Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-04-01
LOST EREsCOES FOUND.



GhirIandaio's Portrait Of Americo Yes
puccI Discovered In Florence.
The London Athen8um prints an GO
count of most remarkable discovery
that has Just been made in the old
Church of the Ognissanti in Florence
the famous frescoes Of Domenico CHR
landaiO, which had long been considered
as lost They are thus described by Va
sari: THE first pictures painted by Do
menico were for the Chapel Of the YES
pucoi in the Church of the Ognissanti,
where there j. a dead Christ with nu-
merous saints. Over an arch in the
same chapel there is 'Misericordia,
wherein DSnenico has portrayed the
likeness O. Amerigo Nespucci, who
sailed 20 the Indies.
According to Mgr. Bottari's report, it
was believed that "when the Vespucci
chapel had, in 1916, gone to the Bal
donnetti family the paintings Of CHR
landaio had been covered with white
wash" and these frescoes had there.
fore frequently been searched for in
that chapel, but always without sue
cess. 1t was only OH Feb l last that
Padre Roberto Razzoli dell Ordine del
Minori Osservanti informed the in
spector of the Florence monuments that,
according to some old documents he had
seen in his convent, some ancient fres-
Goes, painted at the time when the coz
vent belonged to the Umiliati, ought
still to exist in the Chs. IN Of the Ognis-
santi; one. he said, in the Chapel Of st.
Elizabeth, queen of Portugal, represent
ing dead Christ the other, in the Chap
ell Of st. Andrew the Apostle Opposite
to the first), representing the Holy Trim.
ity. Two days later the modest canvases
which covered the walls Of those chapels
st. Elizabeth Of Portugal and St. An
drew the Apostle, painted by Matteo
Rosselli-were removed, and the beau
tiful frescoes actually came to light
The dead Christ" and over it the
"Misericordia" are undoubtedly by
GhiIlandaio. The painter of the Holy
Trinity" is not yet ascertained. The fact
is that the Vespucci family possessed
two chapels in the Church of the Ognis-
santi and that II the description Of that
church by Francesca Bocohi in his book
lie Believe della Citta di Fiorenza, "
published in l59l-the first illustration
of the beauties of Florence ever printed
had been taken into consideration the
frescoes by Ghirlandaio would have
been found before. They are described
In that book as painted In the Second
chapel TO the right, and the secoDd
chapel to the right is just the one where
they actually are,
The madonna della Misericordia"
is painted in the lunette Of the Chapel
Of st. Elizabeth. Under her mantel, held
up by angels, Amerigo Yespucci and
his family are kneeling, the men on
one side, the women on the other The
figures are two-third life size. Amerigo
"a beautiful youth, next % the Virgin,
is apparently 20, the age he was at the
time when this fresco was painted.
The dead Christ" is under the
lunette--the body Of the Saviour, the
Virgin kneeling. st. John the Baptist,
St. Mary Magdalene and other saints
In tho background is the view Of Jeru.
salem and the cross. The faces OF the
saints are supposed to be portraits, They
are all dressed In costumes Of the FL
teenth century.
The frescoes are we'll preserved. They
are precious not only as works Of art,
but also as containing the long sought
for portrait Of Amerigo Vespucci, the
great navigator. whose fourth centenary
Florence is going to commemorate WITH
solemnity in the coming spring.