Studio: international art (29.1903)

Drawings by Old Masters

Let us begin with the Italians. Italian drawings often very beautiful, but they also are recognisable
of the fourteenth and early fifteenth century are by a certain stony hardness of outline. Leonardo's
growing daily rarer and harder to procure. The line, though full of force, is equally full of fire ;
early example's are, therefore, few; but some of never iron-bound, always nervous. And this study
them are of great interest. serves admirably for a touchstone of style. What

Every one knows the delightful Procris by Piero could be more decisive than the outline of this
di Cosimo, in the National Gallery. Here is a old man's skull, yet what more sensitive ? Look,
drawing that might almost seem intended for a too, at the rendering of the flaccid wrinkles of the
companion picture of Ariadne. She lies asleep on throat beneath the firmness of the jaw. And
the shores of Naxos, abandoned by the ship which behind all is that sense of something, passionate
is faintly seen upon the sea. At the sides, on and alive, which Leonardo's pupils never give us.
different pieces of paper patched on the main A few more numbers bring us to Leonardo's
piece, are Bacchus and a female Satyr carrying a ancient and greatest rival. Michael Angelo is repre-
little Faun. These figures are on a larger scale, sented by two drawings. One of these is of his
and may have been intended to serve as pilasters late time, and i^ a study of the Virgin's figure, full
separating a series of compositions ; or they may of knowledge and grandeur, for an Annunciation
have been joined by a later hand, though belonging painted from the master's designs by Marcello
presumably to the subject. In any case the Venusti. This, like some other choice things, was
drawing is a rare treasure, full of Piero's wonderful recently acquired by bequest from the late Dr. Rad-
sense of romance. What a different temperature ford, of Sidmouth. The other example is one of the
and atmosphere are brought to us by the neigh- most famous of all Michael Angelo's drawings, and
bouring Head of a Saint, by Montagna, at once ranks with the greatest drawings in the world. It
impassioned and austere, doubtless for some was formerly in the collection of the Earl of Warwick,
wounded St. Sebastian
"severe in youthful
beauty!" The rugged
black-chalk lines contrast
strangely with the smoothly
washed contours of the
portrait by Solario beside
it, as the ascetic fire and
defiance of Montagna's
youth contrast with this
man of the world's placid
features.

Florentine draughtsman-
ship in its triumphant
prime and height of
mastery is revealed in the
little red chalk drawing
of an old man's head by
Leonardo da Vinci. Many
heads of similar type are
to be found all over
Europe, but very few are
genuine. The greater
number are imitations;
others are the work of
the school. The imitations
are easily detected by their
violence or timidity; the
drawings by pupils, such as

Boltraffio, Cesare da Sesto, "xhe lamentation over christ" from the black chalk drawing by
Ambrogio da Predis, are michael angelo

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