Evening star., 1946-07-28
Perugino, Well Represented in Capital,
Proposed for Quincentenary Exhibit

turesque immobility of his figures
and the cut-stone appearance of
much of his drapery.
But Perugino made definite con-
tributions to the art of painting
He was one of the first Italian
painters to perfect the oil medium
He worked out simple geometrical
compositions, based upon pyramids
rectangles and ovals, and arranged
his figures and groups against
lovely landscapes which are q sort
of summary OF the Umbrtan scenery
he knew so we'll. One never gets
claustrophobia from these paintings
with their high-arched skies. we'll
kept fairgrounds with slender
feathery trees too delicate and well
spaced to ever resemble a jungle
or even a wood. and their river
valleys with beautiful cities on
heights overlooking the open sea.
which extends to infinity beyond
blue mountains.
Fame and Riches
Yet during his young manhood In
Florence, Perugino lived In dire
poverty. was obsessed with the idea
of making money and worked in
cessantly. One gets the impression
from Vasari that the artist enjoyed
no youthful pleasures. His concen-
tration on success got results. He
received commissions from many
Italian cities, his works were taken
to other countries OF Europe, his
fame increased. In his early 30s he
was invited to Rome by Pope Sixtus
Nv to work in the Sistine Chapel
He painted a number of frescoes
there. It was during this period
that he painted the National Gal
ierys "Crucifixion," also its "St
Jerome in the wilderness"
Other commissions in Rome
Perugia and Florence brought him
aff1uence. But as he reached middle
age, young painters were beginning
to make names for themselves with
work of a very different character
AS these young moderns acquired
regulations, Perugino's fame waned
Wealth and Marriage
Subsequently. when he began tc
be repetitious in paint, using some
Of the same figures which hac
brought him success in his earlier
days, the younger artists insultee
and ridiculed him. He left Rome II
1903 and returned to Perugia.
| However, he had acquired thu
fruits of success. He was wealthy
bought or built several large house:
in Florence, owned property also II
Perugia and his native town, Castel.
10 della Pieve. When almost 81
years old, he married a beautiful
young girl, upon whom he dotted
even to the extent of arranging hel
headdresses with his own hands
He had several children, lived to bt
7S, when he died of the plague.
Besides the two masterpiece!
mentioned above, the National Gal
lery has an Annunciation and {
Madonna, both painted about 1900
and a figure of st. Bartholomew
which may have been part of al
altarpiece. This last mentioned i
in Gallery G II, on the ground floor
the other four are in galleries 8 ant
9 on the main exhibition floor
The Corcoran Gallery's "Madonn;
and Child With Saints and Angels
in the Clark collection, is charm
ing painting, reminiscent of Peru
gino's tondo in the Louvre. TIL,
placid, ageless faces, graceful fig
ures and fresh colors are typical
Yet these Washington Peruginos ar
all different. despite certain simila
| features.
Perugino and his paintings ar
good to contemplate In this year
full Of turmoil, like his own age. 1
would be helpful If we could acquir
a trace of the idealism. equilibrium
and serenity of his paintings, Will
we struggle to solve the problem
lof today.