Chapter VII: Section II: Nos. 8 to 38. Gothic

244. (8.) _North Porch of the Church of St. Fermo._ 13th century. (B.)

Mr. Bunney's drawing is so faithful and careful as almost to enable
the spectator to imagine himself on the spot. The details of this
porch are among the most interesting in the Gothic of Italy, but I
was obliged, last year, to be content with this general view, taken
in terror of the whole being "restored"; and with the two following
drawings.

(9.) _Base of the Central Pillar. North Porch, St. Fermo._ (B.)

In facsimile, as nearly as possible, and of the real size, to show
the perpetual variety in the touch; and in the disposition and size
of the masses.

(10.) _Shaft-Capitals of the Interior Arch of the North Porch, St.
Fermo._ (B.)

Contrived so that, while appearing symmetrical, and even
monotonous, not one lobe of any of the leaves shall be like
another.

Quite superb in the original, but grievously difficult to draw, and
losing, in this sketch, much of their grace.

245. (11.) _Western Door of the Church of St. Anastasia, with the Tomb
of the Count of Castelbarco on the left, over the arch._ (Photograph.)

In the door, its central pillar, carved lintels and encompassing
large pointed arch, with its deep moldings and flanking shafts, are
of the finest Veronese 13th century work. The two minor pointed
arches are of the 14th century. The flanking pilasters, with double
panels and garlands above, are the beginning of a façade intended
to have been erected in the 15th century.

The Count of Castelbarco, the Chancellor of Can Grande della Scala,
died about the year 1330, and his tomb cannot be much later in
date.

The details of this group of buildings are illustrated under the
numbers next in series.

(12.) _Pillars and Lintels of the Western Door of St. Anastasia._
(Photograph.)

The sculpture of the lintel is first notable for its concise and
intense story of the Life of Christ.

1. The Annunciation. (Both Virgin and Angel kneeling.)

2. The Nativity.

3. The Epiphany. (Chosen as a sign of life giver to the
Gentiles.)

4. Christ bearing His Cross. (Chosen as a sign of His
personal life in its entirety.)

5. The Crucifixion.

6. The Resurrection.

Secondly. As sculpture, this lintel shows all the principal
features of the characteristic 13th century design of Verona.

Diminutive and stunted figures; the heads ugly in features, stern
in expression; but the drapery exquisitely disposed in minute but
not deep-cut folds.

(13.) _The Angels on the left hand of the subject of the Resurrection in
No. 12._ (A.)

Drawn of its actual size, excellently.

The appearance of fusion and softness in the contours is not caused
by time, but is intentional, and reached by great skill in the
sculptor, faithfully rendered in the drawing.

(14.) _Sketch of the Capital of the Central Pillar in No. 12._ (R.)

(With slight notes of a 16th century bracket of a street balcony on
each side.)

Drawn to show the fine curvatures and softness of treatment in
Veronese sculpture of widely separated periods.

246. (15.) _Unfinished Sketch of the Castelbarco Tomb, seen from one of
the windows of the Hotel of the "Two Towers."_ (R.)

That inn was itself one of the palaces of the Scaligers; and the
traveler should endeavor always to imagine the effect of the little
Square of Sta. Anastasia when the range of its buildings was
complete; the Castelbarco Tomb on one side, this Gothic palace on
the other, and the great door of the church between. The masonry of
the canopy of this tomb was so locked and dove-tailed that it stood
balanced almost without cement; but of late, owing to the
permission given to heavily loaded carts to pass continually under
the archway, the stones were so loosened by the vibration that the
old roof became unsafe, and was removed, and a fine smooth one of
trimly cut white stone substituted, while I was painting the rest
of the tomb, against time. Hence the unfinished condition of my
sketch the last that can ever be taken of the tomb as it was built.

(16.) _The Castelbarco Tomb, seen laterally._ (B.)

A most careful drawing, leaving little to be desired in realization
of the subject. It is taken so near the tomb as to make the
perspective awkward, but I liked this quaint view better than more
distant ones.

The drawing of the archway, and of the dark gray and red masonry of
the tomb is very beautiful.

247. (17.) _Lion with Hind in its Claws._ (A.)

The support of the sarcophagus, under the feet of the recumbent
figure in the Castelbarco Tomb.

(18.) _Lion with Dragon in its claws._ (A.)

The support of the sarcophagus at the head of the figure.

(19.) _St. Luke._ (A.)

Sculpture of one of the four small panels at the angles of the
sarcophagus in the Castelbarco Tomb. I engraved the St. Mark for
the illustration of noble grotesque in the "Stones of Venice." But
this drawing more perfectly renders the stern touch of the old
sculptor.

(20.) _Two of the Spurs of the bases of the Nave Pillars in the Church
of St. Anastasia._ (A.)

Of the real size. Not generally seen in the darkness of the Church,
and very fine in their rough way.

248. (21.) _Tomb of Can Grande, general view._ (R.)

Put together some time since, from Photograph and Sketches taken in
the year 1852; and inaccurate, but useful in giving a general idea.

(22.) _Tomb of Can Grande._ (R.)

Sketch made carefully on the spot last year. The sarcophagus
unfinished; the details of it would not go into so small a space.

(23.) _The Sarcophagus and recumbent Statue of Can Grande, drawn
separately._ (R.)

Sketched on the spot last year. Almost a faultless type of powerful
and solemn Gothic sculpture. (Can Grande died in 1329.)

(24.) _The Two Dogs._ (R.)

The kneeling Madonna and sculpture of right hand upper panel of the
Sarcophagus of Can Grande.

The drawing of the panel is of real size, representing the Knight
at the Battle of Vicenza.

(25.) _The Cornice of the Sarcophagus of Can Grande._ (A.)

Of its real size, admirably drawn, and quite showing the softness
and Correggio-like touch of its leafage, and its symmetrical
formality of design, while the flow of every leaf is changeful.

249. (26.) _Study of the Sarcophagus of the Tomb of Mastino II.,
Verona._ (R.)

Sketched in 1852.

(27.) _Head of the recumbent Statue of Mastino II._ (A.)

Beautifully drawn by Mr. Burgess.

Can Mastino II. had three daughters:--Madonna Beatrice (called
afterwards "the Queen," for having "tutte le grazie che i cieli
ponno concedere a femina," and always simply called by historians
Lady "Reina" della Scala), Madonna Alta-luna, and Madonna Verde.
Lady Reina married Bernabó Visconti, Duke of Milan; Lady Alta-luna,
Louis of Brandebourg; and Lady Verde, Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua.
Their father died of "Sovereign melancholy" in 1350, being
forty-three years old.

(28.) _Part of Cornice of the Sarcophagus of Mastino II._ (A.)

One of the most beautiful Gothic cornices in Italy; its effect
being obtained with extreme simplicity of execution out of two
ridges of marble, each cut first into one united sharp edge all
along, and then drilled through, and modeled into leaf and flower.

(29.) _Sketch, real size, of the pattern incised and painted on the
drapery of the Tomb of Can Mastino II._ (R.)

It is worth notice for the variety of its pattern; observe, the
floral fillings of spaces resemble each other, but are never the
same. There is no end, when one begins drawing detail of this kind
carefully. Slight as it is, the sketch gives some idea of the easy
flow of the stone drapery, and of the care taken by the sculptor to
paint his pattern _as if_ it were bent at the apparent fold.

250. (30.) _Tomb of Can Signorio della Scala._

Samuel Prout's sketch on the spot; (afterwards lithographed by him
in his "Sketches in France and Italy";) quite admirable in feeling,
composition, and concise abstraction of essential character.

The family palace of the Scaligers, in which Dante was received, is
seen behind it.

(31.) _A single niche and part of the iron-work of the Tomb of Can
Signorio._ (R.)

As seen from the palace of the Scaligers; the remains of another
house of the same family are seen in the little street beyond.

(32.) _Study of details of the top of the Tomb of Can Signorio._ (R.)

Needing more work than I had time for, and quite spoiled by hurry;
but interesting in pieces here and there; look, for instance, at
the varied size and design of the crockets; and beauty of the
cornices.

(33.) _Bracket under Sarcophagus of Giovanni della Scala._ (A.)

Characteristic of the finest later treatment of flowing foliage.

251. (34.) _Part of the front of the Ducal Palace, Venice._ (R.)

Sketched, in 1852, by measurement, with extreme care; and showing
the sharp window traceries, which are rarely seen in Photographs.

(35.) _Angle of the Ducal Palace, looking Seaward from the Piazzetta._
(R.)

Sketched last year, (restorations being threatened) merely to show
the way in which the light is let through the edges of the angle by
penetration of the upper capital, and of the foliage in the
sculpture below; so that the mass may not come unbroken against the
sky.

(36.) _Photograph of the Angle Capital of Upper Arcade seen in No. 34._

Showing the pierced portions, and their treatment.

(37-38.) _Capitals of the Upper Arcade._

Showing the grandest treatment of architectural foliage attained by
the 14th century masters; massive for all purposes of support;
exquisitely soft and refined in contour, and faultlessly composed.