YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

EAPHAEL :
HIS LIFE AND WORKS.

RAPHAEL:
HIS LIFE AND WOEKS.
WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO
RECENTLY DISCOVERED RECORDS,
AND
AN EXHAUSTIVE STUDY OF
EXTANT DRAWINGS AND PICTURES.

J. A. CKOWE and G. B. CAVALCASELLE,
AUTHORS OF " THE HISTORY OF PAINTING IN NORTH ITALY,"
AND "TITIAN: HIS LIFE AND TIMES."

VOL. I.

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1882.
[Right of Translation reserved.']

UNIFORM WITH THE PRESENT WORK.

TITIAN : HIS LIFE AND TIMES. With some
Account of his Family, chiefly from New and Unpublished
Records. By J. A. Crowe and G. B. Cavalcaselle. With
Portrait and Illustrations. 2 vols. 8vo. 21s.

ALBEET DURER: HIS LIFE AND WORKS.
By Moeiz Thausing, Keeper of the Albertina Collections at
Vienna. Translated from the German. Edited by F. A. Eaton,
Secretaiy of the Royal Academy. "With Portrait and Illustrations.
2 vols. 8vo. 42s.

TO

J$is lla^al ffifjljtwss
THE * PRINCE OF WALES,

THESE VOLUMES

HY PERMISSION,

RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

THE AUTHOES.

PREFACE.

The life of Raphael has been the subject of
countless biographies and essays in which admira
tion and praise were justly lavished on the greatest
painter of any age. From the days of Rumohr to
those of Passavant and Waagen, the master's works
were subjected to the minutest investigation ; and
drawings, pictures, or frescos were examined, mea
sured, and commented on with unwearying patience
and industry. Yet the outcome has not been commen
surate with the labour expended ; and we are still
without a life of Raphael which deals exhaustively
with his relations to the art and artists of his own or
previous centuries. Some have studied pictures to
discover and point out the influence of the antique
or contemporary craftsmen in Italy. Others have
looked at drawings to note their connection with
altar-pieces or frescos; Passavant alone devoted his
life to a catalogue of all Raphael's works. His

PBEEACE.

followers, amongst whom we shall note Springer and
Grimm as pre-eminent, endeavoured to sift the errors
of their predecessors, and, in numerous instances
they succeeded in elucidating disputed points in
Raphael's career. But no one, as yet, has con
vincingly traced the progress of the artist. Critics
are divided into parties who fight, not without
acrimony, over matters which remain obscure ; and it
is characteristic that even' the. intercourse of Raphael
with Perugino has been left in considerable doubt.
The authors of these pages do not pretend to have
solved the problems which vainly exercised the skill
of so many inquirers ; yet they hope to have done
something to shed new light on Raphael's career.
In the volume which they now offer to the public,
they have shown how they ventured to explore and
attempted to iUustrate the period of Raphael's youth,
which had hitherto been comparatively neglected.
They have tried to prove how he was taught under
his father and Perugino ; and they have looked at
every drawing as well as at every picture to trace the
road which led him deviously to fame ; they point
out, it may be not unerringly, where he copied the
antique, where his professional rivals or precursors;
how he digested and assimilated after learning the
lessons of all the masters of his country. Little or

PBEEACE.

nothing, indeed, has been added to the documentary
evidence which was stored since the days of Yasari ;
but all the materials in existence have been used, and
neither time nor travel has been spared to study
personally every example in whatever part of the
world it was deposited.
The sources from which they quote, the Authors
have invariably acknowledged. It is only necessary
to add that where no express statement to the
contrary has been made they have used Lemonnier's
edition of "Yasari."

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

i
Contemporary critics.— Origin of the Santi.— Frederick of Urbino.—
Frederick as a patron of Art.— Giovanni Santi.— Guidubaldo of
Montefeltro. — Raphael's infancy. — Giovanni Santi dies. — Santi and
Raphael. — Raphael an orphan. — Perugino and Raphael.— Raphael's
first master. — Perugino Raphaelesque. — Raphael Peruginesque.—
Signorelli.— Timoteo Viti 

CHAPTER II.
Perugian revolutions.— Art revival at Perugia.— Raphael's sketch-book.
— Pinturicchio as a draughtsman. — Perugino's sketches. — Raphael
learns drawing. — Copies of drawings from the Sixtine Frescos. 
Other copies. — Their style. — He copies several masters, Signorelli,
Mantegna. — He studies from monuments. — His school-fellows, and
school work. — Visit to Urbino. — Library of Urbino, and copies by
Raphael from pictures by Justus of Ghent. — Gallery of Urbino. —
Raphael and the Cambio. — " Resurrection " of the Vatican. — Terni
and Alnwick. — " Madonna Diotalevi "  45

CHAPTER III.
The Baglioni. — " Massacre of the Innocents," and other pen sketches. —
The Solly " Madonna." — " Madonna with the Finch." — Practice at
Perugia. — Connestabile predellas and Raphael's drawings for them.
— Landscape sketches. — Invasion of Cesar Borgia. — The " Martyrs."
— Raphael's •' Crucifixion " based upon that of Perugino. — " Cruci
fixion " of Earl Dudley. — " Trinity " and " Creation of Eve." —
Influence of Alunno. Signorelli, and Pinturicchio. — " Coronation of
St. Nicholas of Tolentino." — " Coronation of the Virgin " and its
predellas at the Vatican. — Imitation of the predellas of Fano . . 96

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV. PAQK
The " Sposalizio " of Milan based on Perugino 's predella at Fano and
his " Sposalizio '' at Caen. — Raphael as an architect. — Bramante. — ¦
" Madonna " Counestabile. — Portrait of Herrenhausen. — Pintu
ricchio at Sienna, and his relations to Raphael. — Drawings for
Pinturicchio's Frescos ; sketches for the same. — Design of the
"Graces." — Eusebio da San Giorgio.— Guidubaldo, captain of the
Church. — Raphael's sketches of the Palace and Fort of Urbino ; of
other places in the Duchy. — His patrons at Urbino. — Alleged re
commendation to Soderini at Florence. — Florentine influences on
Raphael's style. — The " Knight's Vision." — " Cain and Abel." —
" St. Michael " and " St. George." — The " Graces," and " Marsyas
and Apollo." — Michael Angelo and Da Vinci. — Raphael's journey
to Florence  .... 163

CHAPTER V.
Return of Raphael from Florence to Perugia. — Completion of the altar-
pieces of Sant' Antonio and Ansidei and their predellas. —
" Madonna" of Terranuova, and drawings for the pictures in the
Venice sketch-book. — Influence of Michaelangelo. — Beginning of
the fresco of San Severo/— Covenant with the nuns of Monteluce.
— Alternate residence at Florence and Perugia. — Life and com
panionship with artists at Florence. — Perugino, Lionardo, and
Michaelangelo. — Cartoons of Da Vinci and Buonarrotti. — Floren
tine patrons. — " Madonna del Gran' Duca," and "Madonna di Casa
Tempi." — Precepts of Lionardo as applied by Raphael. — Madonnas
" del Gardellino " and "in green." — Portraits of the Doni.— " Ma
donna di Casa Tempi." — Preparatory drawings in Lionardesquc
style  . 217

CHAPTER VI.
Raphael's practice at Florence and Perugia. — Guidubaldo and the
Garter. — Raphael's " St. George " sent to England. — His portrait of
himself and other alleged likenesses. — Stay at Urbino and Perugia.
— " Madonnas " of Orleans and St. Petersburg.—" Madonna of the
Palm." — Retrospect ; his style at Perugia, and changes which it
underwent at Florence. — Study of Da Vinci, Fra Bartolommeo,
Michaelangelo, and the antique. — Canigiani " Madonna." — " Holy
Family" at Windsor. — Studies for the " Entombment."— Varieties
of that composition, and its final completion. — Influence of Peru
gino, Mantegna, Signorelli, Fra Bartolommeo, and Michaelangelo.
— Predella of the " Entombment."—" Trinity " of San Severo, and
Raphael's practice as a fresco painter . .... 277

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII. PAGE
Raphael's visit to Urbino in 1507. — His relations with the Court of
Duke Guidubaldo. — Portraits of the Duke of Urbino and Pietro
Bembo. — Acquaintance with Francia. — " Holy Family with the
Lamb," and designs connected with it. — Lionardesque influences. —
The " St. Catherine " and " Madonna with the Pink." — Bridgewater
.ind Colonna "Madonnas," and "Adoration of the Shepherds."—
Varieties of the " Virgin with the Sleeping Christ and St. John."—
Cowper " Madonna." " Bella Giardiniera," and " Madonna Ester
hazy." — "Madonna del Baldacchino," and Raphael's friendship for
Fra Bartolommeo. — Correspondence with Alfani at Perugia. —
Raphael prepares to leave Florence. — Foundation of St. Peter at
Rome, and effect of the rebuilding of that Basilica on Julius the
Second and the Artists he employed. — Raphael goes to Rome . .331

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS.

CHAPTEE I.
Contemporary critics. — Origin of the Santi. — Frederick of Urbino.—
Frederick as a patron of Art.— Giovanni Santi. — Guidubaldo of
Montefeltro. — Raphael's infancy. — Giovanni Santi dies. — Santi and
Raphael. — Raphael an orphan. — Perugino and Raphael. — Raphael's
first master. — Perugino Raphaelesque. — Raphael Peruginesque. —
Signorelli. — Timoteo Viti.
Raphael ! At the mere whisper of this magic
name, our whole being seems spell-bound. Wonder,
delight, and awe, take possession of our souls, and
throw us into a whirl of contending emotions. Of
the cause it is hard to give a sufficient analysis. The
marvel is that whilst Raphael puts this thraldom upon
us, he remains, as a man, almost a stranger. We
know less of him than of Donatello, Michaelangelo,
Ghirlandaio, or da Vinci. What we feel in regard to
him is not due to any sufficient acquaintance with his
person, the details of his daily life, or the vicissitudes
of his career, but to a conviction that he who could
produce such' masterpieces must have been a man of
uncommon mould, who infused into his creations not
only his own but that universal spirit which touches

2 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
each spectator as if it were stirring a part of his own
being. He becomes familiar and an object of fond
ness to us because he moves by turns every fibre of
our hearts. We are with him in his placid mood
when the perfect sweetness and purity of his feeling
imparts to. us a sense of absolute harmony. We
delight in the calm which rests on the brow of his
Madonnas, the sublime love Avhich he displays in their
face and action, the innocence and joy which beam in
the features of his infants. We feel that an artist
who can combine such charms of shape and line with
such loveliness of colour is gifted beyond expression.
We seem to watch the working of his mind when
composing those marvellous altarpieces in which
devotion is so pure as to lift the worshippers
above the sphere of humanity. We bow to him
when he transfigures the Virgin into something
akin to the heavenly. His passion when he depicts
the grief of the Apostles and Mary, the subtleness of
his thought, his inward grasp and potent delineation
of all the motives which actuate and explain action,
his versatility of means, and his power of rendering
are all so varied and so true, they speak so straight
forwardly to us, that we are always in commune with
him. It is hard to say whether in his own time Raphael
was equally familiar to his countrymen. Some few
could boast of having seen all his works. The
majority of his admirers were probably not acquainted
with more than one of the numerous phases into
which his talent was subdivided as he passed from •>

Chap. I.] CONTEMPORARY CRITICS. 3
the Umbrian to the Tuscan and Roman styles. By
this we may account for the narrow appreciation
which his genius obtained from contemporary critics,
some of whom indeed gave him credit for qualities
which he did not possess. It was perhaps jealousy
that made Benvenuto Cellini treat him Avith contempt.
Ignorance may have prompted the neglect of Albertini.
The same excuse could not be pleaded for Ariosto,
Avho gave him rank after Sebastian del Piombo, or
Sabba da Castiglione, Avho thought he "would have
reached the pinnacle of fame had he but lived long
enough." Paul Jove, Avho assigned to him the third
place after Lionardo and Michaelangelo, admits his
power of assimilation and rare creative faculty ; but
Michiel, the Venetian, alone said that though dead in
the flesh, he Avould live in the memory of posterity to
all time.
None, perhaps, appreciated Raphael in his own
days more thoroughly than professional men. It Avas
not Vasari alone Avho thought Raphael's art divine.
There Avas not a master of the Umbrian or Florentine
school at the beginning of the 16th century AA'ho
Avould not have admitted his superiority. At that
period Florence still held her place as the chief centre
of every form of culture; she wielded undisputed
sway in all matters pertaining to design. Yet so
steady and universal had been the progress Avhich art
had made, that Avhilst Florentine painters were ac-
knoAvledged as the ablest in all the world, there Avas
hardly a state into which Italy was subdivided where
rivals of almost equal eminence might not have been
B 2

4 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
foimd ; nor would any one who chanced to visit Rome
have been able to discern that the Florentines who
laboured there had done more than claim for them
selves a fair field and no favour. But art, high as it
stood, was still capable of a higher impulse. That
impulse came, and the master who gaAre it combined
and embodied all the ideal elements which had been
the outcome of earlier centuries. When Raphael
appeared at Florence for the first time he Avas
admitted to the brotherhood of his fellows as an
equal. A few years later he was proclaimed their
superior, and accepted as the chief who was to g±Are
its last perfection to Italian painting. At his _death,
which occurred prematurely, there was not a man of
capacity to fathom the depth of his genius but might
be ready to admit that the greatest master of modern
times had been taken to his grave ; nor Avould Italy
haATe been ungrateful to confess that Raphael's like
would never be seen again, or that the leading spirit
Avhose presence all craftsmen had been Avilling to
adore would never be replaced.
Raphael was born in a provincial city. He died at
Rome, the political centre of the world in the papacy
of Leo X. BetAveen Urbino and Rome, the poles of
his existence, he wandered with but one apparent
purpose in life, the purpose — diligently pursued and
never abandoned — of studying everything that had
been done by others before bim, of assimilating the
good and eliminating the bad amongst the numerous
examples which had come within his ken. From
Urbino to Perugia, from thence to Cittk di Castello

Chap. I.] ORIGIN OF THE SANTI. 5
and Sienna, jrom Sienna to Florence and thence to
Rome ; — throughout that wonderful journey which to
him was little else than a triumph, he studied one after
another, nature, the antique, and the Tuscan, and
Avhen he finally broke the fetters of Umbrian tradition,
not a single one of the craftsmen then Hving would
have said that he copied any of them ; not one,
except, perhaps, Michaelangelo, Avould have denied
that he was the best and most perfect of them all.
He lived but thirty-seven years. But these years
Avitnessed a revolution Avhich changed, without de
stroying, Italian art, and firmly seated the new on the
foundations of . the old ; a revolution Avhich taught
with equal reverence the lessons of Giotto and
Masaccio, and those of Ghirlandaio and da Vinci ; and
gaAre at last a social position to painters.
The name of Santi which Raphael brought into
great repute was that of a lowly race settled as early
as the 15th century in the hills of the State of Urbino.
Travellers folloAving the high road that leads from
Pesaro to Urbino may still see Colbordolo, a grey
conglomerate of farms and old Avails, high up the dun
sides of the hills overlooking the valley of the
Foglia. It is long since these hills first lost their
clothing of oak and beech. Their weather-beaten
ridges now show more surface of stone than of leaves,
whilst on the lower grounds, and, as it were, in the
seams bordering the torrents that scour the country,
the loam is still dark and rich, and of great thickness ;
and the peasants who drive the plough creep sloAvly at
the side of their teams between the vine-clad trees,

6 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. I.
as the patient and powerful oxen sink deap and wide
furrows in the soil.
During the latter half of the 15th century this
region enjoyed almost complete immunity from the
troubles AArhich disturbed the more open country near
the great arteries of intercommunication. But pre
vious to that time, before the Dukes of Urbino had
permanently settled their state into a condition of Avell
ordered goATernment, the land Avas frequently harried
by wild and reA*engeful neighbours; and in one of
these expeditions, Colbordolo was fired and plundered
by the followers of Sigismund Malatesta; and Raphael's
great-grandfather Peruzzolo Santi fled — to avoid a re
currence of the disaster — to the comparatiA'c security
of Urbino.
In the early days of Italian civilization Urbino may
claim to have exercised to some extent a discriminating
patronage of art. One of her political or ecclesiastical
magnates asked Giotto to visit him, and the great
master was not sIoav to accept the invitation.*
Celebrated artists of all the sister professions receiA'ed
commissions from Urbinese patrons; and Tuscan
annalists are found to have registered with reverent
care the works of Flemish and Italian painters at
Urbino. It would be a mistake indeed to think that
the Montefeltros or della Roveres of Urbino, whose
chief occupation Avas the hire of mercenaries for the
more powerful states of the Peninsula, were either
able or inclined to give permanent or effectual

* Vasari, ed. Lemonnier, i. 324.

Chap. I.]

FREDERICK OF UP.BINO.

patronage to artists. It has been said, indeed, by
Raphael's friend, Baldassare Castiglione, that the
palace of Urbino was the finest,, edifice of its kind in
Italy — a palace conspicuous alike for its embellish
ments of furniture, arras, and silver plate, and its
adornment Avith numerous statues, pictures, and
books.* But this statement appears much over
wrought — as much, indeed, as that of later historians,
Avho described Urbino as the Athens of Italy, and
Frederick II. of Montefeltro as a prince who in
fluenced Raphael's style.-j" If Urbino and its palace
ever justified the praise which Castiglione and his
successors gave it, they did so after Raphael had risen
to the fulness of his fame ; and if, in other paths
than those of war, Frederick ever surpassed his neigh
bours, it Avas Avhen he judiciously chose the architects
and sculptors Avho built and adorned his palace, or
when he employed the bookseller Vespasian to enrich
his library Avith valuable manuscripts.
There were many reasons why Frederick should do
Avhat he did and no more. His profession had always
been that of a soldier or trainer of soldiers, and at a
very early period he had acquired the position of a
contractor for men at arms and a teacher of the art of
war. The palace which he built was planned so as
to combine the comforts of a residence with the re
quirements of a military academy. Youths who

* Cortigiano, ed. of Padua, fol.
1766, p. 19.
f It is easy, but unnecessary, to
enumerate the works ¦which these
artists executed for Urbino. But

we should particularly remember
¦ that Piero della Francesca's
treatise on perspective now pre
served at the Vatican, was one of
the MSS. in the library of Urbino

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

meant to make fighting a profession came to drill and
learn the military sciences at Urbino. The palace
was a barrack, a riding-school and a college. In the
first the students lived ; in the second they were
exercised; in the third they read. The rooms and
halls contained few if any statues of any kind.
What sculpture there was, A\ith the exception of a
few busts, AAras in the nature of friezes about the
doors and Avindows, or on chimneys and staircases,
and of these many are still extant to prove the skill
of the ducal workmen. But eA'en here the subjects
represented were illustrative of the art of Avar. Of
painting there Avas comparatively little,* and that
little Avas confined to small spaces, because the Duke
disliked fresco, and preferred painting in oil. Ves
pasian says that Frederick, " not finding masters to
his liking in Italy, because they did not knoAV hoAV to
colour panels in oil, sent to the Netherlands for a
celebrated master, Avhom he settled at Urbino ; " and
this master " painted several pictures, in a study
Avhere the philosophers, poets, and doctors of the
Greek and Latin churches were represented, and the
Duke himself was portrayed from nature with such
skill as to lack nothing but the spirit and the breath
of life itself." t

* " Questo palazzo . . . di poche
pitture . . e ornato . . . Delle statue
parimente jjoche ivi se ne veg-
gono." Baldi, Descrizione del
Palazzo ducale d'Urbino, fol.
Roma, mdccxxiv., pp. 47 and 65.
t Vespasiano da Bisticci, Vite di ' Florence 1498.
Uomini illustri, ed. Cardinal Mai. i

Reprint of 1859, 8vo, Flor. Barbera,
pp. 93-94. This evidence is the
stronger as Vespasiano was a con
temporary of Federigo, with whom
he was personally acquainted. He
was horn 1421, and died at

Chap. I.] FREDERICK AS A PATRON OF ART.

Federigo' s taste for the works of the Flemings
dates, no doubt, from the time when he purchased
o pictures by John Van Eyck, in which possibly he
admired the portrait character as well as the technical
finish, and a method of Avhich Italians as yet had not
the complete secret. He was apparently familiar
with all the forms of artistic talent peculiar to the
Netherlands ; and well acquainted Avith the superior
skill of the Flemings in Aveaving tapestry. Vespasian
relates that he sent for Flemish workmen, who deco
rated one of his rooms at Urbino with arras.* The
discovery of oil medium, which had been a subject of
literary and artistic contention in Italy since 1450,.
had probably attracted his attention. He doubtless
heard it discussed at Urbino. Vespasian omits to
name "the celebrated master from Flanders" whom
Federigo employed. But records and pictures tell
that there Avas a Fleming at Urbino in Federigo' s
- reign, and that "Justus of Ghent," who hVed at the
Feltrine court after 1464, was commissioned in 1474
to paint the " Communion of the Apostles," in Avhich
Federigo was represented with Zeno, the Venetian
envoy of the Persian Shah. The presence of Justus
at Urbino seems to have excited some commotion.
The people of the ducal residence protested against
foreign invasion. They sent for Paolo Uccelli and
Piero della Francesca for the purpose of competing
with Justus in the Brotherhood of Corpus Christi.
By some freak of fortune, Uccelli's predella of the

* Vespasiano, u. s.

10

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

"Theft of the Pyx" came to adorn the base of
Justus' " Communion," whilst Piero della Francesca,
who had agreed to produce an altarpiece, withdrew
from his contract or failed to complete it. But as if to
prove that he too had learnt the secret of the Flem
ings, he Avas allowed to paint in oil the portraits of
Federigo and his Avife Battista Sforza, and thus he
revealed the poAvcr of a highly gifted artist. But
Piero' s method Avas not exactly that of the Flemings ;
it had the opal flesh tinge peculiar to the practice of
tempera. Federigo clung to his prejudices. Gio
vanni Santi did the honours of a host to his Tuscan
colleagues, and caressed his dislike of strangers.
Justus was employed by the Duke to paint his own
portrait and the philosophers in the library of the
palace, and Santi vented his spleen by singing the
praise of Uccelli, Francesca, Van Eyck and Roger
ATan der Weyden, Avhilst he ignored the merits of
Justus altogether. A single Italian appears to have
been treated with similar discourtesy. Francesco di
Giorgio was neATer mentioned by Santi, though his
talents as a painter Avere great and his skill in the
sister arts Avas conspicuous.
During the Avreck of the fortunes of the Rovere
family, who inherited Urbino in the 16th century,
the decorations of the library of Federigo Avere dis
persed ; but some of the pictures are still preserved
in the LouA~re, Windsor Castle, and the Barberini
Palace at Rome, and the whole series of them reveals
an artist or artists who combined the precision and
realism of the Flemish schools with the higher art

Chap. I.] ' GIOVANNI SANTI. 1 1
of the disciples of Melozzo and Piero della Francesca.
Whether Justus was led to exchange some of the
traditions of his countrymen for those of Italian
masters is a question difficult to ansAver. About the
time when the philosophers and fathers were finished,
and after Federigo's appointment to a dukedom in
1474, another series was composed for a room of the
palace of Urbino, and the seven sciences were repre
sented on thrones, offering their emblems to various
members of the families of Montefeltro and Sforza.
Two panels of this series, noAV in the Museum of
Berlin, and tAVO more in the National Gallery, shoAV
so great an affinity to the style of Melozzo da Forli
that they have been assigned to him. But even here
reminiscences of Flemish art are seen to linger, and
it is questionable Avhether Justus may not have
adapted himself to the manner of the disciples of
Piero della Francesca, and by a great' effort produced
masterpieces AA'hich might otherAvise not have been
expected from the author of the "Communion of
the Apostles." Raphael's father did not fail to give
Melozzo a place amongst the artists whose celebrity
was confined to Italy. He seems, indeed, to have
had a near personal acquaintance AArith him ; but he
did not for this reason relent in his opinion of Justus.
When he began the education of Raphael, he incul
cated neither the maxims of Uccelli nor those of Piero
della Francesca. He trusted entirely to his OAvn, in
which the Umbrian, not unmixed Avith reminiscences
of Melozzo, preponderated. Raphael inherited from
his father the art of the Umbrian, but he developed

12 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
his manner under the tuition of Perugino ; and from
all the men who first adorned the palace of Urbino
he learnt, AAre may confidently affirm, all but nothing.
When in after j^ears he visited Urbino, and, perhaps
with aAve, looked round the walls of the ducal studio,
he thought the portraits of the philosophers worthy of
attention; and taking out his pen and ink-horn, he
sketched them in his book as Ave find them preserved
in the gallery of Venice. We shall presently see
that at this period of his career, Raphael was entirely
under the influence of the Umbrian school to Avhich
his father belonged. The study of his works leads to
the conclusion that he learnt the first elements of his
profession from Giovanni Santi, but that his true and
earliest master Avas Perugino.
When Peruzzolo Santi settled at Urbino in the
15th century, he laid the foundation of a family
Avhich prospered for several generations by the simple
exercise of thrift. With patience, perseverance, and
luck, the Santi accumulated money and possessions,
and purchased household property, which in due
course of time descended to Raphael and his relations.
In the Contrada del Monte, Avhich rises from the
market-place of Urbino, the house bought by Sante in
1464 may still be found. The basement was a shop
in Avhich Sante kept a store, and Giovanni Santi
ubiquitously represented a general dealer, or gold
smith and painter. Sante inhabited this house till
his death on the 2nd of August, 1482. It then
came by right of succession into his son's hands.
Yet the death of his father does not seem to

Chap. I.]

GIOVANNI SANTI.

13

have wrought any change in Giovanni Santi' s life.
Under the patriarchal system Avhich governed the
family, children and grandchildren lived in common ;
and Giovanni, who had long been married to Magia
Ciarla, the daughter of a tradesman of Urbino, had
always been an inmate of Sante' s clAvelling. At the
opening of Sante' s Avill, it Avas found that GioATanni
had inherited most of the paternal property in land
and houses, but that his brother Don Bartolommeo,
then in orders, had received a legacy in money and
the freehold of a field, and his sisters Margherita
Vagnini, and Santa Marini, each a dowry. Santa
returned to Giovanni's house as a Avidow in 1490.
Margaret's son, Girolamo Vagnini, lived to take the
incumbency of the chapel founded by Raphael's Avill
in the Pantheon at Rome, and Don Bartolommeo
became Raphael's guardian after Giovanni Santi' s
death. Magia Ciarla' s brother and sister, Lucia
Zaccagna and Simone di Battista, Avere left out of
Sante's Avill altogether.* In after years many of the
members of Sante's family lived in common in the
Contrada del Monte.
Giovanni Santi had scarcely administered to the
Avill of his father when Federigo, Duke of Urbino,
died and bequeathed the succession to his infant
son Guidubaldo. The death of this prince was un
doubtedly of serious moment to the state. When in
his leisure hours Federigo came to rest in the castello

* See the records in Pungileone's
ElogioStor. di Gio. Santi. 8vo, Urb.

1822,andPassavant'sRaphael,Paris
ed., 8vo, 1860, i. pp. 357 and foil.

14 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
Avhich he did so much to adorn, his time was not all
spent in council, or teaching, or the pleasures of the
chase. By profession a condottie?-e, he acquired in
course of time both money and honour. His sub
jects, hardy sons of the hills, had learnt to love him
as one who would take them, poor and martial as they
Avere, to the Avars, where they might indeed run the
risk of losing their liA'es, but where success and luck
might enrich adArenturers Avith the plunder of cities or
camps. Himself enriched by numerous victories, he
had had the good sense to observe that people Avere
never so happy as A\lien they AA^ere lightly taxed.
The booty Avhich he carried home enabled him to
found churches and monasteries, to build palaces,
fortify places of strength, and inclose parks for the
preservation of game ; but it also gave him the power
to dispense Avith heavy taxation. He was moderate,
too, in the satisfaction of his tastes, and Avithout any of
those dangerous passions AA'hich marred the character
of his neighbours, the Malatestas of Rimini or the
Baglionis of Perugia. For this and other causes his
popularity Avas immense.* Whenever he appeared in
public the Avayfarers, men and Avomen, would kneel at
his approach and cry " God keep you "; not because
unreasoning awe taught them to bow to him as to an
idol, but because they loved him personally. In his
leisure moments Federigo Avas fond of bending his
steps towards the market-place and visiting the shops
of the tradespeople. He spoke familiarly to those

* Vespasiano, u. s., p. 103.

Chap. I.] GUIDUBALDO OF MONTEFELTRO.

15

whom he kneAV, and kindly to strangers.* But a few
yards up the street that led from the market-place
lay the house of the Santi, and who knoAvs but he
entered the store and chatted Avith the inmates. His
sympathy for Giovanni Santi, avIio was a poet as well
as a painter, may have been small. His preference
for strangers when competent artists were to be found
at home was no doubt known to Santi, Avho looked
Avith jealous eye on the faA'our accorded to these
intruders.-]- But his person and fame were a theme
on which every one was fond of dwelling ; and Santi
once spent his time in composing a rhymed chronicle
in praise of his life and virtues, and though Federigo,
had he seen it, might not have wished to spend a
ducat on the purchase of this epic, his nature would
have led him certainly to think kindly of the writer.
The loss of such a prince at a time when his successor
was but " an infant necessarily gave rise to great
anxiety. But the regency under which Guidubaldo
Avas placed Avas not of long duration. He courted
popularity with success, allied himself by marriage to
the politic family of the Gonzagas, and quickly
signalised himself as a leader of troops. Walking in
the footsteps of his sire, he did more to patronize
national art than Federigo. He finished the buildings
Avhich his father had begun, and discarding the

* Ibid. 103—4.
f The evidence of this is but
circumstantial, yet still very
strong. Santi is silent as to Justus
of Ghent and the arras makers of
Federigo, yet he notices all the

contemporary Italian artists of
his time in the Rhyme chronicle.
His career became successful when
these strangers lost the patronage
of Federigo.

16

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

foreigners Avhose exclusiA^e employment had been a
source of jealousy to the Urbinese, he gave immense
satisfaction to that class of his subjects who earned
their livelihood by the practice of painting.""" Gio
vanni Santi amongst others derived undoubted
advantage from the change. After Guidubaldo's
marriage Avith Elizabeth Gonzaga irT 1489, he "ob
tained the interest of two ducal families ; he A'isited
Mantua, and his death in 1494 elicited from the
Duchess of Urbino kindly notice of his worth.~f"
When Raphael succeeded to the paternal estate and
profession, Guidubaldo's sister, Giovanna della Rovere,
gave him her patronage ; and it has even been thought
that at a critical period of his fortunes she recom

mended hinijto the chief of the Florentine state. J
Guidubaldo probably remembered that Santi's Life
of Federigo Avas dedicated to himself, and he too
promoted Raphael's fortunes at a very early period ;
nor is it too much to say that some of the-suGcess
which attended the latter Avas due to the conduct of
his sire.
Early in the period of his union AArith Magia
Ciarla, Giovanni Santi had had the joys and cares of
a father. Magia first gave birth to a boy, who died
in 1485, next to a daughter Avho died in 1491. S
Raphael, the only child of his parents who lived to
the age of manhood, was born in the old house in the

* See previous note.
t See proofs in Campori's Noti-
zie e documenti per la vita di
Gio. Santi e di Raffaello Santi,

fol. Modena, 1870, pp. 4, 5.
X See postea.
§ Records in Pungileone and
Passav. u. s.

Chap. I.]

RAPHAEL'S INFANCY.

Contrada del Monte at Urbino in 1483 ; and all the
world knows thai Avhen he died on Good Friday, the
6th of April, 1520,* his friends might have been
meeting to celebrate the anniversary of his thirty-
eighth birthday. Magia nursed the boy herself, not
because it Avas the habit of all mothers to perform
this duty, but because Giovanni Santi held that
children throve better and enjoyed fairer prospects
under the parental roof than in the cottages of hired
"villeins and peasants." f So the boy lived and
passed out of infancy, and learnt his primer, Avhen he
AA^as not playing on his father's doorway or in the
market-place. In daily contact with the tools of the
painter, he Avatched the labours of Giovanni at his
easel, and saAV him send forth to admiring patrons
those quaint but characteristic Umbrian altarpieces in
Avhich he depicted the majesty of the Virgin and
Child and the admiration of attendant saints, or the
meditative devotion of lay and churchmen kneeling at

* Aras. viii. p. 2, says, " nacque
adunque R. in Urbino l'anno 1483
in Venerdi Santo a ore , tre di
notte," p. 59 ; " fini il corso della
sua vita il giorno medesimo che
nacque." Bembo's epitaph in the
Pantheon of Rome runs so : " vix.
ANNOS XXXVIt. INTEGER INTEGROS
QVO DIE NATVS EST EO ESSE DESIIT
VIII ID. APRILIS 1IDXX." The
" same day on which Raphael was
born and died" cannot apply if
we assume, as Vasari has done,
that the birth was on Good Friday,
a moveable feast which fell on the

6th of April in 1520, and the 26th
or 28th of March in 1483, accord
ing as we count by the astronomical
tables or the Julian calendar. In
MS. Chigi, ed. G. Cugnoni, 8vo,
Roma, 1881, p. 30, this passage
occurs : " Verum non admodum
felici evento cessit id Raphaeli,
frequentius enim, quam par erat
venere (ferunt) ilium utentem,
obijsse constat anno mdxx. die
vi. Aprilis, eadem qua natus evat
septem supra triginta ante annos."
t Vas. viii. 2.

18 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
the Virgin's feet. He Avitnessed, though he would
hardly notice, the deaths of his brothers and sisters,
but he probably scanned with eager curiosity the
ceremonies of Guidubaldo's marriage in 1489. His
childish mind was doubtless more seriously affected
by the death of Magia Ciarla, Avhich occurred on. the
7th of October, 1491.* He may unconsciously have
witnessed the second marriage of his father, who
shortly after Magia's death took to wife the daughter
of a goldsmith, Bernardina Parte, Avhose age at the
time Avould hardly enable her to feel the responsi
bilities of a parent. It would be easy to assume, yet
presumptuous to affirm, that Bernardina Parte felt and
gave way to the jealousy of a stepmother. She was
yery young when Magia Ciarla died, and still young
Avhen, six months after, she married Giovanni Santi.
But she did not immediately give pledges of her own
to her husband's affection ; and she might by seconding
his love for Raphael have gained some ascendancy
over her stepchild. Unfortunately the time meted
out to her for this purpose proved to be very short,
and the quarrels of a disputed succession soon pro
duced a natural but inevitable estrangement.
Meanwhile the life of the inmates of Santi' s house
remained to all appearance comfortable and secure.
Orders abounded at the store, and commissions came
to the painter more rapidly than before. The Duchess
of Urbino did Santi the honour of sitting to him for
her likeness. She Avas satisfied of his abilities, and

* Pungileone, Elogio storico di Rafaello Santi. 8vo, Urbino, 1829, p. 3.

Chap. I.] GIOVANNI SANTI DIES. 19
sent him to Mantua to take a portrait of Lodovico
Gonzaga.* But in summer 1494 Santi sickened, and,
feeling that Ins end was near, he asked for a notary
to Avhom he dictated his will, and in this instrument
he provided for all the members of his family. He
left to Bernardina her dowry, clothes, and a share of
his house, provided she remained a widowr. With
special regard to her state at the time he reserved. to
her daughters, should she have any, dowries of 150
florins apiece, to her sons under similar anticipations
a fair part of his property. He gave his sister Santa
board and lodging for life in the family dAvelling, and
legacies to some other relations. The residue of his
property he divided in equal parts between his brother
Don Bartolommeo and Raphael his son by Magia
Ciarla. Don Bartolommeo Avas appointed guardian of
his children, and Pietro Parte his executor. One of
the testamentary clauses declares that Bernardina
shall live and dwell in the Contrada del Monte " with
the other heirs mentioned in the will."t It tends
to prove that Raphael Avas at Urbino at his father's
death ; and shows that Vasari too hastily assumed
that Raphael was apprenticed to Perugino in Gio
vanni's lifetime. J
Santi's Avill was executed on the 26th of July. He
died on the 1st of August, 1494, § leaving Raphael heir

* Campori, Notizie di Gio.
Santi e di Rafaello Santi. 4to,
Modena, 1870, pp. 4-5.
+ The will is in Passavant's

X Vas. iv. 316.
§ A second will, dated July 27,
1494, is printed in com. to Vas.
u. s., iv. p. 396. It contains

Raphael, i., pp. 361-2. codicils of July 29, beneath which
c 2

20

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

to an estate under the guardianship^ofhis uncle ; and
prospective successor to the property of his grand
father Ciarla.*
Brought up by a man of literary tastes, Raphael
learnt to read and write whilst he studied the elements
of painting under his father's roof ; it was in keeping
Avith the practice of the time that the boy should be
taught Avhen very young to mix pigments and handle
the pen and the pencil.
Nineteen years before Santi's death Fra Barto
lommeo had been apprenticed at eight years of
age to Piero di Cosimo ; and Raphae]  aL_ilie_
same age might have entered his father's Avorkroom.
It Avas not to be expected that he should progress
much beyond the simplest elements during the short
space of time that elapsed from his first initiation
to the death of Santi. Biit in that short span, he
received impressions which many years failed to
obliterate, and it is curious to observe that as late
as the opening of the 16th century his memory was
still stored Avith typical forms inherited from his
father. If in the period of Raphael's infancy Santi fondly
watched the babe asleep on its mother's lap, and

we read : Die 1 mensis Augusti
decessit dictus testator. This will
was annulled by the Court of Pro
bate. * The will of Battista quondam
Nicolai Ciarla, dated Urbino, Aug.
8, 1494, bequeaths to Raphael,
Magia's child, the sum of 150

florins. That of Camilla, Battista's
wife, dated Oct. 8, leaves Raphael
a nominal sum of 40 " bononenos."
Pungileone, Elogio storico di
Rafl'aello Santi, note to p. 12. See
also Pass. u. s., i. 41-2 and 361-3,
and Pungileone, Elogio storico di
Giovanni Santi, p. 136.

Chap. I.] SANTI AND RAPHAEL.

21

moulded the group into a picture on the Avail of his
OAvn house,* we may still more easily understand his
embodiment of Raphael's features in the angels of the
' ' Resurrection ' ' of Cagli. One of the prettiest legends
of Raphael's youth tells of this journey to Cagli, where
his juvenile efforts are said to have contributed to the
perfection of the maturer labours of Santi. f Yet the
boy may have travelled after his father's death, and
visited the place hallowed by recollections of Santi' s
presence ; and the reminiscences which afterwards
appeared in his compositions may date from the period
of these Avanderings ; for there is not the slightest
doubt that the " Resurrection " of the Vatican has to
some extent its counterpart in that of Cagli.
Amongst the numerous works Avhich Santi left in
the churches of Umbria, that of Gradara contains the,
germ of one of the graceful thoughts which Raphael ,
afterwards expanded into something akin to the
sublime. The " Infant Christ on the Virgin's Knee '^
holds a captive bird, whilst it gives the benediction.
This is a contrast quite foreign to the practice of \
Perugino, yet familiar to Raphael, Avho painted in his .
youth the " Virgin with the Finch," J and in his
manhood the " Madonna del Cardellino." Nor is this /
all, for the "Virgin Avith the Finch," in grouping
and movement of the Saviour, recalls Santi' s "Virgin
Avith the Pink," in the hospital of Fano.
The tenderness of Raphael is nowhere more con-

* See as to this the author's
Italian Painting, ii. 594. The pic-

himself. f Ibid. ibid. ; ii. p. 585.

ture was long assigned to Raphael X At the Berlin Museum.

22 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
/ spicuous than in the "Madonna di Casa Tempi'' at
Munich, where the delight of the mother at the cling
ing of her son's cheek to her own is nobly expressed
^ in the faces of both. We look in vain for a similar
display of maternal affection in Perugino. But Santi,
in his rough honest way, tried to realise it in the
Mattarozzi altarpiece which now adorns the gallery of
Berlin. The sleeping child in Santi' s "Madonna" at the
National Gallery, or the sleeping boy in the wall
painting of Santi's house at Urbino, are natural pre
cursors of those which impart so great a charm to the
" Brocca Madonna " at Milan, or the "Virgin of the
Diadem " at the Louvre. Another boy Christ in
Santi's altarpiece of Montefiorentino reminds us of
Raphael's Saviour in the altarpiece of the Ansidei
at Blenheim, Avhilst it similarly recalls the lovely
" Madonna Connestabile " in the shape and air of the
figure of Mary.
What Raphael did Avith these pictures of his father
was not to copy the composition or the outlines, but
to give fresh life to similar forms which he represented
afresh in a new and transfigured shape. The nearer
Raphael's study and view of his father's Avork, the
more frequent his recollection of it. The Buffi altar-
piece at Urbino clings to him with such tenacity, that
during his stay at Citta- di Castello, after leaving
Perugino and starting on his oavu way, he re
membered it. Though his art was well formed in the
Peruginesque mould when he began the series of can
vases with which he adorned the capital of the Vitelli

CHip. I.] SANTI AND RAPHAEL. 23

yet the reappearance of Santi's type of the Eternal in
the " Creation of Eve," becomes natural Avhen we
suppose that the Buffi altarpiece in Avhich that type
occurs was still lingering in Raphael's tenacious
memory. The same mighty frame, the same wide
forehead, the same cast of features, appear in both
pictures, but refined in the masterpiece of Raphael by
those poAvers of assimilation which of all others Avere
those recognized by his contemporaries as character
istic of the great Urbinese. Nor is this a solitary
instance, since elsewhere and in numerous examples,
figures of angels, conspicuous in many altarpieces,
flit past us in various compositions of Raphael's
maturer time. As late as the period of the " Corona
tion of the Virgin" at the Vatican, when Raphael
became so thoroughly saturated with the principles of
Perugino and Pinturicchio as almost to deceive the
craftsmen of the time, we still find the types of Santi
commingled with those of Melozzo and Fiorenzo of
Perugia, in wonderful shapes of seraphs, whose heads
appear enframed in beautiful rows of spiral locks.
Later still, when the " Votive Madonna " of Sant'
Antonio of Perugia betrayed that Raphael had studied
the greatest of the Florentines, and learnt something
from Lionardo and Baccio della Porta, at the very
moment when he paused on the confines of the
Umbrian and Florentine styles, he still remembered
the shapes which he had seen in the "Majesty of
St. Jerome" at Pesaro,* the "Martyrdom of St. Se-

* Now at the Lateran Museum.

24

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. I.

bastian"at Fano, and the "Resurrection" of Cagli.
Santi's feeling, in its essence exquisite, yet in form
and tint rude and imperfect, gushed exuberantly
from the hand of Raphael, aaIio combined with happy
cunning the conceptions of his father and the colour
or technical craft of Perugino. It can hardly be an
accident that the art of Santi should thus have des
cended to his son. But remembering the youth of the
one and the early death of the other, Ave are free to
suppose, either that filial piety induced the youth to
make a pilgrimage to the altars on which the Avorks
of his sire had been left, or that he inherited the
draAvings and sketches Avhich Santi had collected and
preserved. Vasari must have been AATong when he
wrote that Santi took Raphael to Perugia to receive
the lessons of Perugino.* He was right in saying
that Raphael's master was his father. The chrysalis
naturally yields the form of the parent moth.|

> Shortly after the death of Giovanni Santi, his Avife
gave birth to a daughter, who took the name of

* Vas. iv. 316.
t If we should venture to ac
knowledge the genuineness of
some drawings which collectors
assign to Raphael, it would be
solely because they display the
form of Santi combined with some
of the gentleness and delicacy of
his son. Baphael may have copied
his father's drawing in the angel
in a cloud, praying, attributed to
him in the Berlin print-room.
Something like his own spirit may
be found in two small rounds in

the same collection, representing
the Virgin and St. Peter (m. 0-8 in
diameter). The A'irgin in mantle
and hood, her neck nun-like,
swathed in cloth, the left hand
raised, the right holding the dress,
the face upraised and seen at three-
quarters. St. Peter, full front, bare
headed, with a book and the keys
in his hands, looking down. Yet
these drawings can only date from
a period subsequent to Raphael's
departure from Urbino.

Chap. I.] RAPHAEL AN ORPHAN. 25
Elizabeth borne by the Duchess of Urbino.* Raphael
may still be supposed an inmate of the house in the
Contrada del Monte. He was joint heir to his
father's fortune with the infant Elizabeth, yet under
the guardianship of his uncle Bartolommeo, Avho
possibly "^rimibTed at the prospect of paying the
doAvry of his niece. Whether he pretended to feel
some difficulty in defraying the artistic education of
his nephew, Avho Avas noAV to learn his art amongst
strangers, or whether his nature Avas merely that of a
quarrelsome and selfish priest, Bartolommeo soon came
to open enmity Avith his brother's widow, and Raphael
might have blushed to hear that Bartolommeo, in his
own name and that of his Avard, had been straining
the law to keep the heritage of Giovanni Santi in his
pocket. Though forced by a court of law in 1495 to
promise payment to Bernardina Santi of her doAvry
and clothes, though sentenced by a civil court in the
same year to pay for the maintenance of his niece and
sister-in-law, Bartolommeo ventured to oppose by all
the means in his poAver the fulfilment of his obliga
tions. For months and years he made the life of
every one in the Santi dAvelling uncomfortable. Ber
nardina, in 1497, proposed an arbitration to ascertain
what sum she might reckon on for support, and the
bishop's court at Urbino made a reference in the
cause, and condemned Bartolommeo Avith costs. Two
years more elapsed before the slow forms of law

* The date of this child's birth
is not known. She is mentioned
as alive in two records of 1495 and '

1499, J une 3. Passavant, Raph. i.
p. 365.

26 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
allowed that Bernardina should receive an annual
payment of 26 florins, and during that period of
suspense sheAvas forced to take refuge in her mother's
house. It was not before May, 1500, that Bartolom
meo and Raphael received discharge for the alimony,
and litigation came to an end.*
We can only guess Avhat life Raphael may have led
if he remained at Urbino to Avitness these family
feuds. The cool tone in Avhich he Avrites of Bar
tolommeo at a later period, the loving terms in which
he addresses his cousin Simone Ciarla, — that tender
"carissimo quanto padre" wliich he scratches on one
of his notes, lead us to believe that the time Avhich
he spent at Urbino Avas A~ery much devoted to that
relative. The records of the period are too scanty
and incomplete to afford any precise information.
They giA'c no clue to Raphael's residence at Urbino or
Perugia ; they merely sIioav that Raphael was absent
when the last sentence in a long and tedious cause
gave a tardy satisfaction to Santi's widow, f
The history of Raphael's youth from 1494 to
1504 is a blank so far as records are concerned, yet
it is still possible to fill the void by circumstantial
evidence. Vasari, it is admitted, erroneously assumed
that Raphael Avas introduced to Perugino by Gio
vanni Santi, and he obviously based this statement on
the fact that Raphael's style in 1504 was influenced

* The records of June 5, 1499, date in Pass. Raphael, i. 364-6.

and May 13, 1500, are in the Jahr-
buchder Kgl. Preuss. Sammlungen,
1882, Part ii. ; others of earlier

* See the record of May 13,
1500, in Jahrbuch der Kgl. Preuss.
Sammlungen, u. s.

Chap. I.]

PERUGINO AND RAPHAEL.

27

by that of the Perugian master. Opinions differ as
to the period when this influence Avas felt. Some
have conjectured that Raphael settled early at Pe
rugia ; others, that he remained under the tuition of
masters at Urbino. We shall venture to affirm : I.
That he left home when still a child ; II. That he
began to take lessons from Perugino as early as
1495. A general, and apparently well founded, impression
prevailed till very recently that Perugino Avas a per
manent resident at Florence from 1492 till 1498.*
It was well known that he frequently absented him
self from Florence, but it was thought that, having a
painting room in the Tuscan capital, it was there that
his head-quarters were established. This, it appears,
is a mistake, and records now tell us that Perugino
Avas equally at home at Perugia, and at Florence;
but that he frequently resided at Perugia betAveen
1495 and 1500.
Previous to 1492, Perugino's movements had been
capricious enough ; after that date they were equally
if not more so. He Avas in Rome when Innocent the
Vlllth died ; in Florence when he courted the daughter
of a sculptor of repute, whom he married in the autumn
of 149 3. f He afterwards completed a series of most
important works, the finest of which is undoubtedly
the " Crucifixion " of Santa Maria Maddalena dei

* See History of Italian Paint
ing, vol. iii., Life of Perugino.
f The marriage took place at
Fiesole on September 1, 1493.

See Braghirolli (W.) in Giornale
di Erud. Tosc, 4to, Perugia, 1873,
vol. ii. pp. 73 and 143, and the
Sansonied. of Vasari, iii. p. 611.

28

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

Pazzi.* But before he had finished even this great
commission, he transferred his household from Flo
rence to Perugia, Avhere we find him busily engaged
in the first months of 1495.
On the 8th of March of that year he entered into a
contract with the "Priori" of Perugia to paint an
altarpiece, for the completion of which six months
Avere allowed.
On the 8th of March he signed a second contract to
execute within tAVO years an "Ascension" at San Pietro
of the Benedictines of Perugia. f
In January, 1496, Perugino was at Avork at the
last of these pictures, Avhen he received a visit from
the auditors of the Cambio, who begged him to under
take the decoration of their Hall. Flattered by this
attention, the painter accepted the commission, sub
ject to the folloAving conditions : —
He AVTas to be permitted to finish the "Ascension."
He Avas to have leave to visit Venice, Fano, and
Florence.^ Convinced of the importance of seeming the ser
vices of so great a pamter, AArhose masterpieces adorned

* The frescos of this Florentine
convent were begun in 1492 and
delivered, finished, on the 20th of
April, 1496. See Ulderico Medi
ci's Dell' antica Chiesa dei Cister-
ciensi, oggi S. M. M. de' Pazzi.
8vo, Firenze, 1880, pp. 33-4.
f Perugia, San Pietro of the
Benedictines. The picture is now
at the Museum of Lyons. The
contract of March 8, 1495, in

Mezzanotte, A'ita di P. Vannucci,
8vo, Perugia, 1836, pp. 295-6, has
been transferred by the editors of
the latest editions of A^asari (San-
soni, iii. 611) to the year 1496.
But Rossi (Giora. di Erud. Tosc.
u. s. iii. p. 9) declares this to be
a mistake, and the date of 1495 to
be correct.
+ Rossi (A), Giornale di Erud.
Tosc. u. s. iii. p. 9.

Chap. I.] PERUGINO AND RAPHAEL. 29
the Sixtine, the auditors accepted the delay and closed
Avith the master's offer.*
On the 6th of April, 1496, Perugino appeared at
Florence to deliver the frescos of Santa Maria de'
Pazzi to the Cistercians who had ordered them. He
invested some of his money in the purchase of
land.f On the 19th of January, 1497, he Avas again at
Florence, Avhere he met Benozzo Gozzoli, Cosimo
Rosselli, and Filippino Lippi, and helped them to
value the frescos of Alesso Baldovinetti.
In the course of the spring of 1497, the great
altarpiece of Santa Maria Nuova of Fano, Avith its
lovely predella of five pictures, Avas completed at
Perugia, and taken in June to the altar for which it
had been commissioned. We shall see hoAV Raphael
studied that predella and took it as a model for his
oavu masterpieces.
February of 1498 is marked by the delivery of the
"Virgin and Child," Avith angels and members of the
brotherhood of Santa Maria Novella, to the church of
San Pietro Martire in Perugia.
A feAV months later the " Madonna attended by six
Saints " Avas displayed in Santa Maria delle Grazie
at Sinigaglia. It had doubtless been painted at
Perugia. On the 26th of June, 1498, Perugino met the
masters, Avho had been summoned to Florence to
discuss the repairs of the lantern of Santa Maria

* Ibid. ibid. | t Ulderico Medici, u.

30

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

del Fiore ; and on the 4th of September he bought a
house in the Via Pinti.*
At the close of 1498 the frescos of the Cambio
were begun.t But even this considerable cycle of
paintings was not executed without interruption.
On September the 1st, 1499, Perugino was again
in Florence, Avhere he was sworn to keep the rules of
the Florentine guild to Avhich he Avas affiliated.^
" In Florentia degens," — a resident at Florence,
the painter is called in the summons to appear at
Santa Maria del Fiore. " Magister, pictor de Pe-
rugio," — master and painter of Perugia, is his title
when sworn of the Florentine guild.
Perugino, it is clear, had a domicile at Florence,
and a domicile at Perugia. He was possessed of
dwellings and painting-rooms at both places, and from
1492 to 1494 he lived exclusively in the first of
these cities, but from 1495 to 1500, though he
visited Florence occasionally, he resided chiefly at
Perugia. We shall have occasion to speculate on the in
fluence Avhich Perugino wielded during the period of
tuition Avhich preceded that of Raphael's indepen
dence. It may not be necessary to anticipate Avhat
the study of Raphael's masterpieces will necessarily
divulge; yet it is but fair to state that one of the
strongest arguments which can be adduced to prove

* Vas. ed. Sansoni, u. s. iii. 612.
t The first payment for the
frescos of the Cambio was made
on the 25th of February, 1499.

Rossi in Giorn. di Erud. u. s. iii.
14. + Ibid., ibid., ibid.

Chap. I.] PERUGINO AND RAPHAEL. 31

the close connection of the tAvo artists previous to
1500 is that Raphael, in composing the predellas of
the " Coronation" at the Vatican, used all the composi
tions and drawings Avhich Perugino sketched in 1497
for the predellas of the altarpiece of Fano. In other
respects the long dependence of Raphael on Perugino
is shoAvn by evidence so clear that to rebut it would
require more than ordinary ingenuity. And after the
altarpiece of Fano, there is no more pregnant example
to be cited than that of the Cambio frescos, a series
of masterpieces Avhich, so far as Raphael's life is con
cerned, only gains or loses importance as we admit or
deny that Raphael Avas one of those who, from 1498
to 1500, contributed to their execution.*

No pursuit of more absorbing interest can be con
ceived than that of following what may be called the
trail of a great artist, Avhen, knoAving that he passed
that Avay, Ave still remain uncertain as to the age or
direction of the track. At one time the trail looks
broad and Avorn, at other times it becomes a mere
scent or fades and ATanishes altogether. In Raphael's
case, as in that of Masaccio or Palmezzano, a great
source of difficulty lies in the frequent diversions
caused by deceptive cross scents. Perugino is so like
Raphael at one place that Ave almost doubt the evi
dence of our senses. Masaccio is so like Masolino
that we are lost in a maze of uncertainty. The skill
of an expert avouIcI be tried to tell where Melozzo

* The date of 1500 is on the walls of the Cambio.

32 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. I.

ends and Palmezzano, begins. But though Raphael
and Perugino may at one period blend their forms to
confound us, there is a time when each of them has
his OAvn prominent distinctness. They both ascend in
the orbits Avhich nature has created for them. Those
orbits cross, and at the point of contact their bodies
seem lost in each other. But when they emerge a
curious phenomenon apjiears. Not only is Raphael
Peruginesque, but Perugino is Raphaelesque. The
work Avhich Perugino accomplishes from 1499 to
1504 is indelibly stamped with the impress of
Raphael's genius. That of Raphael from 1502 to
1504 is equally influenced by Perugino's example.
Both reveal a constant interchange of thought. /If,
however, Raphael Avas a master practising on his own
account in 1502, hoAV did he rise to the eminence
from which he already then looked down on his con
temporaries ? If Perugino Avas Raphaelesque in
1500, how long had he been under this neAv spell ?
W^c can trace Perugino's career from Perugia to
Rome and to Florence, and observe how steadily, but
how gradually, he Avas influenced by Tuscan example.
After 1496 a new element contributes to the mani
festation of a change. Raphael's course is that of
a retentive and conservative mind, always intent on
steady and unbroken progress, ever acquiring, in-
Avardly digesting and assimilating. Is it possible
that his nature before 1502 should have been in con
trast with his nature afterwards ? Is it not clear that
he enjoyed under Perugino a long and uninterrupted
course of artistic tending, and that he rose to the

CnAP. I.] RAPHAEL'S FIRST MASTER. 33
station which he occupied in 1502 by measured
steps ?
Let us suppose, for the sake of argument, that he
began by forming a manner of his OAvn, AAliich took
shape and grew into something unlike the manner of
Perugino ; and then that he Avandered to Perugia,
Avhere he proceeded to diA'est himself of that early
habit in order to put on quite a new one. We should
expect under these circumstances to find some trace of
the first, and some evidence of progress to the com
plete transformation of the second. In the absence of
all evidence of either kind, it is hardly to be conceived
that Raphael should have joined Perugino as an
assistant ; it is natural to belieA^e that he came as an
apprentice. Vasari' s statement that he took service
Avith Perugino "as a boy"* has been accepted by
some and contested by others. According as they
differ they giA'e him a master at Urbino or Perugia.
One suggests Ingegno, another Timoteo Viti. In the
first case, no evidence ; in the second, evidence of no
conclusive force is adduced. It may be possible at
some future time to find a certified example of
Timoteo Viti's manner at the close of the 15th century,
but his earliest style as now revealed appears based on
the lessons of Francia, whose art had its roots in
Bologna and Ferrara, to which Raphael at first was a
stranger. But granted that Timoteo Viti Avas the
master to Avhom Bartolommeo Santi entrusted his
ward in 1495 at Urbino, for that is the latest con-

* Vas. u. s. iv. 317.

34 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

tention,"" what is the deduction ? The deduction is
that Raphael remained at home till 1500, when his
absence Avas expressly recorded. He then presented
himself to Perugino, and settled doAvn artistically and
socially to a neAv life.
But if Raphael entered Perugino's service when the
Cambio frescos were nearly finished, he can hardly
have had a share in any part of them, since his
method Avas not then Peruginesque. His time must
have been spent in unlearning what he acquired
under Viti, and acquiring AA'hat he had not yet
learned from Perugino. But if this was his occu
pation in 1499 or 1500, hoAV Avas it that Perugino
became Raphaelesque at that period, and is it not
more natural to conceive that that phase in Peru
gino's career, and the simultaneous phase of the
Peruginesque in Raphael, were due to influences which
acted reciprocally on both masters during a long
period of years ? Of all the theories which haAre been
put forward during the last half century, none is
more defensible than that which assigns to Raphael a
share in the transformation of Perugino's manner to
the sweet, luscious style of the "Assumption" of
Vallombrosa, and the " Madonna " of Pavia. But we
need not suppose that Raphael did more in these
remarkable instances than infuse his own delicacy of
sentiment into the mind of Perugino. We shall

* The latest biography of | Mr. Muntz adds, "Viti imitated the

Raphael, a charming work by Mr.
E. Muntz, 4to, Paris, 1881, puts
as a " conjecture " that Raphael re
ceived lessons from Viti, but then

style of Raphael with rare perfec
tion," pp. 23-25. See also Schmar-
sow in the Preussische Jahrbiicher
for 1880.

Chap. I.] PERUGINO RAPHAELESQUE. 35
presently see that Avhilst his co-operation at first Avas
slight and formal, he afterwards progressed, so that Ave
are enabled to distinguish the pictures in Avhich
Perugino's hand appears in the full plenitude of
mastery, but transfigured by feeling acquired from
Raphael, and those in which the design and composi
tion of Perugino are carried out, as it seems, by the
very pencil of Raphael.
There is no more charming variety in Raphael's
easel-pieces than that of the converse Avhich AArhiles
the hours of the Virgin as she tends the infant Christ
and the boy Baptist. His power of uniting symbol- 1
ism of the deepest and most mournful significance Avith
innocence and youth is so great, and it becomes so
intense in the calm solitude of expanded landscapes
that he throAVS us unconsciously into reverie and con
templation. FeAV will have looked at the "Bella
Giardiniera " or the " Madonna in Green " Avithout
feeling some symptoms of this charm. Perugino was '
no stranger to this mode of stirring the heart, at least
in the days of his connection Avith Raphael. Any one
acquainted Avith his " Holy Family " in the Museum
of Nancy, Avill observe how Perugino obtained this
result. He will see the infant Saviour stretching his
hand toAArards the reed cross Avhich rests on the
Baptist's shoulder, the Virgin and John in prayer,
two angels in devotional attitudes. Thin leaved trees
dart upwards from the sides of a valley bounded by
hills and Avater ; and grasses and Avild flowers adorn a
meadoAV in front. Perugino's masterpiece is full of
the pathos which Raphael conveys. His colour is
D 2

36 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

almost as SAveet, his landscape as calm. The scene to
Avhich he takes us is in the heart of the Umbrian
country at the edge of the lovely lake so dear to the
youth of Sanzio. His figures are innocent and playful
as Raphael's. Perugino deserves reproof when he
transfers from one composition to another the same
figure, the same attitude and gesture of hand and
finger, but a single effort condones a number of these
offences, and the " Madonna" of Nancy, in Avhich the
sentiment of Raphael is united to the precepts of
Lionardo and Fra Bartolommeo shoAVS how strong the
influence was which a great master might fitly owe to
a still greater disciple.
Nearer home, in the National Gallery, the " Ma
donna " of the Certosa of Pavia tells of an older but
not less characteristic art. We see the Virgin kneel
ing in adoration, guarded by archangels and lulled by
the chaunt of seraphs in a morning sky. An angel in
extasy holds the infant on a saddle, suggesting the
flight through the land of Egypt, when the humble
animal that bore the mother of Christ AAras loosened of
its burden and led away by the attendant Joseph.
Here again are the lake, the hills, and the sparse
leaved trees, the serene sky ; here, too, the Raphael
esque combination of beautiful grouping Avith youth
and strength and delicacy of line, of dreamy depth
and brilliant light, and soft luscious colour. In the
landscape is a stillness so profound that one listens
for the hymn of the seraphs to come doAvn from the
sky. The whole picture is so redolent of Raphael,
that his name ^voluntarily rises to our lips ; and yet

Chap. I.]

PERUGINO RAPHAELESQUE.

we are still far away from the time Avhen Raphael
could have shown such mastery. Perugino, inspired
and perhaps helped in subordinate parts by Raphael
is here a finished artist, old in years and skill, AArho
takes of the freshness of his pupil whose age and
comparative inexperience exclude any active or effec
tive assertion of himself.
Of an earlier period, but closely related in style to
the " Madonna" of the Certosa, the " Assumption" of
Vallombrosa in the Academy of Florence claims on
the same grounds an equal admiration. With all the
grace of its later rival it shows perhaps a more manly
genius, but every line and tone is stamped Avith the
impress of Raphael's influence. When Perugino sur
rendered the altarpiece to the monks of Vallombrosa,
he placed on his panel the date of 1500, Avithout
knoAving what service he was doing to the historian
of Raphael's life. It Avas, doubtless, about this time
that he painted or caused to be painted the two
profile portraits of Vallombrosan friars Avhich modern
criticism has so frequently assigned to Raphael.*
The conclusion to Avhich this review inevitably

* Academy of Florence, No. 18.
Wood oil. Busts under life-size.
One inscribed "Baltasar Mo
naco " in profile to the left is in
the finest style of Perugino, and
rivals those of Domenico Ghir-
landaio in the Sassetti chapel at
Florence. The other inscribed
BLASIO, GEN. SERVO TVO SVCCVRRE
in profile to the left has suffered
more from retouching, yet appears

to have been executed, with less
freedom and power than the other,
by a scholar still inexpert in the
exercise of his art ; not but the
outlines are clean and precise, but
the modelling is more timid, the
colouring less bright. It may be
that Perugino entrusted the por
trait of Blasio to Raphael whilst
he did the Baltasar himself.

38 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE A.ND WORKS. [Chap. Ii
leads is that during this period of his life, Perugino
entered upon a new phase of pictorial development.
Like the matron in the legend, he dij3ped into the
fonsjuventutis to AA'hich Raphael invited him, and issued
from it invigorated and young. Not that, before
this, he had fallen into decrepitude. On the contrary,
his artistic constitution had been fortified by the
discipline of the Florentines. His power as a com
poser, and his long experience as an artist, enabled
him to display the combined talents of a designer and
colourist united to unrivalled technical skill in the use
of pigments. But the key of tone in AA-hieh he worked
Avas low ; its harmony, if pure, was graATe. His eye,
attuned to the olive rather than the wheaten, had not
as yet the ray of the bright Raphaelic lens. ToAvards
the close of the century his work was chastened by an
unexpected tenderness of feeling, and candour of ex
pression, his drawing retained force yet improved in
grace. His colour acquired an unaccustomed bright
ness and SAveetness of modulation ; and this apparently
because a boy who had come to him to be taught had
wound himself round the master's heart and imparted
to him some of his own being. Nor Avas the progress
of this marvellous change either sudden or of set
purpose, but rather constant, and all but imperceptible.
From the altarpiece of Fano to the " Ascension " of
Lyons, from the "Madonna" of San Pietro Martire
to the "Madonna" of Sinigaglia, and thence to the
"Assumption" of Vallombrosa and the "Virgin" of
the Certosa, an uniform expansion is apparent from the
beginning ; and Raphael is the guardian spirit whose

Chap. I.]

RAPHAEL PERUGINESQUE.

39

beneficence is felt as that of the good genius in the
fairy tale.
That Raphael, Avhilst he wielded this influence on
Perugino, should also haAre received the impress of
his master is too natural to create surprise. That he
should have been so familiarized Avith Perugino's
methods and feeling as to be fit to take part in some
of the Avorks Avhich his chief executed betAveen 1498
and 1502 is equally clear and an additional reason for
believing that Raphael came to Perugia earlier : nor
can it seem strange that he should be said to have had
a share in the predella of the "Ascension" of Lyons
or that of Munich, or that other predella in the Con-
nestabile collection which we shall presently refer to,
if Perugino had occasion to employ him at the time.
As Peruginesque compositions, these delightful little
pictures are admirable. "* But the co-operation of
Raphael or other disciples in their production appears
the more likely AArhen we remember that Perugino's
strength, in the opinion of his contemporaries, lay
especially in life-size figures and not in small ones.f
Though Raphael is not proved to have executed the

* Rouen Mus. and Munich
Gallery, No. 1173 and 1185. As
signed by Passavant, in the first
edition of his Baphael (i. p. 64), to
Raphael, but omitted in the second
edition. f Inaletteraddressedtolsabella,
Marchioness of Mantua, in 1505 by
her Florentine agent, Luigi Ciocca,
the latter reports : " that he has
employed Salai, apupil of Lionardo,

to judge of Perugino's work in the
' Combat of Chastity and Lascivi-
ousness ' " (now at the Louvre).
Salai reports that the work is
good ; " but really it is not Peru
gino's business to execute small
figures in which he is not clever,
whereas he is clever in large ones."
See Braghirolli in Giorn. di Erud.
Tosc. u. s. ii. 247.

40 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. I.
predellas of Munich and Rouen, his share in their
production is too probable to be rejected altogether,
even though he should have been confined to A'cry
subordinate duties. We shall soon have to observe
how fond he was in his youth of miniature subjects
thrown on miniature panels. The first to discover
and apply his powers in that direction would naturally
be Perugino. Later on he would be asked, as a
matter of necessity, to cover Perugino's name entirely
with work of his own.
After the death of GioAranni Santi, Raphael's guar
dians had abundant leisure to weigh the adArantage
and disadA'antage of sending him to Perugia. If they
were bent on giving him a master of celebrity they
had but little choice. Bramante Avas probably aAvay in a
distant Lombard city, and Signorelli remained the only
man whose repute could vie Avith that of Perugino.
But Signorelli was not unknoAvn to the people of
Urbino ; and the pictures Avhich he had sent there
would naturally suggest his name to persons con
versant Avith Umbrian art. True, he resided in a
small and comparatively obscure city. Yet, if we
look at his Avorks and consider the claims Avhich might
have been put forward in his favour as a tutor to
Raphael, Ave must concede that he Avas second to no
one that the Santi and Ciarlas could have kept in
vieAV. If Perugino was celebrated as a contributor to
the decoration of the Sixtine Chapel at Rome, Signo
relli was not Avithout a title to similar distinction.
He was a favourite artist in every town of the
Umbrian country, Perugia not excepted ; and Giovanni

Chap. I.] SIGNORELLI. 41
Santi had not held him in less esteem than Perugino ;
yet, for some cause which historians have not ventured
to point out, it did not occur to Raphael's guardians
to entertain the idea of entrusting their charge to him,
nor did a Avhisper of any relations between him and
Raphael find its way into the pages of Vasari. Per
haps there Avere private reasons to be adduced for
avoiding a nearer connection with him. There are
passages in his life which throw some shadows on his
character even now, and Don Bartolommeo or Simone
Ciarla may haATe heard of earlier objections of the
same kind, to which they attached a sufficient import
ance. But it is clear that had their decision been
favourable to Signorelli, and had Raphael been en
trusted to his care, the boy Avould probably have
taken the guidance of the consummate master of
Citta di Castello Avith the same benefit as he derived
from those of Perugino; and if we had not the
evidence of the Venice sketch-book to prove how much
Raphael looked at Signorelli' s pictures Ave should find
testimony of equal Aveight in other and perhaps more
youthful Avorks in which we recognise .the graceful
hand of Sanzio. We shall have occasion to note hoAV
some of the earliest draAvings which Raphael produced
at Perugia reveal some knoAvledge of Signorelli. But
we shall observe at the same time that that influence
Avas subordinate altogether to the influence of
Perugino. Where history and records fail, and even anecdote
is silent, we hardly dare to venture on conjecture.
Yet conjecture would scarcely be out of place in

42 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.
respect of one avIio practised the arts after Giovanni
Santi's death at Urbino. If Timoteo Viti really
lived as it is said that he did at the Court of Mon-
tefeltro Avhen Raphael's future course Avas shaped
by his guardians, the counsel, if not the lessons of
such a man might have been thought worth having.
His youth and Avant of acknoAvledged repute might
make him personally unacceptable. But we may
presume that his opinion would be listened to aatIIi re
spect. Timoteo, Ave are told, AAras still young Avhen
he turned from Bologna to seek an independent
fortune elsewhere. Born about 1469 and trained to
the profession of a goldsmith, Avhich he was induced
to exchange for that of a painter, his youth had been
spent with Francia, Avhose house he abandoned in
1495. Vasari suggests that he reached Urbino im
mediately after his departure from Bologna. This
was the critical time before midsummer, Avhen
Raphael's friends had to decide on his future move
ments. Fresh from the painting room of a master
Avho loved him dearly, Viti might have spoken of
Francia as a trusty and conscientious teacher. He
would certainly not have suggested Signorelli, whose
style was altogether in contrast Avith his OAvn. The
question still remains, was he consulted ? And in
answering this question we can only observe that
there is more reason for thinking that he Avas, than
that he was not. Viti may have formed an early
or a late acquaintance AAath Raphael.* Raphael may

* Here again we may hazard a i accompanied Raphael to Perugia ?
conjecture. Might not Viti have I There is a drawing of a storm

Chap. I.]

TIMOTEO VITI.

43

have met him as a boy in 1495, or as a man after
1500. But nothing is better certified than that Viti
and Raphael Avere friends, and that Raphael after-
Avards invited Viti to Rome. Nor is it too much to
presume that Francia OAved his subsequent connection
Avith Raphael to Viti's mediation. Whether Viti
contributed to affect the decision of Bartolommeo
Santi and Simone Ciarla or not, it is obvious that he
might have urged conclusive arguments in favour of
Perugino. Without being aware that Giovanni Santi
had once expressed an honest admiration of the great
Umbrian master, he probably knew of the genuine
esteem in which Perugino wras held by several
members of the reigning family of Urbino. He Avas
not, Ave may think, unaware that Giovanna, at that
time regent of Fano and Sinigaglia, had been one of
Perugino's most constant patrons, and still remained
attached to him. He was in the AAray of knowing that
the Roveres at Rome had befriended the master years
before.* The friendship of the Roveres and Monte-
feltri might contribute to secure a favourable recep
tion to Raphael. It is not unnecessary to set forth

against the walls of Perugia in the
collection of the Louvre, which,
though assigned to Raphael, is
generally accepted as a work of
Viti. * Parlando . . . cum vostra
Signoria de alcuni quadri de pic-
tura che vanno nel studio nostro
fra quali desyderavamo haverne
uno de mano del Perosino : la
S. V. se offerse de indurlo ad
servirne per esser suo domestico."

Isabella Gonzaga to Giovanna Pre-
fetessa, Mantua, xxii. Sep. MD.
in Giornale di Erud. Art. u. s. ii.
143-4. The Roveres, to whom
Giovanna was related by marriage,
were also patrons of Perugino, i.e.,
Sixtus IV. and Giuliano, after
wards Julius the I Id. ; and Raphael
himself, in a letter of 1508, calls
himself an old "servitore et
familiare" of Francesco Maria
della Rovere (see postea).

44

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. I.

all these reasons for believing or endeavouring to
shoAV that Raphael was apprenticed to Perugmo. But
putting them aside, the boy's career alone, as it comes
to be disclosed hereafter, proves conclusively that he
Avent, comparatiArely untaught, in the autumn of 1495,
to Perugia. What he found there in the way of art
and social or political relations is matter for a coming
chapter.*

* Pungileone and others have
assigned frescos and pictures to
Raphael of which they say that
they were painted at Urbino be
fore Raphael went to study under

Perugino. A list of these and
other pieces, falsely attributed to
the master, will be found else
where.

CHAPTEE II.
Perugian revolutions. — Art revival at Perugia. — Raphael's sketch-book.
— Pinturicchio as a draughtsman. — Perugino's sketches. — Raphael
learns drawing. — Copies of drawings from the Sixtine frescos. —
Other copies. — Their style. — He copies several masters, Signorelli,
Mantegna. — He studies from monuments. — His school-fellows, and
school work. — Visit to Urbino. — Library of Urbino, and copies by
Raphael from pictures by Justus of Ghent. — Gallery of Urbino. —
Raphael and the Cambio. — "Resurrection" of the Vatican. — Terni
and Alnwick.— Madonna Diotalevi.
The natural longing for facts which distinguishes
our age is perhaps less conspicuous in the domain
of the arts than in that of the sciences. Yet it
would be inexcusable if we should neglect to ac
quire some knowledge of the place and people
in the midst of Avhich Raphael began his artistic
career. It may not be useless to some readers to
know that Perugia is situated on a hill ; in which it
resembles Oiwieto, Cortona, or Assisi, but it is of
more interest to note that Perugia is high, and over
looks twenty miles of country on every side except
one, and that Raphael might stand on its principal
eminence, and see the cradle of the genius of Giotto.
We may venture to fancy that Avhen he first entered
those walls and took in at a glance the varied picture
of hill and plain and ATale or castled height, and saw
the bulwark of the Franciscan order looming in the
distance, he voAved that he would one clay rival the

46 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
great founder of the Tuscan school, Avhose youth had
been spent at Assisi. The time in which, we think,
he first entered Perugia Avas the time when the city
ceased for a moment to be divided betAveen the
poAverful factions of the Oddi and Baglioni. For
years past one of these factions had encamped
Avithin or without the Avails according as chance or
treason, or force or cunning had expelled or invited
them. In autumn of 1495, the last desperate effort
of the Oddi to regain supremacy had been repulsed.
A fearful massacre had taken place, and the Baglioni
had remained masters of the place. Neither peace
nor rest till then had been known to any one. Out
of boAvshot of Perugia, or beyond arroAV flight of
Assisi or Foligno there Avas no safety. Inside
Perugia, Guido and Ridolfo Baglioni lay merciless
and strong ; outside, the exiled Oddi with friends in
neighbouring villages and castles. Not a farmer or
peasant on the hill sides or doAvn the valleys far
stretching to the banks of Thrasimene lake could
venture to trim his vines or tend his olive trees
without danger of being robbed or murdered. Every
inch of ground was unsafe to men, women, or even
children. Wolves and other savage beasts we are
told ranged the country unpursued and fed on human
bodies, Avhere cultivation had been superseded by the
wild growth of woods and coverts* Banded together
in companies of horse and foot the Perugian exiles

* Cronaca di Matarazzo. Ar-
chivio storico, tom. xvi. 8vo,
Firenze, parte ii. pp. 15, 26, 53, 57,

59, may be consulted for this and
other incidents in the above narra
tive.

Chap. II. ] PERUGIAN REVOLUTIONS. 47
harried the country up to the gates of Perugia, or the
sons of Guido Baglioni sallied from the town which
their father held and revenged the cruelties of the
Oddi by cruelties equally bloody. For a time fortune
seemed about to desert the Baglioni. The Republic
of Sienna, offended at the loss of the Virgin's ring
whic'h had been stolen by a friar and deposited as a
relic in the brotherhood of St. Joseph of Perugia, took
part in favour of the Oddi, reinforcements were
obtained secretly by the exiles from the Duke of
Urbino, the prefect of Sinigaglia, and the lords of
Pesaro and Camerino, and a strong force was collected
for the storm of Perugia. On the 4th of September
the Oddi and their allies gained access by a stratagem
to one of the gates of the toAvn, and pushed their
forces Avithin a single hour into the principal square.
The Baglioni rose at the sound of arms and fought
with desperation. By sheer courage they bore down
their foremost opponents ; and as they gradually con
centrated their partisans they Avorsted their foes and
expelled them from the city, leaving the chiefs of the
exiles dead or prisoners behind. It is needless to
descant upon the use which the Baglioni made of their
victory. Accustomed as despots to apply the hardest
forms of tyrannical government, they hung and quar
tered their adversaries, and established a void in
which they lived and prospered for a time. If, as
history records, they soAved the Avind to reap the
whirlwind, and the sins of the fathers were visited on
the children, the momentary calm which intervened
gave an impulse to peaceful occupations, which Avas

48 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
not to be despised ; and painters, sculptors, and
architects flocked in to repair the ruined palaces and
restore the altars of which the churches had been
deprived. Political retribution might aftenvards dis
turb the prospect. The rest which preceded new
storms Avas useful to art, and incomparably service
able to Raphael.
A contemporary annalist has quaintly described the
change from absolute misery to comparative prosperity.
" Perugia," he says, " was distinguished for evil by
men of infamous habits and iniquitous conduct. But
she was not less distinguished for good by men of fair
repute and honest lives. The ATictory of the Baglioni
gave encouragement to much that Avas beneficial.
Alms were freely distributed, and money was largely
subscribed for the promotion of religion. The funds
contributed by the piety of some and the repentance of
others, served to build or rebuild numberless edifices.
The convents of St. Columba, St. Mary Magdalen, and
St. Mary of the A.ngels, Avere renovated ; the founda
tions of the monastery of St. Jerome were laid ; San
Costanzo and Santa Maria de' Seiwi were restored ;
San Lorenzo, San Domenico, and San Francesco del
Monte Avere enlarged. The Chapel of St. Joseph AA'as
prepared for the custody of the Virgin's ring ; the
hospital of the Misericordia received important ad
ditions, and the city gates Avere remodelled." Nor
does the annalist neglect to name the masters who
chiefly contributed to this wonderful revival. " It was
at this time," he says, "that the altarpiece of San.
Pietro was executed by Piero di Castello della Pieve, an

Chap. IL] ART REVIVAL AT PERUGIA. 49
artist unsurpassed in any part of the inhabited globe ;
second to whom, though in his rank equally famous,
Avas Pinturicchio, commonly called Sordicehio, whose
nicknames Avere equally due to deafness, a short sta
ture, and a puny aspect." *
The gossip of a garrulous toAvn chronicle has
seldom been more fully confirmed by authentic records.
In a letter addressed to Mariano Chigi in November,
1500, Agostino Chigi, aftenvards knoAvn as the Mag
nificent, says, " Perugino is the best master in Italy,
and except Paturicchio, his pupil, there are no masters
Avorth speaking of." -\ Perugino's labours in 1495 and
1496 have been duly noticed. Pinturicchio, whose ,
companionship Avith Perugino is proved by the frescos
of the Sixtine and the testimony of Vasari. accom
panied his partner to Perugia, where articles of
association secured to him one-third of the profits,
Avhilst tAVO-thirds went to Perugino. | His contract to
paint the "Holy Family" for Santa Maria fra Fossi,
was sealed on the 13th February, 1496 ; his promise
to furnish the Doctors of the Church for the Cathe
dral of Orvieto was signed in March of the same year.
Both are evidence of great activity in the common
painting room. The partners stood in the same
relation to each other as Fra Bartolommeo and
Mariotto Albertinelli in later years at Florence.
Their friendship explains hoAV it happened that ,
Raphael became attached to both.

* Matarazzo, a. s. p. 7.
f Agostino to Mariano Chigi, in
Cugnoni (G.), A. Chigi, 8vo, Rome,
VOL. I.

1881, p. 77.
% Vas. u. s. vol. iii. p. 494.

50 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
Raphael Avould probably not have ventured, nor
would his guardians have allowed him to undertake, a
journey to Perugia during the active feud of the
Baglioni and Oddi. But so soon as the fortune of
arms gave preponderance to the A'ictorious faction, the
secret support hitherto given to the exiles by the
court of Urbino ceased, and Raphael might travel to
Perugia on roads that Avere comparatively secure.
We shall consider him from this time forward an
inmate of Perugino's house, " where he charmed old
Pietro by cleverness of draAving, an amiable disposi
tion, and polished manners." *

In one of the earliest Tuscan manuals, which treat
of the rules of painting, Cennino Cennini distinguishes
two classes of individuals, which he divides into pupils
studying for gain and pupils choosing art as a pro
fession for its own sake. He does not deny that some
aspirants to fame may be actuated by both motives at
once; f but "assuredly," he says, "those persons are
most to be commended who subordinate the first to
the second." The rules Avhich Cennini sets forth for
the guidance of his readers are placed under the
principal heads of drawing and colours ; but he dis
tinctly asserts that draAving is the foundation of all
knowledge.^ Perugino's first inquiry seems to have
been Avhether Raphael knew hoAV to draAV. Cennini

* Vas. iv. p. 317.
+ II libro dell' arte. Ed. G. &
C. Milanesi, 8vo, Firenze, 1859,

p. 3.
I Ibid., p. 17.

Chap. II.] RAPHAEL'S SKETCH-BOOK. 51
again recommends beginners to acquire the secret of
preparing panels and draAving materials, and he gives
special directions for making a portfolio or book of
loose leaves for sketching at home or in churches and
chapels. He then tells his disciples to learn the art
of copying, first with the pencil or lead point, and
then Avith the pen ; and he concludes by recommend
ing students to live in cities AA'ell supplied with Avorks
of art, in order that each according to his taste may
choose one of the great masters for a model.
Raphael, if Ave judge by the evidence at our com
mand, had overcome the difficulties of pen sketching
when he became possessed of a book shaped according
to Cennini' s instructions, the remnants of Avhich are
preserved in the Academy of Venice. It is hard to
say whether he began this book immediately after his
arrival at Perugia, or later on in the days of his pro
bation. But he shoAved a tendency to follow the
precepts of Lionardo, who taught his Academy to
study many masters, rather than those of Cennini,
Avho Avould have confined him to one. Yet, at the
outset, it may be said that he entirely devoted himself
to Perugino, and it was only after acquiring the
Peruginesque style that he thought of emulating the
form of Signorelli. The leaves of the Venetian
sketch-book, now reduced to fifty-three, are mostly
drawn upon at both sides. They contain a great
variety of sketches illustrating the different phases of
Raphael's art from the period of his stay at Perugia
to that of his departure from Florence. Here and
there he allowed a friend to trespass on the page.
E 2

52 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
But this is but one more proof of his amiable
disposition.* Perugino's fame, in the eyes of his countrymen,
Avas chiefly due to the decoration of the Sixtine
Chapel, for which he composed a cycle of gospel
subjects, in part executed by himself, in part en
trusted to the hand of Pinturicchio. As junior
partner and assistant in the firm of Avhich Perugmo
was the chief, Pinturicchio worked on the designs
and copied the sketches of his great and accomplished
master. The draAvings of the Sixtine, like those of
innumerable altarpieces and predellas completed for
churches and palaces, were a part of Perugino's stock
in trade, which he valued the more as they Avere
suited for reproduction in different pictures, at A'arious
intervals and places. Their use as models for pupils
studying " from the flat " was inestimable. When
Perugino changed his abode in 1495, he took Avith
him to Perugia the portfolios which contained these

* The sketch-book cannot be
traced to the hand of any older
collector than the painter Giuseppe
Bossi of Milan, who purchased it,
as alleged, from a lady at Parma.
At Bossi's death, it was bought by
the Abbate Cellotti, of Venice,
from whom it was acquired in
1822 by the Austrian Government.
It was a bound sketch-book, as
three sides of each sheet bear
marks of wear, which are not on
the fourth side. Each sheet was a
quarter of a folio, bearing as a
water-mark a ladder in a circle,

surmounted by a star, the same
mark as that on other Raphael
drawings. There were fifty-four
sheets in all, of which fifty-three
have been preserved, with 106
drawings upon them, part framed
and exhibited, part in portfolios,
at the Venice Academy. Most
of them are patched at one edge
with strips of paper, and some in
this way have got to be larger
than others. But the size of the
sheets generally was m. 0-21 high
by 0-16.

CHAr. IL] PINTURICCHIO AS A DRAUGHTSMAN. 53
treasures, and Raphael's time was probably devoted at
fixed hours to the labour of copying them.
It may often have been asked what became of these
portfolios and their contents ; and surprise may not
unnaturally have been expressed at their total dis
appearance. But if we look back into the history of
Italian painting to find that nothing remains even of
the pictures executed by some men of great eminence ;
and if we remember that most of the cartoons which
Raphael produced for the Vatican chambers have
perished, Ave shall rather find cause to be thankful
that some small portion of the Avreck was preserved,
than to complain that the wreck itself should have
occurred. Perugino's drawings for the Sixtine frescos
have perished ; but it is pleasant to know that some
sheets of sketches for other compositions have sur
vived. The scarcity of similar creations by Pinturic
chio might be explained by supposing that the master
who trusted to Perugino as a draughtsman at the
Sixtine, and to Raphael as a designer at Sienna,
retained his habits of dependence to the last, and
resigned to his journeymen the duties which he was
unwilling or unable to perform. But Pinturicchio' s
powers as a draughtsman were those of a child as
compared with those which distinguished Perugino.
In the most brilliant period of his career at Rome, he
was asked to paint an " Assumption of the Virgin " for
Alexander the Sixth, and the drawing for that picture,
which has been preserved, exhibits the style of an
artist who grew old in the traditions of the Umbrian
school. The Virgin in prayer in a Mandorla, the

54

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

winged cherubs that cover the sky, the clecrepid
saints who Avitness the scene, St. Peter and St.
Paul, who recommend the kneeling Borgia, are all
creations that remind us of the minute and patient
labours of a pedantic miniature painter.""" No one
who looks at this contribution to art at the close of
the century which applauded the masterpieces of
Ghirlandaio and Verrocchio can fail to perceive that
the craftsman who produced it was a worshipper of
worn-out forms, incapacitated by his early training to
cope with the neAV current of thought which had set
against him. It Avould have been folly in such a man
not to avail himself of the superior genius of Perugino,
or if Perugino failed, of that of the younger but still
more powerfully gifted Raphael. Perugino was there
fore necessarily accepted as the ruling spirit of the
Perugian painting room, and Pinturicchio naturally
occupied the post of second in command, which his
patient habits and aptitude for work entitled him
to fill.
In one respect Perugino's drawings, or rather the
remnants of them Avhich have been preserved, reveal
the existence of a habit which afterwards clung to
Raphael. His art, like Raphael's, was based on
studies from nature, a single sheet of which might
contain as many as a dozen or more figures throAvn off
at a sitting. Some of these sheets will be found to
contain the first thought for portions of altar-pieces

* The drawing long assigned
to Perugino, but now acknowledged

to by Pinturicchio, is in the Alber-
tina at Vienna.

Chap. IL] PERUGINO'S SKETCHES. 55
executed at intervals of a quarter of a century. But
as a single instance is Avorth pages of speculation, one
example may be quoted to illustrate the rest. In the
Gallery of the Uffizi is a sheet of Perugino's pen
outlines of children, some of which, are realistic
enough to suit the sturdy naturalism of Titian, in
close contiguity to others eminently fitted for use in
sacred pictures. Amidst figures dancing or playing
instruments we find one of a boy with his shoulders
and head supported on a cushion — the infant Christ
in the "Nativity" of 1491, in the Villa Albani at
Rome. LoAver down, a baby set in a leaning attitude
against a saddle, and sucking the finger of its left
hand, is the infant Saviour in the " Madonna" of the
Certosa at the National Gallery. * Two little ones on
the step of an altar, a third Avalking, are bodily repre
sented in the family altar-piece of the "Root of
Mary," at Marseilles. Perugino dreAV this sheet of
sketches from his store six times at least in the course
of his practice, repeating the infant Christ Avhich he had
used in the " Nativity " of the Albani Villa, first at the
Cambio, next at S. Francesco del Monte, finally at Mon-
tefalco. He may have Avithheld these rapid and clever
renderings of nature from his apprentices. Essentially
his OAvn, and groundwork of his labours, he probably
looked on them as the pictorial capital at his sole
disposal, the secret spring of his professional life,
treasured out of sight as the merchant's private ledger

* With some slight variety in the position of the legs.

56

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. IL

that divulges Avhen seen the secrets of his mercantile
transactions. He may have taught his disciples that
sketches of this kind were the stock-in-trade of a large
business, but he probably also told them that the time
had not yet come Avhen they should hope either to
make or to use them. The models which he set
before the youths in his painting-room were the
finished draAvings completed and cleaned for transfer
to panel and fresco of Avhich he had an almost in
exhaustible supply ; and the frequency with Avhich he
gave them out for this purpose is proved by the
numerous copies of the same design preserved in
public and private collections. If in some cases Ave
admire the cleverness and fidelity Avith Avhich these
copies were executed, others only give rise to a simple
feeling of thankfulness that the feeble lines of a
beginner should have handed down to us an humble
imitation of a lost original. It is with some sentiment
of this kind that we look at the group of St. Mary
Salome carrying the infant St. John, and her attendant,
St. Joachim Avith St. James the Elder, a fragment
taken from the lost cartoon of the altar-piece of Mar
seilles, Avhich still bears the name of Tiberio d' Assisi
in the Academy at Venice.* But there are cases in
Avhich the pupil transcribing his master's work im
parted his OAvn delicacy of feeling to the model before
him ; and this applies in all particulars to the sketch
book at Venice, which perpetuates for our special

* Venice Acad. Frame XXVIII. No. 1. 0-26 h. by 0-14.

Chap. IL] RAPHAEL LEARNS DRAWING. 57
enjoyment the lost designs of Perugino's frescos in
the Sixtine Chapel at Rome.*
One of the first drawings Avhich Perugino seems to
have set before his disciple was executed for the fresco
of the " Baptism of Christ," in the Sixtine Chapel.
In this vast composition, the foreground assigned to
the holy rite is lined Avith spectators, wdiose forms and
features, are those of noted persons of Perugino's time ;
familiar, Ave should think, Avith the Arch of Constan
tine, the Pantheon, and other edifices which, under the
semblance of Jerusalem, grace the site of medieval
Rome. In rear of the neophytes who Avait on the
ministration of John, the Baptist issues from tho
Avilderness. On the left the Precursor discourses to
an audience of men, women, and children partly
seated on a bank, partly standing under the trees
Avhich gracefully spot the sky. From a spur of
grass-groAvn rock to the right, the Saviour looks doAvn
upon the heads of his congregation and preaches the
Sermon on the Mount. Of the people waiting on the
Saviour two are turned to the right and present their
backs to the spectator, looking up, — one calmly at
rest, the other cloaked and helmeted Avith legs wide
apart, and the back of one hand on his hip. The

* That it was the habit of the < penna vestite, delle cose del Gril-
great masters to set their own landaio, Michelagnolo prese quella
drawings before their pupils as carta," lie. &c.
models to be copied, is shown in I Lomazzo in his Trattato, p. 320,
this passage of Vasari's Michael- , describes it as a habit of Raphael
angelo (xii. 161) : " Avvenga che | to draw with the help of cross-
uno -de' giovani, che imparava j lines, or, as he calls it, "fare le
con Domenico (Ghirlandaio), \ figure col telato." (
avendo ritratto alcuni feminine di I

58

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

draAving for these figures, originally conceived for
level ground, shows the same individuals gazing
forward and turned to the left; the palm of the
foremost on his hip. A veil or net of squares which
covers the paper suggests that the original from
which the design Avas copied was lined for transfer to
the wall, but the fresco differs in so many points
from the drawing as to negative the supposition.
The hardness of the contours, and the stiff action of
the figures, betray the comparative inexperience of a
beginner, Avhose first efforts are guided by mechanical
appliances ; and Ave can easily believe that he dreAV
the net which covers the earliest of these pieces, Avith
the firm intention of casting off this fetter in subse
quent copies of a similar kind.* As he progressed he
gave up the net, and his later draAvings exhibit greater
freedom, though still taken from the Sixtine frescos.
The next model upon which the skill of the pupil
Avas exercised is one of the sketches for the " Delivery
of the Keys " at the Sixtine. This composition is so
arranged that the Apostles are divided into couples
behind the Saviour, Avho delivers the keys, and St.
Peter who kneels to receiA'e them. The grand figure
on the left of the picture is that which was copied
first ; — a fine massive form presenting its back to the
spectator, the head in profile, the hand pointing with

*Ven.Aead.FrameXXIII.No.ll.
Back of No. 5. Pass. ii. No. 3. This,
like other drawings of the Venice
sketch-book, is m. 0-21 h. by 0-16.
We shall not repeat these figures

except where the drawings of this
collection appear to have formed
no part of the sketch-book — or the
size of the sketch-book leaves was
altered by patching.

Chap. IL] COPIES THE SIXTINE FRESCOS.

59

one forefinger as if to explain the mystery of the
Saviour's mission.""" Perugino considerately tempers
the difficulties of his art to the rising talent of the
apprentice and gives him the back view, which is
easier than the front view of the human frame.
Instead of being shown conversing Avith the man on
his right, the Apostle is draAvn lookmg up, whilst
a second person, not in the fresco, bends his glance
to the ground with look and action expressiAre of
surprise. Third in the series is an apostle in rear of the
kneeling Peter, a fine grey -bearded man in a wide
cloak, seen from behind, f and, fourth betAveen Peter
and him, a young apostle in full front with a scroll in
his left hand, resting his right on his breast.^ It
would be easy to note varieties of these figures in
the distances of the Sixtine frescos. But the points
requiring elucidation here are not the notorious
defects of Perugino's method or his tendency to
repeat himself, but the course Avhich Perugino
followed in selecting models from his portfolios for
the use of his apprentice. So far, the boy allows
himself to be guided by the veil which artificially
secures to him a faithful transcript. But the progress
which he manifests from the stiffness of a first attempt
to the comparative ease of a second, a third, and a
fourth, is clear ; and we soon find a delicacy displayed
which as much transcends that of Perugino as the

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXIV.
No. 5. Back of No. 3. Pass. No. 1.
t Ibid. Frame XXIII. No. 9.

Back of No. 7. Pass. No. 7.
J Ibid. Frame XXIII. No.
Back of No. 10. Pass. No. 5.

60

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

" Sposalizio " of Milan transcends the " Sposalizio "
of Caen.
The first evidence of success in free-hand copying
is given when the scholar transfers to his book the
dame Avho sits amongst the listeners of the sermon
of John in the " Baptism " of the Sixtine. The sketch,
apparently designed for a bareheaded Magdalen in
prayer, was changed in the fresco to a mother in a
cap, holding her child on her lap.* The draAving
was made Avithout squares, and was but one of
a series in Avhich similar independence was shoAvn.
It was followed by a couple of sheets containing
studies of drapery, the broad lines of which may be
traced alike in the " Mother of Gershom " at the Sixtine
and in Raphael's " Coronation of the Virgin " at the
Vatican. Nothing proATes more clearly the use Avhich
was made of these studies than their recurrence in the
work of different hands. They Avere used by the
disciples of Pinturicchio in draAvings for the fresco of
" Eneas Piccolomini kissing the Pope's Slipper," in
the Library of Sienna, f

* Venice Acad. Frame XXIV.
No. 3. Profile to the left. Back
of No. 5. Pass. No. 2.
f Venice Acad. Frame XXIII.
No. 10. Back of No. 8. Pass. No. 6.
Four bits of drapery ; the two
lower ones being folds of figures
seated in profile to the left. Same
gallery. Frame XXIII. No. 4.
Back of No. 14. Pass. No. 87.
Five studies of drapery. The
principal bits of each of these
sheets have a general resemblance

to the draperies of the Virgin and
Christ in the " Coronation of the
Virgin " at the Vatican. The first
is like a copy from a study by
Perugino, for the skirt of the
mother of Gershom in the Sixtine
fresco. The second is not so
clearly traceable to Perugino's
frescos. But its use by the
disciples of Pinturicchio is shown
in a silver-point drawing fi r the
left side of the fresco of " Eneas
kissing the Pope's Slipper" at the

Chap. IL] COPIES THE SIXTINE FRESCOS.

61

In a similar spirit and with equal success, the same
hand has copied a beautiful " St. John EArangelist,"
standing bareheaded Avith his hand on his breast, and
looping up the gathers of his cloak,* and a Virgin
kneeling in prayer, f that may have belonged to the
" Nativity " of the Sixtine before it Avas sacrificed to
the " Last Judgment " of Michaelangelo. The Virgin,
often repeated by Perugino and Pinturicchio, had an
early origin, as we find it alike in Perugino's
" Nativity " of 1491, at the Albani Villa, near Rome,
in his " Nativity " of 1500 at the Cambio of Perugia,
and in Pinturicchio's "Nativity" in the Rovrere
chapel at Santa Maria del Popolo at Rome. The feel
ing Avith Avhich this creation has been repeated is very
charming, but relatively Aveak when compared Avith
that which eleArates the transcript of another figure
designed for the " Zipporah " of the Sixtine. In the
right-hand foreground of this composition a lovely
girl kneels in graceful action before the mother of
Gershom. This beautiful apparition is carefully re
produced, and the perfect candour of a face of rounded
line, Avith the additional beauty of a drapery unsur
passed in Perugino's practice, are transfigured into

Piccolomini library of Sienna, in
possession of Mr. Malcolm, a
drawing which after it was made,
appears to have been rejected by
the master. In this piece the five
bits of which Sheet XXIII. 4, at
Venice, is composed, have been
used. The sheet was in the
Wellesley collection. It is on pale
blue-grey paper with prepared

ground, and the lights are laid in
with white. Size, 10 inches h. by
7$, ascribed to Pinturicchio, but
probably by Eusebio da San
Giorgio. ¦
* Ibid. Frame XXIII.
Back of No. 11. Pass. No.
t Ibid. Frame XXIII.
Back of No. 9. Pass. No. 8

No. 5
, 4. No. 7.

02

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

something so lovely as to leave an impression far
more intense than the great original from Avhich it is
taken.* But Perugino did not confine his pupil to one form
of lesson, he taught him to draw heads ; and two
sheets of outlines of that kind designed for the
Sixtine are amongst those which are done Avith the
most admirable purity. In the lower left-hand corner
of one of them the face of Gershom' s mother is
shoAvn. On the right-hand corner is that of the
woman leading a child behind Moses. Above these,
two busts of females offer types of similar mould, but
with varied expression, and different ornaments of
ribbands and veils.-f Three out of four of these out
lines are repeated in the " Sposalizio " of Caen. Two
female heads in the second sheet — the upper one to
the right and the lower one to the left — are taken from
the model who sat for the series in the first sheet. A
third head in the upper left-hand corner, Avith a
pretty draped cap and profuse waving hair, suggests
Peruginesque reminiscences of Donatello, Pollaiuolo,
or Mino da Fiesole. J In his Tuscan Avanderings
Perugino necessarily studied the masterpieces of
Florentine sculpture, and the author of the Venice
Sketch Book did not fail to copy more than one of
these studies, a noble specimen of which we shall

* Ibid. Frame XXIV. No. 2.
Back of No. 8. Pass. No. 42. The
figure in the drawing as well as in
the fresco is in profile to the right.
t Ven. Acad. Frame XXIII.

No. 6. Back of No. 12. Pass.
No. 60.
X Ven. Acad. Frame XXV. No.
2. Back of XXV. No. 20.
No. 50.

Chap. II.]

OTHER COPIES.

63

find in the sibylline look and attitude of a beautiful
woman in the collection of the Venice Academy.*
Turning from women to children, and reArerting to
Perugino's sketches for the Sixtine Chapel, Ave find
the scholar eagerly and cleverly imitating Perugino's
figures of boys ; and conspicuous amongst those imita
tions is the undressed child Avho re-appears dressed in
the fresco of " Moses and Zipporah."f
Nor did Perugino exclusiA'ely choose the models
which he set before his disciples from the designs of
frescos. He also looked out draAvings of single saints,
from Avhich the torso, the legs, and the head of the
martyred St. Sebastian Avere copied in a series of
leaves. J In previous efforts, the boy had been con
fined to the easy imitation of draped figures, naked

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXVI.
No. 8. Pass. No. 9. Back of
XXVI. No. 18.
t Ven. Acad. Frame XXVII.
No. 1. Pass. 51. Back of XXVII.
No. 24, represents a Corinthian
capital. Besides the boy men
tioned in the text, there is a figure
of another boy, with his back to
the spectator, and a head modelled
in relief by help of white body
colour. J Three sheets, viz., Ven. Acad.
Frame XXIV. No. 7. Back of
XXIV. No. 1. Pass. No. 79 (the
legs). Ibid. Frame XXV. No. 6.
Back of 16. Pass. No. 77. (Torso
and head). Ibid. XXV. No. 16.
Back of No. 6. Pass. No. 78. In
the gallery of Lille, No. 725, is
another study of a Peruginesque
St. Sebastian exhibited under

Raphael's name. The saint is
represented with the right arm
above the head, the right behind
the back. The face looks down
ward. Round the loins is a hip
cloth. The paper is much torn
and patched and crumpled, so that
an opinion as to the genuineness
of the work is difficult. But the
execution is like that of Raphael
copying Perugino. One rent dis
figures the left breast. Two others
are in the thighs. Pen sketch. Size,
m. 0-278 h. by 0-132. Wicar's
catalogue tells us that this is the
original sketch for a small picture
which in 1807 was at Turin, but
which came later into the collec
tion of Mr. Migneron, a mining
engineer in Paris (not seen by the
authors).

61

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. II.

infants, or heads. Now he Avas called upon to face
the difficulties of the fuU-groAvn nude. His task is to
give the outline of frame and limbs, to indicate Avith
slight but accurate strokes the projection of bones and
muscles, and the Avorking of articulations. The head,
Avhich 'forms a separate study, is throAvn upwards to
show the throat and the cavities of the • nose and
brows : and the intricate modelling is brought out by
hatching carefully directed to second the appearance
of rounding in the parts, and the vanishing of one
surface into the other. Though he labours at this
lesson and barely escapes hardness his Avork is earnest,
conscientious, and correct. A couple of admirable
copies follow, which are taken Avith such fidelity from
the " Studies for Prophets " in the framework of some
altar-piece that we almost think the draughtsman is
Perugino himself. A foot in a corner of one sheet, a
hand in another, add to the interest with which Ave
follow the progress of the youthful artist.* A draped
Saint of genuine Peruginesque character comes next,f
then a profile of a man looking up, J finally a couple
of lions, rampant and couchant, sketched perhaps

* ATen. Acad. Frame XXIII.
No. 3. Back of No. 13. Pass.
No. 75. Ibid. Frame XXVI.
No. 7. Back of No. 19. Pass. No.
73. Both pen sketches.
t Ibid. Frame XXVI. No. 14.
Back of No. 2. Pass. No. 32. This
drawing is also known by a copy
in the Albertina of Vienna, which
shows that it was set before more
than one pupil of Perugino. Much

in the same spirit and of the same
time is the figure of a youth play
ing a mandoline, No. 1 in the
Oxford collection, which , if genuine,
is a feeble effort of Raphael's early
time. X Ven. Acad. Frame XXVI I.
No. 25. BackofNo.22. Amanwith
a small pointed beard and lioht
curly locks, looking up and turned
to the right.

Chap. IL] STYLE OF RAPHAEL'S COPIES.

65

from a captive beast in possession cf the Baglioni, one
of Avhich is found in Perugino's " Penitence of St.
Jerome " in the Museum of Caen.*
The form of Raphael as a man looms so mighty and
grand before most of us that Ave hardly realise the
picture of the youth Avho prepares himself for the
stage upon which he acquired fame. Hercules fight
ing the Hydra is familiar, but Hercules in his cradle
is not equally so. Yet Raphael, too, seems to haAre
drunk of the milk of Juno. He is not less a marvel
as a boy than his prototype is a prodigy as an infant.
We feel the truth of Vasari's contention Avhen he says
that Raphael's imitations of Perugino were so remark
able that they were not to be distinguished from the
originals, but Ave cannot doubt that the peculiar
feeling which betrays the disciple Avas discernible to
the subtle glance of his biographer. f Yet it may
happen that some persons Avill still ATenture to hold
that the draAvings of the Venice sketch-book are the
originals prepared by Perugino or his partner Pin
turicchio for the frescos of Rome. To those who
should cherish this opinion Ave may ask Avhether the
Venice drawings can reall}' have been used at the
Sixtine Chapel, or whether the hand and outline are
truly characteristic of either Pinturicchio or Perugmo.

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXIV.
No. 8. Back of No. 2. Pass. 41.
Couchant lion, outline turned to
the right. Ibid. Frame XXVI.
No. 12. Back of No. 4. Pass. No.
40. This is a lion walking, the
counterpart exactly of that in Peru

gino's " St. Jerome," No. 2 of the
Museum of Caen, but reversed.
The lion might have been studied
in Perugia, as the Baglioni kept a
large one in their palace. Mata-
ranzo, Cronaca, u. s. ii. 104.
t Vas. iv. 317.

66 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
At the period of the decoration of the Sixtine Chapel,
Avhen both these masters were at the zenith of their
fame, their designs must have borne the stamp of an
art altogether mature. With all respect for the
genius of Raphael, that is not the impression Avhich
the Venice transcripts of the Sixtine frescos produce.
They are the unequal creations of a youth who starts
with modest powers and gathers skill and confidence
as he proceeds. The net of squares Avhich he uses is
not the guiding tracery of the painter, since the
figures in the draAvings vary from those on the walls.
The contour is not always that of an old and ex
perienced hand, since the tentative efforts of a dis
ciple, striving to imitate the models of his master,
are frequently apparent. Perugino's art in extant
sketches is that of a man full of the freedom and
vigour of experience and command. But freedom
and vigour are the two qualities Avhich are most con
spicuously absent in the earlier numbers of the
Venetian series. It might be said, indeed, that the
lines Avhich are too feeble for Perugino are still
good enough for Pinturicchio. But Pinturicchio's
style of draAving is noAV very Avell known ; and he
Avas not the master Avho conceived and composed the
frescos of the Vatican. Years have elapsed since it
was shoAvn that he might have taken part and pro
bably did take part in the decoration of the Sixtine,*
and any one conversant with his style can point out
even now his share in the work of Perugino. But no

* History of Italian Painting, vol. iii. pp. 178-9.

Chap. IL] HE COPIES MANY MASTERS. 67
evidence can be adduced to shoAV that he did more
than perform the humble and suitable duty of carry
ing out the designs of his partner. The draAvings of
the Venice sketch-book do not exclusively reveal the
tentative efforts of an unskilled hand. They display,
in sensible gradations, the progress of a youth of
peculiar gifts. The earlier transcripts from the
Sixtine are below the poAvers of Perugino. The
later ones far transcend in elegance and purity any
thing that Perugino could by any possibility have
produced. Raphael, hoAvever, Avas not a copyist of Perugino
alone. He was equally capable of reproducing Avith
fidelity the drawings of Gio. Santi, Signorelli, Filip-
pino Lippi, Mantegna, Justus of Ghent, Donatello,
Pollaiuolo, and Ghirlandaio, and no one as yet has
been bold enough to say that reproductions of this
kind in the Venice sketch-book are original works of
those potent masters. It is impossible to predict hoAV
far the spirit of unbelief Avhich is now abroad may
be carried, but it is not unlikely that some generation
of critics Avill arise which shall signalize its per
spicacity by denying that Raphael copied the draAv
ings of his contemporaries. But Ave must not forget
that there is one test Avhich can always be applied
Avhen the question arises, whether Raphael did or did
not copy the contemporaries of Perugino. Possessed
as he was of all the peculiarities which mark that
master's manner, his outlines and Avorkmanship were
eminently calculated to deceive. But this very faculty
naturally tended to betray him in imitations of the
F 2

68

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

Avorks of other painters, and it is undoubtedly notice
able in his copies of Santi, Signorelli, and Mantegna.
Thus, when Ave look at the Venice sketch-book and
pause before the aged St. Andrew holding the beam of
the Cross which, we can hardly doubt, was conceiAred
originally by Giovanni Santi, the spirit of Perugmo
seems to linger in the form and loop of the gnarled
drapery.* The man-at-arms Avho presents his back
to us Avhilst he holds the staff of his lance and plants
his hand on his hip, the naked man blowing a trumpet;
or the mailed soldier striking at the infant in its
mother's arms, every one of them is impressed with
the general features of Signorelli' s style, tempered in
their ruggedness and strength hj something mild that
modifies the asperity of the master of Citta di Castello.
Nothing indeed would be more pardonable than to
say that the Venice sketch-book contains draAvings by
Signorelli. It would be difficult to find anything
much more marked than the accent of the contour
and muscular development of the man-at-arms, whose
tight-fitting shoulder-plates and jacket seem to merge
inperceptibly into flesh as we descend to the detail of
the legs and feet.f The lean muscularity of the
trumpeter and his wiry strength as he sounds the horn,

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXVI.
No. 1. Pass. 13. St. Andrew
turned to the left, and bearded,
with locks falling to the shoulders,
the right arm and hand supporting
the cross. A scroll on the handle
of a stick in the left. Here is a
positive reminiscence of Santi and

something of Pinturicchio. The
drawing is modelled in body colour.
t Ibid. Frame XXVII. No. 15.
Back of No. 12. Pass. No. 16.
Pen and umber. A figure of this
character appears in one of Sig-
norelli's frescos at Montoliveto.

Chap. IL]

HE COPIES SIGNORELLI.

69

with his head thrown back and his cheeks blown out,
are as truly characteristic of Signorelli as the coarse
breadth and bony scantling of the feet.* The dip
and waving line of the limbs in the mailed soldier,
and the masculine breadth of shape in the mother
Avho defends her child, are unmistakeable ; "j* yet in all
these figures the hand of Perugino's disciple is not
concealed. We shall see hoAV Raphael, later on,
copied Signorelli with a clear impress of his own
identity, and yet without losing the character of the
great original. Equally distinct in its combination of
the Raphaelesque Avith the Florentine and Umbrian
styles is the draAving in the Venice sketch-book of an
old man kneeling in prayer and dressed in a long
cloak, in which a study by Filippino is copied with
drapery lined in the fashion of Perugino.J But the
most curious evidence of unwillingness to deny the
Umbrian nature is conveyed by a transcript of Man-
tegna's " Entombment." It would be equally interest
ing and important to investigate how the designs and

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXVI. No.
5. Back of XXVI. No. 11. Pass.
No. 29. Nude, turned to the left.
Pen and umber. This sketch looks
as if it might have been intended for
a last judgment, like that of Sig
norelli at Orvieto.
+ Ibid. Frame XXIII. No. 2.
Back of No. 16. Pass. No. 23.
Pen and umber.
In the spirit of Perugino and
Signorelli, but somewhat akin to
the drawings just described, is a
sketch of a saint in an ample
cloak, bending forward and sup

porting himself with both hands
on a pole. This drawing, a pen
and umber sketch rather dimmed
by time, is catalogued at Oxford
and numbered No. 3, size 7f inches
h. by 3 1, and comes from the Alva
and Lawrence collections. It re
presents St. Joseph, and is on
brown tinted paper.
| Ibid. Frame XXVII. No. 5.
Back of 21, which contains a draw
ing of a Corinthian capital (Pass.
No. 71). Pen and umber. Figures
turned to the right.

70 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

prints of contemporary masters found their way out of
the hands of those who produced them into the port
folios of men desirous of studying the art of the
numerous schools into which Italy was divided.
Perugino, who Avas familiar with almost every city
that lay between Venice and Rome, had invaluable
opportunities of collecting drawings, for which he
might easily exchange sketches of his own. It is not
too much to presume that he Avas a collector whose
store of examples Avas naturally open to the inspection
of his pupils. We can .thus explain how Raphael
would be able to copy the models of Umbrians and Flo
rentines, whose principal masterpieces Avere unknoAA'n
at Perugia. The purchase and sale of prints on the
other hand Avas a regular business in the capitals
frequented by artists, and though little is known of
the trade in the 15th century, its extent is very
clearly proved in the 16th, Avhen Albert Durer
quarrelled with Marc- Antonio for pirating his plates
Of the " Passion." Michaelangelo seems to have been
equally acquainted with engravings by Schon and by
Durer, and there is no reason Avhy Raphael should
not have been familiar with works of the same class,
when we recollect that he might have inherited them
from his father, or obtained them from Perugino.
Mantegna's engravings could hardly have been un
known to either of these masters since one of them had
visited Mantua, and the other Venice. But Perugino
had special cause to know Mantegna and his works,
and there is no difficulty in explaining hoAV his pupil
might have seen a copy of the " Entombment " when

Chap. II. ]

HE COPIES MANTEGNA.

71

staying Avith the master at Perugia. A short time
before his return to that city, Perugino had taken a
young beauty named Chiara Fancelli to Avife, and
signalized his admiration and affection by transferring
her features to numerous altar-pieces. The fond old
man used to dress her hair in ribbands and Areils AArith
his OAvn hand, that he might feast his eyes, and
perhaps those of Raphael Avith her charms. Chiara
came of a family of artists. Her father, Luca, who
had made his name as a sculptor in Florence, was
transferred when at the height of his practice to
Mantua, where he enjoyed the patronage of the
Gonzaga and the friendship of Mantegna. He gave
his daughter to Perugino Avith a large dowry, and
she, perhaps, took the " Entombment " of the Mantuan
painter from her father's collection to that of her
husband.* Be this as it may, Mantegna's "Entomb
ment " came to be knoAvn in the painting-room at
Perugia, and bits of it Avere transferred to the Venetian
sketch-book, including on one side of a leaf the figure
of Joseph of Arimathea holding the winding-sheet ;t
on the other side Christ on the winding-sheet carried
by Nicodemus and the Virgin, and bewailed by St.
John the Evangelist. J We all know Mantegna's

* See antea, p. 27, and Bra-
ghirolli, in Giornale di Erud. Tosc.
ii. 73, et seq.
t Ven. Acad. Frame XXIII.
No. 15. Back of No. 1. Pass.
No. 82. Full length. Pen and
umber. To the right of the left
foot of the figure, which is turned

to the left, is a repetition of the
first and second toes, important as
showing Raphael's study of cor
rections. X Ibid. Frame XXIII. No. 1.
Back of the foregoing. Pass. No.
81. Pen and umber.

72 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
print and its contrasts of grim death AAdth agonizing
shrieks ; Ave haA'e all studied those metallic forms and
drapery AAliich strike us as of kin to the Avorks of the
Greeks in their classical correctness. No one AArho
has once seen them can forget the moving groups in
Avhich grief is represented Avith such intense realistic
passion; or the capricious arrangement of dresses,
tightly fitting or loose in the Avind, and searching
alike the deepest fold or the shallowest depression in
stuffs. At the first blush the copy looks like a
Paduan replica of an original draAving for the print.
But a closer inspection reveals an Umbrian in Lom
bard disguise. The run of the lines, the rendering of
feet, hands, fingers, nails, and articulations is no longer
Avholly Mantegna's, and the looped strokes indicating
breaks in the drapery are as clearly Umbrian, as the
toning doAvn of Mantegna's bitter hardness, which
seems to indicate that the student's kindly feeling
rebelled and diluted the concentrated essence in the
original to something softer and more suggestive of
pathos. It is difficult to conceive anything at once
more true and more false than this copy, and yet how
clever and bold it is ; what knoAvledge and Avill, what
practice of hand it reveals? Raphael realized the
higher laws of composition and arrangement which
distinguish the "Entombment" Avhen a similar sub
ject was entrusted to him by one of the noblest and
most bitterly tried ladies that lived at the time in
Perugia. His duty as a copyist, would simply
consist in a trial of patience and skill. But the task
of a pupil in Perugino's painting-room would not be

Chap. IL] STUDIES FROM MONUMENTS.

73

complete when he rose from his desk. Taking his
book in his hand, he would sally forth into the street,
and entering some church or chapel, copy the details
of architecture and ornament which struck his fancy ;
here the frieze of a pilaster AA'hich might not be
alloAved to remain unused as years went by, and inde
pendent practice succeeded to lesson and study ; * then
a Corinthian capital which might adorn the perspec
tive of a portico,-]" or> the griffin, cognizance of
Perugia, a grand relief in bronze, AA'hich to this day
shows the fabulous hybrid, rampant with heraldic
Avings and claAVS, and mane and paAvs and grotesque
tail aboAre the gate of the Toaati Hall.J
From the days of Vasari to those of PassaA'ant,
three centuries and a half have been spent in re
peated efforts to celebrate worthily the genius of
Raphael. A copious literature in every language
has been devoted to the sole purpose of praising his
masterpieces ; and pictures early and late have been
examined and dissected to detect and divulge, if
possible, the master's thoughts and feelings in the
act of composing and executing them. No biographer
has faced the difficulty of studying or endeavouring

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXVII.
No. 17. Back of No. 14. Omitted
in Pass.'s list. The ornament
begins at top with the bust of a
child, with an arabesque orna
ment about the head, and strings
of beads, the whole resting on a
scolloped tray. The tray rests on
two griffins ; and these again on
the back of a heraldic bird. An
ornament of this kind will be

found on a pilaster of Raphael's
predella of the Annunciation at
the Vatican.
t Ibid., ibid. Frame XXATII.
No. 21. Back of No. 5. Acanthus
leaf from a Corinthian capital.
Pass. No. 71. Pen sketch.
% Ibid., ibid. Frame XXATII.
No. 2. Back of No. 25. Pen sketch.
The griffin in profile to the left.

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. II.

to show where or how he spent his time during the
period which intervened betAveen his childhood and
adolescence. If the sketch Avhich has just been made
can lay claim to any correctness it AAdll have
established that some pupil of Perugino was engaged
at Perugia for years in studying the art of the painter
who Avas then acknowleged as the greatest artist of his
time in that country ; and that that pupil's labours have
been preserved. If it should be denied that the person
so favoured Avas the master of Urbino, Ave must assume
that Raphael only left home after acquiring an art of
his oavu. He must of necessity have lived at Urbino
long enough to form his manner, and as it is conceded
on all sides that he ultimately came to labour under
Perugino's orders in Umbria, and there acquired a
style deceptively like that of his teacher, he must
inevitably have gone through stages of development
of most unusual diversity. Coming into Perugino's
service as a journeyman, yet a stranger to his style,
he must not only have had the genius to divest
himself at once of the manner acquired at Urbino,
but the genius also of throwing off the characteristics
of that manner so completely that no trace of it
remams.

One of the most amiable and natural traits in
Vasari's character is the love of anecdote which leads
him to make us acquainted with the personal relations
of celebrated artists. Unhappily there is nothing so
utterly untrustworthy as the notices which he gives
of the youth of great men. Genuine poetry may be

Chap. IL] RAPHAEL'S SCHOOLFELLOWS.

found in his tale of Giotto tending his father's flock
in the pastures of Vespignano, and drawing a lamb on
a stone Avhilst Cimabue passes and divines the future
greatness of the Florentine master. True pathos lurks
in the scene where Santi takes Raphael from his Aveep-
ing mother and carries him off to Perugia. The picture
of the truant Giotto neglecting school to spend his
stolen hours in the dwelling of Cimabue, is not more
sober in reality than that of Raphael taking leaA^e of
a stepmother for whom he had no apparent affection.
When Vasari has to deal with men of humble name
he seldom condescends even to anecdote ; and Avhilst
in the one case he does something to mislead, in the
other he disdains altogether to enlighten our ignor
ance. To his guidance or neglect we OAve it alike
that nothing positive is knoAvn of Raphael's school
days, or his connection Avith the companions Avho
frequented the city of his residence, or the painting-
room of Perugino. Ample leisure will be given to us
to study his relations with Pinturicchio A\rhen Ave con
template their joint labours at Sienna. Of Spagna
we know generally that he was one of Perugino's
disciples Avho would never have left the city of his
choice, but that the jealousy of foreigners which charac
terised Italian painters, drove him away to the com
parative solitude of Todi. He is named amongst the
apprentices of Perugino in March, 1502,* and Vasari

* Giovanni eharson (garzone)
who receives payments in kind
for Perugino in 1502, we may
take to be Spagna, who elsewhere

is called Giovanni detto Hyspano.
See Rossi, Giornale di Erud. Tosc.
iii. 25.

76

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

has numbered him amongst the companions of
Raphael's youth. But Spagna OAved less to his
originality than to imitative skill, and Raphael's
style, as well as his friendship, clung to the solitary
master in after years at Rome. Domenico Alfani,
Avhose attachment is revealed in Raphael's corre
spondence, lived to feed, artistically speaking, on the
creations of his comrade, and Raphael's love sur-
vived even the trial of a distant separation. Manni,
Eusebio da San Giorgio, Ibi, and Berto, began to
practise as masters at Perugia, before Raphael's pro
bation. Roberto, or Uberto Montevarchi, Avas his
obscure successor as an apprentice in the painting-
room of Perugino.* More important than the natives,
the Florentines Avho frequented Perugia may have con
tributed to foster Raphael's Avish to visit the most cele
brated city of Tuscany, and Domenico del Tasso, who
once caiwed the AVOodAVork of the Cambio Hall, Avas doubt
less no stranger to his younger contemporary, Avhilst
Baccio d' Agnolo, Avho began the stalls of Sant' Agostino
in 1501, might repay the early services of Raphael by
hospitable Avelcome in the Florentine dwelling in
which Michaelangelo, Cronaca, Perugino, Filippino,
and Granacci, were occasional visitors. During Peru
gino's journeys to Florence, Venice, Fano, and Sini-
gaglia, Raphael cannot have remained an idle spectator
in the painting- room over AA'hich Pinturicchio pre
sided. It is natural to presume that his labour Avas

* In 1502. See the records in
Rossi, Giornale di Erud. Tosc. iii.
25. Montevarchi is called Luberto

in these records. Vasari (iii. 591)
speaks of him as " Pietro il Monte
varchi."

Chap. IL]

SCHOOL WORK.

not Avithout material adA'antage to his employer ; yet
we cannot forget that there Avere times AArhen Raphael
performed no other duties than those which might
justify Perugino in claiming for himself the produce
of his disciple's industry. Predellas at Rouen and
Munich bear Raphael's name, but they chiefly OAve
that distinction to the fondness of the world for high-
sounding nomenclature. We may not deny that
Raphael had a share in these beautiful panels, but
impartial criticism bids us to confine his co-operation
to a modest and limited portion. We may note by
the Avay, that the predellas are stock-pieces Avhich
hardly vary from each other except in the number of
figures AAdiich Perugino designed. The group of the
" Saviour and John the Baptist " is repeated Avith
slight A'arieties from that of the Sixtine Chapel. But
the solemn attendance of four kneeling seraphs and
four attendant saints at Rouen is simplified to that
of tAvo angels at Munich.* The Epiphany has no
counterpart in continental galleries, though it Avas the
groundwork of masterpieces produced under neAv con
ditions by Raphael. t But the "Resurrection" of
Rouen is enlivened Avith seven, that of Munich Avith
but three guards.^ The style in Avhich these five
pieces are executed is that of Perugino, yet the
reasons Avhich might lead us to believe in Raphael's
co-operation are not based on the mere belief that he
was naturally employed on such labours. The com-

* Rouen Museum, No.
Munich Pinakoth, No. 1173.
t Rouen, No. 269.

270.

X Munich Pinak. No. 1185 ;
Rouen Museum, No. 271.

78 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
positions left a strong impression on Raphael's memory ;
he copied Perugino's original draAving of the group of
•the "Baptist and Christ with tAvo Attendant Angels,"
which had probably served for the altar-piece of Sant'
Agostino of Perugia, as Avell as for the predella of
Munich ; and on the back of the sheet, in obedience
to the rigid laAVS of economy which dictated his con
duct at this period, he drew a charming group of
" St. Martin Dividing his Cloak," Avhich has the
signal merit of being at once the earliest original
study that Raphael ever made, and a proof of the
double influence Avhich SAvayed his pencil in those
earliest of his days. St. Martin sits on horseback,
and holds the skirt of his cloak Avith his left hand,
whilst his right grasps the reins and the SAVord
with Avhich he divides the cloth. The horse would
not have satisfied Perugino, nor, indeed, would
Raphael himself have looked back on this attempt at
equine delineation with any satisfaction. But youth
and earnestness beam in the face and action of the
saint, whose kindly simplicity is unsurpassed in later
creations of the master ; whilst the beggar, a horned
Satan, scantily covered with a hip-cloth, displays a
patient, if not quite masterly study, of the nude.
More remarkable, however, than this contrast, the
Saint exhibits Raphael's dependence on the models of
Perugino, whilst the beggar equally reveals his ad
miration for the stern and effective strength of
Signorelli. "*

* Stsedel collection at Frankfcrt on the Main. Pen and umber sketch.

Chap. II.J VISIT TO URBINO. 79
The various and minute occupations of painters'
apprentices have been defined Avith tedious accuracy
by more than one of the craftsmen of Tuscany ; but
the holidays or pastimes which varied their intervals
of toil have not been thought worthy of record.
Raphael appears to us in the pages of history as a
person whose business it Avas to work and not to play.
But youth has its moments of relaxation for the high
and the lowly, and Raphael Avas probably no excep
tion to the rule Avhich everyone obeyed. Festivals at
Perugia were not confined to Sunday ; and Easter
Avas particularly devoted to religious pomp and. social
relaxation. Yet holidays at Perugia may not have
had the same charm for Raphael as holidays at Urbino,
and he may frequently have sighed for the lanes of his
native city, and Avished that he could revisit the
scenes of his childhood. The long eighty mile 3 Avhich
separated him from home and the uncertainties of a
road not always secure may have been sufficient
reasons for not undertaking in ordinary times a
journey of great length and possible danger. But
if business called and leave could be had, there Avas
no reason Avhy the trip should not be made, and there
came a time AAlien the quarrels of Bartolommeo Santi
Avith Bernardina Parte may have required his presence
at home. The laAvsuit betAveen these litigious rela
tives had dragged its sIoav Avay through the courts
without producing anything but costs, till it occurred
to both sides, in 1499, that a compromise Avould be
the very best settlement that could be effected. It
Avas therefore agreed that a payment of a sum of

80 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
money in quarterly instalments should be accepted by
Santi's AvidoAV as an equivalent for her rights of
alimony; and in a deed bearing date at Urbino in
June, the conditions of this agreement Avere ratified
by Bartolommeo Santi and Piero Parte on behalf of
Raphael and Bernardina. Though Raphael AA^as not
present at the solemnity, as the deed of compromise
expressly implies,* it is not improbable that he had
been summoned to Urbino to sanction it. The time
AA-as not unfavourable for a journey to the Feltrine
capital. Guidobaldo had just recovered from the
gout, brought on by his defeat near Florence in 1498.
A favourable treaty had secured to him honours and
pay from the Venetian Senate, and the adoption of
Francesco Maria della RoA'ere had given neAv hopes to
the people of the Duchy. Raphael Avas therefore in a
position to enjoy the sight of happy faces, and lei
surely to revisit the churches and monuments of his
native place, or the rooms of the palace to Avhich the
Duke and Duchess would probably grant him access.
It is the more likely that the visit took place about
this time, because Raphael, under the influence of
Perugino's lessons, uoav probably copied the " doctors
and philosophers " Avhose likenesses had been painted
there by Justus of Ghent. Federigo of Montefeltro,
AAlien ordering these pictures, intended to celebrate
the glory of his ancestors by contrasting their qualities
A\ith those of the heroes of antiquity whose names had

* See the record, dated June 5,
1499, in Jahrbuch der Kgl.
Preus.s. Sammlungen, Part ii.

1882, together with that of May
13, 1500, in which Raphael's
absence is distinctly recorded.

Chap. II.] LIBRARY OF URBINO. 81
been handed doAvn to posterity as possessors of all mortal
gifts. The seven virtues which crowned the effigies
of the Montefeltros and Sforzas in one of the halls
might be naturally supposed to dAvell in the doctors
and statesmen who filled the first reading room of the
ducal library ; * nor, we may think, was it without a
secret wish to rival the beauty of similar illustrations
elsewhere that Federigo had entered upon this great
pictorial enterprise. Raphael, fresh from a residence
at Perugia, would have had occasion to see the por
traits of chieftains and doctors with which Domenico
Veniziano filled the palace of the Baglioni ; f and a
pardonable ambition might lead him to take and show
to his master the outlines of figures which exhibited
the skill of a Fleming in the very subjects upon
Avhich Perugino himself was at that moment busy in
the hall of the Cambio. Happily the originals which
adorned the palace of Urbino were preserved, and the
sketches of Raphael are easily compared Avith the
panels in Paris and Rome to shoAV hoAV well an
Umbrian scholar might imitate the masterpieces of a
Fleming. In eArery line Ave are conscious of Raphael's

* " Besides the library, there is | and Domenico Veniziano's pictures
a reading room, round which | in it are mentioned by Vasari, who

wooden arm-chairs are placed, all
carefully worked in tarsia and in
taglio. The wainscotted walls are
broken into recesses in each of
which is the portrait of some cele-

says, however, they had already
perished (ii. 674). The legends
beneath the pictures were written
by Mataranzo, who describes the
palace in his Chronicle (u. s. 104).

brated writer, with a short eulogy." j See also Giornale di Erud. Toscana,
Baldi, Descrizione, u. s., p. 57. iii. p. 10.
t The palace of the Baglioni
VOL. I.

82 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
wish to make a faithful transcript ; in every line he
leaves the impress of the school of Perugino.
It is doubtful whether all the portraits of Urbino
are preserved. But of the fourteen panels at the
Louvre and an equal number at Rome, Raphael
certainly copied eleven, and these are the "Aristotle,"
"Boethius," "Cicero," "Homer," "Piero d'Abano,"
"Plato," "Ptolemy," "Seneca," "Solon," "Virgil,"
and " Vittorino da Feltre." A nameless " Doctor," the
original of which has not been handed down to us,
may serve to fill a gap in the index of paintings
attributable to Justus of Ghent. It has been said of
these pictures that they alternately display Italian
and Transalpine character, — a mixture of the schools
of the Netherlands and Central Italy. The genius of
Raphael has noted and reproduced these features Avith
surprising fidelity. He draws the Aoav and curl of
hair in the spirit of Melozzo, the rough Avorking hands
with the realistic truth of Justus, the dresses with
Germanic breaks. He follows the master as he oscil
lates betAveen the tAvo extremes of the models of
Bruges and F01T1. But Umbrian feeling invariably
ele Abates his copy to the leA^el of nature, and the
drapery and outline, or the handling of the pen,
remind us of the lessons of Perugino. The mask of
a Homer or Virgil is but the ruder precursor of
nobler effigies in the Parnassus of the Vatican.*

* Aristotle. — Ven. Acad. Frame | are all the following, to the knees,
XXV. No. 19. Back of No. 1. the body turned to the left, the
Pass. 61. Pen and ink sketch, as I face three-quarters to the right,

Chap. IL] COPIES JUSTUS OF GHENT.

83

At the close of the 14th century, the palace of
Urbino had been improved and enlarged by Guidu-

the right hand raised, palm down
wards, the left on a clasped volume.
The beard is waved, in the fashion
of the Assyrian sculptures ; the
hair long but wavy, issues from a
cloth cap. Reminiscence here of
Melozzo. At the top "aristo-
teli[s]ta," below, in more modern
characters, " aristoteli . staoi-
ritae.'' The original is No. 512
at the Louvre.
Boethius and Ptolemy, on one
sheet, Ven. Acad. Frame XXVI.
No. 17. Back of No. 9. Pass. 69,
erroneously places on the back of
this sheet a figure of Quintus
Curtius. In reality the back is a
study of drapery. Boethius, to
the left, in a hooded Flemish cap,
counts on his fingers. Under his
left elbow a book. Opposite to
him Ptolemy to the right, with a
frame-globe in his left hand, a
skull-cap and turban round his
forehead. The shaven face of
Boethius contrasts with that of
the hairy bearded Ptolemy. The
first is Flemish, the second recalls
Melozzo. Below " c. t. ptolemaeo
alex . pi . boetio. The original
of Ptolemy is now No. 513 at the
Louvre. Cicero. — Ven. Acad. Frame
XXV. No. 9. Back of No. 11.
Pass. 65. The figure is seated, in
profile to the right, supporting a
ponderous folio, a Roman skull
cap is on the head, a fur cape on
the shoulders, a very fine classic
profile of Italian type. Below
" M . TVLIO . CICER.
Homer. — Aren. Acad. Frame

XXV. No. 11. Back of No. 9.
Pass. 66. The poet is seated, to
the right, the right hand on his
knee ; the fingers of the right
drum upon the cover of a book.
A laurel wreath binds the hair.
The eyes are closed, the beard
short, the frame inclosed in a
cloak with a collar. To the
right of the head a less finished
copy of the same. The Flemish
character of the drapery is marked,
though the line is Umbrian. Be
low " HOIIERO S11YRNAEO."
Plato.— Ven. Acad. Frame XXV.
No. 5. Back of No. 15. Pass. 64.
Seated with an open book on his
lap. Plato is bearded, with long
hair waved after the fashion of
Melozzo. His face is in full front,
and he expounds a text. The
hands are coarse and bony. In
cursive to the right the words,
" AL MOLTO MAG." Below " PLA-
toni." The original is No. 511 at
the Louvre.
Seneca. — Ven. Acad. Frame
XXA7. No. 1. Back of 19. Pass.
62. In a hooded cape to the left,
supporting a book on his knee
with his right, which is not seen.
As in all these drawings the
drapery is Peruginesque. Below
"annaeo senecje cordve." The
original is now No. 510 at the
Louvre. Virgil. — Ven. Acad. Frame
XXV. No. 7. Back blank. Pass.
67. Turned to the left looking
down. Laurels in his frizzled
hair, a book in his left hand.
Italian rather than Flemish in

84

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

baldo. But the rich and valuable collection of pic
tures which Castiglione so highly prized had not been
formed.* What part of the treasures laboriously
brought together by princes of the house of Monte-
feltro was then displayed is as hard to distinguish as
the masterpieces Avhich the cupidity of Cesar Borgia
removed in 1503.f The canvases and panels which
gave celebrity to the palace in after ages Avere not as yet
created. When the ducal establishment Avas broken
up in 1631, the heirlooms of the Montefeltri and

character. Below " p . verg .
maroni . hantvano." The ori
ginal is No. 508 at the Louvre.
Pietro d'Abano. — Ven. Acad.
Frame XXV. No. 3. Back of 17.
Pass. 70. Turned to the left a
book supported with both hands,
in conical cap. Close vest and
cloak. The hair is short, the face
shaven. Quite in the Umbrian
style. Below in cursive " quintos
curtius," a forged inscription, the
picture, No. 503, at the Louvre
bearing the name," petro aponio."
Nameless. — Ven. Acad. Frame
XXV. No. 15. Back of XXV.
No. 5. Pass. 63. Bearded man
with long hair and short beard to
the right, with a book flat on his
lap, and the right hand gesticulat
ing. On the head a cap with a
raised scolloped brim. A mantle
with a collar fastened at the neck
and opening to show the vest
below. Solon. — Ven. Acad. Frame
XXXV. No. 3. Pass. 68. This
drawing bears the forged inscrip
tion at foot of a folio of " anaxa-
gora." It is a copy of the Solon,

No. 509, at the Louvre with un
finished hair. The drawing is
similar in execution to the others
of the series. A figure in a mantle
to the right turning the pages of a
folio, a peaked cap on the head.
Vittorino da Feltre, on the back
of the foregoing, is a copy of No.
502 at the Louvre. Ven. Acad.
Frame XXXV. No. 3. A profile
to the left of a man with a book,
and wearing a high cap.
Passavant's belief that these
drawings were made in 1504 is
clearly erroneous. Raphael drew in
quite another style at that period —
the period, we may recollect, of the
Sposalizio of Milan. Pass. i. p. 66.
* Di poche pitture, e stucchi e
ornato il Palazzo, posto mente
alia grandezza sua ; il che forse
e nato del non avere quel principe
(Federigo da Montefeltro) avuto
l'occhio ad altro che all' eternita . . .
ovvero dall' aver lasciato le dette
cose a tempo pin opportuno. Delle
statue parimente poco se ne veg-
gono forse per la medesima ragione.
Baldi, Descrizione, u. s. p. 53.
+ Ibid. p. 56.

Chap. II. ] GALLERY OF URBINO. S5

Rovere were removed to Florence and to Rome. But
a copious inventory drawn up in 1623 enables us to
discern that great and important changes had been
made in the decoration of the place.* The library
had apparently been stripped of its old adornments,
and the portraits of the sages had been impartially
transferred to the obscurity of distant deposits or the
light of a spacious hall. In a large and sumptuous
gallery the effigy of Francesca Maria the Und pre
sided over an assembly of dukes, princes, chieftains,
orators, and saints ; and Aristotle, Boethius, Dante,
Plato, Seneca, Scotus, Sixtus the IVth, and Thomas
Aquinas, transferred perhaps from the panels of the
library, ennobled the Avails with their presence. Two
hundred Aaews of cities and provinces represented the
localities illustrated by the deeds of heroes. In other
rooms the pictorial riches of many centuries were ac
cumulated, — a various selection of 283 portraits and
452 compositions by numerous painters. Unhappily
-the diligence of an illiterate scribe, who wasted his
time on velvet curtains and gilt frames, forgot the
authors of the pictures. But we discover, after a
microscopic search, seven panels by Raphael, including
a " Madonna and Holy Family," AAliich are probably
the " Madonna of Orleans " and the "Madonna AArith the
Palm," Giorgione' s " Uguccione della Faggiola," the
" Martyrdom of St. Agatha" by Sebastian del Piombo,
and eighteen or twenty canvases of Titian, each one

* Inventario di Guardarobba MS. in the Oliveriana of Pesaro.
No. 386, entire in Appendix.

86 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.
of Avhich Avould be worth a fortune in our clay.
Lesser masters form a small contingent, in Avhich
Bassano, Baroccio, Francia, Palma Vecchio, and Tin
toretto are prominent figures. Amongst the name
less creations of Italian skill we dimly trace the like
ness of Frederick and Guidubaldo attending a lecture,
a panel by Piero della Francesca, AAliich fell to the
ignoble station of a table in a labourer's cottage,
where it AAras found in our clay and restored to honour
at Windsor Castle. Countless medals, miniatures,
gems, and bas-reliefs were stored aAvay from sight.
TAventy-one statuettes filled odd corners, and twenty-
three marble busts, including one by Donatello,
adorned various consoles ; but of statues there Avere
less than a dozen, and of these one half Avere dubious
antiques.* It was once thought desirable that Ave
should know Avhat the specimens of sculpture were
which migrated Avith the ducal library to Rome ; and
a hope Avas entertained that the knowledge thus ac
quired might throw light on the studies of Raphael.
But as the palace of Urbino clearly contained no
valuable examples of the classic period, it was im
possible that Raphael should thus improve the art
which he had acquired from Perugino. If he shoAved
himself sensible at all of the forms illustrated in the
palace of his lieges, his taste was directed to the Avorks
of a Justus, Melozzo, or Piero della Francesca.

* We notice a female torso with
out arms and legs or head, a Venus,
&c, which it is now impossible to

trace. Donatello's "head" in the
" Guardaroba " of Urbino is men
tioned by Arasari, iii. p. 264.

Chap. IL] RAPHAEL AND THE CAMBIO. 87
We shall decline the temptation of describing the
places Avhich Raphael may have visited on a journey
from Perugia to the city of his birth and back to the
painting-room of his master. We need only to recol
lect that AArhen Raphael Avas reconciled Avith his step
mother he may haA'e been busy with Perugino, in the
completion of the frescos of the Cambio.
The hall of the Cambio deserves to be admired as
an illustration of the fervid piety of an age of blood,
ennobled by the genius of Perugino. We may smile
at the changers Avho thought to adorn their place of
meeting Avith the holy pictures of the " Nativity " and
" Transfiguration," or the prophets and sibyls who
foretold the coming of Christ, forgetting that they
had once been driven from the temple. The sem
blance of the virtues may.well embody the qualities
required of men of their profession, but it seems high-
floAvn or far-fetched to prefigure their prudence by
that of Cato, Fabius, or Socrates ; their justice by that
of Camillus, Pittacus, and Trajan, or their temperance
and fortitude (?) under losses — by those of Sicinius,
Leonidas, Horatius Codes, Scipio, Pericles, or Cincin-
natus. But the public which applauded Gozzoli and
Signorelli when they decorated chapels Avith scenes
from Dante's "Inferno," or figures of Petrarch,
Dante, and Giotto, might AveU accept the hallowing
influence of Gospel subjects in a place devoted to the
sordid pursuit of wealth. It had long been the fashion
to pit against each other the faults of the Middle
Ages, and the virtues of ancient Greece and Rome,
or modern condottieri and classic heroes ; and Perugia

88 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chai. II.
itself might Avish silently to contrast the forms of
Leonidas and Codes Avith those of the " soldiers "
and "sages" whose likenesses Avere painted by
Domenico Veniziano in the porticos of the Baglioni
Palace.* The Signs of the Zodiac in the ceiling of
the Cambio were familiar to the readers of the Astro
labe, before the changers made them known to a more
numerous, if less select, circle at Perugia. The A^oice
of rumour has proclaimed that they Avere painted by
Raphael after taking the heart of Perugino by storm.
Since the 1 7th century, Avhen this rumour Avas abroad,
no document has been found to prove or to disprove
its truth. Yet Ave may trust in some things to the
evidence of our senses ; and Ave cannot look at the
beautiful impersonations of the planets on the Cambio
ceiling without concluding that they were finished by
Raphael and Spagna, or by Raphael alone. The compo
sition and design of these masterpieces haA'e been too
often described to require further illustration. It may
suffice to say that nothing can efface the impression
which they produce except a certified denial of the
authorship of Raphael. In the absence of any such
record, we may believe that a man AAliose skill enabled
him thus early to work on the lines of Perugino must
have felt the Avill and learned the lessons of the master
years before.
The shades of style which distinguish the frescos of
the Cambio are sufficiently marked to bear definition
in words. The full Peruginesque form in the Gospel

* See antea, note to p. 82.

Chap. II. ] "RESURRECTION" OF THE VATICAN. 89
subjects and the nascent Peruginesque art in the
" Planets," contrast like the manhood and youth of
tAvo persons of one stock. The practised skill of the
one is shown in unwavering boldness of execution,
the youth of the other in timid handling and minute
but copious detail. Yet the comparative inexperience
of the disciple is counterbalanced by qualities of a
high order. Excessive thinness of shape and dryness
of figure are redeemed by classic grace in heads,
Avinning candour in faces, and surprising delicacy of
structure in limbs and extremities. The poetry of
youth and the experience of age are pitted against
each other ; and youth Avins by its inevitable charm.
The daily task of painters since Giotto's time had
been to find some neAv and genial Avay of composing a
narrow cycle of subjects invariably recurring as the
demand for pictures extended. Raphael was trained
to this task in a school in which A'ariety was perhaps
unduly contemned. But the superiority of his genius
displayed itself in numerous early examples, and his
first attempts are ennobled by diversity, whilst their
form preserves the mould of Perugino. So great a
gift combined with the feeling and grace peculiar to
Raphael must have led Perugino to trust his pupil at
a very early period with the composition as well as the
execution of pictures. But it is natural to suppose
that previous to this Raphael carried out the AArhole
labour of altar-pieces of Avhich Perugino merely
furnished the design. A general consent of opinion
may embolden us to affirm that the young disciple
produced, under these conditions, at least one altar-

90

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. II.

piece of importance. On the neutral ground upon
Avhich tAvo such names as those of Perugino and
Raphael are found to meet, it might seem incumbent
on us to Aveigh the eAddence in faA^our of one or
the other. Yet Ave may perhaps dispense Avith the
cumbrous apparatus of criticism and Arenture to state
on the strength of tried arguments that Raphael
received a sketch of the " Resurrection," from which
he worked out every part of the altar-piece of the
Vatican with his own hand. There are signs in two
sheets of sketches at Oxford that Raphael once
indulged the thought of giving to a composition
of this class the form as Avell as the handling of an
original. Equally superior in practical knoAvledge to
early school copies and in experience of the difficulties
of nude to the " Charity of St. Martin," these sketches
might once haA^e justified Raphael's desire to start on
his own path to independence. But if any such idea
temporarily swayed his will he speedily surrendered
it to the stronger Avill of Perugino,* and it is enough
to point out that the "Resurrection" of the Vatican
betrays the inexperience of youth in imperfect design
and feeble foreshortening, AA'hilst sweetness of colour
and freshness of feeling give us a foretaste of the
perfection, Avhich we admire in their fulness in other

* Oxford collection, No. 12, from
the collection of the Duke of Alva
and Sir T. Lawrence. Silver-
point on grey paper. 12f in. h.
by 8|. A guard seated on his
shield. Higher up the flying guard.
No. 13. Same collection and
size. Below a recumbent soldier,

looking up; above, akneelingfigure,
with a staff in the right hand, and
something like a cup in the left,
perhaps a study for an angel.
Rudiments of a head are on the
paper, in front of the kneeling
figure. The lights on both sheets
are laid on with white.

Chap. IL] "RESURRECTION" OF THE VATICAN.

91

and more authentic pictures of a later time. Nothing
is more characteristic than the simplicity of Raphael's
outline or the delicate mechanism of his draAving in
articulations. The hands are always plump, the
fingers short, and the nails cut down to the pink of
the skin. The modelling is soft and rounded in flesh,
but equally rich and flat in dress textures. In all
these points the "Resurrection" of the Vatican dis
plays the hand of Raphael, whilst the slender nude
of the Saviour rising from the tomb reveals the type
of Perugino hardened to something of the bony
leanness of Pinturicchio. The quaint mixture of
classic draperies in the sacred figures and modern
dress in the guards of the sepulchre shoAVS hoAV
Raphael improved the occasion to contrast the gayest
hues of a rich and variegated pallet. In the clays of
the bitterest feuds of Perugia, every child could
distinguish the parti-coloured black, or red and white
of the Oddi, from the blue and red and green of the
Baglioni. There Avere picturesque and gaudy contrasts
betAveen the right and left side of one limb, or between
one limb and the other in the tight-fitting dress of the
partisans on both sides. Raphael carefully aAroided
an exact copy of either, a prudent resolve in one Avho
might be bounden to each in turn. But he rang
a true note of gay harmony in the dresses of his
guards, and contrasted with inborn skill a green with
a pink and an orange, a ruby and yelloAV, or steel Avith
brass or bronze.*

* Rome, Gallery of the A7atican,
No. XXIV. Once in S. Fran

cesco of Perugia, afterwards trans
ferred to Paris (1797), and restored

92

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

With equal care, and, perhaps, more complete
success, Raphael gave shape to simpler conceptions of
his master, and the date of a contract for a triptych
in San Fortunato of Perugia is revealed by the share
Avhich Raphael took in its execution. It seems to
have been part of the covenant that the central
panel should represent the Virgin and Child, and the
side panels St. Mary Magdalen and St. Catherine of
Alexandria. A diffident opinion may be put forward
that the first is a small half-length assigned to Raphael
in the house of the Countess Fabrizi at Terni, the
second and third are heirlooms in the collection of
the Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick. It Avas not
uncommon that painters of name in the days of Peru
gino and Signorelli should be asked to pledge them
selves to paint some of the heads, if not the Avhole
figures of an altar-piece. But if a clause of this kind
was inserted in Perugino's agreement on this occasion,
he treated it Avith unusual neglect. We fail to discern
even the hand of Perugino in the " Virgin" of Terni,
which is little more than a reduction of a Avell-known
group familiar to us in the Madonnas of the Vatican
or of Sinigaglia. The Infant Christ stands on the
lap of His mother and clings to the veil Avhich encircles
her form. Her head and His are sentimentally bent
and turned in opposite directions. The finish of the

in 1815 to the Vatican. It had
been restored before its departure
for France by Francesco Romero.
See Giorn. di Erud. u. s. v. p. 235.
Another version of the Resurrec

tion, ascribed to Raphael, is noted,
as we are kindly informed by Dr.
Bode, in the collection of Rossie
Priory. But it has not been seen
by the Authors.

Chap. IL] TERNI AND ALNWICK. 93

parts in which the lights are heightened Avith gold, is
as careful as it is minute, but these qualities scarcely
compensate for marked feebleness of design and
heaviness of proportions ; and Ave seek in Arain for the
beauties of tint and modelling AAliich mark the
handling of Raphael. A draAving of St. Catherine
at the Uffizi, might invite us to pause in attributing
the saints at Alnwick to any one but Perugino.* Yet
the treatment is graceful enough to be Avorthy of
Raphael, and the picture Avhich Avas taken from the
drawing is so full of sweetness, and so rich in colour,
that the presumption is Arery strong in favour of
Raphael. The soft tenderness of expression and the
easy simplicity of attitude which the saint displays as
she stands holding a book in her left hand, and resting
her right on the instrument of her martyrdom, are
quite as much Avithin the compass of Raphael's skill
at this period as the beautiful landscapes that form
the backgrounds ; and though Ave should concede less
brightness and loveliness to the " Magdalen" than to
the " St. Catherine," both might be classed amongst
the early productions of the master of Urbino. f

* Uffizi, No. 408.— The saint is ! Childisonpanell8jin.h.byl2Jin.
turned to the left, with a palm in ; On the back we read : " Questo
her left hand. Her right is on the ! quadro la fatto mastro Piero da
broken wheel, which rests on the j Castello della Pieve anco Perugino,
ground. The veil, curling in the , e Lornamento l'ha fatto Antonio
wind behind her, is very graceful, Tedesco M. . . ." Yet Rumohr
as are likewise the rising ground (Forschungen, iii. p. 74) and Pas-
and trees on the left. savant (Raphael, i. 55, and ii. 11)
f Alnwick, from the Cammuc- assign it to Raphael.
cini collection. — Terni, House of Quatremere de Quincy (note to
Countess Fabrizi, from the Alfani p. 197 of Bogue's edition of the Life
Palace at Perugia. The Virgin and I of Raphael — 1846) assigns the

94

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. II.

Last on the list of pieces Avhich might be assigned
to the period of Raphael's dependence on Peru
gino's designs, the " Diotalevi Madonna " at Berlin,
claims attention as combining the traditions of
the Peruginesque school with the handling of its
most graceful disciple. A tall, slender, long-necked
Virgin supports the Infant, sitting on her lap — one
hand round the Avaist of the Saviour, the other on the
shoulder of the Avorshipping Baptist ; Christ is in bene
diction, John receiving the blessing Avith the cross in
his grasp. The Virgin's oval face shows the arched
eyelid, the pursed mouth and small chin, peculiar to
Raphael, combined Avith an expression of resignation,
and a shade of smorfta, that recall the type of the
earlier Umbrians. The lean and bony hands, the
cramped fingers, are as distinctly Peruginesque as
the pot-belly or masculine feet and limbs of the
Infant Christ, and the stout shape of the boy Baptist.
We recollect the "Madonna" of San Pietro Martire,
AAliich Perugino executed in 1498, and vague re
miniscences of Santi's "Buffi" altar-piece cross our
mind as we look at the picture. But the Avay in
AAliich the forms are transcribed is Raphael's, though
it may be that the transcript is imperfect. Something,

Magdalen and St. Catherine to
Raphael, which had then passed
from San Fortunato of Perugia
(Guida di Perugia by Constan-
tini, p. 134) to the Cammuc-
cini collection at Rome. Passavant
{i. 55) also acknowledges the
authorship of Baphael, whereas
Waagen (Treasures, Sup.) as

sumes that of Spagna. The
Magdalen is turned to the right,
the St. Catherine to the left, each
on a diminutive panel. The former
wears a lake-coloured dress and
blue mantle, and her hands are
joined in prayer. The latter wears
n blue dress and a mantle, with
crimson shadows and yellow lights.

Chap. IL]

DIOTALEVI " MADONNA."

95

too, is apparent of Raphael's wheaten tones, his careful,
tender handling and SAveetness of colour, and Ave note
the starting-point from Avhich Ave arrive at the per
fection of the "Virgin" of Terranuova, and the
" Sposalizio " of Milan.*

* Berlin Museum. No. 147, on
poplar. M. 0.69 h. by 0.50. Bought
in 1841-2 of Marquis Diotalevi, at
Rimini, in whose family the pic
ture had been an heirloom, assigned
to Perugino. Price 980 thal.=£l47.
The Baptist holds his arms reve
rently crossed on his breast. The
sky, with a low horizon of distant
landscape, recalls that of the
" Madonna " of Pavia at the
National Gallery. The panel has
been injured, the outlines are en
feebled by scaling and mending,

and some abrasions weaken the
modelling. The latter applies
particularly to the left eye of the
Virgin and the contour of the
cheek of the infant Christ ; the
former to spots about the head of
the Baptist, and the body and leg
of the Saviour. The blues have
degenerated. The draperies are
of high surface against low surface
flesh. The nimbus form is old
fashioned Umbrian. Compare
Perugino's " Madonna " of 1498,
No. 35 in the Gallery of Perugia.

CHAPTER III.
The Baglioni. — " Massacre of the Innocents,'' and other pen sketches. — The
Solly " Madonna." — " Madonna with the Finch." — Practice at Pe
rugia. — Connestabile predellas and Baphael's drawings for them. —
Landscape sketches. — Invasion of Cesar Borgia. — The " Martyrs." —
Raphael's " Crucifixion " based on that of Perugino. — " Crucifixion "
of Earl Dudley. — " Trinity " and " Creation of Eve." — Influence of
Alunno, Signorelli, and Pinturicchio. — " Coronation of St. Nicholas
of Tolentino." — " Coronation of the Virgin" and its predellas at the
Vatican. — Imitation of the predellas of Fano.
During the first years of Raphael's residence at
Perugia the faction of the Baglioni ruled the city
Avithout opposition. Guido and his five children,
Astorre, Morgante, Gismondo, Marc Antonio, and
Gentile, shared the sweets of power with Ridolfo and
his sons, Troilo, Giovan-Paulo, and Simonetto. But
Guido was the chief of the clan, though his influence
was secretly opposed by a wild gang of relatives, who
acknoAvledged the lead of his nephew Grifone. To
govern this overgroAvn family of chieftains Avas not
easy ; and Guido' s authority in the main reposed on no
safer foundation than that of fear. The child Avho led a
squadron of lances and learnt to count its strength by
the number of its years, the youth Avhose days were
spent in raids, the man who sold his services to the
highest bidder, and fought one day for those whom
he opposed the next, were not to be awed by any
laAV than that of force or interest ; and Guido com-

Chap. III.] THE BAGLIONI. 97

manded because he had interest, and was ruthless, as
well as rich and strong. Yet with all the adArantages
Avhich his age and position gave him, Guido knew
that no ties of relationship or blood Avould aA^ail to
keep the dagger of the son from the throat of his
father, or the sword of one child from the side of his
brother, if profit Avere to be expected from crime.
It was under this state of things that the 16th
century opened in Perugia. The people of the city
fawned on those aaIio oppressed them and celebrated
with eagerness all occasions of rejoicing. The money
changers of the town called on heaAren to protect them
at the opening of the Cambio hall. They proudly
shoAved to an admiring public the masterpieces of
Perugino.* Astorre Baglioni, betrothed to Lavinia
Colonna, made preparations for a wedding which gave
important employment to painters and architects. t
But far aAvay on the political horizon a cloud was
rising Avhich soon gathered in a raging storm ; and
days of feasting and pleasure were followed by hours
of massacre and plunder.
The preparations for Astorre' s marriage were en
tirely worthy of the occasion. A triumphal arch was
erected in the square of Perugia, and hung with the
victories of Astorre, designed by skilful hands on

* Journals of the Changers of
Perugia, 1500. " Propitius esto
nella revolutione Yesu a noie del
millecinquecento che incarnasti a
nostra redemptione." Giornale di
Erud. Artistica, u. s. iii. p. 32.
f 1500, 28 Giugno, magnificus
VOL. I.

Dom. Astor de balleonibus uxorem
duxit. 1, 2, 3 Luglio. "Per le
splendide nozze non se sedde
Dastor baglione, et ut brevibus
utar. Tanto apparato a Proscia mai
se vedde." Ibid. ibid. ibid.

98

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WOEKS. [Chap. III.

appropriate canvas. To shelter the wedding guests
from the rays of a burning sun, a veil of cloth Avas
stretched over the piazza, and the solemn entry of
the bride Avas celebrated by cavalcades, and the mar
riage by feasting, dancing, and a passage of arms.*
Raphael enjoyed, Ave may think, the chance Avhich
was then offered to him, of signalising his talents as
a painter. The scanty annals of the time refuse to
connect his name Avith any, even the smallest events
of this pageant. But, assuredly, if he had leisure,
he witnessed the occurrence. The chiefs of the
Baglioni were vaguely informed of a conspiracy
during the progress of the festivities ; and their spies
told them that the danger had only been postponed.
Yet Avhen the outbreak came, and Grifone, Avith a
band of conspirators, rudely interrupted Astorre's
honeymoon, and cruelly proceeded to massacre his
relatives, they were unaccountably taken by surprise. t
Astorre was killed as he rose from his bed, vainly
protected from the bloAVS that Avere aimed at him by
the devotion of his wife. Guido, Gismondo, and
Simonetto all fell in turn. The bodies of the slain
were stripped and dragged into the streets, Avhere
they lay on stretchers, Astorre ' ' as an old Roman in
his blood," Simonetto " scornful and proud in death
as in life." Grifone' s mother, Atalanta, and his wife
Zenobia, fled to a country-house, Avhere he vainly
clamoured for pardon, Avhich they denied, and speech
which they refused. With the ring of their curses in

* Matarazzo Cronaca, u. s.

f This massacre occurred July
15, 1500. See Matarazzo, u. s.

Chap. III.] THE BAGLIONI. 99
his ears, he withdrew to command the burial of his
victims. But retribution was neither slow nor long
deferred. Giovan Paulo, flying for safety through
the night, gathered adherents as he ran, secured some
aid from Vitelozzo of Citta di Castello, and marched
with a troop of 800 men to Perugia, where he quickly
found an entrance. His form is compared as he rode
and forced the gate of the Due Porte to that of St.
George, armed in proof and galloping on his charger.
He Avas met by Grifone at the corner of a street, but
he disdained to face the murderer of his kinsmen, and
preferred to see him cut cIoavii by his followers. A
general massacre purged the city of the conspirators
and deluged the market-place Avith blood. At the
sound of arms, Atalanta and Zenobia, the mother and
wife of Grifone, left the asylum in Avhich they had
taken refuge, and threaded their AAray through the
streets, where they found their son and husband
bleeding from numberless Avounds. Atalanta stooped
over the body of her son and prayed to him to forgive
the authors of his death. A Avord of pardon issued
from his lips, a silent pressure of his hand, and he
expired. Next day Giovan Paulo took possession of
the Baglioni Palace, Avhich had belonged to Grifone.
The desecrated cathedral of San Lorenzo Avas cleansed
Avith Avine, and Atalanta made a vrow, perhaps even
then, that she Avould dedicate an altar to the memory
of her son and adorn it Avith an entombment, Avhich
was to be a masterpiece by Raphael. The scenes
which Raphael may have Avitnessed Avere perhaps
embodied in the Heliodorus of the Vatican chambers.

100

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. III.

We recognise St. George at the Hermitage prefigured
by Giovan Paulo, storming cap-a-pie through the
gates of Perugia. But the memories of these tragic
days must have clung to Raphael in other and more
dramatic forms. He might remember Astorre, "grand
as an old Roman," as he lay stripped on the ground,
Avhen he dreAV the rigid shape of a dead man in the
gallery of Oxford,* or Astorre taken down into the
street, as he sketched the flexible body removed from
the cross in the Albertina of Vienna.f He might
recollect the Availing of Atalanta and Zenobia as
Grifone Avas carried away to burial, when he designed
the numerous varieties of the "Entombment" which
Avere all compressed into the masterpiece of the
Palazzo Borghese. The very figures of the dead are
recalled in the splendid drawing of the Birchall col
lection, where a soldier deposits a corpse on the
ground by the side of others that rest in their
shrouds.J Every one of these sketches and designs
has a direct connection with the tragedy of Perugia,
the person of Atalanta, who ordered, and Raphael, who
painted the " Entombment."
The impressions left by extraordinary events on
those who have witnessed them vary Avith the capacity
of individuals to seize or to realize their scope. A
young painter might recollect or brood over many
incidents that occurred during the feud of the

University Gallery,

* Oxford
No. 38.
f Vienna, Albertina. Drawing
at the back of a Charity designed
on lines similar to those of the

predella of the Borghese Entomb-.
ment. X Rogers and Birchall collec
tion—exhibited at Manchester..
Pass. No. 453. 9^ in. h. by 11 in.

Chap. III.] "MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS." 101

Baglioni, and yet be poAverless to give them a con
crete form. That Raphael at eighteen should have
been incapable of delineating the scenes Avhich his
memory retained, and matured skill enabled him to
reproduce, need not create surprise. The limited
experience of his student years Avould suggest to him
a host of insuperable obstacles. But in the measure
of his power he may have found vent for his feelings ;
and the "Massacre of the Innocents," Avith AA'hich he
adorned the Venice sketch-book, seems to reflect the
workings of his mind at this time. We feel when we
look at Raphael's draAvings that his store of amiability
is almost inexhaustible, yet Ave hardly expect the sim
plicity which he conveys in this composition. The
least complex forms of passion are those which he
first displays. A soldier stoops to thrust his dagger
into the heart of a nurseling that lies unconscious of
danger on its mother's lap. She sits on the ground
Avithout an effort to avert the stroke ; and her fear
is expressed by stopping her ears. Another soldier
points his sword at a Avoman Avhom he has caught by
the hair. The babe in her arms rends the air with
its cries, but she Avalks leisurely aAvay; whilst a
third mother throws her slipper at fhe soldier's head.
It has been well said " that innocence equally dwells
in the victims and their executioners, and that SAVords
and daggers are draAvn as if they were not meant
to strike.* It is evident that Raphael's youthful

* Charles Blanc in the Gazette des Beaux Aits, vol. iv. of 1859,
p. 202.

102 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. 111.

mind can hardly realize the deadliness of a mur
derous purpose. Yet in the action of the guards a
germ of momentary action may be discerned AAliich
expands at a later period into the noble form of Marc-
antonio's print. Nothing can be more charming
than the purity of the line, or the cleverness of the
pen stroke in shading, except, perhaps, the simplicity
which betrays the artist's tenderness of soul.*
The very same spirit leads Raphael to similar
results in episodes of another kind. If Ave could
suppose that the lion who was kept in a den at the
Baglioni palace had escaped during the troubles and
fled to the hills overhanging the valley of the Tiber,
we might fancy that the hungry beast attacked a
man in his AAray, Avhilst an unconscious shepherd
played a bagpipe on the broAV of a declivity. Raphael
takes an incident of this kind as his subject. He
draws the lion groAvling at the man who lies on the
ground, and shrieks as he feels the breath of the
animal and the Aveight of its paAvs on his breast ; a
faithful dog vainly barks for help. The piper plays,
and his flock broAVses unconcerned on the grass of the
neighbouring slope. Raphael never dreAV anything
more natural or true than the busy shepherd and his
charge. He never conceived anything more untrue
than the lion and his prey. His mind cannot yet
fathom the depths of terror which such a situation
should convey. Fear is depicted in the contraction of

* A7enice Acad. Frame XXVII. No. 14. Back of No. 17. Pen and
umber drawing. Pass. No. 24.

Chap. III.]

PEN STUDIES.

103

the features and hand, belied in the strange repose of
the legs and body. The symptoms of instant paralysis
which an attack of this kind would produce, are neither
suggested nor conveyed, and still the draAving is one
of the most beautiful that Raphael produced in the
days of his probation.*
Meanwhile Raphael's versatility Avas shown in
other draAvings of the most surprising diversity. A
lovely figure of a Avingecl angel, floating in gossamer
dress and ribbands on a cloud, and casting flowers,
reminds us of the graceful allegories of the Cambio.-]"
An angel in adoration, holding a circlet with both
hands, seems to foreshadow the heavenly beings
that cover the sky in the "Standard" of Cittk di
Castello.J Winged centaurs Avith dolphins' tails, a
decorative SAvan, a turtle, and arabesques of snakes
at the side of a mask of Medusa, recall at once the
ceiling of the Goldsmiths' Hall at Perugia, and the
Chambers of the Vatican. §

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXVII.
No. 13. Back of No. 16. Pass. No.
33. Pen and umber sketch.
f Berlin Museum ; from the
Pocetti collection. Pen and umber
sketch washed with yellowish
shading. The figure is entire and
turns to the left, with wings and
arms outstretched, and sprays of
leaves in both hands. The same
thought is in a later drawing of
the Venice sketch-book realized at
last in the Holy Family of 1518
at the Louvre. In the lower
corner to the left a winged cherub
sits on a cloud.

X Venice Acad. Frame XXIV.
No. 4. Back of XXIV. No. 6. Pass.
No. 26. Pen sketch slightly washed
with umber. The drapery here is
not so light as in the foregoing.
The handling is so bold that it
suggests a later period than that
of the Standard at Citta di Castello.
But practice tells us that the bold
ness and freedom of a sketch is
partially lost in the finished pic
ture. § Venice Acad. Frame XXIV.
No. 6. Back of XXIV No. 4. Pass.
21. Pen sketch ; the head of
Medusa to the right.

104

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

A " Bacchus " at the Uffizi, drawn by Raphael in
the Peruginesque form, displays more than Raphael's
usual grace, and renders Avith antique simplicity the
full length nude of a youthful god, looking down
and balancing a vase on his head.* Leaves from the
Venice Sketch-book are filled Avith academic studies
as true to nature as the " Bacchus " is true to the
ideal type of the Greeks. A man in upward stride,
Avith his back to the spectator, glances round as he
Avalks to the sound of the pipes ; f another man,
similarly occupied, dances past in rapid motion ; J a
shepherd in ragged shirt and hose plays the bagpipes. §
Samson, Avith the grip of an athlete, breaks the lion's
jaw ; || a muscular nude stands pensive and stern Avith

* Florence, Uffizi. No. 531.
Black chalk washed with flake
white. Fnll length in profile to
the left.
t Venice Acad. Frame XXIII.
No. 13. Back of XXIII. Xo. 3.
Pass. No. 76. An outline of an
arm at the side of the figure
might suggest doubts as to its
being by the draughtsman of the
piper. But the line is Raphael
esque. The foreshortening of the
right leg is as masterly as the
definition of the muscles is search
ing and clean. Compare the piper
in Signorelli's Pan, Berlin Museum.
No. 79a.
% Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.
Xo. 2. Back of XXVI. No. 14. Pass.
No. 31. The head here is con
cealed by the raised left arm. The
lean muscularity of the frame is
rendered with the strength of
Signorelli, whilst a study of a foot

on the right side of the paper
shows more of the Peruginesque
style. The detail in every part is
minute and correct, in the same
way as the detail of a hand (small
life size), the palm being shown
with all its wrinkles and folds.
Ven. Acad. Frame XXIII. No. 14.
Back of XXIII. No. 4. Pass. 86.
§ Arenice Acad. Frame XXV.
No. 12. Back of XXV. No. 10.
Pass. 27. Profile to the left. Here
again is a study of an arm and
hand on the right side of the
shepherd, which looks almost too
feeble for Raphael. A copy of
this drawing, assigned to Raphael,
is numbered 2 in the Oxford
Gallery. || Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.
3. Back of XXVI. No. 13. Pass. 35.
Samson, turned to the left, has the
right knee on the lion's back and
opens his jaw with both hands.

Chap. III.] PEN STUDIES. .105
his arms across his breast. The models vary in
each case. Many of them recall Signorelli, and
particularly his piper in the "Triumph of Pan"
at Berlin. Samson is a mixture of Signorelli and
Pollaiuolo, the nude Avith his arms across seems a copy
from Pollaiuolo himself.* All the draAvings exhibit the
power and facility of a youthful genius Avhose train
ing has been Umbrian, yet Avho studies to acquire the
strength of the greater Florentines. His sketches are
outlined and modelled Avith the pen in the Peru
ginesque style. The life Avhich they display, the
mastery of form which they reveal, and the flexibility
of pen- stroke by Avhich they are characterized, are
proofs of an immense range of observation and re-
tentiveness of memory. But the Peruginesque style
is but a medium in AA'hich we still trace the in
fluence of Tuscan masters, whose designs no doubt
were in Perugino's store.
Whilst Raphael thus devoted his time to close study,
he was still under the orders of the superiors to AAliose
commands he was subject by duty as well as by
habit. He had no dispensation assuredly to neglect
the work of an assistant when his master presided in

This magnificent drawing, in the 13. Back of XXVI. No. 3. Pass. 36.
style of Pollaiuolo, looks like the Bald man in profile to the light,
design of an old cameo, to which outline like one of Lionardo's illus-
new life has been given by an trations to the " Proportion." But
appeal to nature. There is no the style is ver}- like that of Pol-
trace here of Umbrian tenderness. laiuolo, in his celebrated drawing
The line is Peruginesque, but the | of the Louvre (three nudes), signed
model is Florentine. Hence the i " Antonij Jacobi," &c, &c, and we
probability that Perugino gave . might presume that it was copied
Raphael Tuscan drawings to copy. from Pollaiuolo at Perugia.
* Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.

106 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WOEKS. [Chap. III.
the painting-room. At such hours as he laboured
for himself or for his own instruction, he Avas free to
do AAliat he pleased. At other hours he was bound
to think exclusively of the subjects AAliich Perugino
Avas commissioned to execute. But this constraint
naturally produced a mental thraldom Avhich caused
the circle of ideas in Avhich he moved to become
identical, so to speak, with that of the artist who
directed him. Once in early days his mind had been
filled with the beauties of the subjects which Peru
gino transferred to the predellas of Fano. Noav he
dAvelt Avith reverent fondness on the compositions
Avhich in numberless instances engrossed the time of
his chief. Was he aAvare that Perugino recollected
the "Sposalizio" of Orcagna when he composed the
same episode for the brotherhood of St. Joseph at
Perugia ? His lively recollection of this masterpiece
Avas certainly shoAvn in the later development of the
same theme at Citta di Castello. When Perugino
consented to depict the " Coronation of the Virgin " for
San Francesco of Perugia, Raphael brooded over the
legend preparatory to its repetition in the altar-piece
of the Vatican. He thought out the "Trinity" and
" Crucifixion " of Cittk di Castello after seeing Peru
gino's earlier sketches and cartoons. Yet in the
ordinary forms which painting took in these days,
Raphael, though mindful of Perugino's bidding,
seems always to have tried to improve on the con
ceptions of his master.
None of Raphael's early creations more thoroughly
embodies Perugino's feeling than that of the Solly

Chap. III.] THE SOLLY "MADONNA."

107

" Madonna " in the Museum of Berlin. The Virgin
sits in a landscape and reads from a missal, Avhilst
the naked Christ on her lap divides his attention
between the pages of the book and a captive finch.
The broad oval of the Virgin's face circumscribing
features of excessive smallness, a large hand with the
nails worn doAATi to the quick, are cast as truly in the
mould of Perugino as the plump frame, and the fore
shortened bullet head of the infant Saviour. The
lack as yet of that fulness of tender grace in action
and expression AAliich peculiarly mark the master
pieces of Raphael is not inexplicable. The technical
execution of the pupil is displayed in something like
an approach to those enamelled tones Avhich may be
called distinctly Raphaelesque ; which Ave see indeed
in the bright sky and the soft slopes of a distance
delicately touched to show the trees relieved on the
brownish ground or the heaven beyond it ; but which
we miss to some extent in the filmy flesh tints that lie
in holloAVS beside the high surface pigments of the
dress shadows. Something, too, that reveals Raphael,
is the minute application of gold lights, and a remini
scence of Santi, which lingers in the picture in spite
of its general likeness to Perugino's earlier creations.*

* Berlin Mus. No. 141. Half
length, on poplar, m. 0'52 h. by
0-38. Known as the "Madonna
Solly," having been acquired with
the Solly collection in 1821. We
may note the absence of taper in
the hands, the liquid substance of
flesh tints in which the pigments
refuse to second absolutely the

efforts of the artist. The star on
the bright blue mantle, the blanket
texture of the red lining, the con
trasts of black and gold in the
missal are all reminiscences of the
older schools, as are likewise the
thin veils on the Virgin's head and
the child's body. The infant Christ
holds in his right hand the string

108

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

As a test of his own powers and his capacity to set
aside tradition, Raphael afterAvards AATatched a couple
of children, and in a sketch, now preserved at the
Louvre, caught their outline and movement as one of
them, creeping on all fours, struck his companion on
the head. The injured boy sits despairingly on the
ground and cries as he thrusts his tiny fingers into
his eye. On the back of the sketch Raphael trans
formed the pouting child into an infant Christ on its
mother's knee. Tears and lamentation are turned
into stillness and prayer. But the attitude and the
forms are preserved, whilst the features and shape of
the Virgin are repeated from those of the picture at
Berlin, and transfigured into something more graceful
and tender than Avas ever imagined by Perugino,
More purely Raphaelesque and bolder than the
Solly "Madonna," its counterpart in the sketch at the
Louvre is much more gracefully conceived. The
Virgin's head is more pensively inclined and turns
from full to three-quarters. The child looks down
instead of looking up at the missal.* The landscape
is Avider and more simple. We need not assume that
Raphael expressed all this at the very moment Avhen
he worked at the " Madonna " Avith the finch, but the
dose relationship of the Louatc sketch, Avhich AAras
never translated into a picture, Avith the " Madonna"
Connestabile and other varieties in which the book is

'that ensures the captivity of the
finch in his left. Time has been
.unkind to the picture, the gold
lights of which are all but abraded.
The picture by Perugino, of which

we are here reminded, is the altar-
piece of 1494 at Cremona.
* Louvre. Pen and umber
sketches on two sides of one sheet.

Chap. III.] "MADONNA WITH THE FINCH.'

109

a leading feature shows hoAV long and how constantly
Raphael meditated over themes, the originals of which
he had found in the painting-room of Perugino.
Internal evidence might suggest that Raphael
modelled the Virgin with the finch from a design by
Perugino, but the probability of the circumstance is
diminished hy the knowledge that his next creation of
the same kind Avas derived from a drawing of his own.
In the collection of the Albertina at Vienna, a sketch
is preserved in Avhich the style of Raphael is curiously
engrafted on that of Perugino and Pinturicchio. St.
Jerome, and St. Francis are drawn in attendance on the
Virgin, Avho Avatches the Child on her lap as it reads
from a label scroll.* Raphael transferred the subject to
a panel in the Berlin Museum, and merely altered the
child's attitude and action to one of benediction. A bald
bare-headed friar represents St. Francis ; St. Jerome
wears a beard and a cardinals hat and lappets. Two
churches in the distance symbolize the mission of the
Saints, whose names are engraved in half abraded
nimbs on the sky. The mildness of their faces, the
peculiar shape of the Virgin's hands, and the broad form
of the child are all typical of Perugino's art, but the

* Vienna, Albertina. The Vir
gin is seen to the knees. St.
Jerome to the left, St. Francis to
the right. The drawing is cata
logued under the name of Peru
gino. Like much of Raphael's
work at the time it recalls Pin
turicchio as much as Perugino, and
it reminas us most of Pinturicchio
in the outline of the infant Christ's
head, and the frizzle of hair which

gives it a peculiar character. But
there is something too in the whole
drawing which makes one sus
pect that Raphael had seen a print
by Martin Schon. Under no cir
cumstances can the drawing be as
signed to Perugio or Pinturicchio.
See Lippmann's clever criticism,
Raffael's Entwurf zur Madonna del
Duca di Terranuova. 4to. Berlin,
1880, p. 2.

110 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

tender air and gentle features of the Virgin, which
equal in sweetness, as they do in line, those of the
"Coronation" of the Vatican, the speckled cushion or
gilded ornament which betray the influence of Pin
turicchio, and vague reminiscences of Giovanni Santi,
Avhich characterise the group, reveal the disciple of
all three.*
During the progress of these juvenile productions,
Ave may presume that most of Raphael's time Avas
spent in the rooms of Perugino, situated within the
precincts of the Hospital of the Misericordia at
Perugia, t We haATe to picture to ourselves the daily
greeting Avith the great Umbrian master. We shall
fancy that Raphael Avitnessed the coming of Baccio
d' Agnolo, who persuaded Perugino to stand surety
for a contract and furnish him with draAvings for the
stalls of St. Lorenzo.! We see him Avatching the

* Berlin Museum. No. 145. : bead of St. Jerome, exhibited (No.
Half length, on poplar, m. 0'34 h. , 709) in the Museum of Lille, is
by 0-29. From the Borghese col- j catalogued as an original study by
lection, sold in 1829 to the King j Baphael for this picture, but it has
of Prussia by Count von derRopp. ' no claim to genuineness.
The bad state to which the panel I t " Adi primo de marzo, 1504,
has been reduced (patches of re- fior. cinque . . . a lo spedale de la
storing are visible on the face and inisericliordia che so (no) per
beard of St. Jerome and the right achonto de fior. octo pe^ione."
leg and left foot of the infant , Perugino had a lease for twelve
Christ), might induce a severe years of two large rooms in the
¦critic to doubt the originality of ', hospital of the Misericordia  from
the picture. The surface has no ; the 1st of January, 1501. Archivio
longer the perfect modelling of del Cambio in Giomale di Erud.
Raphael, but still there is much | Tosc. vol. iii. p. 25. For that
in favour of Raphael's name. The j period the tradition that his paint-
child recalls that of Santi, in the j ing- room was in the Via Deliciosa
¦"Madonna" in Santa Croce of Fano. ' is therefore baseless.
A black chalk drawing of the i J The date of these events is

Chap. III.] PRACTICE AT PERUGIA. ill

progress of the " Sposalizio " of Caen, and the " Ma
donna " of Pavia, both of Avhich Avere finished about
this time. Nor can Ave doubt that he Avas alloAved to
vary his daily avocations by leave to accompany
Perugino or his partner on some of their distant
peregrinations. Perugino and Pinturicchio Avere both
summoned to Sienna in the summer of 1502, Pin
turicchio to paint the Library of Andrea Piccolomini,
Perugino to paint an altar-piece for Mariano Chigi.
Pinturicchio pledged himself on the 29th of June to
decorate the ceiling and the Avails of the Library Avith
frescos of which the cartoons were to be executed,
the heads to be finished in fresco by himself. Tavo
hundred ducats were paid down, one hundred more
Avere promised at Perugia, Avhen Pinturicchio should
go home to prepare materials and engage assistants.*
Perugino signed his contract on the 4th of August
in the presence of Antonio Barile the sculptor and
Brancatio di Gherardo a painter, to complete a " Cruci
fixion" within a year. The picture was to adorn the
Chigi Chapel in Sant' Agostino of Sienna, and repre
sent the crucified Saviour and eight Saints. A
predella Avas to contain subjects appropriate to the
principal scene, and a sketch delivered before the
signature of the covenant Avas accepted, subject to

1501-2. Mariotti (Lettere Pitto- > * Covenant of Pinturicchio, dated
riche, pp. 167-8), says 1502. But j June 29, 1502, at Sienna, in G.
the contracts are really dated Peru- i Milanesi's Document! Senesi, iii.

gia, March 27, 1501, and October 1,
1502. (Rossi, in Giornale di Erud.
Tosc. u. s. i. p. 121.)

pp. 9 and fit It is important
to bear in mind these words of the
contract : " Sia (Pinturicchio)

112 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. III.

later revision, by the Chigi.* Both contracts were
draAvn up and Avitnessed at Sienna, and Perugino
remained there till the close of the first Aveek in
September, when he returned to Perugia. He may
have employed the time at his disposal in painting
some principal parts of the altar-piece entrusted to
his charge. On his arrival at Perugia about the 1 Oth
of September, he took a commission for a double altar-
piece at San Francesco del Monte, and he accepted the
obligation of painting several figures at the feet of
a Christ in relief on one side, and a " Coronation of the
Virgin" on the other side of the picture. Here, also,
preliminary studies Avere presented to the approbation
of the patrons of the altar, and directions were given
for the painter's guidance.']' But instead of proceed
ing with his task, Perugino retired after an interval
of three weeks to Florence, where he arrived about
the beginning of October, and for upwards of a year
he remained in the Tuscan capital. J Whether the
design of the " Crucifixion " at Sienna was furnished
by Raphael or not is uncertain. It is equally doubt
ful Avhether Raphael AAras deputed to finish the picture

tenuto fare li disegni delle istorie
di sua mano in cartoni ct in muro."
He was bound to draw the cartoons
and transfer them to the walls.
He was not bound to make the
designs for the cartoons himself. I

1502, in which Perugino accepts
the duty of furnishing Baccio
d' Agnolo with designs of the stalls
at St. Lorenzo of Perugia. Mari-
otti, Lett. Pit. u. s. 168 ; see also
the letter of F. Malatesta to Isabella

* Contract dated Sienna, Aug. Gonzaga in Braghirolli's coutribu-
4, 1502, in C. Cugnoni's Agostino tions to the Giorn. di Erud. Tosc.
Chigi il Magnifico. 8vo, Rome, ii. p. 160, where the presence of
1878, pp. 78-9. Perugino at Florence on the 24th
+ Mariotti, Lett. n. s. p. 164. j of Oct., 1502, is established.
X See the contract of Oct. 1, '

Chap. III.] PRACTICE AT PERUGIA. 113
of Mariano Chigi. But nothing in the altar-piece
itself excludes the co-operation of Perugino's disciple,
whether we consider the colouring which is pure and
beautiful, or the features and shapes of the Saints,
which recur with varieties in the " Crucifixion " of
Cittk di Castello.*
The finished cartoon for the coronation of San
Francesco del Monte, when last seen in the collection
of Dr. Wellesley at Oxford, fully bore out the opinion
that its execution was due to Raphael, f whereas in
respect of drawing, form, and colour, the altar-piece
uoav in the gallery of Perugia, betrays a feebler hand
than that of the cleverer disciples of Perugino, Raphael
not excepted. Many of the single parts still suggest
the help of Perugino's best assistants, and some
figures are reminiscent of the " Sposalizio " of Milan,
Avhilst others have their counterparts in the " Cruci
fixion " of Earl Dudley.^
Perugino's contract Avith Mariano Chigi specially

* It is remarkable that the face
of St. Monica, the hands of the
Magdalen, and the head of the
Evangelist, in the altar-piece of
Sienna, have almost their counter
parts in the face of the Virgin, and

for the timidity that we recognize
at this time in Raphael.
X This picture is now in the
Gallery of Perugia. Its execution
may be due to the joint efforts of
Raphael, Spagna, and others. A

the hands and the head of the | great disadvantage from which the
Virgin in the " Crucifixion " of ! altar-piece suffers is the distemper
Citta di Castello (Earl Dudley). ! medium in which it is carried out.
t Ex Wellesley collection at > The figures are life size. The
Oxford. Cartoon 15^ in. ii. by 11|. j Magdalen in the two crucifixions
Pen and bistre, heightened with ' are almost identical, but reversed ;

white, much injured and abraded,
but still revealing the hand of a
youthful artist, remarkable for the
carefulness and, at the same time,

there is also much similarity in
the figures of the Virgin and
Evangelist in each picture.

114 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.
treats of a predella Avhich unfortunately no longer
survives. But predellas were not kept as carefully as
the altar-pieces to which they belonged, and we vainly
look for those appendages to the "Sposalizio" at
Caen, the " Crucifixion " and " Coronation " of San
Francesco del Monte. Yet the preservation of several
isolated predellas by Perugino may prepare us at any
time for discoveries in this direction ; and amongst
other small Avorks of this kind, one or two of special
interest for the history of Raphael exist in the
palace of Count Connestabile Staffa at Perugia.
The first represents the " Epiphany," the second the
"Nativity," and both are painted in distemper. In
the "Epiphany" the Virgin is seated to the right,
under the porch of a temple, Avith the Child in bene
diction, standing on her knee. Joseph, in attendance
on Mary, leans on his staff, whilst the senior of the
Magi kneels on the foreground of a landscape and
presents his offering. To the left the second and
third kings and three persons of their suite, in the
tight-fitting Umbrian dress, form a pretty and appro
priate group.
In the " Nativity " the Virgin kneels before the
infant Saviour, Avhose naked form is supported by a
winged angel on a pack-saddle, whilst Joseph and two
shepherds kneel in prayer to the left ; an ox and an
ass are resting to the right ; and a landscape of low
hills, with trees of a sparse leafage, form the back
ground of the picture. Both panels are by an artist
who clearly displays a tenderness of feeling akin to
that of Raphael. There is an evident tendency to

Chap. III.] CONNESTABILE PREDELLAS. 115
ignore the masculine developments of the full groAvn
nude ; to cling to juvenile models conspicuous for
leanness and slenderness of shape. Large extremities
and articulations contrast with smallness of facial
features. A certain stiffness and timidity is manifest
in the definition of movement or the realization of
momentary action. But these peculiarities from
which Raphael is not free in the "Sposalizio" of
Milan, are counterbalanced by serenity, simplicity,
and graceful thought, the more charming as the
small figures of the predellas display their inherent
defects less strongly than the large ones of the Peru
gian "Coronation."*
Once only in the course of his practice Perugino
introduced the pack-saddle into an altar-piece, and it
is noteAVorthy that he should have done so in the
" Madonna " of Pavia, the masterpiece of all others
AAliich modern criticism has connected with the name
of Raphael. But Avhilst he hesitated to set the child
on the seat, and merely leaned its form against the
saddle, he completely realized the rest of the compo
sition in the form of the C'onnestabile predella. He
placed the angel in rear of the child, at its side the
kneeling Virgin. The master's design is carried out
with all the skill of matured talent ; that of the pupil
is more playful and graceful, but less perfect in exe
cution. Which of the two Avas first created ? We

* Perugia. Palazzo Connesta-
bile Staffa. Small panels, in dis
temper. The "Epiphany" is better
executed than the " Nativity." In

the former the pure and lovely
face of the Virgin is disfigured by
ah abrasion of the cheek.

i 2

116

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

possess but one drawing for the " Madonna " of
Pavia, and that is unmistakeably by Perugino.*
Raphael's sketches at Oxford comprise the first
thought and the finished cartoon for the Connesta-
bile predella. In a sheet of miniature studies,
thrown at random on different parts of the paper — ¦
the Virgin adores the infant on her knee, whilst a
third person moves forward as if in the act of making
an offering ; higher up is a fragment of a figure, the
head of a man, a woman looking round, a shepherd
kneeling near a cushion, against which an infant
Christ reposes. In the upper corner to the left a
church is depicted, Avith its tall steeple and cupola,
within the circuit of a crenelated Avail, flanked by
toAvers, to which access is obtained by a flight of
steps, reminding us even noAV of the picturesque site
of Castel Durante. At the bottom of the page are
the words, in Raphael's hand : " Carissimo " and
" Carissimo quanto fratelo." Just above these lines a
boy Baptist gently supports the infant Christ on the
pack-saddle, t Another drawing of the same collec
tion represents the infant Saviour on the saddle,
attended, though not supported, by the Baptist,

* British Museum. See Hist.
of Italian Painting, vol. iii. p. 224.
Another version of the same group,
with separate studies, for the head
of Tobias and the hands of both
figures is catalogued, No. 16,
under the name of Raphael at
Oxford. We can only repeat what

has already been written before on
the subject of this drawing, viz.,
that it is not to our mind a clear
production of Raphael.
t Oxford Gall. No. 5. Pen
drawing in bistre. lOf in. h. by
8|. From the Antaldi and Law
rence collections.

Chap.IIL] DRAWINGS FOR CONNESTABILE PREDELLA. 117
whose duty has been taken by the Virgin, who kneels
to the right, and rests her right hand on Christ's
shoulder.* The prettiest thought in the first con
ception of the group is thus set aside, probably
because it AAras difficult to imagine the boy Baptist
in a scene immediately connected Avith the flight
into Egypt. The final expansion of the subject is
displayed in a small cartoon pricked for use in
the Connestabile predella — a charming outline, in
Avhich a lovely angel, with frizzled locks, supports
the foot and shoulder of a beautiful infant, and looks
devotionally at the Virgin kneeling in prayer before
him. Avhilst Joseph and two shepherds, on their knees
to the left, make the lamb-offering in a landscape of
rounded hills, and the ox and the ass rest within the
pent-house, of which one beam is seen to rise behind
the figure of the angel, f Further on in his pictorial
career, Raphael tried other forms of the composition,
and his efforts in that direction are still apparent in a
sketch in which the infant Saviour, no longer on the
saddle, but on his mother's knee, is adored by the
Virgin, and supported as she prays by the boy
Baptist. This was an attempt to reconcile the first
thought of the Connestabile predella with a new
grouping of the " Virgin and Child ; " but if ever the

* Oxford Gall. No. 6. Drawn
in silver-point on lavender paper.
7jf in. h. by 9. From the Antaldi
and Lawrence collections. The
Virgin here is undraped. Some
of the outlines seem to have been

retouched. t Oxford Gall. No. 7. Pen and
bistre drawing, pricked for use.
7| in. h. by 10J. From the Ottley,
Lawrence, King of Holland's, and
Chambers Hall collections.

118

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. III.

intention of carrying out this idea was entertained, it
was speedily and finally abandoned.*
Jotting doAvn these rapid sketches at random,
Raphael seems to have been equally at home in the
painting-room of Perugino and in the churches and
palaces of neighbouring towns. On the reverse of
the sheet, which contains the words : " Carissimo
quanto fratelo," we notice two figures, one of AAliich
wears a hat and stoops to span a crossbow, Avhilst the
other, in the tight-fitting dress of the period, raises a
similar crossbow and takes a deliberate aim with it.
The same figure recurs in a Raphaelesque drawing at
Lille, on one side of which a variety of the "Virgin
and Child Avith the Book " is designed.-)- There is
nothing to distinguish the Oxford sketch from the
series of those Avhich imitate the forms of Signorelli
in the collection at Venice except that the figures are
unfinished, most of the contours being slightly indi
cated with black chalk and one leg of the archer
shooting being finished Avith a pen.J But whilst we

* Ex Wellesley collection at Ox
ford. 8 in. h. by 8-»th. The Vir
gin sits to the right and in profile
to the left. She adores the child,
who sits in benediction on her
right knee. A winged angel to
the left kneels and supports the
infant Christ by grasping his body
with both hands. The distance is
a flat landscape. This drawing, of
the Florentine period, is rapid and
skilful, like that called the "Death
of Adonis " at Oxford.
f Lille Museum. No. 705. Pen
and bistre drawing, very careful

and even feeble, so that doubts
might be suggested as to its
genuineness. Yet it is too like
some of the drawings for the
coronation of the Vatican to be
excluded from the catalogue of
Raphael's works. Size m. 0 '250 h.
by 0-178. Near the archer in the
act of shooting is a spectator point
ing upwards.
X Oxford Gall. No. 5. Pen
drawing in bistre and black chalk.
lOf in. h. by 8|. From the An-
taldi and Lawrence collections.

Chap. III.] SIGNORELLI AND RAPHAEL. 119

fail to discover the originals from which Raphael took
his figures in the Venice sketch-book, Ave recollect
that the archers at Oxford are copied Avith faithful
accuracy from Signorelli' s "Martyrdom of St. Sebas
tian" at Cittk di Castello. We recollect, or rather
we shall presently see, that Raphael Avent to Citta di
Castello to contract with the patrons of a chapel in
San Domenico for the " Crucifixion" of Earl Dudley,
and as the " Martyrdom of St. Sebastian " by Signorelli
is still in S. Domenico, where it has rested for Avell
nigh four hundred years, Raphael must have copied
it, Avhilst he excogitated one of the most ambitious
of his early pictures. Yet, before or after this, he
seems to have paid one of his occasional visits to
Urbino, since Ave find an outline of the inner court of
the palace of the Montefeltri in the draAving of Lille,
which represents the lost altar-piece of St. Nicholas of
Tolentino, once an ornament of Sant' Agostino of Citta
di Castello.*
At two different periods, yet at no great interval
of time, another city of the duchy of Urbino re
ceived the visit of Raphael, who made tAvo drawings
of it in the Venice sketch-book and in a sheet at
Oxford. On one side of the latter a country church,
which reminds us of Assisi, and a group of the
" Virgin and Child," are rapidly throAvn off Avith a pen
dipped in bistre ; on the other, a town on an eminence
covers a hill sloping in front to a river bank guarded
by towers. These toAvers cast reflections into the

* Lille Mus. No. 737. See postea.

120

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. III.

stream. A bridge on the left leads to a fortified gate,
and thence to a street that straggles up to an emi
nence croAvned with palaces and churches. In the
Venice sketch-book the same toAvn is depicted Avith
its towers entire. At Oxford the aspect of the place
is somewhat changed, and a square keep on the Avater
side is battered at the top and covered Avith a temporary
wooden roof. Beyond, to the right, a stretch of hills
vanishes to a flat horizon suggestive of the vicinity of
the sea.* Though Arery much changed, the site of Fos-
sombrone on the Metaurus still invites recognition,
and it would seem as if Raphael had first sketched the
city Avhen it flourished peacefully under the sway of
its archbishop, and then revisited it later when it had

undergone a siege.

The foreground of the Oxford

sketch contains a figure of the penitent St. Jerome,
kneeling Avith the stone in his right hand and preparing
to beat his breast. His shaven croAvn and lean face,
bending heavenAvards with inspired longing, reminds
us of Perugino's St. Jerome in the " Crucifixion " of
Sienna. The repetition of the same head in a pencil

* Oxford Coll. No. 17. Pen and
bistre drawing. 10 in. h. by 8|.
From the Antaldi and Lawrence
and AVoodburne collections. Pass.
thinks the town is Perugia. The
Venice catalogue suggests Urbino.
Both opinions are evidently wrong.
Fossombrone, though much altered,
offers the same site, the same pro
spect of hills, the road, the stream,
and a bridge. But the houses on
the water's edge are now all new.
The replica at Venice without

the figure of St. Jerome is in
Frame XXVII. No. 16, and also
a pen and umber sketch with a
bit of a striped sail in the sky to
the right. The two drawings are
similar in style and execution,
the figure of St. Jerome, Peru
ginesque, and in an early form of
the Peruginesque in Raphael. The
Virgin and Child on the back of

the Oxford drawing
spurious work.

looks like a

Chap. III.] LANDSCAPE SKETCHES. 121
study at Lille tells how carefully Raphael prepared
himself, by appealing to nature, for the arduous
labour of pictures executed under the superintend
ence of his master.* But the Venice and Oxford
draAvings are not solitary examples of Raphael's fond
ness for landscape sketching. There is another view
of a city in the Oxford collection, Avhich is so pic
turesque that it has been considered an ideal com
position. Yet the road and bridge, the citadel, church,
and palaces, and the river sweeping round the base of
turrets, commanded by a battlemented keep ; — the
whole toAvn nestling in a valley commanded by
sparely wooded hills, has still some resemblance to
Urbania, the modern substitute for the old fortress of
Castel Durante, t The round toAvers and palace that
now belong to the family of Albani, the bridge by
Avhich they are approached, and the course of the
Metaurus, which flows half round the toAvn, all suggest
that the Oxford sketch Avas a view of an actual city ;
and not an ideal composition.
We might fancy from all these indications that
Raphael made frequent excursions from Perugia to

* Lille Mus. No. 688. On i fications, and two round towers,
greenish paper, a drawing in silver- j near a bridge, through which the

point, m. 0-130 h. by 0-105. Very
careful, and in the Peruginesque
style of Raphael's early time.
t Urbania has still much of the
character of Raphael's sketch. But
identification is difficult, as the
keep and many of the towers are
not to be found there now. Yet
the castle, now Palazzo Albani,
shows remnants of mediaeval forti-

Metaurus flows, are built in the
same style as those in the Oxford
sketch. This sketch, by the way,
is a pen and bistre drawing, No.
175, in the catalogue, which classes
it improperly in our opinion,
amongst the works of the school
of Perugino. Size 6J in. h. by 9|.
From the Antaldi and Lawrence
collections.

122 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.
various parts of his native duchy. Yet anyone who
studies the troubled period of Italian history Avhich
includes the struggles of Perugia and the Baglioni, or
of Urbino and the Montefeltri Avith Cesar Borgia, will
feel how difficult it is to give a chronological sequence
to these artistic holidays. Early in January, 1502,
Lucretia Borgia left Rome on her Avedding trip to
Ferrara. She Avas met on the road by Guidubaldo, who
gave her a night's lodging at Urbino, and escorted her
to Pesaro. Elizabeth Gonzaga, Guidubaldo's consort,
joined her suite and graced the solemnities of the
marriage with her presence. On the 13th of June,
Cesar Borgia left Rome, and within a Aveek he
appeared with an army at Cagli. On the night of the
20th, Guidubaldo fled through the hills into Lom
bardy, and on the 21st Cesar occupied Urbino. It
was just after this and in that Arery summer that
Perugino and Pinturicchio signed their covenants Avith
the Chigi and Piccolomini at Sienna. Castel Durante,
Fossombrone, even San Leo, the strongest place in the
Duchy, fell into the hands of Borgia. No Avonder that
Perugino should have thought it advisable to exchange
the residence of Perugia for that of Florence. There
Avas no knowing Avhat Avould happen to the Baglioni
or the petty chieftains who governed Umbrian cities.
Hardly had Perugino left Perugia in the first days of
October when the partisans of Guidubaldo rose. San
Leo was taken by stratagem, Fossombrone by storm
from the lieutenants of Cesar Borgia, Urbino revolted,
and Guidubaldo returned on the 18th of October to
comfort its inhabitants. But winter had scarcely set

Chap. III.] INVASION OF CESAR BORGIA. 123
in when a revulsion took place. Cesar Borgia bribed
the Umbrian condottieri^ and Guidubaldo Avas forced to
bend before the storm and surrender all but the strong
places of San Leo, Majole, St. Agata, and San Marino.
On the 8th December, he rode without stopping to
Cittk di Castello, but only to find Vitellozzo its chief
in parley Avith the enemy. With perfidious wiles
Cesar enticed all the captains of bands to a meeting.
With their assistance he captured Sinigaglia on the
31st December, and the same night Avitnessed the
murder of them all. At the neAVS of the massacre
Giovan Paulo and his clan despaired of being able to
hold their oavu, and as Cesar appeared before Citta
di Castello and forced the Vitelli and Guidubaldo to run
into Pitigliano, he dreAV his forces together, and rode
from Perugia, Avhich fell into the hands of Carlo
Baglioni. Guidubaldo, feeling insecure, fled a second
time to Venice, and left the field to his enemies.
Cesar Borgia, noAV master of a great part of Central
Italy, prepared to keep what he had gained, but in
five months the situation changed. Alexander the Vlth
died. On the 28th of August, 1503, Guidubaldo Avas
again master of his duchy. In September, Cittk di
Castello recalled the Vitelli, and Perugia Avas re-
occupied by Giovan Paulo Baglioni. Raphael may
have Arisited Cittk di Castello before December, 1502.
He may have seen Castel Durante, Urbino and other
cities of the Duchy in summer of the same year, and
revisited Fossombrone after the restoration of Guidu
baldo in August, 1503, or he may have lain quietly at
Perugia during the whole of 1502, and witnessed the

124 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE] AND WORKS. [Chap. Ill
voluntary departure of Giovan Paulo Baglioni on the
6th of January, 1503. The fact recorded by Vasari
that Maddalena Degli Oddi gave him an order for a
" Coronation of the Virgin," would countenance that
belief. But Avhat became of him Avhen Carlo Baglioni
was again expelled in September, 1503, or Avas it then
that he wandered from Perugia, and revisited Urbino ?
There are but one or tAvo certainties to which Ave can
cling in the attempt to elucidate these obscure points
in Raphael's history. Raphael completed all the
pictures which he undertook for Cittk di Castello by
the beginning of 1504. His presence at Citta di
Castello before the close of December, 1502, Avould
not preclude a second visit after September, 1503,
Avhen the government of the Vitelli was restored, but
these visits may have been short, and made for the
purpose of lookmg at the site of the altars on Avhich
the pictures Avere to be placed ; and there is nothing
to prevent us from assuming that the masterpieces
Avhich Raphael created Avere executed at Perugia.
Being at Cittk di Castello, he might be tempted to
extend his Avanderings and visit Urbino, Cagli, Castel
Durante or Fossombrone, remaining a day or a few
days only at each of these places.
It is not easy to discover how often Raphael
honoured the capital of the Vitelli Avith his presence,
but sketches made at different stages of his practice,
and numbers of commissions Avhich he obtained from
the patrons of its churches, might lead to the inference
that he Avas often summoned by its Avealthiest mag
nates. The successive delivery of three altar-pieces

Chap. III.] "THE MARTYRS." 125
and a processional standard to four different religious
bodies, would justify the assumption of at least four
journeys to Cittk di Castello. The question most
difficult to solve is in Avhat order the delivery Avas
made. Meanwhile, Raphael may have busied himself
with the composition of smaller pictures ; and one
which might lay claim to consideration as an original
shall here find a place.
About the begimiing of this century the princely
collection of the Borghese family comprised a little
panel traditionally assigned to Raphael, and repre
senting a martyrdom. Like many other treasures of
a similar kind it Avas sold to a foreigner, and exported
to England, where it long remained in the hands of a
single OAvner. " The Martyrs," as the picture AAras
called, remained comparatively unknown ; but it was
once exhibited in London, and on that occasion it left
the impression on many minds that it was a genuine
work of the master to Avhom it was ascribed.
A legend, of ancient date connects the name of
St. Nicholas of Bari with the performance of a
miracle. A consul had been bribed to accuse some
guiltless youths of a capital offence. • The sentence
had been passed, and the innocent victims were about
to suffer, when St. Nicholas appeared and arrested
the hand of the executioner. Some subject of this
kind seems to have been proposed to the author of
"The Martyrs." He accordingly represents one of
four youths already sacrificed to the cupidity of the
consul, Avhilst the executioner is about to decapitate a
second, and the third and fourth kneel in expectation

126 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.
of death. At the moment of dealing the blow, the
SAVordsman's hand is stayed by a saint, Avho appears
in cardinal's dress on a cloud, and puts the guards to
flight in terror and dismay. The scene is laid in a
landscape varied with hills and lakes, and trees thrown
lightly against the sky. The body and head of the
first victim lie prostrate on the foreground to the
right ; the second kneels in prayer aAvaiting the stroke,
and the third and fourth are also on their knees
expecting their fate. But as the executioner raises
his SAVord to strike, the cardinal appears in the air and
grips his arm. Three guards to the left take to their
heels, and the consul in his robes strides quickly
aAvay. The same subject, treated by one of the ablest
of the Giottesques in San Francesco of Assisi strikes
us by the seA7erity of its lines and the simplicity of
its distribution.""" But two centuries intervene, and
an artist of modest experience but inborn genius,
multiplies its incidents and enriches it with complex
thoughts. His conception is full of animation ; the
lines of his composition cleverly combine Avith those
of his landscape. A reminiscence of Signorelli in the
soldier who runs away and presents his back to the
spectator seems natural to the boy aaIio copied the
Archers of the St. Sebastian of Cittk di Castello.
Peruginesque form, equally conspicuous in the figure of
the consul, looks natural again in a disciple of the great
Umbrian of Perugia. Raphael's hand seems revealed
in the shape of the executioner, Avho recalls the small

* S. Francesco of Assisi, Cappella di San Niccolo.

Chap. III.]

THE MARTYRS."

127

" St. Michael " at the Louvre, Avhilst the flying
soldier who turns as he runs repeats the fugitive
guard of the "Resurrection" at the Vatican. The
graceful attitudes and true action of the youths await
ing death, the feeling which they embody, the careful
unaffected contour of the drawing, and the brilliant
surface of bright, fresh colour which meet us at every
glance, all are evidence of the skilful yet still modest
hand which produced the predellas of Sant' Antonio
and Ansidei, though style as yet exclusively Peru
ginesque takes us back to the time Avhen Raphael was
wholly under the bann of Perugino.*
We may resist the temptation of connecting this
pretty illustration of a legend akin to that of St.
Nicholas of Bari with that of " St. Nicholas of
Tolentino," which Raphael executed in his youth, the
more as it is not handed doAvn to us that the miracu
lous interposition of Nicholas of Bari took place after
one of the victims had been sacrificed ; the more, too,
as Ave cannot say that St. Nicholas was ever repre
sented in cardinal's dress in any Italian picture.
It is curious that of the tAvo earliest altar-pieces
which Raphael executed at Cittk di Castello, no
annalist should have told us at what time they were

* " The Martyrs " was bought
in 1801 by Mr. Young Ottley for
J116. It had been previously in
the Palazzo Borghese at Rome.
It belonged till quite lately to
Mr. W. Stuart, of 36, Hill Street,
Berkeley Square, by whom it
was sold for £186 at Christie's,

on the 19th of March, 1875, under
the name of the " Martyrdom of
St. Placida," to Mr. Waters, of 15,
Buckingham Palace Road. It was
exhibited in 1857 at the British
Institution by Mr. Stuart. It is
painted in oil, on wood, and is 9J
in. h. by 1 ft. 4J- in.

128 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.
ordered. The same obscurity covers the origin of the
"Crucifixion" of Lord Dudley, the "Trinity" and
" Creation of Eve," the " Coronation of St. Nicholas
of Tolentino," and the " Coronation of the Virgin" at
the Vatican. Yet Ave can scarcely doubt that the
" Crucifixion " of Lord Dudley was the earliest
picture Avhich Raphael composed on a large scale at
the opening of his career ; and the presumption is that
Avhen he completed it he had served his time with
Perugino and acquired the freedom which enabled
him to sign his name.
The "Crucifixion" is a subject which Raphael
painted tAvice before he Avas twenty, and never
attempted afterAvards. It Avas quite natural that, so
long as he felt the constraint of the school in which
he was bred, Raphael should have treated that episode
as a display of the liighest form of resignation rather
than as an exhibition of demonstrative Availing.
The grave thought of Giotto, which strove to
combine the liighest ideal of shape AAlth the utmost
grandeur of expression, was as foreign to Raphael,
notAvithstanding his vicinity to Assisi, as the vehe
ment passion which Signorelli exhibited in the frescos
of Orvieto. Perugino in the "Crucifixion" had
never ventured beyond the traditional rules of com
position familiar to the Umbrians. The utmost that
he had sought to attain was rhythm and regularity of
distribution. Compared with Perugino's masterpiece
at Sienna, the " Crucifixions" of Cittk di Castello do
not manifest any desire to stray from the bounds fixed
by the Umbro-Tuscan master. The symmetry of

Chap. III.] RAPHAEL AND THE "CRUCIFIXION." 129
Perugino at Sienna is faultless ; that of Raphael at
Cittk di Castello without a blemish. In all, the picture
is vertically divided into equal parts by the limb of
the cross. At Sienna the sky line runs almost through
the middle of the panel. Winged seraphs, the sun,
the moon, the pelican are placed at the angles of a
pentagon, of Avhich the centre is the Saviour's head.
The light is concentrated in the middle of the furthest
horizon. On the foreground two groups are set in
gentle upward and downward curves ; the symmetry
is that of a pattern. In the " Crucifixion" of Lord
Dudley, with a similar distribution of light, an ellip
tical arrangement is preferred. The foreground is
occupied by tAvo kneeling and tAvo standing saints in
a perfect semicircle. The mastery of Raphael is
shown in the cleverness Avith which he has raised the
position of the standing figures in relation to that of
the kneeling ones. The angels are compactly placed
to fill the spaces beneath the Redeemer's arms, and if
there be a fault it is that one of these angels should hold
tAvo cups to the wounds in the Saviour's hand and side.
The " Trinity " is pyramidal. Two saints at each
side of the cross form the base of the figure, of which
the Eternal in a Mandorla is the apex, but a reversed
triangle is skilfully inscribed by means of the crucifix
itself. To disturb this symmetry, or break the lines
by tragic action, might suit the poAvers of dramatists
like Giotto or Signorelli, but Avould have run counter
to Peruginesque teaching. But if the tragic Avere
excluded, ineffable serenity and supreme resignation
might all the more be indulged, and this Perugino

ISO BAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. III.

and Raphael both tried to accomplish. But it was
the special gift of Raphael, with the inexhaustible
fund of feeling and tenderness which he possessed, to
produce moving pictures Avhich embodied more guile
less simplicity, and more grace and purity than any
artist before or since was enabled to convey, and
within these, lines we feel and enjoy the charm of
Raphael's conception.
The " Crucifixion " of Lord Dudley Avas executed
for a chapel at San Domenico of Citta di Castello, the
patrons of which were of the Gavari family. As late
as 1693 it adorned an altar beneath the organ. The
Avants of the GaArari, or of the Dominicans avIio
inherited the GaArari chapel, subsequently became
pressing, and the picture passed through the hands of
several OAAmers before it came finally to England.
Vasari thought that but for Raphael's name the
" Crucifixion " would have been assigned to Perugino,
and in this he is nearer the mark than those avIio
point out the mere dependence of the pupil on the
models of his master.* Throughout the Avhole of his
career Raphael was careless to conceal that his own
conception was grafted on that of his predecessors.
It Avas indifferent to him whether he wandered into
an Umbrian or a Florentine garden. He took the
flowers as they came, and extracted the honey. But
when he began to wander, his experience Avas neces
sarily limited, and the "Crucifixion " is naturally an
Umbrian product. Perugino communicated to Raphael
* Vas. viii. p. 4.

Chap. III.] RAPHAEL AND THE " CRUCIFIXION." 131
not only his figures but his style and system of repli
cation. From 1491, when he painted the " Cruci
fixion " of the Villa Albani, till 1502-3 when he
composed the " Crucifixion " of the Chigi, he followed
an invariable grooA'e of thought. The " Christ " of
1491, at Rome, and that of 1494-5, at the Poverine
of Florence; that of 1492-6 at Santa Maria Magda-
lena de' Pazzi, or of 1502-3, at Sienna, were executed
Avith more or less distinction from the same model.
But in the course of years, and especially up to 1496,
Perugino brought the type of the suffering Redeemer
to a great perfection, in respect of correctness of pro
portion, dignity of aspect, propriety of movement, and
purity of contour. In the setting and distribution of
figures he created mere ATarieties with surprising
regularity, and Ave, Avho now so easily compare the
qualities of his numerous pictures, are Avell able
to point out where he asserts his oavu powers, and
Avhere he falls into the defect of iteration. We can
see that the " Virgin " at the Pazzi and the " Virgin "
of San Girolamo delle PoA'erine are the same ; that
the " St. John " of the former and the " St. Jerome "
of the latter are only varied by dress or a change in
the position of a head, and that the "Magdalen" at
the Pazzi reappears Avith slight alteration at Sienna.
Raphael only differs from Perugino so far that the
" Crucifixion" of Cittk di Castello, instead of repeating
the earlier creations of his own pencil, reproduces the
earlier creations of Perugino, Signorelli, or Alunno.
The "Christ" of Cittk di Castello is that of the
Pazzi, Poverine, or Sienna. The same model seems to
K 2

132

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

have sat for master and disciple, and Raphael's chair
and easel were placed a little to one side. The right
foot is nailed a little over the left, the knee of the
right leg is necessarily raised aboAre the level of the
left knee. The difference, if there be any, lies in the
experience which long years have given to the one,
and the want of practice which is natural to the tender
years of the other. Raphael has to contend Avith
difficulties which Perugino had overcome. The
carved work of the "Redeemer" in San Francesco del
Monte was in close proximity when he studied the
action of the figure in his own altar-piece. His
memory might take him in fancy to the chapel of San
Spirito, where Signorelli had painted one of his best
versions of the subject in 1494, or, whilst thinking
over the difficulties which surrounded him, he chanced
to visit Foligno, and cast his eye on the " Crucifixion "
Avhich Alunno had composed for the church of St.
Nicholas in 1492. In his general rendering of the
frame and extremities of the " Christ " of Earl Dudley,
Raphael embodies distinct reminiscences of Signorelli
and Alunno, without being able to forget that he is
Perugino's disciple; he even takes from Alunno the
idea of one angel holding two cups to the Saviour's
wounds.* His skill is sorely tried, in spite of his

* Alunno's Predella of 1492,
with the " Crucifixion" as one of its
subjects, is now No. 31 at the
Louvre. It is curious that there should
once have existed, but that we
should now be unable to find, a

" Crucifixion" assigned to Raphael,
which a century ago was preserved
in St. Domenico of San Gimig-
nano. The history of this piece is
that it was given to the Dominicans
of San Gimignano by F. Bartolom
meo di Bartolo, a brother of the

Chap. III.] THE DUDLEY " CRUCIFIXION.1

133

cleverness, by the complexity of the movement of the
Saviour's limbs. The curves of the bony legs, and
their dry articulations are very searching, but lack the
simple outline of Perugino. Modulation, or flexible >
rendering of flesh, correctness of proportion, and
forcible expression are gifts Avith which Raphael is
not yet as abundantly supplied as Perugino. Nor is -
it fortunate for him that he should have chosen dis
temper as a medium, because the hard contours of
sineAvy nude, or the breadth of egg-shaped heads,
affected in bend and foreshortening, are not ennobled
by Perugino's velvet tones, or those sAveet colours
which mark Raphael's oavu practice in oil. Harmo
nious in scale, the tints are still without that richness
of enamel which enchants us in later creations of the
same pencil, and landscape of melancholy serenity has -
less of effective charm than the varied and lovely
views Avhich form the backgrounds of similar compo
sitions by Perugino.
If we turn from the "Redeemer" to the attendant

order who had been confessor to
Alexander the Vlth. It repre
sented Christ crucified, in the
same attitude (reversed) as the
"Chrisf'of EarlDudley. At thefoot
of the cross were the Virgin (right)
and (left) the Evangelist. The pic
ture was on the altar " del nome
di Dio,'' at St. Domenico of San
Gimignano till the close of last
century, when, the French inva
sion having taken place, it passed
into private hands. Bought by a
surgeon named Buzzi, who had it
cleaned by the painter Febre, the

picture came into the hands of a
Prince Galitzin at Eome, who
allowed Rosini, the author of the
Histo'ry of Painting, to make an
outline of it. (See Plate LXX. of
Rosini's Atlas.) There is some
thing Raphaelesque in the scheme
of this picture, the landscape of
which is like that in Raphael's
cartoon of the " Meeting of the
Emperor and his Affianced Bride"
in Casa Baldeschi at Perugia. See
Rosini's History, iv. 21 and 26, and
Pecori's San Gimignano, pp. 420
and 521.

134 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. III.
Saints in the " Crucifixion" of Earl Dudley, the same
remarks are applicable. The "Virgin" AAliich Perugino
turned into a Monica at Sienna, and Raphael or his
comrades restored to her original character at San
Francesco del Monte, reappears Avith unimportant
alterations in the " Crucifixion" of Lord Dudley. " St.
John Evangelist," Avho comes to us again and again
in Perugino's masterpieces at the Pazzi, the PoA'erine
or Sienna, recurs in Raphael's conceptions. We knoAV
him again though changed to some extent by varied
setting of the head or inception of stride. Raphael
only changes the dress of the Magdalen, as she
appears in the replicas of Perugino. Diversity is
obtained by transferring the head of the Evangelist at
Sienna to the Magdalen's shoulders at Lord Dudley's.
The kneeling " Mariano Chigi," a noble portrait at
Sienna, becomes a St. Jerome at Cittk di Castello.
The angels in both are reproductions of the same
designs Avith very slight modifications, their Umbrian
character being marked in Raphael, as well as in
Perugino by similarity of vestments, — tight, slashed
sleeves, and tunics girded up at the hips with bands ;
the superfluous lengths of AAliich are flying in circlets
in the Avind. What charm there is beyond extreme
delicacy and gesture Raphael owes to simplicity and
tenderness of feeling. It is because of the youth of
these impersonations and their serenity that Ave find
them so winning. A breath of new life re-animates
old forms. The cleverness Avith Avhich a rhythmical
cadence is obtained is beautifully exemplified in the
movement of the Saints at opposite sides of the

Chap. III.] THE DUDLEY " CRUCIFIXION.

135

cross. The Virgin and Evangelist at the two extremes
look pensively into space, whilst the Magdalen and
St. Jerome glance Avith upward longing into the face
of the lifeless Redeemer.*
But the source from Avhich Raphael was inspired, is
fed by other springs than those of Alunno, Signorelli,
and Perugino. The head of his "Evangelist," Avithits
pretty trickery of ringlets, recalls the typical ones of
Pinturicchio, Avhilst the beautiful lines of the undu
lating landscape, broken by cliffs and enlivened with
trees, remind us of the same features in Pinturicchio' s
contemporary altar-pieces. The tendency to lean on
Perugino was so irresistible, that, whilst that artist
lived at Perugia, his partner's influence on Raphael
was evanescent. But when Perugino Avent to Florence
and failed to return, Raphael soon learnt to look upon
Pinturicchio as a second chief, whom he Avas neither
loth to accept as a guide nor disinclined to serve as an
assistant. The "Trinity" and "Creation of Eve" were

* London, Dudley House. Wood,
arched. 8 ft. 6 in. h. by 5 ft. 5 in.,
or m. 2-57 h. by T64. The
panel is somewhat retouched in
the foreground. . It is injured by
two longitudinal splits, one of
which runs down the figure of
St. Jerome, the other down the
figure of St. John. Vasari saw
this picture on its altar (viii. 4),
and Francesco Lazzari in Serie de'
Vescovi di Citta di Castello.
Foligno, 1693, p. 285, describes it.
It was sold (? when) to a French

man for 4000 scudi, figured in the
Fesch collection, was bought at
the Fesch sale by Prince Canino
for 10,000 scudi, and sold in 1847
to Earl Dudley, then Lord Ward.
At the bottom of the cross are the
words in four lines, " kaphael .
ukbin . as p. Passavant re
gisters a drawing of the torso of
Christ. A figure of the Virgin
is noted by Bartsch, in the Alber
tina at Vienna. But we are un
acquainted with either of these
pieces.

136 EAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVOBKS. [Chap. III.
executed after the " Crucifixion" of Earl Dudley, for
the Brotherhood of the Santissima Trinita, at Cittk
di Castello. They were painted for a processional
standard, and Avere doubtless frequently displayed in
the streets of that city. But in the course of their
wanderings they were seriously injured, and in 1638,
it Avas found necessary to frame them on an altar of
the church to which they belonged. In the middle of
the present century they shoAved such symptoms of
decay that an attempt Avas made to restore them Avhich
proved altogether unsuccessful. The remnants now
preserved in the gallery of Cittk di Castello, are little
more than half of the original Avork. But they still
suffice to shoAV that when Raphael finished them he
had made some progress in mastering the difficulties
of his art. One of the canvases represents the
"Eternal" in an almond-shaped glory supporting the
beam of the cross. The dove sheds its rays on
the Redeemer, Avhose head is encircled Avith a crown
of thorns. Tavo winged cherubs appear at the
Eternal's side ; and St. Sebastian and St. Roch kneel
in prayerful attitudes in the foreground. Behind
them a landscape of simple lines shoAVS the gentle
curves of a Ioav range of hills sinking to the horizon,
and slight trees throAvn against the sky. A walled
toAvn covers one of the slopes to the right, and a
road shoAvs its windings in the distance. Cast in a
mould half reminiscent of Perugino and Pinturicchio,
the head of the Eternal is youthful, manly, and purely
Raphaelesque. The Saviour on the cross surpasses
in contour and modelling that of the " Crucifixion"

Chap. III.] THE "TRINITY." 137
of Lord Dudley, yet it is formed in the same traditional
shape. The cherubs are natural precursors of those in
the coronation of the Virgin at the Vatican, but if
possible, younger and more innocent. Reverence and
mourning characterise the attitude and face of St.
Sebastian kneeling to the left Avith his hands crossed on
his breast. Intense feeling dwells in the upward glance
and turn of the head of St. Roch to the right, Avho
kneels AA'ith his hands joined in prayer. Copious
substance and rich tone characterize the colour;
drapery cleverly encircles the shapes, and the outlines
are careful and correct.
The " Creation of Eve " takes us back to one of the
subjects Avhich Giotto designed with unrivalled skill
in the campanile of the Florentine cathedral. But
Raphael instead of shoAving the figure of Eve rising
sIoavIv, at the bidding of the Creator, from the side of
the prostrate and sleeping Adam, chooses the earlier
phase, Avhen the Eternal, striding (hastily and un-
couthly) toAvards Adam, feels for the rib out of which
Eve Avas fashioned. Tavo angels in air look doAvn, Avith
something of the grace that charms us in the sketches
at Venice. Adam, in noble repose, unites the classicism
of an antique Avith the realism of nature in its fleshy
elasticity. Recumbent with his head to the left, he lies
unconscious on the ground Avith a belt of leaves round
his hips ; one leg rests upon the other, and the head with
its spacious forehead, pursed lips, and small chiselled
nose, affects the same rotundity as the angels of Lord
Dudley's "Crucifixion." But the Eternal, bearded,
square in skull, and herculean in shape, reminds us of

13S

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

those types AAliich Raphael inherited from his father
Santi. The redeeming quality in this double picture
is the tenderness of feeling AA'hich abounds in the
figures of the angels, the richness of the blended colour,
and the beauty of the distance.*
It is particularly unfortunate that the " Coronation
of St. Nicholas of Tolentino," Avhich is the third large
composition that Raphael painted for a church at Cittk
di Castello, should have been dismembered and lost in
1789, equally unfortunate that historians from Vasari
downward, should have neglected to describe it.t
Happily a free copy of its principal group Avas made
at the beginning of last century for an Augustinian
nunnery, and the transfer of this picture to the gallery
of Cittk di Castello enables us to perceive that St.

* Citta di Castello. Municipal
Gallery. No. 32. " The Trinity,"
No. 16. " The Creation of Eve."
Canvas. Each picture m. 1-675 h.
by 0-96. At the suppression of
the convents in 1857-8, these
canvases were removed to the
palace, and placed under the care
uf Count Carlo della Porta of Citta
di Castello, who, being himself an
artist, tried to remove the crust of
a^es, and the repaints of a restorer
named Caratoli. But after an at
tempt to clean the heads of the
two kneeling saints in the " Tri
nity," he wisely abandoned his
purpose. Half the colour in the
'•' Trinity " is gone, and particularly
the shadows of the legs and torso
of the Christ, the face of the Eternal,
and heads of the cherubs. Otto
Miindler, in 1857, could see the

contours in black chalk under the
scaled colours. The whole is now
very dim and injured by restoring.
The Greek meander and ornament
round the pictures date from 1589.
The frame was made in 1638, when
the standard was placed on the
high altar of the church of the
Trinity. Of all the drawings by
Baphael which now exist, but
one recalls these masterpieces — an
outline in silver-point at the Ox
ford Gall. No. 25, on creamy paper.
10 in. h. by 7} in. A kneeling
model in a gaberdine and tights,
looking up and showing the palms
of his hands. But this might be a
first idea for the St. Jerome of the
Dudley "Crucifixion'' as well as
for the St. Roch of the " Trinity."
t Vasari, viii. 3.

Chap. III.] " CORONATION OF ST. NICHOLAS."

139

Nicholas of Tolentino was represented in the frock of
a monk, bearing the book and crucifix, and standing
Avith both feet on the body of Satan, Avhilst four
angels at his side bore scrolls Avith inscriptions in his
praise.* The upper part, there is reason to think,
Avas composed of three principal figures, all bearing
croAvns in honour of the titular saint, one of AA'hich
is described by Lanzi and Pungileone from hearsay, as
the first person of the Trinity in a halo of cherubim,
the second as the Virgin Mary, and the third as
St. Augustine, or St. Nicholas of Bari.
This version is confirmed by two most interesting
draAvings by Raphael in the galleries of Oxford and
Lille. At Oxford, St. Nicholas of Tolentino stands
with his left arm raised in a menacing attitude, and
looks doAA-n, Avhilst an angel at his side holds a scroll.
On the same sheet a study of a hand and arm, on the
back of it four studies of hands and arms, one for a
mitred Saint in the drawing of Lille, another for
St. Nicholas of Tolentino Avith the book ; and besides,
the head of the angel and tAvo slight outlines of stand-

* Citta di Castello. Municipal
collection. Altar-piece on canvas,
with figures of life size. St.
Nicholas of Tolentino, in a monk's
frock, holding the crucifix in his
right hand and an open book in
his left, stands on the body of
Satan, who writhes and grips with
both hands at the dress of the
saint. The figure of the Evil One
lies with the head to the right and
not to the left, as it is in the Lille

drawing. To the left one angel,
to the right two angels hold long
scrolls with inscriptions. Above
the Saint is a cherub's head with
five wings. The background is a
landscape seen through an arch
way. This altar-piece appears to
have been executed at the begin
ning of the eighteenth century. It
was found in the nunnery of the
Augustinians, now Oblate Sale-
siane.

140

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. III.

ing figures.* At Lille, St. Nicholas of Tolentino
stands in the dress of a model, but in a different
attitude from that of the Oxford draAving, as if in the
action of holding the cross, whilst Satan, on whose
prostrate body his feet are resting, lies motionless on
the ground. To the left, near Satan's head, an angel
like that of Oxford is placed. Above this group and
within the panelled vaulting of an arch, St. Nicholas,
a model in a close skull-cap and ' tight vest and hose,
looks down and holds a croAvn with both hands ; his
shape is seen to the hips in a mandorla. At the sides,
but loAver down in the sheet, yet still above St. Nicholas
of Tolentino, a bishop Avith mitre and crosier, and a
female resting to the Avaist on clouds, are set in profile
to the right and left. On the other side of the sheet
is a study in black chalk of the figure in the mandorla,
a fragment of the drapery of the angel, four pen
sketches of SAvans, Avith an outline of the inner court
of the Palace of Urbino. f
By means of these sketches, as Avell as of the copy
at Cittk di Castello, the " Coronation of St. Nicholas"
is revealed in its original simplicity. It contained but
one mitred saint whose form had any call to appear
in connection with St. Nicholas of Tolentino, and
this is St. Nicholas of Bari.J Like all that Raphael

* Oxford Gallery. No. 4. Black
chalk. 14 j in. h. by 9jr. From
the Alva and Lawrence collections.
f Lille Museum. Nos. 737 and
738. On white paper, m. 0-338 h.
by 0-240. The first with six
figures, very faint, in black chalk.

very

The latter less faint and
highly finished.
X According to Pungileone the
picture was sold in 1789 to Pius
the Vlth, through the agency of
the " Painter Ponfreni," who cut
it in pieces and made one picture

Chap. III.] "CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN.'

141

did between 1502 and 1504, the sketches of Oxford
and Lille are Peruginesque in character, but they are
drawn Avith such freedom and fine perception of
modulation in surface, and with such mastery of the
intricacies of movement, as to indicate a perceptible
gain of power in the author of them. They also show
that Raphael Avas bold enough to sacrifice some of the
customs of the school to novelty of distribution.
Contemporary with these pictures Raphael produced
others in which traditional arrangement was more
completely preserved ; and conspicuous amongst these
is the " Coronation " of the Vatican, which was
executed for a member of the Oddi family at Perugia.
The Oddi had suffered much from the persecution of
the Baglioni, and they had never recovered the power
Avhich their ancestors wielded in the 15th century.
But the Baglioni, if they were too politic to permit
the return of the chiefs from exile, were not so in
human as to exclude their ladies ; and during the civil
Avars Maddalena degli Oddi enjoyed the use of the
chapel which her ancestors had founded in San Fran
cesco of Perugia. At what period she entered into
the covenant which gave her the "Coronation" of
Raphael is unknown.* It is not even proved that

of the "Eternal." The fragments
remained in the Vatican, whence
they disappeared at the French
invasion. Wicar in his Inventory
says on the contrary that the pic
ture was bought for Pope Pius VI.
by J. B. Soncino Ridolfi for 1000
scudi and divided. The lower

group remained entire and the
upper part was divided into three.
See Pungileone, Elogio stor. di R.
Santi, u. s. pp. 35-7, and the cata
logue of Lille printed in 1856.
* Consult Vas. viii. p. 3, and
Mariotti Lett. u. s. p. 238-9.

142 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.
Raphael Avas the artist with whom the contract was
made. But the work is certainly his ; and the style
in Avhich it was composed and painted points to the
time when Raphael was under the joint control of
Perugino and Pinturicchio, and a resident at Perugia.
We may therefore presume that Avhen Raphael AAras
employed by his patrons at Cittk di Castello, he Avas
labouring also for Maddalena degli Oddi ; though Ave
cannot say whether the picture was undertaken on
Raphael's sole account, or on that of the partnership
of which Perugino and Pinturicchio Avere the heads.
It Avas clearly the intention of Maddalena degli
Oddi, Avhen she ordered the altar-piece, to obtain an
" Assumption of the Virgin," for Avhich Raphael's first
draAving has been presented. But the causes which
led to the change from an " Assumption " to a " Corona
tion " haA'eaiot been revealed. We only know that tho
painter having made a sketch of the first, was induced
to change his plan, and by an easy, though not un
exceptional transition, led to the production of the
second. The studies which had been made for the
one were found suitable for the other, and in both the
boy models who sat in their jerkins and hose Avere
made to display their fair faces and modest airs Avith
advantage. It is difficult to realize hoAV the painter
whose figures are more nearly ideal than those of any
artist of the 15 th century, breathed into his creations
the purity and innocence for AAliich they are con
spicuous. It is a fact that the studies for the prin
cipal figures of the "Coronation" Avere made from
boys Avho sat in the necessary attitudes and action,

Chap. III.] " CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN." 113
dressed in the tight jackets and leggings, and the
round hats Avhich they wore in the streets of Perugia.
Having set these boys to hold ci-oavus, or play the
viol, the tambourine, or the harp, Raphael first dreAV
them in outline ; then, giving play to his imagination,
transformed them into Avinged inmates of heaven, and
swathed their slender shapes in becoming drapery ;
their youth and boyish features Avere serviceable alike
for embodiments of Christ, of Mary, or of angels.
In sketching the " Assumption " AAliich was first
designed for Maddalena degli Oddi, Raphael might have
trusted entirely to his memory or to his skill as a copyist.
Close by in San Pietro lay the altar-piece of Perugino,
where the Virgin, in the midst of the apostles, looks
up to the Redeemer aaIio ascends in a glory of
Seraphim. He had seen that altar-piece, Ave may think,
groAving under Perugino's hand, but he might haAe
studied it later in the church for Avhich it was com
posed. Tavo years or little more had elapsed since
Perugino had finished another picture of a similar
kind, the "Assumption" of 1500 in the convent of
Vallombrosa. That also Raphael had seen, but he Avas
not confined even to these masterpieces, and he might
be prompted to avoid ancient errors if alloAved to study
the sketches of Pinturicchio's "Assumption" in the
Rovere chapel or the Borgia chambers at Rome. Of all
these models, Raphael's sketch of the " Virgin attended
by Angels " at Pesth, is a reminiscence, if not some
thing more. The Virgin stands on a cloud in an
almond-shaped glory, the tips of her fingers brought
together in prayer ; from her drooping head a hood

114

RAPHAEL HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

falls in gentle folds to the shoulders, unites with the
mantle which is fastened at the throat with a brooch,
and opens to shoAV the arms, and closes again at the
waist from whence it falls in folds to the ground. The
eyes are turned heavenwards, the face is benign. The
head of the Eternal in the apex of the Mandorla,
between two AAlnged seraphs, boy cherubs supporting
the clouds out of which tAvo other cherubs look up in
adoration, complete the centre of the picture.45' To the
left an angel stands and plays the violin, half conceal
ing a second, Avho rubs a tambourine ; to the right an
angel in profile with a pocket-viol, and in rear of him
a fourth angel with a harp.f Of all the instruments
which make up this celestial concert, the violin and
harp are familiar to us in the Avorks of Perugino.
The tambourine is the favourite of Angelico and his
pupils, Avhich Raphael may have seen in Benozzo's
" Assumption " at Montefalco.
If the original sketch for the "Assumption" had
been carried out, Raphael Avould soon have transformed
the superficial imitation of Perugino and Pinturicchio
Avhich marks the conventional drapery of the Vir°in,
into something more refined. He was not content to
trust for his angels to any source but nature. He
therefore set his country models of boys in the

necessaiw

attitudes, and these first studies for the

* One of these angels — that to
the right with his arms raised —
recalls the similar figure by Peru
gino in the "Madonna" of the
Bologna Gallerv. No. 197.

t Pesth Museum. Esterhazy
collection. Pen and umber sketch,
arched at top. The left side of the
drawing much stained.

Chap. III.] "CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN."

14.:

"Assumption" are still preserved in the museum of Lille.
One of the boys, in his hat and week-day clothes, plays
the tambourine, and details of the hands are carefully
made out on separate parts of the sheet. Another
pose of the same youth yields an angel playing a
pocket-viol. But instead of looking up with a fore
shortened face as we find him in the Pesth design, he
looks down musingly, and the slight interval which
parts the tAvo drawings in date of execution indicates the
moment when the idea of an ' 'Assumption ' ' Avas given up,
and that of a " Coronation of the Virgin" was adopted,
for in the "Coronation," the tambourine-player bends
his face towards the ground and not toAvards the sky.*
Hardly had the original design been put aside when
Raphael reeomposed the Avhole of it. He lightly
threw on a sheet, noAV at Lille, two contours of boys,
one of Avhom sits and prays Avith joined hands, whilst
the other likewise sits and holds a crown over his
neighbour's head. Hastily draAvn Avith a pen this
sketch scarcely looks as good as Raphael should have
made it, but there was a necessity perhaps for haste,
and assuredly the figures coincide Avith those of
the group in the picture.-}" Better, yet also from the
model, and with very rapid strokes, Raphael outlined
a boy touching the strings of a mandoline, which he
put aside for one playing a violin, on the skeleton of

* Oxford Gallery. No. 9. Two
silver-point drawings, on pale grey
green paper, heightened with
white. Two separate sheets on
one mount. Each 7£ in. h. by 4J.

From the Ottley and Lawrence
Collections. t Lille Museum. No. 701. Pen
drawing, with retouched outlines, on
white paper, m. 0-246 h. by 0-179.

146

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

whose frame the drapery hangs in folds, flapping in
the wind. Both sketches on the same paper are exhi
bited at Lille.* Even these efforts did not prove
entirely suitable ; the head of the boy had been bent
to the left ; a better effect might be got if it Avere
turned to the right. A model now sat, but only for
the head and the hand, with the 1)oav. The type of
the face, in itself lovely, is realized Avith marvellous
skill, locks of the finest curly hair float about the
cheeks and neck, and this perfect and inimitable
study adorns the British Museum. f To the left of
the Virgin and Christ in the " Coronation," the
studies for the tambourine and viol players at Lille do
service, but in this Avise, that whereas the latter stands
to the left, and the former to the right in the design,
their position is reversed in the picture, the viol is
turned into a harp, and both figures are clothed in
ample drapery.
Groups of the apostles necessarily pertain to the
subject of the Assumption, but the natural adjunct is
the tomb from which the Virgin has risen. It is an
accident attributable to the change in the upper part
of the original arrangement that brings the tomb in
connection with Raphael's " Coronation." At San

* Lille Museum. No. 707.
Silver-point drawing on grey pre
pared paper, m. 0-200 h. by 0-222.
On the reverse (No. 708) are frag
ments of the decoration of a room,
washed in bistre.
t British Museum. Silver-point

drawing, one-eighth of life size.
The head turned to the right. Be
low, the arm and hand hold the
bow. On prepared grey paper.
From the Payne Knight Collection.
11 in. h. by 7&.

Chap. III.] "CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN."

147

Francesco del Monte he had drawn the apostles, watch
ing the Redeemer from the ground as he set the crown
on the temples of His mother ; the sepulchre and its
flowers were not thought of. Here the tomb had been
introduced in connection with the Assumption, and,
after that idea was abandoned, the tomb was preserved,
yet we have no complete design for the tAvelve ; the
magnificent silver point head and hands of St. Thomas
noAV preserved at Lille, is but a study of detail at the
back of the pen and ink outline of the Virgin and
Saviour.* The first thought for the uplifted head of
St. James the elder, at the right side of the picture, is
also at Lille accompanied at the back by two fragments
of the drapery of that figure, f Avhilst varieties of the
foreshortened face of the same saint are found in the
Oxford Gallery and the sketch-book at Venice.J
Raphael tried with great ingenuity to cover the
principal defect of the " Coronation" of the Vatican

* Lille Museum. No. 700.
Silver-point drawing, on prepared
vellum paper. The head looking
up, is foreshortened and seen to
the throat. Long rich locks fall
at both sides. Below, the right
hand, showing the back, the left
showing the palm. 0'266 h. by
200. Back of No. 701, antea. An
other replica of the head is in the
Malcolm Collection.
t Lille Museum. No. 702.
m. 0-337 h. by 0-192. On white
paper. The head is not unlike
that of St. Thomas, hut seen at
three-quarters to the left, and
down to the throat. Copious locks
fall to the shoulders and back.

No. 703. Two details of the
drapery of the left leg. m. 0-358
h. by 0-208. The head in the
picture is more foreshortened and
more completely turned to the left
than that in the drawing. But
query is the drawing genuine 1 It
is certainly feeble.
X Oxford Museum. No. 10. Pen
drawing in bistre. 3| in. h. by 2£.
One of several studies on a single
mount. The head turned to the
left as it is in the picture. Venice
Acad. Frame XXV. No. 4. Back
of XXV. No. 18. One of four
heads reverse of that at Oxford.
Very finely lined with pen and
bistre. l 2

118

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

by artifices which hardly effect their purpose. Built
up in two divisions, each part of the composition is in
itself a picture. Below, the tomb, at an angle to the
plane of delineation, allows of an advantageous dis
tribution of the apostles in a circle. Four of the
twelve peer into the grave, and are conscious of a
miracle. Five are attracted by the scene above them,
and the rest commune amongst themselves. St.
Thomas, gazing heavenward with the Virgin's girdle
in his hands, is the chief connecting link between the
lower and the upper part of the altar-piece. It is a
weak connecting link, neutralized besides by the
horizontal streak of sky which parts like a ribband
the hills of the distance and the clouds of the corona
tion, group. The landscape of undulating hills, with
its saplings and flecks of verdure, varies Avith curves,
the line of the apostles' heads. The tomb, beautifully
decorated with lilies and roses, swells the chord of
harmony in the variegated dresses near it. Yet the
fact remains. There are tAvo pictures independent of
each other, and this impression clings to us in spite
of Raphael's art.*

* Vatican Museum, No. XXVII.
Wood, arched at the top. 9ft. 2in.
h. by 5 ft. 2 in., or m. 2-67 by 1-63.
Taken to Paris in 1797, it was
there transferred to canvas. When
carried away in April of the year
above named from the Oddi chapel
in S. Francesco of Perugia, it was
valued 1200 scudi, and it was
stated that the panel had been re
paired a few years before by Fran

cesco Romero. See Giorn. di
Erudi. Tosc. u. s. v. 235-242. From
the various operations of restoring
the picture has suffered abrasion,
especially in the fine gildings, and
partsof ithaveverymuch darkened.
A copy marked mdxviii . men .
jvlii, is on the high altar of the
church of Civitella Bernazzone, not
far from Perugia,

Chap. III.] "CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN." 149
Apart from this the charm of the " Coronation " is
due to exquisite finish, copious but never obtrusive
detail, drapery of great simplicity of line, yet of
balanced mass and appropriate fall, admirable youth-
fulness of features and a wonderful purity of air and
expression. Archness in the angels, timidity in the
apostles are consequences inseparable from the tender
ness of the artist's years. Perugino, no doubt, would
have created something more manly and more power
ful, but the archness and timidity of his disciple are
united to so much delicacy of feeling and such pure
taste in colour, that the loss on one side is amply com
pensated by corresponding gain on the other. Cha
racteristic of the heads is an elliptic contour of great
breadth at the cheeks ; equally characteristic is the
Avide separation of the ciliary arches, leaving a broad
base to the nose, which fines doAvn suddenly to a deli
cate point and thin nostrils. The pursed lips are like
those of a child about to suck. The necks that support
these heads are often as broad as the head itself.
Some of the finest Avork in the Avhole picture is
concentrated on the Saviour, Avhose features are serene
and youthful, and the Virgin, whose downcast head
and eyes are angelic. Eight winged seraphs about
the sky give a sweet vibration to the air, and two
boy angels peeping out of the clouds at the feet of the
Virgin and Christ, are precursors in attitude and face
of those in Raphael's greatest masterpiece, the " Ma
donna" of San Sisto.
Looking back at the works of Perugino and Pintu
ricchio in connection with those of Fiorenzo, Melozzo,

150 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.
and Santi, we are struck by the individualism of the
first in a set form of extremities. Short fat hands,
and equally short fingers and nails are the rule.
Pintmicchio's style, akin in this to the style of Santi
and Melozzo, is marked by roundness and shortness
of heads. Angels are drawn with affected slenderness
and daintiness ; male saints with feeble frames and
decrepid features. Copious locks enframe the faces
and tumble in frizzles or in roAVS and bunches of
twisted curls. Gilding and surface ornament are
gaudily effective. But landscape detail, at once
rich and minute, is lavished on grasses, Aveeds,
flowers, and stones. In all these peculiarities the
"Coronation" of the Vatican betrays the influence
on Raphael of Perugino and Pinturicchio. But the
latter is the master whose influence most clearly pre
dominates; and we rise from the contemplation of
this most interesting Avork with the conviction that it
was conceived on the lines of Perugino's "Ascension"
of 1496 or of the "Assumption " of 1500 ;— that its
fundamental idea AA'as altered by circumstances which
induced the painter to modify his first intentions ; —
and that, during the progress of his labours, Raphael
lost the control of Perugino and fell under the super
vision of Pinturicchio.
But an altar-piece was not necessarily perfect when
its chief incident Avas complete. The predellas were
important adjuncts which required equal thought in
their composition and execution. Raphael had pro
mised to furnish an "Annunciation," an "Epiphany,"
and a "Presentation in the Temple," and it was

Chap. III.] PREDELLAS OF THE "CORONATION." 151
natural that he should study examples of the same
subjects in the Avorks of his master. As early as
1497, Perugino had painted for Santa Maria of Fano
a predella, Avhich comprised the " Birth of the
Saviour," the " Presentation in the Temple," the
" Marriage of the Virgin," the " Annunciation," and
the "Gift of the Girdle to St. Thomas." Raphael
probably remembered that he had Avitnessed the origin
of these predellas. He recollected that, in the very
first of these subjects, Perugino had ingeniously
adapted some of the figures with which the Sixtine
frescos had been adorned. With his own pen he had
copied the girl on her knees before Gershom, and
with his own eyes he had seen that figure do duty
before the infant Christ in the predella of Fano. He
had watched the transfer of the girl bearing a vase
on her head from the fresco of Zipporah to the
cottage of Mary at Fano. Here was a road of Avhich
he knew the windings. It was quite natural that he
should follow it. But with that insight into the pro
priety of things, and that delicate taste which distin
guished him, he saw where Perugino's art was capable
of improvement, and he then remodelled his design, or
acknowledging Perugino's capacity, he adopted his
arrangement and refined it. In the predella of Fano,
the Virgin annuntiate kneels under an open colon
nade, receiving the blessing of the Eternal, who
appears in the sky, and the message of the angel,
who kneels in a side portico. Without changing his
style, he repeated the architecture in a purer and
more chastened form. He altered the time and the

152 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

action, imagined the Virgin sitting, yet conscious of
the coming of the angel. He kept the figure of the
Eternal, and the dove flying doAvn from the sky.
Perugino had arranged the "Presentation" in the
choir of a temple, the high priest behind the table,
Joseph and Mary at the sides, the male and female
witnesses in couples in the aisles. Raphael Avas
content to take the central group as it stood. He
chose for the attendants what he thought the best of
those invented by Perugino. Though it was not one
of the subjects at Fano, the " Epiphany " Avas an
episode which Raphael had studied and thought over
for the Connestabile predella. He took it bodily
from thence, and enriched the composition with fresh
incidents. Yet the predellas of the "Coronation" of the
Vatican cannot be dismissed without some further
examination of the time and the influences under
Avhich they were completed. There are studies for
them Avhich convey the impression that they were not
finished uninterruptedly ; and the question arises
Avhether the interval which separates the inception
from the completion of these delightful pieces was
not broken by a journey to Florence. It may also be
asked, was Raphael's acquaintance with the predellas
of Fano made at the period of their production in
1497 ? Did he derive his knowledge of those works
from cartoons in Perugino's painting-room, or did he
visit Fano himself ? To all these inquiries the answer
must be dubious, but in balancing probabilities un
biassed observers will perhaps agree that Raphael saAV,

Chap. III.] PREDELLAS OF THE "CORONATION." 153
and probably helped Perugino when the altar-piece of
Fano was created. That altar-piece was carried out
when Perugino's power Avas at its highest. It com
bines dignity with grace, richness of colour with the
purest harmony. Its technical handling is perfect.
It displays absolute mastery of the noblest forms of
composition and perspective. It embodies much of
the charm of tints, and atmosphere ; much of the
brilliancy which Raphael gradually acquired; and
but for the existence of masterpieces of this kind,
and our knowledge that the disciple must have seen
and studied them, we should be unable to explain
Avhy, or to understand how, Raphael's genius ex
panded. The cartoon from Avhich the "Annunciation" of
the Vatican was pricked off is now in the Louvre
collection ; and it is our privilege after the lapse of
more than three centuries to see the very lines
which Raphael drew and transferred to panel. The
scene is laid in a double portico, through the arches
of which we glance at a landscape Avith a church
enclosed by walls, and two flanking towers approached
by a road and bridge. How dearly Raphael loved
that landscape, how affectionately he dAvelt on those
towers and spires, is shown by the way in which
he repeated them in the sketch of the boy on the
pack-saddle, or the Virgin with the missal, at Oxford,
or the panel of "Marsyas and Apollo" at Rome.*

* See antea, Oxford Gall. No. 5, and postea, Oxford Gall. Nos.
23 and 24.

154

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

The double portico and its round Corinthian columns
alternating with square pillars akin to those in the
" Homage of iEneas Sylvius " at ChatsAVorth, the
arabesques adorning the faces of the pillars, for
which a kindred study is seen in the Venice sketch
book,— every line and every detail of them prove
Avhat care and thought were concentrated on every
portion of a picture, hoAvever small. In the sky to
the left the Eternal, Avith the orb in benediction,
preserves the traditions of the Umbrian school, takes
us back to the days of Bonfigli at Perugia, of
Giovanni Santi at Sinigaglia, or Perugino at Fano.
The angel running in with outstretched- wings, eagerly
giving the blessing as he grasps the lily, is a picture
of rapid motion; enhanced by a bird-like length of
limb combined Avith some shortness of body. The
Virgin, on a chair to the right, modestly looks
doAvn, surprised, as the gesture of her right hand
suggests, yet she still holds the book Avith her left ;
her form in part concealed by draping of the mantle,
is a delightful manifestation of the purest feeling.*
On the same scale as the cartoon, but with the
additional charm of colour, the Vatican predella
exhibits the master's skill in Avorking out effects of
atmosphere and light. The figures project against
the clear broAvn of the columns and pillars, or the
partitioned squares and stripes of the tesselated floor,
and the twilight of the colonnade contrasts with the

* Louvre. Cartoon, pricked for
use. m. 0-30 h. by 0-43. Pen
drawing washed with bistre. From

the collections of Mr. Ottley, Sir
Th. Lawrence, and the King of
HoUand.

Chap. III.] PREDELLAS OF THE "CORONATION." loo
sun-lit slopes of the vale beyond. Peruginesque
in spirit and handling, yet technically beneath the
level of Perugino, the picture is not free from dryness
or affectation; but these and other imperfections
are compensated by qualities upon which to descant
anew would be but to repeat what hardly bears
repeating.* The " Presentation of Christ in the Temple," more >
closely following the model of Perugino than the
" Annunciation," was chiefly copied from Perugino's
predella at Fano, as the cartoon, now at Oxford,
shoAVS.f In picture and sketch, as well as in the
final rendering at the Vatican, the High Priest stands
behind the font, leaning over to receive the Child
from the Virgin, whilst Joseph, to the left, twitches
the folds of his mantle with one hand, and rests the
other on the font cover. The Child, turning in alarm ,
to seek its mother's bosom, is nature caught in action
and eternalized. But the very form of the pillar
on which the table rests is copied faithfully from
Perugino. Of the Avomen attending the presentation, but one
is taken from the Fano predella, and transported from
right to left of the group. She looks at one of her

' * Vatican Gallery. No. X.
m. 0.39 h. Framed with the
"Epiphany" and "Presentation."
Transferred to canvas when taken
to Paris at the close of last century
(1797). A copy of half the original
size by Sassoferrato is in San
Pietro of Perugia.

t Oxford Gallery. No. 11. Pen
drawing, pricked for transfer. 8 in.
h. by 7f (m. 0-204 h. by 0-196).
Bequeathed by Mr. Chambers Hall.
Previously in the Lawrence, Wood-
burn, and King of Holland's col
lections.

156

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

companions, Avho carries a pair of doves, Avhilst a
third female is partly seen at the edge of the picture.
But if not in the Fano predella, these two last figures
are not the less Perugino's, since they are copied or
adapted from the " Sposalizio " of Caen.*
The two men nearest Joseph are the same in the
predellas of Fano and the Vatican. The third in
Perugino's group, resting his hands on a stick, was
not to Raphael's taste. He substituted a man in a
cap and pelisse, shoAving his back and the profile of
his cheek. But this, too, is an adaptation of the man
nearest the edge of the picture in the " Sposalizio "
of Caen.
Raphael here lays himself open to the charge of
intellectual theft. But if he copies, he also ennobles.
The beautiful trait of the child shrinking from the
high priest, the spirit, the expression, and tenderness
of Raphael, are all foreign to his master, Avho could
never haA'c conceived, much less have rendered,
the half smile of the Virgin, and the busy kindliness
of Simeon. Beyond all, the clear and beautiful colour,
and the grand effect of the central group thrown into
light by the gloom of the niche, surpass in beauty
anything that Perugino achieved, though Perugino's

* Vatican Gall., No. X. See
antea. The head of the woman
nearest the Virgin is slightly in
jured and abraded. A careful
copy of this picture is in the
Palazzo Meniconi at Perugia.
Passavant notes another copy on
canvas in the Ricci Collection at
Rieti (ii. pp. 14-15). Copies of

some of the figures are in a pre
della by Eusebio da San Giorgio
in San Francesco of Mateliea.
Two other copies of the " Presenta
tion," one of them very rude, are
in the gallery of Perugia. The
best of the two seems painted by
Eusebio.

Chap. III.] PREDELLAS OF THE " CORONATION."

157

figures might be less affected or less attenuated in .
frame than those of his disciple. But, after all, is it theft
in a young artist to folloAV the lines and repeat the
groups of pictures in which he had himself a share ?
and Avhat if the commission for the Oddi altar-piece
was given to Perugino, Avho entrusted it to Raphael ?
Nothing is more probable than that Raphael took part
in the execution of the predellas of Fano. The traces
of his hand are not easily detected in the panels ;
but they are visible in one of the cartoons from Avhich
the panels were painted. Two of these cartoons are
in the Albertina at Vienna ; one is the " Marriage of
the Virgin," and appears to have been executed by
Perugino ; the other represents the " Delivery of the
Girdle to St. Thomas ; " * and Raphael's style of draAv
ing, the type of face Avhich he models into a Virgin
or a saint, are easily discoverable in this remarkable
sketch, which combines, as no other sketch of the
kind has clone, his peculiar hatching and outline with
the characteristic umber modelling of Perugino, The
Virgin sits in a cloud above an undulating landscape.
The apostles below are divided into two equal groups
of standing men. St. Thomas below kneels to receive
the o-irdle. The feebleness betrayed in extremities,
the sameness of movement apparent in the hands, the
poorness of draperies taken from lay figures, and a
general absence of balance in action might be traced

* Vienna, Albertina. The Spo
salizio. ni. 0-215 h. by 0-430. Pen
and umber, washed with umber
and heightened with white. " St.

Thomas receiving the Girdle."
m. 0-275 h. by 0-455. Pen and
bistre, and the figure of St. Thomas
washed with umber.

158

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. in.

to Raphael, but most distinctive as revealing his
presence are the type, outline, and filling, of some
figures, and more particularly of those figures
Avhich represent the Virgin and St. John. One
can only say that if Raphael did not execute this
drawing, it was done in the form which his drawing
assumed, the form which we recognise as his in per
fectly genuine designs of this and earlier periods.*
When Raphael had the will, even now, he was not
too modest to exhibit originality. His picture of the
" Epiphany " unites the pomp and state of a royal
procession, as it Avas understood by the Umbrians,
with all the life and movement and variety of in
cident Avhich characterizes the Florentines. Impelled
by a wish to leave the Umbrian groove, he success
fully tried to strike out something novel and complex
for himself, and he expanded the old combination of the
"Nativity" and "Epiphany" into one composition, with
a spirit quite beyond his years. The Virgin seated to
the right in front of the pent-house, the Infant Christ
on her knees receiving the homage of the kneeling
King, St. Joseph, attending, and the rest of the Magi
Avith their suite Avitnessing the ceremony, these are
the time-honoured incidents which Raphael had seen
a hundred times, and not less happily than cleverly
expressed in the "Adoration" of Fiorenzo di Lorenzo
at Santa Maria Nuova of Perugia, nor did he hesitate
to acknowledge the skill of the old Umbrian in the
principal group of the Monarch kneeling before Mary.

* AVe note the same style of
drawing in the studies of drapery

at Venice marked Frame XXIII.
Nos. 4, 7, and 10.

Chap. III.] PREDELLAS OF THE " CORONATION." 159
But there is genius in the Avay in Avhich he gave
nature to the dramatis persona?, and the contrasts
which he drew betAveen the magnificent apparel and
state of the kings and their followers, and the humble
devotion of the shepherds of Bethlehem. On the
knee of the Virgin, who sits in purple on a raised
podium, the Infant Christ is seated, but His bear
ing is not that of the Divinity who approves and
imparts a blessing. The boy shrinks from the sheen
of the gold cup, and turns to his mother's bosom.
The king not only presents the gift, but looks as if
he would overcome the child's timidity. His bearing
is humbled by devotion. The crown lies at his feet
near a gold cup Avhich stands on the ground. To the
right of the Virgin a kneeling shepherd looks eagerly
at the pretty struggle ; another leans forAvard and
stretches his neck to catch a sight of the Saviour, and
a third, as if dumb-struck, holds his lamb offering.
In rear, between the Virgin and the King in genu
flexion, St. Joseph rests on his staff, and raises his
left hand in Avonder, looking round as if surprised by
the rich apparel and magnificent attendance of the
bearded monarch next him, and his younger com
panion, a prince of youthful aspect, with all the
engaging charms which Raphael knew so well hoAV
to convey. Further to the left the horses, led or
ridden, are prettily massed in front of a screen of
trees which partly conceals the sky and landscape.*

* Vatican Gallery, No. X. «.. s.
The whole predella, including the
three compositions transferred from

panel to canvas, measures m. 1'89
in length.
In the gallery of Copenhagen

160

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

Had no other studies for this predella picture been
preserved than the figures of two youths on horseback,
or the heads of two young men in hats, which cover
sheets of the Venice Sketch-book, Ave might fancy that
Raphael had never left the Umbrian country when he
composed the " Epiphany ; " but the profile of an old
man, which is cleverly sketched on one of the same
sheets, and the profile of the bald shepherd in profile,
on another drawing of the Venice collection, reveals
the painter's acquaintance with Florentine models, and
suggests the question, whether Raphael, even at this
period, had not been asked by Perugino to pay a
flying visit to the Tuscan capital, where he might
see the masterpieces, or at least some drawings of
Lionardo da Vinci.* The whole of this predella, as

No." 60, a copy is exhibited, 11-|
Danish inches h. by 18f in. Wood.
Though assigned to Sassoferrato it
is gaudy in tone, feeble in perspec
tive, and wanting in feeling.
In the British Museum » draw
ing of a young king, turned to the
right, holding a cup (Payne Knight
collection, No. 62), is assigned to
Raphael. It does not correspond
to the figure of the young king in
the Vatican predella, nor is it by
Baphael, but by Eusebio da San
Giorgio or Tiberio d'Assisi.
In the British Museum likewise
is a drawing of the suite in an
" Epiphany," with several men on
horseback (Payne Knight Collec
tion, No. 163). This design in
silver-point, heightened with white,
is much injured, and described as
a study for the " Adoration of the

Magi " at S. Pietro, now Gallery of
Perugia. The picture is now at
tributed to Dono Doni. The
drawing is like the foregoing by
an Umbrian of the school of Peru
gino and Pinturicchio, imitating
Raphael. * Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.
No. 4. Back of XXVI. No. 12.
Two men on horseback, one turned
to the right, the other in full front.
Pen drawing. A copy of the right-
hand figure in pen and umber is
assigned to Raphael in the Teyler
Collection at Harlem. ATeniee
Acad. Frame XXV. No. 4. Back
of XXV. No. 18. Two heads of
youths, seen at three-quarters,
facing each other in hats. That to
the left is the seventh head (re
versed) from the left side of the
Epiphany. On the lower part of

Ghap. III.] PREDELLAS OF THE " CORONATION.'

161

well as the series of sketches AA'hich belong to it, bear
the stamp of Raphael's art, Avhen he made the draAv
ings for Pinturicchio's frescos in the Library of
Sienna, and nothing seems more natural than that
having gone so far north of Perugia, he should ex
tend the journey, and satisfy a legitimate curiosity
by visiting Florence. But apart from this, it is of
interest to note the coincidences AAliich occur in the
" Epiphany " and Raphael's Siennese designs.
The led horses are similar in character and build in
the "Epiphany," the Venice Sketch-book, and the
" Bridal Meeting," in Casa Baldeschi at Perugia.*
The young attendant, Avith his hand on his hip,
and his back to the spectator in the "Epiphany," is
much in the same action and attitude as the man
leaning on a stick in the foreground of the " Corona
tion of .ZEnaes Sylvius," at Sienna.
The kneeling King and the soldier, with a par
tisan, in the "Epiphany," are quite in the spirit of
the Emperor and guards in the Baldeschi draAving.
The latter at the same time recalls the figures of
Signorelli in the neighbouring monastery of Mont'
Oliveto. The Cartoon for the " Epiphany " in the Gallery
at Stockholm, though shorn of a portion of the left

the sheet to the right of the study
of an apostle for the "Coronation,"is
a profile to the left of an old man,
wearing a cap, which quite sug
gests the study of Lionardo. The
head of the bald shepherd, also

very Lionardesque, is in the A'enice
Acad., Frame XXXA'. No. 2 — a
drawing 023 h. by 0'17, not be
longing to the Sketch-book.
* See previous note.

162

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. III.

side of the composition, is drawn in the same style as
the sketches for the Library at Sienna.*

* Stockholm Museum. Royal
folio. Sketched with point, then
finished with the pen, pricked for
use. The three horses and two
riders on the left side of the pic
ture are not in this sketch.

In the Palazzo Donnini at Peru
gia a small cartoon of the whole
composition challenges attention,
but has suggested to some critics
serious doubts as to its originality.

CHAPTER IV.
The " Sposalizio " of Milan based on Perugino's predella at Fano and
his " Sposalizio " at Caen. — Raphael as an architect. — Bramante. —
"Madonna'' Connestabile. — Portrait of Herrenhausen. — Pintu
ricchio at Sienna and his relations to Raphael. — Drawings for
Pinturicchio's frescos; sketches for the same. — Design of the
" Graces." — Eusebio da San Giorgio. — Guidubaldo, captain of the
church. — Raphael's sketches of the palace and fort of Urbino ; — of
other places in the Duchy. — His patrons at Urbino. — Alleged
recommendation to Soderini at Florence. — Florentine influences on
Raphael's style.— The "Knight's Vision."— " Cain and Abel."—
" St. Michael " and " St. George."— The " Graces," and " Marsyas
and Apollo." — Michael Angelo and Da Vinci. — Raphael's journey
to Florence.
Previous to the completion of the predellas of the
Vatican, previous, therefore, to Raphael's probable
visit to Florence, the " Sposalizio " was exhibited in
San Francesco of Cittti di Castello, for which it AA'as
originally intended, and on the portal of the temple
in the background of the picture the pamter himself
inscribed the words : " Raphael Urbinas, MDIIII."
According to Vasari, Raphael had ceased at this
period to imitate, in order to refine on, the manner of
Perugino.* In the spring of 1504 he came of age,
and the time arrived when he might fully assert
himself, and show of what wood he was shaped. The
display which he makes in the " Sposalizio " truly
reveals a capacity for refinement, but coincident with
* Vas. viii. pp. 3 and 4. m 2

164 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

that an absolute disinclination to forget the lessons of
Perugino. It Avould be difficult indeed to name a
single picture in Avhich Raphael more thoroughly put
his master under contribution than the " Sposalizio."
Too independent to give way to the mere impulse of
copying, it was not his will to affect originality if
observation convinced him that existing models could
be used for his purpose. He therefore took from the
" Sposalizios " of Caen and of Fano, the genesis of which
he had seen, the shell of a new composition ; and the
charm AA'hich his masterpiece produced is attributable
alike to refinement and imitation, to which he added <
his OAvn peculiar gift of subtle and delicate grace.
The " Sposalizio " of Milan has a threefold interest :
first, as illustrating the political event of the theft of
the ring at Sienna ; next, as shoAving the religious im
portance of the sacrament of marriage ; and last, as dis
playing the peculiar form of Raphael's talent in 1504.
The centre of attraction in the composition is the ring
which Joseph presents to Mary. Subordinate to that
is the shape of the temple, Avhich fitly represents the
•majesty of Rome. The skill with which the Avhole is
put together clearly manifests the genius of Raphael.
The ceremony is performed in the court fronting
the church, where the High Priest, in state dress,
unites the Virgin and St. Joseph. A striking resem
blance shows the connection of this group Avith that
of Raphael's oavu in the "Presentation " of the Vati
can predella. At a distance a decent sprinkling
of spectators look on. The scheme of distribution
is that of Perugino in the "Sposalizio" of Caen,

Chap. IV.] THE "SPOSALIZIO" OF MILAN. 165

except that Raphael, in defiance of tradition, places the
males to the right and the females to the left of the
officiating priest. It differs from that of Perugino
at Fano so far that the bridal pair is united under the
canopy of heaven, and not at the altar. Raphael, in
fact, takes the scenery from the altar-piece of Caen,
and the grouping from the predella of Fano, and/ with
subtle gallantry he gives the place of honour to the
fair sex.
Nothing can be more graceful than the attitude
and action of the priest in the Milan altar-piece, who
by taking the wrists of each of the couple, brings the
fingers of Joseph in contact with those of Mary. His
fine -bearded face is gently inclined, his eyes are
directed to the ring, and his whole being is Avrapt in
the duty Avhich he is performing. Mary, almost as tall
as Joseph, looks bashfully doAATi. The veil which covers
her head Avinds round her shoulders, and forms a knot
on her bosom. Her mantle is raised by a pretty
movement from the ground. Joseph, bashful too,
though past the meridian of years, stands in one of
those artificial attitudes of Avhich Perugino was so
fond. He carries the flowering wand, and, near him,
the disappointed suitor angrily breaks the barren one
across his knee. Various moods of jealousy and dis
pleasure are depicted in the faces of the remaining
company. The noblest of the bridesmaids — a girl at
the Virgin's side — recalls the grand creations of
Lionardo. Her figure and face beautifully express
sympathy and friendship, and do so Avith singular
distinction. The women near her look variously at the

166 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.
spectator or at the ceremony. They are all magnifi
cently dressed in veils and cloths, according as youth
allows them to indulge, or age forbids them to assume
youthful fashions. Compared with the bridesmaids
of Perugino, they seem made of purer clay than the
rest of mankind. They tell of a very early acquaint
ance in Raphael Avith ladies of a high social sphere.
The men, on the other hand, are comparatively feeble.
Yet if we admit a certain affectedness of moA'ement
and attitude, combined with lack of manliness — if
the heads are too small, the frames too long, the faces
too regular, and the knees and feet too large, some
thing winning still remains in the gentleness Avhich
everyone concerned displays. Tallness and slender
ness are not unpleasantly exaggerated; drapery is
becomingly set, and not without advantage to the
shapes which it adorns. Flesh of good modelling,
and fair, if not searching burnish is carefully balanced
in light and shade of moderate contrast ; and a great
sweetness comes from the mellow enamel tones of
the faces and the bright tints of dress, adorned Avith
delicate gilding. Yet, after all has been said to
interpret the charm of the " Sposalizio," experience
will temper praise with the thought that Raphael is
only adapting, though ennobling, the conceptions of his
master. If the outlines of the predella of Fano, or
the cartoon for it in the Albertina at Vienna, could be
seen in a mirror, the " Sposalizio " of Milan would be
found, and with it replicas, slightly varied, of four of
the most important figures in Perugino's masterpiece.
In the process of inversion which Raphael himself

Chap. IV.] THE "SPOSALIZIO" OF MILAN. 167
applied, a natural difficulty arose from the necessity
of altering the movements of the arms and hands in
the principal personages. In the ordinary course the
bridegroom gives the ring, and the bride receives it,
with the right hand. If a figure in action is inverted,
it becomes left-handed. To restore the balance the
arms and hands must be changed. Raphael accom
plished this Avith graceful ease in his rendering of the
" Virgin," but he did not make the trial in respect of the
bridegroom. Perugino's conception of "Joseph" at
Fano, is weak. It shows the head in profile, and the
loins and shoulders from behind. A quick stride has
brought him to the altar, whilst the priest with solemn
measure, holds Mary's elboAV and gives the blessing,
with uplifted hand. Raphael had seen the advantage
of changing the action and air of the clerk. He also felt
the necessity of recasting that of the bridegroom. But
instead of trusting to his own creative powers, he fell
back on Perugino. The best man with the flowering
wand, and the suitor next him breaking the barren
rod, were taken from the predella of Fano, and set in
reverse in the "Sposalizio" of Milan, and the best man
now became Joseph himself. But the result Avas so far
unfortunate, that undue prominence was given to the
disappointed suitor, whose action had been judiciously
thrown into the background in the ' ' Sposalizio ' ' of Caen.
There is no evidence that Perugino or Raphael
were architects in the true sense of the word, but like
most men of their profession, in central Italy, they
perfectly understood perspective, and the broad rules
of architectural structure. They were both equally

168

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. IV.

fond of decorating their pictures with buildings and
< landscapes. But Perugino and Raphael started from
^ different goals. The first acquired from the Floren
tines the traditions of Brunelleschi, the second Avas
guided, Ave should think, by the lessons of Bramante.
When Perugino AA'as asked to illustrate the triumph of
the Church in the "Delivery of the Keys" at the
Sixtine, he copied the "Baptistery" of Florence, to
which he added a domed roof and Tuscan porches.
In the " Sposalizio" of Caen, he planned an octagon
with domed porticos. Raphael, Avho had followed his
master in so many other things, broke from him in the
matter of architecture. He doubled the octagon into
a sixteen-sided polygon, which he fringed with a
sixteen-sided colonnade, and covered Avith a low cupola.
- His design is more florid, his taste less pure than that
of his master. Little is knoAvn of Raphael's relations
with Bramante. But it is highly probable that they
began early, since Vasari tells us that it was
Bramante' s interest which pushed the fortunes of
his kinsman at the papal court. The church in the
" Sposalizio " at Milan, recalls that which Bramante
built in 1502, in the court of San Pietro in Montorio,
at Rome. It embodies reminiscences of the temple of
Neptune, which has been preserved in effigy in the
plates of Bartoli. Bramante alone could have managed
so complete a combination of both edifices as Raphael's
masterpiece presents.* If there be a fault in Raphael's

* The Tempietto of Bramante
was built in the court of San
Pietro in Montorio in 1502. The
Temple of Neptune is given with

other sacred buildings of the same
character in Santi Bartoli's Liber
Romanoe Magnitudinis, fol. Rome,
1699.

Chap. IV.] THE "SPOSALIZIO" OF MILAN.

169

conception of the distance for the " Sposalizio," it is
that the centre of vision is too high above the heads
of the figures in the foreground. The buildings and
dramatis persona; are seen from different points.
But the landscape at the edge of the temple is lovely.
In the plain to the left, a man rides aAvay, perhaps
Avith the news of the Avedding. A church, a domed
tower and spire nestle in the slope of a Avooded hill,
backed by higher and more distant ridges. To the
right the spurs of bare and wooded declivities give
outlines of great beauty.*

* Milan, Brera. No. 35. Panel
arched at top. M. 1-69 h. by 1-14.
Till June 28, 1798, the picture
remained in S. Francesco of Citta
di Castello, for which it was exe
cuted, and where Vasari had seen
it (viii. p. 4, and Pungileone's
Raphael, p. 282). It was given
up by the municipal authorities to
General Giuseppe Lecchi at the
above date, he being in command
of a French brigade in the town at
the time. Lecchi sold it, Decem
ber 9, 1801, to Giacomo Sanna-
zaro of Milan, from whom the
Hospital of Milan inherited it on
June 8, 1804. On the 8th of March,
1806, a viceregal decree ordered
the purchase of it for the State, at
thepriceof 53,000 fr. On the cornice
of the temple, above the entrance,
are the words "Raphael vrbinas,"
and in the spandrels below "mdiiii."
The picture was restored at Milan
by Mr. Molteni, who flattened the
battens, and stopped the worm-
holes with quicksilver. But the
cleaning to which he or earlier

restorers subjected the panel in
jured the patina of the picture and
threw the colours out of focus. The
most discoloured part is the flagged
pavement behind the principal
figures. A copy of the "Sposalizio,"
signed " Raphael inventor,"
by Andrea Urbani, is in the
sacristy of San Giuseppe at Urbino
(An. 1506). Another copy is said
to exist in the Augustinian convent
at Citta di Castello.
Amongst the drawings of the
A^enice Sketch-book,which Raphael
probably had before him at the
time of the " Sposalizio," is one con
taining four heads, copied from
originals which Perugino had used
for the " Sposalizio " of Caen. (A'en.
Acad. Frame XXIII. No. 6.)
One of these heads at the bottom of
the sheet to the left is very like the
girl immediately behind the Arirgin.
In another sheet of the same col
lection (A'en. Acad. Frame XXV.
No. 2), a head of a woman with
light frizzled hair, resembles the
girl at the left side of the " Sposa-

170

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WOEKS. [Chap. IV.

Almost contemporary with the " Spozalizio," the
"Madonna" Connestabile, its rival in fame, was com
pleted by Raphael for one of his Perugian friends.
Nothing has been more admired than the subtle
diversity Avith Avhich Raphael repeats a single theme
in endless varieties. It is hardly possible to describe
in a manageable compass the least complex of them.
In the very earliest of his days, Raphael had embodied

lizio." Passavant assigns to Baphael
and describes as a study for the
Virgin of the "Sposalizio," a female
head in black chalk, with a slight
turn to the left, No. 675 in the
Museum of Lille. But the draw
ing is not genuine in the first
place, and in the second the move
ment of the head is not that of the
Virgin at Milan. The style of the
drawing justifies its being assigned
to Timoteo Viti, its character being
Lionardesque and Florentine. An
other drawing in the Lille collec
tion, No. 680, represents a female
with tresses escaping from a striped
cap, looking to the right, at three-
quarters. This fine silver-point
head (m. 0-30 h. by 0-22), approxi
mates somewhat to that of the girl
immediately behind the Virgin.
It is a genuine Raphael drawing,
yet seems to have been executed
at Florence, and therefore after
the " Sposalizio." A study of heads
and figures in the Academy of
Diisseldorf, ascribed to Raphael,
and mentioned by Passavant, ii.
No. 285, as work of Raphael at
the time of the " Sposalizio," leaves
the impression upon us of work
by Perugino for the " Sposalizio "
of Caen. Similarly we should

notice a bust of a youth in a fanci
ful hat, black chalk drawing on
grey paper, once in the AVellesley
collection at Oxford, which recalls
the figure of a suitor in the " Sposa
lizio" of Milan, who breaks the
rod. This drawing now belongs
to Mr. Locker, is 0-10 h. by
0'22, and seems the work of a
Peruginesque, but not of Raphael.
On the other hand, we notice in
the Oxford collection, No. 36, a
study of a head with curly locks,
turned three-quarters to the left,
and to the left of the head a study
of a hand. The head is very like
those of the " Sposalizio ; " the
hand likewise, though not exactly
traceable to that picture. But
this part of the drawing has been
altered for the worse in the finish
ing, the first and third fingers being
better in the silver-point line
which underlies the pen contour.
The shadows of the hand are
washed with umber, which is not
the case with the hand. From the
Antaldi and Lawrence collections.
8| in. h. by 9|. A profile of the
Virgin's head for the "Sposalizio"
of Caen, is properly assigned to
Perugino in the Museum of Caen.

Chap. IV.] "MADONNA" CONNESTABILE. 171

the idea of prayer in the Virgin reading a book. Later
on he rang surprising changes on this chord. Some
times the infant Christ was conceived playing with a
bird or picking at a pomegranate, yet invited to look.
at the pages of the book. He might be fancied watch
ing the gambols of the boy Baptist, yet the prayer-
book was his companion on the Virgin's knee.
Another form is that of the infant Saviour looking
at an apple which the Virgin holds, Avhilst the babe in
her arms unconsciously plays Avith it. In course of
time, Raphael had portfolios of designs Avith A'arieties
of this kind, and as the practice of his master had
taught him, so his OAvn noAV told him to fashion the
thought of a morning into a picture, or put it by for
subsequent use, reA'iving, years after, that which had
first struck him whilst transfusing into the subject all
the charm of increased power and advanced technical
skill. Sometimes again he began by embodying in a
picture an idea Avhich he afterwards abandoned or
transformed; and of this kind the "Madonna" Connes
tabile, one of the most loA'ely of his early pieces, is
an example. The cartoon for this Madonna in the
Berlin Museum is quite a youthful Peruginesque
creation. It represents the Virgin standing in a
landscape with a mantle drawn OArer a Areil that covers
her hair and forehead. On her left hand the naked
infant Christ is resting, whilst her right holds the
apple with which he is playing. A touching depen
dence on Perugino is still displayed in the form
and fold of the drapery, but the purity of the outlines,
the graceful oblong face, the tender and melancholy

172

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

expression are all truly Raphaelesque.* When the
subject Avas transferred to panel, Raphael merely
ran the graver over the lines, and the Connestabile
"Madonna " passed into existence. Yet after the trans
cript had been made, something occurred to alter the
master's purpose, and the infant playing Avith the fruit
Avas now imagined looking at the leaves of a missal.
The picture not the less became a charming and de
lightful one to look at. It is one of the purest, most
delicate little pieces of workmanship that can be con
ceived, exquisitely handled, of the sweetest tone and
softest modelling. Full of feeling in expression and in
line, the pretty group of Mother and Child is set in a
landscape so clear and bright Avith all its minuteness,
that it is hardly possible to think that a higher degree
of perfection could be allied to such smallness of pro-
portions.t What led Raphael to substitute the missal

* Berlin Mus. Pen and umber
drawing, with traces at the bottom
of Baphael's intention to compose
a round. About the infant Christ's
head is a line halo and traces of a
similar one are round the Virgin's
head. A few lines to the left in
dicate a distance of hills and trees.
At the back of the sheet (a
brownish white paper) is the ori
ginal drawing for the " Madonna "
<li Terranuova. The drapery fold
is given quite conventionally with
perforations for the eyes of the
folds. The stuff too is double.
The drawing once belonged to
Don Jose Madrazo at Madrid. It
is of the same size as the picture,
and measures m. 0-155 h. by 0-120.

r t Petersburg, Imperial Palace.
The picture was sold by Count
Scipione Connestabile of Perugia,
on the 21st of April, 1871, to the
Empress of Russia for 330,000 ir.
The picture is a round, in a square
of m. 0-160, the panel being all
of one piece with the frame, which
was carved before the round was
painted, and the corners were
ornamented witli a yellow meander
on blue ground. When the pic
ture was transferred to canvas at
Petersburg, the damage threatened
by a vertical crack running down
the neck and bosom of the Arirgin
was averted. As the picture has
been withdrawn from public gaze,
it may be well to describe some

Chap. IV.]

¦MADONNA" CONNESTABILE.

173

for the apple, is hard to say. For the final shape Avhich
the composition took, he had a model in the very
hospital of the Misericordia, in Avhich the painting
room of Perugino Avas situated. There, in a more
archaic form, the Virgin may be seen holding the book,
and the child in her arms turning the leaves, and the
scene is laid in a landscape of valley and hills. All that
was required to improA'e on this picture Avas to preseiwe
the composition, but correct its outlines. If the
Virgin Avas overweighted and heavy in head, the child
puny in frame ; if the drawing was incorrect and
the figures were ill-proportioned, all that Raphael
required was to search out the contours and restore
the lost balance of the lines. Tradition suggests, that,
if he did so he Avas merely revising his own work, for
both versions of the Virgin with the book are assigned
to the same hand. Yet this much only is certain,

parts of it which may otherwise
escape" attention. The landscape
distance to the left shows a pretty
tree growing on a rising ground,
near a road, on which a man rides
a white horse. To the right the
distant hills are capped with snow,
a rare sight in Italian pictures,
and a boat swims on the waters of
a lake. The substitution of the
book for the apple was discovered
when the picture was taken off
the panel, and the original outline
of the hand and the apple was
found. The background to the
left is a little abraded. From
records published by Professor
Adamo Rossi, it would appear that
the picture originally belonged to

Alfano di Diamante, uncle of
Eaphael's friend, Domenico di
Paris Alfani, from whom it de
scended at last to the collateral
branch of Connestabile Staffa.
See Giornale di Erud. Artistica,
vol. vi. pp. 322-336.
Of several copies noticed by
Passavant, one in the Casa Oggione
at Milan is old and therefore valu
able as being almost of the time of
the original ; another, on copper,
in the Penna Palace at Perugia, is
careful but more recent, others
have been described in Casa
Baglioni at Perugia, in possession
of Alex, von Humboldt, in Gra
nada Cathedral (Spain), &c, &c.

174 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.
that the Connestabile " Madonna " is justly acknow
ledged as a genuine and almost priceless masterpiece,
Avhilst its counterpart of the " Misericordia," now in the
gallery of Perugia, can at best but claim to be one of
the feeblest attempts of Raphael's tenderest youth.*
If the mental struggles of these days and their out
come in artistic work could be realized, Ave should
probably find that about this period Raphael also
designed a picture of the "Virgin and Child" with
the book, Avhich fills a sheet in the Albertina at Vienna.
Christ's mother with her hand on the open missal
stands behind a parapet on which the book is resting.
The naked cross-legged child sits on a cushion before
her and picks at the pomegranate which she offers to
him. A muslin veil, over which a mantle is thrown,
enframes a face of a long and graceful oval, the eyes of
Avhich are lovingly cast doAvn ; simple lines of hills and
bushy trees suggest a landscape distance. Perugi
nesque in Raphael's later Perugian form the draAving
is finished, and ready for transfer to a panel, and yet
seems never to have been used for any practical
purpose Avhatever.f

* Perugia Gallery. Wood. From
the hospital of the Misericordia.
The figures are one -third of life
¦size. The outlines are wiry. The
¦colour a little dry and hard. The
"blue cloak has turned to black,
and the surface generally has been
injured by restoring. The large
heavy form of the Virgin's head
:and the disproportionate smallness
¦of the infant Christ remind us of

There is some difference between
this and the Connestabile " Ma
donna " in the position of the
child's arms and legs. The latter
are crossed, the former both busy
with the book. Size, m. 0-575 h.
by 0-470. But compare Pass. ii.
p. 16.
f Vienna, Albertina. Black
chalk drawing, half length, m. 0-39
h. by 0-29. From the collection of

the work of Eusebio da S. Giorgio. I Julian of Parma and Prince

de

Chap. IV.] PORTRAIT OF HERRENHAUSEN.

175

The same period Avhich gave Raphael claims to
public admiration for these and other pictures of
devotion, Avitnessed his first attempt as a painter of
portraits. His likeness of a man of middle age iioav ¦
in the Herrenhausen collection at Hanover has not
extorted praise from critics of many generations, since
it remained till noAV in comparative obscurity,* yet it
deserves attention as a proof that the talents of the
master were equal even now to every form of delinea
tion. The man who sat AA'as about fifty years of age.
His head is covered Avith a Avide soft hat, from AAliich
long and abundant hair escapes. A salloAV, beardless
face, with a regular nose and mouth, and prominent
cheek-bone, and small eyes closely set against the
barrel of the nose, are characteristic features, which
to some extent recall the self-made likeness of Pin
turicchio in the frescos of the church of Spello. If to
these Ave add a heavy neck and drooping shoulders
suggestive of a certain ungainliness, we have the
picture of an Umbrian of Raphael's early time. The
great firmness with Avhich the forms are defined and

Ligne. The heads of " Virgin and
Child " are turned to the left. The
legs of the Infant are crossed. A
tear in the paper at the level of
the Virgin's shoulders disfigures
the drawing.
* Hanover. Haussmann collec
tion. Now at the Palace of Her
renhausen. No. 7. Wood. m. 0-55
h. by 0-41. Bust of a man, three-
quarters to the left, in a black
cap and long hair and black coat,
closed at the neck, where the edge

of a white shirt appears. This
picture was long assigned to Gio
vanni Bellini, but is now properly
called Raphael. It has suffered
from cleaning and restoring, and
the hair has been brought into
curls, which possibly did not
exist before. The right hand,
which is half seen, holds a scrap of
paper. The background is a dark
blue grey. A vertical split runs
down the picture to the left of the
face.

176' RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.
modelled, the wheaten tone merging into white in the
lights and dying into liquid brown on the shadoAVS, are
all distinctive marks of Raphael's hand at the time of
the " Sposalizio."
In summing up the eAddence Avhich Raphael's pic
tures afford, Ave found that a study of the " Sposalizio"
and the predellas of the " Coronation" of the Vatican
favoured the belief that they Avere executed about the
same time. The comparison of all these pieces Avith
Perugino's predellas at Fano, manifested Raphael's
continued dependence on the models of his master.
But we also saw that betAveen the " Epiphany " of the
Vatican and the studies which Raphael made for
Pinturicchio's frescos in the library of Sienna, there
Avas a remarkable coincidence of matter as well as of
manner. The questions AA'hich upon this immediately
arise, are whether Raphael's visit to Sienna, which this
coincidence suggests, Avas short and casual, or pro
tracted and planned.
We must remember that as far back as June, 1502,
Pinturicchio had covenanted Avith Cardinal Piccolomini
to decorate the library at Sienna with frescos, that he
had received a sum of money in advance to return to
Perugia, and that after engaging the necessary as
sistants he had settled at Sienna, where according to
all probability he painted the ceiling of the library in
1503, and began the frescos of the walls in the autumn
of 1504. Vasari says that one of Pinturicchio's assist
ants Avas Raphael, who went Avith his friend to Sienna,
and then made sketches and designs and drew car
toons for the frescos. , In confirmation of this state-

Chap. IV.] WAS HE AT SIENNA? 177
ment some evidence historical and circumstantial may
be adduced, and yet an opinion seems to be widely
held that Raphael never laboured at Sienna and never
assisted Pinturicchio at all.
Strangely enough the grounds for this opinion are
chiefly derived from the text of Vasari himself, who,
speaking of Raphael's work at Sienna, variously
asserts : —
I. That he made all the sketches and cartoons ;
II. That he made the cartoons from the sketches ;
III. That he made some of the designs and cartoons
for the library frescos.
To these statements which attribute the sketches, the
designs, and the cartoons of the Sienna library to
Raphael, some historians demur because they exclude the
designs of the Piccolomini frescos from the catalogue
of Raphael's Avorks; others again demur because
Pinturicchio's contract Avith Cardinal Francesco
Piccolomini contains a clause in which he pledges
himself to make all the designs of the stories Avith his
own hand in cartoons and on the wall; and it is
thought that Pinturicchio's covenant and Vasari's
statements can only be reconciled by a moral condem
nation of Pinturicchio. Vasari defines a sketch as a
first slight draAving hastily put together to
determine the mwement and general form of a com
position. He says that a "design" is a clean and
finished version of the sketch, and a "cartoon"
an enlargement of the design.* Had Raphael exe-

* Aras. i. 154.

178

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. IV.

cuted all three, the labour of Pinturicchio would have
been confined to the painting of the subjects on
the wall, but it is not necessary to take Vasari's state
ments as correct to the letter. His interpretation of
artistic words is at times extremely loose, and he
frequently confounds under the general name of
sketches and designs, the slightest scratchings of a
pencil, and elaborate studies or drawings for whole
compositions. Some of the finished designs for the
Piccolomini frescos have been preserved, and with these
a number of studies for groups or single figures ; and
there is no denying that these are works of Raphael's
hand, but it has not been possible to discover the
original sketches or the cartoons ; and in the absence
of these we shall charitably believe that Vasari's lines
and Pinturicchio's contract are reconcileable, and assent
to the proposition that Pinturicchio was only bound to
furnish the rough drafts AA'hich Raphael afterwards
worked off into finished drawings Avith the help of
occasional appeals to nature.* It Avould be difficult to
find anything more interesting in connection with
Raphael's life than the designs for the three principal
compositions at Florence, Perugia, and Chatsworth, or

* It may be also that the con
tract between Pinturicchio and
Cardinal F. Piccolomini, which
declared that the former was
bound to make all the " designs of
the stories with his own hand,"
lapsed at the death of the latter,
and that a subsequent contract did
not contain that clause. One of
the conditions of the contract be

sides the foregoing was that Pin
turicchio was not to paint frescos
or altar-pieces anywhere so as to
delay the completion of the library.
Yet it is certain that after the
signature of the covenant and be
fore the completion of the library
he painted the chapel of St. John
at Sienna. See the contract, u. s.
Doc. Sen. iii. 9.

Chap. IV.] DRAWINGS FOR THE SIENNA LIBRARY. 179
the studies for separate groups and figures in the
galleries of Florence, Oxford, and Venice ; and it is
important as confirmatory of Vasari's statement to
note, not only that all the sheets bear marks of
Raphael's style in air, outline and shading, but that
the legend and the names of men and places in one of
them are in Raphael's handwriting, Avhilst the back
ground contains a view of the towers of Urbino, which
it is quite improbable that Pinturicchio should either
have seen or sketched.
It is hardly necessary to add that the frescos of the
Piccolomini, Library were intended to perpetuate in
colours certain important incidents in the life of
JEneas Sylvius, who ascended the papal throne in 1458.
Pinturicchio received the subjects from Cardinal
Francesco Piccolomini when that prelate made the
contract with him, a few months before his pro
motion to the chair of St. Peter.* The most im
portant drawing which Raphael made for the series
is a finished sheet at the Uffizi, squared for transfer
to a cartoon, on which the following legend in the
painter's hand is inscribed.
" The story is this, that Messer Enea Avas in the
suite of Messer Domenico da Capranica, who had
been made a cardinal, though his election had not
been published, when he went to Bale to the council,
and having embarked at the port of Talamone, and
being about to enter the port of Genoa, he was caught
by a tempest and driven to the mouth of the Tiber." f

* See contract in Documenti
Senesi, u. s. iii. p. 9.

t Talamone was the port of
Sienna. n 2

180

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

Raphael's conception of this subject is a cavalcade
of cardinals and officials, vrith mounted servants and
runners on a rising ground near the sea shore.
Behind a grove of trees to the right is the entrance
to a port, with long wooden piers defended by two
high battlemented towers. On a promontory beyond
lies a town, and bounding the horizon to the left
a string of islands ; vessels are sailing in the offing ;
and a large galley lies at moorings by the nearest
pier, upon which a busy troup of porters is carrying
luggage. On the sky above the islands Raphael
wrote the words " Sardinia " and " Corsicha." The
town to the right, over which a storm cloud lingers,
is " Genova," and on the nearest toAver the word
"Talamone" is inscribed. But the whole scene is
imaginary, and the towers at the entrance to the port
are those Avhich still overlook the Castle of Urbino.
Domenico da Capranica, distinguished from the
crowd of cardinals by the inscription of his name
and the absence of the cardinal's hat, "because his
election had not been published," rides to the right
an ambling palfrey led by a liveried servant, whilst
two armed runners head the escort on each side. In
rear is a cardinal ; in front a youth in a plumed hat
heads the cardinal's suite, behind which a group of
prelates and followers is closed by a young bareheaded
captain on a prancing charger. *

* Florence, Uffizi. Frame 143,
No. 520. Pen, bistre and white
drawing. 26 in. h. by 15£,
arched at top and squared for

transfer to the cartoon. Much
stained, torn and pieced. Passa
vant falsely read Libia for Tiber.
See Raphael, ii. p. 222.

Chap. IV.] THE RIDE TO BALE. 181
The masterly execution of this composition, Avith
its clever contrasts of light and shade, umber Avashes,
and flake-white hatchings, shoAvs Avith what care
Pinturicchio had selected his assistant. Yet Avhen it
came to his turn to transfer the design to the Avail, —
for that duty was not performed by Raphael, — he
made the most unfortunate changes in its arrange
ment, bringing the party nearer to the water side,
expunging the piers, substituting Sienna for Urbino,
and imagining a storm cloud discharging its showers
by the light of a rainbow on the roads of Genoa.
His gaudy style hardened the elegant creation of his
pupil into an artificial composition which jarred the
more, as that which Raphael had brought to comple
tion, Avas already less spirited and bold than his OAvn
original study for the picture. When we contemplate
the fresco of Pinturicchio, the design of his disciple
and the study at the Uffizi on which the design
was based, we observe that they all depend on each
'other. The study is slighter and more rapidly
executed than its companion draAving in the same
collection, but it only displays the more life and spirit
on that account. It deals with the escort and not
with the cardinals, but the escort is in rapid motion,
cantering and showing the paces of its horses, and
displaying its helmets and plumes. One of the
runners, all but naked, races, with dishevelled hair,
and ready shield, to the front ; near him, the youth on
the prancing charger. The difference between the
study and the finished design lies in the more in
stantaneous action which characterises the first, and

182

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

the staidness Avhich marks the second. Both equally
bear the impress of Raphael's hand, but the study
more than the design, betrays that elementary know
ledge of equine delineation which already marks a
similar outline for the " Epiphany " of the Vatican in
the sketch-book of Venice.*
The second design at Chatsworth represents -ZEneas
kissing the foot of Eugenius the IVth, before a
large company of prelates and cardinals, whilst in the
distance to the left, the consecration of iEneas to the
bishopric of Sienna is depicted. More remarkable
for careful balance and symmetry than for any
exceptional graces, this composition shoAvs the Pope
in a marble chair under a canopy of stone, extending
his slippered foot to be kissed by the kneeling church
man in front of him, whilst the prelates at the sides
are standing near the pontiff, and the stalls in front
of the1 throne are occupied by the Sacred College.
The tesselated floor, the nave and aisles, the pillars
and archings, through which we see on the one hand
the Pope give the mitre ; on the other a landscape in
the foreground of which spectators are grouped, — all
this reminds us greatly of the "Annunciation"
designed by Raphael for the predella of the Vatican,
recalls not only the form of architecture pictured in
that composition, but its simplicity of outline, and its
delicacy in the rendering of drapery and extremities,

* Uffizi. Frame 153. No. 537.
Pen and umber drawing with
five figures on horseback and
one on foot ; on the back a

male figure, a head of a child, and
a lion. This drawing strangely
enough escaped the attention of
Passavant.

Chap. IV.] DRAWING AT CHATSWORTH.

183

and a feeling of youthfulness in the features and
expression of the dramatis personal* But here, too,
as in the cavalcade, the finished design was not
brought to perfection Avithout elaborate studies ; and
the fine group of four cardinals, a silver -point drawing
in the Malcolm Collection, in Raphael's most finished
early style, reveals the trouble which was taken in
preparing the materials for the Piccolomini frescos. f
The third design in the Baldeschi Collection at
Perugia is the meeting of the Emperor Frederick
Avith Eleanor of Portugal, where not only a charming
display is made of the Emperor taking the hand of
his bride, as she stops before him, and iEneas as the
best friend of both appears to unite and encourage
them ; but a fine distribution of courtiers and dames
adds to the splendour of the occasion. The scene is
made still more imposing by the addition of knights
on their chargers and men-at-arms draAvn up at the
sides of a pillar, intended to carry the scutcheons of
the Kaiser and his bride. In rear of this courtly
array, Raphael gives a vieAV of a distance in the
neighbourhood of Perugia, which is not in accord
with history. :£ The legend and the necessities of the
subject required, that he should set the scene in the

* Chatsworth Collection. Pen
and umber drawing, shaded with
sepia. t Malcolm Collection, from the
collection of Dr. AVellesley at Ox
ford. Silver-point drawing of four
seated full length figures of
cardinals in a row, and turned to
%e left. Size 8| in. h. by 5|.

X Casa Baldeschi at Perugia.
Pen, bistre and white. 21 in. h.
by 15. Inscribed in Raphael's
hand, with the words " Questa e
la quinta," and in almost illegible
letters, " di papa pio." The draw
ing is folded in four places and
much torn and ill repaired.

184

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WOEKS. [Chap. TV.

suburbs facing the Camollia gate at Sienna, and Pin
turicchio has repaired the omission in the fresco by
introducing the gate and some of the square toAvers
of the city behind it.
But these three designs were evidently not the
Avhole of those which Raphael delivered for the occa
sion. There are studies of men-at-arms which appear
to have been used for the composition of the meeting
of the Emperor and princess Eleanor, and at the
same time for another subject. In one of the
frescos, ^ZEneas is shoAvn at the court of the
Emperor kneeling to receive the poet's crown, which
it Avas the privilege of the monarch in those days to
confer. Here again the artist has imagined a royal
pageant. The great officers of the crown, the knights,
the men-at-arms, and pages stand around as the Em
peror on his throne holds the laurel Avreath above the
head of the kneeling .ZEneas. The studies of three
of the guards, Avith halberts and caps, and one
chamberlain, with the stick of office, by Raphael in
the Oxford Collection, though not reproduced with
absolute fidelity in Pinturicchio's fresco, were evi
dently outlines made from models for the drawing
which once existed of this beautiful composition.*
One peculiarity deserves mention in respect of all

* Oxford Museum. No. 14.
Four standing figures. Silver-
point on slate-coloured ground.
8f in. h. by 9 in. From the Ottley
and Lawrence collections. A draw-
ng much in the spirit of this one

but of six heads in various posi
tions, is in the Arenice sketch-book.
No. XXV. 10. A pen drawing, at
the bottom of which are the front
face and profile of a child.

Chap. IV.] SKETCHES FOR THE SIENNA DESIGNS. 185

these preliminary works, Avhich is, that none of them
absolutely reveal the presence of the artist at Sienna.
The very existence of so many studies from models in
the clay dress of the Perugian people, the absence of
any feature peculiar to Sienna, the towers of Urbino
in one design, the lake country of Perugia in another,
all this might show, that Raphael's preparations for
Pinturicchio's frescos in the Piccolomini library were
made at a distance from the place of their destination ;
and this might appear all the more credible because
the form in Avhich Raphael draAVS, the feeling which
pervades his compositions, and the Peruginesque dry
ness Avhich his outline displays, all point to Perugian
influences, as much as the fact, that some of the
studies for the Piccolomini designs are interchange
able with those for the predella of the Vatican.* And
yet there is some evidence that Raphael and Pin
turicchio Avere at Sienna together in these days, since
one of the draAvings in the Venice sketch-book shoAvs
that at a very early time, and probably about 1504,
he had occasion to notice a masterpiece Avhich could
only then have been seen at Sienna. The celebrated
group of the " Graces," which Cardinal Francesco
Piccolomini once put up in his palace at Rome, had
been taken to the cathedral of Sienna, preparatory to
its exhibition in the library, and there it was copied
by Raphael and admired by Vasari,! In respect of
Raphael's drawing, as well as in respect of others

* See this point explained in
Hist, of Italian Painting, iii.
f See Albertini, De Mirabilibus

. . . Romse, Lib. iii. p. 14 ; Falus-
chi, Guida di Siena, 1784, p. 17 ;
Vas. v. p. 267.

186

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

equally genuine, doubts have been expressed Avhether
Raphael really produced it or not ; yet it would
be difficult to point to any study more character
istic of his style in the Peruginesque days, and we
can only suppose that the doubts which have been
expressed were suggested by the damage done to a
draAving injured by neglect and the efflux of time.
The tendency of Raphael to give Umbrian character
and Perugmesque contour to form, even when copied
from different masters, naturally showed itself in
studying from the antique. There stood before him
a piece of sculpture apparently copied by some Roman
craftsman from a masterpiece of the Greek time. The
group Avas in a mutilated state, the head of the central
figure was gone, one of its legs broken beloAV the knee,
the arms of all three Avere ruptured at the shoulder.
The spare classic shapes, suggestive of extreme youth,
Raphael copied with their mutilations ; but his Avant
of experience of the antique, his tendency to reduce
everything to the Umbrian standard, led him to give
more fulness and rounding to the forms, and more
realism to the parts, than a true copy required ; and
Avhen he came at a later period to paint a picture of
the " Graces," he still retained the belief that more
nature and realism were required than he had seen in
masterpieces of ancient art.* But it seems doubtful

* Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.
No. 18. Back of XXVI. No. 8.
This drawing in pen and umber is
a copy of two of the " Graces " at
Sienna, viz., the central one with

her back to the spectator, and her
left leg broken, and that seen in
front to the left. In the original
group, now removed to the Sienna
Academy, the central Grace has

Chap. IV.] DRAWING OF THE GRACES.

187

whether he would have thought of such a subject as
the " Graces," had he not previously seen and copied
the group in the cathedral of Sienna : and this, in
conjunction with the Venice draAving, and the picture
in London, warrants the belief that Raphael really
did visit Sienna at the period mentioned by Vasari.
Still the mere copy of a couple of figures from an
antique in the cathedral of Sienna Avould not of itself
establish more than a stay of a f eAV hours in that city ;
and Raphael might have made the journey for the
sole purpose of delivering to Pinturicchio the designs
of the Piccolomini frescos. But his name is tradi
tionally connected with commissions which Pintu
ricchio had to execute at Sienna ; and this, again,
presupposes a stay of the two masters in company.
When Pius III. died, in 1503, the decoration of the
Piccolomini library was interrupted, and Pinturicchio
painted the chapel of St. John in the cathedral, and
altarpieces for the Piccolomini and Sergardi chapels in
San Francesco, of Sienna. There is a tradition — and
some historians say a record — to prove that Raphael
designed the predella of Pinturicchio's "Nativity"
in the Sergardi chapel, and A'arious studies by Raphael
in the Oxford collection seem intended for a predella

lost the left arm, but a fragment
of it and the hand on the shoulder
of the Grace to the left remain.
Raphael's sketch only indicates
the place of the arm, the hand is
omitted. The sheet is injured and
discoloured, the lines and modelling
being much enfeebled. But Pro

fessor Springer's opinion that much
good will is required to acknow
ledge the genuineness of the drawing
is to us incomprehensible. The
line, the modelling, and hatching
are all Raphael's. Compare A..
Springer's Raphael and Michael
angelo, fol. 1877, p. 88.

18S

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

of this period.* But as tradition alone survives,
whilst the pictures and records have perished, the
point remains in doubt, and will probably continue to
baffle investigation. Something, however, might still
be told to confirm the companionship of Raphael and
Pinturicchio at Sienna in 1504, if Ave could identify
the Herrenhausen portrait, described in an earlier
page, as that of Pinturicchio in his fiftieth year.
Meanwhile it should be remembered that, however
much the relations between Raphael and Pinturicchio
at Sienna may remain obscure, and hoAvever much the
annalists of Sienna may urge that the tAvo masters
painted together in the library of Cardinal Piccolo
mini, the frescos abundantly prove that not a line or
a pencil-stroke in them can by any possibility be
assigned to Raphael.
The treatment which Ave observe in these frescos is
that of Pinturicchio, A'aried Avith that of assistants

* Compare Della A7alle to
Cardinal Ghelini in Bottari Lett.
ed. Ticozzi, 12mo, Milan, 1822,
vi. p. 393 : Pungileone, Raphael,
u. s., note to p. 55, and annot. ;
Vas. note to p. 274, and compare
Oxford Coll. No. 12 ; sheet of
two soldiers, No. 13 ; a soldier and
an angel also Oxford Coll. No. 8.
Black chalk drawing, 12-4 m- h- °y
7f in. wide. From the Alva and
Lawrence collections, represent
ing a youth erect, with his right
arm raised, his left holding a frag
ment of a reed. No. 15. Two
studies in black chalk, same size
as the foregoing, and from the
same collections. One of the

studies represents a youth turned
to the right, looking to the left,
the right hand on the hip, the
left resting on a stick. The other
on the back of the sheet represents
a youth in the same position as
the last, but with the left hand on
the hip and a cup raised in the
right. These drawings 'are in the
same character as those of the
group of four already noticed, and
Passavant even thought that one
of them, that, of a man resting his
left hand on a stick, had been used
in the fresco of the " Coronation" of
iEneas (see Pass. ii. No. 531). But
all three figures seem intended for
an " Epiphany."

Chap. IV.] EUSEBIO DA SAN GIORGIO.

189

engaged by Pinturicchio in the school of Perugia. Of
these assistants one, we imagine, may be traced Avith
more certainty than the rest — Eusebio da San Giorgio,
a modestly-gifted craftsman of the Peruginesque school,
to whom Pinturicchio paid as much as 100 ducats for
arrears of Avages at Sienna in 1506, probably did
much to assist the master ; * and there is the more
cause for thinking that he was one of the chief exe
cutants of the wall paintings of the library of Sienna,
because he seems to have been engaged in some respects
in the same task as Raphael. He produced designs
for some of the frescos, one of AAliich, in the Malcolm
Collection, represents a roAV of churchmen and spec
tators for the picture of " .ZEneas kissing the Pope's
Foot." This draAving was elaborately finished, and has
been assigned to the hand of Pinturicchio himself.
But its inferior character is apparent, not only because
it was not applied to the Avail painting for which it
was executed, but superseded by that of Raphael, but
also because it bears the impress of the manner of a
third-rate Peruginesque, who copied the same models
in Perugino's workshop as were copied by Raphael
when he made the clraAA'ings of the Venice sketch
book, f
But almost at the period Avhen the Connestabile

* Aras. vi. p. 56.
t Malcolm Coll. No. 827 of
the Grosvenor Gallery Exhib.
of 1877-8. It represents in a
silver-point drawing, 10 in. h. by
7^ in., six seated figures of doctors
or prelates in oriental dress, with
eiaht other figures standing behind

in the background. The draperies
of several of those figures are
adapted from the studies copied by
Raphael in that sheet of the Venice
sketch-book, which has already
been noticed as a set of draperies
in the Venice Acad. Frame XXIII.
No. 10.

190 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.
u Madonna " was produced, Raphael also completed
silently pictures which connect him Avith patrons and
places distant from Perugia ; nor is it Avithout interest
to explore, for the purpose of discovery, what the
master's movements at the time may have been. It
is difficult, no doubt, to determine when Raphael
finished the Connestabile " Madonna," but if we
assume that he did so when the "Sposalizio" Avas
exhibited, it may be inferred that he then had leisure
to visit Urbino. We saAV with what spirit and grace
he composed " The Ride of iEneas and Cardinal Capra-
nica " for the Library at Sienna. Had he Avitnessed
some incident of the kind, by which the picture Avas
suggested ? A glance at the history of he time will
shoAV that this Avas not impossible. In September,
1504, a ceremony of great significance Avas performed
in honour of the tAvo houses of Montefeltro and della
Rovere. Guidubaldo, having spent the autumn of
1503 in establishing his authority at home, had been
summoned to Rome, where Julius II. conferred on him
the rank of captain-general. From January to May,
1504, the whole family was living at the Vatican,
with the exception of the duchess, Avho governed her
husband's state. Francesco Maria had been ordered
home from France, to plight his troth to Eleanor
Gonzaga. His mother, Giovanna, accompanied the
Pope's sister, Lucchina, to the capital. In June the
whole party came trooping nortlrward. Forll was
recovered and reorganized in summer, and September
saw a splendid cavalcade winding its way through the
mountains to Urbino. At the head of a brilliant

Chap. IV.] GUIDUBALDO CAPTAIN GENERAL. 191

suite the Pope's Nuncio rode with the baton of com
mand and the banner of the Church in his charge.
It was a stately procession, of which Raphael Avould
probably hear as it passed by way of Perugia to
Gubbio and Cagli. It entered Urbino with great
pomp and solemnity, and the ceremony of the bene
diction, with the delivery of the briefs of Francesco
Maria's adoption, was magnificently performed in the
cathedral. Nothing more natural than that Raphael,
having witnessed, and perhaps accompanied, this
pageant, should then have sketched the ride of
-ZEneas, and transformed the castle of Urbino, which
he had just seen, into the port of Talamone. It is
but a presumption that matters occurred in this Avise,
yet there is some corroborative evidence of the pre
sumption in the Venetian sketch-book, which con
tains at least two draAvings indicating a stay in the
Feltrine capital. We have not forgotten how Raphael
in early years had been allowed to copy the sages in
the library of the ducal palace. We now discover
him in a later phase of his practice sketching the
walls of the palace itself.
To modern travellers the familiar features of Urbino
are the approach by the road from Pesaro, the gradual
ascent to the summit, from which the sweep of the
Umbrian hills is seen, the view of the town as a turn
in the highway discloses it, and shows the palace with
one of the fronts supported by pointed towers. The
road becomes a street running beneath the towers on
the one hand, and skirting on the other a line of
houses on arcades. Past the castle and cathedral it

192 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WOEKS. [Chap. TV.

diA'ides into branches in A'arious directions. In
Raphael's time the prospect was very different. The
road from Pesaro Avas that which came direct over
the hill to the great court of the palace. A less
frequented path led to the face defended by the
toAvers, and from thence it struggled up a battle
mented causeAvay to an arched gate that separated the
palace from the cathedral. The causeway was built
on stone buttresses rising out of the sluggish waters
' of a moat ; and the cathedral Avails, reposing on solid
rock, stood inaccessible from that side on a bank over
grown with grass and trees. Rainwater was artificially
supplied to the moat by a dam. There rose at the
side of the cathedral a square campanile, and in rear
of it a Ioav cupola.
Raphael sketched the cathedral and the castle with
the moat and causeway from a place to the north of
the palace. The campanile, as he drew it, is cut
square at the top and loopholed for musketry. The
building looks as if it had undergone a siege. The
loopholes run along the length of the Avails of the
cathedral, and battlements defend the toAvers as well
as the causeway. Far away over the high ground
to the right are the Avindings of the Pesaro road.
On the back of the sheet Raphael takes an equally
characteristic vieAV. To the north-east of Urbino the
hills are steep and precipitous. Here (beneath the
old citadel) the defences folloAved the rugged outlines
of the hills ; and towers round and square overlooked
the giddy depths of rocky precipices and long curtains
united one to another in picturesque succession.

Chap. IV.]

SKETCHES OF URBINO.

193

Raphael sat out on a spur and drew the serpentine
windings of the wall and its supports.* When he
transferred the tower of the castle to an imaginary
port of Talamone, he neither forgot the battlements of
the platforms nor the conical caps that make them
like oriental minarets.
But the sketch-book is not exclusively supplied
Avith views of the palace and walls of Urbino; it
comprises views of other places, and one of its sheets
contains outlines of a church in the form of a Greek
cross, with a tall steeple and spire, on a mound half
way up a hill. At the foot of the mound, and skirt
ing a wooded ravine, there runs a line of defences
with walls and towers, inside of which are some
edifices of ecclesiastical and secular architecture."]"
Of the same period as that of Urbino, this draAving
acquires a date when we find, that Raphael reversed
its contours to form the distance of the " Madonna "
of Terranuova. | On the back of the sketch a fine
study of rock and boulders is rapidly thrown off.

* Venice Academy, not exhi
bited, Pass. 92. To the left trees
on the foreground, and on the
bank above them the campanile of
three storeys, leaning against the
cathedral, the apsis of which rises
against the end of the church. To
the right of that the archway be
tween cathedral and castle, to
which the causeway leads, which
is built on arches with their but
tresses resting in the moat. Rising
inside the causeway is the flank of
the palace, showing the eastern
turret. Beyond this the Pesaro

road on some high ground, behind
which a view of the Umbrian hills,
at the waterside, on the extreme
right, a flight of steps leading to
the water. On the back of the
sheet to the left, a tower with a
conic cover, behind it the precipit
ous hill, with the wall along it,
broken at intervals by three more
towers. In the distance, ranges of
hills. f Venice Acad., not exhibited,
Pass. 95.
X Venice Acad., not exhibited,
Pass. No. 96. In the sky of this
o

194

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. IV.

This too, has been reversed by Raphael, and forms
the right hand side of the background to the
"Madonna" of Terranuova. But the "Madonna"
of Terranuova is one of the masterpieces of 1505, in
which the genius of Raphael may be seen struggling
between the lessons of the Umbrian and Florentine
schools.* From September to the middle of December, 1504,
the Feltrine Court resided at Urbino, and the duke
and duchess lived there in state with GioAranna and
her son, attended by their courtiers ; and had Raphael
been there as we should think, it might appear that
he then made the acquaintance of Baldassare Castig
lione, Avho had joined Guidubaldo from Rome. He
would have known Ottaviano Fregoso, and Morello
di Ortona who were councillors of the duke, and he
would have met Cesare Gonzaga and others, whom the
dialogue of the Cortigiano has made familiar to the
present age. He might have become sufficiently
intimate Avith Francesco Maria della RoArere, to justify
those passages of his letters in Avhich he speaks of his

sketch is a, head with long curls
and an eagle, with a serpent,
apparently a modern addition, to
the original drawing. The out
line of the hills covers not only
this sheet but a section of the next
one, at the side of which we
also find a modern hand, cherub,
and head of an aged man (Pass.
94). The juxtaposition of these
two drawings shows that the book
in which they were was a bound
book. The old No. 38 on the

upper part of the last sheet shows
that the drawing of boulders was
on page 37, on the reverse of which
we find the view transferred to
the Terranuova " Madonna."
* Similar sketches are on an
other sheet, No. 97 and 98 of
Passavant's work, shewing on one
side a view of a Cyclopean wall
and a rapid drawing of churches
and steeples and houses in a land
scape. This sheet is in the Venice
Academv.

Chap. IV.]

PATRONS AT URBINO.

195

old and familiar devotion to that prince ;'" and ho
could have painted the portrait of Guidubaldo, of
which Cardinal Bembo declared in 1516, that it Avas
surpassed by the later portrait of Tebaldeo.-j" It is
the more to be credited that all this occurred at Urbino,
because Raphael would hardly have come there later
without finding the Feltrine court dispersed. After
December, 1504, Guidubaldo was again called to
Rome, and broke up his establishment in order to
reside at the Vatican. His stay at Rome extended
to March, 1506, after which, and betAveen that date
and his death in 1508, Raphael Avould have less time
to cultivate the patronage which manifests itself in
various ways and particularly in the delivery of
many pictures. £ No doubt none of the masterpieces
which Raphael now produced haA'e been traced di
rectly to Urbino, but the "Vision of the Knight"
at the National Gallery, the "St. Michael" and "St.
George" at the Louvre, and the "Three Graces" in
the Dudley collection in London, are all more likely
to have been ordered by patrons at Urbino, than by
patrons at Perugia.
We may regret at this juncture the doubts which
have necessarily been thrown upon the genuineness of
a letter, said to have been written in Raphael's favour
by Giovanna della Rovere, to Piero Soderini, the chief
of the Florentine state. Unfortunately the printed

* See postea, Raphael's letter of
1508, in fac-simile in Longhena
and Pass. i. 4.97.
t Bembo, Opere. yol. v. pp. 48-
9. Letter dated Rome, April 19,

1516. X For the chronology here and
antea, see the diary of Paris de
Grassis MS., Munich Library,
Baldi's Guidubaldo, &c, &c.

196

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

version of this letter mentions Giovanni Santi as
being alive on the 1st of October, 1504; and the
difficulty of correcting a mistake of this magnitude
without reference to the original is so great, as to
leave the historian no alternative but to ignore the
document altogether.* Yet it would have been most
desirable to establish the genuineness of this letter, as
it would afford a direct proof not only that Raphael
was connected with the Feltrine court in 1504, but
that he purposed at that time to visit the Tuscan
capital. In the absence of such evidence, we can
only urge in favour of a Florentine journey, that
various circumstances make it extremely probable.
We saw that the " Epiphany " of the Vatican predella
suggested the painter's acquaintance with Florentine
models. The marked similitude of style between the
drawings for the predella and the designs for the
frescos at Sienna, and the near relation of both to the
" Sposalizio " of Milan, which all point to a common
period of production, would likeAvise pre-suppose a
journey to Florence at the close of 1504. At the
same time the Venice sketch-book seems to have been
furnished with designs, in which more than one proof
is afforded that Raphael's mind was then subject to
neAv and most potent influences, — influences, Avhich
can only be explained if we assume that they were

* In full in Bottari, Lettere, u. s.
i. pp. 1 and 2. Originally in the
Gaddi Collection at Florence
(1757). The letter has passed
through many hands. It was sold
at the Salle Sylvestre in Paris in

Jan., 1856, for 200 fr. But the
present owner is not known. See
E. Miintz's Raphael, it. s. note to
p. 128, and Passavant 's Raphael,
i. 496.

Chap. IV.]

FLORENTINE INFLUENCES.

197

coincident with efforts to exchange the provincial
Umbrian manner, for the more skilled and intelligent
style of the greater Florentines. We may fancy that
any one acquainted with Raphaelesque art would be
able to put his finger upon those emanations of
Raphael's pencil which illustrate the. struggles above
alluded to. In one of the pages a powerful drawing
of the "Infant Christ in Benediction" takes us back
in fancy to the "Epiphany" of the Vatican, reveal
ing a new method of studying nature, without an
absolute surrender of the old current of Peruginesque
thought.* In other outlines of boys, the weight and
squareness of Perugino's types, are found in juxta
position with forms of a more lithesome character,
which tell of the effort made by Raphael to exchange
memories of the school for direct studies from life.
Four children on one sheet, to some of whom Raphael
has given wings, illustrate this moment in his career.f
Equally suggestive in the same sense, is the charming
group in the sketch-book of four infants playing with
a dead sucking-pig. The naked babe close by, the
leg, the shading of a foot, and diagrams displaying
projections of shadows on globes, recall those lessons
of the school of Lionardo, which the youthful master

* Venice Acad. Frame XXIV.
1. Back of XXIV 7. Pass. 80.
Pen and umber. The earnest
gaze of the eye has already some
thing of the supernatural which
strikes us in the child of the
Orleans " Madonna."
t Venice Acad. No. XXV. 14.

Back of XXV. 8. Pass. 56. To
the left a winged child running,
to the right, meeting him, a child
playing with a flower, then one
presenting his back, and a fourth,
winged, and running towards the.
left. Pen and umber sketch.

198

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

would more easily take at Florence than elsewhere. *
Increased boldness and freedom is shown in another
sketch of an angel-like boy playing Avith his own
foot, whilst the head of a child above it, exhibits the
system of modelling in neutral tint and flake white,
which essentially pertains to the Florentine school of
da Vinci, f A seraph in dancing motion with out
stretched arms and fluttering Avings, floats on a cloud
in the act of shedding flowers. Our memory reverts
to a beautiful early version of the same figure in
a Peruginesque draAving at Berlin, and an equally
beautiful, but later A'ersion of it in an altar-piece at
the Louatc.J The contrast AA'hich Ave realise is start
ling, the contrast betAveen Umbrian feeling in the first
days of the master's practice and Tuscan feeling in his
later Roman period. We measure in a moment the

* Venice Acad. Frame XXAr.
20. Back of XXAr. 2. Pass. 49.
Pen and umber.
t Arenice Acad. Frame XXVII.
I. Back of XXVII. No. 24. There
are two figures of hoys, one to the
left running, one to the right,
showing his back and looking
round to the left. Above him the
round head, described in the text,
three-quarters to the left looking
up. I Berlin Museum. Print room.
m. 0-15 h. by 0-19. From the
Poccetti Collection. This is a
beautiful little drawing in pen
and umber, washed with umber.
The angel is turned to the left,
whereas at Venice he is turned in
the opposite direction. The figure,
slender and tall, is draped in the

Umbrian fashion, with the girdle
flying outwards in circlets. To
the left a cherub sits on a cloud.
The angel seems to be dropping
over him the sprays of leaves in
his hand.
Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.
10. Back of XXVI. No. 16. Pass.
11. Here the angel is stepping
clown from one cloudlet to the
other. The flowers drop from his
hands. Beneath sits a figure of a
man, in a cap and robes, on the
ground. His hands are joined
over one knee, and he looks down
moodily. A copy of this drawing
by Viti is in the D'Aumale collec
tion at Chantilly (Reiset). The
altar-piece at the Louvre, to
which allusion is made in the text,
is the " Holy Family " of 1518.

Chap. IV.]

FLORENTINE INFLUENCES.

199

distance that separates the art of Raphael at the tAvo
extremes of his career, whilst we observe that tho ,
sentiment which dwells in the angel of the sketch
book, seems suggested by the graceful creations of
Sandro Botticelli.
More characteristic even than this, the sheet AA'hich
contains the heads of the riders in the "Epiphany"
and the upturned face of St. James in the " Corona
tion " of the Vatican, comprises a profile of an old
man Avhich represents quite the Florentine system of
searching in the study of detail,* AA'hilst another sheet
in which the aged shepherd of the "Epiphany" is
drawn with a plastic force almost unknoAvn as yet to
Raphael is accompanied by an outline of a head in the
spirit of Donatello and a profile like that of a Greek
medal, striking as an approach to that Avhich recurs
transfigured in the Oxford studies for the fresco of
San SeA'ero at Perugia.")"
Turning from the pages of the sketch-book to the '
pictures which Raphael produced after finishing the
design at Sienna, Ave trace Avith ease the progress of
the master as he shakes off the old Umbrian habit to
gird himself for that of the nobler Tuscan in such
Avorks as the St. Michael and St. George, the Graces,
or the Marsyas and Apollo. Preceding these the
"Vision of the Knight" at the National Gallery merely

* Ven. Acad. Frame XXV. 4.
See antea, p. 147.
Venice Acad. Frame XXXV. 2.
At the back four studies of arms.
Pass. 83. There are three heads. The
upper one turned to the right, the

lower one (to the right) turned to
the left. The third, a profile to
the right, is furnished with bushes
of hair, whilst the two others are
bald. Pen and umber drawing.
t Oxford, No. 28.

200 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. IV.
combines Peruginesque style with a more delicate
strain of Raphaelesque thought. It hardly leads us
beyond the walls of Perugia, though the subject, in
the sphit of the fables dictated to Perugino and Costa
by a princess of the house of Gonzaga, points more
surely to the Roveres and Montefeltros than to any of
the patrons traceable to the vicinity of Raphael's
residence. No sooner had the duchess of Urbino
returned from exile than she held her court in the time-
honoured fashion. The castle was again enlivened
with the presence of young people who studied ¦ to
become soldiers and statesmen. But Guidubaldo had
aged during the troubles of the previous years, and his
sickly habit confined him after dinner to his couch.
The young people leaving him to his repose, met in
the rooms of the duchess, and many a courtly conver
sation took place, Ave are told, in which lectures were
given for the conduct of true lovers, polished courtiers,
and accomplished soldiers. This amiable, but perhaps
not very efficacious antidote to the practical lessons of
the time as taught by Cesar Borgia, the Baglioni,
Vitelli, or Sforza, might be appropriately illustrated
by an artist of Raphael's type, and it would scarcely
have been possible, one should think, to find a man
better fitted to depict, as he did, a youthful knight
asleep on his shield dreaming, but encouraged to forti
tude, expectant of glory, and cheered to the prospect
of happiness by love and beauty. The knight in his
armour differs but little from a sleeping guard at the
sepulchre ; * and allegory as yet seems very much

* See antea, the "Resurrection'' of the A'atican.

Chap. IV.] THE "KNIGHT'S VISION." 201
akin to sacred art, but the charming thing about this
little picture is its graceful straightforwardness and
the total absence of any affectation of the supernatural.
The knight takes his rest and leans upon his shield at
the foot of a laurel tree. A lovely girl stands near his
head with a sword in one hand and a book in the other ;
a maid equally lovely watches at his feet and presents
a myrtle blossom, whilst far away the landscape
recedes and the eye wanders over rocks and fields to a
village and a lake and a hill crowned with a mighty
boulder, a spire, and a fortress. Raphael was not
Avithout feeling for contrasts of female beauty. The
girl with the SAVord is not less charming than her com
panion, but more sedate and less festively clad, the
maid with the floAver wears a tAvisted veil, an ornament
of corals, and a light tunic over her skirt, her shape
and face were matter of much thought to Raphael, and
a study which he made from nature preparatory to
painting the picture is one of the prettiest things in
his Venice sketch-book.* The draAving, or rather the
full cartoon, pricked for poimcing on the panel, dis
plays in every part the faultless treatment of a hand
trained to every finesse of pen drawing. Yet the '
chief attraction of the composition is the softness and
velvet texture of its colours, Avhich are of that peculiar
depth inherited by Raphael from Perugino. The
mere description of the tints suggests harmony. The
knight's steel greaves contrast with orange brown

* Venice Ac£d. Frame XXV.
No. 8. Back of XXV. No. 14.
Bust of a girl with copious hair,

partly plaited, partly in curls on
her shoulders. Pen and umber
sketch.

202 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. IV.
hose, a green mantle, armour inlaid Avith lapis lazuli, a
blue and green coat, and a red shield. The girl to
the left wears a blue dress and skirt bordered with
red, yellow sleeA'es with a green lining, a sword in a
green sheath, and a book with red edges and a blue
binding. The maid to the right with corals in her
hah', across her bosom and round her AA'aist, a yellow-
broAvn veil, a sky-blue tunic Avith deep blue borders
and golden lights, cherry sleeves and red petticoat, all
these colours, set in proper quantity and juxta-position,
form a radiant chord such as only Raphael in the
Peruginesque time could produce. Behind the sleep
ing knight the slender trunk of the laurel Avith its
few leaves rears itself against the clouded sky AA'hich
changes to a yelloAV haze, Avhere it meets the distant
hills of the Perugian lake district. The touch, the
tone, the graceful lines, the youth of the knight and
his companions are all reminiscent of the period when
Raphael finished the predella of the " Coronation " at
the Vatican ; the maid Avith the myrtle blossom is cast
in the same mould as the Virgin of the " Annuncia
tion," the " Presentation," or the " Epiphany."*
At the period Avhen Raphael composed " The Dream
of the Knight " he probably also painted " The Sacri
fice of Cain and Abel." It seemed as if the patrons

* London National Gallery. No.
213. AVood. 7 in. square. This
little picture was long in the
Borghese collection, from which it
successively came into the hands

Egerton. Sir M. Sykes paid ,£470
for it. Mr. Egerton sold it for
£1,050, in 1847.
The cartoon, till quite lately
framed with the picture itself, is

of AV. V. Ottley, Sir T. Lawrence, i stained, and has a tear about the
Lady Sykes, and the Rev. Thomas | head of the girl with the flowers.

Chap. IV.] " CAIN AND ABEL." 203
Avho visited his painting-rooms were all anxious for
some miniature subject in the form so successfully
applied to predellas. ' ' The Sacrifice of Cain and
Abel" is tAvice as large as "The Dream," though it
does not exceed a square foot in surface. Yet the
artist has gathered into this small space some subtle
varieties of thought. An altar of square stones is built
on the broAV of a hill, partly rising, partly falling to the
sky, and showing at both edges a rich vegetation and
slender branchings of trees, through which the sky
shines clear. Abel kneels on the SAvard to the left, a
curly -headed, long-locked youth in a blue gaberdine,
Avhose hands are joined in prayer, and eyes are turned
to heaven, as he sees a flame descending to fire tho
green Avood that blazes and sends a pillar of smoke
into the air. Cain, at the opposite side, has gathered
the wood and set fire to it ; his hands are on the
edge of the altar, and he bloAVS Avith all his might at
the cinder, AA'hich seems unwilling to do more than
create a smoke, which curls back into his eyes, and
threatens to encircle his head. There are fine con
trasts in this little picture betAveen the quiet fervour
of Abel and the angry energy of Cain — between the
simple beauty of the first and the coarse type of the
second, whose violence and strength are shoAvn in
muscular development and short hair and beard. The
colours of the sky, the clouds, and the varied smokes
are very cleverly harmonized ; the club on the fore
ground prefigures the fratricide. SAveet richness of
tone, warm colours, and Raphaelesque burnish are
only less perfect than they might be, because time

204

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

and accidents have variously injured the surface of the
panel.* Whilst Guidubaldo lay at Rome, in the winter of
1504, concerting measures with Julius for the pacifi
cation of the Romagna, the duchess spent the carnival
in festivity at home, and put upon the stage "the
comedy of Csesar Borgia and Pope Alexander; the
progress of Lucretia Borgia to Ferrara, Avhen the
duchess was invited to the wedding, and the state was
invaded ; Guidubaldo's return and forced departure ;
the massacre of Vitelozzo and his companions ; the
Pope's death, and the duke restored to his estate." f
The gladness which found vent in these proceedings
might, and perhaps did, suggest other illustrations of
rejoicing ; and it seems quite appropriate to the occa
sion, that Raphael should design " St Michael En
countering the Demon" and "St. George Overcoming
the Dragon." Both these little pictures have come,
we hardly knoAV how, into the collection of the
Louvre. St. Michael, on foot, treads on the neck of
the evil one; he is armed in proof, and winged.
With the red cross on his shield, he raises on high
the sword with Avhich he threatens to despatch the
monster, but kindred monsters stalk about the ground ;

* Rome. Signor Enrico Baseg-
gio. Small panel. 8J in. h. by
13-f in. Said to have been once in
the Aldobrandini collection, in
Rome, but subsequently (in this
¦century) in possession of Mr.
Emerson, in London. (See Pass.
Raphael, ii. p. 315.) The panel

has been injured in various ways,
least in the foreground of grasses
and weeds — most in the flesh tones ;
especially, of the figure of Cain.
t Baldi's Guidubaldo, u. s. ii.
165, and Ugolini, u. s. ii. 128-9.
The play was played on Feb. 19,
in the Ducal Palace.

Chap. IV.]

"ST. MICHAEL."

205

serpents twist their folds about the people in the
distance ; a tomb opens in the background ; and peni
tents are pursued by devils. The heavens are red
and black with the smoke and fire of a burning
castle. It is probable that Dante's Inferno was the
source of Raphael's inspiration. One of his patrons
no doubt had read to him the proper chaunts of the
poem, but for himself we think he looked at a
print of one of Jerome Bosch's "Temptations," in
which wizards perform their incantations, animals of
quaint structure strut about regions fitfully lighted
by fires burning in hideous caverns, and the sky is
dark and lurid with many-coloured smoke. But on
this, as on all occasions when Raphael took ideas from
his neighbours, he transformed and gave a peculiar
effectiveness to them ; and all the paraphernalia of
the necromancer of the sixteenth century is cast in
shade, and made fitly subordinate to the principal
action in the picture, which is that of " The Arch
angel," Avhose bright form, encased in golden armour,
adorned with a blue skirt and green wings, is bril
liantly relieved, either against the sky, into which the
smoke is rising, or against the dusky ground upon
Avhich the monsters show their many- coloured horns,
and impossible beaks and tongues. It is an exquisitely-
finished piece, in which colour again produces a rich
effect, enhanced by strong contrast of light and shade.*

* Paris, Louvre. No. 380. Panel.
0-31 h. by 0-27. According to the
records of the LouvTe this picture
was one of two which belonged to
Mazarin, and was bought of Maza-

rin's heirs for Louis the XlVth. It
is stated in one of the latest lives
of Raphael (E. Miintz, u. s. p. 121),
that Lomazzo speaks of this picture
as having been executed for Guidu-

206

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

But beautiful as it is, the " St. Michael " is less so
than the "St. George," whose figure is singularly

Lt>^i

graceful, yet full of power. The grim dragon trans
fixed with a spear, the point of AA'hich is in his
breast, whilst the broken fragments are lying on the
ground, hardly looks more dangerous than the young
and active Saint, whose strength seems all husbanded
for the stroke of the sword AAliich is about to fall. The
grey on Avhich he rides gallops into the foreground,
and sends the mantle and plume of the knight a-flying
in the breeze. In a beautiful landscape of trees and
rock, Avhich more than all else gives evidence of tho
superiority which Raphael had gained over Perugino,
the Queen is made to start in flight Avith arms throAvn
forward, and curling locks blowing aAvay from under
the crown on her broAV. The scene is one of full
daylight, compared with which that of the fighting
" St. Michael " is but a gleam in murky clouds.
The one picture all dark, the other gay and full of
that spirit AA'hich Raphael caught as he sketched the
cantering horseman for the coming of .ZEneas at Tala
mone.* Nor did the master in this instance create

baldo of Urbino. But Lomazzo
on the contrary speaks of a " St.
George " as having been done for
the Duke, and says of the " St.
Michael " that " it is in Frauce at
Fontainebleau," i.e., in the collec
tion of the Kings of France.
(Trattato, p. 48.) It is charac
teristic of this piece that the
colours are thin, and the texture
delicate ; whilst the Connestabile
"Madonna" and the "Dream" are

of strong impast with evidence of
copious use of a fat vehicle.
* Louvre. No. 381. Wood.
0-32 h. by 0-27. This too, was in
the collection of Cardinal Mazaiin.
(Villot's Cat. Louvre. 1863.)
Horse and rider here are turned to
the right. In thedistanceinthesame
direction is the figure of the Queen.
On the foreground, fragments of
the lance, coloured red and white
spirally. Passavant quotes Lomazzo

Chap. IV.]

ST. GEORGE."

207

without studied preparation. He probably felt more
fully than ever before the impulse of instant action,
when he penned the beautiful draAving at the Uffizi
in Avhich the group of man and horse and monster
is throAvn upon the paper Avith so much truth and
energy. Raphael's progress, which at this time ap
pears to haA'e been surprisingly rapid, cannot be studied
more fitly than in this preparatory sketch for the " St.
George," Avhich, for mastery and quickness of execu
tion, favourably compares Avith the designs of the
frescos at Sienna. Such, indeed, is the advance Avhich
the comparison of these Avorks makes manifest, that
the conclusion seems inevitable that Raphael by this
time had enlarged his experience by a journey to
Tuscany, and a stay in the capital of Florence.*
As he lingered at Sienna on his way to the north or
on the road from Florence to Perugia, he may have
found some Siennese patron, Avho suggested to him
that since he had seen the group of the " Graces," it
might be a grateful task to him to paint a picture of

(ii. 22), to show that this picture
was painted by Raphael for the
Duke of Urbino, but Lomazzo's
text (Trattato, p. 48) does not enable
us to decide whether he is alluding
to the " St. George " of the Louvre
or the later " St. George "of the
Hermitage at St. Petersburg, and
the probability is that he means to
speak of the latter. Passavant (ii.
22) also says that Lomazzo de
scribes a copy in the church of
S. Vittorio of Milan of a "St.
George " which Raphael painted
for the Duke of Urbino. But

Lomazzo makes no allusion to the
Duke of Urbino in reference to
the copy in question. It may be
that the copy of the "St. George" is
that which hangs with one of "St.
Michael " in the Leuchtemberg
palace at St. Petersburg. Both
are poor and dry imitations.
* Florence, Uffizi. No. 530.
Pen and umber study of horse and
rider and dragon ; the horse without
harness or bridle. On the ground,
instead of the fragments of the
lance, a skull, a jaw-bone, and a
femur. Size 0"26 h. by 0-21.

208 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

that fable. Certainly " The Three Graces," as they now
appear in the Dudley Collection, form a composition,
the feeling and technical execution of which recalls,
whilst it shows an advance upon, the predellas of the
" Coronation " of the Vatican and the " Vision of the
Knight" at the National Gallery. Raphael, indeed,
need not have trusted to memories of the marble at
Sienna for a design of a subject which, from the
oldest classic times to the period of the revival, had
been repeated in wall paintings, bas-reliefs, and
gems. Still it cannot be forgotten, that he had been
struck by the group in the library and had drawn a
portion of it ; and that Avhen he began his labours
he made Avhat may be called a pictorial restoration
of that classical masterpiece. He conceived the
Graces locked together as the Greek sculptor had
conceived them. The central one, with her back to
the spectator, resting her hand on the shoulder of
her sister on the left, she supporting the hand of
her sister to the right, each holding one of the
apples of the Hesperides. All are bound together
by a common feeling, they have a similar occupa
tion, their faces, their naked shapes are all taken
from a single model, a graceful, young, fleshy ghl of
Umbrian type. Raphael it is clear had not eArolved
out of his own consciousness an ideal of perfect
female beauty, or, if he had, it was not seconded by
his hand. There are parts of " The Three Graces "
which are not faultless ; there are outlines and
articulations that are awkward or def ective ; and yet
the youth and elegance of these rounded forms are

Chap. IV.]

THE GRACES.

209

fascinating, and their flesh is modelled and blended
with so much delicacy, that we forget the imper
fections or lose them in the dreamy atmosphere which
covers the distance of rolling ground against which
they are seen. One detail connects the picture with
that of the " Vision of the Knight ;" the same corals
which enliven the head-dress of the girl with the
myrtle blossoms decorate the hair of each of the
Graces.'5' "Marsyas and Apollo," a picture long in possession
of Mr. Morris Moore, at Rome, probably represents a
more advanced stage of Raphael's practice than the
classic picture of Earl Dudley. It illustrates in
a striking manner the rapidity with which Raphael
acquired the guiding principles of the ancient art of
the Greeks. In the Graces he disregarded the laws
of selection familiar to the pagan schools, and yielded
to a clear tendency to realism. In the " Marsyas and
Apollo" he worked almost entirely in the spirit of
the antique. As a composition nothing can be

* London, Earl Dudley. Wood.
6J in. h. by 4| in., or m. 0'17 by
0-12. From the Borghese collec
tion, having passed through the
hands of the Woodburns and
thence into the collection of Sir
Thomas Lawrence. This picture
is well preserved, and has only
lost its patina in some slight parts.
The Grace to the right wears a
veil round the hips. Raphael can
not well have seen the "Graces" of
Pompeii, of which two examples,
with ears of corn and flowers, are
VOL. I.

in the Naples Museum. But he
might have seen such examples as
the lamp, of which there is an
engraving in Bellori's Lucerne
Antiche, or the bas-relief of the
time of Marcus Aurelius in the
Mus. of the Capitol, or the original,
wherever it may have been, of
Marcantonio's print. But clearly
the origin of his picture is the
group at Sienna. A faulty part o
Raphael's picture is the right leg
of the Grace to the right.

210

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.

simpler than the design of this picture, which con
tains but two figures in a landscape. To the right
Apollo, Avith one hand resting on his hip, stands on
the foreground near the lyre, the quiver, and the
bow, which are his special attributes. He listens
haughtily, but intently to the strains of a pipe Avhich
Marsyas plays as he sits on an opposite bank. The
lyre hangs on the stump of a tree. Behind it, and
behind Marsyas' seat, a sapling rises into the sky
and mingles its branches with those of a tree on a
further projection of the ground. In rear of these a
river flows through a valley, a road lines the bank,
and further on a bridge is defended by a fort and
polygonal tower ; beyond this again the valley opens,
and a lake bathes the foot of a range of hills. In the
pure sky overhead a hawk is darting downwards to
strike at its prey.*
As usual, this picture Avas preceded by studies and
a finished design. One example of the first seems
preserved in the sketch-book at Venice, where a naked
man in gentle stride is represented with one arm
pendent and the other raised, as if to support a vase.

* Rome, Mr. Morris Moore.
This picture is on a panel, m. 0'392
h. by 0-292, or 15J in. by ll1- in.
It was bought in England, and
seems from the initials, J. B., on
the back to have belonged to John
Barnard, whose collection was dis
persed about the year 1770. The
genuineness of the work was not at
first acknowledged. It was even
denied by Dr. Waagen, by Passa

vant, and Miindler (see
Raphael, ii. 415, and Zeitschrift
fur b. K. ii. p. 198) ; but their
opinion is not now considered
acceptable. The letters R. V, or
signs like those letters, are on the
quiver at Apollo's feet. But the
genuineness of the picture does
not depend in any way on these
signs.

Chap. IV.] "MARSYAS AND APOLLO.'

211

Though originally draAvn, one might think, for an
Epiphany, this study is with some slight exceptions
the counterpart of the " Apollo " in reverse. It is cer
tainly one of the most cleverly modelled pen-drawings
that Raphael had as yet produced.* The cartoon, in
pen and umber, and umber and white shading,
reveals at the first glance that Raphael had not only
seen, but determined to put forth the ideal qualities of
the antique. Though much injured by abrasion, the
figure of Apollo could scarcely have been produced
in greater perfection. It is a model of manly beauty
trained down to the slenderest shape compatible with
strength. The head enwreathed in leaves and rushes
is quite Olympian, when compared with that of the
busy Marsyas, whose face and form in the mould
peculiar to Perugino is altogether of the earth, earthy.
The landscape alone is imperfect, being a mere wash
of white and grey divided by a trunk of a tree, lopped
of its branches.* The contrast of the god with the
churl is less striking in the sketch than in the
picture, where the head of Apollo, noAV adorned Avith
Ambrosian locks, attains a great serenity, and the body
and limbs are chiselled with extreme delicacy. Con-

* Venice Acad. Frame XXIII.
No. 16. Back of XXIII. No. 2.
Pass. 22. The figure is turned to
the right. In the right hand
comer is a study of a foot and
kneeling leg.
t Venice Acad. Frame XXXV.
No. 7. M. 0-28 h. by 0-33. This
drawing has been lopped at the
right side so as to show but a part
of the hand and arm with the

wand of Apollo. The legs are im
perfect from the wear of the paper,
which has been patched and re
paired. At one time the drawing
was catalogued under the name of
Bartolommeo Montagna. Pass. ii.
p. 415, assigns it to Francesco (!)
Viti. The head of the Marsyas is
very like that of the rejected suitor
and other similar types in Peru
gino's predella of Fano. p 2

212 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.
scious superiority has seldom been expressed with
more power and severity, whilst in Marsyas the
lowly herd is betrayed by rude features, corpulence,
splay feet and cropped hair ; and one feels a touch of
pity and sympathy for the deluded wretch who bends
to his work with the eagerness of one unconscious of
defeat and unprepared for death. It is perhaps a
chance ; at the feet of Marsyas grows the deadly
belladonna. For the rest, the landscape, in its fresh
ness, recalls many a sketch of Raphael's youth, repeats
the distances of the "Standard" of Cittk di Cas
tello or of the " St. George" at the Louvre, whilst it
foreshadows that of the "Madonna del Cardellino."
Precision of contour, delicacy of modelling, clean,
bright burnish of flesh, but above all richness and
harmony of tone distinguish this admirably finished
masterpiece, which in truth combines so much more
than Raphael as yet had achieved, that we feel he
must have seen Florence before he completed it.
The question, where the "Marsyas and Apollo,"
or the "Graces," or the "St. Michael" and "St.
George " were painted, is difficult to answer, but
after duly weighing probabilities we may presume
that they were executed at Perugia, under the influ
ence of a temporary visit to the Tuscan capital ; and
Vasari's narrative enables us to believe that, Avhen
Raphael first went to Florence, he did so without
intending to give up his residence at Perugia. The
charm which the works of the great masters pro
duced, led him to repeat his visits ; he found friends at
Florence, whose interest Avas perhaps greater to him

Chap. IV.] MICHAELANGELO AND DA VINCI.

IIS

than that of his friends at Perugia, and, taught by the
experience of Perugino, he established a painting
room in the Florentine capital, without giving up
the workshop which he had inherited from his master
at Perugia.
About the time when Raphael may be thought to
have first become acquainted with Florence, Tuscan
artists acknowledged the professional superiority of
tAvo principal masters in art, Michaelangelo, who had
recently finished the bronze " David " on the public
square of the city, and Lionardo da Vinci, who had
composed " The Last Supper " at Milan, and accepted
the office of military engineer to the Florentines. The
rivalry of these two giants rapidly became the theme
of a legend. Da Vinci had been commissioned to
paint " The Battle of Anghiari," in the town hall of
Florence. In autumn, 1503, he received the keys of
the Pope's quarters at Santa Maria Novella, where
scaffoldings were put up to enable him to work at
his cartoon. No such undertaking, no cartoon of
such magnitude had ever been seen in Tuscany.
It was made up of one ream and twenty -nine quires
or about 288 square feet of royal folio paper,* the
mere pasting of which necessitated a consumption
of 88 pounds of flour, the mere lining of which
required three pieces of Florentine linen. -j" Whilst
Lionardo was employed on these labours, Piero

* This calculation is based on
the measure of the quarter folio of
Raphael's Venice sketch-book,
¦which is 0-16 by 0-21. Eighty

quires are counted to one ream,
six sheets to the quire.
f See the account in notes to
Vas. Sahsoni ed. iv. p. 44.

214 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. IV.
Soderini gave Michaelangelo commission to fill in
the opposite side of the hall, and he too had a
scaffolding erected in the hospital of the Dyers, at
Sant' Onofrio, in August, 1504. According to the
story preserved by Vasari, and current amongst
Florentine craftsmen, the news of a close encounter
and bitter competition between Da Vinci and Michael
angelo was soon carried beyond the limits of the
city. It came to be known at Sienna that Da Vinci
had designed an admirable group of horsemen, to
riA^al which Michaelangelo had imagined a group of
equally fine, if not finer foot soldiers. Raphael heard
of this competition, and putting aside all other
concerns, set out for Florence, saw the cartoons, and
was so struck by the perfection of the art, as well as
by the beauty of the city, that he protracted his stay
for an indefinite period.*
The dates which we gather from official records
prove that Da Vinci designed his cartoon between
January and December, 1504, and that Michael
angelo drew the first lines of his in August, 1504.
In March, 1505, Da Vinci began to paint from his
cartoon in the Town Hall. In August, 1505, Michael
angelo was ready to do the same. It is therefore
clear from Vasari's narrative, that Raphael may have
heard of the great Florentine competition after August,
1504, and that he may haA'e heard of it from persons
intimately acquainted with both the Florentine mas
ters. In that very autumn of 1504, Michaelangelo

* Vas. viii. pp. 5, 6.

Chap. IV.] RAPHAEL'S JOURNEY TO FLORENCE. 215
renewed his contract Avith the Piccolomini, to furnish
the statues for their chapel in the cathedral of Sienna.
Early in the same year, Perugino, who had known Da
Vinci in the work-room of Verocchio, who must indeed
have met him at the selection of the site for Michael-
angelo's " David," and doubtless kneAV that he had
begun the cartoon, came doAvn from Florence to Perugia
to spend his summer in the Umbrian province. It is
hardly conceivable that Raphael should not have seen
his old tutor on this occasion, a man to Avhom he Avas
bound by ties of a special affection ; it may have
happened that Perugino on his way back to Florence
in September, took the road which passed through
Sienna instead of that which led through Arezzo, and
induced Raphael to join him in his journey. We can
fancy that matters occurred so that Perugino on his
return to Florence told Raphael of the magnificent
cartoons which Da Vinci had all but finished at Santa
Maria Novella, and of a similar cartoon begun by
Michaelangelo at Sant' Onofrio, and that Raphael
was induced to visit the Tuscan capital under the
guidance of his own teacher.
If Raphael, at the time, was under a covenant to
assist Pinturicchio at Sienna, Perugino, who had been
master to both, would easily settle the conditions of his
departure; Eusebio would naturally come in as a
substitute for Raphael in carrying out the frescos of
the library, and Raphael would leave Sienna Avithout
difficulty to enjoy the pictorial feast in store for him
at Florence. At Florence, it would be his fortune to
meet Da Vinci, who would probably join with Perugino

216 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. IV.
in advising a visit to the principal churches and monu
ments of the capital. That Raphael, during his first
short stay at Florence, studied the works of the older
Tuscans as well as those of his contemporaries is
apparent, not only from the influence which those
masterpieces produced upon his style generally, but
from the effects which became immediately manifest
in the small pictures of St. Michael, St. George, and
the Graces. On his return to Perugia, Raphael under
took the composition of the " Madonna di Terranuova,"
he completed the altar-piece and predellas of Sant'
Antonio, and began the frescos of San Severo, and in all
of these he displayed his acquaintance with the style
and the works of Lionardo, Michaelangelo, and Baccio
della Porta.

CHAPTER V.
Return of Raphael from Florence to Perugia.— Completion of the altar-
pieces of Sant' Antonio and Ansidei and their predellas. —
" Madonna " of Terranuova, and drawings for the pictures in the
Venice sketch-book. — Influence of Michaelangelo. — Beginning of
the fresco of San Severo. — Covenant with the nuns of Monteluce. —
Alternate residence at Florence and Perugia. — Life and companion
ship with artists at Florence. — Perugino, Lionardo, and Michael
angelo. — Cartoons of Da Vinci and Buonarrotti. — Florentine patrons.
— " Madonna del Gran' Duca," and " Madonna di Casa Tempi." —
Precepts of Lionardo as applied by Raphael. — Madonnas "del
Cardellino " and " in green." — Portraits of the Doni. — "Madonna
di Casa Tempi." — Preparatory drawings in Lionardesque style.
Raphael probably left Perugia in 1504 with half-
done work awaiting his return. Before he started, we
may presume that he had orders from the nuns of
Sant' Antonio for an altar-piece, and from the family
of the Ansidei for a " Mother and Child with saints " ;
and it is more than likely that before he set out on
the journey which ended with his visit to Florence, he
had actually begun both those compositions. Deep in
the secrets of the Peruginesque style, surrounded by a
public which more than any other in Italy clung to
time-honoured models, Raphael, we should imagine,
had begun both of those pictures in obedience to the
canons of a taste confined within the limits of Umbrian
tradition, and subject to stringent orders from patrons
claiming to have opinions of their ovvn. We can, in
deed, fancy that when he returned to his painting-
room and recollected the marvels of Florentine art, the

218 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.
frescos of Masaccio and Ghirlandaio, and the " Last
Judgment " of Baccio della Porta, he may have been
surprised at the immobility of Umbrian painting, and
astonished that his own work should have been so long
under the ban of a narrow and provincial schooling.
Vasari says, "Jl- soombecame apparent that Raphael
had been at Florence, since,„ thanks to having seenjso
many things by first-rate masters, he so varied and
embellished his manner that his second style seemed to
have had no connection with the first." * As he came
and saAv the half-finished altar-pieces, it must have
occurred to him that he would have designed them on
other lines if he had had to compose them afresh ; but
being above all a practical man, and having to consider
the covenants which he had made, he changed his style
so far only as Avas compatible with the form which his
work had already assumed ; and this is probably the
true explanation of that which gives interest to the
"Madonna" of Sant' Antonio: the union in one picture
of the best of the Peruginesque time with the earliest
of the Florentine period.
Not the least, probably, that Raphael would have
done, had it been possible to begin the altar-piece
of Sant' Antonio anew, would have been to modify
the relation of the lunette to the central picture.
There is hardly a later example in Raphael's practice
of that Umbrian form of arrangement which connects,
yet keeps apart, the Virgin enthroned and the attend
ance of saints from the vision of the Eternal and
his accompaniment of seraphs. In the " Madonna "
* Vas. viii. p. 9.

Chap. V.] "MADONNA OF SANT' ANTONIO." 219
of Sant' Antonio the lunette is a separate picture.
The Heavenly Father is depicted as an aged man
with a bald head and dark forked beard, with a
golden globe in his left hand, and his right hand
raised in the act of benediction. Tavo seraphs float in
the blue ether behind him, and two Avinged angels,
one on the left with his fingers joined in prayer, one
on the right with his arms across his breast, are
poised in the heaven at his side. Beneath this the
Virgin is seen seated on an elaborate throne, a wide
chair of stone on ornamental plinths backed with
cloth of crimson and gold, and protected by green
hangings and a circular canopy. On her knee the
infant Saviour sits clothed in a white tunic, edged
with \blue, the parti-coloured scapular of St. Anthony
of Padua embroidered on his shoulder, and a brown
belt and cloak of blue over his limbs. In the words
of an old record, " amiculis indutum," he was clothed
because the nuns, as Vasari tells us, were not to
look at the nakedness of little children. Hence, too,
the boy Baptist to the right, who presses forward
under the guidance of the Virgin's, hand, is also
dressed, though an infant, in the shirt of camel's hair
and robes of green and gold and purple. He looks up
lovingly at the infant Christ, who answers him with
a blessing. At the sides, to the right St. Margaret
and St. Paul, to the left St. Catherine and St. Peter,
in front of a landscape of hills under a clear sky.
It is strange at a period which we know to have
produced the " St. George," the " St. Michael," and
the " Graces," to see the pure Raphaelesque art,

220 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.
which reveals itself in the faultless head and oval
face of a Virgin modelled in the form of the Connesta
bile " Madonna," disguised, so to speak, in old
Umbrian costume — a tunic of which the seams are
embossed with golden ornaments, a blue mantle
sprinkled with golden spangles, after the fashion of
Pinturicchio. The quaintness of these vestments, the
old-fashioned air of the infant Christ and Baptist, must
have struck Raphael when he came home as some
thing that he would have avoided if he had been in
Florence earlier ; but it was done and it was there ;
and such relief as he could give by richness of tone
and purity of harmony, he now imparted to the best
of his power. The Eternal in the lunette might
strike him as reminiscent of that Avhich his father had
created in the Buffi altar-piece at Urbino, or Perugino
had designed for the " Baptism " at the. Sixtine, or
the "Ascension of San Pietro " of Perugia; he might
even think the face reminiscent of the Father in the
" Creation of Eve " at Cittk di Castello, but here, too,
it was late to make a change. The seraphs and the
left-hand angel might appear to him too like those of
the "Coronation." But these also he resolved not
to change ; the angel to the right, whose shape
recalls Perugino and Santi, he animated with a new
breath of the life of the Florentines. But where
the influence of Tuscan art is most sensible, is in
the Saints attending on the Virgin, because appa
rently more had been left to be done to them than to
the rest of the picture. The profile of St. Catherine
with her palm and wheel was made to combine the

Chap. V.] "MADONNA OF SANT' ANTONIO."

221

guileless forms of the " Coronation " angels, and the
more conscious ones of Baccio della Porta, whilst
the "St. Margaret" united similar elements with
something of Lionardesque grace in dimpled smile,
pretty ribbons, a tasteful trim of hair, and wreaths of
pure Avhite roses. St. Peter looking out of the
picture will still suggest memories of Perugino and
even of Giovanni Santi, but the sternness of the head,
the studied drawing of the feet, the subtle rendering
of natural movement in the hand, of Avhich a finger is
lost in the leaves of the book, and the broad sweep of
the drapery, tell as clearly of Florentine elements
commingled with Umbrian teaching as the grand
severity of air or the pose and expression of St. Paul,
leaning on the SAVord, Avhose shape foreshadows the
still more perfect one of that in the " St. Cecilia" of
Bologna. In short, the monumental attitudes, the
breadth of the forms, the grace and beauty of the
females, and the grand style of the draperies prove
absolutely Raphael's study of the works of Da Vinci
and Della Porta.*

* This altar-piece is now in
London, on wood, 8 Roman palms
square. The only documents re
lative to it are those which refer
to its sale. In May, 1677, the
nuns of S. Antonio hegged per
mission to sell it "to pay their
debts, and because the surface in
some parts was flaking away."
On the 7th of May the central
panel and lunette were valued at
1,800 scudi. They were sold on
the following day for 2,000 scudi

to Antonio Bigazzini, a Perugian
noble, who bound himself to sub
stitute a copy for the original.
Shortly after this the picture came
into the hands of the Colonna
family at Rome, and thence to the
royal palace at Naples, where it
remained till the expulsion of the
Bourbons. It came into the hands
of the Duke of Ripalda, who
leaves it in store in the National
GaUery. The sale price is said to
be £40,000. The scaling which

222

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

The altar-piece of the Ansidei, designed for a
chapel in the Church of San Fiorenzo, probably struck
Raphael in the same way as the "Madonna" of Sant'
Antonio. It doubtless struck him as a model sug
gestive of old and provincial fashion.
The Virgin enthroned, seems enshrouded in drapery,
the mantle on her head covering all but her waist
and right knee. Like a hood edged with gold, it
frames the face, the throat and Avaist, leaving bare the
thin veil that protects the fair hair and the fresh
young countenance with its dignified look and droop
ing eyelids. Opening at the neck it shows the upper
hem of the red dress wrought with an embroidered
monogram. It is a youthful mother who looks down

was apparent in 1677 was pro
bably due to a horizontal split in
the panel which runs along the
eyes of the two female saints, and has
given occasion for some unfortu
nate patching. Besides this the sur
face has been unequally cleaned
and retouched on more than one
occasion, whence a worn and
washed out appearance. (See
Giornale di Erud. Tosc. u. s. iii.
pp. 310-15.) It has been said that
the principal group of the Virgin,
Child, and Baptist was copied
from an older altar-piece of 1498,
by Bernardino di Perugia (Pali-
ard in Gaz. des Beaux Arts, vol.
xvi. anno 1877, p. 259), now in
the Gallery of Perugia. There is
no doubt the central group is
almost the same in both pictures.
But there is no proof that Ber-
hardinus painted his version in
1498. On the contrary, the pic

ture which he did paint in that
year, a Virgin and Child with
two angels, in the church of La
Bastia near Fabriano, inscribed
" BELARDINVS DE PERVSIA PISTSIT,
1498," snows by its elementary
execution that the painter's skill
was not then equal to the produc
tion of ;the altar-pieces resembling
Raphael's. This must have been
done later and probably after
the completion of Raphael's at
Sant' Antonio ; and this is the
more likely as there is also a
" Coronation " by the same Ber-
nardinus in the Gallery of Perugia,
which imitates that of Perugino
from S. Francesco del Monte. Ber
nardino of Perugia, who is not
to be confounded with Pinturicchio,
is therefore the copyist and not
the precursor of Raphael in the
case before us.

Chap. V.] "MADONNA OF SANT' ANTONIO." 223
at the book that lies on the folds of the cloak on her
knee; her hands and fingers are curved over the
leaves, whilst the right reposes on the shoulders of the
pensive child that sits cross-legged on her lap and
holds in its fingers the blue and gold-striped sash
which Avinds round its arm and body. St. Nicholas,
in a white jewelled mitre, stands reading below,
bending to the book in his left hand, a splendid
crozier in his right, his neck muffled in a white cloth,
over which a deep green pivial with an orange lining
and gilt borders is fastened with a bishop's brooch.
Under the folds of this ample vestment pleats of a
white surplice are visible, itself falling short of a
black robe beneath which the saint's red shoes appear.
Three metal balls on the floor are the emblem of the
bishop's sanctity. John the Baptist, steadily planted
on the right foot, the left leg forward, bare-armed
and bare-legged, in camel's-hair tunic, and a bloocl-
red mantle edged with gold, holds a crystal cross in
his left hand.
The picture appears to have been conceived with
the trust of one who thought to be true to Umbrian
form for ever. In accordance with Perugian tra
dition, the arched porch enframes a view of sky and
hills, a stone plinth forms the throne, to which carved
steps lead, the throne supports being edged with
Greek borders, in harmony Avith the ornament of the
niche and dossal, the green canopy and its scolloped
fringe and festoons of hanging corals. The Virgin,
high on the throne, the saints on the floor below, all
this is variegated with gay tints of vestments and

224

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. A'.

accessories and much gilding of phylacteries and
borders. Here, again, as in the " Madonna" of Sant'
Antonio, Raphael had but to strive by dint of in
genuity to deck the old lines with new surroundings.
He therefore kept only so much gold as might give
light and sparkle to the locks of the Virgin and
Child, or relief to the borders of their dresses; he
surrendered embossments and spangles, and to the
blanket texture of lined and double stuffs he imparted
a better SAveep, which to some extent concealed the
old Perugian system of drapery fold. This, with rich
and intense colours and hatchings of shadowed flesh,
carefully tempered by scumbles and glazes which
damped the glare of strong and variegated tones, gave
to the altar-piece that brightness and gloss and light
which, notwithstanding its old form, still make the
altar-piece of the Ansidei the object of a constant
pilgrimage to the Palace of Blenheim.*
The current of Raphael's thought and his art, when

* Blenheim. AVood. 9 ft. h.
by 5 ft. Bought by Lord Robert
Spenser through Gavin Hamilton
in 1764, from the church of San
Fiorenzo on condition of furnishing
a copy (which still exists in the
place of the original) by Niccola
Monti. Lord R. Spenser gave the
picture to his brother, the Duke
of Marlborough. On the frieze
beneath the canopy are the words
SALVE MATER CHRISTI." On the
bordeT of the Virgin's mantle near
the left hand is the date mdvi,
and not as stated by Passavant
(Raph. ii. p. 31) and Waagen

(Treasures, iii. 127-8), jidv. This
picture is very fairly preserved, but
the sky and the porch, and particu
larly that part of the porch to the
right, is made cold by rubbing down.
The pavement of warm reddish
yellow is likewise somewhat
cleaned off, and the whole is thus
in some measure out of focus, the
less cleaned parts being darker
than the rest. The drapery of the
Virgin's mantle is not a good
specimen of Raphael's art, and is
probably due to the inferior hand
of a disciple.

Chap. V.] THE "MADONNA ANSIDEI." 225

he composed the " Madonna Ansidei," maybe guessed
in part from the picture, in part from the draAvings
which preceded it. The time in which the altar-piece
was finished, as shown by the cyphers of 1505 or 6
on the hem of the Virgin's mantle and the Perugin
esque character of the contour as displayed in some
designs, indicate the interval Avhich elapsed between
the beginning and completion of the work. If the
Umbrian craftsman stands revealed in the distribution
or the architecture and accessories, and sometimes in
poor and addled folds of drapery, he betrays himself
equally in the attitude and faces of one at least of the
attendant saints. Raphael had a tendency, of Avhich
he was long in divesting himself, to produce female
hands short of finger and nail. His habit of making
vanishing foreshortenings in heads recurs as late as
the period of the " St. Catherine " of the National
Gallery, and both these characteristics are found at
Blenheim. But when Raphael gives to masculine
extremities a coarse and unrefined shape, we know
that he is not yet far on the way towards freeing
himself from Umbrian influences. His " St. Nicholas "
at Blenheim has a certain likeness to the suitors in
the "Sposalizio" of Milan, but his figure of the
Baptist is brought out in strong Peruginesque feel
ing, and with those peculiarly ungentle projections
of hand and foot which also disfigured the older
practice of Perugino.
There is a shade of the Florentine in the larger
and more powerful scantling of the frame, and evi
dence of the later progress of the work is also appa-

226 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. Y.
rent in the brighter colouring and its more perfect
blending. In the greater freedom and more ideal
rendering of the Virgin's head, and a broader sweep
of form generally, Ave discern that, hoAvever early the
first touches may have been put in, the later touches
were given after the production of the " Madonna di
Terranuova " and the " Eternal " of San Severo.
One of the first thoughts for the " Madonna An
sidei," a pen drawing at Frankfort, represents the
Virgin and Child enthroned and St. Nicholas of
Tolentino in attendance. A throne and canopy Avith
strings of corals, an arched porch and carved plinths,
are clearly contemporary Avith those which Ave observe
at Blenheim.* But other preparatory sheets prove
that the composition had been engaging his thoughts
at the very time Avhen he composed the subjects for
the Sienna Library and the predellas of the Vatican.
The Virgin bending to a book in her left hand in the
Lille Collection, f almost as early as the angels of the
Vatican " Coronation," was draAvn from a male model,
even to the hand Avhich forms a separate study on the

* Frankfort. Stasdel Collection.
10 in. h. by 6J. Pen and umber
drawing, arched at top. The
Virgin is turned in the same
direction as the Virgin of Blen
heim. But her fingers play with
one foot of the pretty Infant Christ,
who gives the benediction. To

t Lille Mus. No. 704. Silver-
point drawing from a model in
hose and jerkin. The head at
three-quarters to the left. The
left hand raised and holding the
book. The figure is seen to the
knees, below which is a study of
the hand with the book. M. 0-26

the left the saint holds an open I h. byO'17J. Passavant (ii. No. 375)
book in his left and a crucifix in calls this a study for the " Madonna
his right. From the Lankrink, del Cardellino," but it is much
Dawson-Turner, Lawrence and earlier in date and not in the
King of Holland's collections. movement of that figure.

Chap. V.]

THE "MADONNA ANSIDEI."

227

lower part of the sheet. But on the shoulders of the
model a female head was set. and for this a separate
design was also completed, Avhich reveals the same
advance upon the figure as a whole as the Virgin's face
in the picture reveals an advance on the rest of the
altar-piece. Yet neither of these outlines came to be the
exact counterpart of. the "Madonna Ansidei," because
the master finally set the hand and book in a different
way, and turned the Virgin's face in the contrary
direction. Yet there is still a distinct connection
between these pieces and the bust of a girl — that
lovely silver-point drawing of a maiden with down
cast eyes in the Malcolm Collection, which seems
clearly to have been the concluding effort to realise
the features of the Madonna in the outline of Lille.*
Later on in the Florentine period the same leaves
Avere collected to form the beautiful version of a
"Virgin and Child Avith a Book," which, with its
two little fragments of landscape and separate study
for the Infant Christ, form one of the treasures of
the Oxford Gallery. j" It is interesting to trace similar
features of water, walls, and towers, both in the
sketch and the Blenheim altar-piece.

* Malcolm Coll. Bust of a
young girl, in silver-point on pre
pared paper. 10j in. h. by 7J.
From the Ottley, Lawrence, AVood-
burne, King of Holland, and
Wellesley collections. The head
is at three-quarters to the left, in
veil and hood, showing the hair
twisted off the temples, the left
ear, and the throat. The hood

fastened at the bosom with a
jewelled brooch, highly finished
and shaded. On the obverse of
this drawing is a sketch of a youth.
t Oxford Gall. No. 23. Pen
and ink sketch of the Virgin seen
to the knees, seated, with the
naked infant on her knees. She
holds the hook, with the leaves of
which the infant plays. In the
<2 2

228

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

But the connection of all these drawings is not with
the "Ansidei Madonna" alone. The Virgin of the
Malcolm Collection in its type and features recalls
" The Virgin " of Terranuova, and the children in
that picture are cast, as we shall see, in the mould of
those at the Eternal's side in " The Trinity " of San
Severo, whilst the studies for the Eternal are similar
to each other, whether intended for the fresco or the
lunette of Sant' Antonio.
As in the composition of the "Ansidei Madonna,"
so in that of other contemporary masterpieces Ave have
a set of progressive studies which reveals the gradual
expansion of Raphael's mind. There are sketches for
the altar-piece of Sant' Antonio and the frescos of San
Severo which enable us to track the master's way in
the gradual cleA^elopment of his art. The fine silver-
point figure at Oxford, which shoAvs " God the
Father " in half-length, with open palms, looking
down from a cloud, seems but a variety of a pen
outline at Lille, in which the head is turned another
AA'ay and one hand is raised in the act of benediction.*

distance a bridge, buildings, hills.
On the back of the sheet a repeti
tion of the child in larger size.
From the Lagoy, Dimsdale and
Lawrence coUections. 4^ in. h. by
5§in. Oxford Gall. No. 24. Study
in pen and ink for the landscape
of the foregoing. Same size. From
the same collections.
The drawing of a head and legs.
Pen sketch. 0-45 h. by 0-16 in
the Lille Coll. is described as a

study for the Baptist of the Blen
heim altar-piece, but differs from it
in turn and action of the head and
legs, and differs from it in this, that
the handling is that of a later period.
Yet the art is that of Raphael.
The authors fail to recoUect the
study of " St. Nicholas " described
as being in the Gallery of Stock
holm by Pass. ii. No. 312.
* Oxford Gall. No. 30. Study
for the figure of a young man
looking down from the clouds.

Chap. V.] THE TERRANUOVA " MADONNA."

229

Neither of these leaves differ in style from the full
length at Oxford apparently conceived to represent
the first person of the Trinity.* Yet not one of these
pieces seems exactly to have suited the purpose for
which it was intended, as Raphael did not use them
in any of the Avorks with Avhich we are acquainted.
For the Terranuova "Madonna" the period of fruition
may be traoed much further and much longer. As far
back in his career as the time of the Connestabile
' ' Madonna, ' ' Raphael had imagined a group of the Virgin
and Child Avith the Infant John and two male Saints,
of which a finished drawing was made on the back
of the very sheet on which the cartoon- of the Connes
tabile "Madonna" Avas thrown.! When he finished this

Silver-point on pale cream-coloured
prepared ground. 9i in. h. by 7-j.
From the Wicar and Lawrence
collections. Slight study, partly
shaded. On the reverse is a slight
design of a church or portico.
Lille Mus. No. 697. Pen
sketch, very rapid. From the
Fedi collection ; also seen to the
waist. The hand in benediction
is retouched. Size 0-11 h. by 0"10.
* Oxford Gall. No. 31. Silver-
point, on pale cream-coloured pre
pared ground. 8£ in. h. by 5|.
From the Antaldi and Woodburne
collections. Squared for transfer
to a cartoon, but, so far as we know,
never used. It is the figure of a
youth in hose and jerkin, seated,
looking to the right.
f Berlin. Print-room. 0-160 h.
by 0-125. On whity-grey paper.
Pen and umber drawing. To the

left the boy Baptist, in a coat and
mantle, at the Virgin's knee, hold
ing with the left hand the end of
the scroll, of which the other end
is held by the Infant Christ on
the Virgin's lap. She has hold of
the Boy with her right, and her
left is stretched out with a gesture
of surprise which assists the look
of wonder with which she glances
down at the two children. Behind
to the left a young saint, three-
quarters to the right. To the left
an aged saint with a forked beard,
whose hands are joined in prayer.
This beautiful drawing is not
without awkward defects in the
bundled drapery, and the curious
accident of the Virgin's hand and
the hands of the saint to the right
all coming together. But the
delicacy of the drawing, the grace
of the movement and expression

230

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

composition, Raphael found no occasion for transferring
it to a picture. Later on, as his skill improved, he re
peated the subject in a bolder though slighter shape
in a sheet which is now at Lille."" But even then the
subject remained unused. The journey to Florence
occurred and in his wanderings through the collections
of Florentine patricians, it almost seems as if Raphael
caught a neAv inspiration from one of the masterpieces
of Michelangelo. It had been Buonarotti' s chance
to paint a picture .of theJVirgin for Agnolo Doni
Avhich had given rise to a quarrel with which Florence
might have been full at the very time of Raphael's
visit. Agnolo Doni and his_ 3yif e— Magdalena were
amongst the noblest of Raphael's sitters. Nothing so
likely, as that Raphael should have been one of the
first to see in the rooms of the Doni that celebrated
round of the Holy Family Avhich iioav forms one of the
choicest ornaments of the collection of the Uffizi.
Under the influence of the impression which that
picture produced, Raphael may have recast the
subj_ect_of_ which he had already __made two ver
sions and produced the "Madonna" of Terranupva
which embodies all the sweetness of his older style
with a boldness, and strength and freedom of mani-

are lovely and purely Raphael
esque. From the Madrazo Collec
tion at Madrid. At the back the
cartoon of the Connestabile " Ma
donna," U.S.
* Lille Mus. No. 686. Pen
and umber, on white paper. 0'18
h. by 0-16. The same group, in a
bolder hand, of more rapid line,

arched at top. But this drawing
is disfigured by a patch, wdiich has
been put in and drawn upon, so
that the Virgin's left hand seems
to rest on the hip of the Infant
Christ. This and the whole of
the lower part of the infant, as
well as the arms and hand of the
old saint to the right, is modern.

Chap. V] INFLUENCE OF MICHAELANGELO. 231
pulation, and an_effective poise. ^f_ligllt_and_sliajde,
^ Ifflhert^unprecedented in his practice. In the two
drafts of the "Madonna" of Terranuova, which only
differ from each other so far as they were drawn at
different times and Avith a certain variety in the
handling, the principal group is that of the Virgin
seated with the Infant Christ on her lap, showing the
scroll to the boy Baptist at his side. The Virgin
expresses surprise alike by her glance and down-
Avard bend of head, and a gesture of the left hand.
The setting of the group is one-sided, but this is
ingeniously corrected by making the bearded saint to
the right behind the Virgin larger and more important
than the angel to the left. The later origin of the
Lille drawing seems indicated by the arching of the
upper part, from Avhich it may be inferred that
Raphael was studying to change the picture from
its original form of a square to that of a round. It
was apparently not till he had seen the circular panel
of Michaelangelo, or some masterpiece of a similar
kind at Florence, that he imagined the group of the
Virgin and Child and Baptist in a round Avithout
attendant saints, relieved against the Ioav AArall of a
court, and throAvn with an effect hitherto untried
against a strongly shadowed landscape. To balance
the composition, which now required some sort of
counterpoise to the figure of the Baptist, that of the
infant saint to the right Avas introduced, Avho looks so
beautifully and so archly at the tender commune of
the Saviour and St. John. Fruit of the journeys on
the way to Florence had been, as before observed, the

232

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

wonderful boulder, and the walled city and spires in
the distance of this splendid composition.*
There is reason to think, though time has dealt
hardly Avith the drapery of this picture, that it com
bined quite a Florentine massiveness of light and shade
Avith a glow of colour intense beyond anything pre
viously achieved. The way in which the shadoAving
of the background and that of the right side of the
figures is made to contrast Avith the lighting of the
hills and sky and that of the left side of the figures,
the cleverness Avith which the group is throAvn into
focus in front of the dark grey Avail Avhich separates
the Virgin from the landscape, is a masterpiece of
pictorial arrangement only to be explained by new
and very poAverful influences ; and to these Ave must
equally attribute the broader and more certain
modelling of the flesh, the more successful trans
parency of the shadoAVS, and the greater fairness of
the wheaten flesh tints. Peruginesque drapery, Avith
its blanket texture and loops and branches, remind
us still of an earlier time to which also Ave are
banned by the Avell-known features of the children,
whilst the breadth of the cast of folds and the
loveliness of the saints, combined with the greater
beauty of the Virgin, show that Raphael's style AA'as
being divested more and more of that Umbrian leaven
Avhich from this time onward gradually tended to
disappear altogether from his practice.-)"

* Antea, pp. 193-4.
t Berlin Museum. No. 247a.
Wood. 2 ft. 9f, or m. 0'87

in diameter. Originally in pos
session of the Dukes of Terra
nuova, first at Genoa, then at

Chap. V.]

FRESCO OF SAN SEVERO.

233

In the fresco of San Severo, which apparently was
ordered about the same moment as the Terranuova
"Madonna," two periods are distinctly marked: the
earlier, pointing to the time of Raphael's first visit to
Florence, the later, to a more intimate acquaintance
with the Florentine masterpieces of the 16 th century.
Nor is anything in the inscriptions Avith which the
fresco is furnished or in the state of the painting
itself to run counter to this belief. The monks of
San Severo had, it would seem, made a covenant with
Raphael to paint the " Trinity " and " Fathers of the
Church " in a lunette, and saints on the Avail below.
Raphael at intervals finished different parts of the
subject. He first composed the Eternal in clouds,
attended by two cherubs Avith scrolls, then the Saviour
in glory between tAvo angels in a company of saints.
But having got thus far he stopped, and after
Raphael's death Perugino completed the imperfect
decoration. It was then and not till then that inscrip-

Naples. Bought at Naples in
1854 for 30,000 scudi. Fairly
preserved. The blue mantle of
the Virgin, bleached to grey-blue.
Some light cleaned off the face of
the Infant Christ. Something
abraded from the cheek of the
Baptist. Some changes in the
outlines of the left hand of the
Virgin. But for this the picture
untouched. In the picture the
gesture of the hand of the Virgin
and the drapery are given with
much more skill than in the
Berlin drawing, and the arrange

ment of the hands of the Baptist
is altered, so that he takes the
scroll with his right instead of his
left, and so is enabled to hold a.
little cross which is not in the
sketch. The boulder on the right
side of the picture is the same as
that in the Venice sketch-book,
and the same in its principal fea
tures as the rock in the landscape
of the "Vision of the Knight."
The study for the Infant Christ
in the collection of the Uffizi, noted
in Pass. ii. No. 115, is not a study
for the " Madonna di Terranuova."

234

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

tions Avere placed on the wall expressing the fact that
Raphael painted the " Trinity " in 1505, and Perugino
the attendant saints in 1521.* We can only see
in the terms of this inscription, Avhich Avas Avritten
after Raphael's death, a general statement of the fact
that Raphael undertook in 1505 a contract Avhich he
failed to carry out in its integrity, which indeed Avas
only completed with the help of the master, then aged
and decrepit, who had guided Raphael in his leading-
strings. It is difficult to judge at the present time of
the original beauty of Raphael's work at San Severo,
or even to discern what the aspect of the Eternal
may have been, as he sat Avith his hand on the book
imparting the blessing. The remnants of this all-
important figure are iioav little more than the hand on
the book Avith spot-like bits of a red dress and a
portion of the head and nimbus, AAliilst of the cherub
to the right the hips and legs alone remain. But the
fragment Avhich has been preserved will serve to
demonstrate that it was the first part of the com
position, to which Raphael applied himself; and the
large and fleshy forms of the cherubs shoAV by their
type and the way in which they are drawn, that the
models from which these children were taken were

* San Severo, Perugia. To the
right, beneath the frcsios of the
wall, are the words in capital
letters, " Raphael de Urbino
Domino Octaviano Stephani.
Volaterrano Priore Sanctam Trini-
tatem. Angelos astantes Sanctosq.
Pinxit, a.d. mdv." To the left,

" Petrns de Castro plebis Perusi-
nus tempore Domini Silvestri
Stephani A7olaterrani a dextris et
a Sinistris div. Christopheroe Sanc-
tos sanctasque pinxit, a.d. mdxxi."
Other remarks as to the condition
of this fresco, postea.

Chap. V.] FRESCO OF SAN SEVERO. 235
the same as those that served for the boys in the
" Madonna" of Terranuova.
That Raphael, having finished the altar-piece of
Sant' Antonio and the "Madonna" di Terranuova,
should haA'e made no further progress than this with
the fresco of San Severo, need scarcely create surprise.
He was probably pressed enough for time, having
to finish the "Madonna Ansidei" and its predellas;
the predellas, too, of Sant' Antonio, and the "Pax
Vobis " Avhich about this time was delivered to a
friend at Pesaro. A record of the period shows AA'hat
a busy artist he must have been. At the close of
December, 1505, the nuns of the Perugian convent
of Monte Luce were casting about for an artist to
paint a " Coronation of the Virgin," and they seem
to have asked their lay friends as Avell as their
spiritual advisers to point out to them what artist
they had best employ. The journals of the convent
state that Raphael appeared in the parlour of the
nuns on the 29th of December and signed a covenant
upon which he received an advance of thirty ducats,
Avhich he never succeeded in earning. The epithets
Avhich grace Raphael's name in these documents are
flattering to his skill and position at Perugia. He
was "the best painter known to the citizens of
Perugia," the best also in the opinion of the Fran
ciscans Avho had seen his works.* But to be the
best he must also have been the busiest, and of this

* See the extracts from the journals in Pungileone's Raphael,
u. s., pp. 192-3, and Pass. ii. 311.

236

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

we shall see that there is abundant proof. When he
painted the " Virgin and Saints " of Sant' Antonio, he
was not a solitary artist slowly working his way into
celebrity, he was a master with plenty of work before
"him., and a number of assistants to help him. Such
at least is the impression which his labours at this
time produce.
The predella of Sant' Antonio, divided into five
pictures representing " The Road to Golgotha," "The
Agony on the Mount," the "Pietk," "St. Francis,"
and " St. Anthony of Padua," Avere dispersed two
centuries ago to different collections; they are now,
as it were, isolated pictures ; — claiming attention for
themselves instead of being modestly lost in the
framings of a large altar-piece.* We must fancy
them in their original places, if Ave desire to be fairly
critical respecting them. It is hardly right to judge
of Raphael's quality by the labour which he gaAre to
the panels of a predella. On rare occasions it might
be all his oavu. More frequently he would share it
with a disciple, in some instances he Avould only be
answerable for the sketch.
As Raphaelesque designs carried out by Raphael's
disciples, the "St. Francis" and "St. Anthony" at
Dulvvich may once haAre been attractive. Time,
accident, and restoring have deprived them of almost

* The records of the sale to the
representatives of Christina, Queen
of Sweden, on the 7th of June,
1663, for 600 scudi, are in Giorn.
¦cLi Erud. Toscana, iii. p. 305 and ff.

See also the catalogue of her col
lection in Campori, Raccolta di
Cataloghi, p. 359, and the cata
logue of the Orleans collection in
AVaagen's Treasures, ii. 194.

Chap. V.] PREDELLAS OF SANT' ANTONIO.

237

all charm.* Better preserved, yet not originally
Avithout conspicuous defects, the " Agony in the
Garden" at. Lady Burdett Coutts' represents a scene
from the " Passion " in quite a prosaic form. Whilst
the Saviour kneels on the Mount to receive the cup,
the three Apostles lie sleeping on the ground. The
leArel of a very ordinary realism has been hardly
attained by one who probably followed Raphael's
lines, but who, as he painted, overran or fell short
of the contours set forth by his chief.")" The subject
nobly carried out by Perugino in a celebrated altar-
piece at Florence, had already been better designed by
another disciple of the master in a small picture at
Urbino which was afterAvards honoured, though Avith

* Dulwich Gallery. No. 306.
AVood. 9J in. h. by 63J in. St.
Anthony turned to the left, the
head to the right, with the book
and lily (new). The head has
been abraded and restored. A
piece was added to the left side of
the panel.
No. 307. S. Francis with the
cross and book. Head and body
turned to the right. The lower
part of the face injured and re
touched. f London. Lady Burdett Coutts.
From the collections, Queen Chris
tine, Orleans, Bryant, and Lord
Eldin (Edinburgh). Purchased at
the sale of the poet Rogers. Wood.
9£ in. h. by 11. A copy of this
piece, obviously made from the
same cartoon as the original, be
longs to Professor Aus'm Weerth at
Bonn, who bought it for 400thalers.

A copy of old date, very thick in
the pigment, and pallid in the
flesh tints. Like its counterpart
it contains short muscular figures
of coarse mould, copied without
selection from ordinary models.
The Christ especially is without
elevation, of burly person and
quaintly furnished with copious
chough of hair. Some retouching,
ex. gr., in the hands of the Saviour,
and some cleaning generally have
injured the picture. Of this and
the two other panels of the Sant'
Antonio predella, there is a
copy of the year 1663, by Claudio
Inglesio Gallo, in the church of
S. Antonio at Perugia. It tells
us that the picture of the "Agony"
was on the left, that of the "Pieta"
on the right of the " Golgotha.''
See also Giornale di Erud. Tosc.
iii. 309-10.

238

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

slight regard to truth, Avith the name of Raphael
himself.* But in spite of all defects, the " Christ on
the Mount" still charms by SAveetness of tone and
that indescribable quality Avhich makes everything
Raphaelesque fair to look upon.
More skilfully treated, more moAlng and less
servilely on Perugino's lines, the "Pieta" of Mr.
Dawson attracts not the less that the usual architec
tural surroundings familiar to the Umbrians, are
replaced by a landscape and trees. As in Perugino's
version of the same subj ect at the Florentine Academy,
the Virgin mourns over the body of the dead Christ,
Avhose form is supported on her lap by the Evangelist.
The Magdalen lies prostrate at the feet AAliich she
kisses, and Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea griev
ing look on at each side of the composition. -j- Here
Raphael's Avork excels in delicacy of religious feeling
and melody of tone.
" The Road to Golgotha " in the collection of Leigh
Court takes the form of an antique frieze reproducing

* This picture once belonged to
Mr. Fuller Maitland, and is now
catalogued without a name in the
National Gallery. See reasons for
assigning it to Spagna in History of
Italian Painting, iii. 308. A copy
of this picture fairly old in date
was exhibited at Rome in 1870, in
the convent of S. M. degli Angeli,
as the property of Signor Ignazio
del Frate.
t Mr. M. H. Dawson. AArood.
9|in. h. by 11 in. From the
Christine, Orleans, collection. Sold
lor £60 at the Bryant sale in 1798.

Passed into the collections of Bon-
nemaison, Rechberg (Munich), Sir
Th. Lawrence, and M. A. AVhyte,
of Barron Hill. Nicodemus to
the left holds the nails. To the
right Joseph of Arimathea, in a
turban, clasps his hands and looks
at the dead Christ. Compare
Perugino's Pieta, of 1493-4, No.
58, in the Academy of Arts at
Florence. The head and nude of
the Saviour are fine ; the colour
rich and harmonious, and the
whole fairly preserved.

Chap. V.] PREDELLAS OF SANT' ANTONIO. 239
the various incidents of a procession. Foremost to
the right tAvo riders in Eastern dress, one in a turban
with a lance and pennon, pacing forward and looking
back ; the other, also turbaned, firmly seated and Avith
strong grip curbing the fire of his charger. In the
centre, Christ Avith the cross on his shoulder, dragged
by an executioner, Avho hauls at him with a rope, is
saved from sinking by the help of Joseph of Arima
thea. The ground is kept at the sides by four
characteristic figures of guards. In rear of the cross
the Virgin drops into the arms of the Maries, and
John the Evangelist Avrings his hands as he sees her
fainting. We note the study of horses and horsemen,
which served to produce the suite of "iEneas Sylvius "
and the " St. George " of the Louvre. Such faults as
squareness of shape or excess of stride in the Christ, or
strained action in the executioner, due no doubt to
the hand of a disciple, are counterbalanced by study
of nature in the fainting Virgin and grieving John,
by ease in the sit and movement of the riders and
energetic impulse in the gesture of the Evangelist.
But here again the picture attracts chiefly by sweet
ness and richness of colour and a delightful combina
tion of harmonious tones in- the variegated dresses of
the soldiers and guards, and a landscape of plain and
hill and towers. Unless Ave fancy that Raphael
found the design for the fainting Virgin in his
master's portfolio, as he may well have done in
Florence in 1504, we must assume that he painted
the central panel of the predella of Sant' Antonio
after August, 1505, since Perugino introduced the

240

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

same group, of which he indeed Avas the originator,
into the "Descent from the Cross," which he com
pleted after it had been left unfinished by Fra Filippo,
in 1504, at Santa Maria de' Servi at Florence.*
It is to this period of Raphael's striving that we
should ascribe the "Pax Vobis" at Brescia, a
miniature half-length of Christ, in Avhich the modelled
flesh, covering a large superstructure of bone, betrays
a desire to adopt the naturalism of the Florentines.
It is not unpleasant to see some of the tenderness of
the Umbrians and some of the conventionalisms of the
Perugian school still clinging to the master whose
charm is kept up as of old by handling of very
subtle workmanship and colouring of great delicacy, "j*

* Leigh Court. Wood. 9| in. h.
by 2 ft. 9J in. From the Orleans
Collection. This panel was sold
to Mr. Hibbert for £150, then
to Mr., late Sir W. Miles. Here
too we notice short, thick-set
models of fleshy character, with
large and coarse extremities. The
picture is fairly preserved, but
somewhat enfeebled by cleaning
in the group of the Virgin and
Maries. Compare the " Descent
from the Cross," by Lippi and
Perugino, at the Servi in Florence,
for which the contract was made
by the latter on the 5th of Aug.,
1505, and who finished it in 1506.
(Vas. Sansoni, ed. iii. p. 586.)
Passavant notices (ii. 29) a Christ
similar to that of Leigh Court in
the Bridgewater collection in
London, and says it is ascribed to
Raphael. But this statement con
tains several errors. The picture

is in the Stafford Gallery. Christ
carries the cross on the right
shoulder and not on the left as
at Leigh Court, and the name of
the painter is not Raphael but
Spagna. A fair old copy of the predella
of Leigh Court is in the Piancia-
tichi collection at Florence.
A pen drawing, copied from the
picture in reverse is No. 519 in the
Uffizi at Florence. It came from
the Santarelli collection.
A drawing of two horsemen, at a
gallop, riding to the right, washed
in umber, in the Ambrosiana at
Milan, might be taken for a study
for this picture, but that it is not
by Raphael.
t Brescia. Tosi Collection. From
the Mosca family at Pesaro. Wood.
11 J in. h. by 9 J. The grey-blue
sky fades down into the horizon,
which is bounded by a screen of

Chap. V.] BOWOOD PREDELLA. 241
Passing from this to the predella of the "Madonna
Ansidei " at Bowood, we shall see that Peruginesque
tradition still lingers in the artist's mind, though
Florentine lessons are slowly working to permeate
and change his style. St. John to the right, stands
cross in hand, on a grassy elevation preaching to a
crowd of listeners. Three in front are seated and one
is standing, all heedless of two naked children playing
at their feet. Next to these on the left are three men,
one seen from behind, one in profile, the third in full
front. To the extreme left are dignitaries in various
attitudes, one of them obese, Avith his thumbs in his
belt. Between the two last groups a servant waits
on horseback, and as a background to the whole the
landscape of sky and hills is partly veiled by clumps
of dark-leaved trees.
The Baptist would remind us most of Perugino,
but that in form and build he displays a larger
scantling than the Umbrian, and a weight of bone
similar to that which characterizes the figures of
Ghirlandaio in the " Sermon of John" at Santa Maria
Novella at Florence. Quaint bits of headgear like
that of the man in a violet conical cap in the centre
of the picture are distinctly traceable to the painting-
room at Perugia. The vanishing of the foreshorten-
ings of some heads is Umbrian, but amongst the
foremost figures in the first and last rows of listeners,

trees and brown ground. Long
hair is covered with a crown of
green thorns. A small beard
grows about the chin and lips.

The red hip-cloth is wound round
the body and falls over the arm
which is raised in the act of bene
diction. R

242

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

some are distinguishable whose grand repose and
picturesque vestments recall the models of Masaccio
at the Brancacci, Avhilst others exhibit the natural
freedom of the Florentines contrasted with the tradi
tional attitudes of the Perugians. It is curious,
indeed, to find combinations of tAvo styles in one
picture; — superabundance of dress and broken folds
in some figures, and moderation coupled Avith monu
mental grandeur of drapery in others. The line of
hills forming the distance, the grove that intercepts
the sky and the rich velvety texture of A'aried colours
are Umbrian and Raphaelesque. The playfulness of
the tAvo boys who struggle for a seat at the feet
of the foremost sitters charmingly commingles the
innocent and grave. We remember the studies of the
Venice sketch-book in which Raphael catches a group
of children pulling at a dead sucking-pig.*
We see Raphael's connection with the Tuscan
capital becoming closer as we look into the pictures
which he painted in these days. Pity that history
and records should fail to give evidence of that which
pictures so convincingly prove. But if Ave should
venture to theorize on a matter so difiicult, Ave might
presume that after having been at Florence for a time
at the close of 1504, Raphael temporarily, but at

* Bowood, but once the pro
perty of Lord R. Spencer. Wood.
1 ft. 8^ in. long by 10£ in. h. A
sweetly coloured picture, not i'ree
from injury from unequal cleaning
and partial restoring. Conspicu

ously in the spirit of Masaccio is
the foreground standing figure to
the left, and the foreground sitting
figure to the right. Florentine in
movement are the two hindermost
listeners next to St. John.

Chap. V.] FLORENCE OR PERUGIA? 243
repeated intervals, absented himself from that city in
order to revisit the place of his early adoption. We
recollect that in December, 1505, he took the
contract from the nuns of Monte Luce. He may
have been at Perugia fitfully at other moments during
which he finished the altar-pieces and predellas of
Sant' Antonio and Ansidei. It Avould be the duty of
his pupils and assistants to labour at the subordinate
parts of these compositions, leaving it to himself to
give the final masterstrokes. We should tliink there
is evidence of this not merely in considerable parts
of the predellas which have been described, but in
the whole design and execution of portions of the
"Madonna" Ansidei, since Ave cannot attribute to the
master himself any part of the defective work which
disfigures the drapery of the Virgin's cloak in that
otherwise beautiful altar-piece. Yet Ave may still
believe that whilst Raphael came inspecting, correct
ing, and directing to his painting-room at Perugia,
he left behind another similar painting-room at
Florence, Avhither, after his journeys to the South,
he would return to perform exactly the same duties
as those he had performed at Perugia.
There is no practical difficulty in supposing that
the Terranuova "Madonna" Avas executed at least in
part at Florence, but then the upper portion of the
fresco of San Severo Avas undertaken almost at the
same time at Perugia. The moment came when
the "Madonna del Gran' Duca," and the small
"Madonna" of Lord Cowper Avere composed, both
of which appear to have been amongst the earliest
11 2

244 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

works that were begun and completely finished in the
Tuscan capital.
In order to understand Raphael's course at Florence
we must ask ourselves, who the artists were whose
company he frequented. Perugino seems to be the
artist, Perugino's the practice to Avhich Raphael and
his practice seem in these days to have most re
semblance. Perugino had left the Umbrian country
in autumn, 1504, perhaps had even taken Raphael
Avith him to Florence. In November and December,
then in January and February, 1505, we find him
Avrangling with the agents of the Marchioness of
Mantua about a picture which he seemed unwilling
or unable to compose. In the midst of this wrangle
Perugino disappeared, and it Avas not without surprise
that those who wanted him found the Patriarch, as he
was called, on his way to Perugia. Whilst Isabel
Gonzaga thought he was finishing her " Triumph of
Chastity," he Avas covering a Avail of twenty -tAvo feet
square Avith an "Epiphany" at Cittk della Pieve, and
composing a "Martyrdom of St. Sebastian" in the
Church of Panicale. Six weeks sufficed to perform
the journey and paint the pictures, and the patriarch
Avas home at the end of April and ready to deliver
the " Triumph of Chastity." At the close of June,
with Lorenzo di Credi, and Giovanni delle Corgniole,
to value the mosaics of Monte di Giovanni, for a
chapel in the cathedral, was but the business of a
day. We can fancy that Raphael's life Avas very like
Perugino's at this period. Unsettled, active, he was

Chap. V.] THE ARTIST ON HIS TRAVELS. 245.
a travelling and travelled painter ; but in the in
tervals, when he remained at Florence, he had the
advantage of old relations with Perugino, and if he
should have to suffer from the enmities, he was fairly
sure to profit by the friendships, Avhich the patriarch
enjoyed. That meeting Avhich Ave just saw Perugino
hold with Lorenzo di Credi, might have been wit
nessed by Raphael, who surely would try his utmost
to become acquainted with all the masters, Avho had
been fellow disciples with Perugino in the workshop
of Verrocchio. Lionardo, another of these disciples,
was seriously busy, beginning to paint on the walls
of the public palace, from the great cartoon, which
he had finished at Santa Maria Novella. As early
as February, 1505, the scaffoldings and ladders for
this great enterprise had been set up in the town-
hall. At no great distance, in the church of the
Servi, Perugino himself was about to finish the
"Entombment" Avhich Filippino had left a fragment,
and Da Vinci had neglected to complete. What fell
to Raphael's OAvn share to do, is not so certainly on
record, but he was not idle, we may be sure, and
when his labours were over in the painting-room,
he doubtless wandered into the Brancacci chapel to
study Masaccio ; past Orsanmichele to look at the
statues of Donatello, into Santa Maria Nuova to
admire the " Last Judgment " of Baccio della Porta,
or into Santa Maria Novella to wonder at the grand
creations of Domenico Ghirlandaio. Baccio d' Agnolo,
the friend and crony of Perugino, whom he had
known at Perugia, kept a shop in one of the Floren-

246 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.
tine streets, and there Michaelangelo or the lesser
masters of the artistic guilds would come and ex
change greetings. It was here, we may believe, that
the greatest of Florentine sculptors first heard of the
rising talents of the Umbrian youth, who was to be
his rival at Rome. Here Raphael came to take
counsel from the large experience of the architects
Cronaca, Giuliano, and Antonio da San Gallo, the
three masters who had just succeeded in trans
porting Michaelangelo's " David " into the public
square of the city. Andrea Sansovino would teach
him to respect the difficulties of monumental sculp
ture which he had just illustrated in works of mark
in Portugal. Granacci would remind him of the
bygone days Avhen Florentine art rose to its noblest
form under the hand of Domenico Ghirlandaio.
Whilst he listened to the wisdom of these older
hands, his youth and similarity of taste would tempt
him to join the younger frequenters of Baccio's shop ;
and close friendship would most naturally arise with
men exactly of his own age, such as Ridolfo Ghir
landaio, whilst the fun of Bastiano da San Gallo,
then apprentice to Perugino, would give him a fore
taste of those ingenious artistic discussions which
contributed to obtain for their originator the nick
name of Aristotle.
But in the bottega of Baccio d' Agnolo Raphael
would not meet Avith artists only, he might chance,
and he did chance, to make acquaintances most useful
in a worldly sense; he secured the patronage of
Lorenzo Nasi, whose palace, uoav inhabited by the

Chap. V.] HIS FRIENDS AT FLORENCE. 247
family of Torregiani, had been planned by Baccio :
and he won the friendship of Taddeo Taddei, one of
the literary worthies, who patronized Michaelangelo,
and corresponded later with Bembo, and Avhose house
in the Via de' Ginori, noAV knoAvn as the Pecori-
Giraldi palace, Avas also built after Baccio's designs.*
We shall see that, in a letter written in 1508, Raphael
recommended Taddeo Taddei to Battista Ciarla, with
expressions of love and gratitude, from AAliich it is
clear that he OAved as much to that gentleman in
the years of his striving at Florence, as to any of the
more celebrated patrons, whose names pictorial annals
have preserved.t By other means, perhaps by the
voice of common fame, he acquired the patronage of
the Doni, whose likenesses, as we have seen, he
painted soon after his first migration from Perugia,
though not before he had learnt to become enthu
siastic for the style of Lionardo da Vinci.
It may not be stated as an absolute fact, it can only
be gathered from a consideration of the practice which
pictures reveal, that Raphael's intercourse with Lio
nardo was difficult and sIoav. A man of such celebrity
as Da Vinci might not absolutely repel the advances of
a youth like Raphael, considering the friendship Avhich
probably bound Lionardo to Perugino. But the mag
nitude of his engagements would possibly not allow
him to give up much time even to so promising an
artist. The winning manner, for which Raphael is
celebrated, and the ardent admiration of Da Vinci,

* Vas. ix. p. 225. | t See postea.

248 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. V.
which his works for a time display, cannot have been
without influence in making close the ties which
evidently bound the two masters at last. The Lio-
nardesque feeling in Raphael struck root deeply, but
it struck root sloAvly, and it is difficult to find any
thing more in the first examples of Raphael's Floren
tine style than a general influence and grafting of the
Florentine manner on the Umbrian stock.
But with what potent and Irresistible force that
influence Avas felt, is apparent already in its full effect
in the "Madonna del Gran' Duca," of Avhich we Imve
spoken as one of the earliest examples after Raphael's
first withdrawal from Perugia, yet of which Ave know
the history too superficially to be able to say AA'hen it
was finished and for whom it AA-as ordered.
With the "Madonna del Gran' Duca" Raphael
ceases altogether to be a fitter of the Umbrian ideas
of the Peruginesque time. Even the sketches which
precede and accompany that divine picture, have felt
the breath of the Florentine air. A girl at the
Uffizi, with her head more to one side than that of
the " Madonna " itself, seems to have been wrought
from a model foreign to the Umbrian country. She
wears the veil, that protects rather than conceals the
division of the hair, the forehead, and the bands of
locks, that are twisted over the ears. The corners of
the mouth, the melancholy eyes are just breaking,
yet have not broken, into a Lionardesque smile. We
turn the sheet, and the same girl appears as a mother
holding the child, whose forehead is glued to her cheek.
Two sides of one page thus comprise a variety of

Chap. V.]

; MADONNA DEL GRAN' DUCA."

249

thoughts for the " Madonna del Gran' Duca " and
that of Casa Tempi.* In a sheet at Oxford the
Virgin, seated, holds the Babe on her knee. Half
standing, half leaning, he sits on one of the Virgin's
palms, whose other palm supports him under the
armpits ; and he lies Avith his hands all over her,
looking at something to us unseen which also attracts
his mother. f But these, and perhaps other jottings
and rapid notes of things that he had seen, are
garnered in Raphael's mind, and he produces first,
the design of the Madonna with the infant clinging
to her neck and bosom, J then the picture, a more
perfect rendering of the same group, and he gives to
the Virgin that beauteous sentiment of love allied to
absolute purity of feature, and to the child that depth
of thought in the eye, Avhich raise the master's crea
tion at once from daily life into ideal regions.
Something may still remind us of the Peruginesque

* Florence. Uffizi. Frame 135.
No. 497. One side contains the
head first described in the text,
and beneath it that of a girl with
loose looks looking down. On the
other side of the sheet— the same
head of a girl with loose hair, to
the left of it an angel partly obli
terated and partly re-drawn with
red chalk, and above that the
group mentioned in the text. All
but the angel is drawn with a pen
in umber. See Pas. No. 116.
t Oxford Gall. No. 45. Pen
and bistre outline. 71 in. h. by
5|in. From the Alva, West and
Lawrence collections. The Virgin's

head to the left, her body to the
right. The Infant to the left.
X Florence. Uffizi. Frame 136.
No. 505. Silver-point and black
chalk. Oval to the knees, with a
flat hanging at the Virgin's back,
behind which a landscape is indi
cated. Rapid sketch.
Another sketch at Chatsworth,
represents a group like that of the
" Madonna del Gran' Duca." It
is on a sheet on which a design for
the Esterhazy " Madonna " is
drawn. But the state of this
drawing does not allow of a very
safe judgment as to its genuineness.

250

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WOEKS. [Chap. V.

in both Virgin and Child, and a remnant of Umbrian
method survives in the cast of the drapery. But the
Peruginesque is almost lost in the Florentine. With
Avhat ease the boy sits on the Virgin's hand; how
prettily tAvisted the sash round his body. How safe
he feels as he leans against his mother's bosom ;
AA'hat serenity and fulness of joy in the Virgin, Avho
stands Avith her veiled head slightly bent, her down
ward glance beaming on the face of the babe. The
true ideal of proportion seems obtained betAveen
mother and child ; and great technical perfection is
reA^ealed in the brilliancy AA'hich 0Arer spreads the
regular oval of the Virgin's face, thrown into light
on the dark green ground of the panel.* The
characteristic quality of this masterpiece as compared
with its contemporary, the small "Madonna" of Lord
CoAvper, is the dignity and grandeur of the conception
and the ideal beauty of its rendering in the first, and
the more homely, motherly, perhaps colder sentiment
in the second.
Here the Virgin sits in the open air. The sun shines
out of an all but cloudless sky upon the hills and
plains of a landscape, on one ridge of Avhich a church
with a dome and campanile shows its Avhite marbled
front. The Virgin's veil, striped with gold, is twisted
amongst the hair, and falls from the back of the head

* Florence. Pitti. No. 266.
Panel. 2 ft. 3£ in. h. by 1 ft. 9&in.
This picture, which belonged to
Carlo Dolce (Pass. ii. 24), was sold
to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Fer
dinand the Illrd, for 3U0 sequins,

or 3,360 lire (Gotti. Gall, di Firenze,
p. 181). The flesh tints have
suffered much, and parts of the
Christ, and particularly the feet,.
have been retouched. The blue
mantle is full of spots.

Chap. V.] SMALL " COWPER MADONNA."

251

to the neck, whilst another, equally subtle, runs round
the bosom and shoulders. The naked Christ sits on
one hand and sets his foot on the other hand of his
mother ; his arms are round her neck. The feeling
which animates the group is that of youth and strong
life combined in a familiar Avay. The execution,
finished as it is, has not quite the full measure Avhich
marks the " Madonna del Gran' Duca," and this,
perhaps, with other subordinate causes, makes the
CoAvper " Madonna " just inferior to its rival at
Florence.* Raphael hitherto had confined himself to a rapid
survey of Tuscan painting. Amongst the earlier
masters, Masaccio, Filippino, and Ghirlandaio had
seemed to him especially Avorthy of admiration. He
showed an equal appreciation of the genius of Lio
nardo, Michaelangelo, and Baccio della Porta ; but
after a closer study of select masterpieces, and per
haps not unbiassed by personal feelings too natural to

* Panshanger. Wood. 2 ft. h.
by 1 ft. 5 in. Bought by Lord
Cowper at Florence. The execu
tion, though it recalls that of the
Tempi " Madonna," and the " En
tombment " of the Borghese Palace,
is a little cold, and there is some
thinness in the pigments, yet they
still appear to have been moistened
with a fat vehicle. The treatment
of Spagna, or Timoteo Viti, by
way of help, seems to pierce here
and there. The Virgin's hand, on
which the Infant rests, is a little
rubbed down, and a finger
lengthened by restoring. A copy

of the same size, and apparently
almost contemporary with the
original, was seen by the authors
in the Lombardi collection at
Florence. It was much injured
and discoloured. It may be the
same which Passavant (ii. 26)
notices in the house of one Peruzzi
at Florence.
The sketch-drawing on pearl-
grey paper of the Infant's head
acknowledged as genuine by Passa
vant in the Staedel Collection at
Frankfort, does not bear the
character of a senuine work.

252 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.
deserve reproof, he soon showed a preference for Da
Vinci. That he should have been personally repelled
-jiather than attracted by Michaelangelo, was a neces
sary consequence of a quarrel which had taken place
between that artist and Perugino. Nor was -it-easy 
for Raphael, who held his_ master in so much rever
ence, not to resent the rudenessoi the man who liad
^qualified Perugino's art as antiquated and absurd.
But Michaelangelo's disdain was not confined to
Perugino, it extended with openness verging on
brutality to Lionardo da Vinci himself. About the
time when Raphael came to Florence, Lionardo and
Michaelangelo had had an unpleasant encounter '
in the street. Lionardo had been asked some jpaes-
tion about Dante. He met Michaelangelo, Avho was
reputed to know more of Dante than most men of his
day, and he begged him to answer the question.
Michaelangelo, instead of being nattered, gruffly told
Lionardo to ansAver the question himself, taunting
him instantly after Avith his failure to cast the. bronze
of the Sforza statue.* No_ wonder that Lionardo's
cheek should have blanched at this insult, no wonder
that Raphael, if he liked Lionaxdo, should havekept
away from the man by Avhom Lionardo had been
insulted. Da Vinci, hoAvever, was in too greatjrepute
as a master in all branches of the arts and sciencesj;0
be materially affected by Buonarotti's want of cour
tesy. If Michaelangelo had distinguished himself in

* The anecdote is in the MS. of l Archivio Storico of Florence for
an Anonimo, published by G. 1872.
Milanesi in the volume of the I

Chap. V.] RAPHAEL AND LIONARDO. 253
thej' David," which all Florence saw and admired in
the principal square- of the city, all Florence knew
that Lionardo had modelled the statue of Ludovico
_Siorza and painted the "Last Supper " at the Grazi©
of Milan. It would be for the public taste to decide
which was the best man, when the cartoons for the
frescos of the Town-hall were finally exhibited.
rMeanwhile Da Vinci's advantages over his rival were
) those of riper years, a longer experience, and a deeper
insight into the problems which had occupied artists
for two centuries. Very few people perhaps had
J read, most would have heard of, the precepts and
laws of painting which Lionardo had written for the
I use of his academy. No one can read the fragments
\of Da Vinci's lectures even now, without the deepest
admiration for the wide range of thought which they
reveal and the large extent of ground which they
cover. No one who has looked at them, and also
studied Raphael, can fail to be convinced that Raphael
had mastered them or listened to their delivery before
he painted the " Madonna del Cardellino " or the por
trait of Maddalena Doni.
. iionardo Jaughkihat light and shade, colour and
solidity, figure and position, distance and propinquity
and InotionT and rest were the ten matters which a
painter had to care for. The first point to deter
mine, he said, was attitude, the second relief, the
third design, and the fourth colour.* Raphael paid

*'* Da Vinci, De Pittura, ed. H. Ludwig. 8vo. Wien. 1882. vol. i.
pp. 78, 178, and 394.

254 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

( more attention to these maxims at Florence than at
) Perugia. Movement and attitude, or the place to
which each figure should be brought within the space
of a composition, were matters Avhich uoav occupied
him much more than of old. In the "Madonna del
Cardellino " and the "Madonna Canigiani," they are
of paramount importance. Light also is distributed
in these pictures altogether in accordance Avith Da
Vinci's principles, which teach, that figures should
never be painted Avith the sun full on them, since the
result would then be shade too dark or light too
strong.* " " Temper the sun," says the sage, " temper
it with a haze Avhich shall interpose like a veil betAveen
the object and the luminary. You shall then have
breadth of light without excess of shadoAV.""j" But
Lionardo also inculcated the laAvs of contrast by light
and shade, and Raphael displayed genius in balancing
a group against the sky and landscape and figures-in
the group against each other. In drawing, a neAv
and constant appeal to nature was combined with
such a searching study of the parts as Lionardo
recommended. " Children," Da Vinci urges, " will
always be found to have narrow articulations with
curved projections above and beloAvthe joints, because
the sinews of these parts are not padded and flesh is
banished from them entirely." | The characteristic
exaggeration of this peculiarity in Credi and Verrocchio
is almost a certain test of their style. It prevails
for a moment in the Florentine Avork of Raphael, and

* Ibid. ibid. i. 144. f Hid. ibid. i. 182. J Ibid. ibid. i. 290.

Chap. V.] LIONARDO'S PRECEPTS. 255

notably in the "Madonna del Cardellino." Again,
Lionardo says, "Avoid affected trimming and comb
ing down of the hair about the human face. Some
people think a comb and a mirror the very best of
counsellors. It is infamous to be caught with one
hair more on one side than on the other, and a curse
attends the wind as the direst of enemies. But you,
painter, shall imagine a breeze about your figures and
let their locks float about their faces in gentle turns,
so as they be more gracefully adorned. But ornament,
too, shall be avoided, for it impedes the form and the
attitude; and Avhen you draw the folds of a dress
see to it that they are simple, not crossed with |pro-
jections or depressions to gather light or shade
in wrong places. Consider that drapery should be
simple, and above all that it should appear to be
inhabited."* Hoav quickly Raphael took these precepts to heart,
is shoAvn in the sudden disappearance of all Umbrian
conventionalisms in gilding and ornament. Antique
simplicity replaces traditional breaks and branches in
vestment folds. Though Raphael knew much of
landscape from Perugino, he Avas successfully warned
by Da Vinci of certain dangers which it is clear he
invariably, perhaps unnecessarily, avoided. " Never,"
says Lionardo, " paint foliage Avhen the sun is shining
so as to throw light through the transparence of the
leaves, for you shall then breed a confusion which an
artist ought entirely to avoid. Shun, however, the

* Ibid. ibid. i. 218, 394, and 396.

256 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.
mistake of Botticelli, Avho thinks that a sponge,
moistened with colours, throAvn at a panel, will
produce a landscape at one stroke."* So far, indeed,
from thinking little of landscape, Lionardo as
signed to it an enormous importance, and nothing
can be more minute than his explanations of the
causes of certain appearances in nature and rules for
reproducing them in painting. But the precepts of
Da Vinci are more marked in Raphael's portraits than
in his pictures. The subtle hair is seen playing in
the wind about the head of Maddalena Doni, and the
light Avhich surrounds her, is mysteriously damped
in accordance with maxims, which Lionardo himself
had already applied to his masterpiece of the "Mona
Lisa." " If you see a figure standing in a dusky
room," he says, "and look at it from outside in the
line of the light, the shadow will be dark and swim
ming. Paint that and you will have great relief and
great softness." f
To illustrate Da Vinci's precepts and their applica
tion by Raphael, we shall turn to the " Madonna del
Cardellino," which, according to all probability, im
mediately followed in the master's painting-room the
"Madonna del Gran' Duca" and the "Virgin" of
Lord Cowper.
The " Madonna del Cardellino " AA'as painted, Vasari
tells us, for the Avedding of Lorenzo Nasi. J It repre
sents the Virgin sitting in a meadow, the Infant
Christ between her knees turning from the book

* Ibid. ibid. i. 116. t Ibid- ibid. i. 144. J Vasari, viii. p. 7.

Chap. V.] "MADONNA DEL CARDELLINO."

257

Avhich she keeps open in her left hand, to fondle the
bird which the boy Baptist presents. She presses
with her fingers the shoulder of St. John in ac
knowledgment of his eagerness, whilst the infant
Christ with one foot on that of his mother, turns
round to pat the finch on the head. No signs of the
" Passion," no motive of serious import, no cross,
since this Avas a wedding picture. In the combination
of the attitudes Raphael has concentrated the subtlest
thought. The Virgin is so seated as to look down
with equal ease on the boy who stands at her knee
and the curly-pated Baptist who comes from one
side. Equal genius is shown in giving ]3rominence
to the Virgin's face, which is at once a focus of
light and apex to the Vincian pyramid of composi
tion.* The group is relieved equally against the
Avarm broAvnish ground and the cool distance and sky.
The children stand out clearly against the coloured
dress of the Virgin. The attitude of Christ contrasts
in statuesque and classic rest with the impulsive
movement of the Baptist, who has just arrived after
finding the bird and shows by the tAvitch of his eye
and puffed cheeks and open lips that he has been
running and is bloAvn by his exertion. All the
affectation and conventional grace of the Umbrian has
vanished to make room for something better and

* The pyramidal form of com
position was taught from the
earliest time in Florence and prac
tised by Botticelli, Filippino,
Lionardo, and Michaelangelo. Lo
mazzo (Idea del Tempio, p. 40)
lays it down as a known precept :

" Esprimere il moto in forma
piramidale di foco, e fuggire gli
angoli acuti, e le linee rette come
principalmente si vede che a
osservato, il primo di tutti Michel
angelo."

258

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

more refined. Drapery sits Avith grand simplicity and
sweep of fold. The features of the Virgin, moulded
in the finest form of Raphaelesque beauty, are not
insipid but sprightly and expressive, and are full of
feeling. Correct draAving and clean articulation
appear to tell of the combined study of nature and
the classic. Landscape imparts a rare charm of
loveliness to the scene besides being made subordinate
to the general effect by its scheme of tinting and
lighting. The flowers, chiefly white, which adorn

the foreground, are all suited to the occasion on
which the picture was produced. Nor does it seem
accidental that the distance should comprise Giotto's
Campanile and the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. The
veil Avhich should interpose between the figures and
the sun, is realized in the faint clouds and haze of the
sky Avhich fades to AA'hite in the horizon of blue hills
and serves as a background for the usual groups of
elegant saplings. Still the colours are bright ; and
the shadows are rubbed in, particularly in the infant
Christ, with the swimming sfumato of Lionardo and
Baccio della Porta. It is possible to distinguish
twenty or more pieces into which this picture Avas
crushed when the Nasi Palace fell into ruins in
1547. It Avould be difficult to praise too much the
skill with which the pieces Avere put together, so that
noAV, after much repair, we are enabled to admire the
great, nay, extraordinary, attractions of the " Ma
donna del Cardellino."*

* Florence, Uffizi. No. 1129.
Panel. 3 ft. 1 in. h. by 2 ft. 5 in.

Full lengths under life size. One
of the splits of the wood runs

Chap. V.]

MADONNA IN GREEN."

259

Companion to this great masterpiece, inscribed with
the date of 150G, and known as the " Madonna in
green," we have a composition executed under similar
principles and treatment for Taddeo Taddei, the
second of Raphael's patrons. There is perhaps more
symmetry in the arrangement than in that of the
" Madonna del Cardellino," because by setting the
Virgin more frankly in profile, a larger geometrical
base is given to the pyramid of the contours. But
a larger base was required for the two figures of the
infant Baptist kneeling to offer the reed cross, and
the infant Christ advancing to receive it. The Virgin
again is seated on an elevation of ground in a land-

down the head of the infant Christ
along the left temple. The other
heads remained untouched, but
there are many marks of restoring
all over the picture. The Baptist
wears the camel's hair shirt and
carries a wooden bowl slung to his
waist. A thin muslin veil covers
the nakedness of the infant Christ.
In the meadow behind the group,
there are two tall trees to the
right and one to the left. Behind
the latter a stream and a bridge of
one arch. In the distance to the
right the city of Florence. Of
this picture three copies are shown.
One which some time belonged to
Marquis Campana, and was ex
hibited in London, is said to be
now in the Museum of Geneva.
It is a fair picture, not by Raphael.
A second, now belonging to Mr.
Verity, was purchased by him in
1835 from one Laforest, and has
heen transferred from panel to

canvas. It was exhibited about
1870, at South Kensington, but is
not a genuine Raphael.
A third in the Consiglio di
Stato at Florence, originally in the
sacristy at Vallombrosa, is feebler
than the two others.
Signor Giuseppe Cavallucci, in
a dissertation on the " Madonna
di Arallombrosa," which at the
close of last century was considered
a replica by Raphael of the
" Madonna del Cardellino ' ' (Notizie
Inedite di Jacopo Cavallucci. 8vo.
Firenze. 1870), quotes records
which prove that a picture, which
he thought to be Raphael's master
piece, was paid for with sums
acknowledged by one " Raffaello
dipintore " in 1506-7 and 8. But
there is now a general consent of
opinion that these payments are for
a " Glory of St. John Gualberto "
at A'allombrosa, by a Raphael, who
was not Raphael Sanzio. s 2

260

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

scape, her frame turned to one side, her head to the
other, and her arms so brought together that she
holds the infant Christ on her right. With a pretty
stride he catches at the cross Avhich the Baptist offers
with both hands.
Nothing sweeter can be conceived than the air, the
expression, and the movements of these two children.
Nothing more grateful to the eye than their brilliant
lighting and balanced tonings, which stand in mode
rate relief against the Virgin's dress, and the wide
expanse of distance receding to a far off lake edged
Avith hills. We are inevitably reminded of Raphael's
connection with the Perugian country, and recall the
same landscape in earlier pictures from his easel.
We remember particularly the boulder and spires of
the "Vision of the Knight" at the National Gallery.
The Virgin's face is perhaps more purely Lionardesque
in the "Madonna in green," than in the "Madonna
del Cardellino." It has less of the oblong which cha
racterizes earlier creations, like the "St. Catherine"
or " St. Margaret " of the altar-piece of Sant' Antonio.
Fuller and more expanded forms are united to more
poAverful colour, handled with stronger substance of
pigments, but the Lionardesque haze throAvn over the
sun damps the force of the shading, Avhilst it throws
a gloAV over the whole surface of the panel. Sur
prising delicacy is shown in the transition of ena
melled sheen to cool, grey half -tints and warm brown
shadows in flesh.*

* Vienna Gallery. No. 300.
Wood. M. 1-13 h. by 0'88, with

the date mdv. . . i (Scil. 1506) on
the hem of the Virgin's dress, near

Chap. V.]

MADONNA IN GREEN."

261

"The sketching of a picture should be rapid, and
the detail not too finished ; but the places should
be correctly given, so as the parts may then Avith
leisure be finished.* This precept of Lionardo, of
which Raphael seems to haA'e been cognizant at an
early time, is amply illustrated in his designs for
the "Madonna del Cardellino" and the "Madonna
in green." At ChatsAVorth a draAving shows the
infant Christ between the Virgin's knees, one foot on
hers, lookmg at something indistinct, which may be
a finch, in his left hand. The Virgin's eye is upon
him, as she holds the missal on her lap, but this
is the converse of the group in the "Madonna del
Cardellino," though traces may be found of outlines
of the head in two different movements, f Two other
versions at Oxford show the Child stretchmg out
his fingers, not to the finch, but to the book, Avhich

the throat. The figures all but
life size. Vasari saw the picture
in the house of the heirs of Taddeo
Taddei (viii. p. 6). Baldinucci
notes (Notizie, &c, ed. of Milan,
8vo. 1811, vol. vi.pp. 229-30) that
the Taddei family sold it to
Ferdinand Archduke of Austria.
Till 1663 it was preserved in the
palace of Innsbruck, but then it was
taken to Schloss Ambras in Tyrol,
from whence it passed, in 1773,
into the Imperial Collection at
Vienna. The drawing of the
hands and feet, and the execution
of the whole, show a near approach
to the style of Baphael as dis
played in the " Bella Giardiniera '
of the Louvre. The same variety
which marks the children in the

" Madonna del Cardellino " is
found in the children here. St.
John is early-headed, the infant
Christ has soft short hair. The
preservation seems perfect.
A good old copy on canvas is in
the sacristy of San Tommaso
Cantuariense at Verona.
* Lionardo, De Pittura, u. s. i.
p. 118.
+ Chatsworth, seat of the Duke
of Devonshire. Pen and ink sketch.
The Infant is naked. The Virgin,
turned slightly to the left, holds
Christ's left elbow with her left
hand, and the book on her knee
with the right. The cloak on her
right shoulder also covers her lap
and legs.

262

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

she is reading.* A third, also at Oxford, gives the
group of three, but differs from the picture in this,
that the youthful Christ raises his arm to keep the
book from closing, and the Baptist stands in attentive
attitude at the Virgin's side.f More rapid and more
in the nature of first thoughts are the sketches for the
" Madonna in green," seA'eral of Avhich are mere
spirited lines, draAvn hastily with a pen, either of the
Virgin and Child, or of the Virgin and Child and Bap
tist. Some are repetitions of the children in varied
action, or parts of their bodies and heads. Here the
Baptist leans on the cross, or playfully withholds it.
There Christ shyly looks at it, or seems to long
for its possession. In one sheet at Vienna the
group of three fills one side, the two infants
cover the opposite side. Between them and the
Virgin is another thought for the Baptist, a study

* Oxford. No. 48. Rapid pen
and bistre sketch. 8| in. h. by 5 J.
From the Antaldi and Lawrence
collections. The Virgin is turned
to the right, her face to the left.
Christ naked between her knees,
with his right arm stretching to
wards the book in his mother's
right hand. Her left hand grasps
the Infant's left arm. The draw
ing is rapid, and evidently from
models. The bosom of the Virgin
is naked, the dress merely in
dicated. Oxford. No. 47. 10 in. h. by
8. From the Antaldi, Josi, and
Lawrence collections. Represents
the foregoing group in similar but
more rapid form. To the left of
it, and of much larger size, a

Virgin, without drapery, sits with
the Child on her lap, who chirps
and clings to his mother as he sees
the Baptist on the left coining for
ward with something in his left
hand, which he holds up to view.
t Oxford. No. 49. Pen and bistre
drawing. 9 in. h. by 6J. Also
from the Antaldi and Lawrence
collections, more finished than the
studies previously described. The
Virgin is seated and turned to the
right. The Infant between her
knees rests one hand on his thigh,
and with the right holds the leaves
of the book which is in the Virgin's
grasp and at which she looks
down. The Baptist to the left
looks on.

Chap. V.] VIRGIN, CHRIST, AND BAPTIST.

263

of a hand, and a Madonna Avith Christ in her arms.*
A second set of sketches on the back of the first at
Vienna represents the Virgin and her charge, and
different forms of the Virgin and Christ. j- A third
in the same collection repeats the group with the
standing Baptist, and six children, or fragments of
children, are thrown confusedly on the paper.J
At Chatsworth the distribution is altered, so that
Jesus and John embrace each other, and different
Studies of boys in A'aried attitudes are on various
parts of the leaf.§ In a different style, and quickly
painted in Avith the point of a brush, the " Holy
Family" is represented at Oxford with slight changes
in moA'ement, and above that the composition,
including the head, the arms, and the body of the
Virgin, is modelled in brown tinting. The upper

* Vienna, Albertina. Pass. No.
189. Pen and bistre sketch. In
all there are three children and a
fragment of a fourth in this draw
ing, besides the chief group of the
Virgin and Child and Baptist.
The two children here are close to
each other, the Baptist standing
and looking at Christ, whilst he
holds the cross in his hands. The
hand is in the upper corner to the
left. f Vienna, Albertina. Pass. No.
189. Back of the foregoing. Pen
sketch in bistre, with four groups
of the Virgin and Child. The
centre one, including the Baptist,
kneeling to the left with the cross
in his arms. The sketches are all
Florentine, and in Lionardesque
style. In each group the infant

Christ is in a different attitude.
X Vienna, Albertina. Pen and
bistre as before. To the left the
Holy Family, to the right of
which two ideas for St. John, one
walking, another bowing, and a
third fragmentary only. Above
these, also in a row of three, busts
of children.
§ Chatsworth. Pen and bistre.
The Virgin holding the infant
Christ, who stands on the ground,
and stoops to embrace the kneeling
infant John. To the right of the
group a standing nude child,
turned to the left. Above, to the
left, a boy running forwards, turned
to the right, and to the right of
that, the infant Christ, as if on the
lap of the Arirgin, looking up with
an inspired look.

264

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

left hand corner of the paper includes a child's head
and some drapery in red chalk.* The complete design,
or small cartoon, from Avhich the picture was executed,
was begun and finished in red chalk, and for a long
time adorned the Birchall and Rogers Collection — a
beautiful example of Raphael's most finished work,
with the upper part filled up by a study of the Bap
tist's arm and a bit of drapery, the back of the draw
ing comprising a naked man lying on his back.| In
most of the pen sketches the heads are mere ovals,
Avith rough indications of the eyes, nose, and mouth,
but in obedience to Lionardo's precepts the attitudes
are all given " AA'ith details not too finished."
Leading up to this form of Da Vincian draAvings, a
series of studies are found in the Venice sketch
book, in Avhich naked children are Avorked out in
umber, heightened Avith white, Avith a delicacy of
finish and a searching of modulations unknown to the
Perugian time. One of them, inferior to the rest,
because of the shapeless form of the body, shows an
attempt to give expression of thought to a face too
young to think at all. The features and torso are
seen frontwise, but without the left leg. The left arm
and hand are raised as if to Avard off a danger, and,
quaintly enough, above this, the same model is shown

* Oxford. No. 33. Shaded draw
ing, 8| in. h. by 7 J. From the
Antaldi and Lawrence collections.
Here the group is like that in the
picture, but the Virgin's drapery is
closer or more scanty.
t London, Ex Birchall and

Rogers collections. Bed chalk.
9 in. h. by 6£. On the back of
the sheet is a Prometheus, lying
on his back with his elbows
thrown back, so that he rests on
his forearms.

Chap. V.]

PREPARATORY SKETCHES.

265

with very marked features in profile.* More infantine
and pleasing, a boy is depicted elseAvhere recumbent
and resting on one elboAV, whilst the right hand reposes
on the thigh. Though copied from nature, this figure
has almost the proportions of an antique, and is equally
admirable for the purity of its shape, the beauty of its
chiselling, and the simplicity of its outline, t A third
represents a sleeping child, J a fourth, a boy held
under the armpits, tottering onwards with feeble
stride, one arm raised and the other thrown back like
the infant Christ in the " Madonna in green." § One
marvels when scanning these leaves, either at the
quick unfaltering stroke, or at the minute polish.
The power of Raphael, as he runs thus skilfully up
and down the scale of rapid or finished design is
wonderful. If his devotion to Lionardo in these days was ap
parent in the preparation of pictures, hoAV much more
so in that of portraits. Mona Lisa, whom Da Vinci had
painted for her husband, del Giocondo, became at once

* Venice Acad. Frame XXVII.
No. 3. Back of XXVII. No. 27.
f Venice Acad. Frame XXV.
No. 17. Pen and umber, shaded
with umber and white. The body
is seen in full front recumbent,
the right leg outstretched, the
left bent under the right. The
head is to the right and looks at
three-quarters to the left.
X Venice Acad. Frame XXXV.
No. 5. The child recumbent,
with its head to the left, its feet to
the right, on the lap of its mother,

is fast asleep, with its arms pen
dent. The mother is merely in
outline. Same handling as the
foregoing. § Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.
No. 20. Back of XXVI. No. 6.
The child is turned to the left ;
its head in profile. The female
who holds him has been injured
and retouched, so that the eye to
the right is lower than that to the
left. But there are traces of the
contour of another head higher up.
Same execution as above.

206

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WOEKS. [Chap. V.

the object of his special adoration. Maddalena Doni,
though she had not the transcendent beauty, chiselled
features, or abundant Aoav of locks AA'hich distinguished
the Gioconda, was a handsome woman of the Florentine
type ; and when Agnolo Doni asked that her portrait
should be painted, Raphael Avas unable to forget
the splendid masterpiece of Lionardo Avith its heavenly
smile, its soft glance, and the twilight overspreading
form in a dreamy landscape of valleys and hills. He
Avas not as yet so fully divorced from the fashions of
the Umbrians as to sacrifice ornament and the sump
tuous realism, which perhaps had a certain attraction
for the lady herself. But in the sketch contour Avhich
he made of her before he sat doAvn to the easel, he
drew with a few but characteristic lines a woman both
simple and young, adorned Avith none but nature's
charms, with hair twisted off the face in rich masses,
and a velvet look revealing happiness and mirth, if
not that wonderful contentment AA'hich Da Vinci
alone as yet had been capable of conveying. Even
the full and fleshy hands Avere laid across each other
in the moA'ement of Lionardo, and the modest bodice
inclosing the muslin pleats that covered the bosom were
of that delicious simplicity AA'hich the great Florentine
described as the necessary concomitant of grace. The
only change Avhich Raphael introduced was a clear
sky and indications of an Umbrian distance seen be
tAveen the pillars of a portico.* In the picture itself he

* Louvre. No. 329. Pen and
bistre sketch, executed rapidly

with great boldness and grace.
m. 0-222 h. by 0-159. From the

Chap. V.] PORTRAITS OF THE DONI. 267
drew Maddalena Doni in a Ioav dress, with her hair in
a net, falling thin and frizzly doAvn her cheeks to the
neck, a grand bodice of watered damask, Avith
wide blue borders, separated from the throat by a
white gathered edging, slashes, and blue damask
sleeves, with patterns of a deeper blue, one ringed
hand lying half closed on the other, and both re
posing on the arms of a chair. Round the neck is
a chain Avith a jeAvelled medallion and a pear-shaped
pearl-hanging, and a larger chain falling to the
Avaist. "You shall choose your horizon," says
Lionardo, "on the level of the eyes." And so the
landscape of the Mona Lisa was conceived. But
Raphael preferred the light of the sky, on Avhich a few
clouds quenched the glare of the sun. The blue
mountains to the right, the slopes of a hill to the left,
with a slender tree waving its thin leaves in the air,
are on a line Avith the shoulders, but every part is
tempered according to Lionardo's precepts, the same
breeze that gives their tremor to the leaves, sets the
frizzle of Maddalena Doni's hair in motion, the light is
managed according to Da Vinci's maxims, and Raphael
carefully adjusts the attitude, freely balancing light
and shade, and realizing a perfect harmony of colour.
The smile of Lionardo is alone avoided. Devoted as
he is to the great Florentine, Raphael's taste asserts
itself. He does not carry out the ¦ sfumato of Da
Vinci to its strictest expression, his modelling is

Jabach collection. The figure is
turned to the left. The face three-
quarters to the left, and the eyes

look out to the right. Seen to the
waist.

268

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

massive, yet sufficiently searching, the clear flesh tone
admirably blends with the pearly transitions, that
merge imperceptibly into warm rubbings of a greenish
umber. Enamelled surface and translucent shadoAV
and bright harmonious vestment tints are all confined
within outlines of great precision and purity, and
breadth is secured by a grand treatment of stuffs
reminiscent of Masaccio.*
When he had finished "Maddalena," Raphael
began " Agnolo Doni ; " and painted a very fine
likeness — a portrait of some stiffness, indeed, and not
without uniformity in the depths of its complexion,
but representing the man in the staid form of
Domenico Ghirlandaio, and nobly dressed in the
black cap and dark damask silks which the Floren
tines loved. He framed the head and neck in pro
fuse fleeces of hair, relieving the sombre surfaces by
white edgings at the neck and wrists, a double golden
button at the seam of the doublet, and luscious red
sleeves. One hand rests on the knee, another is
pendent. For the rest, the same principles in
execution, the same landscapes, lighting, and model-

* Florence, Pitti. No. 59. Mad
dalena Doni. Wood. Half length.
Tuscan Braccio. 1-4 h. by 0-15 =
1 ft. 11 1 in. h. by 1 ft. 2 £ in.
No. 61. Agnolo Doni. On the
back of each panel is a scene
from the fable of Deucalion and
Pyrrha, by some artist of a later
time than Raphael, whose sole
aim appears to have been to give
a priming to the panels. The

surfaces have suffered from clean
ing and some retouches, ex. gr., in
the forehead of Maddalena and
the hair of Agnolo, but on the
whole the pictures are fairly pre
served. About 1823, these por
traits were bought from the de
scendants of the Doni at Florence
by Leopold IL, for 2500 sequins,
or about 28,000 Italian lire. See
Gotti Gall, di Firenze, p. 182.

Chap. V] "MADONNA DI CASA TEMPI." 269
ling, as in the " Maddalena," but stronger contrasts
of light and shade, and deeper flush of pigments.
The revolution in his OAvn art, which Raphael thus
accomplished at Florence, Avas rapid and excessively
remarkable. His almost absolute abandonment of
Umbrian for Tuscan principles was finally mani
fested in the " Madonna di Casa Tempi " — a
masterpiece of which, as of so many others, no trace
is to be found in the pictorial annals of Raphael's
own time. And yet no picture more truly deserved
attention for its Florentine and Vincian character, ,
than this one. In type, mould of face, drapery,
and. style of drawing it is the pure Florentine that
comes to be displayed, nor is it difficult to discern an
approach even to the later influence of Fra Barto
lommeo in dress and arrangement of headgear. The
" Infant Christ " most unites the qualities of Raphael's
own genius, as we find it afterwards expand in the
"Madonna della Seggiola" and the "Madonna di
San Sisto." How simple, yet hoAV complex this group
of two figures is, can only be realized after a pro
longed contemplation. The Virgin is turned to the
right, her face not quite in profile. With one hand
she makes a seat for the child, Avhom she clasps to her
bosom with the other. The boy clings to her, his legs
are pendent, his arm on his mother's throat. His face
is in contact with hers, and she kisses his cheek. He
turns round and looks out of the picture as if at some
thing that had suddenly come within the compass of
his view. The blue mantle over the subtle veil falls
behind her back, and is raised in festoons over her

270

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

arms. The muslin round the boy's hips, the shaAvl
Avith golden threads round the Virgin's shoulders, and
her red bodice and sleeves make up a harmony of
tints Avithout any violence of contrasts, yet full of the
richness produced by intense colour, moistened with
abundant vehicle. Indescribable loAre and affection are
concentrated in the action of the Virgin — her smile,
her lips compressed for a kiss, her eyes half closed
from sheer pleasure. Nature itself is reproduced in the
movement of the child, Avhose look is penetrant, happy,
and mirthful. The feeling, expression, and passion,
combined in so small a space, recall, as the technical
execution recalls, the Faith, Hope, and Charity of the
later predella of the Entombment at the Vatican ; but
that here additional charm is imparted by flesh of
transparent clearness, flushed with a healthy red in
the cheeks, warm shadows, and the tenderest of pearly
grey transitions between both. A loftier sentiment,
perhaps, is embodied in the conception of the " Ma
donna del Gran' Duca; " but the " Madonna di Casa
Tempi " is one of the noblest renderings of motherly
love. And whereas a remnant of the Peruginesque
is found lurking in the former, the latter has become
and finally remains entirely Florentine.""" No one

* MunichGall. No. 1206. AVood.
2 ft. 4 in. h. by lft. 7 in. Still in
Casa Tempi at Florence in 1677
(Cinelli, Bellezze di Firenze, p.
282). Bought by King Ludwig of
Bavaria in 1S29, for 16,000 scudi.
Well preserved. A copy was seen
by Passavant in 1839, in the hands

of Mr. van Hanselaer at Ghent
(not seen). A copy, which may
be the same as the above, was
lately in possession of Monsignor
Badia at Rome, of the same size as
the original, with the initials n.s.
and the date mdx. The style was
that of the Florentine Sogliani.

Chap. V.] PREPARATORY DRAWINGS. 271
would have thought that such touches of nature as Ave
have just described, could haA'e come from an Um
brian, Avere it not that that Umbrian is the immortal
Raphael. No one would have believed that the man
who painted the hands of so many Madonnas in the
conventional form of Perugino, Avould turn to idealize
nature as he did in the hand that grasps the SaATiour's
Avaist, or that he would have formed a model so pure,
as is manifest in the shape, the limbs, and the pen
dent legs and feet of the babe. And all this so
beautifully rendered, and with such brightness, in
such tempered light and vaporous atmosphere. But
the forces of Raphael were at this time, as indeed they
long remained, so exuberant, that he seemed capable
of any effort. And these forces are to be seen at
work not only in the final effort of the picture, but
in those which preceded it. How he tried and tried
in sketch after sketch before he settled on the com
position Avhich ultimately came to perfection is
apparent in the drafts which arc multiplied in a
dozen at least of projected groups that never go
beyond the first jet. As he thought over the " Ma
donna del Gran' Duca," he already meditated over the
" Madonna di Casa Tempi; " and we see this at once
in one of the earliest draAvings, Avhich shows the
Virgin leaning her cheek against the infant's fore
head at the Uffizi .* Even the Oxford sketch for the
" Virgin and Child," Avhich has already been described
as a variety of the " Madonna del Cardellino," is to

* Uffizi. Frame 135. No. 497.

272

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. V.

some extent a realization of the Infant Christ, as we
now find him in the " Virgin of Casa Tempi." *
Other and more rapid jottings at the British Museum
and the Albertina shoAV the "Tempi Madonna" side
by side with attempts for those of BridgeAvater House,
and the " Virgin Avith the Pink." f Another variety
Avhich takes us back to the Madonnas Avith the

book, is one at the Albertina, Avhere the mother,
holding the missal in her left hand, supports the
infant on her lap, and bends her head to meet the
caress Avhich Christ gives with his fingers and
face.J The cartoon at Montpellier, supposed to have
served for the final rendering of the picture, is so
worn and injured as to suggest some doubts of its
originality. §
Whilst Raphael's activity thus took him through
the scale of invention — never resting till he had found
the truth after a score of trials — he never ceased to
observe and to note the masterpieces of the Floren-

* Oxford. No. 45. See antea.
t British Museum. Pen and
umber drawing, with four groups
of the Virgin and Child. Particu
larly reminiscent of the " Madonna
di Casa Tempi," though in reverse,
is the right hand group in the
upper part of this sheet, where the
Virgin kisses the Infant Christ,
whose cheek is pressed close to
hers. We shall find the two lower
groups in this drawing as prepara
tions for the Bridgewater " Ma
donna." See postea.
Vienna, Albertina. Pen and
bistre sketch of six groups of the

"Virgin and Child." On the upper
right hand corner of the sheet is a
sketch very much the counterpart
of that described above.
X Albertina. Pen and bistre
sketch of a Madonna, with the
book and a Virgin and Child, with
the infant Baptist. The former
shows the Infant standing on the
A/irgin's lap and kissing her. Group
seen to the knees.
A double of this sheet (a copy)
is in the Berlin print room.
§ Montpellier, Musee Fabre.
Round. Much damaged.

Chap. V.] VARIETY OF HIS STUDIES. 273
tines in the sister arts of sculpture and of painting ;
and his inquisitive mind, busy Avith original creation,
could still bend itself to copying and adapting forms
taken from the Avorks of the Greeks, or those of past
and contemporary Tuscans. What more telling of his
appreciation of the antique in any shape, than the
outline of a classic Venus, carelessly, yet Avith supreme
mastery thrown on the reverse of a series of projects
for the Bridgewater "Madonna" in the gallery of the
Uffizi ! * What more characteristic than the clever
sketch, Avhich comprises in one sheet at Oxford, three
models of legionaries, with lances and shields; and
in the midst of them Donatello's St. George at Orsan-
michele ! f The bas-relief at the foot of that statue,
which represents St. George tilting at the dragon,
Avas, in a few months, to furnish an idea for a picture
of the same saint for the Duke of Urbino. A stroll
into Santa Maria Novella brought him in front of
Ghirlandaio's fresco of the nativity of the Virgin, and
his copy at ChatsAVorth of the girl preparing the infant's
bath stands side by side Avith an idea for the St.

* Florence, Uffizi. Frame 135.
No. 496. Back, a sheet with pen
and bistre sketches of five Vir
gins with children, and six boys.

that this Venus is at the back of
the sketch of the " Madonna del
Pesce." See Pass. Raphael, ii. No.
120.

The Venus stands on the water, | t Oxford. No. 46. Pen and

turned slightly to the right, her
head to the left, her right arm
across her bosom and the hand on
the left breast. To the left of the
figure a female standing, and to
the right the back view of a male
torso. Passavant erroneously states

bistre drawing, 11 in. h. by 8 J in.
Four figures. The central one is
St. George, seen from the right
side. The face at three-quarters
to the right. The left hand on
the upper end of the shield, which
rests on the ground.

274

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

Catherine of the National Gallery.* In a noble series
of studies at Oxford, Avhich may have been made at
Florence for the seated saints in the fresco of San
Severo, he dreAV with a few pregnant lines the
principal group of the " Fight for the Standard" in
the cartoon of Lionardo. f
But he Avas not content to copy Lionardo's group.
The genius with which Da Vinci represented the
incidents of a cavalry skirmish fired him with some
thing more than the Avish to make a transcript.
And the time now came, Ave may imagine, when he
was able to produce those masterly designs of the
Venice sketch-book, in which a naked soldier in profile
marches off with the standard in front of a horse in
full career, and two naked soldiers with shields are
represented defending themselves from the blows of
an armed rider, who turns his charger to strike at
them.J With AAliat life and truth even at a com
paratively early period Raphael dreAV figures of horses
we have already had occasion to observe. His
readiness in this branch of art Avas thought worthy of
special remark by Lomazzo. § After he had studied

* Chatsworth. Pen and bistre
sketch. To the left the full length
of St. Catherine, next that to the
right the girl turned to the left,
moving forward and pouring water
out of a vase. Above, to the right,
a bust of a girl, turned to the left,
and below, between St. Catherine
and the girl with the vase, a naked
boy, marching from left to right
with a little bucket in each hand.

t Oxford. No. 28. Silver-point,
on pale greyish cream-coloured
prepared paper. 8f in. h. by 11 in.
From the Ottley, Duroveray, Dims-
dale, and Lawrence collections.
The group of horsemen is a very
slight indication in the right-hand
corner of the sheet.
t Venice Academy.
§ Lomazzo, Trattato, p. 71.

cChap. V.]

LIONARDESQUE DRAWINGS.

275

Lionardo, his skill in this form of creation increased.
and he drew the horse with more knowledge of
anatomy and with greater spirit and freedom of hand.
But if his powers thus expanded in the by-paths of
art, they were still more forcibly shoAvn in his render
ing of the nude of men. In some of the Venice
sketches in Avhich models are set for the searching of
muscle as well as for movement, energy is allied to
realism with a nobleness rarely equalled before, and
Avith a constantly apparent desire to discoArer both the
modelling of visible surfaces and the hidden causes of
momentary action.""" In the draAvings which noAV came
from his hand, the large experience Avhich he had
acquired, was applied to special purposes ; and quick
ness and spontaneity, as well as correctness, were
combined to produce a startling effect. The standard
bearer who carries off the prize Avith both hands
inarches Avith his head throAvn forAvard and his chest
expanded, displaying the Aveight of the colours on his
shoulders, not only by the tension and bend of the
body, but by the muscular development of the limbs

* See especially Venice Acad.
Frame XXVII. No. 8. Pen
drawing of a nude man, with his
light hand on his hip, over whose
head another figure, in similar
attitude, holds a crown. To the
right a man in profile, with his
left hand resting on a stick. In
the background a man in a Peru
ginesque helmet, and between the
legs of the two figures to the left,

a kneeling child. On the same
lines we have another drawing.
Venice Acad. Frame XXVII.
No. 12. Back of XXVII. No. 15.
Back view of two naked men,
with a child to the right, in a
walking cradle. These are highly
finished studies from models, with
some of the masculine strength of
Signorelli in their shape and mus
cular developments. t 2

276

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. V.

in their forward stride.* The same laws find their
application in the composition where three soldiers
defend themselves with raised shield and ready spear
from the sword of attacking horsemen.-]* There is
evidence in the puncture of the outlines of these, and
a companion draAving, also at Venice, that some one
used these masterpieces for a picture of which, un
happily, we are now unable to trace the existence. J
We thus discern a ceaseless activity and restless
eagerness in acquiring, added to unequalled strength
and rare qualities of assimilation, which enabled
Raphael to make rapid progress towards obtaining a
place amongst the jealous Florentines. We shall soon
see him acknowledged as the greatest master of his
time in the city which reared the best artists of
the Italian Peninsula.

* Venice Acad. Frame XXVII.
No. 22. Back of XXVII. No. 6.
Pen and bistre sketch, not in the
sketch-book, the paper being dif
ferent. The figure marches off in
profile to the left.
t Venice Acad. Frame XXVII.
No. 6. Back of the foregoing.
Pen sketch. The principal figure,
with its back to the spectator,
strides to the right and looks
back, as the shield is raised, at
the horse on which the man rides,
who strikes at him and his com
panion. The water-mark on these
drawings is a pair of scissors.
X Venice Acad. Pass. No. 99.

Pen sketch of three nudes, one to
the right turned to the left. To
the left of him a second, seen in
front and turned to the right, both
looking to the right, and holding
lances in the action of defence.
To the left traces of a third figure.
On the back of the paper, a
replica of the Standard-bearer of
the Venice Acad. Frame XXATI.
No. 22. Passavant thinks this
drawing a copy of an original at
the Albertina (Raph. ii. p. 415).
But he is mistaken. The two
drawings differ. The Venice sketch
is punctured for use.

CHAPTER VI.
Raphael's practice at Florence and Perugia. — Guidubaldo and the
Garter. — Eaphael's " St. George " sent to England. — His portrait of
himself and other alleged likenesses. — Stay at Urbino and Perugia.
— Madonnas of Orleans and St. Petersburg. — " Madonna of the
Palm." — Retrospect ; his style at Perugia, and changes which it
underwent at Florence. — Study of Da Vinci, Fra Bartolommeo,
Michaelangelo, and the antique. — Conigiani " Madonna." — " Holy
Family " at Windsor. — Studies for the "Entombment." — Varieties
of that composition, and its final completion. — Influence of Peru
gino, Mantegna, Signorelli, Fra Bartolommeo, and Michaelangelo.
— Predella of the " Entombment." — "Trinity "of San Severo, and
Eaphael's practice as a fresco painter.
It is characteristic of the energy which always
marked Raphael's efforts, that whilst he strove at
Florence to attain the style of the Tuscans, he
struggled with equal success to preserve the practice
of which he had laid the foundation at Perugia and
Urbino. For a considerable time Guidubaldo had
been residing at Rome, where his diplomacy was
seriously tried to reconcile old affection for the
Venetians, with the new duties of a captain-
general in the papal service. The resolute will
of Julius II. to annex Bologna and Perugia to the
Roman dominions, and the necessity for organizing a
force for this momentous enterprise, induced Guidu
baldo to visit his Duchy in the spring of 1506. But
before he left the Vatican, he met an embassy from
Henry VII. of England, which came to congratulate
the Pope on his accession, and invest the Duke with

278 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
sin order. The 23rd of April was celebrated at
Urbino with unusual ceremony. It was the day of
St. George, the festival of England's national saint.
Guidubaldo made a holiday of the occasion and went
in state to assume the mantle and insignia of the
Garter. He then made preparations for returning
Henry the Seventh's civility, and prepared cre
dentials for Baldassare Castiglione, whom he sent
Avith chargers, falcons, and other noble presents to
England.* Amongst these presents, there is reason
to believe, was "St. George and the Dragon"
by Raphael ; and Raphael, we have cause to
think, was asked to paint the panel between April
and July, when Castiglione went to London, j- The
picture which was then completed, bears internal
eAldence of having been executed at this period.
Though not mentioned by the annalists of Urbino, it
Avas catalogued in the inventories of Henry VIII., J and
on the harness of the charger which St. George is
riding we read the name of Raphael, and the word
" Honi," which is part of every Garter since the
foundation of the order.
As early as the time when he first designed the
" St. George " of the Louvre, Raphael had thought of
a new version of the subject, representing the Saint
charging out of the foreground into the distance,
instead of charging from the distance into the fore
ground. The sketch of this A'ariety at Oxford shows

* Baldi, Life of Guidubaldo, ii. | VIII. for 1542-7 published by
p. 190. f Ibid. ibid. . George Scharf in the Archseologia,
X See the Inventory of Henry I pp. 298-323.

Chap. VI.] " ST.. GEORGE" OF PETERSBURG. 279

the horse at a gallop, seen from behind, the Saint with
his shield at his shoulder rising in the stirrup and
stooping to strike.* The difficulty of the left-handed
stroke seems to haA'e deterred Raphael from folloAving
out this idea. Not till he saw the bas-relief of
Donatello at Orsanmichele, Avhich exhibits St. George
Avith the lance, did it occur to him to reverse
the position of horse and man, and substitute the
lance for the SAVord. He noAV imagined the dragon
receiving the spear- wound as the knight charged past
him in full career ; and the small cartoon at Florence
Avhich he made for this composition has rarely been
excelled eAren in Raphael's practice for spirit and
fire^f - In sketch as Avell as in picture a splendid

seat, great skill in the management of the steed and
Aveapons, cool purpose and elastic strength, cha
racterize the figure of the saint, aaIio has just given
spurs to his horse and urged him to charge, Avith his
fore-legs raised and hind-legs set on the ground.
Bending to his task, St. George lets his mantle flap
in the breeze, his handsome face seems animated and
keen for the fray, Avhilst the monster, rabid, and with
all his strength still in legs and loins, dies with a
helpless twist of his frame and a hideous growl from
his menacing throat. In pleasing contrast with the
strong action displayed by the saint, the attitude of
* Oxford Gallery. No. 35. Silver- | t Florence. Uffizi. Frame No.
point drawing, heightened with j 148. No. 529. 10 in. h. by 8^.
white. 10J in. h. by 9£ in. Much Pricked for pouncing. The horse's
worn, and cut down to the outlines; head is turned, with a look of
the right hand of the saint and terror, towards the dragon. It
the right fore leg of the horse j has no bridle or bit. Pen and
beino- obliterated. ! bistre outline and shading.

280 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
the queen in the distance to the right conveys both
trust and prayer in beautiful features and a graceful
kneeling posture. The wilderness Avhich the monster
haunts, the cave to the right which lies under a rock
overgrown with bushes, and a pool in front of it, are
well conceived. Groups of trees and underwood rise
behind the queen, and lead to a vista of country
enlivened by a church. The golden helmet encircled
with a nimbus, the steel armour, and white charger,
the harness of blue and gold, the toning of the whole
picture to bring out the steed, do honour to the
painter's skill, though time has had its way and
spoiled his Avork, and the drawing Avith its masterly
outline and shading gives a better idea of his power.
Enough, however, has been spared to impress on us the
exquisite delicacy of the original handling, the smooth
brightness of its surface, the vigour and harmony of
the broadly modelled parts, and the absolute purity of
i the forms. It was a royal present with which Guidu
baldo, by Raphael's help, repaid the honours done to
him by Henry VII.* The commission for such a

* Petersburg. Hermitage. No. Marquis de Sourdis in Paris
39. AVood. lOf in. h, or 0'28 h, (Entretiens, i. 228). Florent le
by 8| in., or 0-22. This picture : Comte afterwards noted it in
is registered in Henry the A'lIIth ! possession of Mr. de La None

and Charles the Ist's inventories.
(See George Scharf 's notes in the
Archseologia, p. 298-323). Vors-
terman engraved it from a copy
belonging to the Earl of Pem
broke in 1627 (A'ertue's Catalogue
of Charles l.'s Collection, p. 4).
At the sale of the collection of
Charles I., it went for J150. Feli-
bien saw it in the gallery of the

who paid 500 pistoles for it. On
the chest band of the horse,
eaphael . v. On the garter of
St. George, honi. But the sur
face is injured in many places by
cleaning and retouching, and the
picture is now on canvas. It is
impossible to say whether the
" St. George and the Dragon " seen
by Lomazzo (Trattato, p. 48), in th e

Chap. VI.] RAPHAEL'S OWN PORTRAIT.

281

picture for so rare an occasion shows the consideration
in which the artist Avas held by the Court of Urbino,
and it may well be that he now received those orders
for Madonnas which Vasari describes as having been
made during one of the painter's visits to Urbino.
The portrait which Raphael finished about this time
Avith the purpose of leaAang a reminiscence of himself
to his patrons or friends, hardly reveals the energy and
determination which are manifested in the works that
have just been described. It is the likeness of a young
fellow of handsome features seen at three-quarters to
the right, with a well-shaped face set on a long and
graceful neck adorned by copious chestnut locks.
Regular and pleasing features are a straight nose, full
lips, eyebrows of faultless arching, and large eye balls
protected by broad upper lids. A black felt hat with
flaps, a black doublet, edged at the throat with white,
form a simple yet manly attire.* What probably
deprives this likeness of character, is the damage
which time and retouching have done to its surface.
Few pictures of the master have suffered more, and as
the transparence of the flesh appears to have been
very great, the flaying of the. parts, by removing large
fragments of colour, has probably obliterated some of

church of St. Victor at Milan, was
a version of the above or of the
earlier one of the Louvre.
* Florence. Uffizi. No. 288.
Wood. 18 in. h. by 12£ in. Cut
down at the left side. Ground,
green grey. The panel is said to
have remained at Urbino till 1588,
when it was transferred by Fede-
/

rico Zuccheri to the Academy of
St. Luke at Rome. The Academy
sold it, with other pictures, to
Cardinal Leopold dei Medici. (See
Passavant's Raphael, ii. p. 49.)
The abrasion of the surface and
subsequent repainting not only
dull the colours but alter the
forms.

282

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. AH.

the subtle expressiveness which originally marked the
face. ' Still, it is a pleasure to possess such a repre
sentation as this of the great master of Urbino. It
enables us, at least, to reject as j>ortraits of Raphael
an entire series of heads, some of which may be due
to the painter's hand without reproducing his features,
whilst others are merely cartoons for pictures by other
artists.* On his way out or home Raphael doubtless
revisited the Umbrian country, inspected the labours
which he still had to complete at Perugia, and
received the commission of Atalanta Baglioni to paint

* British Museum. Outline
drawing, large as life, of a boy of
twelve or fifteen, three-quarters to
the left, in a cap. The eyes are
glancing to the right out of the
picture. This is a fine and deli
cately modeUed work, but unlike
Raphael as we see him at Florence.
Oxford Gallery. No. 26. 15 in.
h. by 10| in. From the Wicar,
Ottley, Harman, and AVoodburn
Collections. Black chalk drawing
heightened with white on pale
brown tinted paper. Portrait of
a boy of fifteen, in the same posi
tion as the last, with long hair
falling from under the cap of the
period, in a close fitting vest. The
features are 'regular, the eye ex
pressive. There is some general
resemblance between the features
and those of the Duke of Mantua
in Raphael's fresco of the school
of Athens. A fortiori there is no
likeness to Raphael himself. The
drawing as such is a beautiful one.
Montecassino. Cartoon of the

head of a man, three-quarters to
the left, called Raphael's portrait
by himself. This is not even by
Raphael. It is the cartoon of a
portrait by Francia Bigio. No.
245a in the Gallery of Berlin.
Paris. Count Czartoriski. Por
trait of a man in a black cap, long
light chestnut hair, a fur mantle
and white sleeves, seated in a
room in which there is an open
ing, through which a landscape is
seen. This is a good portrait. The
face is fine, the hands feeble, and
ill-drawn. The execution is dry, as
might be that of a tempera picture,
the shading red. This is neither
the portrait of Raphael nor is it
by Raphael himself. Can it be
the portrait of " Parniesano," once
assigned to Raphael, in the collec
tion of M. Antonio Foscarini at
A'cnice (Morelli's Anonimo, p. 67),
or a likeness of Francesco Maria
della Rovere, by a local artist of
Urbino I It looks very like a
work of Timoteo Viti.

Chap. VI.] "MADONNA" OF ORLEANS. 283
an "Entombment." When he resumed his usual
avocations, he seems to have divided his attention
between the studies for the " Entombment," the
"Virgin" of Orleans, the "Holy Family" at St.
Petersburg, and the " Madonna of the Palm," the
second and last of which are probably heirlooms from
the Palace of Urbino.
The change which now came over Raphael's style
could scarcely be more marked than it appears in the
"Madonna" of Orleans. Hitherto the master's palet
had abounded in tones of great richness and the
brightest intensity. Now he sought effect by delicate
gradations of more complex tints, yielding tempered
melody of tone in low tertiary keys. In the "Ma
donna " of Orleans the Virgin sits on a cushioned
chair in a small room — a young mother in a homely
habitation adorned with a shelf on its hinder walls, on
Avhich pots and vases and a straw-plaited flask are
ranged. Her yelloAV hair twisted with a subtle veil,
her red dress cut square at the bosom, its close sleeve
puckered into pleats of a- vague red stuff, her green
sash and blue mantle, showing its brown lining
here and there, the curtain of grey red hue, all
contribute by soberness of tint to the quiet scale of
tones AAliich marks the picture. But the change
in technical execution is remarkable. The lights are
so transparent that they hardly cover the ground of
the panel, the shadoAvs of such copious pigment as to
produce an unusual density. One foot on a stool, the
other throAvn forward on the floor, make a seat for the
Infant. Christ, who rests half-recumbent on his

284

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

mother's lap, hanging on with both hands to the hem
of her dress, looks round with inspired eyes at the
spectator, Mary the while bending over . him with
a look of serene melancholy, as she supports his
shoulder with one hand and holds his left foot with
the other. Never was a group of " Mother and Child "
more picturesquely balanced, never put together in
more graceful lines. Raphael rarely imagined more
lovely, chastened features. What strikes us most, is
youth and tenderness, such as give charm to the
" Connestabile Madonna," and besides something
deeper, nay, unfathomable, a mystery as of things to
come, sufferings to be endured, and supreme resig
nation to bear them all. Enchanting is the transpa
rent light of the flesh parts, exquisite the glow of the
whole surface.*
Hardly less beautiful, the companion picture at St.
Petersburg represents the "Virgin and Child" in a
palace, but in reversed position. The Virgin again
bends over the Child, whose left foot she is holding.
He clings Avith his right hand to his mother's bosom,

* Chantilly. Palace of the Due
d'Aumale. Half length. Wood.
IIJ in. h. by 14| in. Once in
possession of the brother of Louis
the XlVth of France, then in the
Orleans Gallery. Sold, 1798, to
Mr. Hibbert for .£500, then in the
hands of Mr. Nieuwenhuis, who
sold it in 1831, afterwards trans
ferred to M. Aguado, and then
sold in Paris for 24,000 francs to
Mr. B. Delessert. Bought at the
Delessert sale in 1869 by the Due

d'Aumale for 150,000 francs. This
little picture is perfectly preserved.
There is no foundation for Passa-
vant's belief that the background
was repainted in the manner of
David Teniers (i. p. 45). This pic
ture is probably one of those de
scribed by Vasari as painted for
Duke Guidubaldo (Vas. viii. p. 7).
It answers the description in the Ur
bino inventory. "Quadretto d'nna
Madonna con un Cristo in braccio
in legno che viene da Raffaelle."

Chap. VI.] THE PETERSBURG "MADONNA/

285

whilst he rests the other hand on her lap, and turning
sharply round, looks at the melancholy form of the
beardless Joseph, who stands to the left with both
hands leaning on his staff.* A more matronly shape
in the Virgin, greater breadth and strength in the
Saviour, remind us of the " Madonna del Cardellino,"
an impression enhanced by the landscape, which is
seen through the arch to the right. But the qualities
of colour and execution in this little panel are similar
to those of the Orleans " Madonna." What makes
the picture peculiarly interesting is the discovery
that the beardless Joseph is a counterpart in features
and head of that which Raphael designed for the next
great work that occupied his leisure at Florence, the
"Holy Family" of Lord Ellesmere, usually known as
the " Madonna of the Palm."
On a larger scale, and in the shape of a round, the
figures in this picture are fitted into the space with

* St. Petersburg. Hermitage.
No. 37. Wood, transferred to
canvas. 0-73 h. by 0-57. Half
length. This picture cannot be
that catalogued in the inventory
of Urbino as Passavant thought
(Raphael, ii. p. 44), because the
Urbino picture was a round. (See
postea, notes to the " Virgin with
the Palm.") We can only trace
this masterpiece back to the 17th
century, when it is said to have
belonged to the Due d'Angou-
leme in Paris. It was sold to one
Barroy, cleaned by one Vendine,
and before it came to Petersburg
it belonged to Mr. Crozat. It is

injured by three spots of restoring
on the forehead of St. Joseph,
three on the face of the Virgin,
two on her throat, and two or
three on the infant's legs. It may
be the second picture which
Raphael painted for Taddeo Tad
dei. (Vas. viii. p. 6.) Adrawingofa
composition like that of this piece,
in the Berlin Print-room, repre
sents Christ seated on the Virgin's
lap ; and St. Joseph behind to
the right is beardless. But there
is something in the drawing
(if it should be genuine, which is
doubtful), that also recalls the
" Madonnadi Loretto." (Seepostea.)

286 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
unrivalled skill. Every line is calculated to suit the
form of the panel, and the surface to be covered. The
Holy Family rests under a palm-tree during the flight
into Egypt, and it strikes one at once to inquire
whether it would ever have occurred to the master
to introduce a palm-tree into a landscape near the
Thrasymene lake. In other respects the distance
varies but little from that of which Raphael was fond.
But this neAv feature in the " Madonna of the Palm "
bespeaks acquaintance with other regions and other
parts of Italy. St. Joseph, on one knee, steadies
himself with his staff, and offers a spray of flowers to
the infant Christ, who stretches out both hands to
take them. He sits astride on the Virgin's knee, who
holds him safely by means of a veil which Avinds
round her shoulders and is then swathed across the
Saviour's body to be tightly held by her guiding
fingers. She sits on a grassy rising of the ground
under the palm-tree, her right hand supporting
the infant's breast, her left holding the veil. The
system of colouring afready marked in the Orleans
" Madonna " is again illustrated by the red gown
Avith bright sleeves, changing from a violet tinge in
the shadows to yellow in the lights, and the purple
tunic and lemon- coloured cloak of St. Joseph. Un
fortunately the harmony suffers from injury produced
by retouching, and it seems a most regrettable circum
stance that the solid impast of Joseph's mantle should
appear to have been executed after the rest of the
picture by one of Raphael's assistants ; pity also that
the damage done to the surface of the panel should

Chap. VI.]

MADONNA OF THE PALM.'

287

conceal, not only the original beauty of the handling,
but some of the charms of feeling that once gave
attraction to the picture.* With Avhat care Raphael
went about this work is apparent in a drawing at the
Louvre, Avhere the Virgin is represented with that
Avinning grace and Avondrous softness of look Avhich
alone give evidence of a close study of Lionardo. The
Virgin and the Child both differ from those in the
picture, the legs being set in a different way and
apparently without regard to the necessity which
afterwards arose of composing the group in a round.
In the panel at BridgeAvater House, St. Joseph is
bearded and in profile. The drawing shows his face
at three quarters to the right, beardless and aged. It
is one of Raphael's happiest studies of expression,
reminiscent of Da Vinci in the finish of the parts and
the smile which lurks in every one of its lines. What
in youth would have been dimples, is here naturally

* London. Bridgewater House.
Wood, transferred to canvas. 3 ft:
4 in. in diameter. This picture
has not been traced hitherto
further back than the close of the
17th century. Yet it answers the
description in the Urbino inven
tory. " Quadro uno di mano di
Raffaelle eon un Cristo, Madonna,
S. Gioseffe, et omamento a foggia
di specchio." Before 1680 it be
longed to the Countess de Chi-
verni in Paris, out of whose hands
it passed to those of the Marquise
d'Aumont, who disposed of it to
Mr. de la Noue for 5000 livres,
after causing a copy to be made
or Port Royal by Philippe de

Champagne. From the De la
Noue Collection it passed, about
1680, into the hands of President
Tambonneau (Felibien, Entretiens
i. p. 228), and thence into the
Orleans Collection, at the sale ol
which it was bought by the Earl
of Bridgewater in 1792 for £1200.
It has two vertical splits, one on
the left side of the picture, one
in the centre, running down the
Virgin's forehead, the back of the
infant's head, his body, and the
Virgin's mantle. These have been
necessarily restored causing re
paint, on the A'irgin's face, the
infant's arm, Joseph's hands, and
part of the Virgin's left hand.

288

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

turned into wrinkles, yet the withered face looks sur
prisingly happy and full of the tenderest affection.
Every line, even the mechanism of the shadmg and
the spacious planes into which shadoAV is thrown, are
Lionardesque.* As we saAV, the design which he
forbore to use in the "Madonna Avith the Palm.'' was
happily transferred to the "Madonna" of St. Peters
burg. But before Raphael made the drawing, he had
already sketched its outlines in the rapid jottings of a
sheet at Lille, and side by side witfe- the group are
thoughts for the infant Christ in the " Madonna di
Loretto " and the angels of the " Madonna di San
Sisto," a fresh proof, if any Avere needed, of the
ceaseless working of the painter's mind.-]'
Looking back into the two periods of Raphael's
practice at Perugia and Florence we realise his course
as he passed in succession under tAvo influences of
almost equal potency, that of Umbrian tradition
as wielded by a master whose lessons gave the first
impulse, that of Florentine taste, chiefly attributable
to Da Vinci, AA'hich gave the second impulse to his
genius. The conditions under which these forces
acted Avere as different as the feeling of which they

* Louvre. No. 316. 0-226 h.
oy 0'154. Silver-point on yellow-
tinted paper. The head on the
upper left corner, the Virgin and
Child below. Squared for trans
fer to panel, and with indica
tions of a round. From the collec
tions Lagoy, Dimsdale, Lawrence,
and King of Holland. At the
sale of the latter the drawing was

bought for 1537 fr. 25 c.
t Lille Collection. No. 695.
Silver-point. 0-116 h. by 0-144.
The group of the Virgin and Child
to the left, with a child to the
right looking up, and one of the
angels below looking up. To the
right a similar angel, and cross
wise above it a study of the child
of the " Madonna di Loretto."

Chap. VI.] DEVELOPMENT OF HIS STYLE. 289

Avere the motive element. The art of Perugino,
though it had been altered by Tuscan example, was
after all but the highest development of that Avhich
was hastening to its decline in the Umbrian country,
an art that to some extent ignored the progress
originally caused at Florence by keen rivalry and
competition. That of Lionardo Avas refined, not only
by the experience of tAvo centuries, but by his own
powers of investigation. So long as Raphael remained
in Umbria, his talents were partially held in abeyance.
What he achieved Avas due to the innate taste which
allowed him to impart a new grace and purity to types
that were nearly worn out. For a time, indeed, a
mere struggle Avith old customs seemed all that he
would compass. His capacity for assimilation ap
peared unlikely to save him from the risk of constant
repetition. Florence opened a new field to him in
which he observed that artists Avere not Avorking from
set forms, but in obedience to principles and laAvs.
He was no longer a child Avho had a lesson to learn,
but a man with unusual acquisitive propensities, not
like Bugiardini, whom Michaelangelo called happy,
because he was content with the little he had
learned,* but a craftsman who had acquired much,
yet Avished to acquire more. He saw Lionardo's
masterpieces Avithout that material craAring for imita
tion which had beset him at Perugia. He took hold
of the maxims which Da Vinci had taught, not of
the very shapes, which he had painted. He made

* Vas. x. p. 347.

290 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

Lionardo's lessons a study, and became his disciple
in a far higher sense than he had been the pupil of
Perugino. The time however came Avhen he Avas to
lose the guidance of the master, to Avhose influence he
had thus nobly surrendered. And just as he finished
the "St, George" and the "Virgin of the Palm" in
1506, Da Vinci gave up his residence at Florence and
returned to Milan preparatory to that final visit Avhich
he Avas to make to France. By a curious coincidence
Michaelangelo, avIio had quarrelled with Julius II. at
Rome, began to listen to the Pope's blandishments at
the moment Avhen Da Vinci yielded to the importuni
ties of the French rulers at Milan, and towards the
close of 1506 he too left the Tuscan capital for
Bologna. Florence Avas deprived almost at one stroke
of tAvo of her most important artists, and, strangest of
all, Perugino withdreAV from the field of Florentine
competition, and retired to end his days in the Peru
gian country.
But Raphael AA'as not to be disturbed in his dream
of progress, eA'en by the departure of these valued
guides. About the time Avhen Lionardo retired
from Florence, leaving his cartoon unfinished and his
pledges unfulfilled, Baccio della Porta emerged from
the cell in Avhich he had been spending years of
religious probation, and resumed the practice Avhich
his voavs had interrupted six years before, With the
reappearance of Fra Bartolommeo, a ncAV life was
given to the art of Lionardo. Raphael seized tho
favourable opportunity, became the intimate friend of
the Dominican, and, incredible as it may seem, gave him

Chap. VI.] INFLUENCE OF FLORENTINE MASTERS. 291
lessons in perspective. The fruits of this intimacy
were not slow in appearing. Raphael patiently con
tinued to apply the precepts of Lionardo in the pictures
Avhich he executed ; but he modified some of the ele
ments of his manner in obedience to the lessons of the
friar, and came at last to embody many of the qualities
which distinguished that remarkable painter. Yet
with all his admiration for Fra Bartolommeo, he was
now too wary and experienced to trust to him alone.
He only took what he thought suitable to his own
genius, " he followed a middle course in design and in
colour, and combined Avith these the better points of
other masters in order to build up a style of his
OAvn." """ The absence of Lionardo and Michael
angelo made it all the easier to compass this end, by
enabling Raphael to unite, if that were possible, the
maxims of both. The old dislike for Michaelangelo
gradually faded from the youthful master's mind as
the conviction grew upon him that no such strength
had ever beenldevelopedin drawing, as he had .shoAvn
in the cartoons and picture exhibited at Florence.
Vasari7_Jndeed, attributes Raphael's enormous and
rapid stride as a draughtsman solely to his study of
Buonarotti's Avorks. He says that Raphael in a feAV
inonthsjerfornied the labour of years, " studying^ the
nude, testing the anatomy of living models by com
parisons AA'itlLflayed preparations and corpses, master
ing the foreshortening of parts, the connection of
bones and nerves with muscles, and the causes of the

* Vas. viii. p. 54

292

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

swell or projections produced by bending or stretchmg
a limb or a body.* But if Raphael did all this, it
was not due entirely to Michaelangelo. He studied
the antique, as we see in the copy of the red Marsyas
of the Uffizi, Avhich is in the sketch-book at Venice.f
He reproduced, amongst others, the fine bas-relief,
which he composed into the great cartoon of St. Paul
at Lystra. He spent days in appealing to Nature and
looking at skeletons, in order to attain the perfection
of the "Entombment" and the "Canigiani Madonna."
But besides, he Avent back to the works of Donatello,
of whom a critic had said that his spirit passed by
transmigration into the frame of Michaelangelo, J
and feeling that he could not equal either Buonarotti
or Lionardo in those walks in Avhich each of them was
unapproachable, he aimed at surpassing them by
making himself universal. § He recollected the
masterpieces of Signorelli at Urbino and Cittk di
Castello, and perhaps at Cortona and Orvieto, he
minutely examined the compositions of the great
Florentines, Botticelli and Filippino, which had served
to direct the later efforts of Da Vinci, and he refreshed
his early reminiscences of Mantegna, whose " Wail
over the Dead Body of Christ " he had studied in his
earlier years. One step further he went even than

* Aras. viii. pp. 53-4.
t Venice Acad. Frame XXVI.
No. 11. Back of XXVI. No. 5.
Pen drawing of the torso and legs
either of the " Marsyas " of the
Uffizi, No. 156, or of a preparation
in the same attitude. We shall

see this design used in the Cham
bers of the Vatican, postea.
X Borghini, in A'as. iii. p. 269.
H Aavaros f3ovapparl{et. "H
ftovappcoros Awvari^eL."
§ Vas. viii. 53.

Chap. -VI.] INFLUENCE OF FLORENTINE MASTERS. 293
this, he fell to admiring the methods which Michael-
_ angelo^ jiad displayed, as to form, in the "Pietk"
at St. Peter's of Rome, as to attitude and drapery in
the "Madonna" of the Uffizi. He made Michael- <
angelo' s sy stein of handling his own, adapting to
Ivis^jompositions the clean contour and modelling
of Buonarotti, his translucent blending of tints
and marbled smoothness of surface. Those peculiar
keys of tone, which consist in changing hues,, balanced
according to the laws of harmony, he applied with ^
faultless precision. The force of the current Avhich
took him into this phase of the Michaelangelesque
may be gauged by this, that he went so far as to
adopt Buonarotti' s realistic rendering of hands and
feet and "articulations, and his habitual contrasts and
careful adjustment of light and shade, not excepting
that chill of coldness Avhich must invariably be the
result of a mirror-like burnish. But with what labour
and exercise of patience he compassed all this, it would
be hard to understand, if the numberless draAvings had
not been preserved which preceded the actual under
taking of the altar-pieces of Domenico Canigiani
and Atalanta Baglioni. For both of these pictures
he^paa*ed--n^palns that an artist could expend, he
drew the models of the nudes, which he aftenvards
draped, he copied the skeletons, he repeated the
figures in various movements, and even changed the
distribution in all kinds of ways. For both pieces
he made designs at the same time, as Ave may infer
from the sketches of the one being throAvn on the back
of the sheets prepared for the other.

294 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
Domenico Canigiani AAras a Florentine citizen of a
patrician family, whose name is more than once
mentioned in Vasari's lives. He obtained from
Raphael the "Holy Family," which came as a
nuptial present to the electors of Diisseldorf by the
marriage of Anna de' Medici, daughter of Cosimo III.
to John William, Count Palatine of the Rhine.
The figures Avhich make up the composition are the
Virgin and Christ, St. Joseph, St. Elizabeth, and the
Baptist, arranged in a circle on the true pyramidal
system. The lines of this arrangement are obtained
by representing the Virgin and Elizabeth seated,
whilst Joseph is placed on higher ground behind
them, so as, leaning Avith both hands on his staff, he
may look doAvn from a vantage ground upon his
companions. ' Raphael had probably been struck by
this principle of distribution in several Florentine
altar-pieces, Botticelli's "Epiphany" at Santa Maria
Novella, Filippino's at San Donato, and Da Vinci's in
the palace of Amerigo Benci at Florence.* The last
of these was one so familiar to Raphael's mind, that he
adapted some of its parts, perhaps unconsciously, to
pictures of his oavu, and Ave note as derived from
this source the foreground saint on the right side of
the Disputa at Rome and St. Paul in the St. Cecilia
of Bologna. What distinguishes RaphaeLinJbis pre
sent effort and makes him of kin AAlth Jh& -greater
Florentines is, the cleverness with which lie brings
the figures into focus in concentric, .attitudes, and

* Florence. Uffizi. Nos. 1286, 1257, 1252.

Chap. VI.] " MADONNA CANIGIANI." 295
throws into all the faces and individuals a common
thought and action. The Virgin seated on the ground
to the right holds a missal, in the leaves of Avhich her
forefinger is thrust ; Avith one hand she supports the
naked frame of the Infant Christ, Avho rests against
her knee, one leg on her foot and another on the
ground. One sees that the divine infant has been
sitting on his mother's lap Avhilst she was reading;
and at sight of Elizabeth and the Baptist she closed the
book and put the babe to the ground. With the scroll
in his hand, on which the fatal words are written :
"Ecce agnus dei," he looks up innocently at the
Baptist, avIio stands before him, and presents it
smiling. St. John, who leans against the kneeling
Elizabeth, bends his curly head to look at the scroll.
His mother has seen the movement. She raises her
head and eyes inquiringly to St. Joseph, who stands
over her, and looks down Avith complacence at the
charming scene. The Virgin's head and face, with
the hair combed back over the ear and the veil twisted
through the plaits, displays the same cast of beauty as
the " Madonna " of St. Petersburg. Her dress of the
leaden red hue which characterizes certain figures in
the "Entombment," has the gloss and smoothness of
a mirror-plate. St. Elizabeth, open mouthed, in lead-
blue mantle, red gOAvn, and Avhite head-cloth, appears
in the realistic form familiar to the Florentines of the
neAV generation, prominent amongst Avhom was An
drea del Sarto, which shows how quickly Raphael's
intimacy Avith Fra Bartolommeo reacted on his style.
Hoav vivid and lasting this impression of Florentine

296

EAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

art remained, is apparent in the repetition of the
St. Elizabeth in the "Madonna dell' Impannata"
and the " Sybil of Santa Maria della Pace " at Rome,
the type of a Avoman, curved by age, and of those
realistic features, which Lionardo was ever ready to
study and reproduce. The difference of years and
race betAveen the Baptist and Christ is marked in that
noble way which so eminently stamps Raphael's
genius, Avho would naturally strive to give the
Saviour a more refined air and more graceful pro
portions, than his companion. St. Joseph in his green
tunic and yellow mantle, and hands high up on the
staff on which he reposes, is one of those grand con
ventional figures AA'hich Raphael had now learnt to
throw upon his canvas, a bald man draped in grand
folds, resting his bare foot on the ground, a man with
a spare, worn beard, and scant crop of grey hair on
his croAvn and temples. A pleasing diversity of
shape, of face, and of features, distinguishes each of
the saints ; but the landscape Avith its foreground of
Aveeds and flowers, its varied strata of shaded plain
stretching to a blue lake and Ioav hills covered Avith
buildings and churches, is lovely alike for simplicity
and breadth of execution. The pure effect of the sky
which sheds its light on the scene is lost to us since
the hands of restorers passed over it and removed the
cherubs that disported themselves in the clouds.*

* Munich. Pinakothek. No.
534. Wood. 4 ft. h. by 3 ft. 3£ in.
Inscribed on the hem of the
Virgin's dress at the bosom,

" EAPHAEL VRBINAS." How the
picture came into the hands of the
Medici at Florence is unknown,
but it is registered in the Inven-

Chap. VI.]

"MADONNA OANIGIANL'

297

The true distribution of this portion of the altar-
piece is only to be guessed at from an early copy
in the Corsini Gallery at Florence, in which there
are three winged angels on the right and four on
the left side of the heavens.* In a fine pen outline of
the two women and children at Vienna, the quickness
with which Raphael originally conceived the subject,
is manifested. But the youthful face of St. Elizabeth
tells us that the realistic idea of toothless and withered
age was an afterthought which was only carried out in
the picture itself, f The nudes of the Avhole com
position with bare contours of the head and a view of

tory of the Uffizi of 1589-1634.
The panel was much injured and
the upper part was painted over
by one Colin, so that Inspector
Krahe, at the beginning of the
2Dresent century, caused them to
disappear altogether. The follow
ing parts are obviously retouched.
The lights of the Virgin's mantle,
.and the hand with the book, the
hand, shadows of the foot, head,
and neck, and part of the dress of
St. Elizabeth ; the hair and flesh
of the Baptist, and the flesh in
spots of the Infant Christ.
* Florence. Corsini Gallery.
Once in the Rinuccini Collection.
Inscribed on the hem of the
Virgin's dress, "Raphael vkbinas
INV . SOLVTV . CADEN A MD XVII
die xxvn men mar." An Italian
work so far as the figures are con
cerned, and the principal group
better than the angels. All by a
disciple of Raphael. But the
landscape, with the tree and
conical hills, differing from the

original, looks like the production
of a Fleming.
t Vienna. Albertina. From the
Cavaceppi Collection. Outlined
in red chalk and then rapidly
with pen and bistre. 10 in. 4 h.
by 9 in. Very rapid sketch from
nature, in which St. Elizabeth has
a thin veil interwoven in her hair,
her arms are bare and the turn of
her face is towards the infant
Christ. The leg of the Virgin is
bare, her hand is not in the same
position as in the picture ; the
Infant Christ's foot is not on that
of its mother but on a stool, and
the Baptist differs so far that here
he is made to hold the end of the
scroll which Christ presents to
him. At the Ambrosiana in Milan a
drawing of the whole composition,
including the angels in the sky,
seems drawn after the picture. It
is, at all events, not by Baphael,
any more than a copy, numbered
34, in the Oxford Gallery.

298 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
St. Joseph in profile alsO prove that Raphael hesitated
at some particular moment as to the precise form in
which he Avas to complete the pyramid of his com
position.* In the midst of these aA'ocations, pressed, perhaps,
by Domenico Alfani, who AA'as manager, we should
think, of his Perugian painting-room, he designed the
" Holy Family " at Windsor, which, though a com
panion to the Canigiani "Madonna," seems never to
haA'e been executed. It perhaps too amiably repre
sented an incident in the daily life of the Italian
people. We can fancy two children in the country
under the care of their mothers, the Virgin with
her babe at her knee, one foot on her foot, one
arm in her arm, St. Elizabeth kneeling at the
Virgin's side, Avith her boy half on her lap, half
resting on the hand under his armpits. St. John
grasps at Christ's disengaged elboAA', and seems to say
he would like to play. Mary, in the usual attire,
Elizabeth, in A'est and hood, look on at the amiable
struggle, but the infant Saviour resists, and prefers
his rest. In the eagerness of the one, the playful
indolence of the other, and the interest of the two

* Chantilly, seat of the Due altar-piece. The nude of St.

d'Aumale. Pen and umber out
lines from the nude of the five
figures of the picture. This in
teresting sketch is here and there
very rough and hasty, and in
some parts, such as the feet and
hands of the two women, very
careless. The attitudes of the
latter are those of the Albertina
drawing, and not those of the

Joseph, seen from behind, but
with a twist of the torso which
brings the upper part of his frame
in profile to the right, is very
clever. St. Elizabeth is a male
model. A sketch of the Virgin and
child alone is described in the
Timbal Collection in Paris (not
seen).

Chap. VI.]

THE "ENTOMBMENT."

299'

mothers, there is an almost indescribable charm, and
Raphael's mastery in the execution of this beauti
ful pen-drawing is almost beyond belief. The re
miniscences which connect it with the " Canigiani
Madonna " are too striking to leave us in doubt as
to the period of its conception.* We shall see that
it Avas followed one year later by a design equally
beautiful, and finished with even greater care. But
Domenico Alfani, who usually received these master
pieces, was not active enough in pushing Raphael's
interests at Perugia, and Raphael's practice in
Umbria naturally suffered from his continued and
protracted absence.
Still tAvo great contracts remained to be com
pleted in the " Entombment " of Atalanta Baglioni,,
and the fresco of San Severo. And as Raphael Avas
bound to attend personally to the last, he noAV gave
his energies exclusiA'dy to the first. The secret of
Atalanta Baglioni' s commission is unfortunately not
revealed. But Avhen it came to be executed in 1507,
it represented the carriage of the dead Saviour to the
sepulchre, and there is some reason to think that it
Avas preceded in Raphael's mind by another subject,
the "Wail over the Body of Chilst at the Foot of
the Cross."
Few themes have been more frequently and gravely
pondered over than that of the Pieta. If Giotto's

* Windsor. Finished pen and
ink sketch, with the line and
effect almost of an etching. 9j in.
h. by 5|. The distance of lake

and hills, a few trees and bushes
are indicated with sketchy lines.
On the foreground are grasses and
weeds.

I

300 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
means had been equal to the realization of his
thoughts, he might have furnished the model for all
coming generations in the frescos of the Scrovegni
chapel at Padua. His fine conception of despair and
lamentation ' in that noble composition Avas only
marred by inability to render the human form with
all the subtlety of the masters of the later revival.
Mantegna, AArho inherited the precepts of the Floren
tines from Donatello, added an intense realism to the
passion of Giotto, and formed the lines of his cele
brated plate on the grandest principle of pictorial
distribution. Perugino illumined the scene by means
of an excellent scheme of colour, and a landscape
especially calculated to bring out the forms by
which it Avas enlivened. Signorelli, with a rugged
strength which alone Michaelangelo surpassed, gave
prominence to muscular action, without due regard
to rhythm or selection ; and in spite of exceptional
mastery in draAving and anatomy, he developed energy
in excess, and sacrificed unity of purpose to a
naturalism as marked in its way as that of Mantegna.
Raphael, whose early efforts had been mainly
guided by Perugino, trusted to feeling rather than
passion in the Pieta of the predella of Sant' Antonio,
but when Florence opened its treasures to him he
could not but observe that amiability and grace were
not the sole qualities that required display in a
subject of that kind, and he naturally thought of
combining the precepts of Lionardo with the lessons
of Fra Bartolommeo. Yet, when he drew the "Pietay '
which is the theme illustrated in tAvo splendid designs

Chap. VI.] THE "ENTOMBMENT." 301

at Paris and Oxford, it Avas not Avithout effort that
he turned into the path of the Florentines, nor could
he entirely forget to make Umbrian tenderness or his
OAvn graceful taste subordinate to the maxims of Da
Vinci. With the greater breadth of style Avhich
characterizes the " Pieta" of the Lonvre it is easy to
discern a combination of elements not purely Tuscan,
and assuredly reminiscences of the. most varied kind
were swaying him at the time. A more philosophic
contemplation enabled him to discoA'er qualities in
Mantegna and Signorelli to which he might pre
viously have been blind. Effects which might have
been produced earlier, had they not been neutralized
by Umbrian teaching, became potent enough when
that teaching was suspended. Though Perugian habits
lingered with him still, the " Pieta " of Mantegna
came to assume an importance of which before this the
master would perhaps never have dreamt. Pictures
by Signorelli in various cities of Umbria came back
to him with neAv claims to admiration. It required a
stay in Florence to realize that there was something in
Signorelli' s " Crucifixion" at Urbino which deserved to
be remembered, that numerous altar-pieces from the
same hand which we must fancy him to haA'e seen
at Cortona, Borgo San Sepolcro and Castiglione
Aretino were to be deemed worthy of special
study. There is not one of these masterpieces but
Avould seem noAV to have given an impulse to the
young master's thoughts. In Mantegna's print the
Virgin sinks into the arms of her attendants, who
bend over her with intense grief, one of the Maries

'302 RAPHAEL: BIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
kneels in despair Avith her hands joined in prayer,
John the Evangelist erect wrings his hands and sobs
conA'ulsively. In the " Crucifixion " of Urbino the
two Maries tend the Virgin in a savooii, and St. John
appeals prayerfully to heaven. At Borgo San Se-
polcro the Virgin, bereft of sense, lies in the arms of
a Avoman Avho lifts the veil from her face. At Cas
tiglione Aretino the Magdalen raises the feet of
Christ, Avhilst his mother and one of the Maries keep
his hand and arm from the ground. With these,
Perugino's altar-piece of Santa Chiara, in Avhich
Christ is kept in a sitting posture by Nicodemus,
whilst the Virgin passes her hand over his face, one
of the Maries twists her fingers, and another looks
down upon the group with outstretched arms.* The
memory of all these works croAvded together in
Raphael's mind influenced him beyond conception.
They set him a-thinking of the precepts of Da Vinci
Avhich told him to combine the dramatis personse in
an intertress of attitude aud action dictated by a
common thought of mourning. Bearing all this in
mind, Ave cannot fail to see to whom Ave OAve tho
dead Saviour of the Paris design, avIio lies AAlth his
legs in the Magdalen's lap, Avhilst she sits on the

* Reminiscent of Perugino, and
an arrangement of his picture at
Santa Chiara, is a drawing in red
chalk. No. 40 at Oxford, once
assigned to Raphael, but now
properly classed amongst the
works of a feebler artist.
No. 41, in the same gallery, is a
further working out of the fore

going, comprising a study of the
Saviour's torso, and the group oi
the Virgin with the two Marys
and a standing saint ; this drawing
is by the same hand as No. 40.
Silver-point. 8J in. h. by 11$ in.
From the Antaldi and Lawrence
Collections.

Chap. VI.]

THE "ENTOMBMENT."

303

ground and poAverfully grasps his limbs. The
Virgin Avith His head and shoulders on her knees
faints backAvard into the arms of an attendant.
Another female looping up her dress stoops to raise
the veil from the Virgin's face. Nicodemus in a
turban contemplates the scene, and St. John the
Evangelist to the right seems pinned to the ground
as he presses together the hands which he has raised
to his chin. It is easy to resign each of these figures
and attitudes to those in whom they originated —
to Mantegna, Signorelli, and Perugino. Fine as
Raphael's design undoubtedly is, it has something of
the conventional Umbrian still in the type and move
ment of the turbaned Nicodemus, in the pose and
dress of John. But the immature application of
Da Vinci's precepts betrays itself in their excess,
particularly in the girl kneeling at the Virgin's
side, Avho not only helps to support the Virgin's head
with her left arm but makes a pillow Avith her right
for that of Christ. Something inappropriate and
unfinished too is apparent in the place where the
Evangelist is made to stand. The drapery still lacks
the sweep and simplicity of the Florentines.* But
Raphael did not mean, we imagine, to present the
Louvre design as a complete composition, he dreAV
the nude of St. John in a sheet now at Oxford, and

* Paris. Louvre. No. 319.
Pen and umber drawing. 0'335
h. by 0-397. From the Mariette
Zanetti, Fries, Borduge, and Law
rence Collections. Notable in
addition to the description in the

text is, that behind the Evangelist
a profile of part of a head appears,
which reverts to us in the study of
nudes at Oxford, which follows
this.

304

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

combined with it in one group three figures of
attendant men. On the back of the draAving he made
a study of a corpse, in Avhich the body and head
intended for the Saviour were more sharply in profile,
and, strange to say, since Ave possess no picture
in this form, the AAliole of these figures was pin-
holed for use on the panel of some altar-piece.* It
occurred to Raphael in time to obseiwe the defects of
this distribution. He put it aside and handled the
same theme in a better and more appropriate shape, if
not Avithout neglectful sketchiness, in another sheet
at Oxford, itself preceded by that clever but rather
superficial sketch of the Magdalen, St. John, and
other male spectators, now in the collection of Mr.
Malcolm.t In the last rendering of the whole com-

* Oxford. No. 38. Pen draw
ing in bistre. 8J in. h. by 13J in.
From the Alva and Lawrence
Collections. On one side, with
the head to the left, a male body
on an inclined couch, with the
left hand on the leg, the right
hanging to the ground.
On the other side the three
nudes described in the text, with
the profile of ahead behind St. John.
Back and front are pinholed.
t Oxford. No. 37. Pen draw
ing in bistre. 7J in. h. by 8j- in.
From the Denon and Lawrence
Collections. This drawing is done
from memory and without models.
It is therefore of a less searching
design than others. But it esta
blishes the lines of a composition
of fine distribution with great
freedom and nature in the attitude
of each fismre.

The group of John, with his
three companions and the sitting
Madonna, in the Malcolm Collec
tion, is in the same style as the
foregoing, but consists of larger
figures, drawn with the feeling
and skill of which Baphael was
master, but without the accuracy
which he attained when he
studied the model. The Magda
len with her legs drawn up, and
hands closed together; her head
in profile. The Evangelist in the
attitude of that in No. 319 at the
Louvre. Two of the other figures
looking round to the left wear
turbans. The drawing in pen and
bistre passed from the Birchall
Collection to that of Mr. Sackville
Bale and was exhibited at the
Grosvenor Gallery in 1878-9. It
was sold, June 11, 1881, to Mr.
Malcolm for 510 guineas.

Chap. VI.] "THE ENTOMBMENT." 305

position the figures were all cleverly " brought into
focus. That of the Evangelist Avas moved to a more
appropriate place in reference to the principal
group ; it Avas turned slightly out of profile and
received a picturesque accompaniment of folloAvers.
The Magdalen was made to bear the Saviour's legs on
her lap, her arms Avere raised and her hands clasped
in grief. One of the Maries Avas substituted for
Nicodemus, and thus a fine and compact distribution
was attained in lines of pleasing curve without excess
of strain in any one of the personages.
Yet Avith all this labour expended, with this
abundance of thought, and correction, and final attain
ment of a fortunate result, Raphael ended Avith a mere
project for a picture. No altar-piece is known in
AA'hich the Oxford design was applied, nor was any
better result produced, as Raphael proceeded to vary
the subject and seized the moment, Avhen the body of
the Saviour lying on the ground after its descent
from the cross, was about to be taken aAvay for
removal. The draAving Avhich Raphael made for this incident
Avas of finer and riper workmanship than those Avhich
preceded it. The system of shading outlines Avith
oblique cross hatching disappeared to make place for
a neAv system of vertical strokes Avoven obtusely, and
often at right angles to each other, the result being a
soft contrast of light and shade without any marked
contour of the inner features. The masterly applica
tion of this neAV style in a sheet at Oxford was
manifestly due to the direct effect on Raphael of the

306

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

lessons of Fra Bartolommeo. The body of Christ
raised with a mighty effort from the Avinding sheet
by a man at his head who strongly clasps both arms
round his chest, the similar grasp of the legs by
another kneeling figure are, as it were, an introduc
tion to the later designs Avhich found their final
application in the "Entombment." A sketch of an
arm, the shading of a hand, and four heads on the
same paper further illustrate the painter's purpose.
If in the full length of the lifeless Christ the model
appears to haAre been a corpse, the head Avas clearly
an appeal to living nature ; and nothing can be more
curious than to detect in the profile which Raphael
made an absolute reproduction of a type familiar to
the great master of San Marco. To sculptural forms
of body and limb realistic accidents inseparable from
the moving of a still flexible body are super-added,
anl the droop of the hands of the Saviour is a subtle
proof of pictorial observation. The same bearded
man seems to have sat for tAvo faces in opposite
vieAvs, with eyes cast clown and features of mild
intentness above the principal group. Next to these
is a bust of the Virgin, as she savoous, Avith A'eil and
mantle falling over her broAV, then a fore-shortening
of a male head at three-quarters to the right, with'
the face turned upAvards ; — all this thrown off with
consummate ease and facility, and replete with the
deep feeling and expressiveness peculiar to Raphael.*

* Oxford. No. 39. Pen and
bistre. 8| in. h. by 12| in. From

the Viti, Bordage, Crozat, B.
Constantine and Lawrence Collec-

Chap. VI.] "THE ENTOMBMENT." 307

In the " Entombment," Avhich after so many trials
now came to perfection, Raphael remained much
under the same influences as Avere manifested in his
early preparatory studies. A clearer reflex of the
sculptural forms of Donatello and Michael Angelo
may perhaps be detected, but Umbrian feeling, if
transfigured, still slumbered Avithin him and shoAved
itself in certain movements, and occasional use of
rich transparent tints in dresses and landscape
contours. Michael Angelo's spirit revived in the
pure Florentine shape of the body and limbs of the
lifeless Christ, his compactness, and masterly applica
tion of the laAVS of bas-relief in the group of the
" Maries attending the Swooning Virgin." Nor is it
in these parts alone that Ave shall observe the in
fluence of Buonarotti, not alone in the lie of the
-Saviour's legs, AAliich remind us of the "Pieta" of
Rome, not in the sitting attitude of the Avoman, Avho
stretches her arms and tAvists her frame to save the
Virgin from falling, Avhich recalls the round of the
Uffizi, but also in the peculiar handling of the pig
ments, the neutral tinting of some colours, the smooth
gloss and faultless blending and the fine definition of
the hands and feet in outlines of the utmost purity
and elegance. From Mantegna, Avhose episode of the
"Fainting Virgin" he had previously studied, ho

tions. Though Passavant doubts
the genuineness of this drawing,
it is certainly original. The figure
of Christ lies here with the legs to
the right of the sheet, an arm is

in the lower right corner, a hand
in the upper left corner, the heads
in a semi-circle to the right of the
hand. x 2

308 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VI.
noAV derived the idea of the Saviour lifted by bearers
and taken to his rest, but with ingenuity sharpened
by practice, he changed the mode of carriage, and the
bearers Avere made to move the Saviour head foremost
to the sepulclire. Additional force Avas given to the
aetion by supposing the tomb to be approached by
steps, which it was necessary to ascend. The compli
cated attitudes of men, partly SAvinging the body on
level ground, and partly straining their muscular
power to raise the extra weight with a backward step,
Avas original and purely his own. He aAroided alike
the pungent realism of Mantegna's expression, his
passion and searching complexity of detail, and if on
the Avhole his poAver as a composer fell below the
level Avhich the masterly Paduan displayed, it was
only because Mantegna had produced a picture
absolutely perfect in its combination and not to be
surpassed on that account. That he recollected hoAV
in younger days he had copied the Paduan print, the
body of Christ swathed in a winding sheet, the Virgin
helping to bear the burden, the female shrieking with
outstretched arms, and the porters at their task, who
shall venture to deny ? His first impression was to
detach from Mantegna's arrangement the part of the
Virgin Mary. He thought of introducing the group
of the holy Avomen as attendants of the corpse. His
reliance on Perugino ceased abruptly and for ever, the
utmost that he kept of his reminiscences of Signorelli
was the female bending over Christ's hand. In this
form he completed a very fine design, now at the
British Museum, in Avhich the two bearers are varieties

Chap. VI.]

"THE ENTOMBMENT.'

309

of those in the picture ; the three figures in rear differ.
The Virgin is accompanied on the Avay by tAvo females,
and the third kisses the Redeemer's hand. Christ's
head lies on his shoulder and presents itself frontwise,
yet almost horizontally.* But a study AA'hich Avas made
separately for the head and torso as Avell as for the
legs of the bearer (another of the sheets at Oxford) is
evidence that in the midst of this project Raphael
already thought of giving to the man in backward
stride that peculiar poise on the right leg and Avith-
drawal on the left foot Avhich came last into the
picture. It is striking to observe at the same time,
that whilst he is composing with ceaseless care the
fragments of his mournful picture, a gayer spirit
conies over him, and on the back of his paper he
gives in sprightly lines a concert of antique figures,
a woman with a harp, a youth playing the viol, and a
satyr bloAving a trumpet, f

* London. Brit. Mus. Pen
and bistre drawing. 9J in. h. by
2^ in. From the Crozat, Lagoy,
Dimsdale, Lawrence, and King of
Holland's Collections. Bequeathed
by Mr. Chambers Hall in 1853 to
the British Museum. This, though
executed with more freedom and
rapidity than other drawings, par
ticularly that of which we shall
speak, at the Uffizi, is- admirably
outlined, and yet more admirably
composed. The bearer to the left
differs from that of the picture in
the movement of the legs, which
are similar to those in the Oxford
study No. 42. The Virgin fol
lows the bearers to the right, with
a female on each side of her.

At the back of this drawing is a
large figure of an aged and bearded
man, resting on his right leg, the
left leg raised. The right arm
alone given, and set as if to carry
a load. A tunic covers his chest
and loins, and falls in three folds
to his knees. Here again is a
reminiscence of Mantegna's print,
though the head there is turned
in the opposite direction.
t Oxford. No. 43. Pen drawing
in bistre. 9J in. h. by 7h in.
From the Ottley and Lawrence
Collections. The torso and head
of Christ are in the position of the
foregoing. The legs of the bearer,
which are naked, are similar to
those in the picture ; that is, the

310

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

Thinking further over the scheme of distribution
which still required rounding, Raphael's next display
of self-denial was the withdraAval of the group of
Mary and her attendants. Under these conditions he
remodelled the Avhole composition in a drawing at the
British Museum, imagining the body just raised from
the ground by the two principal bearers, and in rear
between them the Avhole family of mourners, including
the female kissing the hand, and the Virgin kneeling
in silent prayer.* Something of Mantegna's spirit sur
vived in this piece, but the arrangement, Avhich was
never carried out, offers less interest because of the
skill Avith Avhich it was conceived, than because of the
studies which led to it. These introduce us to the

right leg on the ground, the heel
of the left leg on the step, and
there is evidence that the torso of
Christ and the legs of the bearer
were a study for this picture in
the needle-holes with which they
are punctured. A replica of
this drawing, once in possession of
Mr. de Triqueti at Paris, was not
seen by the authors.
On the back of the drawing
the central figure of a woman
in antique drapery is seated and
turned to the left, whilst her face
is round to the right, to look at
the youth who stands on his left
leg and rests his knee on the stool.
To the left is the trumpeter
naked, erect, with his cheeks dis
tended. The harp in the grasp of
the female is merely indicated.
* British Museum Pen and
bistre. 8 in. h. b}' 12| in. From

the Crozat, Hibbert, Bogers,
Conyngham and Birchall Collec
tions. In this drawing the bearer
on the left is an old man, bearded,
in a cap and gaberdine, who seems
just raising the body of the
Saviour from the ground, whilst
the Magdalen stoops to look at the
Saviour's face as she raises his left
arm. Near her is the kneeling
Virgin, and between her and the
bearer, who halts after raising the
feet, is the Evangelist, with his
hands together at his chin. There
are indications of heads of five
other figures besides. There is
still a reminiscence of Mantegna
in the Evangelist. The bearer to
the left has some affinity to that
in the " Entombment," called the
" Death of Adonis," No. 44 at
Oxford, though here the figure is
in reverse.

CiiAr. VI.]

:THE ENTOMBMENT.'

311

very life and labours of Raphael at the time and reveal
how he went about like Lionardo Avith sketching
materials in his hand, and visited the melancholy
resorts of death to see hoAV corpses Avere taken from
their hearses and laid out in Avinding sheets.
In alternate position the head of one is seen to the
right, that of the next to the left as they lie in
stark attitude on the earth. Further back a robust
figure stoops with its aAvful load and drops it sloAvly
to the ground. But even in the midst of this
lugubrious operation Raphael's mind is, as it Avere,
protesting against thoughts of death ; he sees a group
of naked children seated on a bench ; one of them is
Aveaker than the rest, his companions haA'e caught
him betAveen them and laughing, yet Avith the cruel
playfulness Avhich usually marks the tenderest age,
they squeeze him between them till he seems likely
to faint from the pressure.*
At last the true shape Avas found for the principal
part of the "Entombment," and this Avas consigned
to a drawing squared for use, AA'hich is iioav preserved
at the Uffizi. Not a trace as yet of the swooning
Mother of Christ and busy friends intent on- restoring
her to life. The upper end of the shroud is in the
hands of the men that step back on the threshold of
the tomb, whilst betAveen them St. John the Evan
gelist looks down. Raising the left hand in hers, the

* British Mus. Back of the
foregoing. The three children are
in the upper left corner, the man

stooping to put down the corpse
in the upper right corner.

312

RAPHAEL: UIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.

Magdalen looks piteously at the death-worn face, and
as she does so, another Avoman Avith raised fingers
glances round in grave sympathy. The man at the
feet remains unaltered.* But now came again a
decisive change in the painter's thought. Either his
own sense told him that the absence of the Virgin
could not be accounted for, or Atalanta Baglioni de

murred to the omission. A length Avas added to the
picture. To the right of the solitary bearer the Virgin
is seen falling back into the arms of her women ; one
fronting the spectator, half sitting, half kneeling,
turns her shoulders, and raises her head and hand to
keep Mary from falling, another grasps her Avaist
from behind, a third helps at the right shoulder, cast
ing glances at the same time to the Saviour as he passes
to the grave. It is here that Ave discenujthc -final
appeal of Raphael to the art of Michaelangelo. Yet
profoundly moving as the group in itself appears,
magnificent as it is in conception, it Avas only intro
duced at a considerable sacrifice. In order to pre
serve the lines of the landscape it was found necessary
to cancel the attendant looking at the Avoman kissing
Christ's hand. That figure Avith all its loveliness
became of necessity but a stop-gap. Yet it was not
a complete sacrifice that Raphael here felt bound
to make. He withdreAV the figure of the girl at
the Magdalen's side, but he presently restored her

* Florence. Uffizi. Frame 154.
No. 538. Pen drawing, with
bistre wash, hatched over in the
style of Oxford drawing. No. 39.

lOf in. h. by 11. Squared for
transfer. Finished with the most
minute care.

Chap. VI.] "THE ENTOMBMENT." 313

to being amongst the Virgin's attendants, and he did
so with the special purpose of uniting the final
incident of the swoon to the rest of the picture.
It was easy in studying the episode to give it a
perfectly concentric shape. The sketch Avhich was
made of it (in the Malcolm collection), if not as
perfect or free from strain as that of the " Spasimo,"
is still a masterpiece of concentration. The Virgin's
knees haA^e lost their strength, her arms hang power
less and her head is drooping, but the girl at her feet
raises her hands to support the Avaist and shoulders,
the tender arms of the two Maries are tAvisted round
her belt, and all express by glance and action their
grief and sympathy with the sufferer. But conceived
in this form the scene has all the character of an in
dependent picture modelled on the round of Michael
angelo. To connect it with the rest of the " Entomb
ment " was only possible by diverting the look of one
of the Maries from the recumbent Virgin. By an effort
of genius this object was attained by altering the
attitude and head of the girl whose first position
had been at the Magdalen's side. She was now
imagined turning her look from the melancholy scene
in Avhich she is an actor to that in which she has no
part. Excepting this, the sketch of the fainting Virgin,
Avith the busy Avomen about her, conveys a touching
sentiment of affectionate friendship and care. The
shading and execution are realized on the system of
cross-hatching, which marks the design at the Uffizi,
and that of Oxford in AAliich Christ is raised by two

314

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [CiiAr. VI.

men from the ground.* To make matters doubly
sure, Raphael drew the group once more on a single
sheet, belonging to Mr. Malcolm, hi which the
skeleton of the bones is strongly lined AAlthin the
contour of the figures. Of three heads on the same
paper tAvo found a place in the picture, the third is

that of the woman in rear of the Virgin, whose face
and attitude were altered as Ave have just observed. j"
The studies were completed, so far as they are knoAvn
to exist, by a drawing of a man carrying a load on
the back of a sketch for the Canigiani " Madonna "
in the Chantilly collection, and finished academies of
the three bearers Avithout drapery in the gallery of
Oxford. The only divergence Avorthy of notice be
tAveen these studies and the picture is that in the
position of the legs of the man who rises badnvards
to the step. J

* London. Mr. Malcolm. Pen
and bistre sketch, llj in. h. by
8 in. From the Antaldi, Lawrence,
King of Holland and Leembrngge
Collections. The same group, seen to the
knees in the Ducal Collection at
Weimar, is assigned by Passavant,
ii. No. 267, to Raphael (not seen).
f Same collection. ' Same size
as foregoing. The skeleton seems
to be done from memory, as the
heads which accompany the figures
are also.
Here might be the place to note
certain studies of bones, legs, feet,
arms, &c, in the collection of
Berlin and Diisseldorf. But these
studies are not with any certainty
to be assigned to Raphael. They

are — 1. Berlin Print-room, a foot, a
leg, and the bones of the latter, in
red chalk. On the back of the
sheet the head (silver-point) of a
youth, three-quarters to the right,
of which there is a replica in
the Diisseldorf Collection. 2.
Diisseldorf Academy. Pen sketch
of three arms. 3. Same collec
tion. The legs of two different
figures in outline, and a shaded
study of a foot. Pen and bistre.
4. Same collection. A human
skull in profile to the left and a
head and shoulders of a hippo-
griph. Pen and ink.
X Chantilly Collection. In this
fine drawing there are two nude
figures, one turned to the right,
who seems to hold a musical in-

Chap. VI.] "THE ENTOMBMENT." 315
Curiously enough, as Raphael gathered up his
designs and proceeded from Florence to Perugia, to
take the "Entombment" in hand — for' Ave are
authorized to believe that the picture Avas not
executed at Florence — it must have occurred to him to
strike the Southerly road Avhich led to Orvieto before
he finally bent Eastward to the place of his destination.
Lingering, Ave should think, with some satisfaction in
the chapel of San Brizio, where the masterpieces of
Signorelli and Angelico Avere displayed, Ave can fancy
him not unmoA'ed AA'hen, looking into one of the
niches, he observed a composition which would strike
him as very closely related to that Avhich he AA'as bent
on completing. In the foreground he Avould find
Signorelli's group of the dead Christ raised in part on
the lap of the Virgin, and the Magdalen kissing the
Saviour's hand, a reversal of the altar-piece of
Cortona. The background would show him a classic
sarcophagus with its side filled up by a relief of the
" Entombment." In the grand but vehement style of
the greatest of the Umbrians, he would see the body
of Christ borne feet foremost by three naked men, a

strument. Lower down the sheet
another carrying a load.
Oxford. No. 42. Pen and

the paper. But the rest is
modelled from nature in cross
hatching with surprising care and

bistre drawing. Hi in. h. by 9| finish. The same figures, with
in. From the Antaldi and Law- the addition to the left of the
rence Collections. The figures bearer, who holds the legs of a
here all close together, and the ; woman in profile, is in the collec-
body of the Saviour indicated I tion of the Louvre, though not
with red chalk, the head of the exhibited. It might be by Penni,
bearer on the step much dis- j though the dolomites in the dis
figured by the wear and tear of I tance might suggest another hand.

316 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VI.
fourth in front raising his arms in passionate gesture
of despair. At the sides of the main subject Peter
Parens and Faustinus Avith his mill stone, the patron
saints of Orvieto. What wonder, that seeing this,
he should suddenly think of a neAv form of the
"Entombment;" that he should, in a few potent
strokes, have throAA'n upon paper that marvellous
sketch at Oxford in which the composition of
Signorelli is reversed and Christ is carried feet fore
most to the tomb Avith the noble addition of an all but
naked female Availing as she bends over the face and
winds one arm under that of the Redeemer in an un
speakable agony of grief. It might indeed be urged
that since the back of the sheet Avhich contains this
majestic design, comprises a figure of Adam and a
fragment of a figure of Eve, which were used in one
of Marcantonio's prints, the Avhole page Avas composed
at a period subsequent to 1507, but Ave shall observe
that in draAvings made about this time for the predella
of the "Entombment," the same power and sweep of
contour Avere displayed, and Raphael performed the
feat AA'hich we find so frequently repeated, of making
sketches of the utmost diversity in style for one and
the same picture.* Yet if it struck him that a new

* Oxford. No. 44. Pen draw
ing in bistre. 10i in, h. by 13 in.
From the Antaldi, Crozat, Mariette,
St. Morys, Fuseli, and Lawrence
Collections. Bought by Mariette
from the heirs of Timoteo A'iti.
This composition has been called

'' Entombment.'' The dead body
is carried feet foremost from left
to right by two bearers at the
shoulders and one at the feet. It
is similar in position to that in
the drawings of the British
Museum and Utiizi, though re-

the "Death of Adonis," but it versed, excepting that the feet
may quite as well represent the , here are hooked, as it were, to-

Chap. VL]

THE ENTOMBMENT."

and classic energy might, if need Avere, be infused
into his composition, he Avas far too forward in other
preparations to alter his purpose iioav, and he pro
ceeded to paint the altar-piece of Atalanta Baglioni on
the lines Avhich he had finally settled at Florence.
Eminently characteristic of the work AA'hich now
rapidly came to completion is the Umbrian feeling
apparent in the soft run of certain curA'es, whilst the
Florentine element predominates in the application
of the laws of bas-relief to the SAvay of the draperies.
Raphael's chastened taste in the selection of form is
shown in slenderness of shape combined with wiry
strength, yet apart from the figure of Christ, whose
features in their calm are perhaps surpassed for beauty
by the perfection of the chiselled frame and limbs,
apart also from the graceful figure of the girl who kisses
the Redeemer's hand, and portions of the group of the
Maries, which are realized with the noblest purity,
there are not wanting signs here and there of hard
ness and affectation ; and these Avould particularly
apply to the somewhat rigid youth who holds the
winding-sheet at the feet, the unnatural strain of the
backward movement in the bearer on the step, and
the lengthened stride of his more aged companion.

gether. The bearers are like those
of the drawing of the British
Museum, purchased from the
Birchall Collection. To the right
of the whole group we observe the
head of a satyr in profile looking

up.

On the back of the sheet to the

left, is Adam leaning against a
tree, turned to the right, and tak
ing fruit from Eve, of whom there
is but a sketchy outline of the
head and arms. At the bottom of
the paper to the right is a recum
bent child, all drawn with a pen
in bistre from models.

318 RAPHAEL: IUS LIFE AND WOEKS. [CiiAr. VI.

Sculptural immobility in some of the faces may also
be detected, though at bottom the skill of Raphael
is grandly shown in the variety Avith which expression
is conveyed in the glistening of an eye or mobile action
of the lips. We may suspect the damaging influence
of Domenico Alfani in those parts which hardl)' ex
hibit to the full the delicate subtlety of the master's
hand. A striking charm is due to the graceful trim
of hair and the light Aoav of gossamer stuffs in veils
and scarves. Cleanness and precision of handling are
remarkable throughout, yet more in some places than
in others, the technical style of Michaelangelo par
ticularly manifests itself in the group of the Maries
and the swooning Virgin. Vasari's enthusiasm when
he called this piece divine, Avas not Avithout justifica
tion.* It had not suffered as yet from the numerous
vertical splits and consequent patching which uoav
impair its beauty. Whether aa'c consider the
burnish and marble purity of the flesh, the neutral
shades of certain reds and pinks relieved with leaden
grey, or the wonderful intensity of certain greens,
especially those glazed with bitumen which come out
with so much richness in the dress of the youthful
bearer and his bearded comrade, there is still cause
for ample admiration of the splendid colouring of tho
picture. Umbrian in the disposition of landscape
lines, though in treatment advanced to the breadth
of the Tuscans, the distance of country and sky in
which the figures are relieved, is one of the finest that

* A'asari, viii. p. 11.

Chap. AT.]

'THE ENTOMBMENT.'

319

Raphael had as yet created. Never, certainly, had
he done anything so grand on such an important
scale. The tomb is a cave dug out of a rock rising
darkly to the left against the heavens. The sky
bounds a range of hills overlooked on the right by
Golgotha, with its crosses watched by guards. This
Avas the last portion of the picture to Avhich Raphael
applied his hand, rich in details of towers, ruins, and
dAvellings, and not without the characteristic tree of
slender branching Avhich scarcely intercepts with
lightest leafing the azure of the atmosphere. An
art of less expertness appears in the formal handling
of the weeds and flowers growing in the foreground.*
Is it presuming to believe that Avhen Raphael
finished this picture, he recollected the early time
Avhen the corpses of the Baglioni were raised on
stretchers in the streets of Perugia, when Atalanta
pressed the hand of the dying Grifone, and the days
that followed the massacre were spent in removing
the bodies of the dead and cleansing the desecrated
churches with Avine ?

* Eome. Palazzo Borghese.
Panel, about 6 ft. square. On the
step to the left inscribed Raphael
vrbinas mdvii. Painted as we
see for Atalanta Baglioni (Vas. viii.
11). It remained in her chapel at
San Francesco till 1787 (Perug.
Raph. p. 281). In Feb., 1797, it
was carried away by the French
to Paris, from whence it was
brought back in 1815 to the
Vatican. Its present existence in
the Borghese palace is not quite
explained. It was replaced at

Perugia by a copy which in
earlier times had been made by
Arpino. A vertical split, which
runs down through the sky to the
Saviour's beard and chest, touching
the hand and foot of the bearer to
the left, and another similar split
down the figure of the bearer to
the right, and cutting the feet and
toes of Christ, three other splits at
the bottom of the panel, disfigure
the picture considerably, as the
parts have necessarily been
patched. A web of smaller splits

320

EAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VI.

In contrast with other masterpieces of this age, yet
in harmony with the feelings of the solitary Atalanta,
the predella of the " Entombment " is filled Avith
a series of monochromes representing Faith, Hojie,
and Charity, each one of Avhich is accompanied by
two appropriate figures of children. If the " En
tombment " itself displays at intervals the absence of
the master's touch, the predella is exclusively his
OAvn. On this occasion Raphael did the converse of
that Avhich Avas usual Avith Umbrian painters. But
on that account his genius is all the more revealed in
conception of the utmost grandeur, feeling of the
greatest delicacy, and expression of the subtlest grace.
To the sculptural form of Buonarotti ideal features
and full maidenly shape are superadded, and with
these, modest propriety of dress suitable to eternal
youth. The softness and rounding of Lionardo com
bined Avith the freedom of Fra Bartolommeo are
ennobled Avith incomparable tenderness and serenity.
Faith looks at the chalice, Hope prays ecstatically,
Avith her eye rather than her face turned in profile
toAvards heaven. They could scarcely be presented
Avith more ideal loveliness. It can hardly be deemed
probable that Raphael had seen the allegories of the
Scrovegni chapel at Padua, yet he conveys with equal
noblesse the feeling of the great founder of the

here and there may also be ob
served. Of copies, we know : 1.
Turin Gallery. No. 122, inscribed
i. f. pej;n, hdxviii. in gold letters
on the step (canvas). This pic

ture seems once to have, been at
Milan.— Perugia Gall, by Orazio
Alfani— Perugia, S. Pietro. A very
careful copy by Sassoferrato.
Other copies exist besides.

Chap. VI.] PREDELLA OF THE "ENTOMBMENT." 321
Florentine school, and the art acquired in the pro
gress of tAvo hundred years. Charity, Avith her
matronly look, her twins, who nestle at the breast,
the child who still remembers the delights of that
warm place, the first-born who courts her caress, is
not Avithout the charm of youth, though her face
seems overspread Avith an atmosphere of profound
pity and trust. The masterly arrangement of five or
six beings in so small a space exemplifies aneAV the
vividness of the impression made on Raphael by the
works of Buonarotti' s chisel. Winged Cupids in
pretty tunics stand as the genii of the fable near these
beauteous allegories. Two at the side of Faith hold
tablets with appropriate inscriptions. Boys without
drapery attend the figure of Charity, one of them
with a Arase on his shoulders, in Avhich a fire is burn
ing, the other raising a dish, out of Avhich he pours
a stream of pieces. They are the natural outcome
of the studies so frequently repeated in the pages
of the Venice sketch-book. They prefigure in their
graceful rounded forms and chubby faces those perfect
renderings of childhood Avhich grace the "Madonna del
Baldacehino," the Chamber of the "Disputa" at the
Vatican, or the altar-pieces of Foligno and San Sisto.*
It is on the back of the design for the Charity, a
grand, but rapid outline sketch, of which the parts

* Rome. Vatican Museum.
No. VII. Wood. 1 palm 6 h.
by 8 palms 6 long, or 0'44 h. by
3-96. Monochromes, each of the
allegorical figures in a framed
round on green ground ; the genii

at the sides, each in a rectangle,
with a brownish ground, separated
from the rounds by a yellow
beading. There are five children
about the figure of Charity.

322 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
were slightly altered, Avhen the subject Avas trans
ferred to the picture, that we reneAV acquaintance
with the bold freedom of the last drawing which
Raphael conceived for the "Entombment." But here
the theme is not the carriage of the Saviour, or tho
wail of the Virgin and saints over his remains, but
the descent of the body from the cross. It Avould be
difficult to render Avith fewer or more pregnant lines
the poAver exerted by the man on the ladder, Avho lefs
the frame down AA'ith a rope, as he rests his chest on
the vertical limb of the cross, the strain of the one
who grasps the torso and legs, or that of the third,
seen to the hips, Avho directs, as it Avere, from a
second ladder the movement of the left arm. The
drooping head of Christ, whose hair falls downward
in pointed locks, the flexibility of the right arm and
bended knees could hardly be conceived in more
natural or instantaneous action.*
On the pinnacle of the "Entombment" which re
mained at Perugia, Avhen the altar-piece and its
predella were disposed of by the monks of San
Francesco, it may be needless to dAvell unless to con
firm that the Eternal in the midst of angels, of which
the first idea was consigned to a sketch at Lille,
came to be executed by one of Raphael's disciples at
Perugia, f 
* Vienna. Albertina. Pen and I The deposition on the back of

bistre drawing, 13 in. h. by 9| in.
with three children. The variety
here is that the Virgin's left arm
is bent upwards, so that the hand
shall come up to the breast, which
one of the children is sucking.

the sheet is that described in the
text. The drawing was in the
Viti, Crozat, Mariette and Julian
of Parma Collections.
t Perugia Gallery ; from San
Fsancesco. God the Father turned

Chap. VI.] " TRINITY " OF SAN SEVERO. 323
Not alone were the time and attention of Raphael
taken up with more important matters than that of
painting an uninteresting fragment of an altar-piece
which in its principal parts had already taxed his
powers to the utmost, but his efforts would naturally
be diverted into another channel by the necessity of
delivering the "Trinity" of San Severo. Not only
Avas this a composition of a monumental type arranged
on principles at variance with those of pictures
till then designed or finished by Raphael at Florence,
but it Avas full of novel experiences to one who had
hitherto confined himself to panels and oil medium.
It seems highly probable that the difficulties of fresco
contributed to the slow progress of the covenanted
work at San Severo and led to the numerous inter
ruptions which caused its completion to be finally
postponed. The more Raphael's intimacy Avith Fra
Bartolommeo and the Avail painters of Tuscany in
creased, the more he Avould feel that a serious task
lay before him, and the sense of his responsibility in
this respect Avould clearly Aveigh the heavier, as he
felt that the manipulation familiar to the Florentines
was not to be acquired by other means than those of

to the left, with his left hand ' noticed elsewhere. See antea.
open, his right raised in benedic- No. 607 in the Gallery of Lille.
tion, in a red mantle, strongly j The Perugian panel is apparently
bearded and looking down. Ten not of the age of Raphael, and we
heads of cherubs surround him. must think that the original, exe-
Marked outlines, brownish red cuted in 1507, was copied by some
flesh tints, and inharmonious feeble Umbrian of a later age,
draperies, show that the panel was whose work has been preserved,
not painted by Raphael. Yet the whilst that from which he worked
design was apparently his. It was lost.
answers to the outline already

324 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
a long and constant practice. Thinking over these
matters he Avould naturally consult the friar who best
knew the secret of the craft, and the Dominican
might respond that he Avas welcome not only to the
lessons of his experience, but to those which he
might derive from studying the " Last Judgment " in
the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. If the design
for the "Trinity" of San Severo had been preserved,
most of the secrets of its creation would now be
reArealed. But the studies which have been handed
down to us certainly tend to confirm that much of
the preliminary work Avas clone at Florence ; and a
draAving at Oxford, more closely connected than any
other Avith Raphael's composition, contains not merely
a sketch of Lionardo's cartoon, to which reference was
once made in these pages, but exhibits the style
Avhich Raphael cultivated in the period of his inti
macy with the friar of San Marco. Yet, as the
Dominican only resumed his labours in 1506, and
Raphael's acquaintance with him only began in that
year, it is obvious that the fresco of San Severo was
only completed after it had been left unfinished in
1-505. When he returned to his duties in 1507 at
Perugia, Raphael's first business was to introduce the
figure of the Redeemer in benediction seated on clouds
under the dove of the Holy Ghost. He then added
the tAvo Avinged attendants at the Saviour's sides and
the bench of fathers of the Church divided into groups
of three in the foreground of the heavens. In abso
lute contrast Avith the full and fleshy shapes of the
cherubs near the Eternal in the apex of the lunette,

Chap. VI.] "TRINITY" OF SAN SEVERO. 325
the seraphs beneath them are slender and ethereal
apparitions ; and whilst the first distinctly recall the
period of the "Madonna" of Terranuova, the second
equally remind us of the later Tuscan influences
which set their stamp on Raphael's mind. Of these
two angels one to the left in profile to the right sets
one foot on the mist and raises the other on a higher
projection of cloud. His look is downward, his hands
are joined in prayer. The other in a similar attitude
appears in full front vieAV. The more graceful and
pleasing aspect Avhich he presents in respect of pose
and dress may indeed be accidental; possibly there
was still a tendency in Raphael, surrounded as he
was with assistants who cultivated the traditions
of the Perugians, to relapse into Umbrian habits.
But, on the whole, there can be little doubt that
even these figures exhibit the qualities derived from
Raphael's groAving familiarity with Florentine master
pieces. The noble bend of the Saviour's head, the
fine shape of his naked torso, are the more con
spicuous from the beauty of the drapery, Avhich falls
from his hips to his feet. Remarkable for purity of
lineaments and a well-proportioned frame, striking
for a sweet resignation and complacent expression of
the features, this figure could never have been so
admirably conceived unless the artist had thought
profoundly over the precepts of Lionardo and the
Frate. For not only is the movement natural and
noble, the form select, and the face of great regu
larity, but the study of the parts, and especially that
of the extremities and articulations, is finished to

326 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
perfection. The foreshortenings are correct and the
mantle set in the monumental fashion of the Tuscans.
As he gradually advanced his personages to the verge
of the picture Raphael displayed equal, if not superior
strength ; and though it might be said that some of
the saints at each side of the fresco are not unlike
each other, there are delicacies of turn and action
Avhich distinguish them all. To the left, near the
Saviour, Saint Beneditus with a long beard and a
bald head sits gravely looking at the Master. St.
Placidus, his next companion, a young and handsome
person, holds the palm of martyrdom and communes
with Saint Maurus, a monk in profile who ponders
over the mystery of the scene before him. To the
right St. Romuald, a bearded solitary, with his head
thrown back, grasps the knotted stick that usually
accompanies his walk. Next him the youthful
martyr Benedict sits and dreamily looks into space,
his form encased in an embroidered frock. The
palm is also in his hand. St. John the Martyr seen
sideways on the right, displays a grand and imposing
figure, from which the head has been removed by a
fracture of the wall. In all these divines, in whom
dignity of mien, solemnity of pose, and depth of ex
pression are majestically combined, the common occu
pation is suggested by a book which rests edgewise
or flat on their knees or in their hands. The mere
description of them, as indeed the description of the
whole fresco, suggests how vivid the impression must
have been Avhich Raphael took from the " Last Judg
ment " of Baccio della Porta. It shows how strongly

Chap. VI.] HIS PRACTISE IN FRESCO. 327

he was affected by the splendid symmetry of that
composition. Yet none can say that in working out
the thoughts that filled his mind he was urged by the
mere incentive of imitation. In every line and every
touch he placed reliance on no one but himself; whilst
he recollected the forms of the Frate' s design, he
also thought of those of Masaccio, and with equal
skill he realized the transparence of colour, the true
balance of light and shade, the graduated scale of
half-tint, and the broad style of drapery, which are
the principal merits of the frescos of the Carmine.
Nor Avas Raphael's progress as a wall painter less
remarkable. A novice at the outset, if such a term
can apply to any part of the work at San Severo,
he soon acquired experience in manipulation ; and
though he did not proceed with the faultless ease of
Fra Bartolommeo or Del Sarto, he triumphantly con
quered most of the difficulties of a method to which
he had been as yet a comparative stranger. Inevi
table deficiencies of modelling were corrected by
hatchings, to which an aptitude for pen drawing had
given him the clue. He thus applied a mixed system,
combining the first tinting in liquid colours on the
wet lime with subsequent retouching in distemper
and a final application of shading in lines with pig
ments of varied depth in fine curves or strokes cross
ing each other at different angles. Flesh for the
most part Avas more softened and smoothed than the
rest. Coarser grain Avas produced by rougher plaster
in the wings and dresses. Short strokes were inter-
knit in the clouds. The high lights of stuffs were

328

EAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VI.

laid in with body colour over pigment of a deeper
shade. Illuminated or adumbrated parts Avere ex
pressed by light or dark cross-hatching, Avhilst the
flesh of the hands Avas toned off with short Avaves
suggested by the rounding of the surfaces.*
Well as the monastery of the Camaldoles of San
Severo might be suited to furnish models for Raphael's
service, similar institutions in the Tuscan capital Avere
equally at his command. Nor can we doubt that it
was there that he studied the grand and severely
dignified head in the drawing at Oxford Avhich served
for the figure of St. Placidus or the hands of St.
Benedict and St. John the Martyr. The Lionar
desque profile on the same sheet of an aged, yet
beardless man, Avhose stern eye and projecting uncler-

* Perugia. San Severo. Fresco.
There is no part of this painting
which has not been injured in
some degree ; and this is due in
part to early retouchings, in part
to the "restorations" of Giuseppe
Carattoli in 1840-50, and Professor
Consoni in 1872. It was pro
bably Carattoli who did most in
jury, since the fresco, though
spotted, wa? not dangerously
damaged before he covered them
over with smears that Professor
Consoni tried to remove. The
Perugian municipality did good
work in altering the building so
as to give it a new light and pre
vent the evil effects of damp. But
it is particularly unfortunate that
Professor Consoni should have
thought fit to revive what was
entirely gone, and complete from

imagination the head of the winged
cherub to the left of the Eternal.
The fall of the " intonaco," which
carried away the greater part of
the Eternal, took away half the
other cherub, the head of the
monk on the right foreground,
and the back of the skull and
spotted nimbus of St. Benedict.
Though he left all this in blank,
Professor Consoni retraced out
lines, restippled other parts, and
the result of his operations, which
would have been avoided if the
municipality had attended to the
instructions of the ministry which
forbad all retouching or stippling
with colours, is unhappily that
the whole fresco is covered over
with an opaque fog, which adum
brates and weakens most of the
wall painting.

Chap. VI.] STUDIES FOR SAN SEVERO.

329

lip are full of ascetic character, recall those earlier
studies of the Venice sketch-book in Avhich the
searching line of Da Vinci is tempered by a simpler
element of nature and life.* It is not too much to
say that these studies reveal a mastery in the use of
the silver point equal to that which characterizes the
drawings for the "Disputa." But they have more of
the Vincian style in them than Raphael retained, and
they seem to breathe, as the originals surely breathed,
the air of Florence, "j"

* Oxford. No. 28. Silver-point
drawing on pale greyish yellow
prepared ground. 8| in. h. by 11
in. From the Ottley, Duroveray,
Dimsdale and Lawrence Collec
tions. Next to the slight sketch
of the Da Vinci cartoon is the
profile to the right, described in
the text, and the two hands of St.
Benedict and St. John on the
book. At the bottom of the sheet
and transverse to the profile, is
the head of St. Placidus, at three-
quarters to the left, the direction
of the eye being here to the right,
whilst in the fresco it is to the
left. Two scribbles of horses'
heads in the bottom right hand
corner of the sheet seem late
additions to the drawing,
+ Other drawings there are in
various collections which suggest
some relation to the fresco of San
Severo, ex. gr. :
Oxford. No. 31. Silver-point
drawing on pale cream-coloured
prepared ground. 5| in. h. by 8J
in. From the Antaldi and Wood-
burn collections. Study of a

model with hare skull, uplifted
right hand, the left on a book on
the knee, the left foot on a ledge
so placed as to show the sole of
the shoe. It is in front view, with
the head turned to the right. The
style of this drawing is that of
the period under notice. The
drawing is squared for use, but
we cannot say whether it was
used for the "Eternal" or not.
On the back two kneeling draped
figures. Louvre Collection, not exhibited.
Pen and bistre drawing of a
bearded prophet seated with one
hand on his lap, the left arm rest
ing on the edge of a folio, the feet
bare, the body in a robe and
mantle. The head is fine and
stern and attentive. But none of
the. saints at S. Severo were done
finally from this design.
Berlin Museum. Pen and ink
drawing of drapery generally like
that of the" Saviour" at San Severo,
but more detailed in the Peru
ginesque style than that of the
fresco. But there is no very abso-

330 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VI.
Was it prospect of gain ? was it the memory of the
amiable disciple, whose loss prematurely struck the
heart of his old master, that induced Perugino to
finish in 1521 the fresco of San Severo ? Assuredlj-
Avhatever motive may have actuated the patriarch, he
could not have produced a more instructive contrast
than that revealed in the work of his old age set
forth by the side of that which illustrates Raphael's
manhood. But had he painted the six figures of
saints Avhich form the lower part of the " Trinity "
of San Severo at the very time Avhen Raphael left
the upper part of it unfinished, he would still have
remained inevitably inferior to his great and illus
trious disciple.

lute certainty that the study is
from Raphael's own hand. From
the Pocetti Collection.
Paris Academy of Fine Arts.

of the " Saviour.'' On the back
two or three pen sketches of frag
ments of " Madonnas," in the
style of those of the " Madonna in

Drawing in chalk of the drapery | Green " at Vienna.

CHAPTER VII.
Raphael's visit tp Urbino in 1507. — His relations with the Court of
Duke Guidubaldo.— Portraits of the Duke of Urbino and Pietro'
Bembo. — Acquaintance with Francia. — "Holy Family with the
Lamb," and designs connected with it. — Lionardesque influences. —
The " St. Catherine " and " Madonna with the Pink." — Bridgewater
and Colonna "Madonnas," and "Adoration of the Shepherds." —
Varieties of the " Virgin with the Sleeping Christ and St. John."
— Cowper " Madonna,'' '¦ Bella Giardiniera," and " Madonna Ester
hazy." — " Madonna del Baldacchino," and Raphael's friendship for
Fra Bartolomnieo. — Correspondence with Alfani at Perugia. —
Raphael prepares to leave Florence. — Foundation of St. Peter at
Rome, and effect of the Rebuilding of that Basilica on Julius the
Second and the Artists he employed. — Raphael goes to Rome.

vLittle as we knoAv of Raphael's personal history
before he went to Rome, the general impression re
flected to us is one reA'ealing ease in the midst of
constant labour. ) Yet Vasari has divulged that some
anxieties Avere caused at this period by the disorder
of his affairs.* It appears from a legal document
Avhich supplies the deficiencies of Vasari's biography
that Raphael stumbled into liabilities Avithout well
knoAving hoAV' they had been incurred. The com
parative proximity of Perugia to Urbino Avas probably
advantageous by enabling him with rapidity and
decision to settle unexpected claims upon his purse.
For some consideration Avhich has not been disclosed,
possibly in return for the delivery of a picture,
Raphael had bought a house at Urbino from the heirs
* A'as. viii. p. 7.

332 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.
of Serafino Cervasi of Monte Falcone for one hundred
florins, and he had obtained from the vendors a
fictitious discharge in full. Whilst the Serafini were
still in expectation of the fulfilment of then bargain,
they came suddenly into collision Avith the ecclesias
tical courts for engaging to marry minors or relations
Avithin the limits of consanguinity, and being appa
rently unable to meet the fine, they filed a plea before
a notary, and called upon Raphael to pay the debt.
Taking horse and proceeding to Urbino, Raphael
met the difficulty by transferring part of the fine
to the treasurer of the court, promising to liquidate
the rest before the following Christmas, and remitting
a small balance to the Serafini.* The absence of any
allusion to the delivery of these sums into the hands
of Francesco Buffi, Avho Avas then Guidubaldo's
financial secretary, has not unnaturally led to the
presumption that the debt to the public exchequer
Avas paid in pictures delivered to the Duke of Urbino.
The date of these transactions is the 11th of October,
1507 ; and Guidubaldo Avas then at home attended by
the whole of his suite, including Pietro Bembo, who
jxrobably referred to this time his long acquaintance
Avith the master of Urbino. f Though it can hardly

* The original document dis
covered by Signor Alipio Alippi,
was published in Aug., 1881, in
the Roman periodical "II Ra-
faello.'' It has also appeared
singly with Signor Alippi's com
mentary in an independent form.
The balance to the Serafini was
12| florins, the first payment to
Francesco Buffi 50 florins, and the

rest payable before Christmas, 37|
florins. t See Bembo's correspondence ;
Opere., from which it appears
that he lived at Urbino, or in
other cities of the Duchy from
1506 to 1509. See also his letter
of Feb. 3, 1531, to Soranzo (Arch.
Stor. Series of 1855, vol. ii. part i.
p. 242), wherein he says he stayed

Chap. VII.] RELATIONS WITH THE COURT OF URBINO. 333

be doubted that Raphael at this period renewed his
relations Avith the household of the duke, it is not to
be presumed that he Avas known to the courtiers of
that prince, as he aftei'Avards became, AAlien Baldassare
Castiglione Avrote in the Cortigiano of his "perfect
style," and attributed to Lodovico da Canossa the
opinion " that the painter's excellence Avas supreme." *
But practically Raphael even now enjoyed the pro
fessional advantages of a high and acknowledged
position, and his letter of the 21st of April, 1508, to
Simone Ciarla, which seems to have been written
shortly after his return to Florence, not only deplores
in feeling terms the death of the duke, Avhom he
kneAV, but casually refers to a picture of the "Ma
donna," Avhich had been delivered to Giovanna della
Rovere, and alludes to her patronage and that of her
relatives as important and desirable. j" It Avas the
more desirable, as Raphael was uoav anxious for an
introduction to Piero Soderini, AA'ho still presided over
the destinies of Florence, and he had Avritten to Rome
as Avell as to Urbino to obtain the interest of Giovanna' s
son, the prefect, who had left the Vatican for Fos
sombrone, on hearing of Guidubaldo's illness.J If
he painted, as Bembo gives us reason to believe, the
portrait of " Guidubaldo " of Urbino, the means of
ascertaining the fact has been taken from us by the
six years at Urbino. See also the ' yond the Anonimo'a statement

passage in Morelli's Anonimo, in
which allusion is made (p. 18) to
a portrait of Bembo painted by
Raphael when Bembo was at the
Court of Urbino, We know no
thing certain of this portrait be-

* Cortigiano, ed. of Padua, 1766,
pp. 58 and 74.
+ Raphael to Ciarla, April 21,
mdviii., last reprinted in Pas. i.
497-8. X Ibid. ibid.

334

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

total loss of the picture. It is still a moot question
Avhether he did not take sittings for another extant
portrait, Avhich is described as that of a "Duke of
Urbino," belonging to one of the family of Bovio
at Bologna — an injured panel in the Lichtenstein
•Collection at Vienna, which combines some of the
burnish of Francia with Raphaelesque sentiment, and
details of landscape foreign to the Bolognese school.
It may be necessary to recall that this portrait is a
bust of a middle-aged man in a black felt hat, similar
to that Avorn by Raphael himself, that his marked face,
hooked nose, and piercing eyes are AveU relieved by a
copious frizzle of hair, and his frame picturesquely
encased in a green vest, a red coat, Avith a cool purple
lining, and a brown mantle with red facings. The
round tower, Avith its peaked helmet, and the castel
lated buildings about it, and the sweep of country on
one side, in which a winding road, a tree, and a pond
Avith swans are depicted, seems entirely Tuscan. The
colours of the face are so transparent, that they hardly
conceal the priming of the panel, and yet they are full
of Florentine glow, at the same time feeling and
expression are eminently Raphaelesque, Avhilst the
polish of the surface equals that of Francia. It is
possible that Raphael may have had it in mind to
imitate the gloss of the Avorks of the great master of
Bologna.* His stay at Urbino Avould bring him

* Lichtenstein Gall. No. 67.
Wood. 0-55 h. by 0.45. We say
" Is it possible that Raphael here
should have it in mind to imitate
Francia?" The converse proposi

tion has been taken in History of
North Italian Painting, i. p. 571.
It is difficult to decide. But we
should, after mature consideration,
favour the authorship of Raphae

Chap. VII. ]

RAPHAEL AND FRANCIA.

335

necessarily in contact with Timoteo Viti, the friend
and pupil of Francia, and Viti may have helped to
draw closer than they might otherwise have been such
ties as already existed between Raphael and the
Bolognese. That the two painters were acquainted is
not to be doubted, as their intimacy is proved by an
affectionate letter which Raphael wrote immediately
after he came to Rome ; * but it is still a question
Avhether the friendship, Avhich has thus been proved,
began at Florence or at Bologna. In favour of
Bologna, it might be urged that Raphael's patrons in
that city had become as numerous as those of any
other Italian capital. Apart from the "St. Cecilia"
and the "Vision of Ezechiel," Avhich were done in
later years, he is said to have executed a "St. John
the Baptist " for the Albergati, and a " Holy Family
under an Oak Tree " for the Casali ; and he is knoAvn
to have painted a " Nativity " for Giovanni Benti-
voglio, a partisan of the Montefeltri, in the days when
Julius II. meditated the expulsion of the Benti-
voglii from the lordship of Bologna.f Yet all this,

rather than that of Francia. It
is curious meanwhile to find that
Giacomo Bovio, a noble of Bologna,
was Senator at Rome in 1513 and
1514. Cugnoni, u.s. p. 54.
* See postea.
t Malvasia. Felsina Pittrice.
4to. Bologna. 1678. i. 44, 45.
Rumohr supposes (Forschun-
gen, iii. p. 74) that Francia's
"Epiphany," No. 568a, in the
Dresden Museum, may be an
adaptation of Raphael's " Na
tivity." But this is a mere con

jecture only justified to this extent
that there is something Raphael
esque in Francia's very pretty
composition. As to the date of
the " Nativity " we must also re
collect that Raphael, in a letter of
Sept., 1508, to Francia, sends the
latter the drawing of a picture
which he calls a " Presepe," and
of which he says that it differs
somewhat from the picture made
from it. (See Malvasia Fels. Pitt.
i. 45.)

336 EAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VII.
notwithstanding, it is not easy to decide Avhether
Raphael visited Francia at Bologna, or Francia
Raphael at Florence. Neither of these journeys can
be satisfactorily proved. But there is more reason to
believe that Francia travelled to Florence than that
Raphael ventured so far north of his habitual places
of residence. There is evidence in Francia's pictures
that his style Avas improved in the first decTfde of
the sixteenth century by a personal examination of
Florentine masterpieces. We shall therefore presume
that it Avas on Francia's coming to Florence that his
acquaintance Avith Raphael Avas made.
Returning to his usual avocations, Raphael, Ave saw,
became more desirous of public employment than
anxious to extend his private practice at Florence.
It was natural that having acquired repute as a
painter in the absence of Lionardo and Michaelangelo,
he should have thought that Soderini Avould give him
a chance of carrying out some of the great com
missions which two of the best Italian craftsmen had
unaccountably neglected. Yet it would seem that
his hopes Avere disappointed. Their realization Avas
certainly so long deferred that nothing came of them
before his final departure for Rome. Meanwhile,
Avhen Avriting to his uncle, Ciarla, he did not forget,
as Ave have seen, to do all in his power to keep up his
interest Avith such patrons, as he had Avon during his
residence at Florence. "Do honour," he says, "to
Taddeo Taddei, to whom 1 have the greatest obliga
tions." Then he alludes to a picture, of Avhich he had
completed the cartoon, and he tells hoAV it occurred to

Chap. VII. ] "HOLY FAMILY WITH THE LAMB." 337
him that this cartoon, and the picture to be made
from it, Avould bring him orders from Florence and
from France Avorth at least three hundred ducats.*
He had, indeed, been marvellously assiduous at his
easel ; and (when Ave look at the number of pieces
Avhich he finished, or all but finished, before the
summer was out, and the call of Bramante took him
to Rome, we are impressed again and again by the
Avonderful activity of his mind and hand.
Though Raphael's contemporaries are silent as to
the history of the "Holy Family with the Lamb,"
which Avas (discovered in our time in the wilderness
of the Escurial, it will be obvious to all who look at
the picture that the composition AA'as suggested by
Lionardo's " St. Anne Avith the Virgin and Child
and the Lamb." j" It seems as if the action, inchoate
in Da Vinci, had suddenly been made consummate
by Raphael, who, seeing that Lionardo had caught
the moment Avhen Mary helps the boy to throw his
leg over the lamb's shoulder, Avent a step further, and
set the Saviour astride of the animal supported by the
Virgin. In the attitude of Christ's mother half
sitting, half kneeling on the ground, or of St. Joseph
who bends f orAvard as he rests both hands on his staff,
a reminiscence of the Canigiani Madonna is supplied.
But the Infant Saviour riding on the lamb, and grasp
ing its neck as he looks inquiringly upwards, is
original and life itself. NotAvithstanding the clear
derivation of the subject from Lionardo, there is less

* Raphael to Ciarla, supra. \ f Gallery of the Louvre.
vol. i. z

338 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

searching, and more instantaneous natural thought in
the Avhole design than in other masterpieces of the
time. St. Joseph, aged and Aveary of his journey,
seems to court repose, Avhilst his fine profile is full of
tender interest. The lamb cowers the better to bear
the Aveight of the child, Avhose shoulders the Virgin's
hands are eagerly supporting. The sacrifice of the
cross is suggested by the coral scapular round the
infant's neck, maternal love struggling Avith anxiety
for the babe's safety in the full smiling features of the
Virgin. Exquisite handling and careful finish are
appropriately lavished on a panel of the smallest size,
and the landscape is as lovely as it is minute, with its
large Aveeds in the foreground, the lake and the road
along its banks, the castle on a hill, with a church
and toAver in the low ground, and a flight of birds in
the sky, beneath Avhich a distant chain of blue moun
tains is seen. To the right of St. Joseph a sapling
spreads its leaves, Avhilst in a distant winding of the
road the ass appears umvilling to yield to the efforts
of his driver.* Innumerable designs group them-

* Madrid Museum. No. 364. ; Signor Baldeschi at Rome, was
m. 0-29 h. by 0-21. Panel. Found i sold in 1840 to Count Castelbarco
in the Escurial. No trace of the of Milan, who sold his collection
date or of the way of its coming to in Paris on the 2nd of May, 1870.
Spain. Inscribed in gold letters Another feebler copy, assigned
on the border of the dress at the to Pierino del Araga, is in the
Virgin's throat : " Raphael Pembroke Collection. It seems
vrbinas mdvii." The surface is \ to have remained unfinished.

slightly rubbed down, and the
colours are somewhat out of har
mony on that account.
A fine copy of Raphael's time,
many years since in the hands of

Other poor repetitions are : Corsini
Gallery, Rome ; Cassel Museum,
with the addition of John the
Baptist and a rabbit, injured by
Prince Kutschubey at

Chap. VII.] "HOLY FAMILY WITH THE LAMB.'

339

selves round this little picture. In a pen and ink
sketch at the Uffizi, the Virgin sits Avith the Infant
Christ on her lap, throwing himself forward to fondle
a lamb, or a dog in the arms of the young Baptist.*
Much in the same action, but in reverse, a similar
sheet at Vienna shows the Virgin giving the Child
to St. Anne, aaIio rests on the ground to the left.f
At Oxford a turbaned Madonna holds the Babe on
her hands above the recumbent John ; and Christ
looks archly at his companion Avhilst he clutches at the
hem of his mother's dress.J A group of the same
kind at the Louvre, seen from a different point,
appears to realize a similar thought in Availed form ;
and if in the lines Ave miss the pure contour of Raphael
himself, we gather that some pupil out of his school
strove to perpetuate one of his original conceptions.

St. Petersburg, on copper. Others
again are noted as having be
longed to Charles I.'s collection in
London, the Malaspina Gallery at
Pavia, Tacchinardi Collection at
Florence, and Mr. Migneron in
Paris. A copy, which had been
sold to Count Demidoff, and suf
fered injury in consequence of a
wreck, is now in the Gallery of
Angers. (Journal des Beaux Arts,
1869, p. 184.)
* Florence. Uffizi. Frame 140.
No. 515. Pen and bistre. The
Virgin seated to the left turned to
the right, Christ on her lap, John
standing at her knee.
+ Vienna. Albertina. Three
Lionardesque figures. The Virgin

to the right hands the infant
Christ to the aged St. Anne. Full
lengths. From the Ligne Collec
tion. 5^ in. h. by 4| in.
X Oxford. No. 77. Pen and
bistre sketch. 6J in. h. by 5 in.
From the AVicar and Lawrence
Collections. The Virgin is much
in the same attitude and move
ment as above, but the two
children are of course varied, and
John sits a little in the back
ground of the colonnade, at the
end of which a figure is seen. On
the back of the drawing is another
sketch of a " Holy Family," but
without the heads of the Virgin
and Saviour. A copy of this is
in the Albertina at Vienna.

340

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

In every one of these compositions the precepts of Da
Vinci direct the master's hand.*
It seems possible, though scarcely probable, that
the cartoon of which Raphael speaks in his letter to
Simone Ciarla is that which still exists at the Louvre,
and represents St. Catherine with one hand pressed to
her bosom, the other holding the skirt of her robe as
she rests her arm on the emblem of her martyrdom.
The striped sash and the gossamer veil which winds
through her hair and falls across her breast and
under her fingers both adorn her shape. A mantle
drops from her left shoulder and comes SAvathed round
her hips in a twist by the grasp of her right hand.
The face in upAvard motion receives additional ex
pression from the glance of the eye, which goes
heavenward with a tender feeling of candour and
trust. t To the charm of sentiment and grace which so
happily commingle in the cartoon, a new charm is added
in the picture by the ringing harmonies of the pearl-
grey dress with its green sleeves and black or white
and yellow edgings, the claret reds of the cloak and its

* Paris. Louvre, not numbered.
The Virgin, seated and turned to
the right, on the ground, with her
left leg extended as in the "Ma
donna di Casa d'Alba," holds the
infant in her arms. His arms are
round her neck, and he looks at
the recumbent Baptist, showing
his back at the Virgin's right side.
To the left two females in profile
and three-quarters. To the right
a child and a fragment of the head
and figure of a Virgin, much in

jured. Pen sketch. From the
St. Morys Collection.
t Louvre. No. 32.3. Cartoon
in black chalk, heightened with
white and pinholed for use. m.
0-587 h. by 0-437. From the
Jabach Collection. The face is
turned at three-quarters to the
left, the body a little to the right.
A rent in the paper about the
wrist of the hand near the wheel
has been fairly repaired.

Chap. VII.]

THE "ST. CATHERINE."

341

orange lining. The eye with its four lashes and its
pupil straining towards an aurora in the sky, Avhence
it would seem a ray of hope descends on the head, is
as beautiful as if the apparent strain in it were not
a forcing of nature to an extreme of tension. ; The
cherry lips, half open, showing the teeth, are no dis
figurement. The face, with all its beauty, has also the
mould of the best of those in the Maries of the " En
tombment," or the " Faith" of the Vatican predella.
The attitude and the turn of the features and neck,
as elegant as the grasp of the drapery is powerful,
reveal the richness of the master's fancy and the
strength with which he was endowed. A dandelion
in seed, a ranunculus, and other floAvering weeds,
show their leaves and blossoms above the edge or the
nearer undulations of the foreground. A pleasant
gloom overspreads the sedgy banks of the lake, on the
further shore of which homesteads appear amidst trees
in front of a Ioav chain of hills ; and over all a grey
sky is illumined by rays that issue golden from the
clouds.* At the outset Raphael had thought of painting the
whole figure leaning cross-legged against the wheel.

* National Gallery. No. 168.
Wood. 2 ft. 4 in. h. by 1 ft. 9^ in.
From the Aldobrandini and
Borghese Collections. It was
bought from the latter at the close
of last century by Mr. Day, who
sold it for £2000 to Lord North-
wick. It was purchased for the
National Gallery from Mr. William
Beckford of Bath in 1839. The

surface is injured by a most un
fortunate cleaning. Round the
edge of the dress there are traces
at the bosom of gold ornament
and letters, and here may have
been Raphael's name.
The copy in the Trubetzkoy
Collection at Petersburg was not
seen by the authors.

342

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VII.

He dreAV the sketch on a sheet at ChatsAvorth, where
a study of a girl pouring water from a jug is taken
from Ghirlandaio' s fresco. But here the head is rather
sentimentally inclined than strongly foreshortened.
It has the elegance, though hardly the strength, of
that in the cartoon."" The figure is repeated to the
knees in a drawing at Oxford Avith the eyes facing
the spectator, but Avith dubious purpose in the lie of
the right hand. Yet even then Raphael had resolved
to create a new mould for the features, and he made
a careful study of the neck, as it came at last into the
picture. His next step was to turn the paper and
draw the face alone, a magnificent pen and ink design,
in the true shape which was afterwards preserved, but
accompanied by five outlines of Cupids, copied, one
might think, from some antique, yet so completely
formed in the fashion of nature, as to appear repro
ductions from life.-f- Rarely have studies for one and
the same masterpiece so fully revealed the daily
avocations, the whirl of mind, and the current of
thought that characterized the great artist in those

days.

Pen

* Chatsworth Collection.
and ink sketch. See antea.
+ Oxford. No. 52. Pen draw
ings in bistre. 7 in. h. by 11.
From the B. West, T. Dimsdale
and Lawrence Collections. On
the one side the study of the neck,
below which is the sketch of the
whole figure. At the side an out
line of a naked figure, seen to the
knee. Cross-wise below a nude of
a man, seen to the hips.
On the other side, the face of

St. Catherine as described. To
the left a Cupid, as if riding on a
dolphin, with his right arm raised
and looking round to the right.
To the right of these four Cupids
with crowns of flowers in various
classic attitudes, one leaning
against a plinth, another stepping
down from a projection, a third
resting on a curved object like a
cornucopia, a fourth showing his
back as he trc its away.

Chap. VII.] "MADONNA AVITH THE PINK.

343

Whilst Raphael thus expended labour on a single
picture, he seems to have thought it pardonable to
stock his painting-room Avith school-pieces Avhich, if
designed by himself and issued with the stamp of his
workshop, Avere not always marked with the true
impress of his hand. Some of these pictures Avere
perhaps painted at Florence, others, Ave should think,
Avere produced at Perugia. It has been usual to
believe that Avhere Raphaelesque Madonnas are pre
served, of which no single example bears the master's
true sign manual, it may be presumed that the
original has perished ; yet Ave may suppose that in
many such cases Raphael never painted an original
at all, but left the design exclusively to the care of his
subordinates. An early specimen of this kind is the
" Madonna with the Pink," a pretty group of the
Virgin seated in a room, holding a blossom detached
from the spray, over AA'hich the fingers of her left
hand are closed, and touching Avith her right the hand
of the Child Avho looks up at her. The best of these
pieces in possession of Count Luigi Spada at Lucca,
combines Florentine style and dress Avith much
warmth and sweetness of tone in a rich and har
monious scale of colours, and great minuteness and
purity of outline.* Yet the treatment is no longer

* Lucca. Count Luigi Spada.
Wood. 0-285 h. by 0'227. A veil
round the Virgin's head is trans
parent enough to show the ear
under it. The dress of pearl grey
in the light turns to deep red in
the shadows. The close yellow

under sleeve has a fall and
shoulder puff of light leaden grey.
On the left shoulder the blue
mantle with a yellow lining, which
covers the hips and limbs. The
boy sits on a white cushion. The
Virgin is turned to the right, the

344

EAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

clearly Raphael's, and it is all the more natural that
replicas at Alnwick, Leipzig, Rome, and elsewhere
should be less attractive since they are compara
tively feebler. The nearest approach to a sketch for
this group in the absence of a cartoon would be
one in a sheet of five designs for the " Virgin and
Child " at Vienna, Avhere the Madonna, with alter
native movements of the head, holds the Infant on her
lap and alloAVS him to play Avith her fingers. Thoughts
for the " Madonna di Casa Tempi," and the " Madonna
Colonna," Avhich cover the same leaf, merely show
Avhat abundant materials the master had brought to
gether, and how easy it was for him to make pictures
from these materials at a moment's notice.*

child to the left. Through an
opening iri the background to the
right a tower and a tree on a hill,
up which a road leads. The
shadows are of thicker substance
of pigment than the lights. The
whole panel injured by cleaning
and partial retouching. The
ground of the room is dark ; to
the left a brownish green curtain.
On the back of the panel, which
was separated in 1847 with a saw,
are the words in characters of a
later age than Raphael's. " La
Ga. Maria F. . . . a ricconto F.
170. Raphael."
Alnwick. From the Camuccini
Collection at Rome. Wood. Same
size as the foregoing, a little in
ferior to it, and probably by a
Florentine assistant of Raphael.
The flesh is somewhat of leaden
hue, but very smooth and glossy,
and the draperies a little dull in
tone.

Speck Sternburg Collection at
Liitschena, near Leipzig. Wood.
0-350 h. by 0227. Feebler than
the two foregoing. Brescia, Tosi,
careful copy, but inferior to the
foregoing. Loretto Treasury. Copy
of a feeble character in copper,
falsely assigned to Garofolo. Earl
of Pembroke's Gallery. Small
and modern but curious for the
inscription on the border of the
Virgin's dress at the throat :
" RAPHAELLO VRBINAS MDVIII."
For other copies in Palazzo Tor-
Ionia at Rome, Casa Giovannino
at Urbino, Frohlich Collection at
Wiirzburg, Duval Collection at
Geneva, Bystroem Collection at
Stockholm, and Haegelin Collec
tion at Bale, see Pass. ii. pp. 63
-4. * Vienna. Albertina. Central
group out of five in pen and bistre,
see postea.

Chap. VII.] THE BBIDGEWATER "MADONNA." 345
About the time when the "Madonna with the
Pink " came out of Raphael's rooms he also executed
the Madonnas of Bridgewater and Colonna, though
in general terms it may be said that the first was a
Florentine, and the second a Perugian masterpiece.
ISTot that the spirit of Raphael Avas absent from either,
but days had been devoted to the first, whilst hours at
best had been given to the second. The Bridgewater
" Madonna " was finished almost to perfection because
Raphael superintended its completion himself. The
Colonna remained unfinished probably because it Avas
entrusted to Domenico Alfani.
Though it consists but of two figures, the Bridge-
Avater " Madonna " cost Raphael as much thought as
pictures of complex line and numerous personages.
Its parts are set with the view to produce compactness
in the highest grade on the principles of Lionardo, yet
with the result of yielding something neAv in the
method of balancing the action of mother and Child.
Whilst recumbent on the Virgin's hand, the Infant
Christ raises his arms and turns his cheery face to the
loving features of Mary, who rests her left hand with
the veil in its grasp on the boy's side. The studied
attitude of the latter is that which Raphael repeated
with some variety in the Amor who breasts the waves
and holds the dolphin's ears in the " Galatea" at the
Farnesina. The Virgin's face, of the purest Floren
tine cast of beauty, is but the precursor of the still
more lovely " Giardiniera " at the Louvre ; but here
the commune of mother and Child is innate and
charming as it must be, when nothing disturbs the

346

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

solitude of a chamber of Avhich the shady walls and
hangings and arched alcoves are free from vulgar
interruption. The Child, of that expanded shape
which characterizes the last phase of Raphael's art at
Florence, is modelled with surprising breadth, yet
with incomparable smoothness of blending in flesh ;
and nothing Avould cloud the enjoyment Avhich the
picture creates, except the poor execution of the blue
mantle which betrays the feebler treatment of one of
Raphael's disciples. It Avas in search of the per
fection which the master here attained, that so much
energy and skill were expended.* He doubtless
designed a cartoon which served as the groundwork
for the numerous replicas due to Raphael's age and to
later centuries, but on that very account, perhaps, the
cartoon was bound to perish. The earliest form of the
composition is a sketch half silver point, half pen and
bistre, in the Albertina at Vienna, where the attitudes

* London. Earl of Ellesmere.
Wood, transferred to canvas. 2 ft.
7| h. by 1 ft. 10£ in. The A'irgin
seated in full front, her hand to
the left. The child recumbent,
with his hand to the left, looking
round to the right. The veil
wound round the Virgin's head is
lightly strapped to the edge of her
dress at the bosom. Retouched
are, the hair of the Virgin, and
the child's left leg. Originally in
the Seignelay Collection, the pic
ture passed into the Orleans
Gallery, at the sale of which the
Earl of Bridgewater bought it for
J3000. Good copies are the following :

Florence, Torrigiani Collection, a
careful picture in the style of the
Florentine, Michele di Ridolfo
Ghirlandaio. But the background
is quite plain. Naples Museum.
No. 28. Careful but feebly
coloured. London. National
Gallery. No. 922. On poplar.
2 ft. 10 in. h. by 1 ft. llf in.
from the Wynn Ellis Collection.
On the back are the words, " Ce
tableau appartient a M. le Prince
Charles, May, 1722."
Gotha Museum. Modern copy
on canvas, assigned to P. Battoni.
2 ft. 5| in. h. by 1 ft. 9 in. Other
copies too numerous to mention.

Chap. VIE] THE BRIDGEWATER "MADONNA."

347

would be like those of the picture, but that the Child,
Avhose legs are slightly varied, is playing Avith flowers
in the Virgin's right hand, Avhilst her left holds a veil
by Avhich his waist is supported. It is on the back
of this magnificent draAving that Ave find the rapid
jottings already recorded of the Colonna, Tempi, and
other Madonnas.* In other fugitiA'e combinations
for the Bridgewater panel, one at the British Museum
is remarkable for establishing the presence of a new
and beautiful female model in Raphael's painting-
room. It also shows not only a project for the
Bridgewater " Madonna" in similar attitudes to those
of the Vienna design, but by its side a mother clasp
ing her infant to her breast, who lays his hand on the
Virgin's bosom, and turns to look at the spectator
like the Christ of the "Madonna Colonna." Round
about these principal groups are rapid scratches of a
reed recalling the "Madonna del Gran' Duca," the
later Virgin at Panshanger, the " Madonna di Casa
Tempi," and a couple of solitary heads of children."!"
Companion to this sheet a pen drawing in the same
style at Florence shoAvs the action and figures of
mother and Child reversed, either singly or doubly,
and the Child itself more than once repeated.^ As

* Vienna. Albertina. Silver-
point on prepared grey paper. The
upper part of the child is'overrun
with pen.
f British Museum. Pen and
bistre sketch, very rapid and
clever. The group of the Virgin
and Child which is of interest here
is that on the bottom of the sheet,

with a head of a boy beneath it
and another to the left. Three
other groups are on the upper part
of the sheet.
X Florence. Uffizi. Frame 135.
No. 496. In this cluster of rapid
pen and bistre sketches, that to
the left shows the Virgin, seated
and turned to the left, her head

348

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

distinguishing features in all these instances we should
note the picturesque trimming of the model's hair in
curls Avith twists of A'eils and ribands, and her face,
though indicated Avith but rudimentary lines, bears
marks of a peculiarly sprightly loveliness, and thus
differs from the mere ovals Avhich characterize similar
heads in earlier days. A couple of groups of Holy
Families traceable to no finished picture fills the
paper and completes the evidence Avhich proves not
only that Perugino's habit of combining studies for
compositions of different periods on one and the same
folio descended to Raphael, but that both kept up
their practice by constant thefts from nature in varied
form and fleeting moments. ISTor is it without interest
to note that rapid as the master's hand appears he is
constrained at inteiwals to drop the movement to
Avhich he was attending, because, at the instant of
creation, the sitter from whom he Avas taking his
outlines changed attitude, and could or would not
return to it ; but even with these proofs of changing
occupation Ave by no means exhaust the field of ob
servation which Raphael's art presents. Turning the
Florentine sheet in which so many sketches for
Madonnas and Holy Families are croAvded, Ave find

bent down and turned to the right,
whilst the child, with his head to
the right in the picture, raises
his right hand to catch the Virgin's
veil. Next this group and to the
right of it, the same model, looking
out of the picture, whilst the child
does the same, holding on to the
hem of her dress. "Lower down

are three different figures of chil
dren, a Virgin and child erect, a
Virgin with the child, who turns
away from the caress of the infant
Baptist, and to the right a couple
of small confused pen scratches
of a Holy Family with St.
Joseph.

Chap. VII. ]

MADONNA COLONNA.'

349

others of a totally different kind ; the model seems
to have stripped. Venus Anadyomene appears fresh
from the waves on her shell, or Ave see her after land
ing on the shore hiding her limbs in drapery. Then
Venus is discarded and a man of brawny shape yields
his muscular torso to Raphael's attention. It may be
thought, as suggested in an earlier page, that these
outlines are derived from antique statues, but this
hardly excludes the belief that nature was also con
sulted in their production.*
Such reminiscences as may still exist of preliminary
labours for the "Madonna Colonna," establish the
predominance of Florentine habit in Raphael's style at
this period. The oldest do not date further back than
1506, but even the earliest of these is almost com
pletely formed in the mould which the "Colonna"
displays. The first thought occurs in a sheet at the
Albertina, once described in these pages as comprising
six studies of the " Virgin and Child" at the back of
a large design for the Bridgewater " Madonna." The
infant on his mother's lap bends his left leg for a
purchase by which he can rise, and hangs on to the
edge of the Virgin's dress, turning his face as he does
so to look out of the picture. The Virgin rests her
left hand on her bosom and looks fondly on the child. f

* Same frame and number.
Back of the foregoing. Venus,
nude, full length, and two other
figures as described in the text.
Her body is turning to the right,
her face fronting the spectator.
The male torso, back view, is to
the right of Venus on the shell,

the other Venus is to the left of
that. f Albertina. Pen and ink
sketches, five in number, that
which embodies the group of the
"Madonna" on the left hand
upper corner of the sheet. In a
group below that, the same mother,

350

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VII.

The next study, coupled with one for the Bridge-
Avater " Madonna " in the British Museum, shows
more decided effort ; and, but that the Virgin's
fingers are shoAvn holding the infant's foot, would
be similar in line to the first.* In a third sketch at
the Uffizi the turn of mother and child is preliminary,
as it Avere, to that of the "Madonna Colonna," the
Virgin's head being slightly bent to the right, one
hand on her lap, the other on the waist of Christ, avIio
sits on her knee. He seems on the point of raising
his right arm and left foot to consummate the action
represented in the picture. But in this graceful and
masterly outline there is no more evidence than else
where of an intention to set the Virgin's left arm in
the movement of holding the book.-f The only sheet
in which this movement is depicted, is one at Vienna,
in which the infant Christ no longer corresponds to
the ideal realized in the "Madonna Colonna," the
child being made to stand on his mother's laj>, as he
presses his face against hers and caresses her cheek
with his fingers. But even this is a Florentine design,
on the back of Avhich three spirited figures of soldiers

as regards shape and attitude,
holds the infant Christ, sitting
instead of recumbent. In the
midst of the lines there are others
showing the movements of the
Virgin in reverse, and a new ver
sion of the infant.
* British Museum. Sheet of
four groups of the Virgin and
child. That of the " Colonna
Madonna" is to the right of that
for the " Bridgewater Madonna."

A very rapid and clever pen sketch,
see postea.
t Florence. Uffizi. Frame 136.
No. 503. Pen and bistre drawing.
The Virgin is seen to the knees,
and the whole group in a rect
angular framing, suggests remi
niscences of the Orleans as
well as of the " Casa Tempi
Madonnas." It is a sketch show
ing rapidity and sleight of hand.

Chap. VII.] " MADONNA COLONNA." 351
in combat are thrown, reminiscences, as we clearly
observe, of the cartoons of Da Vinci and Michael
angelo, and repetitions of similar figures, pinholed for
use in the sketch-book of Venice.* The triumph of
Raphael is manifested in the genius with Avhich he
forms out of such varied materials the beautiful group
of the "Madonna Colonna." Is it necessary to add
that this grand composition represents the infant
Saviour struggling to get up as he clings to the edge
of his mother's dress, and smiling at the spectator,
whilst the Virgin holds the missal raised in her left
hand and serenely contemplates his lively efforts to
rise ? When, however, we take to examining the
treatment and handling of the picture, Ave soon per
ceive that the work is not Florentine, but must have
been left incomplete in the painting-room at Perugia.
Technically weak in colour, it leaves the surface of
the panel visible through a filmy A'arnished tinting
that merely overspreads the contour. A red tinge of
false transparence covers the flesh uniformly; the
drapery shades are dull and undecided, and the
knoAvn freedom of Raphael's touch has made Avay. for

* Albertina. Pen and bistre,
rapidly shaded with pen hatching.
The child stepping forward on his
left leg but held firmly by his
mother's right, as he turns to the
right to fondle the Virgin. The
Virgin's bare legs are drawn over
the drapery. At the side of this
group is a second, unused in any

looking at the boy Baptist, seen
to the breast with a bird in his
hand — all in a landscape. The
sheet is patched in the part above
and to the left of the Virgin's
head. A copy of these two groups
is to be seen in the Print-room at
Berlin. On the lower edge of the
paper at Vienna is » study of a.

picture. The Virgin seated and | Virgin and Child, and a child
turned to the right with the ' alone. On the back the three
Saviour standing on her knee, J nude figures described in the text.

352

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VII.

the feebler manipulation of Domenico Alfani. That
the same cause produced the Umbrian affectation so
markedly displayed in the features and air of the
Virgin's head, or the dubbing of unfinished country
and trees in the distance, is hardly to be doubted.
We may presume that the picture thus prepared Avas
returned by Alfani to be finished, and that Raphael
finally disdained to give it the last polish. We may
regret that a thought so graceful should have remained
so unfortunately incomplete. It does not seem un
likely that by dint of a little labour Raphael might
have brought the noble figure of the child into better
proportion with that of the Virgin. He might have
throAvn life into the vitrous flesh, sap into the
deadened drapery colours, and atmosphere into the
landscape. He might have given majesty to the
Lionardesque head of the Virgin, whose attire of
hair and veils combines most beautiful elements of
taste and of grace. He left the picture unfinished as
if hopeless of improving it, busy perhaps with more
enticing occupations, or works that would better suit
the fancy of the Florentines.*

* Berlin Museum. No. 248.
AVood. 0-77£ h. by 0-56J. The
picture belonged to the family of
Salviati at Florence, but passed
by inheritance to the Colonna.
When in possession of Maria Co
lonna, wife of Duke Giulio Zante
della Rovere at Borne, it was pur
chased by the Chevalier Bunsen for
the Prussian Government. It is not
stated in the text that the rudi
ments of a veil are seen surround

ing the infant's foot. The Virgin's
hands are much rubbed down.
The infant's yellow hair, once
painted over the landscape, is in
part abraded, exposing the blue
of a distant hill. The Virgin's
head is wound about with the
thin veil, which twists round her
shoulders, reappears at the waist
and runs to the infant's left foot.
The red dress, over a muslin
chemisette, is slashed to show a

Chap. VII.] "ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS." 353
A passing glance, in anticipation, at a single inci
dent in Raphael's later life at Rome helps us at this
point to throAV light on a short period of the master's
Florentine residence. Inclosing a design of the
"Nativity " to Francia, of AA'hich he says in a letter
" that it differs from the picture Avhich Francia had
been pleased to praise so highly," Raphael expresses
a wish that his friend should accept it, " as a trifling
testimony of friendship and love." * It would cer
tainly be stretching licence beyond permissible limits
to affirm that the composition of Avhich Raphael
thus disposed was that Avhich is noAV known as the
" Adoration of the Shepherds " in the Gallery of
Oxford. And yet there is no reason for doubting
that it might have been so. Executed Avith the
boldness and freedom which characterized Raphael's
style in the earliest days of his first stay at Rome,
the drawing represents a classic ruin with some of
its pillars standing, but most of its Avails oA'erthrown.
The Virgin resting one knee on the ground, raises
Avith both hands the veil Avhich covers the infant
Saviour, who sleeps on a hastily fashioned bed near
the base of a column. An aged shepherd kneels
devoutly to the left, Avhilst tAvo of his companions
admire the scene from a respectful distance. To the
right St. Joseph holds a girdle Avith Avhich he supports
the Baptist, who moves towards the infant Christ Avith

white lining at the armpits and
along the arm. The mantle, as
usual, is blue. Of numerous copies
the authors know but one fairly
old, that once belonged to the late
VOL. I.

Mr. H. Danny Seymour, and was
exhibited at Manchester (132).
* Raphael to Francia, 1508. See
antea.

354

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. AtII.

his hands joined in prayer. Behind him are tAvo
angels and three shepherds and a stretch of country
between the pillars of the ruin.* The interest which
this magnificent design creates is enhanced by the fact
that its principal incident is one which found repeated
expression in such pictures of the Roman period as
the "Madonna di Loretto," and the "Virgin of the
Diadem," at the Louvre. Yet it is not on these nor
indeed on the draAving itself, which is an undoubted
production of Raphael's Roman time, that Ave now
presume to dwell, but on the picture of which
Raphael expressly says that it had already been
painted in a different form, though he does not
affirm by his own hand f ; — the picture of which so
many examples exist, that one is tempted to think
they represent the 300 ducats which Raphael told his
uncle Ciarla he would get from one cartoon. J All
these pieces have a common subject — the Virgin
kneeling in a meadow, lifting the veil from the head
of the slumbering Christ in presence of the infant
Baptist. The attitude of Mary is alike in every
instance. Her form, as she rests on the ground
with St. John in her charge, is full of grace. Seated
in profile to the right, yet turning her head and
shoulders to the left, she gently raises the cloth
from the child's face to show him to his companion.
Resting on coverlets and cushions against a rising in
the ground, the SaA'iour's body gently reclines, one

* Oxford Gallery. No. 76. Pen
drawing in bistre. 15 1 in. h. by
lOf in. From the AVicar, Ottley,
and Lawrence Collections. A mag

nificent composition of twelve
figures. t Raphael to Francia, 1 508, it. s.
X Raphael to Ciarla, 1508, u. s.

Chap. VII.] THE "VIRGIN AND SLEEPING CHRIST." 355

elbow leaning on the cushion, the left arm in repose
on the leg nearest to it. As she raises the veil the
Virgin looks tenderly at her babe, St. John on his
knees at her side is quietly pressed to her heart ; full
of glee, he points Avith his finger at the infant
Saviour, and looks round with a joyful smile at the
spectator. His youthful form, older than that of
Christ, the touching sentiment of love in the Virgin,
the quiet sleep of the Redeemer, are all contrasting
elements in a beautiful composition. The country
around is in the prime of spring vegetation. On one
side small trees hardly conceal a range of hills beyond.
A shepherd in front of a grove tends his flock, in rear
of them is a stream with a low bridge. At the foot
of the slopes are the toAvers and Avails of a fortified
village. On the other side broken ground, slight sap
lings rising to the sky, and St. Joseph trudging past
with his pack on a staff, whilst a more distant female
bends her steps towards the Florentine convent of
San Salvi. Unfortunately the arrangement is all that
remains of Raphael's Avork. None of the replicas in
existence aaIH bear examination as genuine produc
tions of the master. Not even the cartoon at the
Florentine Academy, though squared for use, will
prove satisfactory. Yet the superior attraction of the
subject is apparent from the frequency of its multi
plication. If the Brocca example at Milan can claim
to be the earliest and the best that we now possess,
it only proves that Raphael's assistant at the time AA'as
Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, and that the whole labour of
execution was confided to the ablest journeyman in

A A 2

356

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

his painting-room. None of the six repetitions that
remain are Avorth a moment's attention, nor can they
claim to be more than feeble echoes of the master's
thoughts, though in every case the treatment is dis
tinctly Florentine.*
If the true cause of Raphael's abandonment of the
"Madonna Colonna" could be discovered, Ave should

* Florence Academy. Cartoon.
Squared and pinholed for use, but
pasted together after having been
cut into fragments. Black chalk,
heightened with white, so greatly
injured as to leave some doubt of
its genuineness. The drapery about
the Virgin's head differs from that
in the pictures. The face of the
sleeping boy is turned to the left,
whilst in the pictures it is always
to the right.
Milan. Signori Brocca. Wood.
4 ft. 6 in. square. Bought at
Barcelona in 1822. It is said to
have been then covered with re
paints, which were subsequently
removed by the painter Molteni.
But certainly Molteni added re
touches of his own. Though
square the panel was once framed
in a round, of which the track
remains, cutting off the corners.
It is hard to say, after the injuries
which the picture underwent, who
the painter was. The pigments
seem moistened with a varnish
medium ; the shadows are heavy,
the modelling imperfect, and the
colours feeble. Yet originally the
treatment may have been that of
Ridolfo Ghirlandaio ; and cer
tainly there is no better example
of the composition.
Pesth. Esterhazy Collection.

Round. Here the handling is that
of a pupil of Raphael, and recalls
Giulio Romano or Penni, without
being good enough for either.
Florence. Corsini Gallery.
No. 164. Square. Assigned to
Mariotto Albertinelli, but by some
follower of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio.
London. Grosvenor Gallery.
Square. 4 ft. 3 in. h. by 3 ft. 9 in.
A dark heavily tinted example of
the schools of R. Ghirlandaio or
Pontormo, with hard contours.
Blenheim. Square panel, with
part of the landscape at the right
side wanting. A brownish picture,
of the Florentine school, and per
haps by one of the Allori.
Hague. Palace of the late Prince
Frederick of the Netherlands.
Round. Much rubbed down.
From the Collection of Prince
Lucien Bonaparte ; with evident
traces of Florentine treatment, in
the form of Pontormo and his
disciples. Petersburg. Hermitage. No. 41.
Wood, transferred to canvas.
Bought by Mr. de Tatistcheff in
Spain. 1-25 h. by 1-09. A Floren
tine picture of crude tone and hard
outlines. Alnwick. Wood. Round. In
the manner of the followers of
Pontormo.

Chap. VIE] THE " COWPER MADONNA." 357

perhaps find a clue to the change in his art Avhich
the " Cowper Madonna " of 1508 displays. This
masterpiece, which once belonged to a patrician family
at Florence, apparently indicates a final reaction and
protest against overAvrought tenderness and Umbrian
feeling. More than any other of the works of Raphael's
middle time it illustrates the grand realism of the
school of Fra Bartolommeo. At no period of his
career had Raphael ventured on such an unconditional
appeal to the grace of nature unadorned, as in this
rendering of the Virgin and Child. He never showed
more freedom in the reproduction of form in the
strength and beauty of its ordinary daily aspects. It
Avas not to convey the idea of the God-like that this
picture was produced, but to manifest in the most
artistic way the care of a mother and the playful long
ings of her child. The Saviour has outgrown the
period to which nature confines the mere nutriment of
milk. Yet his memory retains the knoAvledge of an old
pleasure. His mother is seated with her face almost
in profile. The rich tresses of her han are partly
brushed in bands over her ears, or in masses off her
temples. The rest is gathered into plaits prettily
interwoven with ends of the veil which buries itself
in her dress at one shoulder. Falling from the other
shoulder, the veil winds round the waist of the infant
Saviour, Avho sits astride of a white cushion on the
Virgin's lap. Pleats of white muslin are just visible
above the edge of her rosy plum-coloured dress. The
Avide puffs of the oversleeve cover the yelloAV broAvn of
a close undersleeve, and the knees are draped in the

358 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.
pure ultramarine of the traditional cloak. The Virgin's
right hand catches the striped veil as it passes round
the child's body, her left lies on her bosom, and this
gesture is in harmony with the fond look Avhich falls
from her large dark eye on the boy. For though he
sits on her knee and looks frontwise half smiling
out of the picture, and grabs Avith the fingers of his
right hand at the cushion, as if his purpose were but
half serious, yet his grasp of the hem of the Virgin's
dress and the pull which he gives it, explain as
clearly as the defensive movement of the Virgin that
he longs for the breast, Avhich she refuses to concede.
His longing is expressed not only by action, but in a
gentle bend of the head, open lips, dimples formed
in the chubby cheeks by the inward tension of the
corners of the mouth, raised eyebrows, and partial
closing of the eyes. Feeling and form seem stolen at
a glance from life. Mary, a robust young woman,
whose beauty is not the less because she is gorgeously
dressed and prettily attired, the child a full-shaped
healthy boy, yet both Avithout the chastened look
and meaning expression which mark similar concep
tions in the Orleans " Madonna " and the " Holy
Family " Avith the bald Joseph at St. Petersburg. One
almost thinks that here the mother and child, who sat
for the Canigiani altar-piece, have groAvn apace, the
first expressing tempered pleasure as of one Avho has
tasted all the joys of her state, the second chirpy and
confident, half sated with tenderness, and recalling in
his look that stereotyped laugh Avhich became con
ventional in the pictures of Del Sarto and Pontormo.

Chap. VIE] THE " COWPER MADONNA."

359

Raphael's superior genius gives to the group a strong
pulsation of life, a realism such as he had never before
attained, combining at the same time a vivid jet of
light, harmonious modelling of transitions, potent
transparencies of shadoAV, Avith a treatment so bold
and frank as to strike us Avith astonishment.* No
designs come doAvn to us for this remarkable picture
except the outline of a boy's face in the collection of
Lille, Avhich has the expression without the exact turn
of the Saviour's head in the " Cowper Madonna." f
The Virgin looking cIoavii at the laughing Christ, a
masterly draAving in the British Museum, faintly dis
plays the feeling Avhich marked this period of Raphael's
practice, but it equally recalls the " Madonna dell'
Impannata," the "Madonna de' Candelabri," or the
"Virgin " of Lady Garvagh, and it surely points to a
moment in Raphael's life AAlien the smiles and dimples
of Lionardo merged into the gaiety and open laughter
of the "Holv Families " of Andrea del Sarto. J

¦* Panshanger, seat of Earl Cow
per. Panel. About 2 ft. 3 in. h.
by 1 ft. 6 in. The Virgin in half
length. This picture, in which
the Virgin is in profile to the left,
and the child facing her, was
described in Cinelli's Bellezze
di Firenze in 1677, p. 409. It was
purchased by Earl Cowper when
H.M. Minister at Florence from
the Niccolini family. The partial
rubbing down which the surface
has undergone has nearly oblite
rated the golden nimbs. The
smoothness and polish of the flesh
are like those of a bronze, and in
this the panel resembles the " St.

George" of St. Petersburg. The
borders are minutely decorated
with gold ornament, and on that
near the throat are the words,
" md. . viii. r. v. PIN."
Some copies of the " Cowper
Madonna" have been described.
They are unknown to the writers
of these pages.
t Lille. No. 693. Silver-point.
0-10 h. by 0-08.
X British Museum. From the
AVellesley Collection at Oxford.
Silver-point, on coloured paper.
The front face of the Virgin
slightly inclined, the hair brushed
off the forehead and temples, at

360

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. VII.

The moment of reaction Avhich led Raphael to over
leap the bounds Avithin AAliich he had hitherto con
fined his art, AA'as short. It is evidence of the great
circumspection and command over himself AA'hich he
possessed that, feeling ho had overstepped the limits,
he speedily harked back into the true path Avithout an
effort and Avithout regret. One of Raphael's greatest
qualities has always been that he kept a rein on his
powers which exercised the necessary check upon any
dangerous deviation, his nature in this being similar
to that of the ancient Greeks, Avhose aim was con
stantly to produce ideals perfect in form, subtle in
chiselling, and admirable for grace, or measured
proportion. It Avas under the sAvay of these laws
that he now set about finishing the "Bella Giardi-
niera " of the Louvre, the lovely group of the " Virgin
Avith the Infant Christ and Baptist," AA'hich completes
the cycle of Lionardesque compositions, begun Avith
the "Madonna del Cardellino" and continued in the
" Madonna in Green." It Avould be difficult to find
other Avords than those which express the excellence
of the masterpieces Ave have named to prize at their
true value the charms of the "Bella Giardiniera."
It is not too much to say that every part sIioavs an
advanced refinement in construction and arrangement
of lines, elegance of attitude, purity of contour

searching of bends

and extremities, harmony of

her neck the head of the boy
Christ, full face, thrown back,
with an inclination to the right,
laughing open-mouthed. This

lovely drawing, as softly modelled
as a work of Correggio, was pur
chased at the AVellesley sale for
.£600.

Chap. VIE] THE "BELLA GIARDINIERA.'1

301

colour, and loveliness of landscape. The highest
principles of sublime art arc united to the most
minute finish in the reproduction of nature, and if
ideal beauty is attained in the definition of form, avo
shall equally acknowledge the botanical fidelity of
innumerable plants, Avhich are part of the life that
abounds in this delightful picture.
Last among the compositions of Raphael, Avhich
represents the connection of the book Avith the sacrifice
of the cross, the "Bella Giardiniera " was originally
conceived as a graceful illustration of the infancy of
Christ. The first cartoon at the Louvre shows the
Virgin sideAvays on a rustic bench, bending over the
playful children at her side. Her head in front
view is gently inclined to the right, and her atti
tude so taken that the flexible form of the infant
Saviour is supported by one of her hands, Avhilst
the other grasps his left arm. The book Avhich she
was studying, lies closed on the boy's fingers, and
he, forgetting that he had just been playing with the
leaves, steps from his mother's foot, on which he Avas
standing, to look at the young Baptist, Avho has
bound his temples with a garland of leaves, and
kneels to present a struggling lamb.* But though

* Louvre. From the Crozat,
Mariette, Bevil, Lawrence, Wood-
burn, and King of Holland's Col
lections. Pen sketch, on yellowish
white prepared paper. It passed,
after the sale of the King of Hol
land's Collection in 1850, to Mr. D.
J. de Arozarena, and finally into

the collection of Mr. Timbal in
Paris, who bequeathed it in 1881 to
the State. 0-28 h. by 0-18. Squared
for use. The Virgin's leg bare.
The head, and particularly the
nose of the Virgin, is injured.
A replica from the Lawrence
Collection, long existed in the De

362

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

Raphael threw the net over this composition, and
thus manifested his purpose of transforming it into a
picture, he was afterwards led to change the position,
as Avell as to alter the motive thought in each of the
figures. He turned the Virgin a little out of profile,
moved her head to three-quarters to the left, and con
fined her glance to the Saviour, instead of directing
it to both children at once. Christ no longer turns to
watch the lamb; his left hand stretches towards the
book, Avhich lies closed on his mother's wrist, and
eagerly inquiring as he looks into the Virgin's face
and opens out his fingers, he seems to ask the mean
ing of the missal and the cross. Not only has he
been playing Avith the one, but he has also seen the
other, on which St. John is reposing, as he kneels at
the Virgin's foot. The Baptist's sidelong look • at
Christ, as he rests the reed symbol on his shoulders,
and thrusts its point into the ground, and the repose of
his left hand on his knee, are as natural, instantaneous,
and true, as the attitude of Christ, Avho leans against
his mother's lap, whilst she supports his shoulder with
one hand and grasps his arm with the other. It is a
pleasant vantage ground Avhich he occupies, balancing
himself Avith both feet on that of his mother. There
is a mournful serenity in the pure lineaments of the
Virgin, a longing, as if to fathom the mystery of his
life in the Christ, a childish sympathy in the upturned
eye and half speech of the lips of the Baptist. And

Vos Collection at Amsterdam. But
the writers of these pages were un
able to obtain access to it. It is

not certain whether the animal in
the arms of the Baptist is not a
dog, rather than a lamb.

Chap. VII.-] THE " BELLA GIARDINIERA." 363
all this is so winning, the contour and features are
so lovely and so full of the rounding of health, the
expression is so charming, and the delicacy of the
hands and feet so rare, that it is hard to conceive any
thing more admirable. The Virgin's hair divided in
the middle, its tresses intertwined with a filmy veil
edged with black, and tAvisted irregularly to fall in
part on the cheek, in part on the neck, the red bodice
with its dark border relieved on a fringe of white at
the bosom, which itself is a masterpiece of anatomical
modelling, the dusky braid embroidered AA'ith golden
tracery, the greenish-yelloAV sleeA'es, the yelloAV sash —
all contribute to the harmony of the group, Avhich
Avould be little less than perfect, but that the mantle
AAliich Raphael had left incomplete, Avas ill-finished
and feebly throAvn into fold by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio.
Yet the colour still serves as a foil to the grandiose
forms of the children. For brilliancy of tints, vivid
ness of light and contrast by massive shadow, no
picture of Raphael's time approaches this, if we
except, though at a respectful distance, the " St. George
of the Hermitage " or the " Cowper Madonna." An
imposing breadth marks the balance of the surfaces
struck by the sun, and those that are thrown into
cerulean half shades, warmed here and there by com
plementary touches of purpurinc pigment:. We
dwelt for an instant on the botanical accuracy of the
foreground plants. Their number is striking, includ
ing grasses, sedges, weeds, and meadow flowers. To
the horizontal and sombre undulations diversified by
Raphael's favourite trees or the line of the lake, the

364 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.
banks of Avhich are dotted Avith isolated toAvers, and
the domes and spires of a city, due contrast is given
by a chain of hills under a sky that deepens as it
rises and holds in suspense a skim of graceful
cloudlets.* The time AA'hich elapsed between the original
design for this altarpiece, and its quasi completion,
is shown by a draAving at Oxford, Avhich gives in a
grand SAveep of lines the form of the infant Christ,
together Avith five different sketches for the lie of the
left leg and foot. The back of this sheet Avith the
skeleton of a female figure in profile to the right —
a study of proportion and moA'cment completed by a
loose indication of bones — Avhen taken in conjunction
with the clever stroke of the crayon, prove that the
transformation, by Avhich the picture attained its
present shape, Avas made about the period immediately
subsequent to the completion of the " Canigiani
Madonna" and the "Borghese Entombment. "f The

* Louvre. No. 375. AVood.
1-22 h. by 0-80. Arched at top.
All the figures in full length. On
the edge of the Virgin's mantle,
just over the foot and divided by

finished by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio,
as appears not only from the style
of the blue mantle of the A7irgin
but fromVasari's distinct statement
(viii. p. 12) to that effect. The

the green limb of the cross in A'irgin's mantle is raw and dis
John's hand are the letters, '¦ agreeable in tone, besides being
" raphaello vrb.," and on the [ thrown into meaningless folds.
edge near the elbow, " iiDVn(ij." ' f Oxford Gallery. No. 50. Pen
According to the catalogues of the drawing in bistre, llf in. h. by
Louvre this picture was purchased 7 in. From the Boehm (Alenna)
by order of Francis I. of France, j and Chambers Hall Collection.
it is said from Filippo Sergardi, Of the sketch for the " Bella Giar-
who had ordered it of Raphael and i diniera," which was once in the
sent it to Sienna. Supposing this ; Mariette Collection with a study
to be correct, the picture was truly ] for the " Entombment " on the

Chap. VIE] TEE "MADONNA ESTERHAZY."

365

letters MDVII, Avith traces of yet another I, and
Raphael's name on the edge of the cloak near the
Virgin's left foot, tell plainly enough AA'hen the picture
ceased to be touched by the master's hand.*
Though but a satellite of a brighter star, or a pigmy
by the side of the " Giardiniera," the " Madonna Ester
hazy " claims to be admired for many of the qualities
that distinguish its more important rival. A beauti
ful composition, broadly handled and grandly out
lined, it seems equally remarkable for life and grace,
and freedom of pictorial treatment. If Fra Barto
lommeo, Avho noAV wandered in the paths of his
younger friend, had once been known as Raphael's
teacher, he now surrendered that position apparently
Avithout a murmur. Endowed by nature with other
gifts than those which had been laA'ished on his
Umbrian competitor, the Frate had neArer realized
the SAveetness of expression or the purity of form and

reverse of the sheet (Pass. ii. p.
68), nothing is known at this
time. But the presence of draw
ings for both pictures on one paper
might prove that the designs for
them were begun at the same
period. The cartoon at Holkham
described by Pass. ii. p, 9, was not
seen by the authors. A sketch
for the " A'irgin and Child," from
the Santarelli Collection at the
Uffizi, No. 8, is falsely assigned to
Raphael * A poor copy of the " Bella
Giardiniera," in a round, is at the
Louvre — panel.
Another copy, once in the Ma-
zarin Collection, was sold at the

sale of the Bale Collection in 1881
to Mr. Arthur Tooth for 115
guineas. The best copy that we have seen
is that of the Townshend Collection
at the Kensington Museum, which
came from the Collection of the
Duke of Marsa and Lord Coleraine.
On the hem of the mantle above
the Virgin's foot we read,
" rapha.lo vi," and on the hem
near the elbow, "mdxlv." The
copy is cold and hard, but con
scientious. Other copies are noted
by Passavant (ii. 69-70) at Dresden,
Milan, Vienna, Genoa, Avignon,
and the Escurial.

366

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND AVORKS. [Chap. ArII.

feature Avhich had ahvays proved attractiA'e in the
masterpieces of Ferugino's disciple. When Raphael
won from the Frate all the boldness of his art aud
added them to his OAvn store, the necessary conse
quence Avas a clear superiority. Fra Bartolommeo
became dependent on his friend, though he lost not a
tittle of the grandeur or freedom which had charac
terized his manner from the outset. It had doubtless
been an unequal race, in which the Florentine started
with full knoAvledge of the ground, and an intimate
acquaintance Avith the Avindings of the course, but the
conditions under Avhich the two competitors ran,
Avere similar ; both had striven to deA'dop the pre
cepts of Da Vinci. The victory of Raphael Avas clue to
vast powers of assimilation, Avhich enabled him to
equal the Dominican in his oavu AAralk, and surpass
him in that AA'hich the Frate could not acquire
with equal rapidity ; and thus it happened that
Raphael produced the " Esterhazy Madonna " and the
"Madonna del Baldacchino " on the lines of Fra
Bartolommeo, before it occurred to the latter to create
the Raphaelesque "Majesty" of San Romano or the
" Virgin and Saints " of San Martino at Lucca.*
But, as if to accumulate proofs of the superiority
Avhich Raphael displayed, Fra Bartolommeo first
created the " Holy Family " of Fanshanger, in which
the relations of the tAvo masters in art were mani
fested, and, six years later, finished the "Holy

* Rumohr (Forschungen, iii. p.
71) assigns to Raphael a share in
the " Majesty " of San Romano.

But this view of the clever Ger
man cannot, in our opinion, be
seriously sustained.

Chap. VII.] THE " ESTERHAZY MADONNA." 367

Family " at the Corsini Ralace in Rome, in Avhich he
copied the pyramidal form of the "Madonna Cani-
giani " and the landscape of Raphael's " Holy Family'
with the Lamb."
The "Esterhazy Madonna" at Pesth hardly measures
ten inches in square surface. As a composition, it
is a gem Avithout a flaAV. The Virgin kneels in the
middle of the picture at the base of a ledge of rock,
on Avhich she holds the Babe in a sitting posture.
Turning her face to the left she looks cIoavu Avith a
bend of her body and a slight inclination of her
head to Avatch the boy Baptist, Avho rests on one
knee Avith the reed cross in his left hand and a scroll
in his right, from Avhich he reads the Avords : "Ecce
agnus Dei." The infant Christ, eagerly AAratching
his companion, leans forward over his mother's arm
and struggles to obtain the fatal scroll. From the
recess of stones in Avhich the scene is laid, the view
stretches over an undulating country, the hills of
which are rich in abundant vegetation. To the left
a lake is fringed Avith bushes, in rear of Avhich are
Roman rums like the temple of Vespasian ; beyond,
a cliff, and above the hill to the right the cone of a
mountain rising into the sky.
But this magnificent composition proves as dis
appointing in its execution, as it is perfect in its
arrangement. Perhaps it Avas one of a series of small
pieces of which Raphael traced the outlines Avithout
finding time to paint them in, and so left them to be
finished by a pupil. The Roman distance might show
that the panel was taken in an incomplete state from

368 EAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. ATI.

Florence and supplied Avith a local landscape at Rome.
That in a later age the picture was sent as a present
from one of the popes to an empress of Austria seems
a proof that it had been brought to Rome ; and this
belief seems rational, because the original cartoon in
the collection of the Uffizi has a different background
from that AA'hich the picture displays.* In the latter,
as Ave saw, there are remnants of Roman architecture,
in the former a A'iew of a narrow vale, through which
a stream, meandering slowly, sheds its waters over a
weir, the banks being lined with alders, and two or
three toAvers rising in front of a conical hill to the
right. Nor can avc compare the cartoon and its
coloured replica, which, so far as the group is con
cerned, are quite alike, Avithout observing the great
superiority of the former over the latter in grace of
movements, or beauty of features, in the trim of the
Virgin's head, the expressiveness of her eyes, the pro
file of Christ, or the garlanded head of the Baptist, f

* Esterhazy Museum at Pesth. ; finished, is in the Casa Thiene at
AVood. 10 in. h. by 8 in. On a : A'icenza, Another, also unfinished,
paper pasted to the back of the in the Ambrosiana at Milan. The
panel, German words are written " Virgin and Child," alone at the

to this effect : " This picture of a
Virgin by Raphael of Urbino, with
its box garnished with precious

Uffizi, No. 1235, once ascribed to
Fra Bartolommeo, is a very feeble
production of a low class Florentine.

stones, was given to me as a present ' t Uffizi. Frame 154. No. 539
by the Pope Albany (Clement XI. j Pen and bistre sketch 10i in h
1700-1721).— Elizabeth K." It I by 6j|.
seems that the Empress Elizabeth I A pen and bistre drawing of the
gave this picture to Kuunitz, from i whole group in the Chatsworth
whom it passed to the Esterhazy Collection, with a draw-in" of the
family. (See Pass. ii. p. 72.) Pas- : " Madonna del Gran Duca"' would
savant notes a copy in the AVen- require study on account of certain
delstadt Collection at Frankfort- points in it which suggest some
ou-the-Main. A fine copy, un- • doubts.

Chap. VII.] " MADONNA DEL BALDACCHINOJ

309

All of these form a group of excessive grace, remind
ing us, as to the Saviour, of the " Madonna of the
Palm," as to the Virgin, of the " Holy Family Avith
the Lamb," and as to the children in general, of the
boy angels in the " Madonna del Baldacchino," Avhich
Ave shall presently find transformed and improved in
the allegories of " Poetry " and " Philosophy " in the
chambers of the Vatican.
But if Raphael could compose and carry off Avith
him to Rome a gem-like " Madonna " like that of
Esterhazy, it was not so Avith the large altar-piece,
which he had promised to execute, yet was unable to
finish for a chapel in San Spirito of Florence. Look
ing at this picture, as Ave find it at the Pitti in the
state to which it was brought by the painter Cassana,
(it is difficult to divest ourselves of the idea that the
panel Avas due to Fra Bartolommeo, an impression
Avhich gains upon us, Avhen we look at the monu
mental cast of the draperies and the grand movement
of the saints in the foreground. Yet a moment's
attention shows that the heads could haA'e been
done by no one but Raphael, whilst Vasari puts an
end to all wavering by telling us that Raphael began
the picture and left it unfinished when Bramante
called him to Rome.
About the time when the "Madonna del Baldac
chino " was undertaken, Fra Bartolommeo Avas pro
bably preparing the studies for the "Majesty" of
San Romano and the " Madonna" of Lucca. Which
of the two masters preceded the other in the genesis
of these graceful Lionardesque creations, it would be

370 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.
hard to say. It has been thought that Raphael
assisted • Fra Bartolommeo in the " Eternal and
Saints " of San Romano ; yet this theory has not
found any serious support.* We saw that there Avere
many points in common betAveen the tAvo artists at
this period. But the ties which underlay these points,
Avere seemingly produced by counsel only ; not a trace
is to be found of Raphael's pencil at San Romano or
at San Martino, nor do the draAvings for the altar-
piece in any Avay display the style of Raphael. It
may be that Avhen Raphael painted the seraphs that
hover about the throne in the " Madonna del Baldac-
chino," he Avas inspired by some earlier sketches of
the Dominican friar, yet Avere this even so, we can
easily perceive that these beings are moulded in a
new shape and formed with the chosen type and pure
lineaments which Raphael alone conceived. ISTor,
indeed, is it possible to find anything more perfectly
graceful in its way, or more genuine in Raphael's
manner, than these emanations of his genius during
the later clays of his residence at Florence. They are
so perfect that AA'hen Raphael was brought face to
face Avith the necessity of similar creations at Rome,
he did little else than repeat them, as if it had not
been in him to find action, movements, or outlines,
that were an improvement on those. Bold as the
Frate Avas, trained as his hand had been to all the
difficulties and foreshortenings of nude, he never
came near -the grace, the gentleness, or elegance of

* Rumohr, Forschungen, iii. u.s.

Chap. VIE] "MADONNA DEL BALDACCHINO." 371
motion, which his rival here displayed. Nor did it
occur to him to compose pictures on the scantling of
the "Madonna del Baldacchino " till some years after
Raphael's departure from Florence, Avhen to every
one's surprise, we may venture to believe, he pro
duced the splendid "Marriage of St. Catherine " at
the Pitti, in which the same forms of dais, of angels,
and attendant saints, are brought together, as Raphael
had left unfinished when he went to Rome. And yet
in the natural order of things it would have been for
Fra Bartolommeo to show the Avay to Raphael, not
for Raphael to guide the movements of his older and
more experienced friend.
Since the clays Avhen Raphael painted the " Coro
nation of the Virgin" for Maddalena degli Oddi he
had never attempted anything of so much importance
as regards size and number of personages, as the
" Madonna del Baldacchino." No other altar-piece
except the " Entombment " had more completely
absorbed his attention. He began the studies for it
in one of the happiest moods of his Florentine period,
and if the group of Mary and Christ, of which we
still possess the sketch in umber in the collection
of the Louvre, exhibits some slight difference of
thought in the action of the infant Saviour, it is
only because he probably resolved at one time to
form these figures into a whole by itself. Nothing
more lovely than the shape and face of the Virgin,
who sits in a landscape and supports the head of
Christ, as he rests his arms on her bosom, and she
presses the fingers of his left hand as if willing to

B B 2

372

RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VIE

induce him to resume the breast which he has left.
Seated on a cushion on his mother's lap, and bending
to the breast, yet looking out of the picture, his
face and attitude are delightfully expressive of curio
sity and pleasure. And seldom has it been even
Raphael's fortune to imagine a group more perfect
in itself or more subtle in conveying expression.
Though it recurs in a modified form in a cartoon
at Chatsworth, where the lie of the child's arms and
that of the Virgin's right hand are slightly varied,
the arrangement Avas still better suited for a picture
by itself than it Avas to serve as a component part of
a larger altar-piece.* vln the panel as it now stands,
the Virgin sits between the carved arms of an orna
mented throne. One foot is set forward in front of
the other, the fingers of the left hand gracefully rest
on the arm Avhich Christ leans on her bosom, whilst
the right hand catches the infant under the shoulder,
as he plays with one of his feet and looks archly and
openly smiling at St. Peter. In other respects the
Virgin resembles the sketch at the Louvre. Her
hair is divided and brushed OArer the ears, and the
riband Avhich binds her locks disappears behind her
back. The dress is gathered at the waist under a

* Louvre. No. 315. Black
chalk drawing, washed with umber
and heightened with white. 0'249
h. by 0-185. From the Jabach
Collection. This drawing has been
greatly injured, and has been re
stored. It must have been origi
nally a very fine design of

Raphaelesque Lionardesque type.
The same group, with attendant
angels, a pen sketch at the
Albertina of A'ienna, does not
deserve the name of Raphael
which it bears, but seems rather a
sketch by Timoteo Viti.

Chap. VIE] " MADONNA DEL BALDACCHINO." 373

sash, and the mantle falls in grand folds about her
knees. The change in the setting of the "Virgin and Child"
was not the only one which Raphael made after he
had thrown his first thought on paper. The Chats-
Avorth cartoon itself, though copied in its main lines
into the picture, Avas not wholly or completely repro
duced in the altar-piece. The angels lifting the
curtain of the dais, the four saints at the sides differ,
to some extent, in both. The only figures which
correspond are the two boy angels in the fore
ground reading from a scroll. St. Paul in the sketch
becomes St. James in the picture, yet the sketch is a
fine one, drawn with the pen and Avashed with
umber, and hatched in the lights Avith Avhite on the
grey tinting of the paper.*
It is interesting to observe hoAV Umbrian remi
niscences occur in the plan of the double plinth and
step that make up the platform of the throne. By
raising the Virgin to so high a place Raphael gives
her an advantageous position above the stone-flagged
floor on which the attendant saints are resting.
To the left, Avith the gospels open on the plinth, a
hooded monk of the Benedictine order stands Avith
the book reposing on one hand, gesticulating with
the other, and looking round at the profile of St. Peter
near him. The spacious masses of his robes recall
the broad sweep of drapery so splendidly realised in

* Chatswoith. Pen and umber on tinted grey smooth paper.

374

RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.

the frescos of Masaccio at the Carmine.* The study
for the upper part of this figure and a separate outline
for the head Avithout the hood is one of the finest
silver-point draAvings of the Lille Collection, t St.
Peter with the book and keys, in a brown tunic and
blue mantle, faces the spectator, yet looks round at
the Benedictine. In the Chatsworth design St. Paul
to the right leans with both hands on a sword, and

we trace a distinct likeness betAveen his bearded head
and that of St. Romualdo in the fresco of San SeA'ero.
St. Augustin, Avith his scapular and Bible, turns his
face to the left. In the picture St. James and not
St. Paul attends at the Virgin's side and rests his
hands on a long staff, whilst St. Augustin in a Avhite
jewelled mitre holds the Gospels and stretches his
right hand towards the throne, looking round at the
spectator with features pulled doAvn by asceticism and
fasting. Two boy angels with wings, undraped, in front
of the throne-step, are admirably presented, one,
shown frontAvise, resting on his left leg and holding
in his hand the end of a scroll, part of which is

* Florence Carmine. Head of
a monk in the fresco of St. Peter
in Cathedra.
t Lille Collection. No. 723.
Silver-point drawing, heightened
with white, on rose-coloured paper.
0-125 h. by 0-192. To the right
the figure seen to the waist, hold
ing a folio, in the left hand — a
model in working-day dress. To
the left the head seen at three-
quarters to the left, with a skull

cap, and a few streams of hairs
falling on the forehead. A very
broad and massively shaded study.
In another outline drawing of
an old bald friar, seen at three-
quarters to the left, a silver-point
sketch, half size, we have a re
miniscence of the Benedictine
saint in the "Madonna del Bal
dacchino," and of the saints in the
fresco of San Severo.

Chap. VIE] "MADONNA DEL BALDACCHINO." 375
shown in the fingers of the second, Avho stoops in
profile to read the inscription Avhich it contains. Of
this pretty couple it is not sufficient to say that tho
figures are pleasing and their movements natural ;
they seem to represent the masterly completion of the
trials which began in the earliest pages of the Venice
sketch-book, and lead us through many stages to the
perfection of the Florentine period. If we look at
all the efforts Avhich Raphael made, we surely trace
the course by which he ascended from a feeble to
an exact imitation of nature, thence to the realization
of ideal form, which displays itself in the genii of
the Vatican predella and finds its full expansion in
the beautiful boys before us. It may be that the
holy children in the "Bella Giardiniera" are more
lovely and more refined than the angels of the
"Madonna del Baldacchino," but for appropriate
arrangement and freedom of action or breadth of
treatment the latter are still unsurpassed, and we feel
most inevitably that we shall now be led to the
nobler and yet grander emanations of the painter's
genius, Avhich are the angels of the "Madonna di
Foligno " and those of the " Madonna di San Sisto."
It might have occurred to Raphael to observe the
pretty effect of Perugino's tAvo boys on the step of
the Virgins throne in the altar-piece at Marseilles,
or that achieved by Pinturicchio in the Baptist
Avriting at the feet of Mary in the " Virgin" of the
Minorites of Spello, but aaIio shall say that they have
not taken their ideas from Raphael, whom they had
learnt to look up to as a master of consummate parts?

376 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.
But if Raphael's thought in these instances appears
to coincide with that of Perugino and Pinturicchio, it
co-exists more palpably still Avith that of Fra Barto
lommeo, Avho might have taken it home from Venice,
yet who only applied it after Raphael's departure in
that picture at San Romano, where the angel plays a
viol on the step of the Virgin's throne, or the altar-
piece of the Pitti, Avhere tAvo children perform a
concert in a similar place.
If in the definition and treatment of form and
dress Ave detect in all the Avork of Raphael, un
finished as it remained, the clear and unmistakable
influence of Fra Bartolommeo — if we trace the friar's
lessons in the attitudes of the figures and the solemn
grandeur of their gestures and drapery, the close
connection of the tAvo masters is yet more marked hi
the tAvo seraphs Avho look down at the Virgin, as they
fly and lift the hangings of the conical dais. Never
till uoav had Raphael ventured upon such daring
foreshortenings as the bird-like being tcrtlie left,
or the profiled messenger to the right display. The
contrast of their flight and motion Avith the stillness
and calm of the groups below is perfect ; and the
shapes have acquired a grace, a lightness, and elegance
Avhich Fra Bartolommeo Avas incapable of equalling,
much less of surpassing. The cone of the dais Avith
the scolloped edging that enframes it, may recall the
earlier days of Raphael at Perugia, but the curve
and cornice of the dome behind are a neAv and
splendid application of scientific laws ; and here it is
that we discern, if at all, the probable truth of Vasari's

Chap. VEL] "HOLY FAMILY" AT LILLE.

371

assertion that Raphael taught Fra Bartolommeo the
rules of true perspective.*
In the midst of these occupations Raphael, not
unmindful of the wants of his Perugian painting-
room, found time to complete and send to Domenico
Alfani one of the most interesting drawings Avhich he
ever produced. In the large collection of Raphael's
designs there is not one in which the lines are more
perfect, the symmetry more faultless, or the combina
tion of attitude and thought in each figure more
concentrated than in this one. The Virgin reposes in
profile on a natural rising of the ground in the centre
of a valley. Her left foot is throAvn forward to the
right, and she rests her elbow on a projection of
the seat, lowering her left hand at the same time to
hold a sash by which she supports the body of the

* Florence. Pitti. No. 165.
AVood. 10 ft, h. by 6 ft. Arasari
tells us that this picture was com
missioned by the Florentine family
of the Dei for their altar at San
Spirito of Florence. Raphael left
it unfinished when he went to
Rome. It seems not to have been
delivered. It came into the hands
of Baldassare Turini, who had it
framed in a stone framework by
Baccio d' Agnolo, ancL^t up in
the cathedral of Pest^P About
1697 it was purchased by Fer
dinando de' Medici, who caused it
to be enlarged by Agostino Cassana,
and then placed it where it now
hangs. (Vas. viii. 12-13 and ix.
228.) A copy, which the Grand
Duke of Tuscany ordered Piero

Dandini to paint, still adorns the
altar at Pescia. The panel at the
Pitti is injured by cleaning and
retouchings and by spots, as well
as by the patching of Cassana.
The apex of the cone of the dais
and all above that is new. Hence
the false notion of Longhena
(Quatremere's Raphael translated)
that the picture was finished by
Cassana. The best preserved part
of the figures of St. James and St.
Augustine are the heads. The
whole altar-piece, notwithstanding
the damage done to it, is rich,
bright, and golden in tone. The
two boy angels recall a group of
children looking at Herodias in the
dance of the daughter of Herod by
Giotto at Santa Croce.

378 RAPHAEL : HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII.
infant Christ at her side. The Saviour stands
leaning over her knee, and stretches his arms across
hers to reach a pomegranate, AA'hich St. Joseph is
offering. One of Joseph's hands is on a pack-saddle,
upon Avhich he is seated. St. Zacharias to the right,
St. Elisabeth to the left, look on Avith serious and
sympathetic interest. The picture is completed in the
left-hand corner of the foreground by the boy Baptist
in his tunic, Avho turns his face and glance to the
spectator whilst he grasps a reed cross, round which a
scroll is prettily wound. In the cloudless sky aboA'c
six cherubs sing or play musical instruments. But
Raphael Avas not content Avith the outlines, he also
gave the shading of the group, and a broad jet of
shadow throAA'ii from right to left on the figures is
admirably rendered by a skilful intertress of pen
strokes. It may be a moot question Avhether Raphael
sent this sketch to Alfani in pursuance of a pre
concerted engagement or of his own accord. The
subject Avas squared and transferred to a picture about
the middle of the 16th century ; and Ave can only
presume that Raphael's scheme for keeping up double
painting-rooms at Florence and Perugia fell to the
ground, because Alfani Avas unable to dispense with
the personal superintendence of his chief. The reverse
of the draAving is remarkable for four lines, in which
Raphael conveys directions to Alfani :
" Menecho," he says, " remember to send me the
love songs of Ricciardo, which describe the affliction
{tempesta) that bef el him on one of his journeys.
Tell Cesarino to send me the sermon, and remember

Chap. VIE] HE PREPARES TO LEAVE FLORENCE. 379
me to him; and, it occurs to me, press Madonna
Atalanta to send me the money, and see that you get
it in gold. Tell Cesarino to press her in this matter,
and if I can do anything for you let me knoAv."*
We shall have occasion to observe AA'hat relations
Raphael entertained with Cesare cli Francesco Rosctti,
more commonly knovra as Cesarino, Avith whom he
had dealings at Rome in connection with Agostino
Chigi.-)- His correspondence Avith Alfani cannot be
traced any further, but it is clear that if Raphael at
Florence had been able hitherto to support an es
tablishment at Perugia, the utmost that he could
hope to accomplish after settling at Rome, would be
to preserve some of his practice in Tuscany. His
communication to Alfani appears in the light of an
effort to settle such claims as were still outstanding
at Perugia. It has been thought indeed that Raphael
penned the lines Ave have quoted not only with the
full certainty of his selection as one of the future
decorators of the Vatican, but also Avith the knowledge
of the subjects which he was to paint in the Vatican
chambers. His request for love sonnets might be
referred to some passion that filled his heart at the
time. The sermon might have some connection with
the doctrine of the Trinity which he Avas about to
illustrate in the " Disputa."J The time certainly had

* Lille Collection. Nos. 741 j f See Pungileone's Raphael, p.
and 742. Back and front of the j 81.
drawing above described. From ] X Compare Dr. Ernst Guhl's
the Fedi Collection. One side. j Kiinstlerbriefe, 8vo. Berlin, 1853,
0-357 h. by 0-237. The other (the j vol. i. p. 122.
better) 0-072 h. by 0'245. I

380 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VII

come when Raphael Avas to leave Florence with great
advantage to his fame. Bramante had taken the
necessary steps to secure his kinsman's employment
by Julius II.,* and it only remains to inquire when
the engagement was made and how it Avas compassed.
On the 21st of April, 1508, Raphael, it is clear,
Avas at Florence Avithout a thought of a change in the
life which he had hitherto been leading, f His
ambition was confined to the attainment of a high
position in Tuscany. Hence his letter to Ciarla, in
which he described his prospects, his duties and
labours at Florence, and his efforts to secure the
patronage of Piero Soderini. No painter of mark had
ever possessed such advantages as chance had then
placed Avithin Raphael's reach. He Avas the sole
master of any great repute that now remained at
Florence. Soderini had found it consistent Avith his
policy to favour the Avish of Julius II. that Michael
angelo should return to Rome. Sated with Avork, yet
yearning to devote himself to sculpture, Michael
angelo had left Bologna Avith the firm intention of
settling in Tuscany for life. Yet but a few days
before Raphael Avrote to Ciarla, his will had suc
cumbed to that of Julius, and he had taken horse for
Rome. But Julius had gained some considerable
experience of art and its difficulties since he had first
planned his tomb in the Church of St. Peter ; and
circumstances had occurred, Avhich necessarily led
him to alter his purpose. Early in 150G he had laid

* Vas. viii. p. 13. | f Baphael to Ciarla, »..

Chap. VIE] FOUNDATION OF ST. PETER. 381

the foundation of a new basilica of St. Peter. One
morning, to the astonishment of all his court, he
stated his intention to demolish and rebuild the
church Avhich had witnessed the enthronement of so
many of his predecessors, and the coronation of so
many Emperors. On the 18th of April, 1506, he
caused a mass to be celebrated at the high altar of
the old cathedral by Soderini, Cardinal of Volterra ;
he then proceeded to lay the first stone of one out
of four colossal pillars, intended to sustain the weight
of the choir of a new edifice. He came without the
usual procession of Church dignitaries. Two acolytes
carried lights, a third held the whisk with the holy
water. After mass he left the altar and, passing
through the Chapel of St. Petronilla on a stage made
of fresh-hewn billets, he came to the mouth of the
pit Avhere numerous labourers were at work to keep
clown the Avater. For a moment he feared that
the sides of the pit Avould fall in, and he called on
those who were nearest to AvithclraAV. But mustering
heart he fearlessly descended accompanied by the
architects, amongst Avhom no doubt Bramante Avas
numbered. A goldsmith attended carrying twelve
medals, of which two were in gold of the weight of
about tAventy ducats and ten of bronze, all bearing
appropriate inscriptions, a portrait of Julius, and an
elevation of the neAv building. The Avhole of these
coins were inclosed in a Arase which Avas sunk under a
marble block about 3 feet 2 in length, 18 inches
broad, and 3^ inches high. Before the stone Avas
lowered the Pope took off his mitre, sprinkled the

382 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VIE

marble with holy water, and gave the pontifical bene
diction. He then recited a prayer, and to the sound
of a choral sung by the choir of the Vatican, the stone
was loAvered into its bed. A litany AA'as then chaunted,
Julius knelt, more holy Avater Avas supplied by the
acolytes, and plenary indulgence Avas proclaimed by
the cardinal deacons in attendance.* At the close of
the ceremony a courier Avas despatched to Henry VII.
of England to inform him of the founding of a new
cathedral Avhich it Avas devoutly hoped would soon be
brought to perfection. For several years St. Peter's
Avas crowded Avith workmen. The foundation alone
engulphed a prodigious mass of materials. The money
expended on the building itself rose to an enormous
sum involving expenditure to Avhich Pallavicini
ascribes the excess of indulgences that led to the
Reformation and the partial ruin of the supremacy
of the papacy. But the consequences to which the
Pope's resolution led, in so far as they affected the
general body of Italian artists, though less important
than those which influenced the history of the world
were of supreme interest to a feAV professional men
who practised the arts at Florence and at Rome. One
of these consequences AAras that Julius abandoned the
notion of erecting his oavii tomb within the precincts
of St. Peter, and thus gave up the favourite plan
AA'hich had filled his mind two years before.f When
Michaelangelo came to Rome in the spring of 1508

* Paris de Grassis Diary, MS.,
in the Library of Munich, vol. i.
pp. 489 to 494.

t Compare Springer's Raphael
and Michaelangelo, pp. 105-6.

Chap. VIE]

HIS CALL TO ROME.

383

the thoughts of the pontiff were absorbed in quite a
neAv series of undertakings. He planned the decora
tion of the ceiling of the Sixtine chapel, and that of
the vaultings and walls of the Vatican chambers. And
whilst he called to the latter all the artists of the
peninsula in Avhose skill he thought he might trust,
he reserved for Michaelangelo alone the task of paint
ing the Sixtine.* It is honourable to Buonarotti
that he should at once have declared that he Avas not
fitted by nature to carry out so great an enterprise.
It is characteristic for Raphael's position as an artist
that Michaelangelo suggested his employment in pre
ference to his own.f Bramante had been intriguing
in secret for the purpose of obtaining the commis
sion of the Sixtine for Raphael. He told the Pope
that Michaelangelo Avould neA'cr be induced to come,
because convinced of his incapacity to decorate
the Sixtine. J He multiplied his friendly receptions
of the painters of the Vatican chambers, Avhom
he gathered and feasted at his table. Constant
guests at his board were his old pupil Bramantino,
Perugino, Pinturicchio, Signorelli, Lotto, Peruzzi,
and Socloma. Not one of these masters but Avas em
ployed at the time in the Vatican chambers. But
Bramante's plans were crossed by the determination
of Julius II. to remain true to his original purpose

* Michaelangelo to Gio. Fran
cesco Fattucci. Rome, 1508, in
Heath Wilson's Michaelangelo and
his AVorks, 8vo, London, 1876, p.
118.

t Condivi, Vita di M. A. Buo
narotti, 8vo, Pisa, 1823, p. 34.
X Condivi, u.s., p. 33, and Pietro
Rosselli to Michaelangelo in Heath
Wilson, u.s., p. 83.

384 RAPHAEL: HIS LIFE AND WORKS. [Chap. VIL
and appoint Michaelangelo to the Sixtine. Then it
was, we may believe, that Bramante's tactics were
changed. To the probable question AA'hich the Pope
Avould naturally put to him, as to the powers of
Raphael, Avhose employment Michaelangelo had re
commended, what more natural than that Bramante
should have said: "Holiness, try him — try him at
the Vatican." He probably added that Raphael was
equal, nay, superior, to Perugino and the whole band
of painters who then filled the chambers. ( The Pope
sent for Raphael, and in a feAV months the youthful
master Avon his heart. He superseded all his rivals,
not excluding the patriarch Perugino, and we note
the surprising spectacle of a youth of twenty-
three suddenly eleA'ated to the highest rank in the
hierarchy of his guild, in Avhose favour all the oldest
and best-tried craftsmen of the Italian peninsula
were unceremoniously turned out and sent about their
business. But by common consent of the greatest
pope of any age, and the greatest sculptor of the
revival, Raphael stands acknowledged as the best
man in his profession that Italy had ever possessed.

END OF VOL. I.

BUADIll'BV, AOXEW, & CO., FRlKTEIiS, WHITEFRIARS.

YALE UNIVERSITY

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