DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51584#0199
PERUGINO.
195
earned in ancient and in modern times, and also by
the pressure of poverty. He left Perugia in a state
of absolute want, and reached Florence, where he
pursued his studies for many months with unwearied
diligence, but so poor meanwhile that he had not
even a bed to sleep on. He studied in the chapel
of Masaccio in the Carmine, which has been al-
ready mentioned; received some instruction in
drawing and modelling from Andrea Verrocchio;
and was a friend and fellow-pupil of Lionardo da
Vinci. They are thus mentioned together in a
contemporary poem written by Giovanni Santi, the
father of the great Raphael:—
“Due giovin par d’ etate e par d’ amori,
Lionardo da Vinci e ’1 Perusino
Pier della Pieve, che son divin Pittori.”
i. e. “ Two youths, equal in years, equal in affection,
Lionardo da Vinci and the Perugian
Peter della Pieve, both divine painters.”
But though “ par d’ etate e par d’ amori,” they
certainly were not equal in gifts. Perugino
dwindles into insignificance when we think of the
triumphant and universal powers of Lionardo : but
this is anticipating.
There can be no doubt thatXPerugino possessed
genius and feeling,, but confined and shadowed by
certain moral defectsit was as if the brightness
of his genius kept up a continual struggle with the
195
earned in ancient and in modern times, and also by
the pressure of poverty. He left Perugia in a state
of absolute want, and reached Florence, where he
pursued his studies for many months with unwearied
diligence, but so poor meanwhile that he had not
even a bed to sleep on. He studied in the chapel
of Masaccio in the Carmine, which has been al-
ready mentioned; received some instruction in
drawing and modelling from Andrea Verrocchio;
and was a friend and fellow-pupil of Lionardo da
Vinci. They are thus mentioned together in a
contemporary poem written by Giovanni Santi, the
father of the great Raphael:—
“Due giovin par d’ etate e par d’ amori,
Lionardo da Vinci e ’1 Perusino
Pier della Pieve, che son divin Pittori.”
i. e. “ Two youths, equal in years, equal in affection,
Lionardo da Vinci and the Perugian
Peter della Pieve, both divine painters.”
But though “ par d’ etate e par d’ amori,” they
certainly were not equal in gifts. Perugino
dwindles into insignificance when we think of the
triumphant and universal powers of Lionardo : but
this is anticipating.
There can be no doubt thatXPerugino possessed
genius and feeling,, but confined and shadowed by
certain moral defectsit was as if the brightness
of his genius kept up a continual struggle with the