Studio: international art (25.1902)

Studio- Talk

all. It is astonishing what
a splendid effect he has
been able to produce, con-
sidering the little money
placed at his disposal in
this case. 'To tasteful sur-
face ornamentation (panel-
ling, tinting, and painting ot
walls) he owes this success.

H. W. S.

FLORENCE.—The
world of artists
has been greatly
stirred by the
discovery at Affori, near
Milan, of a painting which
appears likely to be the
original of Leonardo da
Vinci's Vergine (idle Rocce.

Signor Sant' Ambrogio,
a well-known writer on
artistic subjects, discusses
the matter in a recent
number of " Arte e Storia."
He refers to the claims of
priority advanced for
Leonardo's altarpiece in
London and in Paris, and
considers the former the
earlier work ; but contends
that the much smaller altar-

HALL AND STAIRCASE IN A DOCTOR'S HOUSE M. A. KUIINE, ARCHITECT piece nOW 111 the church at

Affori is the prototype of
the two, and is entirely

Mr. Kiihne is an architect by training and a from the hand of Leonardo, without assistance from

decorator by talent. The majority of our best his pupils. The leaden reflections which dis-

German decorative artists of the new school were tinguish the work of Ambrogio de Predis, and

originally painters. If one compares Kiihne's work which are observable in the London picture, are

with that of the Darmstadt artists, whose achieve- absent in the Affori painting, in which the colouring

ments in the direction of the building and deco- is warm and mellow, and the technique and drawing

rating of their houses each to his heart's content, perfect. It bears, moreover, evident traces of

without any restraint, have created much interest Verrocchio's influence, and this would make for its

lately, it will be noticed at once that they earlier date, while the delicate oval of the Virgin's

exceed him in imagination, while he is beyond face, with its half-shut eyes and melancholy smile,

them in matters of science. Kiihne's plans, dis- closely resembles the face of the Christ in Leonardo's

position of rooms and halls, of window space and Last Supper, which dates from 1490-1494. The

doors, etc., are excellent. Moreover, he has a plants which spring up among the rocks are in

singular talent for making a little go a long way. the Affori picture painted with the scrupulous

One of his best feats has been to completely re- care of a botanist, as we know Leonardo to

decorate one of the largest cafes at Dresden, within have been; they can be recognised without

the limits of a sum so ridiculously small that scarcely difficulty as the Attemone coronaria, Arnica mon-

any one else would have undertaken the task at tana, Aquilegia vulgaris, Taraxacum, Hieraciam

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