Evening star., 1928-04-22
The Story of Civilization

for that Pope: Pinturiochio paints a
picture Of Guilia Farnese, the acknowl-
edged mistress of Alexander VI, as the
Madonna, being adored by her exalted
lover as the Mother of God. Christ
and the Virgin still hold their places
as subjects calling out the depths of
the artists feeling and power; but
alongside of them come the bright pro-
cesSion of ancient deitieS--Aphrodite
and NarciSSus, Apollo and Mars Pan
and Fauns, Adonis and Galatea. Phoc-
bus and Daphne and Aurora. Art
achieves what morals and philosophy
have never yet attained--the synthesis
of body and soul, of JOY and idealiSm,
of paganism and Christianity.
Let us look at two figures IN the
change, born a few years apart. study
ing under the same master, and dying
in the same year (lS2Sl: Perugino and
Signorelli. Luca Signorelli was the
most pagan of them all. Not that he
did not paint holy pictures: on the
contrary. his Holy Family is the most
charming representation of Mary.
Joseph and the Child in all RenaiS-
sance art; and his pious frescoes at
Orvieto are rated among the MASTER
pieces of the fifteenth century But
Luca painted these pictures for the
church, portraying the spirit in order
70 keep his body fed; his real interest
was in the visible marvelS of the flesh
and even the panels at Orvieto are full
of naked men. drinking and dancing
and twisting themselves into strange
attitudes, solely that Signorelli might
experiment with every muscle and
study every pose. When his son died
the artist barred the body and sat all
night beside it, drawing every line of
the dear flesh, as If these lineaments
were the soul that he would cherish in
memory His most characteristic pic
ture is The School of Pan: here among
the anceint gods, rather than with the
saints, Signorelli found himself most
At home. 1t was he says Vasari, who
In the fundamental principles of de-
sign, more especially in the nude form
laid open TO all succeeding
artists the path TO the ultimate per-
fection Of art" From all these un-
clothed figures Michelangelo drew in
SpIration for the scandalous nudes
with which he filed the Last Judr-
ment" behind the altar OF the Sistine
Chapel.
Perugino comes last because he was
the teacher of Raphael. and the great
est OF those who came before the great.
and because in him the conflict be-
tween Christian piety and pagan skep-
ticism reaches its zenith in clarity and
scope. He was born at Perucia
whence his namel in utter poverty.
and he lifted himSelf-by making mas
terpieces-to great wealth. so that his
torians dislike him for his too complete
success. But he worked hard for his
victories He did not permit him
self, says VaSari. ito regard cold. hum
ger. fatigue or privation of any kind:
nor was he ashamed to perform any
work which might help to promote his
object. which was 10 obtain the power
OF some day living in ease and quiet
ness. II was his wont TO say that
after bad weather the good must come.
and that when il is fair weather a man
must build his house, that he may be
under shelter when he most needs it
He was q resoiute, masculine fellow.
always ready TO do his own thinking.
He studied side by side with Signorelli
at Perugia, and then side by side with
Leonardo at Florence. but no mans
style remained long to dominate him.
He was among the first to abandon
the use OF fempera for oils, and his
success In the new method made him
so popular that he set up studios in
several cities, hired many aids, and
made money rapidly, much to the scan
dal Of respectable people. who thought
II a disgrace that an artist should have
enough 70 eat MtcheIaneelo. who was
more OF warning Michael than an
angel, and cared nothing for the goods
Of this world. diSliked Pietro: the two
luarreled with the nerceneSs Of rival
talents and Perugino was dismissed
from Florence.
He went to Rome and became the
greatest religious painter before the
age Of giants. His ''Crucifixion' makes
hat abused topic new. and his "Pieta"
Is as noble as any ever made: every
head in II is masterpiece and a classic
governs the inexpreSsible
tragedy Of the scene; there are no tears
here. and no violent sorrows: 1t is as IL
Inc mother understood that these
things must be and hoped consolingly
hat behind the chaos stood some low
ing order. 1T Is related" says Vasari
again. that Francesca del Pugiiese Of