which

visitors

tO'

Siena will

remember.

He

has another picture in the Stanza

284

XEbe Htt ot tbe pittt palace

of Prometheus, a portrait of a man, with good red tones predominating,

Number

382.

He

wears a

rakish hat, which, combined with the intense ex-

he demonstrating,
of his hand,

pression of his face, and the energetic


is

movement

in the act of

expounding or
original.

is

striking
vital.

and

The

whole picture
''

is

very

" Razzi "

(Sodoma)'

appears a very eminent master of the greatest

taste," writes his

contemporary, Annibale Caracci,

" and few such pictures are to be seen."

Among
whose
real

the most picturesquely irregular lives of

the Renaissance stands Sodoma, the artist of Siena,

name was Razzi or Bazzi. Gifted with a strong sense of humour and grotesque, this man was greatly misunderstood, dwelling among an unimaginative and severe set of people.
in

Had

he lived

our generation, no doubt he would have been

recognized as one of the erratic geniuses to which

we

are so devoted.
first,

He was made much

of in Siena

from the
Vasari,

a fact which seems to have annoyed

who

can hardly speak temperately of this

unique man,

who seems

to have rubbed

him the
joyous-

wrong way.

Sodoma was a man


if it

of

much

ness and cheer of nature, careless, pleasure-loving,

ready to be a jest himself


create a

would but serve

to

good laugh.

Probably he was not a digniall

fied figure,

as Vasari thinks

artists

should be,

not taking himself seriously enough to suit the

trbe Stanja of Jirometbeus


florid

285
lighter

biographer.

His character was

in

vein, possibly not of great depth. their place in this

Such people hold

world of sorrows, and are not

to be entirely despised.

buffoon he

may have
his
all

been, but he
art
is

was a buffoon only

in his life;

the most delicate and spiritual of

Sienese

work of his period. Sodoma, 1479 1554, obtained a nickname, Mata name given him in taccio, meaning arch fool,

sympathetic waggery, and intended to be almost

an endearment.
often

He
lute.

laughed at this pleasantry,


subject,

making sonnets upon the

and sing-

ing them to his

He

kept an assorted array

of strange pets, which must have been highly divert-

ing to a person of his temperament, for he had


together badgers, squirrels, apes, and, on a larger
scale,

dwarf asses and ponies, which he kept for


he also had a raven which was a great
Vasari expresses
it,

racing;

talker, so that, as

with disgust,
very ark

"

The dwelling

of this

man seemed

like the

of Noah."

When Sodoma was


and the price was too

engaged to paint a
small,

picture,

he did not take much

pains with the work, having withal a frugal and


practical streak, in spite of his generous
exterior.

and

jovial

He was
infer.

not so careless of material things


his

as

some who watched

haphazard

life

might have

been led to

One

of his patrons once com-

286

tbe art

of tbe Jbitti l&alace

plained that he did not consider that

Sodoma had
''

put his best work into a certain order.


cil," replied II

My

pen-

Mattaccio,

''

only dances in harmony

with the sound of coins.


I

If

you care to pay more,

am

capable of doing better work."

He was

frank,

at least.
in

Sodoma was

quite a fop, dressing himself

brocade doublets, with a short cloak of cloth of

gold,

and a chain about

his neck.

Vasari,

who

can

never forgive him, exclaims, " Best suited to a Jack

Pudding or a mountebank."

When Leo
saw

X. ascended the papal throne, Sodoma

his opportunity.

He

immediately painted the

most bewitching nude figure that he could portray,


and sent
it

as a present to his Holiness.


pontiff's tastes aright
;

Sodoma

had read the


Pope.

he was promptly

remunerated and made a cavalier by the delighted

Sodoma was now

a recognized power, and


for-

began to give up painting as assiduously as

merly, amusing himself with horse-racing and such


sports.

He won
;

conspicuously in the race of San

Bernaba

his horse

had an ape on

its

back,

of his numerous zoological acquisitions,

and

one
it

much to the indignation of serious old betters." So did this foolish, clever featherweight squander his time and his money; when
captured the prize,
^'

he grew

old,

he was

left

almost destitute, and died

in a hospital in Siena.

Lorenzo Costa, a painter of Mantua and Ferrara

Ubc Stan3a
work

of

prometbeus

287

between 1460 and 1535, has a

fine interesting ex-

ample of

his

in the
II.

Stanza of Prometheus:
BentivogHo, in a doublet

a portrait of Giovanni

which fastens
his head.

in the back,
is

and with a close cap on


ofi in the Florentine

His hair

chopped

fashion.
is

He

has a heavy chain about his neck, and

quite an imposing personage.


is full

This portrait,
tones,

Num-

ber 376,
treated

of strong

brown

and

is

broadly
picture

with fine round modelling.

The

came from the


is

Isolani collection in Bologna.

This

one of the few specimens of the paintings of


in Florence.

Lorenzo Costa

He was

an

intelligent

follower of Francia.

The Epiphany, by Pontormo, which hangs

here,

numbered 379, represents, on a long, low panel, crowds of figures coming from the surrounding
plains.

On

a slight

hill,

at the right, the

Virgin

and Child are seen under a shed;


are bowing before them.

the

Wise Men
at the left

The

three kings follow


;

them

in procession, with their retainers

the horses are being unladen.


is

In the background

seen a

city.

At the

right the shepherds, having

withdrawn, are seated upon some rocks.


of the
artist,

portrait

facing the observer,


is

may

be detected.

One

of the

Wise Men

in the act of kissing the

foot of the infant.

There are two pleasant pastorals by Bassano;


one
is

the Scene in a Vineyard,

Number 383;

the

288

zbc art
a

ot tbe pittt palace I

rustics are gathering the grapes.

One

rustic,

on

the

left, is in

tree,

reaching certain high portions


is

of the vine;

below, one

pouring the

fruit

from

baskets into vats.

Two

oxen are seen

in the left

part of the picture,

drawing a large
tre is a

tub.

who have been employed in On the ground near the cenIn the middle of the com-

woman on
is

her knees, drinking juice from

the vat out of a cup.


position

a boy treading the grapes in a small vat.


is

On

the right

seen another

ing a shoulder-slat
they

woman, who is arrangbetween two baskets, so that


be carried.

may

the

more

easily

dog

is

seen

on

this side.

man and woman

in the

background,

right,

are examining vines.

In the fields beyond

may be distinguished a sower. The other rustic scene by Bassano represents people who have evidently just moved to a new region,
and are about to build
are seen several
their

home.

At the
busily

right

men and women

working

about a house, sawing the beams, constructing the


roof,

and putting up the walls;

in the centre the

domestic animals are corralled, and await patiently


the issue.

The

poultry are with them, except where

a stray hen has wandered out to search for food.

At

the left a

woman, kneeling on

the ground,

is

unpacking a chest of utensils; pans, jugs,

etc., piles

of linen, an axe, and other implements of household

convenience

lie

abcmt her.

Farther back two

women

Ube Stansa
are

of lprometbeu5
it

289

making a

fire,

blowing

with the bellows, and

evidently about to cook a repast.

rainbow

is

seen in the distance, and a ray of sunlight striking

down through

the clouds.

decorative panel,

Number

385,

is

the picture

of Christ in the Garden, by Girolamo da Carpi.


central

The

arrangement

is

quite conventional

the three

disciples sleeping in the foreground, and, just be-

yond, the kneeling figure of Christ receiving a chalice

from an angel.

At

the

two ends of the

picture

are a couple of ovals, representing respectively a

man

without hope looking into a grave, and a flying


typifying the resurrection.

figure opposite,

CHAPTER

X.

THE STANZA BELLA STUFA AND THE STANZA OF THE EDUCATION OF JUPITER
In the Stanza
the
della Stufa there are four large

wall frescoes by Pietro da Cortona;


first

and

this

is

opportunity for studying this artist with

any
are

satisfaction, as his frescoes in the other halls


all

on the

ceilings,

and are

difficult to

examine.

Here

the painter has depicted, in allegorical figures,

the four ages, Gold, Silver, Iron, and Brass.

The Age
in the

of Gold

is

symbolized by the innocent

play of childhood, unharmed

among

wild beasts;

Age of

Silver pastoral figures are seen.

Some

are milking their kine, and indulging in agriculture.


Soldiers appear in the
their leader the

Age

of Brass, exhibiting to
received in battle,

wounds they have

claiming recompense at his hands for their wrongs.


In the

Age

of Iron are

more

soldiers,

breaking into

who have fled there for refuge. There are two figures among the captives of war in the fresco representing the Age of
a temple, maltreating those
290

Ube Stansa
Brass,

bella Stufa

291

a
The

man and a woman, who may

are sitting in
in the left
illustra-

an attitude of dejection on the ground


corner of the picture, as
tion.

be seen in the

frescoes are

all in florid taste,

and just
they are

about appropriate for theatre curtains;

not thoughtfully conceived or skilfully drawn.


retini,

Ber-

called Pietro

da Cortona, was the founder

of a school in Cortona in the late seventeenth century.

He

and

his scholars,

it is

needless to remark,

appeared at a time when art was at a low ebb, and


their

pictures

are

mannered and exaggerated.

Pietro da Cortona

was born

in

1596, and did

much

of his
in

work

in Florence, closing his life in


II.,

Rome

1669.

Under Ferdinand
be seen in

he was

in-

vited to Florence to decorate the Pitti Palace,


his frescoes

and

may

many

of the ceilings and

lunettes in the

rooms of the

picture-gallery.

The

frescoing of these vaults

was the most important

work of
sources;

his life.

He

acquired his style from

many

he copied

bas-reliefs,

choosing Trajan's

column for and lacking

his favourite study.

His figures show


rather heavy

the influence of classic


in delicacy.

Rome, being

Influenced by Venetian art,


in

he became a lover of colour, which he uses


acceptable way, not startling in any particular.

an

knows how
on
ceilings,

to foreshorten,

an

He
abso-

art

which

is

lutely necessary to

one whose work

is

and seen from below,

and, while

to be painted
his

292

tLbc art of tbe

Ipitti

ipatace

themes are not he


frequently

intellectually designed,

and though
in

exaggerates

the

action

simple

scenes, yet, in the taste of his day,

he was a good

decorator.

The

chief objects of attraction, however, in the

Stanza della Stufa, are the statues of Cain and


Abel, by the sculptor Giovanni
story of their

Dupre of

Siena.

The

making

is

so interesting that one canit

not do better than repeat


the works
O'f

here in connection with

his early yet powerful genius.


ist

Giovanni Dupre was born in Siena on the


of March, 1817.

He

began

his career

by beautiful

In 1840 he took the prize at the Academy, with a bas-relief representing " The Judg-

wood-carving.

ment of Paris."
where
his life's

He

had then moved to Florence,

work was accomplished.

He

de-

cided to attempt a larger work, and determined to


create a genuine statue, representing

some sacred
finally

subject;

he thought long of the Pieta, but

decided upon trying to portray the dead Abel, that

being a subject

little

chosen by others, and therefore

more original. The statue was ready

to be exhibited at the
in 1842.

Acad-

emy

in the

September exhibition
tells

Thirty-

seven years after, he

his thrilling experience

with this work.

"

When

the exposition was opened,

people gathered round the work.

The

imitation

of the truth, the just expression, the newness and

< Q

<
I

O
CO

H
CA

Pi a,

Q X H
<;

H
CO
<J

W
Q

<
CO

Ubc Stan3a

^ella Stuta

293
in-

pathetic nature of the subject,


terest.

awakened a deep

The crowd around


But
it

it

increased from day


first quietly,

to day.

began to be asserted, at

and soon more boldly and openly, that

my

statue

was an imposture
of
art,

that

it

was not the

creation

but the mechanical work of a moulder,

that I

was seeking

to impose

upon the Academy,


It

masters and scholars, and the public.

should be

thrown out of the

exhibition, for

it

was dishonestly
fact, it

thrust in there as a

was only a

cast

work of art, when, in made from laying the soft


!

plaster

on the living model "

The
the

figure of

Abel was so absolutely natural


could not believe that
it

that less clever

men

was

work of a sculptor at all. Giovanni continues " At last they went so far as to strip my model,
in order to

Antonio Petrai,

prove the fraud.

He

was made
and
his

to lie

down

in the position of the statue, in

body and limbs measured

length and

breadth and compass with strips of paper.

Of

course the measurements did not agree with those

of the statue, for, without any design or thought

about

it,

had made

my

figure four fingers longer


less

than the body of the model, and two fingers


across the broadest part of the back.

This amiable

experiment was made in the evening, and the president, Montalvo,

who

accidentally surprised

them

in

the act,

was

full

of indignation in his rebuke, and

294

XTbe Hrt ot tbe pittt palace

did not spare these professors of the

Academy who

had taken part


Dupre's work.

in the performance.'*

Suspicion was thus excited by the perfection of

The same charge had been once

brought against Canova.

When

the statue of Abel


^^

appeared at the Paris Exposition in 1855,


again suspected.

^^^
and
were

But when,

after

more

study,

closer examination of the evidence, the judges

convinced that the sculpture was the genuine result


of the artist's ability, they awarded

Dupre the gold


alone,

medal of the

first class.

The

critics,
it

who would
was easy
to

not

let

him

began

to say that

make

a recumbent figure,

but that
nuity of

it

would be a greater tax upon the ingeto accomplish a standing one.

Dupre

So,

advised by his friends, Dupre decided upon modelling a

companion
this,

piece, the

Cain; while he was at

work upon

the

Grand Duchess Maria, wife of

the Prince of Leuchtenberg, visited his studio to


see the Abel about which there had been so

much

controversy.

She admired the unfinished

statue of

Cain, and then turned and exchanged a few words

with the prince.


statues

As a
sum

result of this visit, the

two

were purchased by the Prince de Leuchtenpaid the


of fifteen hundred scudi for

berg,

who

Abel and two thousand for Cain.


ited at the

Cain was exhib-

Academy

the following year.

The

first

bronze casts taken from these statues were ordered

ttbe Stansa &eUa Stufa


by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, to be placed
Pitti Palace.

^gs
in the

They were

cast

by Clementi Papi.

The two human life.


his
last

statues stand for

two great

verities in
is

The
*'

Abel, lying supine in death,

the type of unresisting


breath,
until

martyrdom;

forgiving in

seventy times seven," the

violence of his brother, as the expression of his features


filled

indicates.

Cain,

on the contrary,

his

face

with hate, fear, and loathing of the deed which

he has just committed, while with brutish instincts


he
still

shows no repentance,

is

in the act of

rushing

away from

the scene of his crime.


is

His powerful, well-fed body

in

contrast to

the delicate purity of his brother's slender frame.

Although the statue of Cain


that

is

less pleasant
it

than

of Abel, the critics considered


art.
:

a greater

achievement of

Bartolini says
in this

" Dupre has felicitously overcome a thousand times greater

work

difficulties

than in the Abel."

Andrea Maffei speaks of


"

it

in the highest terms.

The

feeling of terror
first

and remorse," he

says, " with

which the

homicide rushes away from the scene

of his crime, has been sculptured by the artist with


the

same marvellous power

that characterizes the

description of the poet," alluding to Byron's lines:


" His eyes are open

then he

is

not dead
lida.

Death

is

like sleep,

and sleep shuts down our

"!

296
His

XEbc Hrt of tbe


lips, too,

Jbitti

palace

are apart,
it

why, then he breathes


!

And
. .
.

yet

feel

not.

wet And yet there are no dews 'Tis blood, my blood, My brother's and my own, and shed by me.
is this
*tis

what

Oh,

for a

word more from that gentle voice


bear to hear

That

may

my own

again "
!

The

fratricide continues his

reflections until

it

is

completely impressed upon him what he has done;

and then with one


"

last wail,

he

cries:

The

first

grave yet dug for mortality.


I

But who hath dug that grave ? Oh, earth, oh, earth For all the fruits thou hast rendered to me, I Give thee back this Now for the wilderness
!
1

Giovanni Dupre lived forty years only; he died


in

1882.

From

the Stanza della Stufa one passes to the

Stanza of the Education of Jupiter, one of the


smaller rooms, decorated by Catani with scenes rep-

resenting Jupiter's education, as

its

name

indicates.

Let us look
widely

first at

the

two famous

paintings, so

different,

yet

equally

famous,

Raphael's

Donna Velata and Guido Reni's Cleopatra. " La Donna Velata," that most seductive and
cinating
Isis,

fas-

veiled but not hidden,

whose luminous
same
beauti-

eyes seem to scintillate with vitality and the secret

of perpetual youth,
ful

is

a portrait of the

model who

is

presented in the Sistine Madonna.

XCbe Stan3a C^ella Stuta


Raphael painted
evidently a
it

297

between 15 15 and

151J7.

She

is

Roman woman
it

of noble blood.

Min-

ghetti believes

to

have been taken from the mis-

tress of Raphael.

Some

say that she

is

the well-

known Fomarina,

the daughter of a baker, with All this


tradition,
until

whom
is

he

is

supposed to have been in love.


is

gossip, for there


it

no actual legend or

and

was not even

called the

work of Raphael
it

Morelli and Minghetti pronounced

to be indis-

putably one of his finest achievements.


is

The world
and to

certainly disposed to agree with them,


their

welcome
There
is

valuable

and scholarly discovery.


tells

a spell about this face which

that

some

part of the heart and soul of the artist went into

the work, and

still

lives in the canvas.

Few
Monna
and

representations of a

human
is

face have ever

had about them so much that

illusive

and piquant.

Lisa in the Louvre, where Leonardo da Vinci

has given a perennial smile to the artistic world,


this

charming portrait have

transitory living expression.


tiful for all

common this The woman is beauin


all

time and for the fashions of


little

ages.

little

coquetry, a

surprise, a rapid glance


lips

as your eye meets hers,

and her

seem

either to

have just closed after a smile, or just about to open.


It
is

indescribable, this living quality with


face.

which

Raphael has endowed the

Mrs. Jameson says that Titian showed more taste

29^

trbe art of tbe

l^ttti

Jiat^ce

than Raphael in his selection of mistresses;


this

and
'*

may

be acknowledged

if

one compares
but
if

*'

Flora

with the Fornarina in


the

Rome;
Pitti

one compares

Magdalen of the
it

with the Donna Velata


in-

by Raphael,
finitely

would seem that Raphael shows


and
artistic taste.

more

intellectual

The costume which she wears is in keeping with her expression. The loose bodice, held carelessly
together with one hand, gives the impression that
the outer dress
fallen
is

being removed.

The
hair

sleeve has
sheer,
laid

low from the shoulder, showing a


chemisette.

closely gathered

Her
is

is

in

simple, parted locks

on each

side,

but the air of prim-

ness which this might give


fact that the feroniere

counteracted by the

(a chain which should be

worn

straight

around the forehead)

has slipped
to lie exactly
side.

back, and the jewel,


in the middle,

whose function
at

is

hangs far away


is

one

The

painting of textures

equal to that in the portrait


a necklace of large,

of

Leo X.

La Velata wears

single stones, set each in a solid rim of gold, in

the fashion which

was revived a few years ago.


is

The way
by a

in

which the chemisette

held in place

series

of cords tied in tagged knots should

also be noted.
tail

There

is

a great deal of tender de-

which

will repay close study.


is

The only pedigree


into possession of

of this picture

that

it

came

Matteo Botti

after

Raphael's death, and that in

Ube Stansa
1824
it

bella tufa

299
at

was brought from the Medici Villa


is

Poggio Imperiale.
In sharp contrast to his portrait
but
the celebrated

much

overrated Cleopatra of Guido Reni, which

impressed Mrs. Jameson as one of the chief gems


of the Pitti collection.
It

was painted

for

Count

Barbazzi, and

was a

portrait of his countess,

who

was

said to be " the sun of beauty."

Guido's picas he

ture represents a stout, broad

woman, such

loved to paint, holding in one hand an asp against

her breast, while she turns her agonized face toward


heaven.

Her

fat,

inexpressive body and hands lack

the vital action which the crisis demands.


is

There

not a remote suggestion of Egypt in any detail

of the composition.
a blonde Genoese.

She might be a Venetian or

She
and

is

partially

clothed in a

harmony of yellow and


picture are very pure
fruit stands

white, and the tones of the


delightful.
o-f

basket of

on the table

at the left

the picture,
serpent.

from which she has probably taken the

little

The asp

is

so very diminutive that he appears quite

inadequate to the task of poisoning so vast an ex-

panse of humanity.

The person whom Guido has


little

called

Cleopatra

suggests the subtle charm and obvious fascina-

tions of the irresistible

Egyptian queen, but looks

more

like

some

honest, dull,

handsome bourgeoise,

who had

been betrayed into an indiscretion and was

300

XTbe Hrt ot tbc

ipittt

palace

repenting in a state of bovine despair, without any


further interest in
life,

or any resource except to


its

escape by death.

Nevertheless, divorced from


is

subject, as a technical v^ork the picture

mellow

and exquisite

in

modelling.

When

the Cardinal

Leopold de Medici paid 140 crowns (about $235) for it, in 1640, it must have undoubtedly appealed
to his taste.

The main

impression, in looking from


is

the

Donna Velata

to the Cleopatra,

that

Guido

Reni has painted a body, and that Raphael has


painted a soul.

One

sees the Spanish influence,

which was

in-

vading Italy

in the sixteenth century, in the

works

of Veronese, Titian, and Tintoret.


tation in the Temple,

In the Presen-

by Veronese, Number 269,


those of Murillo and other

the

Madonna

recalls

Spanish masters.
lightful little
finely

The
is

Child

is

faultless.

The

de-

body

foreshortened, and the flesh


indifferent

painted.

The

confidence

of

young
is

child lying trustfully in his mother's arms,

regardless and without anticipation of the future,

portrayed with true feeling for nature.


is
it

The
all

pic-

ture

very dark,

probably
was painted
altar-cloth
;

much darker now


the light

than

was when
altar,

it

comes
is

from the

and much of the background

in

deep shadow.

The

forms a great white

value at the right, and the vari-coloured dress of a

man who

is

kneeling reading at the foot of the

Zbc 3tan3a
subdued

bella Stufa

3^1

altar g^ves richness to that side of the picture.


left side is

The

in tone.

strongly on the shoulder of

The light is thrown the High Priest, emphathe rest


is

sizing the upper portion of his figure;

almost

lost.

Behind him another

ecclesiastical figis

ure emerges out of the gloom, and

looking at the

holy Child over the shoulder of the

High

Priest.

There
part of

is

a feeling of reverence displayed on the

all

the beholders, which

is less

stagey than

Veronese's usual treatment of religious subjects.


St.

Joseph appears dimly


carries a typical

in the

shade behind Mary,

and he
ing are

Venetian votive candle of

the sixteenth century.


all

The

textures of the paintis

beautifully rendered, as always

the

case in Veronese's work.

The

rich

Venetian feeling, combined with the


be
felt

Spanish,

may

in

the juxtaposition of the


priest

heavy brocaded robe of the


ing mantle of the Virgin.
utensils, the

and the shimmer-

On

the altar are certain

touch of metal adding to the richness

of the

effect.

Although

this is not recognized as


it

one of Veronese's most

typical groups,

has some

of his best qualities of handling.

Don

Giulio Clovio's Deposition

is

in this

room,

a
its

little

picture on parchment in the minute style

of this

artist.

The composition
show
is
;

is

interesting;

the

cross does not


base.

there

is

only the group around

Christ

lying limp against the knees of

302

Ube Hrt

of tbe

lC>ttti

lI^alacc

the sorrowing Virgin.

thoughtfully conceived;

The other figures more attention is

are not

paid to

technique than to ideas.

Don
painter

Giulio
of
the

Clovio

was properly a miniature


school,

Roman

illuminating

very

elaborate volumes on vellum, and painting with a


finish

seldom equalled by any

artist in his line.

He

stands as the last illuminator of note, being born


in 1498,

and living

illustrations,

until 1578.

His works are


than

really

pictures

rather

ornament in

books.

He was

originally a canon in the Church,


relig-

during which time his work was altogether


ious ; later he
dispensation.

was made

a layman again by a papal

He was
him the

a pupil of Giulio

Romano.

The

great miniaturist of Verona, Fra GirolamO' da


art of laying

Libri, taught

pigments with

water and
angelo;

gum on

vellum.
his

He

studied Michel-

and many of

most diminutive produc-

tions are powerful because they are inspired

by such

a standard.
his

The

exquisite exactness with which

work

is

rendered can hardly be matched, for


to such technical per-

no miniaturist ever reached


fection,

although

many have had

a truer apprecia-

tion of decoration as applied to

book

illustration,
itself as

and also have recognized the vellum


factor in the scheme.

one
this.

Don

Giulio does not do

He

does not treat the parchment as a page to be


flat

decorated, but simply as a

surface.

His vellum,

TLbc Stansa ^ella Stuta


as in this instance,
is

303

covered up with superimposed

pigment; except

in small high-lights,

he uses

it

as
is

most
book.

artists

use their canvas or panel, and he

literally

painting a picture instead of ornamenting a

In this particular the earlier illuminators

understood their craft better than he did.


tures might as well have been executed

His

pic-

upon card-

board or paper;
really in itself a

whereas, like ivory, vellum has

creamy decorative quality which

the best artists have always recognized and developed.

Clovio visited

Duke Cosimo

at the Pitti Palace,

and
little

it

was while staying there that he painted the

Deposition which

now hangs

in the

Stanza
all

oif

the Education of Jupiter.


best

Vasari describes

his

of

known works minutely, saying, for " They those who cannot see them
:

the benefit

are almost

all in

the hands of princes or other great personages.


I

...

know some

private persons

who have

small

cases containing beautiful portraits by his hand, of

sovereigns, of their friends, or of ladies

whom

they

have loved."

The
tist,

familiar figure of the

boy

St.

John the BapIt is as

by Andrea

del Sarto, greets us here.

thoroughly popular a picture as ever was painted,

a beautiful
happy.
toration.
It

face, a

noble composition, restful and

has suffered
It is

much from

injudicious res-

an example of what Henry James

304

XEbe Htt ot tbe

IPitti

palace

dq)lDres concerning restorations, as " in the case

of the beautiful boy figure of Andrea del Sarto,

with

its

honourable duskiness

all

peeled

off,

and

Heaven knows what raw, bleeding


It is quite true that the

cuticle laid bare."

colouring has been spoiled

by these applications of cosmetics; but the drawing

and the sweet

facial expression

remain to enchant

us in spite of the very pink surface.

The
is

portrait of Philip IV. of Spain,

by Velasquez,
This painting with

presents the

monarch on horseback.
and
detail,

minute

in finish

and

in keeping
it

the petty nature of the sovereign


It is

whom

portrays.

hardly a characteristic example of Velasquez*s

best

work.

Philip

IV.

(1605 1665), King of

was one of the weaklings on the Spanish throne who succeeded such men as Charles V. and
Spain,
Philip II.

He

did nothing to stay the decline of


it

Spanish power, but was an element in bringing


about.
isters,

He was

ruled by his favourites and minin a

and a mere figurehead

kingdom which

required the strong

arm

of a soldier and a states-

man.

The charming head usually attributed to Garo folo, called La Zingarella, is given by Morelli to one Boccaccio Boccaccino, who served apprenticeship in Ferrara and Venice. The best qualities in
his art are those derived

from

Bellini, Vivarini,

and

Giorgione.

If

he painted

this

head, he certainly

LA ZINGARELLA
By Garofalo
;

in the

Stanza della Stufa

Ube Stan3a
was a
master.

Delia Stufa

305

The

soft lines, the translucent eyes,


treated,

which are unusually well

show

that he could

cope with the subtleties of rendering the


face.

human

Morelli says that there are no other specimens

of the work of Boccaccino in either Central or South-

ern

Italy.

On

the whole,

it

would be more
Garofolo's.

interest-

ing to believe that the


his

virile little picture

hand than that

it

was one of
it

was by There

are some cases in which


loyalty to take

seems almost

like dis-

away from a time-honoured


;

favourite

his traditional credit

but in this case the welcoming


is

of a

new

artist in

Florence

worth the

sacrifice.

The

eyes of the Zingarella are remarkable for their

They seem to hold one in a spell. The head is that of a young girl, and is very spirited, with a realistic, untamed gipsy look, and with none of the tawdry theatrical mannerism adopted by some painters to express a wild child of nature. The features are rather large, and might
honest, clear gaze.

be

called,

by admirers of Dolci and Guido, coarse;

about her head she wears a blue scarf folded almost


like

a turban, but falling at the back, and bound

beneath her chin by a swathing of the same material.

On

her forehead she wears a slender chain with a

small pendent jewel.

Another jewel hangs upon


little

her throat from a succession of

chains.

Her
She

blonde hair strays out in curly tendrils beneath the


scarf, but is severely parted

above her brow.

3o6

Zbc Hrt

of tbe pitti palace

wears a white chemisette, with a delicate border of

some wrought jewelled


a green lining.
Tintoretto's

effect;

her red mantle

is

slung carelessly over the right shoulder, showing

Descent from the Cross,

Number
slight

248,

is

rather theatrical, but effective in light and


in

shade and

grouping.

There are some


one of the few

irregularities in drawing, such as Tintoretto nearly

always commits, but he


in

is

artists

whose work

light, colour,

and

effect really over-

come

one's prejudice so far that bad

drawing

is

allowed to pass unchallenged.

very Venetian

Magdalen, with both arms extended wide, bends


over the prostrate body of our Lord.
of the

The heads

women and

the arrangement of the draperies

are characteristic and most graceful.


low's Michelangelo says:

As Longfel-

"...

If the

Venetian painters knew

But half as much of drawing as of colour They would indeed work miracles of art."

Tintoretto has been accused of using too great

depth of shadow in order to give roundness to his


figures.

He

employed very sudden variations in


it

light

and shade, and

gave the

effect for

which he
he used

aimed.

In the matter of breadth of

finish,

his intelligence

and was guided by the requirements


Tin-

of his picture both in dimensions and subject.

Ube Stan3a
toret often

bella Stuta
in

307

made balance

his
;

compositions by

introducing a single bit of light

it

may have
do such

struck

simply on the base of a column, or the edge of a


book, but he
as

knew how
figure.

to

make

it

service
intro-

most painters could only accomplish by


If

ducing another
position,
it

he had a fault

in

com-

lay in the toO' lavish use of contrasts

in costumes, so that

one might show up well against

another.

Many

people cannot appreciate him, for


toi

he does not appeal

the uncultured

taste,

but

rather to the thinker and student of

human

nature.
this
is

He

did not paint the obvious.


is

Whether

praiseworthy or blameworthy
the fact remains.

not our contention

Great painters have been both

simple and obscure, and neither style has prevented


their being recognized

as

masters.
subtle;

Raphael was

obvious;

Leonardo was

admirers, numerically, for


better repays the student.

more Raphael; but Leonardo


there are

The

Sibyl

Showing the Vision of the Virgin and


is

Child to Augustus Caesar

depicted by Paris Bor-

done in rather a

different

manner from

that

by

Garofolo, although the event and the


for portrayal are the same.

moment chosen
vision
is

The
altar,

seen

through a window, the scene being

laid in a temple,

and Augustus stands near the


the aperture into the sky.
are both

looking through

The

sibyl

and Augustus
the altar a
fire

young and handsome.

On

3oS
is

trbe Art of tbe

Ipitti

Ibalace
lies

lighted,

and on the step there

a wreath of

The costumes are not very historic, the Roman Emperor being arrayed in a Venetian brolaurel.

cade of the fifteenth century, while the sibyl wears a cameo brooch.

A
II.

quaint portrait of

Henry

11.

of France, by

Jehanet Clouet, hangs here, numbered 262. (15 19 1559)

Henry

would be an almost forgotten


his influence

king, so slight
it

was

upon

his age, if

were not for the

fact that

he

will

be remembered

as the

husband of Catherine de Medici, and the


chiefly interesting as being the only
in the Pitti Palace.

guardian, in her childhood, of Mary, Queen of Scots.

The

portrait

is

example of early French painting

The two solemn


Their plain, earnest
thetic,

children painted by Paul Vero-

nese should not be passed over without comment.


little

faces are lifelike

and pa-

and the two small panels on which they are

some time among the most precious possessions of their families. They
painted must have been at
represent a
little

boy and a

little girl in

unaffected

poses and in ordinary child's clothes of the period.

Carlo Dolci's portrait of San Carlo Borromeo

may

be seen,

Number

275.

The

saint

is

represented

in almost full face,

which disguises somewhat the

unusually

large

nose

which

distinguished

him;
is

while the likeness, in spite of this concession,

remarkably well retained.

He

is

clad in a

garment

Ube Stan3a

bella Stuta

309

with a cape and lace sleeves, and holds a crucifix


in

one hand and a cardinal's hat


is

in the other.

halo

behind his head, and tapestry forms the backIt

ground.
Medici,

was painted
later

for

Cardinal
to

Carlo de
the

and

was bequeathed

Grand

Duke Cosimo III. The picture numbered 2y(), by Mancini, represents St. Henry of Bavaria and his wife, St. Cunegunda. The canvas was long attributed to Dolci,
until finally the signature, "

Mancini

F.,

1629," was

found on the back.

Henry of Bavaria was born in 972, and became emperor in 1002. He was the founder of the cathedral at Bamberg. He was very devout, but was unlucky in war. At one time he considered renouncing his empire to become a monk. The prior told him that, if he relinquished his sceptre,
St.

the

first

vow

required of

him would be

that of

obedience.

Henry

replied that

he had no objection

to obeying- humbly.

Thereupon the prior advised

him
best

to retain his throne, " for," said he, " the

em-

peror comes hither to learn obedience which he can


practise

by ruling judiciously."

His wife,

Cunegunda, was a much beloved queen and a noble

woman.

When rumours were

spread against her

demanded the Trial by Ordeal. After a promenade upon hot ploughshares, her enemies
character, she

were convinced of her innocence.

3IO
St.

itbe Hrt ot tbe

iPittt

ipalacc
also

Henry and Cunegunda

founded

the

Church of San Miniato


ing, they are seen both

in Florence.

In this paintlily,

crowned, and with a


St.

the

emblem of
collar.

chastity.

Henry
is

is

seen in full

face,

with his hand on his heart.

He

wears an
over
his

ermine

Cunegunda
is

looking

shoulder, and

in the act of taking the lily;

the

figures appear only about to the waist.

Bronzino's portrait of Lucrezia, Duchess of Fer-

numbered 277. Lucrezia was the daughter of Cosimo I. de Medici, and was born in 1542, and married Alphonse H. of Ferrara. She was the sisrara,
is

ter of
shall

Don

Garcia,

whose

portrait " as

Cupid

"

we

next examine.

She was two years


of Julius HI.

his senior.

As a child she was who was a nephew

betrothed to Fabiano del Monte,

But

at the death

of the Pontiff, Cosimo considered Alphonse of Ferrara a better match, so in February, 1560, she

was

given to him in marriage.

is

The charming portrait of little Garcia de Medici Number 279. He is dressed in a Florentine court
with a sash across his breast.
Evidently
it

suit,

was

his fond parent's intention to

have him painted as

" Cupid," so he

is

invested with a

bow and

a quiver

of arrows, while he smiles benignly on the spectator.

Poor

little

Garcia came to a sad end, being killed


in the presence of his

by his father
self,

mother; he him-

as has been elsewhere mentioned, having in

trbe Stansa bella Stufa


his turn

3"

murdered

his brother, the

Archbishop of

Pisa.
St.

Francis Xavier

is

made

altogether out of charis

acter

by Carlo Dolci, for he

as affected as

most
is

of Dolci's saints.

He

carries a staff.

His figure

so faultless that one wonders whether he wore corsets.

Beads are hanging


is

at his belt.

With both
his

hands he
halo
is

opening the robe on his breast;


;

most exaggerated

it

takes up as

much room

as the saint himself,

and

is

arranged

in regular rays,

so disposed that they look like a windmill behind

him.

As

to the St. Niccolo de Tolenta of Dolci, one


little,

can say

except that he appears to be an Italian

opera singer, declaiming or serenading after the

manner of

his kind, dressed in a

showy robe covered


lily

with sunbursts, the central one, on his breast, having a face in the centre.

His attributes are a

and a book.

There are numerous other Madonnas and portraits in the

Stanza of the Education of Jupiter.

CHAPTER

XI.

STANZA OF ULYSSES AND STANZA OF JUSTICE

VERY ornate and rococo

little

bath-room leads

from the Stanza of the Education of Jupiter to the


Stanza of Ulysses.

Perhaps as beautiful as anything in

this

room

is

the swaying, exquisitely proportioned figure of the

Virgin

in a visionary painting

by Tintoretto,

Numis

ber 313, in which Mary, holding the child,


floating in the heavens above the

seen

almost as perfect an aerial poise

new moon, with as the Madonna in


In no other

the Assumption by Titian in Venice.


respect,

however, could this especial picture be com-

pared with Titian's masterpiece.

The

proportions

of the female figure, as portrayed by Tintoretto, are

more
is

in

harmony with the standard of our own day


Tintoretto
his visionary figures appear

than those of the painters of his epoch.

famous for the way

to float in the air,


is

and the picture of the Madonna


this rule.

no exception to

For

it

is

not a rep-

resentation, but a vision.

Tintoretto does not paint


312

stanza of xaipsaea

313

her as a living woman, but as an embodied thought.

His compositions are


beings some of his

bold.

When

he has to rep-

resent a host of angels, he reads into the heavenly

own
them

impetuousness, and shows


eagerness for service,

them

flying about in

their
in

instead of ranging

meek ranks

of semi-

indifferent but decorative adoration about the throne,

" serving " by " only standing and waiting."

This

passive idea did not appeal to his


ination.

more

active imag-

His angels may be

restless;

they

may
alive

sometimes exhibit nervous energy; but they


the artist's conception of
as they fly
;

reflect

virility,

and they are

they do not stand on one foot on conlike

venient cushions of cloud-stuff,


creations of Perugino,

the amiable
float,

but they whirl and

sustained by a divine exaltation, which,


lyzed,
is

when ana-

just as laudable an emotion as perfect res-

ignation and pious self-effacement.

No

model could

serve as a flying angel of the type which Tintoretto


paints.

His

vital

imagination had to supply the

ethereal quality of their attitudes,

and

it

never failed

him.

There seems to be as
as with Michelangelo.
for

little

limit to the

power of
figure

Tintoret to express the action of a

human

No

attitude

is

too impossible

him

to portray, and no multitude of figures ever


ability.

proved too much for his

No

rules previhis

ously observed hampered him.

Nature and

own

3H

Ube art

of tbe IPitti palace

imagination were his only guides.

He did
all

not paint

a scene in a certain

way because
it,

painters

from

the beginning had so presented

it;

he brought his

own

thought to bear upon

and painted the mental


facts as

image which was conjured up by the


rehearsed them.

he

Had

all artists tacitly

represented

the Last Supper by a


table,

row of

figures seated at a long

with Jesus in the midst?

Never mind; Tin-

toretto

saw

it

differently.

Putting himself, in his


table,

mind's eye, at the further end of a long


the lowest seat,

he

in

paints a deep perspective, with


it,

the apostles seated on either side of


far end, distinguished
his head, the

and, at the
light about

by the aureole of
sits

Master

remote, not analyzed,

new and

original treatment of the subject,

and

Tintoretto's own.

Carlo Dolci's Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Number

288, represents the chief figure kneel-

ing, with the drops of bloody sweat standing

on his

brow, while in the heavens

is

seen an angel,

who

comes to minister

to him, with a chalice in

one hand

and a cross

in the other.

Cigoli has painted St. Francis in an attitude of

meditation and study instead of adoration.


picture
is

The

Number

290.

He

is

kneeling before the

crucifix in a wilderness, with

an open book spread


hill

before him.
seen the
little

In the background on a

may

be

house of devotions, the Portiuncula,

Stansa of TUlpsses
where
St.

315

Francis spent so

many

precious hours.

It is interesting to

compare

this

with another picture

of St. Francis hanging close by.

Ligozzi has here painted St. Francis,

Number
left

289, kneehng on a high promontory on the


his picture, while

of

below him

lies

the valley, with

people crossing a rustic bridge and going up a road

toward the town.


Child are seen.

In the sky the


vision
is

Madonna and
scale
all

The

on an enormous

in proportion to the rest of the composition;

around the

central, figure

little

winged heads of

angels are floating.


Allori's

Preaching of the Baptist hangs here.

It is dignified,

and the figure of the


is

Baptist, standforceful.

ing under a palm-tree,

refined

and

The

crowd of
centre

listeners is also well

composed.

In the

may be

seen a

man on one knee on

the ground,

holding a scroll and pen, trying to take notes.


a

Quite

modern

touch.

In the distance Christ and his

apostles are approaching.

Alessandro Allori was

the nephew of Christofano, and the author of a " Treatise on Anatomy for Painters." He was inferior in

power

to his uncle.

His habit of

intro-

ducing modern touches into historical scenes often

became very objectionable.


and died
an
in

He was

born in 1535,

1607, in Florence, his native city.

In the school of Andrea del Sarto


agreeable
representation

may be

seen

of

Tobias

and the

3i6

Ubc Hrt
but
it

ot tbe pittt palace

Angel;
Biliverti
Iliad.

is

not so interesting as the one by


in the

hanging over the door


is

Hall of the
Child in the

There
school,

also a

Madonna and

same

Number
force.
is

294, pretty, but lacking in

originality or

Over the door


saying that
was,
it

a Temptation of St. Anthony,

by Salvator Rosa, which Ruskin commends highly,


all

the pov/er of the artist, such as


little

it

is

here manifested, and that very

about

is

objectionable.

"It

is

a vigorous and ghastly


is

thought, in that kind of horror which

dependent
effects of

upon

scenic effect."

There are striking


lurid green."

cloud in the background, " black flakes, with rents

and openings of intense and

All this

may be

true;

but this picture was evidently the

inspiration of

Mr. John Teniel

in

one of

his illus-

trations for " Alice in


ster

Wonderland," for the monis

which

is

pursuing the long-suffering saint

undeniably a Jabberwock.
in terror

The

saint

is

crouching

on the ground, and the mythical creature


chasing him hovers in the
air,

which
wock.

is

in

almost

the same position as that of the redoubtable Jabber-

To

say that
is

it is

ludicrous, as applied to a
it

religious theme,

to put

mildly.

The

picture

was painted
hope that
it

for Cardinal Carlo de Medici.

Let us

proved salutary.

Carlo Dolci's
ing, but
it is

Madonna

is

not strong as a paint-

a pretty picture.

The

halos which sur-

Stansa of XIllp56e6

3^7

round the heads of the Mother and Child are lavish


in
size,

and are arranged


called a
''

in

a series of defined
in

points; they suggest the

way

which swords are

placed in what
in

is

panoply/' as decoration

an armory.
Christofano Allori's
St.

John

in the

Desert

is

passably satisfactory picture, without special inspiration.

The

saint

is

not emaciated, as the mediaeafter


all,

valists delighted to

draw him; and,

per-

haps locusts and wild honey would be rather hearty


food; at
least,

they would combine flesh-produdng

ingredients

The picture of
is

the

Madonna and

Child with Saints

not unlike other paintings by Del Sarto in the

The two saints in the foreground are disposed very much like those in the Disputa. The Magdalen in profile, and the St. John, who kneels, are much like the St. Sebastian and the Magdalen
Pitti.

in that picture,

and might

easily

have been poses one of An-

of the

same model, and worked up from sketches


at the

made

same

time.

The

child

is

drea's loveliest creations, as he stands sturdily


his mother's knee, pointing

on

heavenward.

His other
is

hand, pressed upon her arm for support,


quisite piece of modelling

an ex-

and foreshortening.

Madonna
and

is

the usual type,

Lucrezia, maturer

The

stately.

On

the right of the picture stand St.

Sebastian, with arrows in his hand, and St. Roch.

3iS

tTbe Hrt of tbe


the left are St.

ipttti iC^alace
figure,

On

Lawrence and a nude

evidently

divine
hair.

Adam, who gazes into the face of the infant, his own face hidden by his sweeping
it

This figure has been called by other names,

but the consensus of opinion seems to be that


represents the father of the race.

The
hung

picture

is

on wood, and was painted for an


it

intimate friend of Andrea, one Cambassi;


for

was

some time in a church near the Chateau of Cambassi. There was originally a predella, showing portraits of the donor and his wife. This

was unfortunately lost. There is an unknown


in

portrait of a

a slashed court

suit.

This,

man by Number 316,


and

Dolci,
is

one

of the finest works of the


lights

artist,

a superb study of
is in

on

flesh.

He
is

wears a

flat ruff,

an

easy attitude.

Number 317

a landscape by Kornelis Polen-

berg, a Holland painter

who

flourished in the early

half of the seventeenth century, and


ruin, with

shows a Roman

columns standing

at the left, while shep-

herds of the classical-pastoral type are posing about


to give an air of life to the picture.

The

pictures

of Polenberg are very rare; there are four of them


in the Pitti Palace.

There

is

a restful but unintellectual Nativity here,


it

by Procaccino;

is

full

of glowing transparency

and of sweet Greek

idyllic feeling.

The

shepherds

Stansa of XHli^sses
are Greek;

319
child in

the mother

is

hugging the

an

ecstasy of maternal joyousness.

Camillo Procac-

cino

was one

of three talented brother painters,

Bologna between 1546 and 1626. He was famous both for his drawing and his colouring.
living in

He drew
was
us,

with

spirit,

and used
O'f

his shades well.

He
to

called the Vasari

Lombardy; although
him

who

are not so

much concerned with Vasari


as a biog-

as a painter as

we

are interested in

rapher, this seems scant praise.

Christoforo del Altissimo painted the portrait of


Clarice Ridolfi Altovito,
sents a fair

Number

327.

It

repre-

young

girl,

thoroughly enchanting.

She

has a lovely face, and wears her hair dressed close


to her head, with a bead head-dress.

In the
rietta
is

manner of Van Dyck


is

is
I.

a portrait of Henof England.

Maria, wife of Charles

She
It

seen in profile, and

resplendent in satins with

full gloss.
is

She

is

holding a rose in her hand.

a stately picture and worthy of a queen.

There
a

is

a cheerful landscape by Agostino Caracci,


river.

through the centre of which winds a

To

give

human touch

of

interest,

Caracci

has painted

youths bathing on the opposite side of the river,


while on the side in the foreground
sits

woman

turning away her head, and holding up her hands


in protest!

Agostino Caracci was that brother of

Annibale to

whom

allusion has been

made, and

who

320

Ube Hrt

of tbe IMtti palace


towards the style of

was somewhat
of Correggio.

serious, inclining

Tintoret, while Annibale reflected the lighter

mood
as his

Most of
is

his time

was occupied with

engraving, so that he did not paint as


brother.

much

He

said,

however, on his return from

Venice, to have succeeded so well in painting a horse


as to deceive the living animal which had been
its

model, and
alive.

who approached
is

it,

thinking

it

to be

Number 326
portrait
is

a portrait of Pope Paul

III.,

by

Paris Bordone, after Titian, whose original of this


in

Naples.

The

figure appears to be

somewhat out of drawing, the lower limbs being

much
But

longer in proportion to the head than

is

usual.

it is

hardly fair to judge at this late date, for

the subject

may have had

this peculiarity.
is

He

is

much the same colour scheme


Raphael for Leo X.
nese,

seated in a red chair, and

clad in red

and white,

as that chosen

by

Paul

III.

and was

elected

Pope

in

was Alexander Far1554, when he was


a rabid opponent

sixty-eight years of age.

He was

of Lutheranism.

He

was, nevertheless, a corre-

spondent of Erasmus, although he established the


Inquisition at Naples, and confirmed the

Order of

the Jesuits.

Before taking sacred orders, he had


Paul
III.

been married twice.

was one of the most

noted Pontiffs concerned in the building of the Vatican.

He

appreciated merit in the arts, and con-

Stansa of
stantly

Xllli^00e0

321

rewarded such men as Michelangelo, Gio-

vio, Contarini,

Bembo, and others

for their labours.

This Pope was responsible for making peace be-

tween Charles V. and Francis


Proceeding
theus,

I.

of France.

now through the Stanza of Promewhere we have already spent some time, we
to
is

go beyond, through the Corridor of Columns, the Stanza of Justice. This Gallery of Columns
so called because of the

two valuable columns which

are engrafted in the architecture of the are

of

Oriental

alabaster.

room they There are numerous


;

miniatures and water-colours hanging here, which

were originally
pold de Medici;

in the collection of

Cardinal Leo-

but

it

is

rather a matter of con-

jecture to assume

whom

they

may

represent.

Here, after a long acquaintance with his estimate


of others,

work of

we have our opportunity to judge of Vasari. Number 393 is a St. Jerome;


is

the

the

temptation

being carried on unmercifully, and


is

the steadfast gaze of the saint

fixed systematically

upon the
all sides.

crucifix outside his hut.

He

is

beset on

Venus and Cupid are behind him, on the


is

left,

whispering seductive thoughts into his ear;


shooting an arrow into
is

another Cupid, blindfold,


his very eyes
;

while

still

a third

teasing

him from

behind.

The

lion at his feet is looking

up sympa-

thetically, as if to

encourage him.
Gossiping, inaccurate, imagi-

Dear old Vasari!

333
native,

Ube Htt

of tbe pitti ipalace


real

and yet our most fascinating quarry for


details

and apochryphal
day.

about art subjects in his


in the thick of

from 15 12 to 1564, the golden age of Italy; and it is


lived

He

to his diligent

and systematic taking of

notes,

which he used with


of our
all

copious amplifications, that

we owe most
in
life

knowledge of the men who flourished


partments of the aesthetic
earliest

de-

of Italy from the

times.

And
is

Vasari so readily confesses


of imperfections that

that his

book

full

we

are
all

quite ready to overlook them, in gratitude for

the positive information that

we

receive.

And

he

himself understands

human

nature well enough to

know
shall

that this will be so.


it

He

says

"

And now

happen according to the laws usually pre-

vailing that, having thus openly confessed

my

short-

comings, a great part of them shall be forgiven me."

What

matters

it

if

Giorgio Vasari was not one


If

of the greatest artists of his time?

he had been,

he would never have found time to prepare these voluminous biographies; and the world, richer by
a few more great pictures, would have been inestimably poorer by the loss of one of the most fascinating
editors,

works ever produced


errors.

in literature.

Later

with more reliable sources of information,

have corrected his


Italian art.

He

is

the Boswell of

He

deals with all the painters, sculp-

Stansa of VH^q^cb
tors,

323

architects,

and engravers, covering a period

of over half a thousand years.


But, Hke most clever persons with a diversity of
gifts,

Vasari,

who had an

inimitable genius

for

writing, and small talent for painting, aspired above


all

things to be recognized as an artist.

Such

in-

dustry and zeal as he chronicles of his early years

ought to have been rewarded by greater

results.

He

tells

how he and

his contemporaries

used to go

to the Sistine Chapel to copy the frescoes of Michel-

angelo, or to the galleries of


to copy Raphael and others.
lect

Rome and

Florence

one of t^e pictures to

They would each sework from, and, when


they would ex-

they returned

home

in the evening,

change drawings, each copying the other's work,


so that in the long run each
entire collection of sketches.

man might
They

possess the

did not even

Nor did we breakfast in the morning, except on what we ate while standing, and that very frugally." The narrator adds, with an unconscious confession, " The desire of glory
take time for meals
:

"

was indeed ever mine exertions."

a sufficiently powerful stimulus to

most

prolific painter,

Vasari describes at length

those pictures which he produced.


ally well

They were usudrawn and mildly acceptable; but, among

the works of the Golden Age, they can never compete with the best.

He

tells

of this special picture,

324
St.

Ubc art
Jerome, and
it
:

of tbe ipittt ipalace


will quote his

we

own words
I

in

describing

" In a large picture, moreover,

exefig-

cuted a San Girolamo in penitence, making the

ure of the saint the size of


plation

life;

he

is

in

conten>

on the death of
cross,

Christ,

whom

he has before

him on a

and

is

striking his breast, while he

drives far from

him those mundane thoughts which


tells

did not cease to assail him, even in the most remote


deserts, as

he most fully

us in his

own

writings.
I

To

express this condition of things intelligibly,

depicted

Venus with Cupid

in her

arms, and leading


she
is

a laughing Love by the hand;


the place

flying

from

made

sacred by that devotion, and has


fall

suffered the quivers and arrows of her son to to the earth.

The arrows which Cupid has


falling, are

shot

at the saint turn


ers,

broken toward himself, while oth-

caught as they are

brought back to

Venus by her doves." Michelangelo was a kind and wise friend to Vasari, delicately hinting to him how well it would
be to devote himself to architecture;
but Vasari

never erred on the side of modesty respecting his

own

talents,

and simply saw

in this advice

a form
**

of general encouragement.

The idea of writing his " Lives was first suggested to Giorgio at
dinal Farnese's.

of the Painters

a supper at Carjust

Monsignor Giovio, who had

published some material on the subject of the arts

TEMPTATION OF
By Vasari
;

ST.

JEROME

in the

Stanza of Justice

Stanja ot xaii^sses
in his
*'

325

Eulogies/*

was mentioning

to the

company

that he contemplated adding a treatise concerning

men who had been famous in these arts, from Cimabue to his own times. The cardinal and Giorgio
Vasari began to talk over this proposition, and
it

was suggested
torical student.

that Giorgio himself should assist

in this undertaking,

he being recognized as an

his-

Vasari agreed to contribute to the

volume.

Accordingly he went

home and arranged


his material

his notes, etc., in order,

and presented

to Giovio.

Giovio was so impressed by what Vasari

showed him that he unhesitatingly turned the work


over to him, saying
this

work

yourself,

"I would have you undertake for I see that you know perfectly
:

well
his

how

to proceed therein."

Vasari thus began


the " Lives of the
desired the

monumental book.

When

Artists "

was

finished,
it

Duke Cosimo

author to give
Torentino.

to the ducal

printer,

Lorenzo

This was done, and the work went

forward.

Vasari superintended
tivities incident to

all

the decorations and fes-

the marriage of the

Duke Cosimo
running

L;

he constructed the corridor which,

above the houses on the Ponte Vecchio, leads to the


Uffizi

from the

Pitti.

This bridge-like structure


Vasari visited Rome,

was completed

in five

months.

piously kissed the toe of the Pope, travelled a good


deal in Italy, painting vigorously wherever he went,

326

zbc Hrt
He

ot tbe pitti palace


until

and continued hale and active


ended.

his

life

was

closes the biographies with

an account

own career, the last sentence being this now it shall suffice me to have spoken thus much of myself, who have thus arrived amidst many labours to the age of fifty-five; but I am prepared
of his " And
to live so long as
it

shall please

God, to his honour

and for the service of


in

my

friends;

and so far as

me

lies will

be ever ready to promote and work

for these most noble arts."

He

died in June,

1564, being then sixty-three

years of age.

He was much

lamented, having in-

numerable friends and few enemies.

His

life

had
left

been a steady, active, and useful one, and he has


a priceless heritage to lovers of art in
all

nations

and

times.

charming, quaint

little

portrait

is

that of Elea-

nora of Mantua as a
artist,

child, painted

by the Flemish

Franz Porbus.

The

picture

is

numbered 391.
still

She

is stiff

hand,

perhaps the reward


is

with brocade, and holds an apple in her


for keeping

while

the drawing
fingering

With her other hand she is a jewel which hangs round her neck. Her
made!
is

lace collar

stiff

and

tall,

reaching almost to the


In her hair are flowers,

top of her youthful head.

arranged with

artifice,

high and firm.

She looks

thoroughly uncomfortable;

but noblesse oblige

royal children cannot be expected to have a com-

Stansa of tll^sses
fortable time of
it.

327

Eleanora of Mantua was the

wife of Prince Ferdinand, and was crowned Queen


of

Bohemia

in

1627.

She was a daughter of the

noble house of Gonzaga, Vincenzio Gonzaga being


her father.
Several hundred varieties of ecstasy are portrayed

by Carlo Doki
St. Casimir,

in his various pictures of the saints;

Number

392,

is

no exception

to the rule

of his affectations.
as those chosen

His attitudes are as affected

by ambitious amateur actors who


Ruskin speaks of Carlo

have studied just enough to 'take from them their


only charm,

spontaneity.
He was

Dolci as one " who' finishes for finish's sake."

There was nothing very original about


mir's sainthood.

St. Casi-

an intensely pious youth,

the son of Casimir of Poland and Elizabeth of Austria;

born

in 1443,

he was a student and a

recluse,

and, perhaps weakened by his sedentary course of


life,

he died of a decline

in 1483, still a

young man.
life,

He

had always denied himself the joys of court

even refusing the crown of Hungary.


canonized him.

Leo X.
but,

He

composed various hymns, and


he
is
is

in the act of writing

portrayed by

Doki

although the picture

mannered and overpolished,


drawn;

we may
tiful

be allowed to admire the remarkably beauit

face which the artist has here

is

anatomically a

much more

ascetic

and

intellectual

328

trbe art of tbe pttti palace

face than usually appears in saints of this period

of art.
It is finer

than the

St.

Peter by the same

artist,
is

about which Ruskin complains that there

too

much

cock,

and that

it

might be the portrait of a


its

poulterer,

judging from

attributes!

This

pic-

ture has been seen in the Hall of Mars,


Scarcelino's Birth of a

Number
is

91.

Noble Infant

an amus-

ing picture;
vast hall, at

numbered 394. It represents a the right of which is a bed, whereon


it

is

the mother
is

is

lying, helping herself to soup,

which
In the
is

being presented by attendant damsels.

central portion of this large hall, the

new baby
its

being bathed by several court ladies, and a very independent child


age.
it

appears to be for

tender

Naked

children are running about, playing

with dogs, and otherwise disporting themselves during the preoccupation of their elders.
It

seems to

be a large family into which the newcomer has


arrived,

and the other children

all

appear to be about
all,

of the same age;

perhaps, after

they
in

may

be

intended as cupids.

dog-fight

is

progress,

being encouraged by some of these


the right.

little
is

urchins on
a fireplace,

At

the extreme left there

and some women are holding clothes before the


blaze to

warm them

for the infant.


is full

Judith, by Artemesia Gentilleschi,

of swing.

This

is its

chief merit.

The maid

carries a basket

Stansa of xai^66e6
with the head in
it.

329

Perhaps

it

takes a

woman
is

to

portray a woman's feeHngs at such a moment, and


Judith
is distinctly

nervous, although she

shoul-

dering her sword bravely.

She

is

starting forward,

and laying her hand on the shoulder of her com" panion, as if to say, " Hush what noise was that?
!

She

is

humanly overawed

at her

own

act,

and

is

physically unstrung.

The

figures are graceful.

Salviati's Patience is a fat, classically clothed per-

sonage, chained to the wall by her ankle.

She does
It

not so

much

suggest patience as durance.

cannot
Salchild-

be called a thoughtful rendering of the idea.


viati

was an intimate
the

friend of Vasari

from

hood, and often they worked together.

Among
coeter,

Dutch

pictures

is

a canvas by

Honde-

born at Utrecht

in 1636,

who

painted chiefly

domestic fowl, but occasionally birds of a more dignified


sort,
is

swans, peacocks,

etc.

Quite a barn-

yard
of
its

here to be seen and certainly good work


;

kind

interesting for those

who admire
I.,

these

subjects.

Here
ber 403.

is

Bronzino's portrait of Cosimo

Num-

Cosimo was born on the nth of June, 1519; he was a great student in early youth, and In January, ambitious and devoted to the arts.
1536, he

was

saluted

Duke and Governor


His genius expanded

of the
itself

Florentine Republic.

both in the government and in his private enter-

330

trbe Art of tbe pitti iC^alace


time he became the
first

prises, so that in
Italy.

prince in
erected

In the words of a biographer, "

He

so

many and

such superb structures, statues, and


it

obeHsks that

was with
'

justice that he said,


left

'

He

found a

city of stone,

and he
fair
'

one of marble.'
*

He made
cent,'

Florence the
it

truly

the magnifi-

and
in

became the

seat of the arts.

Men
in his

famous

every branch of learning were sure to

find protection
court.
. . .

and the most ample provision


large,

His palace was as

more

elegant,

and

better

furnished than those of the greatest

monarchs."

Such was the character of the man


the Pitti Palace for his wife, Eleanor

who bought
of Toledo.

later portrait of

Vittoria della Rovere than

the delightful Vestal Virgin, which hangs in the

Hall of Jupiter,

is

Number

404, painted jointly by

Sustermans and Carlo Dolci, but usually given to


the
latter.

It

shows how the lady grew


less

older,

grew

stouter,

was

interesting in her appearance as

the years went on.

But she seems

to

have been a

pious dame, inasmuch as she elected to be painted


as Vestal Virgin while she

was of an age

to look

the part, and in later years she seems to have en-

joyed being represented as a sort of demi-nun, wearing a


veil,

holding a cross on her bosom, and car-

rying a book of devotions.

Her whole costume

is

Stansa of

Xllli^eses

ss^

reminiscent of the religieuse, but of no particular


order.

In

Number 408

Oliver Cromweirs face looks out

of place in the Pitti Palace.

We

wonder why

it

should hang here


patriots until

among

the Medici and their comits

we

learn the historic reason for

being in the Hall of Justice.


painted
It

This picture was


in

when Cromwell was

his

fiftieth

year.

was executed by order of the Grand Duke FerdiII.,

nand

who

so greatly admired Cromwell, both

for his courage


this portrait

and

his character, that

he ordered

by Sir Peter Lely. Peter Van der Faes, a master of Flemish art, was born in 16 18,
is

and

better

known

as Sir Peter Lely, the painter


II.

of court beauties of Charles


that his

There

is

a legend

name was given him because


his

of a

lily

which

occurred over the door of the perfumer's shop,

which was
cepted.
his

home; but

this is not generally ac-

It is

name, for

more likely that his father changed some unexplained reason, from Van

der Faes to Lely.

He

painted portraits quite indeI.,

pendently for Charles IL, Charles

and Cromwell.

The

special occasion

on which Ferdinand had been

so greatly impressed with the great Puritan

when he had

sent his messenger directly

was to Pope
would
so

Alexander VII., saying


proceed up the Tiber.

that, if the persecutions of


fleet

the Waldenses did not cease, the English

This threat,

directed

332

Zbc Htt

ot tbe pttti palace


it

boldly at the very source of Italian stability, as

was then understood, caused Duke Ferdinand


to have a lively respect for Cromwell.

II.

The
menico
to

picture
in

Number 406
it

is

usually called St.

Doin

a Grotto, but
it

would be more accurate

describe

as a grotto with St.


it,

Domenico

one corner of

where he kneels
centre.

at his devotions.

The

light

comes from the

At

the right are

souls rising, through the intercessory prayers of the


saint,

from

hell fire,

and being drawn through a

small aperture by angels.

Through another punc-

ture in the side of the cave the scene of an assassination


is

being enacted.

In the Hall of Justice


fine portraits

may
;

also be seen three

by Tintoretto

a delightful
St.

Madonna

by Manozzi, Number 396; a

John EvangeUst

by Carlo Dolci, Number 397, similar to the one in the Hall of the Iliad, Number 217. There are several landscapes here also,

two by Hollanders, Numthe


first

ber 411 and

Number 412;
Both

by Jan Both,
although he

who was

called

d'ltalia, because,

was born in Utrecht in 16 10, he worked also in The other Italy, where he died, in Venice, in 1650.
is

by Swanevelt,

called

Herman

dTtalia because he

also adopted Italy as his field for operation, dying


at

Rome

in

1690.

CHAPTER

XII.

THE STANZA OF FLORA AND THE STANZA

DEI PUTTI

We
of

pass next into the Stanza of Flora, which

is

almost as famous for Canova's well-known statue

Venus

as for

its

paintings.
link

Antonio Canova was the


sance and

between the Renais-

modern

sculpture.

He

was the greatest

man

in his art in the eighteenth century, following

the decadence which had occurred during the early


part of that century,
ideas of sculpture

and preceding the modern

which govern the men of to-day.

He was
Saints'

born

in

Possagno on the morning of All

Day, 1757. For the first twelve years of his life, he lived in a mud-lined hut in the Alps,
in

which he

first

saw the

light.

was a stone-cutter, and the young Antonio from the first was free with
father,

His

Pietro Canova,

the mallet and chisel.

He lost

both his parents while


to live in the

he was a

child,

and continued

same
in his

place with his grandfather, a genial old

man, who

brought him up

well,

and who was a genius


333

334

trbe Hrt of tbe pittt palace


stone-cutter, but possessing

humble way, also a


in representing the

some
talent

knowledge of architecture and a good deal of


ples of his

human figure in marble. Examwork may still be seen in the Church of


his first opportunity to
is

Monfumo. The story of

an appreciative public

interesting.

come before Near his home


Repairs

lay the great estates of Signor Giovanni Falier, a

member
and
his

of the patrician family of Venice.


at this place,

were continually needed


able boy, with his
his lithe

and Antonio

grandfather often worked there.

The amiface,

unassuming manners, but with

young

figure

and beautiful head and and

attracted the signor;

his son, Giuseppe Falier,

became intimate with Antonio.


grandfather,

The
was

cheerful old
also

who was

quite a wit,

an ob-

ject of interest to the family.

One

day, at a festival

which was taking place

at the

Falier estates, the

Venetian nobility were present, and everything was


being done on a very superb
the steward
scale,

when suddenly

saw

that there

had been an oversight:

the domestics had neglected to provide any large


decorative piece to be placed in the centre of the
table.

The

servants were in despair;

they went to

Canova's grandfather for a suggestion, but the old

man

could think of nothing that would be appro-

priate.

Suddenly young Antonio exclaimed that he


idea,

had an

and asked for a large quantity of but-

Ube Stansa
ter.

ot jflora

33s

When

this

was brought, he immediately modeffect that

elled

a lion with such

when

it

was placed
and asked

upon the

table the guests all exclaimed

for the artist.

The

guests as a body voted to send

for Antonio, and, blushing, he entered the hall,

and

was presented as a new discovery


tians.

to the noble

Vene-

From
his

this

time forward the boy had patrons

who were
With

ready to examine and purchase his work.


intermediate

work we have no time


years, in Venice

or occasion to deal.

For many

and

Rome, Canova constantly produced work estimated


to be, according to the taste of his day, the greatest

when in the Napoleonic wars Italy was stripped of many of her art treasures, the celebrated Venus de Medici was carried away from Florence, where she had so long reigned. The empty pedestal was to be filled. Casince Michelangelo.
last,

At

nova was elected to supply the


modest
in

loss.

accepting this offer,

very saying that " he

He was

wished to avoid the imputation of appearing to

deem himself capable of producing anything equal to the Venus de Medici," and adding, in a letter, *' The Greeks, equally with nature, are my instructors
;

it

behooves me, then, to preserve the deference


is

which

due from a scholar to


shall

his preceptors.

My
may

Venus, therefore,
like

remain at a humble distance,


in her absence,

an attendant nymph, who,

attract for a

moment

the regards of the sorrowing

336

Ube Htt

of tbe pittt palace This was in

votaries of the departed divinity."

1806.

Canova's Venus made a great impression upon

Mrs. Jameson,

who saw

it

when

it

stood in the

private apartments of the duke in Florence.

"

It is,"

she says, " a triumph of


dess."

modem

art,

but not a godthis

To

Mrs. Jameson the difference between

Venus and the Venus de Medici seemed very


but she adds that Canova's
tion.
is

great,

a very beautiful crea-

The
statue

attitude
is

of

this

famous and well-known


its

similar to that of
it.

prototype, but not


is

copied from

While the Venus de Medici

rather

short and stocky for our

modern

taste,

she embodied

exactly the round and smooth ideal of the early

nineteenth century.
little

Canova, foreseeing, perhaps, a

of what changes were to

come over the


and

tastes

of an increasingly intellectual generation, has


his

made
In

goddess

slighter,

more
She

active,

taller.

these particulars he has improved upon the proportions of the original.


is

represented, like the

Medici, as having just issued from the bath, but

she

is

draped more than the


is

classic statue.

This

drapery

no

defect, for the suggestion of graceful

limbs and other charms which issue from the folds


that she has hastily caught

up before her

is

rather

piquant than otherwise, though less modest in a


certain sense, because
it

shows a consciousness of

>

O < o
H

>

O
1x4

o
< N
<:
c/3

Ubc Stansa
nudity.
in front,

of flora
falls

337
obliquely

One

corner of the drapery

and the
Greek

rest falls gracefully to the

ground

in small

folds.

The

figure

is

poised on the

right foot, with the left foot a

little

behind, the left

knee drawn in close to the right one.

The
is

right

arm

is

concealed by the mantle, which


left

thrown
entirely

over the right shoulder, but the

arm

is

undraped, as

is

the whole side, so that the extremely


is

graceful line from neck to ankle


left

unbroken.

The

hand holds the garment up to her

breast, but

not enough to prevent the beautiful modelling from

being seen.

The
nova's
ginal

lines of the

upper part of the figure of Cawith the slight and vir-

Venus are

delicate,

charm of early youth, rather than with the

voluptuous maturity of the Venus de Medici.


ideal
is

The

is

more
if

spiritual
left,

and more tender.

The head

turned to the

and

in this is a little unnatural,

because

the sound of approaching steps, which

she has evidently heard,


the instinct

came from

that quarter,
side
first,

would have been to drape that

whereas Venus has been careless about her


This

left side,

while throwing the mantle fully over her right.


little

oversight

is

a justification of Ruskin,
in imagi-

when he
nation.

asserts that

Canova was lacking


not,
it

But whether natural or


startled expression
is

is effective,

and her

well indicated by the


exquisitely graceful.

turn in the throat, which

is

33^
It is

^be art

of tbe pitti palace

hard to analyze exactly what are the shortthis statue,

comings of
but
it

which

is

so good in parts;

has an air of being in the taste of a special

period,

and
little

it

certainly

is

not modern.

It is per-

haps a
fected

too timid,

too' self-conscious,

too afrepre-

and apologetic.

When

modern man

sents Venus, he

makes her as unconscious

as did the

Greeks; there
ing indiscreet;

is
it

no recognition of the nude


is

as be-

shown

fairly

and

freely,

with

no attempt
is

at disguise.

This statue of Canova's


is

too obviously a

woman who
is

used to being thor-

oughly dressed, and

therefore shocked at herself

for being discovered in a state of nudity.

In an ode

by

Missisini,
is

" Venere che esce dal Bagno/' this


unintentionally admitted:

impression

" Shrinking she seems from her

own view

In trembling conscious modesty."

Canova remained

in

Rome

for a period of

fif-

teen years, except for a few short journeys in Italy.

In 1815 he was entrusted with the important mission of visiting Paris, in order to redeem for the

Florentines the lost art treasures which had been


filched

from them during the war.

As

the trusted
re-

agent of the king, he was equal to his task, and


turned with a majority of the losses

made good.

Canova, amidst

all

the adulation which he re-

ttbe Starts^ of J^tora


ceived,

339
last.

remained a modest worker to the

He

died in 1822.
Vasari's

Holy Family does not


this
is

differ

enough
which

from other treatments of


require analysis here.
it

familiar subject to

There

one point
is

in

is

rather unique:

the Virgin

actually

making

eyes at the spectator,


in her appearance.

she

is

positively flirtatious

The

portrait,
II.

by Sustermans, of Grand Duke


represents

Ferdinand
active, not

young man,

earnest,

handsome, being of too long a cast of

face for regular beauty, but with a better expression

than that of most of his family.


suit of decorated
stiffness.

He

is

clad in a

armour, with a ruff of immaculate


is

His face

smooth, and his hair

is

short.

The head might be that of The portrait is extremely


flattered,

a twentieth century man. well painted;


it

is

not

and yet

it

gives the sitter his due.


its

The

rendering of the metal, with


is

delicate embossing,

wonderfully

fine.

It

gives us pleasure and promthis

ise of

an amiable and good-hearted man; and


II.

Ferdinand

grew up

to be.

He made

in the Pitti Palace

an asylum for the

home distressed who


his

needed protection, and at different times opened his


doors to the unfortunate.

At one time the Duke


in Florence in the dis-

and Duchess of Lorraine, who had been persecuted


by Richelieu, sought refuge
guise of gardeners.

He

had the honour of enter-

340

tibe art of tbe

liittt

palace
to

taining Christina of

Sweden on her way

Rome,

and received the Russian ambassadors on


to

their

way

the

papal
II.

court.

He

also

materially

helped

Charles

when he was an

exile,

and numerous

other kind and hospitable deeds are recorded of

him.

He

bought the portrait of Cromwell by Sir

Peter Lely, which has already been noticed, he being a great admirer of Cromwell.
stition of his

With

the superall

family, Ferdinand II. attributed

his success to

Our Lady

of Loretto, and sent to

her shrine a missal with twelve topazes on the cover, and a silver galley four feet long, inscribed, " Ferdi-

nand de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, dedicated


this to the blessed

Virgin for preserving his galleys

from the

plague.'^

Among
in 1642.

other naval acquisitions, Ferdinand cap-

tured thirty-five galleys from

Mohammedan

pirates

He was
strict

a just ruler, punishing vice and

rewarding virtue with some system; and, although


he was a
tax-collector, his subjects realized

that they received the value of their expenditure in

good protection and improved conditions of


This prince married,
in 1623, Vittoria della

living.

Rovere;

and she brought


riches

to the Pitti Palace all the personal


collections of the ancient family

and valuable

of Rovere, she being the only daughter of that


house.

He

his funeral,

March 24, 1670. An account of which was one of the most magnificent
died

ttbe Stansa ot flota


pageants ever witnessed in Florence,
is

341

given by

Mr.

Style,

who was

present on that occasion, and


in

who wrote
writes as

Voyage in Italy" follows: "This May 27,

"A

1671.

He

1670, died the

great

Duke Ferdinand,

of an apoplexy and dropsy;

foure dayes after, his bodye

was embalmed, and


St.

lay in very grate state eight dayes, being dressed


in all his robes;
rences'.

afterwards buried at

Lawone in

The

funeral

was very august, beginning


till

at nine, but they

were from that time


it

the

morning before
of
the

was
all all
:

finished;

there

were

1,500 monckes with tapers,

the bishops and arch-

bishops

domain,
viz.

the

knights

of

St.

Stephen in their robes,


son velvet;

white sattin and crim-

the present Grate

Duke accompanied
their

by

his brother Prince

Francesco;

mourning

cloakes carried up;

after the corpse several horses,


all

and the Duke's own pad, and English horse;


tions;

the officers of the late Duke, with their broken bas-

a horse-guard of Germans, beating a dead


;

march

lastly,

a grate

number of coaches with

sixe

horses, finished the ceremony.

At
it

St.

Lawrence's

chapel door, the Pope's Nuncio and other prelates


received the bodye,

who
Sir

placed

under a very rich

pavillion, while the panegyrick

was speaking; then

putt

it

in the vault.

John Finch was pleased to

procure

me

a windowe in the Palace of the

Duke

of

Strozzi."

342

uhc Hrt

ot tbe pittt palace


in the

Four landscapes by Poussin hang


of Flora.

Stanza
In one

They show a
in the

certain similarity.

a river

is

seen winding between bluffs, and cows

and herdsmen are

foreground.

In another,

the ruins of a temple are seen at the


right of the picture
ley.
is

left,

while the

treated as an undulating val-

In a third, a satyr and a goat are having a

pitch-battle in the foreground, butting at one an-

other with a

will.

These are

typical landscapes of

Poussin, not Nicolas,


of

who was
but

the principal master


called

Claude Lorraine,

Caspar Dughet,

Poussin,

who was

a native of

Rome, born

in 1613,

and who painted there

until his death in

1675.

Ruskin complains that Poussin's distances are too


indefinite,

that they

might be

fifty

miles away,

or they might equally well be five miles distant,

so far as any clear indication

is

concerned;

that

he did not study nature, but composed what he


considered a " handsome picture."

He

admits that

Poussin's pictures have often serious feeling and

solemn colour, but that otherwise they are virtueless,

and that the admiration which has been


is

lav-

ished on them

unintelligent.

He

further berates

Poussin for introducing " wreaths of cloud, with


their unpleasant edges cut as

hard and

solid

and

opaque and smooth as thick black paint can make

them;

rolled

up over one another


In
fact,

like a dirty sail

badly reefed."

there

is

nothing too severe

Ube Stansa
for

of Jflota

343

Ruskin to say about Poussin's interpretation of His foliage elicits similar compliments, and sky.
his tree-trunks are likened to carrots or parsnips.

Just hear Ruskin on the subject of Poussin's trees


''

Circular groups of greenish touches, always the


size,

same
that

shape, and distance

from each other

con-

taining so exactly the

you cannot

tell

same number of touches each one from another." They are


like
fish-scales,

" laid over each other

the shade

being most carefully


each, until
it

made darker
same sharp,

as

it

recedes from

comes to the edge of the next, against


circular line,
is

which

it

cuts with the

and
cov-

then begins to decline again until the canvas


ered,

with about as

much

intelligence or

feeling

of art as a house-painter has in marbling a wainscot


.
. .

what

is

there in this which the most de-

termined prejudice in favour of the old masters can


for a

moment suppose

to resemble trees? "


at the

So does

Caspar Poussin suffer


Slade professor.

hands of the severe

Now

to look for a

moment on

the other side.

Hear the Abbate Lanzi,


sin,

in the eighteenth century,


:

about a hundred years earlier than Ruskin

" Pous-

contrary to Salvator, selected the most enchant-

ing scenes and the most beautiful aspects oi nature;


the graceful poplar, the spreading plane-tree, limpid
fountains, verdant meads, gently undulating
hills,

villas delightfully situated, calculated to dispel the

344

trbe Uxt ot tbe

ipttti iC>atace
retire-

cares of state,

and to add to the delights of


Ruskin's very teeth on edge.
in aesthetics

ment."
tures

Evidently Lanzi was soothed by those feaset

which

Lanzi

mentions as a virtue

what Ruskin conideal landin the

demns

as a sin:

that Poussin

composed

scapes, like those

imagined by Tasso
asserts that
it

Gardens

of Armida.

He

is

the opinion of
land-

many
is

that there

is

not a greater

name among
is

scape painters.

" Everything that Caspar expresses

founded

in nature.

In his leaves he

as varied

as the trees themselves

...

in

Caspar everything

displays elegance

and erudition."

That

is

the key-

note to this difference of opinion between the eighteenth and the nineteenth century ideals of landscape.

In the eighteenth century a

man
the

used his
painter

imagination and inventive faculties;

who
it

could most readily suggest a country-side as


finer artist;

should be was the

in the nineteenth
it

century the painter


really
is

who
the

could portray nature as


head.

stands

at

Nature has not

changed, and fashion determines the standard, as


in
in
all else.

Lanzi further admires

this ideal quality

Poussin, remarking that his figures are either

historical, or poets

crowned with

laurels,

or hawk;

ing parties, instead of shepherds and peasants


the whole
is

and
min-

finished in a style almost equal to

iature painting.

After presenting these two extremes of criticism

ttbe Stan3a of jflora


regarding Caspar Poussin,

345
to the

we recommend

reader a study of the four specimens of his work,

Numbers

416, 421, 436, and 441.


visitors
fail

Many

to notice a painting of St.


it

Jerome, by Calvart, because

has unfortunately

darkened with age, but the original work must have


been one of unrivalled beauty, especially the head
of the central figure of the saint, of which

Rem-

brandt might have been proud.


is

St.

Jerome, writing,

sitting at his table.

The

accessories are a trifle

modem,

but nothing can detract from the handling


its

of the light and shade upon the bent head, with

mist of white hair merging into the shadow.


the
left

At

of the picture stand

two
if

angels.

The

lights

are thrown very

efifectively,

rather artificially,

upon the

facial

angle of one of them, emphasizing

the beauty of the face.


table at the right,

crucifix stands
it

on the

and below
rests the

an open book, showChild.

ing an illumination of the

Madonna and
upper half of a

Near the inkstand


skull

human

on a closed book.
:

There may be a

significance

in this

the sealed volume of the earthly grave,


fair

and the

open pages of the volume when sub-

jected to the test of the redeeming


cross.

power of the

Calvart was a painter of the Flemish school,

living between

1565 and 1619.

There are two landscapes here by the Flemish


artist,

Carl Ruthart,

who worked from 1660

to

346
1680.

trbe art of tbe

lC>ttti

iC^alace

One
The

of these,

Number
;

418, represents aniit

mals

in a state of domesticity

looks like a cattle

show.

other,

Number
all

438, would have been

an acceptable circus poster, being a representation


of wild creatures of
sorts tearing a deer to pieces

panthers, lions, and leopards are pouncing on

him

from

all

quarters.
O'f

It is

a restless and inartistic ar-

rangement

unpleasant beasts.
of Art,
is

The Genius
Riminaldi, and

Number

422,

is

painted by

represented by a youth, nude, and


all
is

with wings; the attributes of the arts are lying


about him in disorder on the
extremely
a
lithe
floor.

His attitude
the left side

and graceful.

At

lie

lute, a spear,

and a

rapier, while at the right stands

on a higher plane a globe made of framework,


wreathed with laurels;
in
this

composition there

occur also scales, palettes, and brushes, bows and

arrows and a helmet, and other

bits

of armour.

The Genius
Furini's

himself

is

seated on a fragment of archi-

tectural ruin.

Adam

and Eve

is

something of a de-

parture from the usual treatment of the subject.

Adam
and

and

his wife are confessing

on

their knees

in attitudes of pleading, to the Almighty,


is

who,

having been walking in the garden,


the fatal tree.

seated under

The

representation of the heavenly

Father

is

entirely

human,

he looks as

if

he might
Fran-

have been intended for one of the

apostles.

ALLEGORICAL HEAD
By
Furini
;

in the

Stanza of Flora

Ube 5tan3a
cesco Furini

of

jf lota

347

was

called the

Guido and the Albano


born about 1600,
original, in spite of

of the Florentine school.

He was

and

lived until 1649.

He was

was a great student of other masters; he did not allow any traces of their work to creep into his own manner; rather, he entered
the fact that he
into their spirit,
uality to

and then allowed


play.

his

own

individ-

have free

He

studied and planned

his pictures for a long time, but the actual rendering

of them was a quick process with him.

He was

ordained priest
flesh tints

when he was

forty.

He

handled his

with great mellowness, and in his later

pictures this

mannerism becomes so marked that


model for Eve
in this picture appears

there seems to be almost a mist about his figures.

The

beautiful

again in an allegorical head which hangs directly

underneath;
shoulder
the face
graceful.
it

a more exquisite pose of head and

would be
in profile.

difficult to find.

In each case

is

The
in

type

is

most alluring and

The

girl

the small picture holds a

chalice in her hand.

Calumny, by Franciabigio,
scription

is

based upon the de-

by Lucian of a picture of the same name

painted by Apelles.
ancient painting, as

The theme

of Apelles in his

we

learn

from Lucian, was the

visualizing of the emotions and ideas in physical

shape;
Apelles

it

might be

called a psychological allegory.


artist

was a Greek

who was famous

for his

348
colour,

Zbc Hrt
and

ot tbe ipitti ipalace

painted
his

many

allegorical

subjects,

though none of
tells

works have survived.

Lucian

how

his jealous brother artists

had maligned

Apelles to
tector

King Ptolemy, who had been his proup to this time. The king listened to the
and Apelles, learning of
this

gossip,

change

in the

attitude of his patron, took his revenge

by painting
Inno-

the

King of Egypt
is

as

Midas with

ass's ears.

cence

dragged by the hair by Calumny, holding

a torch.
Treachery.
group.
rance,

She

is

accompanied by Hypocrisy and


in

Envy,

dull

clothes,

precedes

the

The king

listens to

Suspicion and Ignoin

and holds out


Falsehood

his
is

hand

approbation to

Calumny.

represented as the mother


girl,

of Calumny.
for justice.

Truth, a naked

appeals

tO'

heaven

The Madonna and


seventeenth
centuries,

Child,

by

Cigoli,

a rather

disagreeable painter of the late sixteenth and early

is

most

unsatisfactory.

Nothing could be contrived


possible conception

to look less like

any

of the Virgin.

mediaeval

missal

lies
is

open on her knees, and the industrious

Child

following the lines along with his finger,

while his mother, although in a perfunctory


she
in
is

way

pointing to the book,

is

much more
She
sits

interested

having her portrait painted.

facing the

audience, as erect and self-conscious as the sentinel

of an arsenal

when under feminine

observation.

Ube Stansa

of iflora

349

Note, however, what a crowning success this painter

might have had as designer for a fashion paper had


he lived to-day
devised ?
!

Was ever a more


is

fascinating sleeve

Number 431
St.

St.

John Preaching, by Tassi.


elevation,

John stands on the left, on a slight exhorting the motley crowd of listeners.
tions

All na-

seem to have turned out to hear him.


is

In the

centre
boots,

man

in a short-skirted robe,

with high

and a hat with feathers and


artist's

quills,

he
There

is

probably the

conception of an Indian, or

else a Russian.

He

wears a fur mantle.

is

a turbaned Turk on horseback, and behind him a


black

Moor

with the features of a negro.


is

The

ex-

pression on the face of the horse


forcible;

intended to be

evidently the animal


!

is
is

being converted
seen in a wheel-

by the preaching
barrow
a boat.

A poor

family

in the foreground,

and a Bedouin appears

in another place;

people are also approaching in

A
self,

portrait of Lavinia Fontana, painted


is

by her-

seen

in

Number

433.

Lavinia was the


artist

daughter of Prospero Fontana, an

of Bologna.

She was born

in

1552, and lived to be sixty-two

years of age, dying in

Rome

in 16 14.

She

is

here

represented as rather a
hair dressed in the

young woman, with her approved manner of the time,


behind

with a

tall,

stately collar of stiffened lace

3SO

xrbe Hrt of the pitti palace

her head, and strings of pearls hanging far her corsage.


blocks,

down on
Lavinia

Her mantle
sleeves
artist

is

cut about the edges in

and the
large

are of brocade.

Fontana was an
several

of some note, and painted


scenes,

Scripture

Christ

and

the

Woman
chief

of Samaria, at Naples, being

among her
ladies liked

works.

She was an accurate and minute

painter of ornament, and the

Roman

to employ her better than any man, because she


treated their jewels

and brocades with more

elab-

oration and sympathy.


ist

She was

better as a colouris

than as a designer.

Her work

not intellectual,

but refined to the verge of neatness.

Giovanni da san Giovanni, usually called Manozzi,


has painted a cook
tion.

who

seems superior to his posiwith much action in the

He

is

a jaunty individual, with a fur hat


his face,

flared

away from
His hair
in the

brim.

is

rather long and tied with a rib;

bon bow

back of his neck

in fact,

he

is

quite

coquettish.

He

wears a heavy scarf flung over his


is

shoulder, which

presented to the spectator;

the

back
left

is

slightly turned,

and the face looks over the


about to

shoulder.

In one hand he holds a chicken, and


is

in

the other a knife with which he


it.

dress

There

is

no more charming
in a

picture in the gallery

than the Repose in Egypt, by

Van Dyck.
art,

It

has

been engraved

more flowery period of

under

XTbe Stan3a ot flora


the
it

351

title

of "
is.

really

The Queen of Angels." And such The baby angels are heavenly, although
still,

they savo'ur of the beauty of earth;

the joyous

spiritual grace in their small bodies stands

almost
child

alone in creations of

its

kind.

The mother and

are seated on a rustic bank in an exquisitely restful


landscape;
relaxation,
St.

Joseph
all

is

near by in an attitude of

and

about are these cheerful holy


for the
little

children

making melody and diversion

boy on the Virgin's knee.

The

little

angel

who

stands in an attitude of ineffable grace at the right

toward the centre of the


upturned

picture, his

arms both exbliss

tended and an expression of infantine


face, lives

on

his

long in one's memory.

Ruskin

might think that these angels resemble cupids,


perhaps they do,

but

for that matter,

possibly
until

cupids resemble angels.

How

shall

we know

we have
picture

an opportunity to compare them?


Gallery.
is

This

was from the Gerini

picture of

some

originality

that of Jesus as

an infant crowning the Madonna, painted by Alessandro Allori, and hanging over the door which
leads to the Sala dei Putti.
It represents

the Virgin

Mary
up

in the dress of a peasant girl,

with her hair


tied

hanging down her back, the front locks being


at the

two
is

sides with

little

bows.

The

child

on

her knee

reaching up to crown her with a chap-

35*
let

XTbe art of tbe pitti palace


of flowers
;

in his other

hand he holds the crown


Judith,

of thorns.

Gentihschi

has again painted

Number

444, in the act of raising the sword to slay the

unsuspecting Holof ernes,

who

lies

rapt in slumber;

she has a most disinterested look on her face, like

one

who

is

swinging Indian clubs for exercise.

Her

attendant raises an expostulatory hand, and casts

down her too much

eyes, as if the sight

were going to prove


stolid to

for her.

But Judith looks too

be affected by such an episode.

We
on the

go now
ceiling.

into the last small room, the Stanza

of the Putti, so called because of the winged cupids

sweet

Madonna and

Child,

by Del Sarto,

is

seen at once through the door from the Stanza of

Flora into the Sala dei Putti.


file,

The mother,

in pro-

holds her child on her lap.

He

is

not so suc-

cessfully painted as the Virgin, being thick


infantile in his proportions.

and un-

Among
are
graver,

the Flemish landscapes which


Bril,

hang here

two by Paul

who was

a painter and en-

bom

in

Antwerp

in 1554.
also' strik-

Two
ing.

canvases of flowers and fruit are

Numbers 451 and 455. They are painted by a Dutch artist named Rachel Ruysch.
In Salvator's landscape. Peace Burning the

Arms

of War, Ruskin alludes to the "pure ignorance

Zbc Stan3a

ot flora
:

353

of tree structure " displayed

" Every one of the


is

arrangements of the tree branches

impossible,

and the trunk of the


support the foliage
is

tree could not for a

moment

it is

loaded with."

This picture

Number

453.

In the Sala dei Putti there are four examples of


the

work of Willem von


artist of the

Aelst,

who was

a painter

of Delft, born in 1620.

He
style.

studied with his uncle,

an

same
fruits.

Their specialty was

dead game and

A
457.

marine, by Jan Dubbels, hangs here.

He was

a painter of the

Number Dutch school who

flourished about 1729.

Number 461
Venus
left
lies

is

Domenichino's Venus and Satyr.


flat

upon a couch composed of

rock,

and

embraces Cupid

who

stands by her.

satyr at the

looks jealously on, and evidently has designs

upon the goddess.


stolen

One

of his sylvan train has


is

round behind the couple, and

trying to

possess himself of Cupid's quiver, which has fallen


to the

ground unobserved.
called the

Jan van Huysums has been


of flower painting.
acteristic

Correggio

of his

Extreme minuteness is a charwork; and the delicate vase of


here be seen, in the Sala dei
is

flowers which
Putti,

may
462,

Number

evidence of his genius in this


is

direction.

His treatment

bright and sunny.

Jan

354

Xlbe Hrt ot tbe pttti palace


in 1749, in

van Huysums died


he was

Amsterdam, where

bom

in 1682.

Here also hangs a marine by Ludolf Bakhuisen, who was a Dutch artist born at Emden in 1631.
This marine
angle.
is

crowded with boats pitching


in

at every

Bakhuisen died at Amsterdam

1709.

In

Number 465
away
in the

Carlo Dolci

has painted the

Vision of St. John on Patmos, but the visions are


too far

heavens to be properly balanced


St.

to the proportions of the picture.


reclining.

John

is

seen

The

vision

is

of a "

woman

clothed with
feet,

the sun, and the

new moon under

her

and
is

upon her head a crown of twelve


also

stars.'*

She

endowed with wings, according to the


:

Scrip-

tures

"

And

to the
;

woman were
might

given two wings


into the wilder-

of a great eagle

that she

fly

ness;" in the vision also appears "another great

wonder
heads."

in heaven;

and behold a great red dragon


the em-

having seven heads and seven crowns upon his

On

a jutting rock by the saint

is

blematic eagle of St. John, with wings spread for


flight.

Salvator Rosa's Diogenes

is

Number

470.

In

the midst of a group of trees, with peasants as spectators,

Diogenes

is

seen in the act of throwing

away
aid

his cup.

He

thus denies himself this

artificial

to drinking because he has been impressed by watch-

ing a youth dip his hand into a stream and drink

Ube Stanja

of fflora

355

from it. Ruskin says of this picture that it is " rendered valueless by coarseness of feeling and
non-reference to nature."

There are four quaint portraits

in this

room, by
After
at the

Douwen, of the Princess Maria Anne Louisa de


Medici, the last of her illustrious family.
the death of her only brother, she lived
Pitti
still

Palace in great isolation and

state.

She was
and

married to Prince John William, the Elector Palatine,

who
in

resembled the Medici in his

tastes,

was

every

way

fitted to

adorn

this position.

But

the lady

was of a

suspicious temperament, possibly

not without cause, and she used to follow him about,


veiled, so that in this

way

his petty gallantries be-

came known
to be a

to her,

and the marriage did not prove

happy one.
in the Pitti.

When

he died, she reigned

supreme

to church, or at night,

She never went out except when she was always escorted

by guards and drawn by eight horses.


occurred in 1743.
nificence,

Her
regal

death

She was buried with


a will of
bequeatihing to one a

mag-

and

left

some generosity
crowns

to her

distant

relatives,

string of

pearls valued at sixty thousand

and to the

King of Spain a jewel worth one hundred thousand crowns. She had collected many valuable art treasures and jewels during her
life.

The

furniture of

her bedroom was described after her death as being


all

of

silver,

tables,

chairs,

stools,"

and

screens,

3s6
*'

XLbc Hrt of tbe


rich

iptttf

palace

more

and singular and extraordinary than


it.

handsome," as an old author expresses

Of
little

the four portraits of this eccentric lady, one

represents her standing, extending her

hand for a
shows Anna
fact she

dog to jump over

it;

in the other she is in

the full regalia of a huntress.

The

first

Maria to have been


dress dress

slight of figure,

which

emphasized by dressing very


is
is

Her headHer high and ornamented with pearls.


tightly.
is

cut with high neck and long sleeves, and

elaborately

trimmed with bands of


in the

rich

embroidery

she wears a small ruff and a short cape.

There

is

a hall

window

background

at the right,

and

at the left a curtain is draped.


trait

In the second poris

Anna

Maria's tight-strapped costume

car-

ried out in quite a military manner.

She

is

stand-

ing out-of-doors, and


while the other hand
favourite dog.
ders,

is

holding a gun in one hand,


resting

is

on the neck of a

Her

hair hangs free over her shoul-

and she wears a three-cornered hat with


Both these
portraits are very jaunty.

plumes.

In

Number 471
is

the redoubtable

Anna Maria de Medici


She wears a point
in

displaying her art as a cook.

lace

apron

and the achievements of her genius,

the shape of strange pasties and moulded figures,

are seen on a table near.

Again she appears,

in

Number 478, with her husband, the Elector Palatine. They stand in a hall at the end of which is

Ube Stan3a
such moulds as
resented as

of jflora

357

spread a vast table, covered with pastry swans and

Anna Maria has already been repcomposing. The costumes of both are
The
lady
is

elaborate and dressy in the extreme of the fashion

of a flamboyant age.
wine-pot, or

pointing to a

some large

piece of bric-a-brac

which

stands on the floor at the right.

Retracing our steps to the Hall of Prometheus,

we

turn to the

left

and enter the


after the artist

little

long Galdecorated

leria Poccetti,
its ceiling.

named

who
is

The

bust of Napoleon, by Canova,

here.

There

are interesting accounts given of the sittings with

which Napoleon favoured the sculptor;


versations

their con-

must have been quite edifying.


life in

The
visit-

bust

was modelled from


Canova

1802,

Canova

ing Paris for the purpose.


to inveigle

Napoleon

tried his best

into remaining in France,

and

lending his genius to the glorification of his

new

empire;

but the sculptor was true to his native

country, and he returned to Italy in due season.

In speaking of the French, Canova used to say, " They are not inspired with genuine love of art it
;

is

merely a love of display."

In those days this was

probably true of the French nation.

One

of the

conversations quoted by Canova's stepbrother,

who

took notes on the interviews between Napoleon and


the sculptor^
is

worth repeating.

Canova showed

358

Ube Htt

of tbe ptttt palace

the emperor his design for the statue of Napoleon


as
it

was

to appear

when

completed.

Not seeing
Napoleon
plot

any arms or weapons


exclaimed
^'
:

in the composition,

Citizen Canova, there

against me,

you

must be a

have

left

me

without defence."
sword,

At

this the sculptor pointed out a sheathed

which he had placed against a support


saying
:

in the statue,

" No,

Sire ;

have only hung up the

sheathed sword, in sign of that peace to which the

wishes of

all

good men have long

inclined."

Na-

poleon was unkind enough to show Canova the

arrangement of the statues and pictures which had


been brought from
Italy,

asking him

if

he did not

think them well placed.


conceal his indignation
his wrath, as
;

The
"

sculptor could hardly

but he managed to conceal


:

he replied

They were

certainly bet-

ter placed in Italy."

In a painting by Tiarini,

Number

488,

Adam

and

Eve have just discovered the murder of their son, Abel. They are horrified, and express their emotion The first grief is dein true primitive fashion.
picted as a transport of rage
fleeing in fear

and
lies

despair.

Cain

is

and awe.

Abel

dead

in the fore-

ground.

Alessandro Tiarini was a painter of the

Bolognese school, born in 1577.


daughter)

He was

a pupil

of Fontana (Prospero, the father, not Lavinia, the


;

he was quite a philosopher, but of a he was obliged to


fle^

quarrelsome turn;

from

Zhc Stanja

of

if lora

3S9

Bologna on account of an altercation of a serious


nature,

and did not return for many


in foreshortening,

years.

He

was expert

and noted for always

choosing melancholy or tragic subjects, which he


treated with

much dramatic

force.

He knew how
human
is

to depict the various passions on the

face,

and

this

accomplishment was one reason for


this.

selectfull

ing such a crisis as

The

picture

of

dramatic power;
tiated.

the emotions are well differen-

Tiarini lived to be ninety years old, dying

in 1688.

In Riminaldi's St. Cecilia there

is

a strong

feel-

ing of Christian fortitude expressed in the kneeling figure of the saint, whose hands are tied before
her.

The
is

executioner

is

holding her by the hair,


life.

and

preparing to take her

He

is

a good-

looking young man,

much

too gentlemanly io appear

in his present state of insufficient costume,

and to
It

be so brutal in his behaviour toward a lady.


is

a picture in high society; that

is

the chief
is

criti-

cism.

The

angel, hovering above,

floating in a

most
ing;

delicious

way, and
is

is

in exquisite foreshortenair,

the figure

almost inverted in the


if it

and

looks perfectly well balanced, and as


itself in

could poise

a hundred similar attitudes, and yet never


lest
it

give one any anxiety


carries a
is

might

fall.

The

angel

wreath and a palm.

The whole

picture

attractive

and mellow.

3^0

tlbe Srt of tbe

Ipftti

i&alace
tree.

Guercino's St. Sebastian

is

bound to a

His

hand, being tied to one of the upper Hmbs, gives his


figure a picturesque attitude.

The

face

is

upturned,

and he

is

as well filled with arrows as the

most
sky-

enthusiastic persecutor could


is

demand.

In the

an angel ministering to him,

one

of those

Cupid-pseudo angels which annoy Ruskin.

Padre Pietro Pinamonte, a Jesuit confessor of

Cosimo

III.,
life

here appears,

Number

496, painted

true to the

by another Jesuit

like himself.

Padre
of his

Andrea Pozzo.

This painter was a clever brother


oil

who

painted both in

and fresco;
in Turin.

much

work was accomplished


1642 to 1709.

He

lived

from

In summing up the characteristics of Italian


Schlegel, in his ''.Esthetic Essays," says
:

art,

" Italian

painting nnay, like

its

poetry, be classed in

two

dis-

tinct divisions, the old

and the new.

If the simple

grandeur of Giotto, the masculine and wondrous


conceptions of Mantegna, remind us of Dante, the

beauty of Perugino

may no

less aptly

be compared

with Petrarch, while Titian and Correggio seem


alike representatives of

Tasso and Ariosto.

have

not cited these resemblances between the followers


of the sister arts simply as an exercise of ingenuity,

but rather to illustrate the one simple yet important


principle that nature in similar spheres observes the

same order of productions, and

that the

same stages

Ubc Stansa

of iflora
all.

361

of progress are apparent to

tween Italian poets and painters


still

The parallel bemay be carried


manner of

farther,

the pithy sweetness of Domenichino

assimilates completely with the poetic

Guarini, and the sweet inspiration of Marini finds

a corresponding analogy in the capricious Albano.''

CHAPTER

XIII.

THE ROYAL APARTMENTS AND THE BOBOLI GARDENS

The
On

remaining attractions of the

Pitti

Palace

are the royal apartments and the Boboli Gardens.

the right of the entrance by the portico


hall.

is

the great

The

hall

was decorated

in

1633 by

Giovanni Mannozzi (known by the name of Giovanni da san Giovanni),

who was

considered one

of the best fresco painters in Italy.


are scenes of allegorical
significance,

In the vault

apropos of

the nuptials of the prince;

on the walls are prelife

sented the most memorable acts in the

of Lo-

renzo the Magnificent.


seasons, simulated
iti

Here may be seen the four gold; the months painted as


are holding laurel

marble figures;

other figures
in bronze.

wreaths and festoons

On

the correspond-

ing sides are represented allegorical figures of

Day

and Night.
with

The

angles of the vault are ornamented

laurels, palms,

and helmets,

shields,

and other
expect

devices which are intended to recall the deeds and

achievements of the Medici.


362

One would

Ubc

IRopal

Hpartments

363

to see a few dripping stilettos and poison vials in-

troduced into the design


sense of
tact,

but these, from a deHcate

have been omitted.

Among

the allegorical subjects in this compre-

hensive fresco are Love Leading a Lion, the Florentines doing

homage
;

to

Mars

in the person

of

Ferdinand IL

Flora and the

Nymphs

of the Arno,

who

are bestowing upon her a cart-load of garden

produce;

Flora being admired by the god Pan;

chestnut-tree,

which

is

said to symbolize the

of Rovere, placed on the

House throne of Venus; Time


satyrs

destroying a neat library of books which are being


offered to

him by a group of

further satyrs,

bearing lighted torches, climbing up to Parnassus.

female satyr, which

is

an original but thoroughly

displeasing idea, holds aloft the

crown of

victory.
intro-

Alexander the Great and Mahomet are both


duced into

this exotic composition, apparently for

the express purpose of demonstrating the superiority of the

Medici to

all their
;

forerunners in history.
poets are chased over

The Muses
precipices

are put to flight


;

by satyrs

troupes of philosophers scurry

away
all

to seek refuge under the gracious patronage


Aristotle,

of Lorenzo.

Homer, Sappho, and Dante,


Pegasus
is

pray for admission.

the centre of

attraction in

one group;

in another Pallas is seen

introducing Virtue to Tuscany in her best society

manner.

364

Ube Brt
Lorenzo

of tbe

Ipitti

palace

On
may

another wall, painted by Cecco Bravo, one


see
in the red robe of Gonfalonier;

he welcomes Apollo and the Muses by cordially extending his hand to them.

In another place Pru-

dence and Lorenzo are indulging in a discussion on

ways and means

in

government.

Evidently Pruwill.

dence forbore to thwart Lorenzo's

Octave Vanni (Vannino) has also contributed his


share to the decoration of the
hall.

Flora and Pru-

dence conduct the infant Genius, while the other " infant industries " are grouped about. A real
scene without symbolic meaning follows this:

Lo-

renzo receiving from the hands of the boy Michel-

angelo the satyr's mask, which he had so cleverly


modelled, and, as every reader knows, from whose

mouth he had knocked


sion of age.

a tooth, to give the expresis

In another compartment Faith

seen

doing her duty by pointing Lorenzo to heaven;


an attendant angel stands by with the Scriptures
for his consultation.
Little angels float about in

the

air,

holding an inscription indicative of the

Christian virtues of Lorenzo, and their effects upon


later generations.

On
by

the fourth side of the hall the paintings are Furini;


these
depict

Francesco

the

famous

Platonic Academy, founded by Lorenzo at Caraggi

Marsile Ficino and Pico della Mirandola and Politian here disport themselves.

The

statue of Plato

Ube

IRopal

apartments

365
is

occupies the altar, at base of which Philosophy


seated,

surrounded by books.

The

series is

con-

cluded by the death of the Magnificent.

In the

Elysian

fields,

on the shores of the Lethe, appears

a swan, holding in his beak a medal with the effigy


of Lorenzo, emblematical of his being saved from

the waters of oblivion.

Mars prepares

to devastate

the earth once more, to the manifest discomfort of

Peace.

There are many interesting pictures


apartments
his best
:

in the royal

Madonna, by Carlo

Dolci, one of

works;

a charming round Botticelli, the

Madonna
is

of the Roses, but the chief art possession

the great picture by Botticelli of Pallas and the

Centaur.

The
It

painting, Pallas

and the Centaur,

is

one of

the most interesting pictures in Italy at present.

has long hung in the Pitti Palace under the

name
it

of

An
in
it

Allegory;

and Frassinetti engraved

in

1842

an

illustrated

work upon the

Pitti Palace,

when
tion,'*

was alluded

to as

an " eccentric composito Lorenzo


il

relating in

some vague way

Magnifico.

Then, for some mysterious reason, the

picture disappeared, and, whereas

up to

this

time

four of Botticelli's pictures had always been accredited to the Pitti, after
reported.
eral

1856 only three were

The

Pallas

was

stored

away among

sev-

unimportant pictures when the Archduke Ferdi-

366

Ube Hrt

ot tbe iPftti

palace
for at that time
in the gallery.

nand of Lorraine was married,


certain changes

were inaugurated

In

86 1 "

all

pictures belonging to the Palatine


Pitti, as

"

were demanded by the director of the


ing accrued to the state;
Pallas

havthe
re-

and

in

some way
and

was overlooked

in this transaction,

mained hanging in a dark, high comer of a small


apartment on the second
notice.
critic,

floor,

where

it

escaped

Mr. Spence, a noted

artist,

collector,

and

was

visiting the

Duke d'Aosta

at the Pitti

a few years ago, and, as he passed through a room,

known

as the Volterrano apartment, he observed

the great picture hanging there, and at once ex-

claimed that

it

must be a

Botticelli.

He

called the

Marchese Enrico Ridolfi into consultation,


after a minute examination,

and,
it

they decided that

was unquestionably

the lost Botticelli.

The

picture

is

a very beautiful composition, and


is

the colouring, although the vehicle


as deep and rich as an oil painting.

tempera,

is

The
as

exquisitely
especially

decorative shade of the blue in the sky

is

noteworthy.

Pallas

is

represented

young

woman, with a more

regular type of beauty than

that often chosen by this artist,

and the

fluttering

of her light draperies suggest that she has just


alighted
lectual,

upon the

earth.

Her

type
sort,

is

rather intel-

although of a cheerful

by no means

as severe as the classic ideal of Minerva.

She

car-

PALLAS AND THE CENTAUR


By
Botticelli
;

in the

Royal Apartments

XTbe IRopal
ries a halberd in
is

Bpartments

367

a disinterested way, and a shield

slung on her back, but the only warlike suggestion


is

about her

the firm clutch with which she seizes


Intellectual

the hair of the centaur.

triumph
is

calm and peaceful

over

brute force

evidently

the intention of the painting.


that
it

Authorities claim

was painted
1480,

to symbolize the securing of

peace between the Pope and Florence by a triple


alliance in

the king at
sible.

when Lorenzo de Medici visited Naples and made this agreement posis

The
real

dress of Pallas

most exquisite

in its ethe-

quality,

clinging tenderly to her body,

and
slim,

bound the

closer

on the arms and breast by

twining olive-branches.

The

device of Lorenzo,

linked rings in groups of threes and fours, are dis-

posed at intervals in the texture of the gossamer


fabric.

rich green

mantle
is

falls

gracefully about
free.

her,

and her blonde hair


or whether she

hanging

Whether she stands simply


evil,
is

as Minerva, subduing

a more complex goddess,


artistic

embodying
is

also purity

and

symbolism, she

most

lovely.

The
jection.

centaur,

equally well handled, but not an


is

attractive subject,

in

an attitude of cringing sub-

He

evidently acknowledges his inferiority,

his incapacity to defend himself,

and

his

bow

is

not raised for action.

368

xrbe art of tbe pitti palace


is

The background

very delightful
little

a bit of low-

tide shore, with a graceful

boat at anchor;

while in the middle distance, or almost in the fore-

ground on the
rocks,
ing.

left,

there

is

tall

ledge of striated

which looks almost

like the ruin of

a build-

The

rocks meet the ground very squarely,

almost like a planned wall.

The unassuming,
Pallas
tells
is

quiet firmness of this figure of

typical of Sandro's

own

nature.

Vasari

an amusing anecdote, which

illustrates Botti-

celli's

convincing and yet simple manner of defend-

ing himself when he was imposed upon.

cloth

weaver

set

up eight looms

in the

house next to his

own
by

in Florence.

The

jarring and noise produced

all

these machines rendered Sandro's house al-

most uninhabitable.
this nuisance,

He

requested an abatement of

and received no answer except that

the weaver intended to do as he liked in his


house.
stone,

own
an

So

the wily Botticelli obtained an enormous

entire cart,

and had
liable

monolith which was reported to


it

fill

so balanced upon the wall

of his

own

dwelling, which

was higher than the

weaver's house, that any jarring or disturbance

would be

to bring

through his

neighbour's

down with a crash The weaver, of roof.


it

course, protested at such an outrage;


plied that he also intended to

Botticelli re-

do

as he liked in his

Xtbe IRoigal

Bpartments
was
satisfactory.
hair.

369
Verily

own

house.

The

result

he had his fingers in the centaur's

Who

can entirely disassociate the Pitti Palace

from the Boboli Gardens ?


" tangled vastness," as
calls

Those shady, overgrown

walks, once so trim and formal,

now

a mass of

Mr. Howells ingeniously

them.

We

must not leave the palace without


the Boboli Gardens through the

taking a peep into the gardens.

One approaches
be,

court in the middle of the palace.

There used

to

on the Boboli

Hill, quarries,
city,

from which stones

were taken to pave the

and these quarries were

again exploited in building the Pitti Palace.

That

was probably one reason why


limits of possibility to

it

was within the

employ such huge stones and


plan for the gardens

many made by
so

of them.

The

was

Tribolo in 1550, and at his death, in the

following August, the

work was

carried forward

by Buontalenti.

Many statues adorn the gardens at One is the fountain sometimes called
Bacchus,"
squat;

all

points.
little

the "

because the figure


is

is

diminutive

and

he

mounted on a

turtle,

and the water


In reality,

comes from the mouth of the


it is

reptile.

said that this fountain

is

a portrait, or rather

a caricature, of Pierre Barbino, a


in the court of

man

distinguished

Cosimo

I.

for his gallantries


is

and his

dilettantism.

The

statue

by Valere de Settignano.

370

Xtbe Srt ot tbe


called this statue

Ipitti
**

palace
This fact
is

Cosimo
is

Margutte."

not generally known, however, and the figure

known as the " little Bacchus " that the entrance is named for it, and is called the Bacchino.
so well

On

a plateau

is

a small

meadow, which was used


time of the Medici and

as a football

ground

in the

Duke Leopold; during


of Etruria, this

the time of Marie Louise


for the court.

was the riding-ground


little

There are many delightful


picturesque walks
;

groves and long,


them, " interlines,''

as

Mr. Piatt

calls

minable avenues in relentless straight


**

which

climb one

hill

after another."
here, built in part

famous grotto may be seen


it

by Giorgio Vasari, and

has, in niches,

two

statues

of Apollo and Ceres by Baccio Bandinelli.


latter

The

was

originally intended for an Eve, and, with

an attendant Adam, was to have been placed behind


the altar of the cathedral;
his plans

but the artist changed

and made

it

into a Ceres, to

which he

added an Apollo, and presented them to Eleonora,


the
first

owner of the Boboli Gardens.

The

rest

of this bizarre edifice

was constructed
statues

at the insti-

gation of Cosimo L, by Buontalenti, in order to

accommodate four unfinished


angelo,

by Michelthey

commonly known

as the Prisoners;

were to have been a part of the tomb of Julius IL,


but, in their unfinished condition, they

were given

to

Cosimo by Leonardo Buonarotti, nephew to

Ube
Michelangelo,

IRosal
his

Hpattments
executor.

371

and

The

grotto

is

built in a curious

way

of those petrified shells, com-

monly
hills.

called sponges,

which abound on the Tuscan


statues

The

unfinished

are in the angles.

The artist also has covered the grotto with strange human and animal shapes, cut in this calcareous material
;

he

also'

intended to introduce a crystal basin,

in
air

which
;

fishes
it

were

to appear to be floating in the

but

was not

practicable

and had to be abanI.,

doned.

In the reign of Francesco

Poccetti orna-

mented the vault and

side walls with designs cor-

responding to Buontalenti's plan, representing divers


animals and reptiles creeping out of crevices, and

even figures of peasants, evidently alarmed at the im-

minence of the destruction of the grotto, which was


supposed to look as
if it is

were

in a state of collapse.

Opposite the grottO'

a basin of marble, which


his return

Cosimo

III.

had placed there on

from
Cav-

Rome

in 1696.

High

to the right

is

the

little

Garden

delle

aliere, built

by Cardinal Leopold over the bastion


In this stands the small casino which
built

which was erected by Michelangelo to defend the

town

in 1529.
III.

Cosimo
Gaston,
sciences

as

a studio for his son, Gian

who was

a cultivated

man

interested

in

and languages.

From
city.

this point there is

a beautiful view over the

One

of the great charms of the gardens

is

the

372

trbe Art of tbc pftti lialace

amphitheatre, where

many

festivities

have been held

by members of the Medici family while they were


in power.

This amphitheatre
hillside,

is

well adapted to the


to

form of the
ural in
its

and seems

be entirely natIt is, in shape,

occurrence at this point.

a long oval.

Here may be seen an Egyptian


theatre,

obelisk

well preserved.

A
and

balustrade surrounds this

set

with

niches at intervals, containing vases and statues;


it

is

near the palace, which proximity

made

it

very easy to adjourn to

when entertainments were

given there.

Among

the gala days in the amphi-

theatre were a grand spectacle in honour of the

marriage of Anne de Medici with Archduke Ferdi-

nand of Austria

in 1652; again, in 1661,

was spared
III.

in a royal

no expense entertainment when Cosimo

married Marguerite Louise d'Orleans; and in

1739 the arrival of Francois of Lorraine and Marie of Austria was celebrated by a superb assembly in
the amphitheatre.

When

the

King

of Naples, Ferdito the

nand

IV.,

and

his wife,

Marie Caroline, came

Pitti, in

1785, the festivities were held here;

and

in 1787,

on the occasion of the nuptials of Archalso a notable entertainment.

duchess Marie Therese and Prince Antoine de Saxe,


there

was

Then, on

the birth of the son of Napoleon Buonaparte, in

181
the

1,

the amphitheatre

was used again

to celebrate

good news.

Zbc
The
the

IRopal

Hpartments

373

Pitti Palace, to

compare small things with

greater, overlooks this amphitheatre in

somewhat
Stone

same way

that the Palace of the Caesars in

Rome
if

overlooks

the

Circus

Maximus.

benches rise one above another in the auditorium,


so
it

may

be called.

It is

surrounded by cypresses

and yews, and has been described by a rather imaginative Italian poet as the ingenious work of one
of the

nymphs who
retreats

preside over
is

woods and

fields!

shady

Much

of the garden

in

a fashion of luxury,
It is

and a refuge from the sun.


It

cool, green,

and

restful.

seems to romance of the

long-forgotten

episodes

which

must have taken

place amidst these long-covered walks, high-walled


grottoes,

and splashing waters.

covered avenue,

thickly overgrown, leads for a long, straight dis-

tance to the large basin, in which


island called L'Isolotto.

is

situated a tiny

Before

it is

little

meadow

or bird-snare (once
L'Uccellaja.
flowers,
is

common

in

Florence), called
is

On

the island, which

planted with

a fountain, with a colossal statue of

Oceanus or Neptune.
Jets of water proceed

In the centre

is

raised a rock

carved into a triumphal chariot for the sea-^od.

from the trident which Nep-

tune carries, and also from various other points


in
this

hydrostatic novelty.

Cosimo

I.

had

this

triumphal car copied from the one which had appeared in the great procession in Florence in 1565,

374

Ubc Hrt

of tbe IPitti palace

on the occasion of the " mascarade " of the Genealogy of the Gods.

The

statue of

Neptune
dales.

is

the

work of Astoldo Lorenzo de


is

Settignano.
hills

This lake

surrounded by

artificial

and

Mr.
cir-

Piatt, in his " Italian

Gardens," speaks of the "

cular

terraces
''

around the most elevated of the

ponds

as seeming to be
fit

"a

natural

formation,

so exactly do they

in

with their surroundings.'*

On

the highest point in the garden stands the

statue of Abundance,

and thereby hangs a


de Medici.

tale.

This statue was a portrait of Johanna of Austria,

Grand Duchess of Francis

I.

It

was

commenced by Giovanni da Bologna to be placed But Francesco, who in the Piazza San Marco. was a vacillating gentleman, became enamoured of
Bianca Capello, and
his
lost

interest in the statue of

rather plain wife;

so he countermanded the

order,

and the statue remained unfinished.


II.,

When,

however, under Ferdinand

Tuscany

revelled in

plenty, being at that time the only Italian state that

was not indulging

in

famine and plague, the statue

was again

trotted out

and completed as Abundance,

under -Giovanni's

pupil, Tacca.
this

With

certain deft
possible,

changes of attributes,
it

was made

and

was

set

up

to

commemorate a season of great


entirely novel glory for

plenty,

and to celebrate an

the Medici

Peace
no formal garden

The

Belvedere, without which

tCbe

Iftoi^al

ilpartmcnts
from

375
this,

was complete
and the

in those days, is not far

casino, or coffee-house,
It

for refreshments,

stands on a sHght eminence.

was

built in 1776,

by Zanobi

del Rosso,

under Leopold.

This was the

favourite retreat of Victor Emanuele.


elevation the view
all

From
this

this

around the

city is extensive;

and
the

galleries, terraces,

and a lantern make


is

view

more

available.
little

There

quite a clever stair-

case in this

building, occupying only a small,

triangular space.

At
in

the foot of the


is

hill,

upon which
Giardi-

the coffee-house stands,


netto

the charming

little

Madama,
interest,

which Jeanne of Austria took


it

much
in

so that

was

called after her.


in the Boboli

Deli-

cious pineapples

were grown

Gardens

the days of Leopold,

who was

very fond of this

fruit

Howells speaks of the " charming,


its

silly

grottoes,

masses of ivy-covered wall,


its

its

curtains of laurel

hedge,

black spires of cypress and

domes of

pine, its weather-beaten marbles, its sad,

unkempt
with
lake, its

lawns,

its

grotesque,

overgrown

fountain,
its

those sea-horses so

much

too big for

wandering
in talking

alleys

and moss-grown

seats,

abounding

age and whispering lovers."

A
trf

more complete word-picture of the atmosphere


it

the Boboli Gardens

would be impossible to

find.

THE END.

Bibliograpbi2
Grant Allen.
Renaissance Architecture in Italy. Anderson. Lorenzo de Medici. Armstrong. Venetian Painters of the Renaissance. Berenson. Fra Lippo Lippi. Browning. Andrea del Sarto. Browning.

Historical Guide

to Florence.

Life of Rubens. Crowe and Cavalcaselle. History of Painting Crowe and Cavalcaselle. Life and Times of H. Frieze. Giovanni Duprd. H. Guinness. Andrea G. HiLLiARD. Six Months Horner. Walks Florence. James Howell. Familiar HowELLS. Tuscan Henry James. of Jameson. Legends of Monastic Orders. Jameson. Sacred and Legendary Art. K. Karoly. Paintings of Florence. Lafenestre. La Peinture Europe. LuiGi Lanzi Painting Longfellow. Michael Angelo. Machiavelli. History of Florence. Memes. Life of Canova.
G. H. Calvert.
S.

BuRCKHARDT

Die Cicerone.

in Italy.

Titian.

del Sarto.

S.

in Italy.

in

Letters.

Cities.

Portraits

Places.

the

in

in Italy.

377

37^

3Bibltograpbi2

A. C. Owen. Art Schools of Mediaeval Christendom. D. Passavant. Life and Works of Raphael. Walter Pater. Miscellaneous Studies. Walter Pater. The Renaissance. History of Florence. F. T. Perrens Count Plunkett. Ricci. Guida Delia Palazzo G. B. Rose. Renaissance Masters. RusKiN. Modern Painters. RusKiN. Stones of Venice. ScHLEGEL. Esthetic Essays. Leader Scott. Brunelleschi. Leader Scott. The Renaissance SiSMONDi. History of Europe. F. P. Stearns. Life and Genius of Tintoretto. Old Masters. W. Stillman. M. F. Sweetser. Life of Giiido Reni. A. Symonds. The Renaissance Taine. Voyage en Theophilus. The Arts of the Middle Ages. T. A. Trollope. Commonwealths of Florence. Giorgio Vasari. Lives of the Painters. Williamson Fra Angelico. G. C. Williamson. Life of Perugino. Woltmann and Woermann. History of Painting,
J.

Travels in Italy. Dr. John Moore. Mark Noble. Memoirs of the Medici Family.

Botticelli.

Pitti.

in Italy.

J.

Italian

J.

in Italy.

Italie.

tnbcx

Abbott (Lyman), 167. Abundance," 374.


294, 364.

Academy, 44, 292, Adam and Eve,


201
; ; ;

Campagnola,

Durer, 57 Furini, 346 Migna, 278 Tiarini, 358. Addison, Joseph, 30. Aelst (Von), 353. Ages of Gold, Silver, Iron, and Brass, by Cortona, 290. Albano, 361.
Albertinelli, 238.

Angelico, Era, i, 2, 4, 7, 86, 105, 163, 180; Sketch of His Life, 246; 251. Angelo Doni, Portrait of, by Raphael, 69. Angel's Head, Correggio, 191. Annunciation, by Andrea del Sarto, 126, 152 (No. 124), 200.

Annuncio, D', Gabriel, 210, 255. Antwerp, 102, 103, 107.


Apelles, 6, 347. Apollo, Hall of, 39, 68-99.

Alexander VII., 331. "Alice in Wonderland," 316.


Allegorical Subject, 267, 347.
Allegri.
Allori,

Apollo and Marsyas, Biliverti, 62. Apollo and Marsyas, Guercino,


61.

See Correggio.

Apollo

and the

Muses, Giulio

Allen, Grant, 209. Christofano, Judith and Holof ernes, 8, 115; 21; St. Julian, 57, 91 Sacrifice of
;

Romano, 201. Aretino, Pietro, by Titian, 78.


Arezzo, 78. Argentino, Bishop, 89.
Ariosto, 360. Armada, Spanish, 229.

126; St. John in the Desert, 317; Preaching of the Baptist, 315; Jesus Crowning Mary, 351. Alphonse II., 310.

Abraham,

Assumption, by Lanfranco, 243. Assumption of the Virgin, by Del Sarto (No. 191), 215;
(No. 225), 216.

Alphonse d'Este,

44.

Altissimo, Christoforo, Portrait of Clarice Altovito, by, 319.


Altoviti, Bindo, 114. Altovito, Clarice, 319.

Augustus and the


Bordone, 307.

Sibyl,

by Paris by

Augustus

and

the

Sibyl,

Garofolo, 153.

Alva, 229.

Ammanati,
372.

Amphitheatre

23, 24, 28. in Boboli

Gardens,

Bacchanale, by Rubens, 158. Bacchanale, by Titian, 205. Bacchus, by Guido Reni, 94.

379

; ;

38o
'

irnbex
Bologna, Giovanni da, 35, 374. Bonaventure, Pietro, 35, 232, 233.
Bonifazio, 57, 123, 200.

Bacchino," 370. Bakhuisen, Ludolf, 354. Baldacchino, Madonna of the, by Raphael, 172. Baldassare, Count, 168.
Baldinucci, 151.
Balia, 11, 12, 15, 17.

Bordone, Paris, Repose in Egypt, by, 125, 224; Portrait of Paul v., by, 320; Augustus and the
Sibyl, 307.

**

Bambocciata," by Dossi, 194.

Borghese Gallery, 241.


Both, Jan, 332. Botta, 40. Botti, Matteo, 298.
Botticelli,
of,
i,

BandinelU, Baccio, 370.

Baptism of Christ, by Veronese,


221.

Barbaro, Daniel, by Veronese, 238. Barbino, Pierre, 369.


Barbizzi, 299. Baroccio, Portrait of Federigo of Urbino by, 98; 147. Bartolini, 295. Bartolommeo, Fra, Pieta, by, 84 85-87^ 97; St. Marc, by, 154;

2,

69, 257

Sketch
259;

259-267;

Tondo,

Compared with Raphael, 264; Madonna of the Rose-Bush, by,


266; Belle Simonetta, by, 267 Pallas and Centaur, by, 365; Madonna of the Roses, by,
;

365-

173;

Virgin
199.
;

Enthroned,
;

237;
Isaiah

Bourgognono.
Bril,

Risen Christ, by, 199

See Courtois. Brandt, Isabella, 102.


Bronzino,
^7'

and Job,
;

Bassano, 8 St. Catherine, by, Christ in the House of 63 Mary and Martha, by, 244
245, 287.

Paul, 352. 91
;
y

Bianca

Capello,

^33 Cosimo I., by, 226; Francesco I. de Medici, by, Lucrezia of Ferrara, 310; 231
;

Bath-room, 312. Bazzi. See Sodoma. Bella, La, by Titian, 55, iii. Belle Simonetta, by Botticelli,
267.
Bellini, 58, 193, 270, 304.

Cosimo

I.,

by, 329.
B., 42, 43.

Browning, Elizabeth Browning, Robert,


151; Andrea Abt Vogler,

Benson, 160.
Bentivoglio, Cardinal, by Van Dyck, 122; 177. Bentivoglio, Constanza, 241 Giov. II., by Costa, 287. Bibiena, Cardinal, by Raphael,
175-

2, 49, 139, del Sarto, 149; Fra 207, 250; Lippo, 254, 255; 250, 252. Brunelleschi, 18, 20, 21, 26, 30. Buonarotti, Leonardo, 370. Buontalenti, 369, 371. Burckhardt, 47 Catiline, 144.
;

Tobias and the Angel, by, 9; 218; Apollo and Marsyas, 62, 316. Birth of a Noble Infant, by ScarBiliverti,

62

Bushnell, Horace, 8. Buti, Lucrezia, 253, 256. Byron, " Cain " quoted, 295. Byzantine Guide to Painting, 6;
248.

cellino, 328.

Blanc, Charles, 197.

Boboli Gardens,
375-

19, 27, 362,

369-

Boccaccino,
rella,

Boccaccio,

Zinga-

by, 304.

Cadore, 53. Cagnacci, Assumption of the Magdalen, by, 120. Cain and Abel, by Dupr^, 292296; by Schiavone, 196. " Calumny," by Franciabigio, 347. Calvart, St. Jerome, by, 345.

ffn&ei
Cambassi, 318.

381

Cambi, 15. Campagnola,


201.

Adam

and Eve, by,

Canova, Antonio, 41, 294, 2331 Venus, by, 336-338; Napoleon, by, 357. Canova, Pietro, 233-

Capello,
374. Caracci,

Bianca,

35,
4,

232,
9,

333,

Cleopatra, by Reni, 296-299. Clouet, Henry II., by, 308. Clovio, Don Giulio, Deposition, by, 301. Cole, Timothy, 207. Cologne, 225. Conspiracy of Catiline, by Salvator Rosa, 142. Conti, Cosimo, 21, 26.

Correggio
Annibale,
50;

212; Christ Enthroned, by, by, 319. 214; Landscape, Caravaggio, Sleeping Love, by,
III, 221.

Carpaccio, 210. Carpi, Girolamo, Christ in Garden, by, 89, 289.

Castagno, Andrea, 281.


Castelfranco, 192. Castiglione, Balthazar, 176. Cattani, 269, 296.

191, 214, 216, 320, 360. Corridor of Columns, 321. Corsini Palace, 115. Corteccia, 44. Cortona, Pietro da, 38, 65 Frescoes, 290. Costa, Lorenzo, 286. Courtois, Jacques, Battle, by, 140. Credi, Lorenzo di, Holy Family, by, 278. Crespi, 155.
;

(Allegri),

Crivelli, 55.

Benvenuto, 33. " Treatise," Cennino, Cennini,


Cellini,

Cromwell, Oliver, by Sir Peter

262. Cerretani, 219. Champaigne, P. de, 155.

Crowe and
;

Charity, by Guido Reni, 227. Charles I. and Henrietta Maria,

by Van Dyck, 195; 331.


Charles II., 331, 340. Charles V., 80, 121,
304> 321Christ, Head of,
226,

230,

Lely, 331, 340. Cavalcaselle, on Titian's Bella, 56; on Leo X., 73 on Titian's Magdalen, 82 on Madonna of the Chair, 166 on Portrait of Cardinal Bibiena, 176; on the Disputa, 187; on Ippolito de Medici, 230 on Titian's Christ, 231 on Al;
;

bertinelli,

280; on the

Donna

by Titian, 231. Christ and His Mother, by Veronese, 133. Christ and Peter, by Cigoli, 67. Christ Enthroned, by Caracci, 212. Christ in the Garden, by Carpi, 289; by Dolci, 314. Christ in the House of Mary and

Velata, 297.

Dante, 49, 137, 360. Death of the Magdalen, by Rustici,

66.
;

Martha, by Bassano, 244.


Cigoli, 67
St. Francis, by, 94, III; 314; Deposition, by, 97;
;

Deposition, by Cigoli, 97 by Clovio, 301 by Perugino, 180; by Andrea del Sarto, 87 by Tintoretto, 306. Descent from Cross. See Depo;

sition.

Diocletian, 204.

Ecce Homo, by, no; Magdalen, by, 127; 219; Madonna, 348. Clement VII., 71, 122, 230.

Diogenes, by Rosa, 354. Disputa, by Del Sarto, 186.


Dolci, Carlo,
i,

197;

169;

St.

4; St. Peter, 126, Andrew, 197;

382
Christ
in

Hn^cx
Garden,
197
;

St.

John Asleep, 197; 222; St. John Evangelist, 239; St. Margaret,

Federigo of Denmark, by Sustermans, 225. Federigo of Urbino, 37, 98.


Ferri, Cino, 38. Feti, Domenico, 66. Filipepi, 261.

BorroFrancis meo, 309 Niccolo di St. Xavier, 31 1 Tolenta, 311; Christ in the Garden, 314; Madonna, 316, 365; 318; St. Casimir, 327;

242 308

St.

Carlo
St.

Finding of Moses, by Giorgione,


200. Flora, Stanza of, 333-352. Fontana, Lavinia, 349 Prospero,
;

John on Patmos, 354. Domenichino, 8, 159; St. Agnes, Venus and Satyr, 353 202
St.
;

361.

349-. Fornarina, Raphael's, 297. Fortune-Teller, by Manfredi, 62.

Velata, by Raphael, 241, 296, 300. Dossi, Dosso, 194. Douwen, Portraits of Anna Maria de Medici, by, 355. Dovizi. See Bibiena. Dubbels, Jan, 353. Duke of Marlborough, 120. Duplicity, by Salvator Rosa, 60.

Donna

Forty Saints, by Pontormo, 204. Four Philosophers, by Rubens,


106.

Francesco Maria of Urbino, 81,


99, 147. Francia, 171, 225, 287. Franciabigio, Monaca,
to,

ascribed

Dupre, Giovanni, 292-296; Statues of Cain and Abel, 296. Durer, Albert, 6, 55; Adam and Eve, 57-59; 136.

135; "Calumny," by, 347. Francis I. of France, 321. Franco, Giovanni, Battle of Montemurlo, by, 140.
Frassinetti, 365. Furini, Adam and Eve, 346; Allegorical Subject, 347 ; Fres-

Ecce Homo, by Cigoli, no; by Sodoma, 283. Education of Jupiter, Stanza of,
296-311. Elector Palatine, 355.

coes, by, 364.


Fuseli, 25.

Gabbiani, 238.
Galileo, ^y, 122, 129. Garofolo, Sibyl, by,
1

Eleonora of Mantua, by Pulzone,


223, 326. Eleonora of Toledo, 23, 33, 330. Eleonora of Urbino, 56. Eliot, George, 25, 163.

53

Zinga-

Epiphany, by Ghirlandajo, 280; by Pinturicchio, 270; by Pontormo, 287. Erasmus, 107, 320.
Ercolani, 175. " Euridice," 45.

rella, 304. iSenius of Art, by Riminaldi, 346. MagArtemesia, Gentilleschi, dalen, by, 158; Judith, by, 328 Another Judith, by, 352. Gerini Gallery, 42, 88, 351.
;

Ghirlandajo,
ascribed ascribed
by, 280.

70; Monaca, Goldsmith, to, 135; to, 235; Epiphany,

" Faerie Queene," 266. Falier, Giov. and Gins., 334.


Fancelli,

Luca and

Silvestro, 20.

Farnese, Alexander, 320, 324.

Immaculate Luca, Giordano, Conception, by, 128; 198. Giorgione, Monk at. the Clavichord, by, 8, 40, 137, 206; Nymph and Satyr, by, 192;

1n^CI
Finding of
304Giotto, 360.

38
Hall of the, 42, 137, 206-

Moses, by,

200

Iliad,

245' 233' 332. Illumination, 302.

Giovanni da san Giovanni, 350,


362.

Giovio, 324.

Impannata, Madonna of the, by Raphael, 75, 113. Inghirami, Tommaso, by Raphael,


177-

Goldsmith, The, 70, 235. Gonzaga, Marquis, 80. Gozzoli, Benozzo, 256.

Innocent IV., 190.


Inquisition, 229, 320.

Granduca Madonna, by Raphael,


169, 241.

Gravida, by Raphael, 242.


Grotius, 107. Guarini, 361.

James, Henry, 2, 303. Jameson, Mrs., 8, 9,


297' 299, 336.

103,

172,

Jesus Crowning Mary, by Allori,


351;

Guercino, Apollo and Marsyas, 61 St. Joseph, by, 61 Raising of Tabitha, by, 96; St. Sebastian, by, 127, 360; Madonna della Rondinella, by, 198 Susannah and the Elders,
;
;

Johanna of Austria, 35, 232, 374. Judgment of Paris, 292. Judith, by Allori, 115; by Gentilleschi, 328, 352. Julius II., 109, 370. Jupiter, Hall of, 2^* 60, 130-159. Justice, Stanza of, 321-332.

by, 244. Guiciardini, 10.

Guidobaldo, 169.
Kirkup, 46. Kugler, on the Three Fates, 137 on Sustermans, 147.
;

Hare, 171. Hawthorne, 119. Henrietta Maria, 319.

La

Henry
308.

II. of

France, by Clouet, France, 45, 224,


165.

Fontaine, 83. Lanfranco, Assumption, by, 243. Lanzi, quoted, 41, 201, 343.

Henry IV.
268.
Hilliard,

of
S.,

G.

Laocoon, 214. Last Supper, by Tintoretto, 314. Leo X., portrait by Raphael, 71
289, 298, 320, 327.

Holbein, 177, 241. Holy Family, by Bronzino, 91 by Lorenzo di Credi, 278 by Fra Lippo Lippi, 258 by Palma Vecchio, 123; by Rubens, 157, 244; by Andrea del Sarto, 99, 121 by Luca Signorelli, 279; by Vasari, 339. Hondecoeter, 329.
; ;

73,89, 177, 179, 195, 230, 286,

Leonardo da Vinci, 3, Nun, by, 70, 86;

6,

7,

68,

40,

134;

Lisa, by, 135, 297; GoldTreatise on Battle, 141 smith, by, 40, 235 274, 307.
; ;

Monna

Leopold, 370, 375.

Leopold

II., 42,

43, 44, 219.

Honorius III., 189. Horner, 29.

Howard, Duke of Norfolk, by


Titian, iii.

Leuchtenberg, Prince of, 294. Libri, Fra Girolamo, 302. Life of Joseph, by Del Sarto,
124. Ligozzi, St. Francis, by, 315. Lippi, Pllippino, Holy Family,

Howell, James, 30. Howells, W. D., 369, 375. Huysuias, J. van, 353.

by, 256; Lucrezia, by, 258.

384
Lippi,
;

ffn&ex
Mann,
Sir Horace, 40.

Fra Lippo, 2, 4 Madonna, 8; Sketch of, 252-256.

Manozzi, Return from the Hunt,


by, 156; 332, 35o 362. Mantegna, 360. Maratta, Carlo, St. Philip Neri, by, 99" Margutte," 370.

Lipsius, 107. "Lives of the Painters,"


sari, 324.

by Va54,

Longfellow, quoted, 49,


306.

180,

Lorraine Family, 24, 36, 38, 39,


339. 366. Lotto, Lorenzo, 137, Louis XIII., 224, 225. Louvre Gallery, 202. Lucian, 347. Lucrezia of Ferrara, by Bronzino,
310.

Maria Theresa, 39, 40. Marie Louise, 41. Marines, by Salvator Rosa,
Marini, 361. Marriage of
Titian, 52.
St.

59.

Catherine, by

Mars, Hall of, 39, 100-129; 328. Mars Preparing for War, by Rubens, 100.

Lucrezia, wife of Del Sarto, 317. Luigi, Cornaro, by Tintoretto,


122. Luini, Aurelio, Magdalen, by, 127.

Mary Queen

of Scots, 308.

Luxemburg,

30.

Massaccio, 252. Massaniello, 144. Massimi, iii.


Mazzafirra, 115. Mazzolini, Taken in Adultery, by, 155. Medici, 9, 14, 32, iii, 161, 238,

Madelena Doni, by Raphael, Madonna, School of Bellini, Madonna, by Cigoli, 348

70.

Woman

270.
;

by
;

Dolci, 316; School of Del Sarto, 316; by Del Sarto, 317 another Del Sarto, 352. Madonna of the Chair, by Raphael, 75, 82, 160. " Madonna of the Long Neck," by Parmigiano, 242. Madonna della Lucertola, by

362; Anna Maria de, 355; Bernadetto, 282; Cardinal Carlo de, 60, 309, 316; Catherine de, 308 Cosimo, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 23, 226; Cos;

imo

I., 33, 34, 39, 44, 78, 81, Portrait of, by Bron115, 141 zino, 226; 231, 268, 310, 329,
;

Madonna

Raphael, 74. of the

368, 370, 373;

Pomegranate,

by Lippo Lippi, 253, 256.

37

36* yiy 95 147, 238,


;

Cosimo II., 24, M7 Cosimo III.,


;

244

Portrait

and

Madonna
Madonna
rillo,

del Rondinella, Guercino, 198.

by

life of,

275, 309, 360, 371, 372;

of the Rosary, by
;

Mu-

Ferdinand I., 36, 87, 99, 234, 268 Ferdinand II., 24, 37, 44,
;

76

Another Madonna, by

Murillo, 76. Maffei, Andrea, 295.

99, 146, 218; Portrait of, 226, Portrait of, 244, 275, 291, 331
;

Magdalen, by Cigoli, 127; by Gentilleschi, 1 58 by Perugino, 93; by Titian, 78, 81; by


;

Zuccari, 277.

Mancini, Sts. Henry and Cunegunda, by, 309. Manetti, 64. Manfredi, Bart., 62.

339; Funeral of, 341,363, 374, Ferdinand HI., 41, 76, 87, 88, 136, 169, 170; Francesco I., 34, 81, 223, 224; Portrait, 231, 268, 371, 374; Don Garcia de, 310; Gian Gaston de, 371; Giulio de, 195, 229, 267; Ippolito de, 195, 229; Julius de,
7
1
;

Leopold

de, 95, 96, 300,

irn6ei

38s

321

Lorenzo the Magnificent,


;

Opera, Origin of Italian, 44.


Orsi, Lelio, Nativity, by, 146. Orsini, Alex., 115.

176, 178, 362, 365, 15, Marie 367 Lucrezia de, 44 de, 30, 44, 268 Matteo de,
18, 44,
;
;

Orvieto, 280.

37;

Ottaviano

de,

72,

122,

Owen, A. C,
Pallas

59, 171.

Pietro, 15, 16, 17. Memmi, Lippo, 163.

and the Centaur, by Bot365.


54. 90, 123, 268.

Mendoza,
Mengs, 214.

Don Diego

da,

by

ticelli,

Titian, 226.

Palma Giovane, Palma Vecchio,


7,

Michelangelo,

49, 54, 58, 86; 199, 264, 278, 306, 323, 324, 364; Prisoners, 370; Bastion, 371.

Three Fates, 136;

Panciatichi, 215. Papi, Clementi, 295.

Parable of the Vine, by Domenico Feti, 66 of the Lost Piece


;

Michelangelo Buonarotti the


Younger, 38.
Michelozzo, 18. Migna, Adam and Eve, by, 278.
Milton, 49. Minghetti, 297. Missisimi, 338.

of Money, 66.
Parigi, 24. Paris, 42, 65, 116, 142, 209:

Abel

294; 357. Parlamento, 12, 15, 16, 17. Parmigiano, " Madonna of the

exhibited

in,

Long Neck,"
Passerini,

242.

Monaca
da

(the Nun), by Leonardo Vinci, 70, 134, 235.

Passavant, 176, 177.

Cosimo, 218.
1.

Monk

at the Clavichord, Giorgione, 206.

by

Passignano, 11

Montalvo, 293. Moore, Dr. John, 39, 164. Morelli, Opinion of, on Three

Ages of Man, 138; on Giorgione's Moses, 200; on the Granduca Madonna, 169; on
the Vision of Ezekiel, 175; on
the
;

Pastorals, by Bassano, 287, 288. Pater, Walter, on Botticelli, 259, 261. Paul IIL, by Bordone, 320. Paul v., 122. Peace Burning the Arms of War,

by Rosa, 352.
Peri,

Jacopo, 45.
;
;

Monk

at

the Clavichord,
;

e r u g

209 on Botticelli, 266. Morone, School of, 89. Motley, 228. Muntz, 70; on Granduca donna, 171.
Murillo,
2,

on the Zingarella, 304

Magdalen, 93 2 i n o, Monaca, ascribed to, 135 169, 170; Deposition, 180; Advice
a
Prior,
;

182; 226; Virgin and Child, 239 271, 313, 360.


to

Ma-

76-78, 161, 300.

Pescia, 73. Petrarch, 360. Petrucci, Cardinal, 73. Philip IL, by Titian,

121,

228,

Naples, 73, 320, 350. Napoleon, 209; by Canova, 357. National Gallery, London, 52. Nativity, by, Procaccino, 318. Noble, Mark, 232, 375.

304Philip IV.,
Phillips,

by Velasquez, 304. Claude, 209.

Nuremberg, J^ymph and


tgz.

58.

Satyr,

by Gioigione,

Piero di Cosimo, 135, 148. Pieta. See Deposition. " Pietra Dura," mosaic, 159. Pietro Leopold, 39, 41, 215. Pinamonte, Padre, by Pozzo,

36a

386
Pinturicchio,
2,

'^ni>cx
270.
Raibolini.

See Francia.
;

Piombo,

Sebastiano del, St. Agatha, by, 202. Pitti, Buonacorso, 23, 33. Pitti, Luca, 9-31 Public Offices held by, 10; Triumph, 12;
;

Raphael,
8,
;

Donna Velata, 2, 3, 7 50,68, 69-74; 86, 121, 296, 300 Angelo Doni, 69 Madelena Doni, 69-70; Leo X., 7174 Madonna of the Goldfinch,
; ;

Defeat, 17; Building of Palace, 18-20; 32. Pitti Palace, i, 2; History and Building, Architecture, 9-31 Fa9ade, 22 Rustications 14 Garden Front, 27 on, 24 Fountain, 29 42, 44 Gallery
;
; ;
; ;

75;
75,

113;

Madonna Impannata, 75, Madonna of the Chair, 82, 160 et seq.; Madonna of

in,

No

3, 7, 8, 37, 38, 42, 47 characteristic picture by Veronese in, 130; Battle of


I,
; ; ;

Montemurlo, 141 269 Decoby Cortona, 291 Cain and Abel bought, 295 Clovio Francis I. methods, visits, 303 Four Examples of Polem232
rations
;
; ;

the Diadem, 75; Julius II., 109; Three manners of, 167; Granduca Madonna, 169; Madonna of the Baldacchino, 172 Vision of Ezekiel, 173; CardiInghirami, nal Bibiena, 175 Gravida, 242; 184, 236; 177; Compared with Botticelli, 264 ;
;
;

320, 323-

Razzi or Bazzi. See Sodoma. Rebecca at the Well, by Reni,


117.

berg, 318
I,

330; the Collection,


of
;

340; de Medici, 355 ments, 362-369.


Piatt's
" Italian
.

Home

Anna Maria
Royal Apart-

Rembrandt, 65 Portrait of himself, 88 Saskia, 88, 345.


;
;

Reni, Guido,
;

i,

4; Cleopatra,
;

8,

Gardens," 370,

374Poccetti, Galleria, 357-361. Poccianti, 24. Poet, by Salvator Rosa, 205.

Re299, 296 Bacchus, 9, 94 becca at the Well, 117; St. Peter, 126, 159; Charity, 227.

Repose

lin

Egypt, by Bordone,

125; by Van Dyck, 350. Return from the Hunt, by Manozzi, 156.

Polemberg, 318. Ponte, Leandro da. See Bassano. Ponte Trinita, 23. Ponte Vecchio, 3, 19, 325. Pontormo, Forty Saints, by, 195, 204 Epiphany, by, 287. Porbus, Franz, 326. Pordenone, Holy Family, by, 98.
;

Ribera,

Martyrdom of

St.

Bar-

tholomew, by, 62.


Richelieu, 339. Ridolfi, 209, 366. Riminaldi, Genius of Art, by, 346 St. Cecilia, by, 359. Risen Christ, by Fra Bartolom-

Poussin, Caspar D., 342. Preaching of the Baptist,


Allori, 315.

meo,
by

Romano,

199. Giulio, 71, 72


;

Madonna
;

Presentation in the Temple, by Veronese, 300. Procaccino, Nativity, by, 318.

Prometheus, Stanza

of,

3,

246-

Lucertola, 74 Impannata, 1 14 Vision of Ezekiel, 175, Apollo and the Muses, 201, 302. Rosa, Salvator, i, 4; Vow of Marines, Catiline, 8, 60, 142
;

289; 321, 357. Pugliese, 186. Pulzone, Portraits, by, 223, 224. PuUi, Sala dei, 351, 352-357.

Life of, 144; Fortuna, 145; Poet, 205; Portrait of himself, 225; Warrior, 239;

59; 140;

D up lie it y,

60

Battles,

; ;

ffn^ex
Peace Burning the Arms of War, 352
Landscapes, 342
;

387
87
;

sition,

Holy Family,

99,

Diogenes, 354. Rose, G. B., 7, 192. Rose-Bush, Madonna


ticelli, 266, Roselli, Matteo, 64.

121, 317, 352; Life of Joseph, 124, 150; Annunciation, 126, 152, 200; Portrait of himself

of,

by Bot-

and
tion

his wife, 147

Disputa,
of

150,

Life of, 148 186; Assump:

Rossi, Cardinal Luigi de, 71. Rosso Fiorentino, Fates, ascribed


to, 136.

Rosso, Zanobi, 375. Rovere, Vittoria della, 37, 99 Portrait as a Vestal, 146; 244, 275 by Sustermans and Dolci, 330 340.. Rubens, Peter Paul, 60, 100-108 Ulysses, 61 Mars Preparing for War, 100; Life of, 102; Four Philosophers, 106; St.
;

the Virgin (No. 191), (No 215 225), 216; Portrait of himself, 225; St. John the Baptist, 303. Saturn, Hall of, 38, 160-205. Savonarola, 85.
;

Scala, J. della, 201. Scarcellino, 328.

Schiavone,

Cain and Abel, by,

196. Schlegel, on Allori's Judith, ir6;


Italian Painting, 360. Scott, Leader, 22. Seneca, 106.

on on

St.

Agatha, by Piombo, 202

Francis, 108, 130; Holy


Family, 157; 244; Bacchanale, 158; 224.

'

Rubens,

Phillip, 106.

Rudolf, Emperor, 58. Ruskin, John, on Cupids and Angels, 9; on Luca Pitti, 14;

Settignano, Astoldo, 374. Settignano, Valere de, 369. Severi, Giov., iii.

Shakespeare, 258. Signorelli, Luca, Holy Family, by


279. Signoria, The, 10, 11, 13, 15. Signoria, Palazzo, 13, 34. Sistine Chapel, 323.

on

Pitti

Palace,
52,
;

Titian,

53,

23, 25 82, 112;

on on

Durer, 58
105' 157
;

59, 60, 316,

on Salvator Rosa, 355 on Rubens, 60,


;

or'

Raphael, 113, 175

Sleeping
221.

Love,

by Caravaggio,

on Veronese, 134; on the Conspiracy of Catiline, 144; on Perugino, 181 on Giorgione, 206 on Fra Angelico, 247 on Pinturicchio, 272; on Dolci, 328 on Canova, 237 on Pous;

Soderini, Niccolo, 16, 17. Sodoma (Razzi or Bazzi), Homo, by, 283. Soggi, 120.

Ecce

Solyman, 230.
Spagnoletto, St. Francis, by, 98.

sin, 342. Rustici, 66, 148. Ruthart, Carl, 345.

Spanish Influence, 300. Spence, 366.

Ruysch, Rachel, 352.


Sabatelli, 42. Sacrifice of Abraham,

by

Allori,

by Manetti, 64. St. Agatha, by Sebastian del Piombo, 202. St. Agnes, by Domenichino, 202.
Sponsalizia,
St.
St.

126.

Augustine, 121, 189.

Salembeni, 89, 94.


Salviati, " Patience," by, 329. Sappho, 191.

St. Benedict,

St.

Sarto,

Andrea del,

2, 3,

72

Depo-

St.

Bartholomew, by Ribera, 62. by Veronese, 227. Carlo Borromeo, 308. Casimir, by Dolci, 327.

388
St. St. St.

1[n^ex
Susannah

St. Cecilia,

Catherine, by Bassano, 63. by Riminaldi, 359.

Cunegunda, 309.

Domenico

St. Francis,

by

in a Grotto, 332. Cigoli, 94, 314

and the Elders, by Guercino, 244. Sustermans, 129; Vittoria Rovere, by, 146; Federigo of Denmark, by, 225; Ferdinand
II.,
;

by Ligozzi, 315;
108.
St.

by Rubens,
by
Dolci,

Francis

Xavier,

by, 226, 339 Madonna, by, 244; Cosimo III., by, 275. Swanevelt, 332.

3"St. Sts.

Symonds,

J.

A., 179, 207, 226.


of,

George, by Bordone, 224.

Henry and Cunegunda, by Tabitha, Raising


96.
;

by Guercino,

Mancini, 309. St. Jerome, by Calvart, 345


;

by

Tintoretto, 51 by Vasari, 324. St. John in the Desert, by Allori,

Tacca, 35, 374. Taine, 90, 112; Monaca,

135;

Madonna

of the Chair, 163.

317.

Tassi, St. John, by, 349.

Tasso, 360. John Asleep, by Dolci, 197. St. John Evangelist, by Dolci, Tempera painting, 262. Temptation of St. Anthony, by 239 332. Rosa, 316. St. John on Patmos, by Dolci,
St.

354St.

Teniel,
Baptist,

J.,

316.

Tennyson, 49. by Sarto, 303. John St. John Preaching, by Tassi, Theophilus, 248. Three Ages of Man, by Lotto, 349St. Joseph, by Guercino, 61. 137. Three Fates, by Michelangelo, St. Julian, by Allori, 91. St. Marc, by Fra Bartolommeo, 136. Three Maries, by Veronese, 132. 154. Tiarini, Adam and Eve, by, 358. St. Margaret, by Dolci, 242. Tiberio Tito, 95, 96. St. Margaret of Cortona, 216. St. Martino, by Pietro da Cor- Tinelli, 224. Venus and Tintoretto, 2, 6, 7 tona, 65.
;

Niccolo de Bari, 217, St. Niccolo de Tolenta, by Dolci,


St.

311St. Peter,

by Dolci, 126, 329; by


126.

Guido Reni,

St. Peter Martyr, 189. St. Philip Neri, by Maratta, 99. St. Reparata, 238.
St.
St. Sebastian,

Vulcan, by, 8, 47; 46, 51, 56, 79; St. Jerome in the 57> Forest, by, 51 102 Luigi Cornaro, by, 122; Paradise and Crucifixion, by, 132 193, 194, 300 Deposition, by, 306 Virgin, by, 311, 320; 332.
;
; ;

Titian,

2, 3, 7,

Rosa, by Dolci, 196. by Guercino, 127 Another, 360.

102
;

Marriage of

40, 46, 47, 51-57, St. Catherine,


;

Stillman, 170. Strachey, Henry, 109, 180.


Strozzi, 9, 20, 22, 70, 241. Stufa, Stanza della, 290-296. Supper at Emmaus, by Palma

Vecchio, 90.

by, 52; Bella, by, 55, 68, in Pietro Magdalen, by, 78, 81 Aretino, by, 78 ; Howard, Duke of Norfolk, by, in; Andrea Vesalius, by, 121 Assumption, in Venice, by, 131, 311; 192, 193, 195, 201, 205, 209; Mendoza, by, 226; Philip II., by^
;
;

fn&ci
228; Ippolito de Medici, by, 229; Christ, by, 231; Sacred and Profane Love, by, 241 F 1 o r a, by, 297 298 264 School of, 300 320, 360. Tobias, by Biliverti, 218; School of Del Sarto, 315.
;

389

Venus, Hall of, 39, 46-67. Venus de Medici, 42, 335. Venus de Milo, 47. Venus and Satyrs, by Domenichino, 353.

Venus and Vulcan, by Tintoretto, 8, 47.

Tolstoi, 49.

Torentino, 325.

Tornabuoni,
lori,

16.

* Treatise on
315.

Anatomy," by Al-

Veronese, 2, 46, 47, 56, 57 His Wife, 90; 102, 123, 130-134; Marriage in Cana, 131 Three Maries, 132 Christ and Mary, 133; 192, 193; Baptism of
;
;

" Treatise on Painting," Leonardo, 6, 141. Tribolo, 369. Triptych, by Fra Angelico, 250. Triumph of David, by Roselli,
64.

Christ, 221 St. Benedict, 227 Barbaro, 238 Presentation in the Temple, 300 Two Chil;

dren, 308. Vesalius, Andrea, by Titian, 121. Volterrano, 128-129.


"

Turner, 53, 59.


Uffizi, 21,

Voyage in Italy," by Style, Victor Emmanuele, 375.

341.

35,36,56, 87,109,115;
del 199, 251; Bridge,

Vignole, Jacopo, 197.

Fates, 137;

Madonna

Arpie, 150; 325Ulysses, by Rubens, 60, 61. Ulysses, Stanza of, 312-321.

Vincenzio of Mantua, 223. Vinci. See Leonardo. Viollet le Due, 74. Virgin, by Tintoretto, 311.
Virgin and
239-

Child, by Perugino,

Virgin

Van der Werff, 120. Van Dyck, Cardinal


122 177, 195, 223, in Egypt, 350.
;

Bentivoglio,

Enthroned, by Fra Bartolommeo, 237. Vision of Ezekiel, by Raphael,


173Vitelli, 275.

319 Repose
;

Vanni,

Octavio, Frescoes, by, 364. Vasari, 20, 72; on Perugino, 181 on Giorgione, 193 ; on Ghirlandajo, 236 on Parmigiano, 243 on Lippi, 252 on Botti;
; ;

Viterbo, 196.
Viti,

Timoteo, 169.

Vivarini, 304.

Walpole, 40.
Warrior, Salvator Rosa, 239. Wife of Veronese, 90.

368; 279; on Sodoma, 284-285 on Clovio, 303 319; St. Jerome, by, 321 Madonna, by, 339; Grotto, by, 370 Estimate of, 321. Vatican, 167, 176, 236, 320. Velasquez, 55, 77, 225, 228;
celli,

267,

Woltmann and Woermann,


184.

Pieta,

84; Disputa, 190; Deposition,

Woman Taken

in Adultery,

by

Mazzolini, 155.

Philip IV., by, 304.

Veneziano, 283. Venice, 47, 50,


130.

Zelotti, 90.
54,

79, 80, 102,

by Boccaccino, 304. Zuccari, Magdalen, by, 277.


Zingarella,

:^t

Harold

B.

Lee Libra

3 1197 21166 2140


Utah Bookbinding Co. SLC,

UT

4/26/05

91

Date Due
All library items are subject to recall at

anj time.

APR 2 8 200ft APR 1 ^

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