ul than it would be were the
staircase in sight.

Benedetto was summoned to Naples by the Duke of Calabria, who gave him
commissions which occupied him for two years. Few Tuscan sculptors have
produced more pleasing works than Benedetto's; though not profound they
are pleasing and unaffected, and in whatever frame of mind one may be,
they do not disturb, but rather soothe and charm, as they could not do
if they were false in sentiment or executed in an affected manner.

MATTEO CIVITALI DI GIOVANNI (1435-1501) was born in Lucca, but studied
art in Florence. His statue of St. Sebastian in the Cathedral of Lucca
was so much admired by the painter Perugino that he copied it in his
picture of the Entombment.

Civitali's chief work in sculpture was the tomb of Pietro da Noceto in
the same cathedral. In Genoa, in the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, he
executed six statues and five bas-reliefs. A bas-relief of Faith by
Civitali in the Uffizi Gallery is a fine work, full of earnestness and
deep religious feeling.

Civitali was also an accomplished architect, and did much to improve the
style of building in Lucca. The beautiful temple of the Volto Santo in
the cathedral was designed by him.

This sculptor may be said to have had four different styles of work. The
St. Sebastian was in his earliest manner, and is simply realistic; his
second manner was the best; it is pure and dignified in conception,
while deep feeling pervades all; the tomb of Noceto was in this second
style; his third manner was more free and less pure, while the fourth,
as seen in his work at Genoa, is full of extravagant exaggeration.

Next to the sculptors of the Tuscan or Florentine school of this period
were those of Venice in importance and independence of manner. This
school was much influenced by that of Tuscany because of the nearness of
the two cities and the constant communication between them, as well as
by the fact that Tuscan sculptors were more or less employed in Venice.
One of the earliest Venetian sculptors was ANTONIO GIOVANNI BREGNO,
called ANTONIO RIZZO or RICCIO (about 1430-1498?). Although he was born
in Verona, and there had the opportunity to study the Roman ruins which
are the pride of the city, he is yet essentially an artist of Venice,
since he spent most of his life there, and was even at the head of the
workshop for the sculptors who worked upon the palace. One little
episode in the life of this artist was an expedition to Scu