Renaissance in Italy : the Fine Arts

;i#4^?Ti S JULJ^ •^-^ TT RENAISSANCE IN ITALY ONTARIO GOLLESE OF ART 100 A/kCAliL ST. TORONTO 2B, ONTARIO RENAISSANCE IN ITALY THE FINE ARTS JOHN ADDINGTON SYMOXDS ADTHOK OF AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF DAKTE ' ' STUDIES OP THE GIUSEK POETS ' AKD ' SKETCHES IN ITALY AND GBEECB Eil Romse indigetes, Trojas tuque auctor, ApoKo, ITnde genus nostrum coeli se toUit ad astm, Eanc saltern auferri lauJem prohibete Latlnis : Axtibus emineat semper, studiisque ilinervae, Italia, et geutes doceat pulcherrima Roma ; Quandoquidem armorum penitus fortuna recesat, Tanta Italos iuter crerit discoriiia reges ; Ipsi nos inter ssvos distringimus enses, Kec patriam pudet externis aperire tyrannis ViDA, Poetica. lib, U. NEW EDITION LONDON SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE 1914 AH rights rsserved ^^;i o PEEFACE' Tms third volume of my book on the * Renaissance in Italy ' does not pretend to retrace the history of the Italian arts, but rather to define their relation to the main movement of Eenaissance culture. Keeping this, ftie chief object of my -whole work, steadily in view, I have tried to explain the dependence of the arts on mediaeval Christianity at their commencement, their gradual emancipation from ecclesiastical control, and their final attainment of freedom at the moment when the classical revival culminated. Not to notice the mediaeval period in this evolution would be impossible; since the revival of Sculpture and Painting at the end of the thirteenth century was among the earliest signs of that new intellectual bh-th to which we give the title of Eenaissance. I have, therefore, had to deal at some length with stages in the development of ^ To the original edition of this volume. Vm EENAISSAKCE IN ITALY Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting, which form a prelude to the proper age of my own history. In studying the architectural branch of the subject, I have had recourse to Fergusson's * Illustrated Hand- book of Architecture," to Burckhardt's * Cicerone,' to Griiner's ' Terra-Cotta Buildings of North Italy,' to MiUzia's * Memorie degh Architetti,' and to many illustrated works on single buildings in Eome, Tuscany, Lombardy, and Venice. For the history of Sculpture I have used Burckhardt's * Cicerone,' and the two important works of Charles C. Perkins, entitled * Tuscan Sculptors,' and 'Italian Sculptors.' Such books as ' Le Tre Porte del Battistero di Firenze,' Griiner's ' Cathedral of Orvieto,' and Lasinio's ' Tabernacolo della Madonna d'Orsammichele ' have been helpful by their illustrations. For the history of Painting I have made use principally of Vasari's ' Vite de' piu eccellenti Pittori,' &c., in Le Monnier's edition of Crowe and Cavalcaselle's * History of Painting,' of Burckhardt's * Cicerone,' of Eosini's illustrated * Storia della Pittura Italiana,' of Rio's ' L'Art Chretien,' and of Henri Beyle's * Histoire de la Peinture en Italic.' I should, however, far exceed the limits of a preface were I to make a list of all the books I have consulted with profit on the history of the arts in Italy. PREFACE 11 In this part of my work I feel that I owe less to reading than to observation. I am not aware of having mentioned any important building, statue, or picture which I have not had the opportunity of studying. What I have written in this volume about the monuments of Italian art has always been first noted face to face with the originals, and afterwards corrected, modified, or confirmed in the course of subsequent journeys to Italy. I know that this method of composition, if it has the merit of freshness, entails some inequality of style and disproportion in the distribution of materials. In the . final preparation of my work for press I have therefore endeavoured, as far as possible, to compensate this dis- advantage by adhering to the main motive of my subject —the illustration of the Renaissance spirit as this was manifested in the Arts. I must add, in conclusion, that Chapters VII. and IX. and Appendix II. are in part reprinted from the ' Westminster,' the * Cornhill,' and the * Contemporary.' CiJFioM : March 1877. —— CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM FOR THE PINE ARTS I Art in Italy and Greece—The Leading Phase of Culture—^Esthetic Type of Literature—Painting the Supreme Italian Art—Its Task in the Eenaissance—Christian and Classical Traditions Sculpture for the Ancients—Painting for the Romance Nations — Mediffival Faith and Superstition—The Promise of Painting How far can the Figurative Arts express Christian Ideas? Greek and Christian Religion—Plastic Art incapable of solving the Problem—A more Emotional Art needed—Place of Sculpture in the Renaissance—Painting and Christian Story—Humaniza- tion of Ecclesiastical Ideas by Art—Hostility of the Spirit of True Piety to Art—Compromises effected by the Church Fra Bartolommeo's S. Sebastian—Irreconcilability of Art and Theology, Art and Philosophy—Recapitulation—Art in the end Paganises—Music—The Future of Painting after the Renais- sance CHAPTER II ARCHITECTURE Architecture of Mediaeval Italy—Milan, Genoa, Venice—The Despots as Builders—Diversity of Styles— Local Influences— Lombard, Tuscan Romanesque, Gothic—Italian want of feeling for Gothic —Cathedrals of Siena and Orvieto— Secular Buildings of the Middle Ages—Florence and Venice—Private Palaces—Public Halls—Palazzo della Signoria at Florence—Arnolfo di Cambio S. Maria del Fiore —Brunelleschi's Dome—Classical Revival in —— 2ai RENAISSANCE IN ITALY PAGB Architecture —Eoman Euins—Three Periods in Eenaissance Architecture::^Their Characteristics—BFuneUeschi — Alberti — Palace-building— MicheUozzo— Decorative Work of the Revival —Bramante—Vitoni's Church of the Umilta at Pistoja— Palazzo del Te—Villa Farnesina—Sansovino at Venice— Michael Angelo -The Building of S. Peter's- PaUadio—The Palazzo della Eagione at Vicenza—Lombard Architects —Theorists and Students of Vitruvius—Vignola and Scamozzi—European Influence of the Palladian Style— Comparison of Scholars and Architects in relation to the Eevival of Learning , . ,29 CHAPTER III SCULPTURE Niccola Pisano—Obscurity of the Sources for a History of Early Italian Sculpture—Vasari's Legend of Pisano—Deposition from the Cross at Lucca— Study of Nature and the Antique— Sarco- phagus at Pisa—Pisan Pulpit— Niccola's School — Giovanni Pisano —Pulpit in S. Andrea at Pistoja —Fragments of his work at Pisa— Tomb of Benedict XI. at Perugia —Bas-reliefs at Andrea Pisano—Relation of Sculpture. -to Orvieto— Paiati«f \ Giotto — Subordination of Sculpture to Architecture in Italy — Pisano's Influence in Venice—Balduccio of Pisa—Orcagna—The Tabernacle of Orsammichele —The Gates of the Florentine Baptistery—Competition of Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, and Delia Querela— Comparison of Ghiberti's and Brunelleschi's Trial- pieces— Comparison of Ghiberti and Delia Querela—The Bas- reliefs of S. Petronio— Ghiberti's Education— Ills Pictorial Style in Bas-relief—His Feeling for the Antique—Donatello —Early Visit to Eome—Christian subjects—Eealistic Treatment S. George and David—Judith—Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata —Influence of DonateUo's Naturalism—Andrea Verocchio—His David — Statue of Colleoni— Alessandro Leopardi —Lionardo's Statue of Francesco Sforza—The Pollajuoli— Tombs of Sixtus IV. and Innocent VIH.—Luca della Eobbia—His Treatment of Glazed Earthenware—Agostino di Duccio—The Oratory of S. Bernardino at Perugia—Antonio Rossellino—Matteo Civitali Mino da Fiesole— Benedetto da Majano— Characteristics and Masterpieces of this Group— Sepulchral Monuments—Andrea Contucci's Tombs in S. Maria del Popolo—Desiderio da Settignano ^ —Sculpture in S. Francesco at Rimini—Venetian Sculpture —— CONTENTS XUl FA.aE Verona—Guido Mazzoni of Modena—Certosa of Pavia—CoUeoni Chapel at Bergamo — Sansovino at Venice —Pagan Sculpture Michael Angelo's Scholars—Baccio Bandinelli —Bartolommeo Ammanati— Cellini—Gian Bologna—Survey of the History of Benaissance Sculpture » . 73 CHAPTER IV PAINTING Distribution of Artistic Gifts in Italy—Florence and Venice Classification by Schools— Stages in the Evolution of Painting Cimabue—The Eucellai Madonna — Giotto — His widespread Activity —The Scope of his Art —Vitality — Composition Colour—Naturalism—Healthiness—Frescoes at Assisi and Padna —Legend of S. Francis—The Giotteschi—Pictures of the Last Judgment—Orcagna in the Strozzi Chapel—Ambrogio Loren- zetti at Pisa—Dogmatic Theology— Cappella degli Spagnuoli ' Traini's ' Triumph of S. Thomas Aquinas —Political Doctrine expressed in Fresco— Sala della Pace at Siena— Eeligious Art in Siena and Perugia—The Eelation of the Giottesque Painters to the Renaissance 131 CHAPTER V PAINTING Mediaeval Motives exhausted—New Impulse toward Technical Perfection—Naturalists in Painting—Intermediate Achievement needed for the Great Age of Art—Positive Spirit of the Fifteenth Century—Masaccio—The Modern Manner—Paolo Uccello Perspective — Realistic Painters — The Model — Piero della Francesca —His Study of Form—Piesurrection at Borgo San Sepolcro—Melozzo da Forli—Squarcione at Padua—Gentile da Fabriano—Fra Angelico—Benozzo Gozzoli—His Decorative Style—Lippo Lippi—Frescoes at Prato and Spoleto —Filippino Lippi—Sandro Botticelli—:His Value for the Student of Benais- sance Fancy—His Feeling for- Mythology—Piero di Cosimo Domenico Ghirlandajo—In what sense he sums up the Age Prosaic Spirit—Florence hitherto supreme in Painting—Exten- sion of Art Activity throughout Italy—Medicean Patronage . 163 —— XIV RENAISSANCE IN ITALY CHAPTER VI PAINTING PAGB Two Periods in the True Eenaissance—Andrea Mantegna— His Statuesque Design—His Naturalism—Eoman

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