Chapter III: Sculpture

Niccola Pisano--Obscurity of the Sources for a History of Early Italian Sculpture--Vasari's Legend of Pisano--Deposition from the Cross at Lucca--Study of Nature and the Antique--Sarcophagus at Pisa--Pisan Pulpit--Niccola's School--Giovanni Pisano--Pulpit in S. Andrea at Pistoja--Fragments of his work at Pisa--Tomb of Benedict XI. at Perugia--Bas-reliefs at Orvieto--Andrea Pisano--Relation of Sculpture to Painting--Giotto--Subordination of Sculpture to Architecture in Italy--Pisano's Influence in Venice--Balduccio of Pisa--Orcagna--The Tabernacle of Orsammichele--The Gates of the Florentine Baptistery --Competition of Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, and Della Quercia--Comparison of Ghiberti's and Brunelleschi's Trial-pieces--Comparison of Ghiberti and Della Quercia--The Bas-reliefs of S. Petronio--Ghiberti's Education--His Pictorial Style in Bas-relief--His Feeling for the Antique--Donatello--Early Visit to Rome--Christian Subjects--Realistic Treatment--S. George and David--Judith--Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata--Influence of Donatello's Naturalism--Andrea Verocchio--His David--Statue of Colleoni--Alessandro Leopardi--Lionardo's Statue of Francesco Sforza--The Pollajuoli--Tombs of Sixtus IV. and Innocent VIII.--Luca della Robbia--His Treatment of Glazed Earthenware--Agostino di Duccio--The Oratory of S. Bernardino at Perugia--Antonio Rossellino--Matteo Civitali--Mino da Fiesole--Benedetto da Majano--Characteristics and Masterpieces of this Group--Sepulchral Monuments--Andrea Contucci's Tombs in S. Maria del Popolo--Desiderio da Settignano--Sculpture in S. Francesco at Rimini--Venetian Sculpture--Verona--Guido Mazzoni of Modena--Certosa of Pavia--Colleoni Chapel at Bergamo--Sansovino at Venice--Pagan Sculpture--Michael Angelo's Scholars--Baccio Bandinelli--Bartolommeo Ammanati--Cellini--Gian Bologna--Survey of the History of Renaissance Sculpture.

CHAPTER IV

PAINTING

Distribution of Artistic Gifts in Italy--Florence and Venice --Classification by Schools--Stages in the Evolution of Painting--Cimabue --The Rucellai Madonna--Giotto--His widespread Activity--The Scope of his Art--Vitality--Composition--Colour--Naturalism--Healthiness--Frescoes at Assisi and Padua--Legend of S. Francis--The Giotteschi--Pictures of the Last Judgment--Orcagna in the Strozzi Chapel--Ambrogio Lorenzetti at Pisa--Dogmatic Theology--Cappella degli Spagnuoli--Traini's "Triumph, of S. Thomas Aquinas"--Political Doctrine expressed in Fresco--Sala della Pace at Siena--Religious Art in Siena and Perugia--The Relation of the Giottesque Painters to the Renaissance.

CHAPTER V

PAINTING

Mediaeval Motives exhausted--New Impulse toward Technical Perfection--Naturalists in Painting--Intermediate Achievement needed for the Great Age of Art--Positive Spirit of the Fifteenth Century--Masaccio--The Modern Manner--Paolo Uccello--Perspective--Realistic Painters--The Model--Piero della Francesca--His Study of Form--Resurrection at Borgo San Sepolcro--Melozzo da Forli--Squarcione at Padua--Gentile da Fabriano--Fra Angelico--Benozzo Gozzoli--His Decorative Style--Lippo Lippi--Frescoes at Prato and Spoleto--Filippino Lippi--Sandro Botticelli--His Value for the Student of Renaissance Fancy--His Feeling for Mythology--Piero di Cosimo--Domenico Ghirlandajo--In what sense he sums up the Age--Prosaic Spirit--Florence hitherto supreme in Painting--Extension of Art Activity throughout Italy--Medicean Patronage.

CHAPTER VI

PAINTING

Two Periods in the True Renaissance--Andrea Mantegna--His Statuesque Design--His Naturalism--Roman Inspiration--Triumph of Julius Caesar--Bas-reliefs--Luca Signorelli--The Precursor of Michael Angelo--Anatomical Studies--Sense of Beauty--The Chapel of S. Brizio at Orvieto--Its Arabesques and Medallions--Degrees in his Ideal--Enthusiasm for Organic Life--Mode of treating Classical Subjects--Perugino--His Pietistic Style--His Formalism--The Psychological Problem of his Life--Perugino's Pupils--Pinturicchio--At Spello and Siena--Francia--Fra Bartolommeo--Transition to the Golden Age--Lionardo da Vinci--The Magician of the Renaissance--Raphael--The Melodist--Correggio--The Faun--Michael Angelo--The Prophet.

CHAPTER VII

VENETIAN PAINTING

Painting bloomed late in Venice--Conditions offered by Venice to Art--Shelley and Pietro Aretino--Political Circumstances of Venice--Comparison with Florence--The Ducal Palace--Art regarded as an adjunct to State Pageantry--Myth of Venezia--Heroic Deeds of Venice--Tintoretto's Paradise and Guardi's Picture of a Ball--Early Venetian Masters of Murano--Gian Bellini--Carpaccio's Little Angels--The Madonna of S. Zaccaria--Giorgione--Allegory, Idyll, Expression of Emotion--The Monk at the Clavichord--Titian, Tintoret, and Veronese--Tintoretto's Attempt to dramatise Venetian Art--Veronese's Mundane Splendour--Titian's Sophoclean Harmony--Their Schools--Further Characteristics of Veronese--of Tintoretto--His Imaginative Energy--Predominant Poetry--Titian's Perfection of Balance--Assumption of Madonna--Spirit common to the great Venetians.

CHAPTER VIII

LIFE OF MICHAEL ANGELO

Contrast of Michael Angelo and Cellini--Parentage and Boyhood of Michael Angelo--Work with Ghirlandajo--Gardens of S. Marco--The Medicean Circle--Early Essays in Sculpture--Visit to Bologna--First Visit to Rome--The Pietà of S. Peter's--Michael Angelo as a Patriot and a friend of the Medici--Cartoon for the Battle of Pisa--Michael Angelo and Julius II.--The Tragedy of the Tomb--Design for the Pope's Mausoleum--Visit to Carrara--Flight from Rome--Michael Angelo at Bologna--Bronze Statue of Julius--Return to Rome--Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel--Greek and Modern Art--Raphael--Michael Angelo and Leo X.--S. Lorenzo--The new Sacristy--Circumstances under which it was designed and partly finished--Meaning of the Allegories--Incomplete state of Michael Angelo's Marbles--Paul III.--The "Last Judgment"--Critiques of Contemporaries--The Dome of S. Peter's--Vittoria Colonna--Tommaso Cavalieri--Personal Habits of Michael Angelo--His Emotional Nature--Last Illness.