Andrea del Sarto

Other great 15th century artists were Fra Filippi Lippi, 1406 to 69, Fra Angelico, 1387 to 1455, whose loving nature caused him to decorate the cells of the monks in San Marco at Florence with beautiful frescoes; Botticelli, 1446-1510, specially famous for his treatment of classical myths; Ghirlandaio, 1449-98; Pietro Perugino, who died in 1524, the master of Raphael; Mantegna, 1430-1506, the inventor of engravings; the Bellini and Carpaccio, who died in 1519.

But it is the very end of the 15th century and the first 30 years of the 16th that give us the greatest names in Renaissance paintings, the names of Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519, painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist, and musician; Michelangelo, Raphael, 1485-1520, whose work, particularly in the Vatican frescoes, was so perfect that when he died, inspiration seemed to pass from his followers as color fades from clouds at sunset; Andrea del Sarto, who died in 1531, and the four great painters of the Venetian school, Giorgione, 1478-1511, Titian, 1477-1576, Tintoretto, who died in 1594, and Veronese, who died in 1588.

It was natural that this most glorious of all periods in the history of art should be followed by one of mediocrity, when the artist, in striving after perfection of style, lost almost all spontaneity of inspiration, and that there could be no new period of artistic production until there were new spiritual impulses to give rise to it.

D.

Albertini was not so devout as his companion, but he painted the religious subject with feeling, as his visitation in the Iffuzi indicates.

Among the followers of Bartolomeo and Albertini were Fra Paolinio, Bugardini, Granacci, who showed many influences, and Rodolfo Ghirlandugio, Andrea del Sarto was a Florentine pure and simple, a painter for the church producing many madonnas and altarpieces, and yet possessed of little religious feeling or depth.

He was a painter more than a pietist, and was called by his townspeople the faultless painter.

So he was as regards the technical features of his art.

Albertini, Visitation Uffuzzi, Christ Magdalene, Madonna Louvre, Trinity Madonna, Florence Academy, Annunciation, Munich Gallery.

Fra Paulino, works at St. Spirito Siena, San Domenico, and San Paolo Pistorio, Madonna Florence Academy.

Andrea del Sarto, many pictures in the Iffuzi and Pitti, Louvre, Berlin, Dresden, Madrid, National Gallery London, Frescoes, and Salzo Florence.

Pontormo Fresco's Annunziana Florence Visitation, Madonna Louvre Portrait in the Berlin Gallery, Supper at the Florence Academy.

Pietro Perugino, who died in fifteen twenty-four, the master of Raphael; Mantegna, fourteen thirty to fifteen oh six, the inventor of engravings; the Bellini and Carpaccio, who died in fifteen nineteen.

But it is the very end of the fifteenth century and the first thirty years of the sixteenth that give us the greatest names in Renaissance paintings, the names of Leonardo da Vinci, fourteen fifty-two to fifteen nineteen, painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist, and musician; Michelangelo; Raphael, fourteen eighty-five to fifteen twenty, whose work, particularly in the Vatican frescoes, was so perfect that when he died inspiration seemed to pass from his followers as color fades from clouds at sunset; Andrea del Sarto, who died in fifteen thirty-one; and the four great painters of the Venetian school, Giorgione, fourteen seventy-eight to fifteen eleven; Titian, fourteen seventy-seven to fifteen seventy-six; Tintoretto, who died in fifteen ninety-four; and Veronese, who died in fifteen eighty-eight.

It was natural that this most glorious of all periods in the history of art should be followed by one of mediocrity, when the artist, in striving after perfection of style, lost almost all spontaneity of inspiration, and that there could be no new period of artistic production until there were new spiritual impulses to give rise to it.

D.

Nothing has happened.

All is silver gray, as Andrea del Sarto says.

I won't add, placid and perfect with my art, as he does, because it is cheek to call one's work perfect, even when it is.

But, at any rate, both I and my art are placid enough.

De Vere.

Life of Andrea del Sarto, a most excellent painter of Florence.

At length, after the lives of many craftsmen who have been excellent, some in coloring, some in drawing, and others in invention, we have come to the most excellent Andrea del Sarto, in whose single person nature and art demonstrated all that painting can achieve by means of draftsmanship, coloring, and invention.

Insomuch that, if Andrea had possessed a little more fire and boldness of spirit to correspond to his profound genius and judgment in his art, without a doubt he would have had no equal.

But a certain timidity of spirit and a sort of humility and simplicity in his nature made it impossible that there should be seen in him that glowing ardor and that boldness which, added to his other qualities, would have made him truly divine in painting.

The expressions of his heads, both in children and in women, are gracious and natural, and those of men, both young and old, admirable in their vivacity and animation.

His draperies are beautiful to a marvel, and his nudes very well conceived, and although his drawing is simple, all that he colored is rare and truly divine.

Andrea was born in Florence in the year 1478 to a father who was all his life a tailor, whence he was always called Andrea del Sarto by everyone.

Other great 15th century artists were Fra Filippi Lippi, 1406 to 69, Fra Angelico, 1387 to 1455, whose loving nature caused him to decorate the cells of the monks in San Marco at Florence with beautiful frescoes, Botticelli, 1446 to 1510, specially famous for his treatment of classical myths, Ghirlandaio, 1449 to 98, Pietro Perugino, who died in 1524, the master of Raphael, Mantegna, 1430 to 1506, the inventor of engravings, the Bellini and Carpaccio, who died in 1519.

But it is the very end of the 15th century and the first 30 years of the 16th that give us the greatest names in Renaissance paintings, the names of Leonardo da Vinci, 1452 to 1519, painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist, and musician, Michelangelo, Raphael, 1485 to 1520, whose work, particularly in the Vatican frescoes, was so perfect that when he died, inspiration seemed to pass from his followers as color fades from clouds at sunset, Andrea del Sarto, who died in 1531, and the four great painters of the Venetian school, Giorgione, 1478 to 1511, Titian, 1477 to 1576, Tintoretto, who died in 1594, and Veronese, who died in 1588.

It was natural that this most glorious of all periods in the history of art should be followed by one of mediocrity, when the artist, in striving after perfection of style, lost almost all spontaneity of inspiration, and that there could be no new period of artistic production until there were new spiritual impulses to give rise to it.

D.