New-York tribune., 1896-10-25


VIII from the library of Queen Christina OF
Sweden on her death at Rome In l6o3, nave
not been altogether hidden from view. But 1t
has remained for the enlightened enterprise OF
he present day to give the entire set OF pictures
A really extensive circulation.
They lie before us in one OF the nopest VOL
umes which the typographical and reproductive
arts have given to the world in long time Ii
is published in this country by Messrs Dodd,
Mead & Co They bring II forth in an ed-
ton limited to 800 copies for England and
America, which edition was printed in quarto
form at the Imperial Press in Berlin. TnS title
page runs as follows: Drawings BY Sandro bo'-
ticelli for Dante's 'Divina Commedia Reduced
Fac Smiles after the Originals In the Roya!
Museum. Berlin. and In the Vatican Library
with an Introduction and Commentary ny r.
IIppmann." According TO the commentator OF
this volume "the sheets on which the drawings
are made are OF fine goatskn parchment. aver
aging 12La inches high by lSls inches wide On
tho smooth or so-called 'heshy side he
drawings on the rough or hairy side of each
sheet n canto OF the poem. divided into SIX COL
umns and written in a character known IN italy
az ALA Antca.' The original arrangement OF
the sheets was such that the text to each Illus
tration faced IT, so that the reader. on opening
tie book had both drawing and poem before
him All the drawings are sketched In with
n soft sver-pont. probably composed OF an
a,Ioy of silver and lead, and finished with the
pen in black or brown ink; the lightly touched
outlines are shaded here and there where model
ling is to be suggested" These lines. with our
fac-simile OF the drawing to accompany the
fifth canto Of the Paradise" will give the
reader a clear Idea OF the facts Of this work OF
Botticellrs Herr Lippmann discreetly ascrbes
the Dante illustrations to period. say from
14SO TO 400 when Botticell was attracted by
the sermons Of Savonaroa. and drfted into
vein Of pensive ratiocinaton highly favorable
to the elaboration Of Dantesque subtleties. He
was born I'm 14l6 and died i'm 1910. so ii will he
seen that the Dante drawings belong to the
evening OF his career In that con;emplative
twilight let those follow him who will with
questions as to the meaning Of this drawing
or that. Difficulties will attend their quest. but
Herr IAppmann Is lucid as he is erudite For
every illustration he provides an explanation
that ls in the main sufficient His note on the
drawing which reproduce. for example. is
brief but adequate. II represents. he says.
Dante gazing upon Beatrice and dazzled by the
supernatural brightness OF her face. She an
swers in the negative Dante's inquiry to
whether man can make atonement for broken
vows by other service From the commentary
In this book however, It Is tempting to turn
without delay to the drawings themselves.
Merely as illustrations Of Bottcellis style
merely as so many practically new records OF his
artistic felicity, these drawings will rank at once
among the most precious documents brought by
the printing press within the reach OF the stu
dent In their linear simplicity tho seem to
preserve the very essence of the mans charm
his quaint originality his grace. his infinite deli
cacy. No one ever conveyed so much In a mere
sweep OF the point Draperes with Botticelli be.
come something more than mere coverings for
the human form. They are flung. indeed. over
forms more divine than human. and their diaph-
anous hutter seems to be due to breezes blow.
ing from realms undiscovered before him. His
genius was fragile in quality. He lived the life
Of a typical busy Florentine, managing a great
studio In which his pupils carried out designs
for him though In an everyday workshop. but
the soul Of this painter escaped the tOntamlna
tion OF every y-day things. When he painted the
nude. in his famous Venus OF the Iyfizi he
exhibited a purity Of feeling as unmistakable as
that which distinguishes his numerous panels of
the Madonna. He was pagan In both cases; he
painted religious and NEUROLOGICAL themes out of
the same inspiration, but since this insplra alton
made tor beauty N ~ yuost ysoas6 eststa there