Part 10 (2/2)
France was about to become an Italy more Italian than Italy itself
Francis the First, like Lewis the Twelfth before him, was attracted by the finesse of Leonardo's work; _La Gioconda_ was already in his cabinet, and he offered Leonardo the little Chateau de Clou, with its vineyards and meadows, in the soft valley of the Masse, and not too far froreat outer sea M arsene Houssaye has succeeded in giving a pensive local colour to this part of his subject, hich, as a Frenchman, he could best deal ”A Monsieur Lyonard, peinteur du Roy pour Amboyse,”--so the letter of Francis the First is headed It opens a prospect, one of the e hts, Italian art dies away as a French exotic
_Studies in the History of the Renaissance_ (London, 1873)
FOOTNOTES:
[9] The spelling coht best, however, to keep the for used by Walter Pater
[10] Yet for Vasari there was soic of crimson in the lips and cheeks, lost for us
THE ADORATION OF THE LAMB
(_VAN EYCK_)
KUGLER
Hubert van Eyck was born, according to the common acceptation, in 1366
John van Eyck was his junior by some unknown nuuely suggest that the two brothers settled at Ghent in 1410 There is every reason to believe that all these dates are incorrect; that Hubert was born after 1366, and that the date of his ration to Ghent must be placed later in the century
It is credible that both the brothers were court painters to Philip of Charolois, heir apparent to the throne of Burgundy, who lived with his wife Michelle de France at Ghent between 1418 and 1421 In the service of the prince, painters were free frouild, but on the withdrawal of the court the privilege would cease; and this explains how the naister of the corporation of St Luke till 1421, when, on the death of the Countess Michelle, and as a tribute to her istered as masters without a fee John van Eyck soon found eenial to him, whilst Hubert remained at Ghent, received commissions from the municipality (1424), and became acquainted with Jodocus Vydts, for whom he composed the vast altar-piece known as the _Adoration of the Lareat hich he was then induced to begin
He probably sketched the subjects that were to adorn the panels, and completed some of the more important of them At his death in 1426 he was buried in the chapel, the decoration of which had been the last occupation of his life We uished him, and the services which he rendered to the art of his country, in the following sentences:--
[Illustration: THE ADORATION OF THE LAMB
_Van Eyck_]
He carried the realistic tendency, already existing in the Flemish masters, to an extraordinary pitch of excellence, whilst inof the previous period, i to this, by the reater distinctness, truth of nature, and variety of expression Throughout his works he displayed an elevated and highly energetic conception of the stern import of his labours in the service of the Church The prevailing arrange fast the early architectonic rules which had hitherto presided over ecclesiastic art The later ement, in which a freer andwas introduced, is only seen in Hubert van Eyck's works in subjection to these rules Thus his heads exhibit the ai to the earlier period, only combined with more truth of nature His draperies unite its pure taste and softness of folds with greater breadth; the realistic principle being apparent in that greater attention to detail which a delicate indication of the ures are studied from nature with the utiven with much truth, especially the hands; only the feet remain feeble That, however, which is almost the principal quality of his art, is the hitherto unprecedented power, depth, transparency, and har_ To attain this he availed hi in oil which he and his brother had perfected Oil painting, it is true, had long been in use, but only in a very undeveloped for to the ations, the improvement introduced by the Van Eycks, and which they doubtless only very gradually worked out, were the following
First, they removed the chief impediment which had hitherto obstructed the application of oil-paint to pictures properly so called For, in order to accelerate the slow drying of the oil colours, it had been necessary to add a varnish to the to the dark colour of this varnish, in which amber, or more frequently sandarac, was used, this plan, fro effect on most colours, had hitherto proved unsuccessful The Van Eycks, however, succeeded in preparing so colourless a varnish that they could apply it without disadvantage, to all colours In painting a picture they proceeded on the following systely sized that no oil could penetrate the surface The under painting was then executed in a generally warround was clearly seen through it
They then laid on the local colours, thinner in the lights, and, from the quantity of vehicle used,the as a foil In all other parts they so nicely preserved the balance between the solid and the glazing colours as to attain that union of body and transparency which is their great excellence Finally, in the use of the brush they obtained that perfect freedo the touch of the brush distinct, or fusing the touches tenderly together, as the object before them required Of all the works which are now attributed to Hubert, but one is genuine and historically authenticated This noble work is certified by an inscription It is a large altar picture, consisting of ts of separate panels, once in the Cathedral of St Bavon at Ghent It was painted, as before reouished family of Burlunt, for their s were opened, which occurred only on festivals, the subject of the upper centre picture was seen, consisting of three panels, on which were the Triune God--the King of heaven and earth--and at his side the Holy Virgin and the Baptist; on the inside of the wings were angels, ith songs and sacred h: at the two extreure of God the Father, were Adam and Eve, the representatives of fallen man The lower central picture shows the Lamb of the Revelation, whose blood flows into a cup; over it is the dove of the Holy Spirit; angels, who hold the instruroups, each consisting of many persons, advance from the sides: they comprise the holy martyrs, round is the fountain of life; in the distance the towers of the heavenly Jerusale up to adore the Ladom of the Lord by worldly deeds--the soldiers of Christ, and the righteous judges; on the right, those who, through self-denial and renunciation of earthly good, have served Hirims; a picture underneath, which represented hell, finished the whole
This work is now dispersed: the centre pictures and the panels of Ada in Ghent[12] The lower picture of hell was early injured and lost, and the others forallery of the Berlin Museuures of the upper centre picture are designed with all the dignity of statue-like repose belonging to the early style; they are painted, too, on a ground of gold and tapestry, as was constantly the practice in earlier times: but united with the traditional type we already find a successful representation of life and nature in all their truth They stand on the frontier of two different styles, and, from the excellence of both, form a wonderful and nity the Heavenly Father sits directly fronting the spectator--his right hand raised to give the benediction to the Laures below; in his left is a crystal sceptre; on his head the triple crown, the emblem of the Trinity The features are such as are ascribed to Christ by the traditions of the Church, but noble and well-proportioned; the expression is forcible, though passionless The tunic of this figure, ungirt, is of a deep red, as well as the mantle, which last is fastened over the breast by a rich clasp, and, falling down equally from both shoulders, is thrown in beautiful folds over the feet Behind the figure, and as high as the head, is a hanging of green tapestry adorned with a golden pelican (a well-known syold, and on it, in a seain describe the Trinity, as all-ures of this picture display equalholy books and are turned towards the centre figure The countenance of John expresses ascetic seriousness, but in the Virgin's we find a serene grace, and a purity of form, which approach very nearly to the happier efforts of Italian art
On the wing next to the Virgin stand eight angels singing before a music-desk They are represented as choristers in splendid vestments and crowns The brilliancy of the stuffs and precious stones is given with the hand of a master, the music-desk is richly ornaures, and the countenances are full of expression and life; but in the effort to imitate nature with the utuish with certainty the different voices of the double quartet, the spirit of a holier influence has already passed away On the opposite wing, St Cecilia sits at an organ, the keys of which she touches with an expression of deep an with different stringed instru, and is entle; the execution of the stuffs and accessories is equally s of the upper series, the subjects of which are Adam and Eve, are now in the Museuure of the size of life, with the most careful attention to minute detail, is eree of hardness in the drawing Eve holds in her right hand the forbidden fruit In the filling up, which the shape of the altar-piece made necessary over these panels, there are small subjects in chiaroscuro: over Adam, the sacrifice of Cain and Abel; over Eve, the death of Abel--death, therefore, as the iement of the lower middle picture, the worshi+p of the Laorical subject demanded, but there is such beauty in the landscape, in the pure atrass, in the ures which stand out froer perceive either hardness or severity in this sy the holy pilgri than the others Here St Christopher, andered through the world seeking the iant in stature, whilst a host of ses, follow hi observation of nature, is seen through the slender trees
The cast of the folds in the ample red drapery of St Christopher, as in the upper picture, reular expression in the countenances of the pilgrims is also very remarkable The picture next to the last described is ; it represents the troop of holy anchorites passing out of a rocky defile
In front are St Paul the Hermit and St Anthony, the tho set the first example of retirement from the world; and the procession closes with the two holy woreater part of their lives in the wilderness, Mary Magdalen and St Mary of Egypt The heads are full of character, with great variety of expression: on every countenance may be traced the history of its life Grave oldfro, another le-minded, another less open
Some inspired fanatics wildly raise their heads, whilst others with a simple and alain are still struggling with their earthly nature It is a remarkable picture, and leads us deep into the secrets of the hust the ible needs no previous inquiry into the relative period and circuround, the rocky defile, the wooded declivity, and the trees laden with fruit, are all eminently beautiful The eye would almost lose itself in this rich sense of still life if it were not constantly led back to the interest of the foreground
The opposite wing pictures differ essentially in conception from those just described Their subject did not in itself admit such varied interest, and it is rather the common expression of a tranquil harmony of mind, and of the consciousness of a resolute will, which attracts the spectator, combined at the same tinificence Inside the wing to the right we see the soldiers of the Lord on fine chargers, siht armour, with surcoats of varied for banners appear to be St Sebastian, St George, and St Michael, the patron saints of the old Fleuilds, which accoe, the painter has strikingly succeeded in rendering the spirit of the chivalry of the Middle Ages--that true heroic feeling and sense of pohich huher sense of the Divinity Es follow after hihly finished, with rich and finely-for lightly across The second picture (the last to the left) represents the righteous judges; they also are on horseback, and are fine and dignified figures In front, on a splendidly caparisoned grey horse, rides a mild benevolent old man, in blue velvet trimmed with fur This is the likeness of Hubert, to whom his brother has thus dedicated a beautiful roup is John himself, clothed in black, with his shrewd, sharp countenance turned to the spectator We are indebted to tradition for the knowledge of these portraits
Both these wing pictures have the special interest of showing us, by means of armour, rich costumes, and caparisons, a true and particular representation of the Court of Burgundy in the time of Philip the Good--when it was confessedly the most superb court in Europe