THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ITALIAN SCHOOLS OF PAINTING

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ITALIAN SCHOOLS OF PAINTING

ISBN 978-94-015-1658-7 ISBN 978-94-015-2792-7 (ebook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-2792-7

MADONNA AND CHILD From Domenico di Bartolo's polyptych, Gallery, Perugia. Photo AlilliJri.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE Italian Schools of Painting BY RAIMOND VAN MARLE Doctor of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Paris VOLUME IX With 10 collotype plates and 367 illustrations THE HAGUE MARTIN US NlJHOFF 1927

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter C hap t e r C hap t e r I: Bicci di Lorenzo, Paolo di Stefano, DelIo Delli, Rossello di Jacopo Franchi, Giovanni dal Ponte, Pseudo-Ambrogio di Baldese, the painters of Cassoni and some miniaturists II: The Florentine Camaldolese miniatures of about the year J 400, Lorenzo Monaco and his followers 107 III: Masolino da Panicale Chapter IV: Sass etta _ C hap t e r V: Giovanni di Paolo 390 Chapter VI: Sano di Pietro 466 C hap t e r VII: Domenico di Bartolo and Priamo della Quercia 533 C hap t e r VIII: Tuscan Paintings of minor importance of the beginning of the 15th century 564 Additions and Corrections 589 Indices 591 I

N.B. The terms "right" and "left" are used from the standpoint of the spectator unless the contrary be stated.

INTRODUCTION The pictorial production which, in Tuscany, belongs to the cosmopolitan Gothic style, exhibits certain peculiarities which differentiate it from the other local groups. The cause of this phenomenon must be looked for in the artistic movement in Florence and Siena before the beginning of the I5th century. It is evident that in these two towns artistic currents were established which were so to say autonomous and provided in themselves a strong reaction against any outside influence. Moreover, contrary to the regions of Northern Italy, both the towns of Florence and Siena were too far distant from other countries to feel the effects of the evolution that took place in the field of figurative art. It is true that certain districts to the south of Tuscany were influenced by foreign schools but this can be accounted for by the feebleness of local centres of any importance, if not their entire absence. With regard to Florence and Siena it was quite the contrary: during the whole of the I4th century these two towns, particularly the latter, disseminated their traditions throughout Italy and even beyond the frontiers, so that it was against all conventions to accept a place in a movement whose chief centre was not only elsewhere but far distant; further it must be admitted that although these two towns produced many painters of considerable merit at the beginning of the 15 th century, it was not the period during which either centre possessed really first class artists. As we remarked in previous volumes, the end of the 14th century was a time of decadence in Florence as well as in Siena and the latter never again retrieved a pre-eminent place in the history ofltalian painting; as for Florence its second great epoch started with Masaccio, Vccello, Angelico and Domenico Veneziano. The painting which in Florence immediately preceded these

VIII INTRODUCTION. great masters was really the continuation of the decadence of 14th century art in which Lorenzo Monaco and Masolino were the only figures of really great merit. Nevertheless, in every case, Lorenzo's included, the spirit of the art remained the same as that of the previous generation, that is to say exclusively religious, limited to the portrayal of saints against gold backgrounds, without either the human side or that propensity for genre painting with figures attired in costumes of the time, which at this moment pervaded the art of Northern Italy. In some instances, however, exception may be made for the painters of cassoni. In their productions we find a connexion in style with the cosmopolitan Gothic movement and the works are often profane, not only in subject but also in the secular spirit of the representations. But these artists were of too minor an importance to exercise any influence on the general evolution of the Florentine school at that moment. At Siena the situation was slightly different. There, too, the great tradition of the 14th century continued to dominate with the result that the art is of a religious and traditionalistic nature; sacred subjects against gold backgrounds were in general favour. Nevertheless, painters like Sassetta and Giovanni di Paolo reveal that they came into contact with the pictorial movement of the rest ofitaly; elements of genre painting are noticeable in their works and the Gothic line often bears a resemblance to that found in the works of Gentile da Fabriano, and in those of the Marchigian and Umbrian schools, with all of which these two artists in particular seem to have been more familiar than were most of the Florentine masters, with the exception of Bicci di Lorenzo, in spite of the fact that Gentile's name is found inscribed in the roll of Florentine painters.