On the Old Road Volume Ii Part 13

(24.) _The Two Dogs._ (R.)

The kneeling Madonna and sculpture of right hand upper panel of the Sarcophagus of Can Grande.

The drawing of the panel is of real size, representing the Knight at the Battle of Vicenza.

(25.) _The Cornice of the Sarcophagus of Can Grande._ (A.)

Of its real size, admirably drawn, and quite showing the softness and Correggio-like touch of its leaf.a.ge, and its symmetrical formality of design, while the flow of every leaf is changeful.

249. (26.) _Study of the Sarcophagus of the Tomb of Mastino II., Verona._ (R.)

Sketched in 1852.

(27.) _Head of the rec.u.mbent Statue of Mastino II._ (A.)

Beautifully drawn by Mr. Burgess.

Can Mastino II. had three daughters:--Madonna Beatrice (called afterwards "the Queen," for having "tutte le grazie che i cieli ponno concedere a femina," and always simply called by historians Lady "Reina" della Scala), Madonna Alta-luna, and Madonna Verde.

Lady Reina married Bernabo Visconti, Duke of Milan; Lady Alta-luna, Louis of Brandebourg; and Lady Verde, Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua.

Their father died of "Sovereign melancholy" in 1350, being forty-three years old.

(28.) _Part of Cornice of the Sarcophagus of Mastino II._ (A.)

One of the most beautiful Gothic cornices in Italy; its effect being obtained with extreme simplicity of execution out of two ridges of marble, each cut first into one united sharp edge all along, and then drilled through, and modeled into leaf and flower.

(29.) _Sketch, real size, of the pattern incised and painted on the drapery of the Tomb of Can Mastino II._ (R.)

It is worth notice for the variety of its pattern; observe, the floral fillings of s.p.a.ces resemble each other, but are never the same. There is no end, when one begins drawing detail of this kind carefully. Slight as it is, the sketch gives some idea of the easy flow of the stone drapery, and of the care taken by the sculptor to paint his pattern _as if_ it were bent at the apparent fold.

250. (30.) _Tomb of Can Signorio della Scala._

Samuel Prout's sketch on the spot; (afterwards lithographed by him in his "Sketches in France and Italy";) quite admirable in feeling, composition, and concise abstraction of essential character.

The family palace of the Scaligers, in which Dante was received, is seen behind it.

(31.) _A single niche and part of the iron-work of the Tomb of Can Signorio._ (R.)

As seen from the palace of the Scaligers; the remains of another house of the same family are seen in the little street beyond.

(32.) _Study of details of the top of the Tomb of Can Signorio._ (R.)

Needing more work than I had time for, and quite spoiled by hurry; but interesting in pieces here and there; look, for instance, at the varied size and design of the crockets; and beauty of the cornices.

(33.) _Bracket under Sarcophagus of Giovanni della Scala._ (A.)

Characteristic of the finest later treatment of flowing foliage.

251. (34.) _Part of the front of the Ducal Palace, Venice._ (R.)

Sketched, in 1852, by measurement, with extreme care; and showing the sharp window traceries, which are rarely seen in Photographs.

(35.) _Angle of the Ducal Palace, looking Seaward from the Piazzetta._ (R.)

Sketched last year, (restorations being threatened) merely to show the way in which the light is let through the edges of the angle by penetration of the upper capital, and of the foliage in the sculpture below; so that the ma.s.s may not come unbroken against the sky.

(36.) _Photograph of the Angle Capital of Upper Arcade seen in No. 34._

Showing the pierced portions, and their treatment.

(37-38.) _Capitals of the Upper Arcade._

Showing the grandest treatment of architectural foliage attained by the 14th century masters; ma.s.sive for all purposes of support; exquisitely soft and refined in contour, and faultlessly composed.

SECTION III. TIME OF "THE MASTERS."

252. (39.) _Study of the top of the Pilaster next the Castelbarco Tomb._ (R.)

The wild fig leaves are unfinished; for my a.s.sistant having unfortunately shown his solicitude for their preservation too energetically to some street boys who were throwing stones at them, they got a ladder, and rooted them up the same night. The purple and fine-grained white marbles of the pilaster are entirely uninjured in surface by three hundred years' exposure. The coa.r.s.e white marble above has moldered, and is gray with lichens.

(40.) _Study of the base of the same Pilaster, and connected Facade._ (R.)

Showing the effect of differently colored marbles arranged in carefully inequal ma.s.ses.

253. (41.) _Interior Court of the Ducal Palace of Venice, with Giant's Stair._ (R.)

Sketched in 1841, and perhaps giving some characters which more finished drawing would lose.

(42.) _The Piazza d' Erbe, Verona._ (R.)

Sketched in 1841, showing general effect and pretty grouping of the later Veronese buildings.

(43.) _Piazza de' Signori, Verona._

Sketched last year. Note the bill advertising Victor Hugo's "Homme qui rit," pasted on the wall of the palace.

The great tower is of the Gothic time. Note its n.o.ble sweep of delicately ascending curves sloped inwards.

(44.) _Gate of Ruined School of St. John, Venice._ (Photograph.)

Exquisite in floral sculpture, and finish of style.

(45.) _Hawthorn Leaves, from the base of Pilaster, in the Church of St.

Maria de Miracoli, Venice._ (R.)

In the finest style of floral sculpture. It cannot be surpa.s.sed for perfectness of treatment; especially for the obtaining of life and softness, by broad surfaces and fine grouping.

(46.) _Basrelief from one of the Inner Doors of the Ducal Palace._