THE UFFIZI: REMAINING ROOMS

Gentile da Fabriano Piero della Francesca Bronzino Lorenzo di Credi Raphael Michelangelo and Luca Signorelli Correggio A window with a view The Venetians Giorgione Titian Bellini--Van der Goes Flemish Art Rubens Vittoria della Rovere French pictures Medusa's head Dutch Art Gerard of the Night The Self-Portraits The Sala di Niobe Many Statues Drawings of great hands.

PASSING from the Sala di Botticelli, we come to the seventh Florentine room, which is dominated by Andrea del Sarto (1486-1531), whose "Madonna and Child with S. Francis and S. John the Evangelist" No. 1577 is certainly the favourite picture here, as it is, in reproduction, in so many homes ; but, apart from the Child, I like far better the "S. Giacomo" No. 1583 so sympathetic and rich in colour, which is reproduced in this volume. Another good Andrea is No. 516 a soft and misty apparition of Christ to the Magdalen. The two Ridolfo Ghirlandaios (1483-1561) near it are interesting as representing, with much hard force, scenes in the story of S. Zenobius, of Florence, of whom we read in Chapter II. In one he restores life to the dead child in the midst of a Florentine crowd; in the other his bier, passing the Baptistery, reanimates the dead tree. Giotto's tower and the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio are to be seen on the left.

Between the Zenobius pictures is that touching meeting of the Virgin and S. Elizabeth by Albertinelli. Other works here are a finely drawn figure of Venus by Lorenzo di Credi and a very pretty "Adoration" by the same sweet hand; a religious scene by that old Pagan, Piero di Cosimo ; and a great altar-piece, rich and well grouped, with an attractive Christ Child by Fra Bartolommeo. This room is also proof that one should never neglect predellas. There are three here, and each is fascinating in its own way. Look at the central scene in No. 1586 how peaceful and tender and at the kneeling angel in the right-hand panel of No. 877. This predella tells the exciting story of S. Acasio, of whom I know nothing.

A long walk brings us to Room VIII to the school of Umbria and Siena in the fifteenth century, with more predellas of the deepest interest and one of the most fascinating works by an early master an "Adoration of the Magi," by Gentile da Fabriano, an artist of whom one sees too little. His full name was Gentile di Niccolo di Giovanni Massi, and he was born at Fabriano between 1360 and 1370, some twenty years before Fra Angelico. According to Vasari he was Fra Angelico's master, but that is now considered doubtful, and yet the three little scenes from the life of Christ in the predella of this picture are nearer Fra Angelico in spirit and charm than any, not by a follower, that I have seen. Gentile did much work at Venice before he came to Florence, in 1422, and this picture, which is considered his masterpiece, was painted in 1423 for S. Trinita. He died four years later. Gentile was charming rather than great, and to this work might be applied Ruskin's sarcastic description of poor Ghirlandaio's frescoes, that they are mere goldsmith's work; and yet it is much more, for it has gaiety and sweetness and the nice thoughtfulness that made the Child, a real child, interested like a child in the bald head of the kneeling mage ; while the predella is not to be excelled in its modest, tender beauty by any in Florence; and predellas, I may remark again, should never be overlooked, strong as the tendency is to miss them. Many a painter has failed in the large space or made only a perfunctory success, but in the small has achieved real feeling. Gentile's Holy Family on its way to Egypt is never to be forgotten : charming both in personages and landscape; while the city to which Joseph leads the donkey (again without reins) is the most perfect thing out of fairyland.

Here also are some beautiful Peruginos, chief of them being the famous "Assumption" with the Archangel Michael among the saints below that comely mediaeval figure which in so many English homes stands for romance and chivalry.

I postpone reference to the very beautiful Luca Signorelli No. 502 (which I reproduce) that hangs in Room VIII until we reach the Michelangelo room, for reasons which will be made clear then; but here let me draw attention to No. 8568 for its curious qualities of realism, strength and depth of feeling. It has also very unusual colouring.

SAN GIACOMO FROM THE PAINTING BY ANDREA DEL SARTO IN THE UFFIZI

From Room VIII, a little room is gained which I advise all tired visitors to the Uffizi to make their harbour of refuge and recuperation; for it has only three or four pictures in it and three or four pieces of sculpture and some pleasant maps and tapestry on the walls, and from its windows you look across the brown-red tiles to S. Miniato. The pictures, although so few, are peculiarly attractive, being the work of two very rare hands, Piero dells Francesca, ( ? 1398-1492) and Melozzo da Forli (1438-1494). Melozzo has here a very charming Annunciation in two panels, the fascination of which I cannot describe. That they are fascinating there is, however, no doubt. We have symbolical figures by him in our National Gallery again hanging near Piero Bella Francesca but they are not the equal of these in charm, although very charming. These grow more attractive with every visit : the eager advancing angel with his lily, and the timid little Virgin in her green dress, with folded hands.

The two Pieros are, of course, superb. Piero never painted anything that was not distinguished and liquid, and here he gives us of his best: portraits of Federigo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, and Battista, his second Duchess, with classical scenes behind them. Piero Bella Francesca has ever been one of my favourite painters, and here he is wholly a joy. Of his works Florence has but few, since he was not a Florentine, nor did he work here, being engaged chiefly at Urbino, Ferrara, Arezzo, and Rome. His life ended sadly, for he became totally blind. In addition to his painting he was a mathematician of much repute. The Duke of Urbino here depicted is Federigo da Montefeltro, who ruled from 1444 to 1482, and in 1459 married as his second wife a daughter of Alessandro Sforza, of Pesaro, the wedding being the occasion of Piero's pictures. The duke stands out among the, many Italian lords of that time as a humane and beneficent ruler and collector, and eager to administer well. He was a born fighter, and it was owing to the loss of his right eye and the fracture of his noble old nose that he is seen here in such a determined profile against the lovely light over the Umbrian hills. The symbolical chariots in the landscape at the back represent respectively the Triumph of Fame (the Duke's) and the Triumph of Chastity (that of the Duchess). The Duke's companions are Victory, Prudence, Fortitude, Justice, and Temperance; the little Duchess's are Love, Hope, Faith, Charity, and Innocence; and if these are not exquisite pictures I never saw any.

The statues in the room should not be missed, particularly the little Genius of Love, the Bacchus and Ampelos, and the spoilt little comely boy supposed to represent and quite conceivably the infant Nero.

Crossing Room VIII again, we come in Room IX to the Umbrians and Sienese of the sixteenth century ; more Peruginos, all portraits ; and such painters as Beccafumi and Brescianino, who are to be found at their best in Siena. The Perugino heads are very beautiful.