The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-04-30

w ergy; but also, Italy is color;
hills, and russell skies to TaorminaS
lavender mountains rising from a
golden sea, and Stromholi's black
mouth splitting liquid in the night
here the rainbow of natures palette
tints every scene, and catches the
eye with endless combinations; how
could these men refrain from paint
ing, how could they help make Italy
the picture gallery of the world,
richer in beauty than the north in
wealth?
Painting is the distinctive art of
modern times, or was till photog-
raphy stole its livelihood from it,
and music made itself mistress of
the arts in the nineteenth century.
The Greeks had painted, but their
work had long since been destroyed;
this is the tragedy of color, that it
fades, while the arts of line can
shape themselves in stone and chal-
lenge time; no wonder Leonardo
spent many hours in seeking colorS
that would not die.
And so Italy had to begin again:
Greek teachers of the art came to
Florence from ConstantinOple in
the days of Dantes youth, and
transmitted what remained of anc-
lent and Byzantine skill; but for
the most part it was experiment
that found the way.
At first the Italian painters used
the ancient temper-colorS mixed
with water, wax or gum-or they
made freScoeS; that is they lead
their colors roughly upon the fresh
ct. fresco) wet plaster of church or
monastery walls. Andrea del Cas-
tagna discovered better methods of
mixing colors with oil; and the
characteristic medium of RenaiS-
sance art was ready for the masters
hands.
Why painting should so dominate
the period, as sculpture had dom
mated Greece, and architecture
medieval Europe, it Is not easy to
say. Sylnonds thinks it was due to
the discovery of the soul, to the in
trospection that had come with
Christianity, and that shame of the
body which theology had inStllled;
"the emotions written on the face
became of more Importance than
the modelling of the limbs"
Il
DUT Gothis sculpture had carved
ID emotions on the face, and
Renaissance painting would soon
rejoice is showing the modelling of
the limbs; it is only of the northern
painting that we may speak Of
prudery limiting the artist to the
head; and even there, not till Rub
ems was dead! We cannot say; we
only know that color was on the
hills and in the sky, that color
rioted in garments and decorations
as wealth brought the Orient to the
west; the church was now rich
enough to indulge itself in the fleet
ing glow of pictures, and merchants
now rich enogh to pay for portraits
that might give them second life.
The conditions were ready and
painting came.
At first, of course, it was religious
painting. To see its beginning we
must go to the Uf1zi Gallery in
Florence and stand patiently before
the "St. Cecilia" of Giovanni Cenni,
called Cimabue. 1t is much OBJ
scured by time, which has no great
use for man; it is now almost seven
hundred years since Cimabue, play
ing truant from school, watched the
Greek maestri who taught painting
at Florence in the Via de Pittcri, or
the Painters Way; and In this
fresco something of the Byzantine
stiffness and lifeleSSnesS remains.
But cross over, on the safe wings
of imagination, to the National Gal
lery at London, and study the head
of the child in Cimabue's Madonna
and Child; we have stepped from
the middle ages to the Renaissance;
here is a new delicacy of execution
new individuality Of portraiture
a new vivacity of style. The world
has forgotten Cimabue mostly; but
when he finished his now almost in
distinguishable masterpiece, the
"Rucellai Madonna" the people Of
Florence looked upon it is an event
in their history, quite as significant
as the last murder, or the last cleo
ton.
Still worse forgotten is poor Due
clio, whom Reinach calls "the first
Italian painter of genius; for two
years he painted for the Commune
OF Siena, receiving sixteen cents a
day for his entire time; when he
died Gin 1870 he left behind him q
"crucifixion" and an altar-piece OF
twenty eight panels, in which the