. The art of the Italian renaissance; a handbook for students and travellers. he motive in itself as wellas the treatment of form ; the freedom of movement in the details, andthe strict observance of rules in the grouping of the whole, the infinitelysubtle animation of forms, and the new pictorial \alue given to lightand shadow, the intention evidently being to give the figures a powerfulplastic effect by means of the dark background, and at the same time toentice the imagination into the depths by a novel method.^ The picture of the Madonun of th: Rock, in the Louvre is so superior to the Lon
. The art of the Italian renaissance; a handbook for students and travellers. he motive in itself as wellas the treatment of form ; the freedom of movement in the details, andthe strict observance of rules in the grouping of the whole, the infinitelysubtle animation of forms, and the new pictorial \alue given to lightand shadow, the intention evidently being to give the figures a powerfulplastic effect by means of the dark background, and at the same time toentice the imagination into the depths by a novel method.^ The picture of the Madonun of th: Rock, in the Louvre is so superior to the Londonexample, that it seems inconceivable that there should have been any doubt as to itsoriginality. The pointing finger of the angel is not beautiful, and the omission of the hand inthe London picture is .juite intelligible in view of the later idea of beauty. Leonardo howeverif he had supervised the replica, Mould certainly have known how to fill up the resultinggap : in spite of the more prominently advanced shoulder of the angel there is now a hole PRELIMINARY SURVEY 23. The predouiinant impression ofthe wol-iv at a distance is the realityof the %ures, and the painters in-tention of gaining- the effect l)vmeans of pyramidal groupingstrictly according to rule. Theliicture has a tectonic structure(piite different to the mere sym-metrical arrangement of earlierpictures. Here there is at oncemore freedom and more observanceof rule, and the parts have beenessentially concei\ed in tlieii- con-nection «ith the whole. This isthe Cin(|uecentist stvle. Leonardoearly shows traces of it. Tliere isin the \atican a kneeling Sf. JeromeicHh the Lion hy him. The figureis noteworthy and has been long-admired, as a study of niinement,but the question may well be askedwhether anyone l)esides Leonardo would have so blended the lines of thelion with those of the saint. I know of no one. None of the early pictures of Leonardo have exercised greater influencethan the unfinished Adoration of the Mi
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, books, booksubjectartrenaissance
