File:Florence and her treasures (1911) (14579466909).jpg

Identifier: florencehertreas00vaug (find matches)
Title: Florence and her treasures
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Vaughan, Herbert M. (Herbert Millingchamp), 1870-1948
Subjects: Art
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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e work of Buggiano, his pupil, dated 1444 ; whilst in thecorridor beyond and also on the staircase are various archi-tectural fragments, reliefs, mosaics, specimens of stained glass,etc. On the first floor is a large hall, containing amongstother treasures the two celebrated Cantorie, or Organ Lofts,which were removed from the Duomo in 1840, when thepresent organs were erected. That on the wall to the left onentering, the work of Donatello, is of most ornate design inwhite marble embellished with pillars and encrusted withtranslucent mosaics. The frieze represents a number ofchildren playing in the most expressive and natural attitudes,so that the whole composition seems alive with vigour. Onthe opposite wall is the Cantoria of Luca della Robbia, con-sisting of ten groups of children playing on musical instru-ments and dancing, more restrained and more graceful, if lessanimated in appearance than the rival group by Donatello.Della Robbias gallery bears an appropriate Latin inscription
Text Appearing After Image:
H I %; i MUSEO DELL OPERA 45 selected from the verses of the 150th Psalm. Two of itsplaques, which formerly were affixed to the ends of the gallery,are now fastened to the wall below, and exhibit groups of youthssinging in chorus which are very popular and are constantlyto be seen reproduced in the modern Cantagalli ware andother Florentine artistic work. On the same side of the roomas these last-mentioned works of Delia Robbia is the magni-ficent Silver Altar, perhaps the finest specimen of the art oftrue jewellery in existence, which was until recent years usedat the great ceremonial held in the Baptistery on the festivalof S. John the Baptist (24 June). The joint work of variousFlorentine silversmiths of the fourteenth century, this splendiddossale, or altar frontal, includes twelve scenes from the lifeof the patron saint of Florence, all executed with the mostminute detail, besides numerous niches, statuettes, and decora-tions of richly coloured enamels. The great Silver Crosswith

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