DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61902#0125
THE MAKERS OF FLORENCE.
105
courteous to the painter. Wherever he went with his
art, peace went with him, her white banner all flowered
over with loveliest images ; no complaint, nor bitter prayer,
nor indignant protestation, came from his lips ; to no
emperor or deliverer does he ever require to appeal ; to
Florence and to the stranger he was ever alike welcome. This
is one of the most wonderful triumphs of the peaceful
pictorial art, subduing the painter first, and in him tran-
quilizing all other warlike things. Neither science, nor
philosophy, nor poetry, nor even religion, has been so
entirely received and welcomed as friendly and catholic,
belonging never to a faction but to all men. The monk,
indeed, was the universal negotiator and bearer of missions
from one foe to another, but whenever he ascended to the
higher eminences of the church, he too became, in his turn,
a factionary and political leader ; and neither poetry nor
philosophy defended their votaries from fierce and obstinate
political passion. But he whose study is among the shadows
and lights of nature, whom a sudden effect of sunshine or
cloud can seize upon and carry away in the midst of what-
soever business, whose mind is fully occupied by those
subtle secrets of form and color which only the patient
laborer can fathom—he has a peaceful armor, an unsus-
pected coat of mail, defending him among all the turmoil,
lie moves about amidst it, taking no thought of it, never
suspected, never feared. Except Michael Angelo, whose
personality was so great as to surmount and overbear his
art, we know no warlike painter of sufficient note to be
worthy mention. All other crafts are either of the soul
done or of the body alone, and thus leave the other half
d' the man open to all the temptations about him ; but the
inter’s art is at once ethereal and material. Unfortu-
a ely it cannot be said that all temptations are shut out
by it ; but peace is indispensable to the laborious prepara-
tions which are necessary for art, and war is her enemy
105
courteous to the painter. Wherever he went with his
art, peace went with him, her white banner all flowered
over with loveliest images ; no complaint, nor bitter prayer,
nor indignant protestation, came from his lips ; to no
emperor or deliverer does he ever require to appeal ; to
Florence and to the stranger he was ever alike welcome. This
is one of the most wonderful triumphs of the peaceful
pictorial art, subduing the painter first, and in him tran-
quilizing all other warlike things. Neither science, nor
philosophy, nor poetry, nor even religion, has been so
entirely received and welcomed as friendly and catholic,
belonging never to a faction but to all men. The monk,
indeed, was the universal negotiator and bearer of missions
from one foe to another, but whenever he ascended to the
higher eminences of the church, he too became, in his turn,
a factionary and political leader ; and neither poetry nor
philosophy defended their votaries from fierce and obstinate
political passion. But he whose study is among the shadows
and lights of nature, whom a sudden effect of sunshine or
cloud can seize upon and carry away in the midst of what-
soever business, whose mind is fully occupied by those
subtle secrets of form and color which only the patient
laborer can fathom—he has a peaceful armor, an unsus-
pected coat of mail, defending him among all the turmoil,
lie moves about amidst it, taking no thought of it, never
suspected, never feared. Except Michael Angelo, whose
personality was so great as to surmount and overbear his
art, we know no warlike painter of sufficient note to be
worthy mention. All other crafts are either of the soul
done or of the body alone, and thus leave the other half
d' the man open to all the temptations about him ; but the
inter’s art is at once ethereal and material. Unfortu-
a ely it cannot be said that all temptations are shut out
by it ; but peace is indispensable to the laborious prepara-
tions which are necessary for art, and war is her enemy