The Pavement Masters of Siena (1369-1562) — John Shaqi
The Pavement Masters of Siena (1369-1562)Cust, Robert H. Hobart (Robert Henry Hobart)
History
The Pavement Masters of Siena (1369-1562)
Cust, Robert H. Hobart (Robert Henry Hobart)
Art -- Italy -- Siena; Duomo di Siena; Pavements, Mosaic
Delphi, famous in ancient times for its Oracles, would not unnaturally
suggest itself to these early students of Greek art and literature as
one of the places whence prophecies of the Redemption of the World
should come. Hence Plutarch calls her the _first_ of the Sibyls.
According to Pausanias, the Erythraean Sibyl, although a native of
Marpessus, or Erythrae, in the Troad, lived mostly at Samos, and
visited Clarus, Delos, and Delphi, at all of which places were shrines
dedicated to the Pythian Apollo, whose special gift this form of
prophetic utterance was said to be. Later tradition would seem to have
divided her attributes into at least three, and given them separate
existence. Here she is shown as a stately woman, bearing in her left
hand a decorated horn from which issue flames. Her right hand rests on
a tablet supported by a winged sphinx, which bears the words:
IPSVM TVVM CO
GNOSCE DEVM
QVI DEI FILIVS EST
(Know thy God Himself, Who is the Son of God.)
Beneath her feet a label records her name, and the fact that she is
mentioned by Chrysippus in his Book of Divination. We find[40] that
this figure was executed in 1482 by Giuliano di Biagio and Vito di
Marco, who probably also made the design for the work, as the payment
they received was 579 lire 10 soldi. We may compare this amount with
the sum paid in 1866–69 for the restoration of the same Sibyl. It was
2,341 lire 17 c.
_The Cumaean Sibyl._
It is not clear why this Sibyl is so named, especially as it provokes
confusion with the more celebrated “Sibilla _Cumana_.” Apparently the
Cimmerian Sibyl is intended. Ferdinand Piper tells us that she was
sometimes styled the Italian Sibyl,[41] and mentions other variations
of the name: “Cymea, Chymerea or Chimica.” According to the label,
supported behind her by two charming _putti_, she is said to have
been mentioned by Piso in his Annals. Here she is represented as an
excited-looking woman, with loose hair scattered over her shoulders.
She bears in her hand a tablet, with the following words inscribed upon
it:
ET MORTIS FATVM FINI
ET, TRIVM DIERVM SO
MNO SUSCEPTO TUNC
AMORTVIS REGRESSVS
INLUCEM VENIET PRIM
VM RESURRECTIONIS
INITIVM OSTENDENS.
(He shall accomplish the fate of death, having undergone a sleep of
three days. Then being returned from the dead, he shall come into
the light, showing the first beginning of the resurrection).
This design is said to be the work of Luigi di Ruggiero, called
_l’Armellino_, and Vito di Marco;[42] but, except a notice dated
1482[43] of payments to the first-named worker for marble cut by him
for work on “_li spazi di Duomo e per le Sibille_,” we have no further
record as to the author of this particular design, or its cost. We
find, however, that in the restoration above referred to, it cost 2,581
lire 80 c.
_The Cuman Sibyl._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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