. The study and criticism of Italian art : second series. an picture which for severalyears past has come into any of the public collectionsof Europe. I shall not attempt here to describe the beauty ofthis Madonna. As far as its charm can be evokedby words, it has been done by M. Ary Renan, in hisexcellent article in the Chronique des Arts(March 5th, 1898), and the faithful reproductionhere given, only serves to illustrate his discriminatingand eloquent appreciation. My task is the morehumble one of trying to prove that the Louvres newtreasure is not the work of Piero della Francesca, towhom i
. The study and criticism of Italian art : second series. an picture which for severalyears past has come into any of the public collectionsof Europe. I shall not attempt here to describe the beauty ofthis Madonna. As far as its charm can be evokedby words, it has been done by M. Ary Renan, in hisexcellent article in the Chronique des Arts(March 5th, 1898), and the faithful reproductionhere given, only serves to illustrate his discriminatingand eloquent appreciation. My task is the morehumble one of trying to prove that the Louvres newtreasure is not the work of Piero della Francesca, towhom it was attributed when it was sold, but ofAlessio Baldovinetti. Even on this point M. Renanhas so far anticipated not only my attribution, butmy arguments, that little remains for me to add ; Ican only go more carefully into detail than he hasdone. I should add also that M. Renan is not theonly one who deprives my attribution of all claimsto originality; in looking through what has beenwritten by other critics upon Baldovinetti, and PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA. Alinat i photo.\ [Sta. Maria delle Grazie, MADONNA AND CHILD ALESSIO BALDOVINETTI 25 particularly what has been said by the most authori-tative of all, the lamented Signor Cavalcaselle, Iascertained that he had already, many years ago,given this Madonna to Alessio. I The scarcity of his works, not his lack of talent,and also, it must be added, the surprising inequalityof his achievements, account for the fact that, exceptamong specialists, Alessio Baldovinetti is hardlymore than a name—if so much. A few words abouthim will, therefore, not be inappropriate. He wasborn in 1427 and died in 1499. History does nottell us who was the first master to put a brush intohis hand; but to know who was literally the firstinstructor of a painter is a question of slight im-portance. It is of much greater consequence tofind out what spirit influenced an artist in hisyouth, who moulded and developed his talent anddetermined his
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectartital, bookyear1902
