DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51585#0017
DIONARDO DA VINCI.
13
which would have added greatly to the commercial
advantages of Florence.*
It happened about this time that a peasant on the
estate of Piero da Vinci brought him a circular
piece of wood, cut horizontally from the trunk of a
very large old fig-tree, which had been lately felled,
and begged to have something painted on it as an
ornament for his cottage. The man being an es-
pecial favourite, Piero desired his son Lionardo to
gratify his request; and Lionardo, inspired by that
wildness of fancy which was one of his characteris-
tics, took the panel into his own room, and resolved
to astonish his father by a most unlooked-for proof
of his art. He determined to compose something
which should have an effect similar to that of the
Medusa on the shield of Perseus, and almost petrify
beholders. Aided by his recent studies in natural
history, he collected together from the neighbouring
swamps and the river-mud all kinds of hideous rep-
tiles, as adders, lizards, toads, serpents ; insects, as
moths, locusts; and other crawling and flying obscene
and obnoxious things; and out of these he com-
pounded a sort of monster or chimera, which he re-
presented as about to issue from the shield, with eyes
flashing fire, and of an aspect so fearful and abomi-
nable that it seemed to infect the very air around.
When finished, he led his father into the room in
which it was placed, and the terror and horror of
* This project was carried into execution 200 years later.
B 3
13
which would have added greatly to the commercial
advantages of Florence.*
It happened about this time that a peasant on the
estate of Piero da Vinci brought him a circular
piece of wood, cut horizontally from the trunk of a
very large old fig-tree, which had been lately felled,
and begged to have something painted on it as an
ornament for his cottage. The man being an es-
pecial favourite, Piero desired his son Lionardo to
gratify his request; and Lionardo, inspired by that
wildness of fancy which was one of his characteris-
tics, took the panel into his own room, and resolved
to astonish his father by a most unlooked-for proof
of his art. He determined to compose something
which should have an effect similar to that of the
Medusa on the shield of Perseus, and almost petrify
beholders. Aided by his recent studies in natural
history, he collected together from the neighbouring
swamps and the river-mud all kinds of hideous rep-
tiles, as adders, lizards, toads, serpents ; insects, as
moths, locusts; and other crawling and flying obscene
and obnoxious things; and out of these he com-
pounded a sort of monster or chimera, which he re-
presented as about to issue from the shield, with eyes
flashing fire, and of an aspect so fearful and abomi-
nable that it seemed to infect the very air around.
When finished, he led his father into the room in
which it was placed, and the terror and horror of
* This project was carried into execution 200 years later.
B 3