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278 RENAISSANCE OF ART IN ITALY.
triangles, and pyramids. Andrea’s distinctive mark is dalance ; his grouping is
| often divided into two masses, separated by either a single figure or inanimate |
object in the centre, although he often chose a pyramidal basis for his composi- |
| tions. Two of this series of frescoes were executed by Francia Bigio during
Andrea’s absence in France; they are apocryphal subjects, but show great
talent and some feeling. The scenes are ‘‘ Zacharias blessing St. John before
he goes into the Desert,”’ and “St. John meeting the Virgin and Infant Christ.’’ |
i In the intermediate years between the portions of the Scalzo frescoes (of
which we give an illustration on page 244), Andrea was employed on his other
great cloistral decorations, the frescoes in colour in the Cortile of the SS.
1 ae Annunziata. These were commissioned by a certain astute Fra Mariano, who
| obtained them for a very small price, and knew how to keep his artist at work
Bare i till the compact was fulfilled, Here the subjects are the life of St. Filippo
my | Benizzi, patron of the Servite order; and an ‘Epiphany’? and “ Nativity of
i the Virgin.” In these and in the ‘*Madonna del Sacco,’’ a fresco in the
lunette of an arch of the larger adjoining cloister, Andrea’s special excellence
in fresco is to be studied. The compositions are lifelike and full of natural
expression; the colouring is of a happy brilliance, a marvellous blending of
cheerful harmonious tints which, with the lightest of shadows, yet obtain full
relief, such as no master of fresco has achieved before or after him.
In Andrea del Sarto we see the culmination of the pure Florentine school—
that naturalistic, truthful style which Masaccio and the Lippi inaugurated.
There is in him less of the classic tone than in any other artist of his time.
Space will not allow us to go into a detailed account of his easel pictures. The
Uffizi and Pitti Galleries are rich in them. Perhaps his two finest paintings are
the ‘ Disputa di Sant’ Agostino,’’? and the ‘“‘ Madonna di San Francesco,’ an
exquisitely tender composition, which js now in the Tribune. The graceful |
Madonna stands on a pedestal holding the divine Child in her arms, its little
hands twined lovingly round her neck; two dignified figures of St. Francis and
St. John the Evangelist stand one on each side. The colouring is rich, yet mellow
and wonderfully soft; it is even more delicate than that of Fra Bartolommeo,
though very similar to his. / -
The ‘‘ Disputa di Sant’ Agostino,”’ in the Pitti Palace, is very little behind this
in merit. A vehement St. Augustine is expounding the mystery of the Trinity |
to St. Stephen, St. Francis, and St. Dominic; Mary Magdalen and St.
Sebastian kneeling before them. There are two very fine ‘‘ Assumptions,’’ also
in the Pitti Palace. Most European galleries can boast of Madonnas or Holy
Families by Andrea: Munich has two; Berlin,a fine ‘Virgin in Glory ;’’ and
Madrid, six pictures, of which the best is a ‘Sacrifice of Abraham,” a subject
‘which Andrea repeated several times.
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