large and unpleasant picture, formerly in the Convent of San Giacomo alla Giudecca. Canvas: 16 ft. 11 in. by 32 ft. II in.

139. Callot (Jacques). French; 1592-1635. The Fair at Impruneta, near Florence. According to the "cicerone," paintings by Callot are not to be found in Italy; those in this Academy are by an inferior painter. Canvas: 3 ft. 6 in. by 7 ft. 3 in.

136. 3 in.

The Pont Neuf, Paris. Canvas : 3 ft. 6 in. by 7 ft.

114. The Tour de Nesle, Paris. Canvas: 1 ft. 7 in. by 2 ft. 5 in.

Campagnola (Domenico).

170.

Saint Prosdocimo, Bishop. Formerly in the Chiesa del Torresino, Padua. Panel: 6 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft. 10 in. The four Evangelists.

463. Canale (Antonio), called "Canaletto." The Courtyard of a Palace. This picture is signed and dated 1765, but the signature is believed to be false. Formerly in the Academy of Painting. Canvas: 4 ft. 3 in. by 3 ft. 1 in. It seems strange that there are no authentic works by Canaletto in this Gallery.

"Canaletto is less to be trusted for renderings of details than the rudest and most ignorant painter of the thirteenth century.” (Ruskin.)

"The whole very effective, though perhaps somewhat too forced in chiaroscuro for real fidelity to nature.' (Eastlake.)

"

494. Attributed to Canaletto. View of Venice. Attributed to Caracci (Annibale).

428. The Holy Family in Egypt. Presented by Molin. Canvas: 1 ft. 3 in. by 1 ft. 1 in.

Caravaggio. (Amerighi.) 59. Homer.

Cardin. See Chardin.

299. Cariani (Giovanni Busi). Bergamese; 1480 - 90 - c. 1541. Portrait of a Man. Canvas: 2 ft. 3 in. by 1 ft. 9 in. "The treatment is clever and rapid; in Cariani's usual manner.' (C. & C.)

326. Virgin, Child, and St. John the Baptist. At the sides, St. Zaccharia and St. Catherine. From the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. Panel: 2 ft. 9 in. by 3 ft. 11 in.

300. Copy of Cariani. Portrait of a Man. Canvas: 2 ft. 91 in. by 2 ft. 6 in.

Three Portraits. The original of this picture is at Oldenburg. Canvas: 2 ft. 7 in. by 2 ft. 3 in.

** Carpaccio's pictures illustrating the legend of St. Ursula.

Legend of St. Ursula:

A certain king of Brittany named Theonatus (or Deonato), but who is called Mauro in the Italian version of the legend, had a virtuous, beautiful, and accomplished daughter named Ursula, who was sought in marriage by many persons. Among other offers was one made by Agrippinus, King of England, on behalf of his son Conon (afterwards called Etherius). Not to displease her father, Ursula consented to be betrothed to the English prince on three conditions. First, that the King of England should give her as companions ten virgins of noble birth, each provided with a thousand maiden attendants, and that a thousand more should be allotted to herself (see beyond). Secondly, that before the proposed marriage, three years should be allotted to Ursula and her companions for a pilgrimage to certain shrines; and thirdly, that Prince Conon and his suite should embrace Christianity, and be baptized at once. When King Agrippinus heard Ursula's answer, which his ambassadors brought back to him, he not only consented to the conditions, but became a Christian himself.

An angel appeared to Ursula in a dream and enjoined her to make a pilgrimage to Rome. They were met at the gates of the city by Pope Cyprianus and her fiancé and his suit. (See scene 6.) Ursula and her suite suffered martyrdom at Cologne in 452. (See in the account of each picture for further explanations of the legend.)

The mistake in believing that Ursula had eleven thousand virgins with her, probably arises from the mistranslation of an old inscription, to wit :-" Vrsvla et XI. MM. VV.”— that is to say, in Latin :-"Ursula et undecim martyres virgines." The translator mistook the double M (standing for martyrs) for the equivalent of thousand, and so translated it "eleven thousand virgins," instead of, "eleven virgin martyrs." According to a legend the "eleven thousand" virgins were born at Baoza, in Spain, a town of only twelve thousand inhabitants. Their bones, which are still shown at Cologne, were taken from an old Roman cemetery across

1 Ursula is identical with the Swabian Ursul, or Hörsel, the moon, and her virgins are the stars. Ursul is the Scandinavian Hulda.

which the walls of Cologne ran, and which were exposed to view after the siege in 1106.

This legend had a special interest for the Venetians, as the founding of their city was about the time of the invasion of the Huns who had put St. Ursula to death.

Carpaccio painted this series of pictures between 1490 and 1495 for the "Scuola di Sant' Ursula," a benevolent institution for the support and education of female orphans, which was situated near San Giovanni e Paolo. They were restored in 1752 by Cortinus. Though painted in oil, they are executed according to the tempera method, unglazed. They are now in a damaged condition, and the effect that they had in their original position in the chapel of St. Ursula cannot be judged here. Zanetti relates how the persons who went there to pray remained enraptured before these works.

The treatment is similar to a series of small pictures representing the same subject which Memling painted previously for the hospital of Bruges.

General criticisms :—

"The extreme devotion which Mr. Ruskin has for this painter 1 has raised him to a pedestal which is slightly factitious, at least as far as the crowd is concerned, who follow the great writer without comprehending him, and are apt to make the worship a little ridiculous. But there is enough in the noble series of pictures which set forth the visionary life of St. Ursula to justify a great deal of enthusiasm." (Mrs. Oliphant, pp. 268, 269.)

"There is nothing more striking in this interesting series than the perfect correctness of the linear perspective in all the distances and interiors. The scenes are rich in architectural features, varied in combination of groups and singularly realistic.” (C. & C. "Hist. Ptg. N. Italy," i. p. 2co.)

"In the first place, then, we have the curious fact, intensely characteristic of the fifteenth, as opposed to the nineteenth century, that the figures are all true and natural, but the landscape false and unnatural, being by such fallacy entirely subordinate to the figures. Nothing in the universe thought worth to look at, unless it is in service or foil to some two-legged creature showing itself off to the best advantage. 2 In the next place, I want you to notice Carpaccio's fancy in what he does represent very beautifully-the architecture, real and ideal, of his day." (Ruskin, "Guide to Acad," ii.)

1 Ruskin calls CARPACCIO's "Two Courtesans," in the Correr Museum, "the best picture in the world."

2 Further analysis of this point will be found in the third volume of Ruskin's "Modern Painters," in the chapter on "mediæval landscape."

"The richness of fancy, the lively dramatic feeling, the originality and naïveté with which the story is told, render this series one of the most interesting examples of early Venetian art." (Mrs. Jameson.)

"The execution of this legend of St. Ursula is not the best work of the painter; it is treated in rather a dry way and with a certain hardness of outline. Carpaccio was not acquainted with the secret of aerial perspective." (Translated from Charles Blanc.)

"On ne saurait imaginer des airs de tête plus naïvement adorable, des tournures d'une plus agreeable coquetterie." (T. Gautier, "Italia.")

"The qualities and the defects of these remarkable pictures are power of expression and of composition, lacking, however, softness and harmony, exactness of linear perspective, and a complete absence of aerial perspective, a want of nobility of thought, but not of expression, and a purity and delicacy of execution." (Pontès, "Peinture Vénitienne," p. 22.)

*

572. This series of nine pictures by Carpaccio begins with [1] The Ambassadors of the King of England received by King Mauro, the father of St. Ursula. To the right, a room where the latter converses with his daughter Ursula. Signed "Op. Victoris Carpatio Veneti." Canvas: 9 ft. I in. by 19 ft. 3 in.

This picture is divided by columns into three parts. The centre represents the King of Brittany receiving in a courteous manner the English ambassadors, who have come to ask the hand of his daughter for their prince. To the left, is a vestibule of the palace where attendants lounge, arrayed in picturesque costume. To the right, the King of Brittany, in his daughter's room, is discussing the marriage. In his right hand is the letter from the King of England. King Mauro is seated meditating his reply, knowing that his daughter had made a vow of perpetual chastity. Ursula stands beside him and enumerates the conditions under which she will become affianced to the English prince. (See legend, before.) We see by the action that she is detailing the third condition,- that Prince Conon and his suite must become Christians.

This action of counting her fingers is identical with the same movement in the figure of St. Catherine by Masaccio at San Clemente (Rome), though there is no proof that Carpaccio ever visited Rome.

At the foot of the stairs, on the right, is the figure of an old woman which evidently gave Titian the idea for the ugly old woman in his "Presentation." (See page 82.)

"This takes the prize for composition, resolute movement, firm drawing, and well balanced light and shade." (C. & C.)

"The splendid execution gives this picture the most attractive air of truth, to which the view of the grand Venetian buildings much contributes." (Kugler.)

"Voila un tableau très animé, très rempli, et dont le cadre est splendide; l'architecture y joue un grand rôle, et pourtant le spectateur est encore plus touché qu'il n'est éboui." (Charles Blanc.)

"It is broadly and simply treated, though full of the most exquisite detail. The king's robe is richly worked in embroidery. It is of a glowing soft tone of yellow like old gold. This is relieved against the white bedspread, and by the canopy above, which is of soft red. The background is warm grey, and appears to be of marble. The head of the princess is relieved against a dark panel. Her complexion and hair are fair. She is clothed in a delicate, soft neutral blue, draped with a mantle of rich bright red. The combination of the whole is most harmonious and pleasing." (Note by T. Cole in W. J. Stillman's "Old Italian Masters," p. 263.)

The pose of all these figures is easy and life-like, but their features generally are distinguished by an expression of intense gravity. (Eastlake.)

573. [2] The King of Brittany dismissing the English Ambassadors with his Conditions. Signed "Victoris Carpatio Veneti Opus." 9 ft. 1 in. by 8 feet 2 in.

"This is the most beautiful piece of painting in the rooms." (Ruskin.)

"All these figures are wonderfully life-like in pose-their features invested with great character and expression. Indeed, the naturalism of the whole scene, even to the guttering of the wax candles in the chandeliers, is very remarkable.' (Eastlake.)

"The most striking features are the effect of light that streams through a side door on the left, and a poor clerk labouring at his desk. (Berenson.)

574. [3]* The Ambassadors of the King of England return with the answer of Ursula. The English king, who has a disagreeable expression, sits enthroned on the right. The architecture is distinctly Venetian, though the scene is supposed to take place in England. Touches of humour here and there enliven the picture. On the steps of the throne is a monkey dressed as a Venetian senator. Signed "Victoris Carpatio Veneti Opus." 9 ft. 10 in. by 17 ft. in.

"The sunlight effect under which the picture is painted, the rfined sense of colour which it displays and, above all, the genuine ,aturalism of the scene, combine to render this work one of the most attractive in the series." (Eastlake.)

"But only two ambassadors are here; the King is occupied in hearing a case which will take long; meantime the young prince, impatient, going down the steps of the throne, makes his own private inquiries. Meantime, the chargé d'affaires holds