The Portland daily press., 1900-03-10


this his birth IN the malGeF, the JOY OF
the anssls, the alteration Of the Aagi,
and be himself as boy in the Temple;
Afterwards preaching 10 the multitude
and eating as the same tabls vita his
disciples and finally his divine Ascension;
untIl you fsel that you have reviewed In
Florence the lesson you learned In Rome
and In Naples have seen the copies OF
all.
The amateur slKht-seer IL inclined to
be satisfied with the mt re extensive
galleries of the large cities and with gag
ing upon the world Fsnownsd epeciAltiss
OF the most celebrated artists, particularly
the score or more masterpieces Of art.
But later the nrt lover reali res how vast
the world Of great paintings. and he reoog-
nlzes that the old artists who lived before
Michael Augelo and Raphael and even
Giotto and Fra Angelica have q large
place in the catalogue OF Inspired paint-
ers
In view Of this you ind yourself spend
ing, perhaps no less time In the great
galleries CT Florenos and home, and you
gaze with no less interest ct the illumi.
mated faoades OF the world renowned
cathedral, and you enter the glorihed 81.
Peters with the same excitement; you
finger just as earnestly before thu bronze
doors of the Baptistry In Florence which
Michael Angelo said were ft for the por-
tails Of Paradise; but you frequent more
the less spoken Of, but classical churches,
and seek nut such galleries In Flort n oe
as the Belle Arti with Its treasures Of TIE
l4th ana 10th cen turtles, and enter the
Casa Buonorotti (Michael Angeles
housed, which is a gallery of choice paint
ings; and ron more especially devote
yourself TO the BsrRello where you fad,
among other treasures, Dopateilo s..DaVid,
Bologna's Mercury, and Miohaol Angeles
Victory.
Here you study to your hearts contsnt
the Della Robbia family. The reliefs In
tstraootta and marble Of tbs Della Rob-
las are very interesting indeed. They are
scattered all over Florence rs tympanums
and other reliefs. Outside of the FOund-
ling Hospital near the st. Annunziata
they are seen in great perfection a. lovely
child figures in graceful pose In white on
blue ground. These are by Andrea della
Robbia
There were q large number of the Della
Robbia family who worked at this art,
the Oldest bsing ons Simoue di Marco
who was born In the last year Of the
I4th century aud was a sllversmith. He
had two sons, Marco and Luca, the last
of whom executed many beautiful pieces
Cf sculpture In marble and bronze. He
ranked with Ghiberti and Donatsllo as a
sculptor. 1t was he who executed the
singing gallery for the Florence Cathe-
dral in the first half OF the Is =, sntury.
Parts of this work are now sem J.. vari-
GUS rooms Of the Bargello. Their. is also
one of his rsliefs, st. Peter delivered
from Prison, with its mate, for theSsaltar
Of chapel In the Cathedral of Florence,
but now In the Borgello. He is said to
have received fourteen hundred pounds
for Tabernacle for the Host In San
Maria of Peretola, q most wonderful sum
for that early day. Compared to the
works of the rest Of the family, Luoa
executed but few, though none of him
have been exoslled In ingenuity and peg
fiction.
LucA elaborated the art of glazing clay
relisfs with an enamel of glass made
Opaque white by oxide OF tin. Some of
these glazed figures are in various oolo's,
some all In white and some blue on q
white ground.
Andrea was the nephew Of LucA ana
learned his art from him. He was the
father Of seven sens. all of whom worked
with him and five of them carried on
the factory after their fathers death.
Giovanni assisted his father all bis life,
and some of his works cannot be dis
tInguished from those or the latter nor
from those of his uncle, Luca. There Is
Noyella in Florence, executed by Glow
ami.
There was also second Luca, the son
of Andrea, whose relisfs are found In
Raphaers loggia In the Vatican. This
work was made at the request of Raphael
and under his supervision.
Thers ara various conspicuous relisfs
and medallions Of Andrea's other sons
scattered throughout Europe. There are
drawings of some Of these used as friezes
and ornaments Of buildings destroyed,
which are very beautiful. From an ar
tistic point Of view these sketches appeal
TO some as more olassio than much of
their glazed work. Some also prefer the
unfinished terra ootta executed by them
and left unadorned.
The finest Of the Della Ro5bia pieces
are In the Bsrgello and many are found
In the South Kensington Museum In
London. The Louvre in Paris has some
and also the Berlin Museum; but the
2rsstest number of their works are scat
tered in churches and other buildings
throughout Italy.
The leisure traveller delights more and
more In walking the streets Of the italian
towns and studying the people In their
homes. The crowds from the changing
omnibuses and tramways In she Piazza
81 sNaa Nnr,