THE ART GALLERIES OF EUROPE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2241, 11 February 1897, Page 50

THE ART GALLERIES OF EUROPE.

__ ■» - By J- Elder Moultbat.

NO. II.— MILAN 1 . THE BREBA PALACE AND THE MONASTERY OF STA. MARIA DELLB GBAZIB. A bitter cold wind was blowing from the neighbouring Alps when I left my lodgings in the Corso V Ernanuele to pay my introduc-

Tory visit to the art treasures of Milan. The Brera Palace was the place to which I first directed my steps. It is situated in a narrow street redolent with the fumes of roasted chestnuts, and presents anything but a palatial exterior — a high wall devoid of embellishment, its blank surface relieved by an archway, proved to be the palace. I was disappointed, having only a fow minutes before passed the cathedral, and I quite expected to find some of its splendour reflected in the design of the palace. Passing through the archway, however, one glance round the courtyard, with its colonnaded galleries, convinced me the architect had reserved bis skill for the interior, the severity of tbe lines being broken at intervals with fine examples of the sculptor's art. Ascending a staircase I entered the Picture Gallery, and discovered that owing to the lack of heating apparatus and the floors being covered with inlaid tiles the temperature whs if possible lower than outside. Before referring to the pictures I wish to explain. that these notes iTeat of tbe principal paintings only, as it would prove a Herculean task to analyse all the works, as there are over 400 pictures, including examples of nearly all the European masters of note, therefore I have confined myself to a few of the gems of the collection which have been acknowledged for centuries to ba amocg the finest works of the respective artists, and will endeavour to point oat the qualities that have made these works famous. We will begin with Raphael's " Nuptials of the Virgin," better known as the " Sposalizio," which is hung in the place of honour in Room 5, and is acknowledged to be the leading masterpiece in the palace. It was painted about the beginning of the sixteenth century, and is in an excellent state of preservation. According to modern ideas, the composition is slightly formal, but it should be remembered that the picture was painted about the time when he commenced the study of composition in Florence, not long after he had left hia master Perugino, and while the latter's style was still 1 fresh in his mind. Later works of his which X saw in th« Vatican at Some show that be

ultimately freed himself from his early rigid style. A priest occupies the centre of the composition, with the Virgin on bis right and Joseph on his left — they are clasping hands — while a, group of spectators on either side complete che subject. The colours of the priest's robes are used purely as a foil for the principal figures. He is dressed in dark purple and orange, with a dark green mantle thrown over his shoulder, and by bringing the rich crimson of the Virgin's dress into oontact with it a violent contrasts is secured, which is increased by the female at her side being also dressed in dark green. A blue piece of drapery hangs from the Virgin's waißt— introduced to break np the mass of warm colour. A rich orangecoloured mantle falling from Joseph's shoulder cuts sharply against the priest's purple surplice and prevents the colouring from becoming heavy in tone, while the figure is brought into harmony with its surroundings by rhe simple expedient of showing a portion of green drapery beneath the oiatigo mantle. This green is softened back into the group by the next figure being dressed in a wsrm sap green-coloured costume. The ground is of a rich buff tint, which with a quantity of cool grey is carried into the colour of the temple in the background, adding greatly to the splendour of the green draperies. The technique possesses all that delicacy of touch that marks Raphael's work, and another characteristic of the artist is seen in the refinement of his figures nnd their graceful pose, while by keaping the shadows subdued the feeling of breadth has been retained. Mantegna'a " Madonna," in the same room, is an exqu : site example of this master's method of colouring. He belonged to the Faduan eclioo 1 , and the few works of his known are only to be found in the leading European galleries. A peculiarity of his painting is that in the

6ame picture we find parts wrought up to the highest finish and other equally important portions treated with a ragged freedom that completely destroys the unity of the whole. His tempera paintings of tbe triumph of Julius Cawar to be seen at Hampton Oourb are the only examples of his work I know of in Britain. An exceedingly realistic example of his style is shown in the picture of the dead Saviour with the Marys woeping over Him. The first; sensation in tbe spectator is one of repulsion, but as the eye grows accustomed to the gruesome scene the finer points in the work assert themielves, and as the skill with which the flesh tints have been graduated back well nigh imperceptibly on the foreshortened body becomes apparent, the onlooker stays to admire what at first he was inclined to turn from in disgust. The female head by Lorenzo Lotto, numbered 253, also excels in the same qnality of delicate gradation from light into shadow, and rivets tbe attention of every connoisieur ; who enteri the room. Solario's painting of tbe " Madonna, with Saints Jerome and Joseph," is famous for the j beauty of the expression in the Virgin's face ' and the treatment of all the hands and the drapery, which is exquisitely rendered. la Room 2 there is a fine example of the Venetian school, " The Preaching of St. Mark at Alexandria," by Gentile Bellini. It is an enormous canvas crowded with figures, in ; which the artist, to render St. Mark conspicuous, bae adopted tbe novel expedient of robing the saint in a positive blue dresi, the only spot of rich blue in the whole composition ; the majestic mass of architectural painting in the background, however, has I been wrought to such a etate of finish that j it has a tendency to imperil the interest in the action of the figures in the foreground. The picture has a peculiar value from the fact that it illustrates the method in vogue over 300 years ago of treating a historical subject. It fell to the lot ot this painter to have rather a tragic experience He was despatched in the year 1469 to Constantinople by the Doge of Venice to paint a portrait of Mehemet the Second. The Sultan treated bim with such princely generosity

that Bsllini, nicknamed "the gentle," out of gratitude; painted a picture of the head of J )hn the Baptist in a oharger, and presented it to his host, who, after examining it carefully, told the artist it was wrong, called in a slave, and unsheathing his scimitar sent the servant's head rolling across the carpet. He then picked it up, and coolly proceeded to point out the faults to the horror-stricken painter, who afterwards took tbe earliest opportunity of leaving the city. In room No. 3 there is a very fine example by Paul Veronese, representing a group of saints. It is treated in a sabdued scheme of colour, clear in tbe shadows, and the chromatic scale is so harmonious that it conveys the sensation of a symphony in colour. " The Last Sapper," by Rabens, hung in Room 10, is a subjeot that demands notice as much for the importance of the work as for the fame of tbe painter. This artist was so accustomed to painting allegorical scenes in which voloptuous figures predominated that he seldom carried a scriptural subjeot to a successful finish, aa something characteristic of the man invariably cropped up to mar the solemnity of the idea. This p'cture of the last supper is a case in point. Tbe faces of the group are singularly anpleasing, while at our Saviour's feet, beneath the table, a huge mastiff is seen gnawing a marrow bone, an incident which I think will be conceded to be quite out of place in suuh a sacred scene. 1 next visited the Refec'ory of the Monastery of Sta. Maria delle Graz\e,-to see the remains of Leonardo da Vinci's grand fresco of " The Laßt Supper," but I found it in suoh a state of decay as to render it patat describing. It was melancholy ta reflect that one of the most brilliant examples of fifteenthcentury art had been ruthlessly destroyed.