Anecdotes of Painters, Engravers, Sculptors and Architects and Curiosities of Art (Vol. 3 of 3) - S. Spooner (ap literature book list .TXT) 📗
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attempt, which brought him into as much contempt as his former works had
gained him approbation.
BENVENUTO CELLINI.
This eminent sculptor and famous medalist was in high favor with Clement
VII., who took him into his service. During the time of the Spanish
invasion, Cellini asked the Pope for absolution for certain homicides
which "he believed himself to have committed in the service of the
church." The Pope absolved him, and, to save time, he added an
absolution in _prospectu_, "for all the homicides thereafter which the
said Benvenuto might commit in the same service." On another occasion,
Cellini got into a broil, and committed a homicide that was not in the
service of the church. The friends of the deceased insisted upon condign
punishment, and presumed to make some mention to the Pope about "the
laws;" upon which the successor of St. Peter, knowing that it was easier
to hang than to replace such a man, assumed a high tone, and told the
complainants that "men who were masters of their art should not be
subject to the laws."
FRACANZANI AND SALVATOR ROSA.
The first accents of the "thrilling melody of sweet renown" which ever
vibrated to the heart of Salvator Rosa, came to his ear from the
kind-hearted Fracanzani, his sister's husband, and a painter of merit.
When Salvator returned home from his sketching tours among the
mountains, Fracanzani would examine his drawings, and when he saw
anything good, he would smilingly pat him on the head and exclaim,
"Fruscia, fruscia, Salvatoriello--che va buono" (_Go on, go on,
Salvator--this is good_). These simple plaudits were recalled to his
memory with pleasure, in after years, when his fame rung among the
polished circles at Rome and Florence.
POPE URBAN VIII. AND BERNINI.
When the Cardinal Barberini, who had been the warm friend, patron, and
protector of Bernini, was elevated to the pontificate, the latter went
to offer his congratulations to his benefactor. The Pope received him in
the most gracious manner, uttering these memorable words, "E gran
fortuna la vostra, Bernini, di vedere Papa, il Card. Maffeo Barberini;
ma assai maggiore è la nostra, che il Cav. Bernini viva nel nostro
pontificato;" (_It is a great piece of fortune for you, Bernini, to
behold the Cardinal Maffeo Barberini Pope; but how much greater is ours,
that the Cav. Bernini lives in our pontificate;_) and he immediately
charged him with the execution of those great works which have
immortalized both their names. Among the great works which he executed
in this pontificate are the Baldachin, or great altar of St. Peter's, in
bronze and gilt, under the centre of the great dome; the four colossal
statues which fill the niches under the pedatives; the pulpit and canopy
of St. Peter's; the Campanile; and the Barberini palace. For these
services, the Pope gave Bernini 10,000 crowns, besides his monthly
salary of 300, which he increased, and extended his favors to his
brothers--"a grand piece of fortune," truly.
EMULATION AND RIVALRY IN THE FINE ARTS.
Emulation carries with it neither envy nor unfair rivalry, but inspires
a man to surpass all others by superiority alone. Such was the emulation
and rivalry between Zeuxis and Parrhasius, which contributed to the
improvement of both; and similar thereto was that which inspired the
master-minds of Michael Angelo and Raffaelle; of Titian and Pordenone;
of Albert Durer and Lucas van Leyden; of Agostino and Annibale Caracci;
and we may add, in our own country, of Thomas Cole and Durand. The
emulation between the Caracci, though it tended to the improvement of
both, was more unfortunate in its result, as it finally engendered such
a bitter rivalry as to drive Agostino from the field, and it is said by
some that both the Caracci declined when their competition ceased.
The confraternity of the Chartreuse at Bologna proposed to the artists
of Italy to paint a picture for them in competition, and to send designs
for selection. The Caracci were among the competitors, and the design of
Agostino was preferred before all others; this, according to several
authors, first gave rise to the jealousy between the two brothers. The
picture which Agostino painted was his celebrated Communion of St.
Jerome which Napoleon placed in the Louvre, but is now in the gallery at
Bologna. It is esteemed the masterpiece of the artist. It represents the
venerable saint, carried to the church of Bethlehem on his approaching
dissolution, where he receives the last sacrament of the Roman Church,
the Viaticum, in the midst of his disciples, while a monk writes down
his pious exhortations. Soon after the completion of this sublime
picture, the two brothers commenced the celebrated Farnese Gallery in
conjunction; but the jealous feelings which existed between them caused
continual dissentions, and the turbulent disposition of Annibale
compelled Agostino to abandon him and quit Rome. Agostino, who according
to all authorities was the best tempered of the two, from that time gave
himself up almost entirely to engraving. Annibale, though he has the
honor of having executed the immortal works in the Farnese Gallery, yet
owed much there, as elsewhere, to the acquirements and poetical genius
of Agostino. In the composition of such mythological subjects the
unlettered Annibale was totally inadequate. See vol. i., page
71 of this work.
THE NOTTE OF CORREGGIO.
This wonderful picture is one of the most singular and beautiful works
of that great master. Adopting an idea till then unknown to painters, he
has created a new principle of light and shade; and in the limited space
of nine feet by six, has expanded a breadth and depth of perspective
which defies description. The subject he has chosen, is the adoration of
the shepherds, who, after hearing the glad tidings of joy and salvation,
proclaimed by the heavenly host, hasten to hail the new-born King and
Saviour. On so unpromising a subject as the birth of a child, in so mean
a place as a stable, the painter has, however, thrown the air of
divinity itself. The principal light emanates from the body of the
infant, and illuminates the surrounding objects; but a secondary light
is borrowed from a group of angels above, which, while it aids the
general effect, is yet itself irradiated by the glory breaking from the
child, and allegorizing the expression of scripture, that Christ is the
true light of the world. Nor is the art, with which the figures are
represented less admirable than the management of the light. The face of
the child is skillfully hidden, by its oblique position, from the
conviction that the features of a new-born infant are ill-adapted to
please the eye; but that of the Virgin is warmly irradiated, and yet so
disposed, that in bending with maternal fondness over her offspring, it
exhibits exquisite beauty, without the harshness of deep shadows. The
light strikes boldly on the lower part of her face, and is lost in a
fainter glow on the eyes, while the forehead is thrown into shade. The
figures of Joseph and the shepherds are traced with the same skillful
pencil; and the glow which illuminates the piece is heightened to the
imagination, by the attitude of a shepherdess, bringing an offering of
doves, who shades her eyes with her hand, as if unable to sustain the
brightness of incarnate divinity. The glimmering of the rising dawn,
which shews the figures in the background, contributes to augment the
splendor of the principal glory. "The beauty, grace, and finish of the
piece," says Mengs, "are admirable, and every part is executed in a
peculiar and appropriate style."
Opie, in his lectures, speaking of this work, justly observes, "In the
Nótte, where the light diffused over the piece emanates from the child,
he has embodied a thought at once beautiful, picturesque, and sublime;
an idea which has been seized upon with such avidity, and produced so
many imitations that no one is accused of plagiarism. The real author is
forgotten, and the public accustomed to consider this incident as
naturally a part of the subject, have long ceased to inquire, when, or
by whom, it was invented."
The history of this picture is curious, though involved in much
obscurity. It is generally stated that while Correggio was engaged upon
the grand cupola at Parma, he generally passed the colder season, when
he could not work in fresco, in his native place. Passing through Reggio
in one of his journeys, he received a commission from Alberto Pratonero
for an altar-piece of the Nativity, which produced one of his finest
pictures, now called La Nótte. The indefatigable Tiraboschi discovered
the original contract for the work, which is dated October 14th, 1522,
and fixes the price at two hundred and eight _livre di moneta Vecchia_,
or forty-seven and a half gold ducats (about $104). It was painted for
the Pratoneri chapel in the church of S. Prospero at Reggio, but it was
not fixed in its destined place till 1530. It is said that it was
removed surreptitiously by order of Francesco I., the reigning Duke of
Modena, who substituted a copy. The same story, however, is related of
Correggio's Ancona, painted for the church of the Conventuals at
Correggio. (See vol. ii., page 257, of this work.) At all events,
the elector of Saxony subsequently purchased this gem, with
other valuable pictures, from the Ducal Gallery at Mantua, and it now
forms one of the principal ornaments of the Dresden Gallery.
THE DRESDEN GALLERY.
The Gallery of Dresden is well known to most amateurs from the
engravings which have been made of many of its most capital pictures. In
the works of Correggio it stands preëminent above all others; and
although some of these have suffered by injudicious cleaning, still they
are by Correggio. In the works of Titian, Raffaelle, Lionardo da Vinci,
Parmiggiano, Andrea del Sarto, the Caracci, Guido, &c., it holds also a
high place; while it is rich in the works of the Flemish and Dutch
masters. Of the works of Reubens there are, 30; of Vandyck, 18; of
Rembrandt, 15; of Paul Potter, 3; of David Teniers, jun., 24; of Philip
Wouvermans, 52; of Adrian Ostade, 6; of Gerard Douw, 16; of Francis
Mieris, 14; of Gabriel Metzu, 6; of Berghem, 9; of Adrian van de Velde,
5; of Ruysdael, 13; and others by the Dutch masters. Tho entire
collection contains 1010 Flemish and Dutch pictures, and 350 pictures of
the Italian schools, the principal part of which, particularly the
pictures of Correggio, etc., belonged formerly to the Mantua
collection, and were purchased by the Elector Augustus III., afterwards
King of Poland.
PAINTING AMONG THE EGYPTIANS.
The antiquity of painting, as well as of sculpture, among the Egyptians,
is sunk in fable. Yet it is certain that they made little or no progress
in either art. Plato, who flourished about 400 B.C., says that the art
of painting had been practiced by the Egyptians upwards of ten thousand
years, and that there were existing in that country paintings of that
high antiquity, which were neither inferior to, nor very different from,
those executed by the Egyptian artists in his own time.
Before the French expedition to Egypt, a great deal had been written on
the subject of Egyptian art, without eliciting anything satisfactory.
Norden, Pococke, Bruce, and other modern travelers, speak of
extraordinary paintings found on the walls of the temples and in the
tombs at Thebes, Denderah, and other places in Upper Egypt; and
Winckelmann justly regrets that those curious remains had not been
visited by artists or persons skilled in works of art, "by whose
testimony we might have been correctly informed of their character,
style, and manoeuvre." The man at last came, and Denon, in his _Voyage
dans le Basse et Haute Egypt_, has set the matter at rest. He has given
a curious and interesting account of the paintings at Thebes, which he
reports to be as fresh in color as when they were first executed. The
design is in general stiff and incorrect; and whatever attitude is given
to the figure, the head is always in profile. The colors are entire,
without blending or degradation, as in playing cards, and the whole
exhibits the art in a very rude state. They exhibit little or no
knowledge of anatomy. The colors they used were confined to four--blue,
red, yellow, and green; and of these, the blue and red predominate. The
perfect preservation of the Egyptian paintings for so many ages is to be
attributed to the dryness of a climate where it never rains.
The Egyptian painters and sculptors designed their figures in a style
peculiarly stiff and formal, with the legs invariably closed, except in
some instances in the tombs of the Kings at Thebes, and their arms stuck
to their sides, as if they had consulted no other models than their
bandaged mummies. The reasons why the Egyptians never made any progress
in art till the time of the Greco-Egyptian kings, were their manners and
customs, which prohibited any innovations, and compelled every one to
follow
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