New-York tribune., 1902-06-22

&c more important IS that the genius Of Petrarch
sas lyrical, and, therefore, calculated to touch
,be inaginations Of men themselves imagina-
five and given 70 the Interpretation Of beauty.
Likewise Of prime significance is the fact that
his imagery IS essentially plastic. He en-
ho5ied in his works some Of the most paintable
snac+acIas in literature. He was sensitive to
the charm Of landscape, and shows it in his
writings Abiding 20 the Africa" his Latin
epia. our authors can call it a brilliant evoca-
ton of CarJhaginian Africa, finding in Sopho-
nisha a sort of ancestress Of Flauberts Sa-
Iammbo-thoGgh they admit that the poet does
not quite attain 10 The precision and the Virtu-
osity Of tLe French noTelist's descriptive pages.
IT, however. there is anything lacking in the
Africa 10 inspire tie illustrator, there IS
mine Of material for him in the "Trionf-" In
fact this last work Of Petrarch is emphaticaIly
the source Of his influence upon art. The paint
ers do not appear 10 have warmed in the same
degree to any other Of his works There are
suggestions in the 'Canzoniere' which they
might have ut 20 good use, but in the ''Trionfi'
which with an abundance Of allegorical pag-
eantry, supplements the poets masterpiece, there
Is one ong succession Of invitations to the artist
10 take up his brushes Love and Chastity,
Death ana Fame. Time and Eternity, are com
meInorated in lines which set before US not o2ly
Peirarch IDEAS On these themes but the mytho-
logical and historical figures whom he has
chosen in veritable armies to march as types
through his pages. He was not without his pre-
curso,s Giotto at Assist. Orcagna in the Campo
santo II Pisa and Lorenzetu in the Palazzo
Puhlfoo Of siena had exploited a kindred in
sIirarjon. But ha brought something new TO
hi work The novelty Of the "Trioni'' con-
sisrs. as Prince D.E-sltng and NJ. Muntz re-
mark, IN substituting q triumphal cortege for
an asserlhlage of figures. more or less iT,no-
bila. adapted t0 the architectural eXigencies Of
SOM religious sanctuary. In short. he gave
life 5o archaeology. GuJ humanity and anima-
ton ir-a his host of figures These. as the au-
thcrs somewhere observe. could not but move
in due course from the poets page TO the paint
ers canvas. Th-y Went further The "Trionf"
found Illustration Not only at the hands Of
pointers hut Al those Of sculPtors, miniatur-
lists -l-uu.luatcrs, engrayers. workers in wood
ard metal uot,ers. carvers Of ivory and de-
signers II stained glass windows.
Petrar-l dis not live to witness this wide
spread ad frion Of his images. His influence
upon art as his book demonstrates, was, on
the who'll io-thumous. But If the harvest was
tardy il Was uch when il came Scattered all
over Eur-re ,aud we may even say in America,
important or PeJrarchan illustrations. are in
the cole cion Of Mrs. Gardner at Boston), II
includez scores Of Interesting works. Beginning
with uaI-ylass French and Italian artists Of
the fifteenth century. the record embraces not
only Jhe.r fragile fancies but the realism Of
much later men. As enthusiasm spread Flemish
as well a. uthern artists and craftsmen made
Petrarehs pictures their own. The vast collec-
ton is distinguished by great variety. The
"Trionf" served again and again as peg on
which thu artist hung fabric very much Of his
Own Invention. The text seems to have often
suggested developments at which the poet would
probably have stood amazed, if not appalled,
In the upper part Of the great Triumph Of
Fame by Lorenzo Costa, in the Church Of San
GiaconlO Na-Siore, at Bologna, there is a Curl
Gus disk, iuu Of strange figures, Of which, as
The authors mildly put It, the Interpretation is
very difficult It suggests more than anything
else those mysterious and fearsoIne "Purga-
tories % which the early Netherlandish paint
ers were fond Here We have, in fact, only