A History of Art for Beginners and Students: Painting, Sculpture, ArchitectureWaters, Clara Erskine Clement
History
A History of Art for Beginners and Students: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture
Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
Art -- History
France; but Lord Danby persuaded Charles to keep them. In 1698 they were
barely saved from fire at Whitehall, and finally, by command of William
III., they were properly repaired and a room was built at Hampton Court to
receive them, by the architect, Sir Christopher Wren. At present they are
in the South Kensington Museum, London. Of the original eleven only seven
remain.
[Illustration: FIG. 43.--THE SISTINE MADONNA.]
Both Henry VIII. and Francis I. had received presents of pictures by
Raphael: we have told of the occasion when the St. George was sent to
England. The "Archangel Michael" and the "Large Holy Family of the Louvre"
were given to Francis I. by Lorenzo de Medici, who sent them overland on
mules to the Palace of Fontainebleau. Francis was so charmed with these
works that he presented Raphael so large a sum that he was unwilling to
accept it without sending the king still other pictures; so he sent the
sovereign another painting, and to the king's sister, Queen Margaret of
Navarre, he gave a picture of St. Margaret overcoming the dragon. Then
Francis gave Raphael many thanks and another rich gift of money. Besides
this he invited Raphael to come to his court, as did also the king of
England; but the artist preferred to remain where he was already so
prosperous and happy.
About 1520 Raphael painted the famous Sistine Madonna, now the pride of
the Dresden Gallery. It is named from St. Sixtus, for whose convent, at
Piacenza, it was painted: the picture of this saint, too, is in the lower
part of the picture, with that of St. Barbara. No sketch or drawing of
this work was ever found, and it is believed that the great artist,
working as if inspired, sketched it and finished it on the canvas where it
is. It was originally intended for a _drappellone_, or procession
standard, but the monks used it for an altar-piece (Fig. 43).
While Raphael accomplished so much as a painter, he by no means gave all
his time or thought to a single art. He was made superintendent of the
building of St. Peter's in 1514, and made many architectural drawings for
that church; he was also much interested in the excavations of ancient
Rome, and made immense numbers of drawings of various sorts. As a sculptor
he made models and designs, and there is in the Church of Santa Maria del
Popolo, in Rome, a statue of Jonah sitting on a whale, said to have been
modelled by Raphael and put into marble by Lorenzetto Latti.
Raphael was also interested in what was happening outside the world of
art; he corresponded with scholars of different countries, and sent men to
make drawings of places and objects which he could not go to see. He was
also generous to those less fortunate than himself, and gave encouragement
and occupation to many needy men.
At one time he expected to marry Maria de Bibiena, a niece of Cardinal
Bibiena; but she died before the time for the marriage came.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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