uty and softness of the first spring
days in Italy. Upon hearing the title of one of Catena's works in the
National Gallery, "A Warrior Adoring the Infant Christ," who could
imagine what a treat the picture itself had in store for him? It is a
fragrant summer landscape enjoyed by a few quiet people, one of whom, in
armour, with the glamour of the Orient about him, kneels at the Virgin's
feet, while a romantic young page holds his horse's bridle. I mention
this picture in particular because it is so accessible, and so good an
instance of the Giorgionesque way of treating a subject; not for the
story, nor for the display of skill, nor for the obvious feeling, but
for the lovely landscape, for the effects of light and colour, and for
the sweetness of human relations. Giorgione's altar-piece at
Castelfranco is treated in precisely the same spirit, but with far more
genius.

The young painters had no chance at all unless they undertook at once to
furnish pictures in Giorgione's style. But before we can appreciate all
that the younger men were called upon to do, we must turn to the
consideration of that most wonderful product of the Renaissance and of
the painter's craft--the Portrait.

=IX. The Portrait.=--The longing for the perpetuation of one's fame, which
has already been mentioned several times as one of the chief passions of
the Renaissance, brought with it the more universal desire to hand down
the memory of one's face and figure. The surest way to accomplish this
end seemed to be the one which had proved successful in the case of the
great Romans, whose effigies were growing more and more familiar as new
busts and medals were dug up. The earlier generations of the
Renaissance relied therefore on the sculptor and the medallist to hand
down their features to an interested posterity. These artists were ready
for their task. The mere materials gave them solidity, an effect so hard
to get in painting. At the same time, nothing was expected from them
except that they should mould the material into the desired shape. No
setting was required and no colour. Their art on this account alone
would naturally have been the earliest to reach fruition. But over and
above this, sculptors and medallists had the direct inspiration of
antique models, and through the study of these they were at an early
date brought in contact with the tendencies of the Renaissance. The
passion then prevailing for pronounced types, and the spirit of a