Part 5 (1/2)
We come now to one of the most celebrated masters of Italy, LEONARDO DA VINCI (1452-1519), the head of the Loreat elo, Raphael, and titian; but he stands between them and the painters who preceded him or those of his own day
In some respects, however, he was the most extraordinary man of his tireat artist, but also a fine scholar in mathematics and mechanics; he wrote poetry and composed music, and ith all this so attractive personally, and so brilliant in his manner, that he was a favorite wherever he went It is probable that this versatility prevented his being very great in any one thing, while he was re Leonardo showed his artistic talent The paper upon which he worked out his sums was frequently bordered with little pictures which he drehile thinking on his lessons, and these sketches at last attracted his father's attention, and he showed them to his friend Andrea Verrocchio, an artist of Florence, who advised that the boy should becohteen years old, Leonardo was placed under the care of Verrocchio, as like a kind father to his pupils: he was not only a painter, but also an architect and sculptor, aexquisite cups of gold and silver, crucifixes and statuettes such as were in great demand for the use of the priesthood in those days
[Illustration: FIG 35--LEONARDO DA VINCI _Fro in red chalk by hiino was a fellow-pupil with Leonardo, and they two soon surpassed theira picture for the el in it, the work of his pupil was so much better than his own that the old painter desired to throw his brush aside forever The picture is now in the Academy of Florence, and represents ”The Baptism of Christ” With all his refine for the horrible It once happened that a countryht to his father a circular piece of wood cut fro-tree, and desired to have it painted for a shi+eld; it was handed over to Leonardo, who collected in his roohtful creatures, and fro certain characteristics of the horrid things he had about him The hideous creature was surrounded by fire, and was breathing out flaht, and Leonardo was greatly pleased at this The countryman received an ordinary shi+eld, and this _Rotello del Fico_ (or shi+eld of fig-tree wood) was sold to a ain to the Duke of Milan for three times that sum This shi+eld has now been lost for more than three centuries; but another horror, the ”Medusa's Head,” is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and is a head surrounded by interlacing serpents, the eyes being glassy and deathlike and thein expression
While in Florence Leonardo acco by his love of science, soain in natural history and botany; he also went antly He had the power to remember faces that he had seen accidentally, and could make fine portraits from memory; he was also accustomed to invite to his house people from the lower classes; he would aood portraits at tiain ridiculous caricatures He even went so far, for the sake of his art, as to accompany criminals to the place of execution, in order to study their expressions
After a time Leonardo wished to secure some fixed income, and wrote to the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, called Il Moro, offering his services to that prince This resulted in his going to Milan, where he received a generous salary, and became very popular with the Duke and all the court, both as a painter and as a gentle nephew, and gathered about hi prince He also led a gay life, and his court was the scene of constant festivities Leonardo's varied talents were very useful to the Duke; he could assist hi--by advice at his council, by plans for adorning his city, bythe portraits of his favorites Some of these last are now famous pictures--that of Lucrezia Crevelli is believed to be in the Louvre at Paris, where it is called ”La Belle Ferroniere”
The Duke conferred a great honor on Leonardo by choosing him to be the founder and director of an acade wished to establish
It was called the ”Acadeether of distinguished artists and men of letters Leonardo was appointed superintendent of all the fetes and entertainiven by the court, and in this departreat work in engineering which he brought to perfection, to the wonder of all Italy: it was no less an undertaking than bringing the waters of the Adda from Mortisana to Milan, a distance of nearly two hundred miles In spite of all these occupations the artist found tith Il Moro became the established duke, and at his brilliant court Leonardo led a s that he painted comparatively few pictures
[Illustration: FIG 36--THE LAST SUPPER _By Leonardo da Vinci_]
At length the Duke desired him to paint a picture of the Last Supper on the wall of the refectory in the Convent of the Madonna delle Grazie This was his greatest work in Milan and a wonderful masterpiece It was commenced about 1496, and was finished in a very short tis, for it has been so injured as to give no satisfaction to one who sees it Soood copies were s make it familiar to all the world A copy in the Royal Academy, London, was inal It is said that the prior of the convent coth of ti upon this picture; when the Duke questioned the painter he said that he was greatly troubled to find a face which pleased hi to allow the prior to sit for this figure and thus hasten the work; this answer pleased the Duke and silenced the prior
After a time misfortunes overtook the Duke, and Leonardo was reduced to poverty; finally Il Moro was imprisoned; and in 1500 Leonardo returned to Florence, where he was honorably received He was not happy here, however, for he was not the one ireat changes had taken place; Michael Angelo and Raphael were just beco famous, and they with other artists welcomed Leonardo, for his fame had reached them from Milan However, he painted so thes,” now in the Uffizi Gallery, and a portrait of Ginevra Benci, also in the saallery This lady must have been very beautiful; Ghirlandajo introduced her portrait into two of his frescoes
But the most remarkable portrait was that known as Mona Lisa del Giocondo, which is in the Louvre, and is called by some critics the finest work of this master The lady was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a lovely woman, and some suppose that she was very dear to Leonardo He worked upon it for four years, and still thought it unfinished: the face has a deep, thoughtful expression--the eyelids are a little weary, perhaps, and through it all there is a suggestion of soraceful and of perfect forives an unusual fascination to the whole picture Leonardo e that he lavished reat picture of the Last Supper (Fig 37)
Leonardo sold this picture to Francis I for nine thousand dollars, which was then an enorh now one could scarcely fix a price upon it In 1860 the Emperor of Russia paid twelve thousand dollars for a St
Sebastian by Leonardo, and in 1865 a madonna by him was sold in Paris for about sixteen thousand dollars Of course his pictures are rarely sold; but, when they are, great suia appointed Leonardo his engineer and sent hih Central Italy to inspect his fortresses; but this usurper soon fled to Spain, and in 1503 our painter was again in Florence In 1504 his father died Froreatness Louis XII appointed him his painter, and he labored for this monarch also to improve the water-works of Milan For seven years he dwelt at Milan,frequent journeys to Florence But the political troubles of the tienial home for any artist, and Leonardo, with a few pupils, went to Florence and then on to Roh, and told hilory of God, Italy, Leo X, and Leonardo da Vinci” But Leonardo was not happy in Roreat favor, and when Francis I made his successes in Italy in 1515, Leonardo hastened to Lo of France restored hiave hiold crowns
[Illustration: FIG 37--MONA LISA--”LA BELLE JOCONDE”]
When Francis returned to France he desired to cut out the wall on which the Last Supper was painted, and carry it to his own country: this proved to be iretted, as it is probable that if it could have been thus removed it would have been better preserved
However, not being able to take the artist's great work, the king took Leonardo hiether with his favorite pupils and friends and his devoted servant In France, Leonardo was treated with consideration He resided near Ale with the court It is said that, old though he was, he was so much admired that the courtiers iiven the charge of all artistic matters in France, and doubtless Francis hoped that he would found an Academy as he had done at Milan But he seey, all desire for work, on the Italian side of the Alps
Heto pass, and soon his health failed, and he fell into a decline He gave great attention to religious matters, received the sacrament, and then made his will, and put his worldly affairs in order
The king was accustomed to visit him frequently, and on the last day of his life, when the sovereign entered the room, Leonardo desired to be raised up as a , he conversed of his sufferings, and lamented that he had done so little for God androse to support hireat master breathed his last This has soree with the ancient writers who give this account of his end
He was buried in the Church of St Florentin at Amboise, and it is not known that any monument was erected over him In 1808 the church was destroyed; in 1863 Arsine Houssaye, with others, rave of Leonardo, and it is believed that his remains were found In 1873 a noble monument was erected in Milan to the memory of Da Vinci It is near the entrance to the Arcade of Victor Eh pedestal in a thoughtful attitude, the head bowed down and the arms crossed on the breast Below are other statues and rich bas-reliefs, and one inscription speaks of him as the ”Renewer of the Arts and Sciences”
Many of his writings are in the libraries of Europe in manuscript form: his best knoork is the ”Trattato della Pittura,” and has been translated into English As an engineer his canal of Mortesana was enough to give him fame; as an artist he may be called the ”Poet of Painters,”
and, if those who followed him surpassed him, it should be remembered that it is easier to advance in a path once opened than to discover a new path
Personally he was h he lived when morals were at a low estimate, he led a proper and reputable life His pictures were pure in their spirit, and he seeress of art and science, and it is a pleasure to read and learn of hiood artists of the Lombard school in the fifteenth century were BERNARDINO LUINI (about 1460-1530), as the best pupil of Leonardo, GIOVANNI ANTONIO BELTRAFFIO (1467-1516), GAUDENZIO FARRARI (1484-1549), AMBROGIO BORGOGNONE (works dated about 1500), and ANDREA SOLARIO, whose age is not known
We return now to the Florentine school at a time when the in We shall speak first of FRA BARTOLOMMEO or BACCIO DELLA PORTA, also called IL FRATE (1469-1517) He was born at Savignano, and studied at Florence under Cosimo Rosselli, but was much influenced by the works of Leonardo da Vinci This painter became famous for the beauty of his pictures of the Madonna, and at the tireat Savonarola went to Florence Bartolommeo was employed in the Convent of San Marco, where the preacher lived The artist became the devoted friend of the preacher, and, when the latter was seized, tortured, and burned, Bartolommeo became a friar, and left his pictures to be finished by his pupil Albertinelli For four years he lived the most austere life, and did not touch his brush: then his superior commanded him to resume his art; but the painter had no interest in it About this tiht him out, and became his friend; he also instructed the monk in perspective, and in turn Raphael learned from hiures in arranging his draperies; he also told Raphael some secrets of colors
About 1513 Bartoloan what promised to be a wonderful artistic career; but he only lived four years more, and the amount of his as so small that his pictures are now rare His els are holy in their effect; his representations of architecture are grand, and while his works are not strong or powerful, they give much pleasure to those who see them