13. Carletto Caliari. Young Woman in Venetian coştume of 16th century. Room 12, *32. Tintoretto. Head of the Saviour. 9. Lazzarini. Bacchanal. 48. L. Bassano. Christ on Calvary. SEMINARIO PATRIARCALE. (SEMINARIO VESCOVILE.) Adjoining the Church of Santa Maria della Salute is the SEMINARIO PATRIARCALE. Upstairs in this building (entrance from the quay) is the PINACOTECA MANFREDINI, a small room containing a collection of pictures, which may usually be seen from 10 to 3 for a fee. Wall opposite the window, in the centre, Leonardo da Vinci. *The Holy Family, with a Violin Player. It is claimed that this picture was painted in the palace of the Sforza, where Leonardo was a guest, and was wont to practise music with Lodovico Sforza; it contains the arms of that family. To the right, Rubens. St. Francis. To the left, Guercino. Santa Chiara. Santa Chiara (St. Clare) was very wealthy and beautiful. She founded the Order of "Poor Clares," a severe order of Franciscan nuns. Her special attribute is the Pyx containing the Host. She wears a green tunic, and the cord of St. Francis, with a black veil. also bears the lily, the cross, and the palm. (August 12th, 1253.) F. Bassano. Adoration of the Shepherds. In the centre, below, Guido Reni. Dead Christ. Right, Filippino Lippi. *Christ with the Magdalene. She "A good work by Filippino Lippi, absurdly attributed to Crespi." (Morelli.) Filippino Lippi. *Woman of Samaria. Both of these fine works have been groundlessly attributed to Domenico Crespi. Tintoretto (?). Annunciation. Raphael (?). Madonna. Wall opposite the entrance, in the centre (above), Giorgione. * Daphne and Apollo. Morelli and others consider this a genuine work of Giorgione, but Messrs. Crowe and Cavalcaselle attribute it to Andrea Schiavone. "It is probably a so-called cassone picture, of which Giorgione is said to have painted a great number. The picture has been restored in oil, and is much disfigured." (Morelli, "Italian Painters " ii. p. 216.) " Cassoni " were wooden chests much used during the fifteenth century to contain bridal presents, and the wardrobe which formed part of the bride's dowry, and they also served the purpose of our modern wardrobes. The best artists of the day were often employed to paint them. Daphne ("laurel") was the daughter of the river-god, Peneus, the most fertilizing of the Greek rivers, by the goddess Terra (the earth). She represents, therefore, the spirit of all foliage, as springing from the earth, rather than merely the laurel. Apollo (or Phoebus) became enamoured of her, but Daphne fled from him. When she was nearly exhausted she appealed to her father, who changed her into a laurel-tree. To the right, Parmigianino. Madonna. Andrea del Sarto. Descent from the Cross. In the centre, below, S. Rizzi. Adoration of the Magi. To the right, Fra Bartolommeo (or Albertinelli). Madonna. Morelli considered this picture to be by Albertinelli. oil. 66 On wood, in Pretty in its old pilastered frame, softly coloured, but with more smorfia ("grimace ") and carelessness than was proper to the Frate (Bartolommeo). The flesh is somewhat restored." (C. & C.) (Left.) Titian. Salomé with the head of John the Baptist. Near the door, Titian (?). Portrait of Pietro Aretino. It is claimed that this portrait was presented to the Marquis Manfredini by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and that it is the one which C. & C. and other writers say was lost; but it is more probably a copy of the portrait of Aretino in the Giustiniani Palace, at Padua. Pietro Aretino was born in 1492, the illegitimate son of a gentleman of Arezzo. His satirical writings were very celebrated, and he was called the "Scourge of Princes." He lived in Venice, where he wielded great influence, and was the friend and counsellor of Titian. The following epitaph was composed for him :-" Here lies Aretino, the Tuscan poet, who said evil of every one, except of Christ, and he excused the omission, saying he had never heard of Him." ROYAL PALACE. ("PALAZZO REALE.") Entrance in arcades near Florian's Café; may usually be seen from 12 to 2 on Thursdays and Sundays; fee to guardian, one franc for one or two persons. There are a number of pictures in the Royal Palace, among which are the following: Bonifazio. Six different pictures here are attributed to Bonifazio, but it is impossible to designate by which of the three artists they were painted, except the "St. John the Baptist with SS. Omobono and Barbara," in the room called "Sala di Napoleone I.," which is by Bonifazio I., and is dated Nov. 9th, 1533. The "Passage of the Red Sea" is groundlessly ascribed to Titian, though the design for it was probably by him. Messrs. Crowe and Cavalcaselle think it is by Pellegrino Ida San Daniele. The "Christ in Hades" is groundlessly attributed to Giorgione; it is probably by Pellegrino. It is now much injured, and seems to have been very rapidly painted. This and the foregoing picture were formerly in the Doges Palace, in the passage leading from the "Stanza del Collegio" to the Doges' Chapel. Rocco Marconi. Woman taken in Adultery. This is a signed work which Morelli says, "vividly recalls the manner of Palma." There are also here five pictures by the Bassanos, a “Dead Christ," by Paris Bordone, a ceiling Allegory of Venice" (admirable) by Paolo Veronese, and three other paintings by him- "Christ in the Garden," "Institution of the Rosary," and "Adam and Eve." In the Chapel is a celebrated "Ecce Homo!" by A. Dürer, and on the altar is "God with Christ," by Carlo Čaliari. LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL PALACE. ("Libreria Vecchia," or Antica Libreria di San Marco.") This Library is now a part of the Royal Palace. Tintoretto. Removal of the relics of. St. Mark from Alexandria. Ruskin calls these the finest paintings of the kind in existence. Tintoretto painted these with the greatest care, because Titian had told the Procurators of St. Mark that Tintoretto was not worthy to be employed in the decoration of this hall. The officials thought this rather severe, and gave Tintoretto his opportunity. It is the impersonation of profound meditation. There is much power in the modelling of this figure, and the light is so managed that it stands out as if it did not intend to remain in the niche where it is placed. Middle of ceiling near the entrance, Titian. Wisdom. Zanetti asserts it was painted in 1570. Wisdom is a grandly formed woman half-recumbent on a cloud. In her left hand is a scroll, while her right is stretched out to touch a folio held up by a winged genius. "It would hardly be possible to fill an octagon field more appropriately than this, impossible to produce anything more abundantly graceful and elevated, or more splendidly foreshortened. The play of light and shade combined with that of atmosphere and colour is magic, and the touch, broad, firm, and to the purpose, cannot be surpassed." (C. & C., "Titian " ii. p. 296.) The ceiling of the Great Hall is divided into seven compartments, containing paintings of the sixteenth century. LAYARD COLLECTION. In the "Ca Capello," a fifteenth-century palace on the west side of the Grand Canal, is a valuable collection of pictures made by the late Sir Austin Henry Layard, G.C.B., etc. The works of art here are only shown by special permission of the owner, Lady Layard. In this palace the famous Bianca Capello was born in 1548, and from it she fled, in 1573, to Florence with Pietro Bonaventura, an employé in the Salviati Bank of Venice. She afterwards married the Grand Duke Francesco de' Medici, who is said to have previously poisoned both Bonaventura and his first wife, Giovanna d'Austria. Bianca Capello died in 1587 in Florence, a few hours after the Grand Duke.1 The Layard collection contains many beautiful paintings, 1 See Karl Károly's "Guide to the Paintings of Florence," pp. 12, 22, 26, and 73, for account of portraits of Bianca Capello. M among which is the celebrated portrait of the Sultan Mehemet by Gentile Bellini. As these works will eventually go to the National Gallery (London), the most important of them will be enumerated. Bellini (Gentile). Portrait of Sultan Mehemet. Painted during Gentile's visit to Constantinople, and dated November 25th, 1480. The arabesques painted round the arch are exquisitely finished. "The head is painted with great delicacy, and is evidently a true likeness, although it little agrees with the character of a great conqueror, and of a firm and energetic ruler." (Layard.) Adoration of the Magi. Bellini (Giovanni). Madonna. Bissolo. Madonna and Saints, with donors. Bonifazio. Small replica of his "Dives and Lazarus" in the Academy. Bonsignori. Madonna and Saints. Bordone (Paris). Christ anointing. Buonconsiglio. John the Baptist. Carpaccio (?). Departure of St. Ursula (?). Carpaccio. Madonna adoring Child. Cima. Madonna, John the Baptist, and St. Augustine. Garbo (Raff. del). Portrait. Grande (Ercole). Several Biblical scenes. Luini. Madonna. Mazzolino. Adoration of the Shepherds. Montagna (B.). John the Baptist and two Saints. Moretto. Portrait, and a Madonna. Moroni. Several portraits. Palma Veechio. A knight kneeling before a cross in a landscape with a female behind. A very beautifully coloured picture. Previtali. Christ. Savaldo. St. Jerome in prayer. In the distance is a view of the town and harbour of Pesaro. It is a work of deep poetic feeling, but is now much damaged. The original study for this, in black chalk, is in the Louvre, formerly under the name of Titian, but now Savaldo. Sebastian del Piombo. Pietà. This is his earliest known work, painted when a boy. It is almost a copy of one by Cima, now in Russia. On the original cartellino Sebastian described himself in bad Latin as a pupil of Giov. Bellini. The forged cartellino gives it to Cima, who at that time was probably the director of Bellini's atelier. |