File:The art of the Pitti Palace - with a short history of the building of the palace, and its owners, and an appreciation of its treasures (1903) (14595055109).jpg

Identifier: artofpittipalace1903addi (find matches)
Title: The art of the Pitti Palace : with a short history of the building of the palace, and its owners, and an appreciation of its treasures
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Addison, Julia de Wolf Gibbs, 1866-
Subjects: Palazzo Pitti Painting
Publisher: Boston : L.C. Page
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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the workmanshipnecessarily much more skilful than in Roman mosaic. CHAPTER VII. THE HALL OF SATURN Is the name of Raphael less significant than itwas fifty years ago? Modern criticism is not asready with its unstinted praises as was that of anearlier day; but no criticism or modern spirit canprevent a wholesome appreciation of the immortalpart of Raphaels genius. His art/ says Benson,* is above fashion, as it is above criticism. It isa narrow person who can see beauties only in theparticular style which happens to prevail or to bethe fashion in his own day. Let us return to ourRaphael in the Hall of Saturn, with a mind freefrom prejudice, and see what is really there of meritor defect. One should not accept the rather degen-erate cavil of iconoclastic eccentrics, to whom thefact of unchallenged ascendency is in itself a chal-lenge. The most popular picture, perhaps, that is shown in the Pitti is Raphaels Madonna of the Chair. It is a round picture, familiar even to children in all i6o
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MADONNA OF THE CHAIRBy Raphael; in the Hall of Saturn Zbc Iball ot Saturn i6i countries. It has been more copied and engravedthan any other picture. To some sensitive soulsthis signifies that it is too common/ But v^hatare the quahties w^hich have thus appealed to somany generations? Surely not a commonplacenessof composition, handling, or colour. Not until onesees the original can one possibly know the realpower of this picture. There is an element of in-describable and uncopyable luminosity about it, likethe Immaculate Conception of Murillo in the Louvre,which has also been copied almost as often, andyet which bursts upon one when first seen in theoriginal like a new picture, so full is it of that subtlequality which is so different from the work ofany inferior artist. Jhe trouble is that so muchundiscriminating and lavish praise has been be-stowed upon the Madonna of the Chair, that thependulum has swung the other way at last. Letus examine it and see what there really is to admire

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