ion
of the cardinal tragedy of Christianity. From Mantegna to his
brothers-in-law, Gentile and Giovanni Bellini and other Venetian
masters the transition is easy. The school is here represented by a
most valuable collection from Bartolomeo Vivarini, No. 1607, to
Guardi. 1158, Giovanni Bellini, Virgin and Saints; and 1158A, a Man's
Portrait, are however dubious attributions. 1156, Two Portraits; and
1157, a Venetian Envoy at Cairo, are Gentile school works. 1134, by
Antonello da Messina, A Condottiere, is an amazingly vivid and
powerful portrait. Carpaccio's St. Stephen preaching at Jerusalem,
1211, is part of the _Historia_ of the Protomartyr, painted for St.
Stephen's Guild at Venice. The naive attempts at local colour--Turkish
women sitting on the ground in groups as they may still be seen in
Turkey to-day, and quaint architectural details--are noteworthy. Cima
is well represented by 1259, Virgin and Child, with the Baptist and
the Magdalen. 1351, A Holy Family, by Lotto, was formerly assigned to
Dosso Dossi. 1350 is an early and charming little work, St. Jerome, by
the same master. We return to Palma Vecchio's grand composition, 1399,
The Adoration of the Shepherds, which under a false signature, once
passed for a Titian. 1135, Holy Family, with SS. Sebastian and
Catherine, is a form of composition known as a Santa Conversazione,
which Palma brought to its ultimate perfection. The official catalogue
of 1903 persists in ascribing it to Giorgione. The claims of Palma
himself, Pellegrino da San Daniele, Cariani and Sebastiano del Piombo,
have all found protagonists among modern critics. How excellent a
standard of craftsmanship was maintained by the Venetian school is
well exemplified by 1673, a portrait by an unknown artist. 1352, The
Visitation, by Sebastiano del Piombo, although much injured by
restorers, is a fair example of that master's grandiose style in his
Roman period. We now reach the Titians. 1577 and 1580, are good
average _Sante Conversazioni_, the latter is, however, assigned by Mr.
Berenson to a pupil. 1581, The Supper at Emmaus, a mature and genuine
work; and 1578, the much-admired Virgin and Child with the Rabbit,
painted in 1530, next claim our attention. 1593 and 1591 are unknown
portraits, the former attributed by Crowe and Cavalcaselle to
Pordenone. On the R. wall opposite the Carpaccio is hung, 1587, a
magnificent work of the painter's[206] old age, Jupiter and Antiope,
unhappily much injured by f