The painters of Florence from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century . arture fromold traditions in the way in which the religioussignificance of the subject is sacrificed, and thesacred story transformed into an apotheosis of theMedici. Cosimo, a venerable, white-headed form ingreen and gold mantle, kneels before the Child; hisson Piero, in a scarlet robe, looks round at his brotherGiovanni, and the lamented Giuliano stands behindthem, clad all in black, with his thick, dark locksovershadowing his melancholy face. Lorenzo himselfstands at his horses side in the left-hand corner,where the don
The painters of Florence from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century . arture fromold traditions in the way in which the religioussignificance of the subject is sacrificed, and thesacred story transformed into an apotheosis of theMedici. Cosimo, a venerable, white-headed form ingreen and gold mantle, kneels before the Child; hisson Piero, in a scarlet robe, looks round at his brotherGiovanni, and the lamented Giuliano stands behindthem, clad all in black, with his thick, dark locksovershadowing his melancholy face. Lorenzo himselfstands at his horses side in the left-hand corner,where the donor is usually introduced, and on theopposite side, we recognise the portrait of the painter,wearing a long orange mantle and looking over hisshoulder with a keen, thoughtful expression on hisstrong face. The picture is a masterpiece of group-ing and modelling, and bears a close likeness toLeonardos unfinished Adoration, in the had known the great master, who wasbut six years his junior, from his early days inVerrocchios workshop, and is the only painter. PALLAS (PALAZZO PITTi)—SANDRO BOTTICELLI. [ To jace page 202 iSio] FRESCO OF ST. AUGUSTINE 203 whom Leonardo mentions by name in his Trattato,where he speaks of him as our Botticello. The Vespucci family, to which Simonetta belonged,were among Botticellis best patrons. For their palacein the Via de Servi he painted a series of gracefulsubjects, full of beautiful and animated figures, setin richly carved walnut frames. The panels of theStory of Virginia, at Bergamo, and the Death ofLucrezia, now in America, agree with this description ;but the violent action and exaggerated gestures inthe similar pictures on the Miracles of St. Zenobiuspoint to a later period. For the Vespucci Botticellialso painted the noble fresco of St. Augustine at hisdesk in the church of Ognissanti, which in its wonderfulenergy and rapt expression offers so marked a contrastto the cold decorum of Ghirlandajos St. Jerome, onthe opposite wall
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectpainter, bookyear1901
