Part 6 (2/2)
Raphael was also interested in as happening outside the world of art; he corresponded with scholars of different countries, and sent s of places and objects which he could not go to see He was also generous to those less fortunate than hiement and occupation to many needy men
At one time he expected to marry Maria de Bibiena, a niece of Cardinal Bibiena; but she died before the tireat successes in Rome, other famous artists also were there, and there came to be much discussion as to their merits, and especially as to the coelo and Raphael
At last, when this feeling of rivalry was at its height, the Cardinal Giulio de Medici, afterward Pope Cleave orders to Raphael and Sebastian del Pioe pictures for the Cathedral of Narbonne The subject of Sebastian's picture was the ”Raising of Lazarus,”
and it has always been said that Michael Angelofor it
Raphael's picture was the ”Transfiguration,” and proved to be his last work, for before it was finished he was attacked by fever, and died on Good Friday, 1620, which was the thirty-seventh anniversary of his birth
All Rome uration was placed near it Those who had known hiazed upon his face for the last tirave in the Pantheon, near to that of Maria Bibiena, his betrothed bride The cerenificent, and his body was followed by an i Above his tomb was placed an inscription in Latin, written by Pietro Bembo, which has for its last sentence these words: ”This is that Raphael by whom Nature feared to be conquered while he lived, and to die when he died”
Raphael had also requested Lorenzo Lorenzetti to -place He left a large estate, and gave his works of art to his pupils Giulio Romano and Francesco Penni; his house to Cardinal Bibiena; a sum to buy another house, the rent of which should pay for twelve masses to be said rave; this was observed until 1705, when the incoh to support these services
For many years there was a skull at the Academy of St Luke, in Rome, which was called that of Raphael; but there was no proof of this, and in 1833 some antiquarians received the consent of the Pope to their searching for the bones of Raphael in his grave in the Pantheon After five days of careful work, and rereathis as left no rooreat funeral service was held; the Pope, Gregory XVI, gave a us in which the bones were placed, and reverently restored to their first resting-place More than three thousand persons were present at the service, including artists of all nations, as well as Rohest rank Theytorches in their hands, and keeping time to beautiful chants from an invisible choir
[Illustration: FIG 44--SAINT CECILIA LISTENING TO THE SINGING OF ANGELS
_By Raphael_]
Raphael left two hundred and eighty-seven pictures and five hundred and seventy-six studies and drawings, and all done in so short a life In considering him and the story of his life, we find that it was not any one trait or talent that enius with a personal charm that won all hearts to him His famous picture of ”St Cecilia,” with its sweetness of expression and lovely color--its union of earthly beauty with spiritual feeling, is a symbol of the har 44)
GIULIO ROMANO (1492-1556) was the favorite pupil of Raphael, and the heir of a part of his estate; but his re works would not repay us for a study of thereat a master as Raphael was felt outside of his own school, and, in a sense, all Italian art of his time was modified by him His effect was very noticeable upon a Sienese painter, BAZZI, or RAZZI, called IL SODOMA (1477-1549), ent to Rome and was under the immediate influence of Raphael's works He was almost unrivalled in his power to represent beautiful female heads
His important works were frescoes, many of which are in the churches of Siena Doubtless Bazzi was lost in the shadow of the great Raphael, and had he existed at a tireatthe sixteenth century the Venetian school reached its highest excellence The great difference between it and the school of Florence was, that the latter made beauty of form the one object of its art, while the Venetian painters corace and ease the added charm of rich, brilliant color
GIORGIO BARBARELLI, called GIORGIONE (1477-1511), was the first great artist of Venice who cast off the rigid manner of the Bellini school, and used his brush and colors freely, guided only by his own ideas, and inspired by his own genius
He was born at Castelfranco, and was early distinguished for his personal beauty Giorgione iven hiure He was fond of s he sang; he had also an intense love of beauty--in short, his whole nature was full of sentiifts he was a man of pure life Mrs Jaione ”
There is little that can be told of his life He was devoted to his art, and passionately in love with a young girl, of whom he told one of his artist friends, Morto da Feltri This last proved a traitor to Giorgione, for he too adione, and go aith him The double treachery of his beloved and his friend caused the painter such grief that he could not overcoue visited Venice in 1511, he fell a victie
Much of the work of Giorgione has disappeared, for he executed frescoes which the damp atmosphere of Venice has destroyed or so injured that they are of no value His smaller pictures were not nuenuineness of those that are called by his name He painted very few historical subjects; his works are principally portraits, sibyls, and religious pictures A the last, the altar-piece at Castelfranco holds the first place; it represents the Virgin and Child between Sts Francis and Liberale, and was painted before 1504
Giorgione gave an elevated tone to his heads and figures; it sees of a superior race, and as if they reat deeds His fancy was very fruitful, and in sos, apes, and such creatures with great effect In clearness and warione is at the head of the Venetian painters; in truth, it seems as if the color ithin thelow
The ione's scholars was called FRA SEBASTIANO DEL PIOMBO; his real name was _Luciani_, and he was a native of Venice (1485-1547) This artist excelled in his coloring and in the effect he gave to the at it a broad _chiaro-scuro_, or clear-obscure, as it really means This is an art term which is frequently used, and denotes a sort of radually shaded off, either into a full light or a deep shadow But from the earliest efforts of this artist, it was plain that he had no gift of coive his pictures an elevated tone or effect For this reason his portraits were his best works, and these were very fine
A portrait of his in the National Gallery, London, and another in the Stadel Gallery at Frankfort, are both said to be of Giulia Gonzaga, the most beautiful woman of her day in Italy In 1553, Ippolito de Medici, as madly in love with her, sent Sebastian with an armed force to Fondi to paint her portrait; it was finished in a month, and was said to be the best ever painted by Sebastian It was sent to France as a gift to Francis I, and its present abiding-place is not known
While Raphael was at the height of his fai invited Sebastian to that city, and in the Farnesina he painted works which were very inferior beside Raphael's Then Sebastian tried to ireat master would not compete with Raphael hier man, and it is said that he aided Sebastian, and even ht eclipse Raphael We have spoken of one large picture of the ”Raising of Lazarus” said to have been n, which Sebastian colored; it was painted in couration, and even beside that most splendid work the Lazarus was much admired This is now in the National Gallery, London
After Raphael's death Sebastian was called the first painter in Rome, and was made a _piombatore_ It was necessary to be an ecclesiastic to hold this office, and it is on account of this that he gave up his real naelo: ”If you were to see h athad never come into my mind But God be praised in eternity! He seemed especially to have thus decreed it And, therefore, so be it” It is not strange that he should have been so resigned to a high office and a salary of eight hundred scudi a year!
Another Venetian, of the saione, was JACOPO PALMA, called IL VECCHIO, or the elder (about 1480-1528) He was born near Bergamo, but as an artist he was a Venetian We do not knohoreat man, nor was he employed by the state--but he dwelt much in the palaces of noble families and did much work for thes
His feures are his best works, and one of his fine pictures at Dresden, called the ”Three Graces,” is said to represent his daughters