DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61668#0069
CHARACTERISTICS OF HIS ART 43
tower and church in the city can be recognized, and no
more faithful pictures of old Florence exist than we find
in his paintings. He was the first great landscape
painter of his epoch, valuing scenery not as a mere
accessory to the figures, but for the sake of its beauty
and special interest. His scenes of the Arno Valley, if
abstracted from the subject to which they form the
background, are complete pictures in themselves, as full
of interest and meaning as a landscape by Turner. That
he took a special interest in them is proved by the fact
that, while leaving to Piero the principal figures in his
pictures, he himself painted with the care of a minia-
turist the background scenery.
In colour Antonio tends to be somewhat heavy, warm
brown, green, peacock blue, deep amethyst and ruby
being his favourite tints. It is probably to his handling
of gold and jewels that he owes the depth and gem-like
glow of his colours. In combining them he is always
harmonious, and the effect of his paintings is of great
depth and richness. There is as little weakness or
triviality in his tones as in his draughtsmanship, and his
contrasts of light and shade are strong and sharp, as of
one accustomed to work in metal. His flesh tints are
brown, with a tendency to brick-red, and these strong
colours add to the energy of his forms. In his paintings
there is always a suggestion of bronze, in his choice of
colour as much as in his sharp decisive modelling.
In rendering surface and texture he is particularly
successful. In his painted and sculptured work he
makes us feel the hardness of bone, the elasticity of
tower and church in the city can be recognized, and no
more faithful pictures of old Florence exist than we find
in his paintings. He was the first great landscape
painter of his epoch, valuing scenery not as a mere
accessory to the figures, but for the sake of its beauty
and special interest. His scenes of the Arno Valley, if
abstracted from the subject to which they form the
background, are complete pictures in themselves, as full
of interest and meaning as a landscape by Turner. That
he took a special interest in them is proved by the fact
that, while leaving to Piero the principal figures in his
pictures, he himself painted with the care of a minia-
turist the background scenery.
In colour Antonio tends to be somewhat heavy, warm
brown, green, peacock blue, deep amethyst and ruby
being his favourite tints. It is probably to his handling
of gold and jewels that he owes the depth and gem-like
glow of his colours. In combining them he is always
harmonious, and the effect of his paintings is of great
depth and richness. There is as little weakness or
triviality in his tones as in his draughtsmanship, and his
contrasts of light and shade are strong and sharp, as of
one accustomed to work in metal. His flesh tints are
brown, with a tendency to brick-red, and these strong
colours add to the energy of his forms. In his paintings
there is always a suggestion of bronze, in his choice of
colour as much as in his sharp decisive modelling.
In rendering surface and texture he is particularly
successful. In his painted and sculptured work he
makes us feel the hardness of bone, the elasticity of