Milan (Italy) -- Description and travel; Milan (Italy) -- History
Portrait of a young woman (8), formerly ascribed to Leonardo, but given
by Morelli to Ambrogio de Predis, an attribution which is now generally
accepted. It is a charming and vivacious portrait, and certainly
superior to most of de Predis’ work, but we must remember that he
excelled in portraiture. By Leonardo it assuredly is not. The identity
of the portrait has also been much discussed. It was at one time called
Beatrice d’Este. The latest conjecture is that it is the portrait of
Bianca, natural daughter of Lodovico Sforza and wife of Galeazzo di San
Severino. The portrait of a man holding a scroll of music (19), is
attributed in the catalogue to Leonardo; we think, however, it is more
likely to be also by Ambrogio de Predis, whose work was much influenced
by Leonardo, and it has all the characteristics of his painting, the
heavy modelling, and hot dark colour. It is an interesting and
thoughtful face, presumably a musician, and perhaps the portrait of the
celebrated Franchino Gaffurio, master of the choir of the Duomo of
Milan. Holy Family and St. Elizabeth (3), from Leonardo’s design (the
cartoon in Burlington House), is a well-known picture by Luini, but like
all imitations of the master, it is quite superficial, and loses
entirely the deep and mysterious significance of the original, so that
one can hardly help wishing his designs had not been so much copied. The
youthful Saviour (9) has a certain beauty and refinement, but shows
Luini’s weakness in drawing, especially in the large and clumsy hand.
St. John with a Lamb (10) is a very charming picture of a little boy
hugging a lamb. The Way to Calvary (18), by Giovanni Cariani, is an
interesting example of this Bergamesque artist. Other noticeable
pictures in this room are, the Presentation in the Temple (33), by
Tiepolo; Adoration of the Magi (42), ascribed to Titian; Holy Family
(43), by Bonifazio Veronese, and a full-length portrait by Gio. Battista
Moroni.
Sala F contains inferior pictures of the late Lombard school; there is,
besides, a pleasing altarpiece, attributed to Pinturicchio (58), though
surely by a North Italian hand.
Sala G.—This room is filled with drawings; there are various studies,
doubtfully attributed to Leonardo and drawings by his followers; among
the latter an excellent pencil-drawing of a child’s profile by Ambrogio
de Predis or Bernardino dei Conti; it is the portrait of Massimiliano
Sforza, eldest son of Lodovico il Moro, and probably the study for his
portrait in the large altarpiece in the Brera; some well-drawn heads by
Boltraffio; a drawing by Luini of Tobias and the Angel, and the Marriage
of the Virgin by Gaudenzio Ferrari. There are two small profiles of
Prospero Colonna and the Marchese di Pescara, and some caricatures. In a
case there is a reproduction of the _Codex Atlanticus_ of Leonardo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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