File:Italian hours (1909) (14592789587).jpg

Identifier: cu31924028396004 (find matches)
Title: Italian hours
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: James, Henry, 1843-1916 Pennell, Joseph, 1857-1926, illus
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin company
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
be completely reformed and indeedwell-nigh abolished. The old softness and mellowness of colour —the work of the quiet centuries and of the breath of the salt sea —is giving way to large crude patches of new material which havethe effect of a monstrous malady rather than of a restoration tohealth. They look like blotches of red and white paint and dishon-ourable smears of chalk on the cheeks of a noble matron. Theface toward the Piazzetta is in especial the newest-looking thingconceivable — as new as a new pair of boots or as the morningspaper. We do not profess, however, to undertake a scientific quar-rel with these changes; we admit that our complaint is a purelysentimental one. The march of industry in united Italy mustdoubtless be looked at as a whole, and one must endeavour tobelieve that it is through innumerable lapses of taste that thisdeeply interesting country is groping her way to her place amongthe nations. For the present, it is not to be denied, certain odd ( 12 )
Text Appearing After Image:
FLAGS AT ST. MARKS, VENICE. VENICE phases of the process are more visible than the resuh, to arriveat which it seems necessary that, as she was of old a passionatevotary of the beautiful, she should to-day burn everything that shehas adored. It is doubtless too soon to judge her, and there aremoments when one is willing to forgive her even the restorationof St. Marks. Inside as well there has been a considerable at-tempt to make the place more tidy; but the general effect, as yet,has not seriously suffered. What I chiefly remember is the straight-ening out of that dark and rugged old pavement — those deepundulations of primitive mosaic in which the fond spectator wasthought to perceive an intended resemblance to the waves of theocean. Whether intended or not the analogy was an image themore in a treasure-house of images; but from a considerable por-tion of the church it has now disappeared. Throughout the greaterpart indeed the pavement remains as recent generations haveknown it —

Note About Images