The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-12-08
MISS SHOWS ART TALKS
A Most Graphic Portrayal of the
Italian School and its
Masters
THE FLORENTINE SCHOOL.

A'aA' iOhNiAs' ia'ia rNllbbis
When the renaissance reached its
fullest distinctive expression in the
development of painting, Italy was
the great highway from the East To
the West and therefore reaped the
greatest benefit from the old and the
new. The voice of the people de-
manded the best that the artists
could do, every magnate of the land
was a patron Of art and these leaders
OF men We'd with eachtother IN giving
magnificent orders and paying
splendid prices tor their execution.
Moreover, the discovery of pigments
ground 10 oil supplied better
medium than the old tempera meth
DDS, and the production of easel
pictures greatly wdened the field
hitherto filled by panel paintings
and frescoes, though frescO still held,
as it does now, its distinctive position
Every important Italian city had
it's especial school of painters, each
distinguished by especial quality and
eliminating in u great, characteristic
master. But the FlOrentine school,
because of superior conditions, ex-
celled them all. During the thir-
teenth and fourteenth centuries it did
not exceed the Siennese in the num-
Der OF its native artists, and through
the first half of the fourteenth their
development was merely parallel.
Then Florence under the prolific
forces of the fifteenth century out
stripped her neighbor and displayed
much more enduring power
The Nenitian school with lis glory
of color was also a worthy rival, but
it was later growth, did not endure
so long and could not boast of so
much universal genius. The other
schools were of mino: Importance
with the exception of the Roman
which gained its prestige through
the single mastery OF the surprising
Raphael, and 80 the study of the
Florentine school in its golden period
strikes the strongest note in the
splendid harmony OF Italian art.
Professor Middleton gives u list of
fifty.eight important painters who
belonged to this school during the
three hundred important years OF its
existence. They are naturally
elassed in various definite groups
which are more or less closely con-
nected, yet very strongly distin-
guished, and the story OF their lives
is like the work they did, full of
strange, inspiring power, subdued
yet vivid color, heavenly lights and
the darkest shadows.
For nearly whole century Giotto
was the strongest factor in the de-
velopment of this school, since those
who followed him were his pupils
and imitators. Then Ucello, the
painter of birds, put in practice the
leading laws of linear perspective and
hasolino and Masaccio inaugurated
"a more intense and correct naturalis-
tie movement. Masaccio was
especially noted for his study and
portrayal of the nude, and the cOterie
to which he belonged strove to ex-
press the innate dramatic force of the
human individual The Lippo Lippi
whom Browning has analysed in one
of his mastery poems belonged to
Iais group and Botticelli gave it the
lght of his fascinating personality.
His delight in beauty, his tenderness
and passion and simplicity are
mingled in his pictures with melan-
.eholy swestness and wistful yeaTning
together with the learning and in
vention which was the distinguish
ing feature of the whole school. And
of all the school, 1t is said, she is the
richest and most fanciful colorist,
often using gold to enrich the lights
on lair, tissues and foliage with a
very exquisite effect" This proba ably
resulted from his early occupation in
the Roldsmith's art, and he is also
noted for the painting of flowers with
the utmost fertility of natural grace
and beauty.
This doubtless came from his ten
.derness and refinement of nature,
shut he was also capable of the aus.
terities Of the time. He was greatly