, 1881-02-20


D
headal Of John. II. Herod at supper receives
the head Of John on charger. IS. The
daughter of Herodias presents Johns head
head Of John. 20. The disciples bury the
body
Tie northern gates, also of bronze. and dl-
vlded into twenty panels, are by Lorenzo
Ghiberti {l40l, and the subjects are all taken
from
THE LIFE OF OUR SAVIOR,
commencing with tha annunclation OF the
Anrpj to re VIRGIN Mary and closing with
the Resurrection. THE stories are told simply,
aud there is q Ieiientfui freshness as well as
earnestness of th0t, chit in these compositions,
Srhich art finishe1, wItl, conscientions care.
The eastern rates aiso nf bronze. and d.
yidefi intn Ten noneis are nv the same artist,
~ tto tS1. p'et %. 10 ~ w tha nid ,Toe
lament % heoinnin~ i;v;th The creation Of man.
an.i amino viii tba J" ,naar;ne nf Sninmnn and
the Queen Of Shehn In abiding to die creat
beauty Of these severai @atess Michael Angelo,
eates are worthv to .,'a' ha' tha @ates or Para-
disc"
The vaatprn anrronca v,a c,osad early in
rho thfrteant, Ea.ts.l' l'ax, W. tr;hnna and
cumbro1s nltar wnra ,iscs[1 ~1in n Z its = stead
An ocfaanna, fon+ 10 I.1o 49, ~. r. sx;stanca
hrt which Gnce eton' ~ ~ +ho .ss"r;eh ohrrch ~
s. Ranarta ".ee hrot -, We t ~ ~ Ptita. ~
1lsS. If annears to Inva ~ cons;staJ ~ one
large hosin snrro"niaI h, s',ai, has,ns ~.
samhlnr those stiiI IN 1,s ~ - tha Ron1;stcr;es
81 p;sa n pstnia ~ Sa TIs .a .s h;,, a
| fnten1ed Tor aduIt im,ners'an o1,.' and was
reached by three steps.Nsymboclic CO Of tr the
aesh and rho i7cr;i and ri h;s confseSinrn ~. ~
the urea Persone nf The Trnftr. trh;in ,na
,H ,inr hasns aronn, were intendaI ~ ;m.
Iants i naplsmt that II was "nlse spectator az
s'4A' ~
| DANTE
IN hts attempt to rescue csc % a fnllq Iron from droWn- -
colalnelnorated in his cele6lated lines, where,
describing the $epulchral place Of punish
nlent OF Simon Alagus and Ills followers ne
says In the Inferno, canto XIX, vol. i:
| "To me less ample seemed they not. nor greater
Than those that in my beautiful st. John
are d n oq sshch L9s I nat many Years aap
Ibroke for some one who was drowning in it,
A notice IS cxtaut in the records Of the
| Guild 1T Wool Ut the sum paid for the cola-
struction OF a canal to convey water from the
nrohahly msetl in bad weather. The cupola
having been open to the air before the lantern
was builr. the larger font was too much ex-
| posed for the rite Of baptism. It was alto
| gether removed in l57l by the Grand-Duke
Francis l., on the, baptism of his sou. The
removal. However, was q most unpopular act
with tie Florentine citizens.
The present position of the place which tha
inr the 1cn centre Of the lone and is nnrked by
eight octagonal slabs of yariegated marble,
each sab being eight feet long, convergng
to the centre. where there Is q large round
slab of greeli marble, representing the font,
With the three stems lending to it also in col
/ orn1i nnrhies fThis wonii give the outside
circumference at ninety-six Ieet. Or thirty
fwo feet in diameter. The smaller fonts
| wcre ro,1nd in form. and about twelve feet
in diameter. The position Of these fonts,
! their size. the steps leading down into the
Matel, ~ 9 :" ;r Tun tne .rar r.piv in.
that ootIi aue'ln 1 alto Jn vs.; ,t;ssnai fnnt
nned2eu - ~ s"E ri.; Ts ;,sn s nower.T cnntrn-
WIS ~ "se' ,; AlJ aGe.s ~ ~ Jas;rts' on tha
Eerteu ~ eNsi 81 ,..nm :, Iu nc ar,;n 1;fn.af1n
olonte ooosss - wa &,n q. % oi, ~ ~1,ich nl,r
over te easte!n Eei ~ etnndime- ~ tha VA
oa'lo1 M ~ y rni.,, tSu, H. nart;st - ' 'AA
. teI' a1au 'o"" -1o o"PN1''
POURING WATER OVER HIS HEAD.
; | I noticed the same form Of baptism repre-
, spnteI in j fine painting By Allori (uate 15G0)
he ITtizZi Palace.
. frhp usnn} entrance to the Baptistcry is by
+he Southern aate. The sou1bre light which
. npnetratrd thrnt Oh the small. deep-set will
1ows If the amhuiatory leaves the interior OF
tha huiiding IN cnn,,,a r;1tiye dnrkness. SO thnt
! # il njmosf impOssible to distinguish ths,
: mns,ics which cover the roof and walls OF
= The interior: and, as only wish to attempt i
+ description OF such things rs come With1::
: attempt to describe the paintings, inches.
. columns, and statuary with which tins all
= ! cienC and interesting building IS so prnIusely
il enibellished.
: | ea...o - tha 10 r,n,- or rct,aS an.