Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 398, December 1848Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 398, December 1848
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
[16] In page 215, it is said Raphael repaired to his native city at
the age of twenty-one. This seems not to agree with the account of his
not having left it till twenty-one years of age. It has been said
also, at page 210, that he revisited Urbino in 1499, having been said
not to have left it till 1504.
Of the nature of the intercourse between Raphael and the Fornarina,
whatever may be the conjectures, not only is no additional information
brought forward, but there is every reason to believe the previous
statements to be fable, manufactured according to the love for romance
so common both to readers and authors. Whether the name La Fornarina
implies that she was a potter's or a baker's daughter, there is still
a doubt. Nor does it much concern the history of art, nor the real
character of the biography, as it should be, of such a man, to sift
the gossip of the idle or curious of any age. Passavant clearly
vindicates the life of Raphael from the general impurities which such
gossip has ever been as busy as desirous to attach to the names of men
of genius. The jealousy said to have existed between M. Angelo and
Raphael, probably had some origin in the impetuous temper of M.
Angelo, who confounded the gentle Raphael with his architectural
rival, Bramante. That Raphael owed something to M. Angelo cannot be
doubted, but no unfair imitation has been proved--nay, we would
venture to assert, that unfair imitation is almost impossible to
genius, for it will make its own, whatever, to an indiscriminating
eye, it seems only to borrow. It was not possible that Raphael should
not be influenced even in his style by that of M. Angelo. No painter
can come to any perfection in his art utterly ignorant or uninfluenced
by the works of others, whether predecessors or contemporaries. Nor
was Raphael slow to express himself as happy in being born in the age
of M. Angelo. "Whatever Raphael knew in the art, he knew from me,"
said M. Angelo. We do not view this as a censure, but a praise; for it
shows an admission on the part of that giant of art, that the genius
of Raphael was worthy the affiliation. We have sufficient evidence, we
think, of the originality, of the greatness, and of the more tender
virtue--gentleness--of Raphael in his works. To those who would seek
more, we would refer to the letter of Raphael himself, and more
especially to the touching pictures of his genius and character as we
find them in Vasari, and in the heartfelt regretting, at his death, of
his friend Castiglione.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account