Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-06-22

Giotto's treatment of that same subiect
Here In this little swathed upright fgur,
IL Q real baby. This was painted Eher
the world was fresh and young, and hsl
time to stare and laugh at its own achieve
ments.
There are almost no accessories and ut.
tie variety of color; the nurse, the ser.
vants, st. Anne lying in bed, all simple,
primitive, "sobsr red. pure white with
brown and gray"
So thenil Well Il is with you IL you c, n
honestly and genuinely like this itune OF
four notes on a shepherds pipe,n ''then
you may see Florence" says our shsru
task master, otherwise "you may spa
Florence amusing, but you can never sec
it," In the next fresco, the meeting of St
Anne and st. Joachim, there is made clear
that intensity of feeling under control
which ts 80 much more powerful than a
dramatic exhuberance. After finishing
this mornings course there is time to see
at this church the famous cruciix OF
Bumellschi, the one which 90 COMPOUNDED
Donatello that upon first seeing Its beauty
he dropped the eggs and all their dinner
from his apron.
At the Church of Santa Croce, called
the Westminster Abbey of Florence. yov
see more of Giotto's frescoes In the lives
of st. John and st. Francis of Assist
Again there is all the life and vieor OF
these early blossoms Of that great nower-
Ing time in italian art. Then you perhsp:
go away, If Ruskin commands Il. TO S.
some picture at the UfSzzi, or possibly to
study the sculptures on that marvellous
'Shepherds' Tower" or better still, back
to Maria Novells to see that vision of beam
ty, the Spanish chapel, filled with the in
spirstions of the Gaddis and Simon Ne
noir. These migratory habits of Ru.kin
are somewhat trying 1t must bs confessed.
Said an exnspersted Eoglish woman one
day, when go to Santa CrOce want to
see Santa Crocs. and not be whIsked of
after one thing to Santa Maria Novella. u
But, chsfs as We viii st the familiar ss.
perity" of these traps over the knuoklea. ~
THE being driven from pillar to poet.
ones Judgment gains by the discipline
this slow process Of growth in art, is good
for ths eoul
Within the compass of these letters I. Is
idle to try aud specify or discriminate,
even were l qualified for 1t, among the
pictures at the Pitt gallery. But the de-
light of a morning, who shall measure II
at this, one of thu worlds three most ia
nous galleries, when you see for the hrst
time that unsurpassed mellownsss of col
or, the soul, the perfection Of form In the
Asdonnas of Raphael and Perugtno, the
wrspt, divine look In the faces of Carlo
Dolci, the dreamy, fascinating women of
Ssndro Batticeli, whose pictures must,
alas, in time be ruined because of the raw
ages of worms upon the wood upon which
he painted.
There IL, now and then, to be sure, a
crushing disappointment in some Picture
you hsve looked forward to, loudly herald
ed by Hare and other authorities, and
which, approaching with breathlsss awe,
You find appeals to you not at sll, or worse
still, bears fatal resemblance to the anil
ing female of our Sozcdont advertisements
in American newspapers.
But one learns TO survive these vIcissi-
tudes In art, and If the old masters become
too epgrossing. one can always turn to the
people of to day and watch their moods,
life and habits.
The festas of All Saints and Ali Souls
days bring out many characteristic traits
of the Italians. Then their loves, sorrows
and griefs fnd full expression. The graves
are covered with profusion
of flowers.
There was, however, an odd practical
side to this on November 2; forestalling
of grief, preparing for tears in the sale
Of countless handkerchiefs from booths on
the way up to the church of San Ministo
In the little chapel at the left of the nave
of this church there was, after mass, q
sorrewful group Two women In deep
were seated on a raised marble
bench, absorbed In passion of
grief. This sobbipg and crying they
encouraged in each other. The crowd of
women about them, were wringing their
hands and full of sympathy, yet seemed to
gloat over the anguish of the two chief suffer
ers. There was in them a suggestion of the
eager little inquisitive child we sometimes
see IN America counting tie people who
cry during the affecting sermons. But to
see in grown women this sort of passion
for sfliction, this drsmstizIng of woe, was
strange indeed to northern ;d.as Of reserve
In public.
So engaged was 1 in watching this bu-
man drama within drama that some fine
carving of Lucs della Robbias in this
chapel was quite forgotten, but the besuti-
full tomb of the sanity young Cardinal
Jscopo of Portugal will always linger In
my mind, his upturned face, luminous,
trsnsfsured, lying there in all the lofty
calm of Marble midst the fsverish excite.
ment Of this grief. NJ d.