A Popular Handbook to the National Gallery, Volume I, Foreign Schools: Including by Special Permission Notes Collected from the Works of John Ruskin
History
A Popular Handbook to the National Gallery, Volume I, Foreign Schools: Including by Special Permission Notes Collected from the Works of John Ruskin
National Gallery (Great Britain); Painting -- England -- London -- Catalogs
The scattered character of Umbrian art above referred to makes it
impossible for us to trace its course historically. From that point of
view each of the local schools would have to be treated separately. Of
the local schools which were the earliest to develop--Gubbio, Fabriano,
and S. Severine--the first two are not represented here at all, and the
third has only one picture (249). The taste for art amongst the people
of Perugia was much later in developing itself. Even up to 1440 they
had to rely on Sienese artists; and later still they sent for Piero
della Francesca, of Borgo S. Sepolcro, who had studied at Florence and
had greatly advanced the science of perspective. Many of the Umbrian
masters--Melozzo, Palmezzano, Fra Carnovale, Giovanni Santi, and even
perhaps Perugino, were pupils of his. The earliest native artist of
Perugia in the gallery is Fiorenzo di Lorenzo (1103), who, however,
owed much to the Florentine Benozzo Gozzoli. This Fiorenzo was probably
the master of Pinturicchio. The latter worked for some time under
Perugino, who had studied under Piero della Francesca and afterwards
himself went to study in Florence. Perugino in his turn was the
master, after Timoteo Viti, of Raphael. The development of Raphael's
art, leading in its later periods to directions far removed from the
Umbrian ideal, is traced under the biographical notice of that master
(1171). We have thus completed the circle of the principal Umbrian
masters. They are allied, as it will have been seen, by teaching, to
the Florentines, but they retained a distinctive character throughout.
The one exception in this respect is Luca Signorelli, who, though he
was apprenticed to Piero della Francesca, was born nearer to Florence,
and whose affinities are far more with the Florentine than with the
Umbrian School.
[Illustration]
THE VENETIAN AND ALLIED SCHOOLS[23]
"The Venetian School proposed to itself the representation
of the effect of colour and shade on all things; chiefly on
the human form. Here you have the most perfect representation
possible of colour, and light, and shade, as they affect
the external aspect of the human form, and its immediate
accessories, architecture, furniture, and dress. This external
aspect of noblest nature was the first aim of the Venetians,
and all their greatness depended on their patience in achieving
it" (RUSKIN: _Two Paths_, §§ 20, 22).
Diego answered thus: "I saw in Venice
The true test of the good and beautiful;
First, in my judgment, ever stands that school,
And Titian first of all Italian men is."
VELAZQUEZ, reported by Boschini, in curious Italian
verse thus translated by Dr. Donaldson.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account