New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01


cepted as one of the essential elements OF history
and he has been at great pains 10 discover the
social forces which helped 10 develop his master
His happy accomplishment OF the task he set
himself in this direction is one Of the things Tor
which his readers are likely 70 be most grateful
They may learn from this volume how cultivated
and stimulating was the town In which Corressio
was born and brought up. Giberto. ruler Oh '"e
little Emilian town of Correggo. when our paint
err was approaching manhood. had marreu We
ronca Gambara. one Of the most ai"p'''u'
women in an epoch remarkable Tor lnteiiec'uai
curiosity and development. Let the reader turn
IN the man Of italy and see where this noble lady
held her court Due north Of Correggo. and
within a short distance lies Mantua, where lsa-
bella d Este In Correggio's day. was causing the
fame Of the Gonzaghi as pillars OF the fehaiS-
sance to vie with that Of the Medci themselves.
To the left OF Correggio lies Parma 10 the rishl
Ferrara and 1t Is only brief journey thet needs
10 be taken 10 reach Modena and Bologna to the
southeast.
The lords Of Correggio. as Dr. flccl CANS incl"
In somewhat rhetorical phrase. came In close
contact with the life Of this region, HE
streaked with many sangunary lines OF semi
barbsric character but colored. too by the de-
votion To art and letters which was typical OF
the peninsula during the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries Perhaps It was because the dilettahu
Of Correggio belonged TO so familiar race mat
most critics writing before DR.. R:cci forgot 10
take them into account when dealing with the
great painter of the town. Or. Ricci rghtiy gees
in the very spontaniety and naturalness OF the
culture in the place a reason FOR connecting MS
painter with IT, He has gone to the corrcrpohd-
ence OF the two prrcesses OF Corresgio ana
Mantua and he has found those ladieS
writing TO one another about the painter IN
terms which reveal constant familiarity with
his gifts At one point CorrcgSio Is alluded 10
IN q letter of Veronica's as Our Antonio" and
although this may be merely an expression u
what would to-day be- called civic pride, It really
has a wider significance That Corrergio had
actual intercourse with the mobiles Of the Emilia
not merely In his own town. but at Mantua ana
elsewhere IS a matter of documentary evidence
which DR. Ricci demonstrates with ease. IL IL
vore n mere question Of social Intercourse II
would be n ,rine In C0rreggO's biography II
DR. Ricci had no more to prove by the citation Of
Old court history than that his painter was not
a man Of entirely plebean associations. the case
might go untouched for all that critics u the
present day would care about II. But modern
criticism never loses sight Of the vital connection
between the artists # the Renaissance ana
their time. Correggio in the last ingredients OF
his art Is n figure by himself. a genius Tor when
It Is impossible to account On any hypothesis
but that Of inspratil Yet the very suavi'y
which Is the keynote Of his style, the very ele-
gance which is the great source ~ his charm.
must have been enormously developed through
his participation In the concrete benefits OF
Emillan social lie.
7, must be remembered that tho authority II
true court ~ the Renaissance. Ike the court at
Correggio was the authority Of law Of taste.
The despots OF that time promulgated vast
number OF unwri'ten laws. They created an at
mosphere. They provided tombstone In mat
tcrs Of art and literature. II is true that they
took from many a painter and from many poet
work which they would have instantly rejected
had Il borne any other name but the famous one
by which Il was adorned. But IN ID" main the
amateur was far from supine iIc knew what he
ls,d anl why he liked u. Tho hist ~ Il n
Renaissance IS dotted with n" records Z wori.
Z. cincl because IL was Mt satisfactory. Raphael.
Cclni Michael Angelo and scores Z others
would be asst ound~d were they - s.c the way IN
whi.h man Of reputation to-day can send forth
pictures or statues as bad as h. cares - make
them. The modern yaiui'r or sculptor tcrrii"s
his patron with The prestige Of his nam". In The
Renaissance man knew that no matter Tor
whom IL painted picture. II would be sub
jected to the most searching criticism
IT is In reviving the perspective In which this
condition 81 things places an artist. and in
showing Correggio as a man under the sway OF
a typical Renaissance environment. that Or.
Rect renders a valuable service to the history
Of art. II is not desired that lie should portray
his master smardng under the reproof Of
some luxurious tyrant Such picture would
not be Warranted by the facts. Correggio did
not need that kind o: stimulus. But that h.
felt to the full that fructifying force which Is
known as public opinion now, and was never
any the less public opinion because princely
court directed II. Is ono Of those facts In his
career which are really necessary to knowl-
edge Of his art. Imagine Correggio living with
the consciousness OF q representative, ultra
fastidious public In his mind and the peculiar
grace Of his art is more clearly understood II
It were a grace purely like that Of Mozart. with
whom he Is probably 10 be compared for a
certain buoyancy OF mood the critic would seek
It's source nowhere save in the painters heart.
But where Mozart Is urbane because he can
not help himself. and only say what the
| inspiration of the moment puts into his mouth.
Correggio adds an echo OF the court. certain
worldly elegance to the undeniably poetic bur
den Of his first artless impulse.
II is at this point OF the comparison between
the great musical and artistic exemplars OF
debonair and lyrical strain that II Is. perhaps.
most convenient to indicate the specific elements
Of the painters genius When Mozart lifted
I'D his soul In efYortess contemplation OF a
| mighty theme he scared to plane or grandeur
upon which communion with his thought is a
stirring experience. His genius becomes strenu-
GUS and IT Is impossible to sit unmoved beneath
its force. Now Correggio who painted SO pre-
cisely In the spirit OF Mozarts lighter moments
| that he seems the expression In art OF the very
shade OF feeling which the composer expresses
| In music; Correggio. laying his audience under
| spell Of graceful Joyous bcauty-never goes
any further lie stops short where his partial
prototype begins. 1t IL great pity that Dr