FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158  
159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   >>   >|  
s designs and methods proves his immense originality. By profession he was an architect. Of his pulpit in Siena Charles Eliot Norton speaks with much appreciation. Alluding to the lions used as bases to its columns, he says: "These are the first realistic representations of living animals which the mediaeval revival of art has produced; and in vivacity and energy of rendering, and in the thoroughly artistic treatment of leonine spirit and form, they have never been surpassed." It is usually claimed that one may learn much of the rise of Gothic sculpture by studying the models in the South Kensington Museum. In a foot-note to such a statement in a book edited by Ruskin, the indignant editor has observed, "You cannot do anything of the kind. Pisan sculpture can only be studied in the original marble: half its virtue is in the chiselling!" Nicola was assisted in the work on his shrine of St. Dominic at Bologna by one Fra Guglielmo Agnelli, a monk of a very pious turn, who, nevertheless, committed a curious theft, which was never discovered until his own death-bed confession. He absconded with a bone of St. Dominic, which he kept for private devotions all his subsequent life! An old chronicler says, naively: "If piety can absolve from theft, Fra Guglielmo is to be praised, though never to be imitated." [Illustration: PULPIT OF NICOLA PISANO, PISA] Andrea Pisano was Nicola's greatest scholar, though not his son. He took the name of his master after the mediaeval custom. His work was largely in bronze, and the earlier gates of the Baptistery in Florence are by him. We have already alluded to the later gates by Ghiberti, when speaking of bronze. Andrea had the honour to teach the celebrated Orcagna,--more painter than sculptor,--whose most noted work in this line was the Tabernacle at Or San Michele. Among the loveliest of the figures sculptured by the Pisani are the angels standing in a group, blowing trumpets, on the pulpit at Pistoja, the work of Giovanni. Among Nicola's pupils were his son Giovanni, Donatello, Arnolfo di Cambio, and Lorenzo Maitani, who executed the delightful sculptures on the facade of the Cathedral of Orvieto,--perhaps the most interesting set of bas-reliefs in detail of the Early Renaissance, although in general symmetrical "bossiness" of effect, so much approved by Ruskin, they are very uneven. In this respect they come rather under the head of realistic than of decorative art. Lorenzo Maitani
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158  
159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Nicola
 

sculpture

 

Lorenzo

 
Maitani
 

Giovanni

 

Andrea

 

Guglielmo

 

Dominic

 

bronze

 

Ruskin


mediaeval

 
realistic
 

pulpit

 
effect
 
earlier
 

custom

 

largely

 

uneven

 

approved

 

symmetrical


alluded

 

Florence

 

Baptistery

 

respect

 

general

 
Renaissance
 

bossiness

 

master

 

PULPIT

 

Illustration


NICOLA

 

PISANO

 
imitated
 

decorative

 

absolve

 

praised

 

Pisano

 

greatest

 

scholar

 

angels


standing
 
blowing
 

Pisani

 

Cathedral

 

loveliest

 
figures
 

sculptured

 
trumpets
 
facade
 

Arnolfo