Not a poor glimmering Crucifixion, Where in the foreground kneels the donor? The hoarding it does you but little honor. 29. They pass; for them the panels may thrill, Of dealers and stealers, Jews and the English, 30. No matter for these! But Giotto, you, Have you allowed, as the town-tongues babble it Oh, never! it shall not be counted true That a certain precious little tablet istic work, and mentioned by Vasari, who praises its small figures, which he says are executed with more grace and finished with greater delicacy' than the larger ones. Nothing, however, can be more unlike nature, than the grim Madonna and the weird starved Child in her arms (see Wornum's Catal. Nat. Gal., for a description of this painting). Margaritone's favorite subject was the figure of St. Francis, his style being well suited to depict the chief ascetic saint. Crucifixions were also much to his taste, and he represented them in all their repulsive details. Vasari relates that he died at the age of 77, afflicted and disgusted at having lived to see the changes that had taken place in art, and the honors bestowed on the new artists." - Heaton. His monument to Pope Gregory X. in the Cathedral of Arezzo, is ranked among his best works. "Browning possesses the 'Crucifixion' by M. to which he alludes, as also the pictures of Alesso Baldovinetti, and Taddeo Gaddi, and Pollajuolo described in the poem."- Browning Soc. Papers, Pt. II., p. 169. St. 29. tempera: see Webster, s.v. tinglish: sharp? Zeno: founder of the Stoic philosophy. Carlino: some expressionless picture by Carlo, or Carlino, Dolci. His works show an extreme finish, often with no end beyond itself; some being, to use Ruskin's words, "polished into inanity." St. 30. a certain precious little tablet: "The 'little tablet' was a famous 'Last Supper,' mentioned by Vasari, and gone astray long ago from the Church Which Buonarroti eyed like a lover, Was buried so long in oblivion's womb 31. I, that have haunted the dim San Spirito, Nay, I shall have it yet! Detur amanti! What if I take up my hope and prophesy? 32. When the hour grows ripe, and a certain dotard None of that shooting the sky (blank cartridge), Nor a civic guard, all plumes and lacquer, of S. Spirito: it turned up, according to report, in some obscure corner, while I was in Florence, and was at once acquired by a stranger. I saw it, genuine or no, a work of great beauty."—From Poet's Letter to the Editor. Buonarotti: Michael Angelo (more correctly, Michel Agnolo) Buonarotti, b. 6th of March, 1475, at Castel Caprese, near Florence; d. at Rome, 18th of Feb., 1564. and to whom?-to whom? a contemptuous repetition. St. 31. San Spirito: a church of the 14th century, in Florence. Ognissanti: i.e.," All Saints," in Florence. I shall have it yet! I shall make a happy find yet. Detur amanti! let it be given to the loving one. Koh-i-noor: Mountain of Light," a celebrated diamond, "the diamond of the great Mogul,” presented to Queen Victoria, in 1850. See Art. on the Diamond, N. Brit. Rev. Vol. 18, p. 186, and Art., Diamond, Encycl. Brit.; used here, by metonymy, for a great treasure. Jewel of Giamschid: the Deria-i-noor, or the Sea of Light, one of the largest of known diamonds, belonging to the king of Persia, is probably referred to. See N. Brit. Rev., Vol. 18, p. 217. St. 32. a certain dotard: Joseph Wenzel Radetzky, b. Nov. 2, 1766, d. Jan. Hunting Radetzky's soul like a partridge 33. This time we'll shoot better game and bag 'em hot: (Ex: "Casa Guidi," quod videas ante) Shall ponder, once Freedom restored to Florence, 34. How we shall prologuize, how we shall perorate, Feel truth at blood-heat and falsehood at zero rate, Contrast the fructuous and sterile eras, Show monarchy ever its uncouth cub licks Out of the bear's shape into Chimera's, While Pure Art's birth is still the republic's! 35. Then one shall propose in a speech (curt Tuscan, Expurgate and sober, with scarcely an "issimo"), 5, 1858, in his 92d year; governed the Austrian possessions in Italy to Feb. 28, 1857. Morello: Monte Morello, the highest of the spurs of the Apennines, to the north of Florence. St. 33. the stone of Dante: see Casa Guidi Windows, Pt. I., Sect. XIV., XV. Witanagemot: A. S. witena gemôt: an assembly of wise men, a parliament. Casa Guidi: Mrs. Browning's Casa Guidi Windows, a poem named from the house in Florence in which she lived, and giving her impressions of events in Tuscany at the time. the Loraine's: the "hated house" included the Cardinals of Guise, or Lorraine, and the Dukes of Guise, a younger branch of the house of Lorraine. Orgagna: Andrea di Cione (surnamed Orcagna, or Arcagnolo, approximate dates of b. and d. 1315-1376), one of the most noted successors of Giotto, and allied to him in genius; though he owed much to Giotto, he showed great independence of spirit in his style. St. 35. an "issimo": any adjective in the superlative degree. to end: com. To end now our half-told tale of Cambuscan, 36. Shall I be alive that morning the scaffold Springs from its sleep, and up goes the spire, At least to foresee that glory of Giotto And Florence together, the first am I ! plete. our half-told tale of Cambuscan: by metonymy for the unfinished Campanile of Giotto; "Or call up him that left half-told The story of Cambuscan bold." -Milton's Il Penseroso. An allusion to Chaucer, who left the Squire's Tale in the Canterbury Tales unfinished. The poet follows Milton's accentuation of the word "Cambuscan," on the penult; it's properly accented on the ultimate. beccaccia: woodcock. the Duomo's fit ally: "There is, as far as I know, only one Gothic building in Europe, the Duomo of Florence, in which the ornament is so exquisitely finished as to enable us to imagine what might have been the effect of the perfect workmanship of the Renaissance, coming out of the hands of men like Verocchio and Ghiberti, had it been employed on the magnificent framework of Gothic structure." — Ruskin in Stones of Venice. St. 36. and up goes the spire: Giotto's plan included a spire of 100 feet, but the project was abandoned by Taddeo Gaddi, who carried on the work after the death of Giotto in 1336. "The mountains from without In silence listen for the word said next. What word will men say, — here where Giotto planted His Campanile like an unperplexed Fine question heaven-ward, touching the things granted A noble people, who, being greatly vexed In act, in aspiration keep undaunted?" -Mrs. Browning's Casa Guidi Windows, Pt. I., vv. 66-72. PICTOR IGNOTUS. [FLORENCE, 15-] I COULD have painted pictures like that youth's To outburst on your night, with all my gift Of fires from God: nor would my flesh have shrunk And wide to heaven, or, straight like thunder, sunk Turned calmly and inquisitive, to scan And, like that youth ye praise so, all I saw, Each passion clear proclaimed without a tongue : A-tiptoe for the blessing of embrace, Or Rapture drooped the eyes, as when her brood And locked the mouth fast, like a castle braved, What did ye give me that I have not saved? ΙΟ 20 3. ah, thought which saddens while it soothes: the thought saddens him that he has not realized his capabilities, and soothes him that he has resisted the temptations to earthly fame, and been true to his soul. 14-22. he could have expressed Hope, Rapture, Confidence, and all other passions, in the human face, each clear proclaimed without a tongue. 23. hath it spilt, my cup? the cup of his memory. 24. What did ye give me that I have not saved? he has retained all the impressions he has received from human faces. |