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Page 29
--BROWNING.
[Illustration: PONTE ALLA CARRAJA, FLORENCE.]
At last the morning came when the postponed visit to Santa Maria del
Carmine, on the other side of the Arno, was to be made. Miss Sherman had
so evidently desired to join in the study of the old painters that Mrs.
Douglas suggested to her brother that she be invited to do so, but he
had thought it not best.
"The others would not be so free to talk," he said. "I do not wish any
constraint. Now we are only a family party,--with the exception of
Howard, and I confess that I sometimes wish he did not join us in this."
Malcom was again with them, for the first time since they were at
Fiesole, and this was enough to make the occasion a particularly joyous
one.
The romantic mystery of Masaccio's short life and sudden, secret death,
and the wonderful advance that he effected in the evolution of Italian
painting of the fifteenth century, had greatly interested them as they
had read at home about him, and all were eager to see the frescoes.
"They are somewhat worn and dark," Mr. Sumner said, "and at first you
will probably feel disappointed. What you must particularly look for
here is that which you have hitherto found nowhere else,--the expression
of individuality in figures and faces. Giotto, you remember, sought to
tell some story; to illustrate some Bible incident so that it should
seem important and claim attention. Masaccio went to work in a wholly
different way. While Giotto would say to himself: 'Now I am going to
paint a certain Bible story; what people shall I introduce so that this
story shall best seem to be a real occurrence?' Masaccio would think: 'I
wish to make a striking picture of Peter and John, or any other sacred
characters. What story or incident shall I choose for representation
that will best show the individual characteristics of these men?'
"Possessing this great love for people, he studied the drawing of the
human figure as had never been done before in the history of Christian
art. At this time, more than a hundred years after Giotto, artists were
beginning to master the science of perspective drawing, and in
Masaccio's pictures we see men standing firmly on their feet, and put
upon different planes in the same picture; their figures well poised,
and true to anatomy. In one of them is his celebrated naked, shivering
youth, who is awaiting baptism,--the study of which wrought a revolution
in painting."
A little afterward they were standing in the dim Brancacci Chapel of
Santa Maria del Carmine, whose walls are covered with frescoes of scenes
in the lives of Christ and His apostles. They had learned that there was
an artist called Masolino, who, perhaps, had begun these frescoes, and
had been Masaccio's teacher; and that a young man called Filippino Lippi
had finished them some years after they had been left incomplete by
Masaccio's early death.
All were greatly impressed by the fact that so little can be known of
Masaccio, who wrought here so well; that even when, or how, or where he
died is a mystery; and yet his name is one of the very greatest in early
Italian art.
They talked of how the greatest masters of the High Renaissance--Michael
Angelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael--used to come here to study, and
thus this little chapel became a great art school; and how, at the
present time, it is esteemed by many one of the four most important
art-buildings in the world;--the others being, Arena Chapel, Padua,
where are Giotto's frescoes; Sistine Chapel, Rome, where are Michael
Angelo's greatest paintings; and Scuola di San Rocco, Venice, which is
filled with Tintoretto's work.
He then called their attention to the composition of Masaccio's
frescoes; asking them especially to notice that, while only a few people
are taking part in the principal scene, many others are standing about
interested in looking on; all, men with strongly marked
characteristics,--individual, and worthy of attention.
"May I repeat a verse or two of poetry right here where we stand,
uncle?" asked Margery. "It keeps saying itself in my mind. I think you
all know it and who wrote it, but that is all the better."
And in her own sweet way she recited James Russell Lowell's beautiful
tribute to Masaccio:--
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