DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51584#0026
22 EARLY ITALIAN PAINTERS.
This painting, though executed after the death of
Cimabue, has always been considered authentic as a
portrait; it is the same alluded to by Vasari, and
copied for the first edition of his book. The Ma-
donna is taken from Cimabue’s Madonna dei
Angeli: in the original picture there are three
angels on each side, ranged one above another in a
line, with no attempt at grouping, and little variety
of expression.
Cimabue had several remarkable contemporaries.
The greatest of these, and certainly the greatest
artist of his time, was the sculptor Nicola Pisano.
The works of this extraordinary genius which have
been preserved to our time are so far beyond all
contemporary art in knowledge of form, grace,
expression, and intention, that, if indisputable
proofs of their authenticity did not exist, it would
be pronounced incredible. On a comparison of the
works of Cimabue and Nicola Pisano, it is difficult
to conceive that Nicola executed the bas-reliefs of
the pulpit in the Cathedral of Pisa while Cimabue
was painting the frescoes in the church of Assisi.
He was the first to leave the stiff monotony of the
traditional forms for the study of nature and the
antique. The story says, that his emulative fancy
was early excited by the beautiful antique sarco-
phagus on which is seen sculptured the Chase of
Hipolytus.* In this sarcophagus has been laid, a
* Now preserved in the Campo Santo at Pisa.
This painting, though executed after the death of
Cimabue, has always been considered authentic as a
portrait; it is the same alluded to by Vasari, and
copied for the first edition of his book. The Ma-
donna is taken from Cimabue’s Madonna dei
Angeli: in the original picture there are three
angels on each side, ranged one above another in a
line, with no attempt at grouping, and little variety
of expression.
Cimabue had several remarkable contemporaries.
The greatest of these, and certainly the greatest
artist of his time, was the sculptor Nicola Pisano.
The works of this extraordinary genius which have
been preserved to our time are so far beyond all
contemporary art in knowledge of form, grace,
expression, and intention, that, if indisputable
proofs of their authenticity did not exist, it would
be pronounced incredible. On a comparison of the
works of Cimabue and Nicola Pisano, it is difficult
to conceive that Nicola executed the bas-reliefs of
the pulpit in the Cathedral of Pisa while Cimabue
was painting the frescoes in the church of Assisi.
He was the first to leave the stiff monotony of the
traditional forms for the study of nature and the
antique. The story says, that his emulative fancy
was early excited by the beautiful antique sarco-
phagus on which is seen sculptured the Chase of
Hipolytus.* In this sarcophagus has been laid, a
* Now preserved in the Campo Santo at Pisa.