The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-03-03
The Three Painters.

Three great men in Italy stood
highest in the ranks Of art at the
highest time of her, seeming
greatness, closely CONNECTED ;
nooted in experience, widely .separa .
ted in individual oharasser, each
showing in various degrees the ex.,
traordinary gifts which, in some
form, have never died apt from tho
Italian race-all equally affected by
the manners aud policy Of the ago !,
all "migbty mon." These three
we're Leonardo da Vinoi, Michael
Angelo and Raphael. To be n great
artist was by that time passport both
10 employment aud to popularity.
The world had then begun to seek
them for the mselyes as we'll as for
their art. Society had reached that
intellectual point when genious is
not only patron!zed, but lionized.
No one . Of these three great men
was boxed by convent rule es or fcttor-
ed by partnerships each stood indi
vidual and alone, though drawing
numbers round itself. The outline
Of their characters, therefore, is lost
in no common ground and no thread
of history is more trustworthy to fol.
low than the lives aud fate Of such
men. Two Of them, Leonardo and
Michael Angelo, were before and bs-
yond their age--the one intellectual.
ly, the other morally while Raphael
in both respects stood on a par with
it. Leonardo and Raphael were men
of the world, supple, cour'ier.l,ko,
swimming with the stream Michael
Angelo was stern and upright, anu
always in conflict witR it. Leopardo
was the greater genius Michael
Angelo the nobler spirit; Raphael
the happier NAN. Of one SO sympa-
thGtic and succeSsful as Raphael it is
difficult to give: telling outline.
Mlsfortupe did not try him, success
did not spoil him, length of fe did
not weary him !; accordingly the
course of.man. and the painter pre-
scnts that. smothness ON which the
moralist Gun lay little hold. Leon,
ardo's gifts were SO incredibly pume-
rous aud varied as to hinder the
developments of his caecr in any
one Of them he was also fastidious,
procrastinating, and apparently un-
consciously; and never was 30 lofty
. ftme in at maintained. by works,
80 few, SO ruined, and 50 ,uuo ertain ss
thope he, has. left behind him.
MlGhael Angel 10, was the impersopa..
tion Of laboriousness and sprsoieu-
tiousness, but his time and his, gen.
,us were wasted. by authority Of igno-
rance an.! caprice and it was only by
the perseverance Of an houest purpuse
the energy Of a great mind, and the
opportunity Of loug life that he ae-
complishcd the stupend. US monu-
monts that imnortalize him. ,,Ao to
Rapheal, the mum ber Of his :. creations
as compared with the ..shortness of his
career are such as led US to infer that
equal facility and perfection of pro-.
due ion were never compatible before
or siuce. Lcunurdu worked, slowly
Micheal Angelo furiously Of
Rapheal's mode Of l"bo We can only
he sure that it was a d light to him.
In character Of art Leouard" ava
Michael Angelo We both .,r;ctty
new ; Raphral not 80 uew as Sc ,pst-
feet. Finally, their portraits arc tho
types OF the men,. Leonardo, hand T.
-"me aud high bred ,, with an Italians:
dignity, but cpurtier's .mask
Raphael. young, beautiful, and uA-
ruffled Michael Agelo's tho. MOURN:
fullest cVuntenance we Can look upon.
Edenbuyy Rerisw.