In and out of Florence; a new introduction to a well-known city . Or it may be the magiclines, the sinuous figures and flowing draperies, thecloying sweet faces of holy women and angel childrenin Sandro Botticellis gold-framed tondi. From room to room one wanders with open eyesand unbiased mind. The famous name should not betoo compelling. One is too likely to look carefullyat an indifferent effort by some well-known artist andthrow only a vague glance at a marvelous bit by anartist of name unfamiliar to the casual sightseer. Itis a common mistake. Only the student needs to seeall the works of
In and out of Florence; a new introduction to a well-known city . Or it may be the magiclines, the sinuous figures and flowing draperies, thecloying sweet faces of holy women and angel childrenin Sandro Botticellis gold-framed tondi. From room to room one wanders with open eyesand unbiased mind. The famous name should not betoo compelling. One is too likely to look carefullyat an indifferent effort by some well-known artist andthrow only a vague glance at a marvelous bit by anartist of name unfamiliar to the casual sightseer. Itis a common mistake. Only the student needs to seeall the works of a master. Another trouble is the loss of effect because of theunfortunate close crowding of the pictures. In theUfSzi any one of a hundred paintings would be thepride and sufficient justification of a provincialmuseum or a private gallery; indeed, of almost anygallery in America outside of the Metropolitan. ThisRaphael or that Perugino or Titian or Giorglonealone would be visited by thousands; one would travelfar to see it. Here it is one of a hundred equally. Photo. Brogi Virgin and Child Filippo Lippi: Uffizi The Uffizi 119 wonderful. The Uffizi, then, as a whole is inconceiv-ably valuable, but each picture in it is greatlylessened in its appeal by being put with all the others. With all this preamble of gratuitous advice andlecturing about picture-seeing, there is little space tospeak of the Uffizis pictures themselves. But, in-deed, that Is just what I have never had any intentionof doing. Or at least, not beyond the fleeting ex-pression of a certain personal satisfaction experiencedin seeing certain particular things—and what picture-seeker is there who can resist that? How I remember, I say with keenest joy, thatlittle jewel of Carpaccios; that Sogetto Biblicothat analyzes itself as you look at it from a kaleido-scopic play of color and pattern into human faces andanimation. And in that room, I continue, —the room ofthe Venetians; the one with Titians Flora beforewhi
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidinoutofflore, bookyear1910
