_Other Galleries and Museums_
(The Poldi-Pezzoli Museum—The Ambrosiana Library and Museums—The
Borromeo and Trivulzio Collections, etc.)
The Poldi-Pezzoli Art Museum contains an admirable collection of
pictures of the greatest period of Italian art, and artistic treasures
of various kinds, and one has the added pleasure of seeing these things
in the harmonious surroundings of a luxurious house. The very sound of
the water pleasantly dripping from the fountain in the hall as we enter
is a promise of refreshment and delight. The palace and the collections
were the generous legacy of the Cavaliere Poldi-Pezzoli to the city, and
it remains much the same as when it was a private dwelling. The somewhat
florid decorations of the rooms are very obviously of recent date.
In the downstairs rooms there are some fine sixteenth century
tapestries, antique Eastern carpets, and cases containing antique
stuffs; a few pieces of antique sculpture, and pictures, chiefly
portraits, of the late Renaissance and modern periods.
Sala Verde, at the top of the staircase, contains pictures of the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; two bas-reliefs (100-101) of the
Adoration of the Magi, and St. Giuliano Killing his Parents, German work
of the sixteenth century; landscapes by Guardi, Canaletto and Zucarelli;
Joshua stopping the Sun in its Course (111), and other paintings by
Tiepolo; and a beautiful Flemish tapestry (1201) of the early fifteenth
century—the Queen of Sheba before Solomon. There are also some fine
marriage chests; two exquisite chess-boards (122, 123) of the sixteenth
century, one of them with the _stemma_ of the Visconti, and other
interesting objects.
Ante-sala.—Pictures of the late sixteenth century.
Sala Gialla.—A very ornate Seicento clock; some Oriental porcelain; two
Sèvres vases (149), etc.
Salone Dorato contains many treasures. The Madonna and Child, by
Botticelli (156), though much restored, is a lovely picture, with that
incomparable distinction of line and colour that characterise his work.
The Portrait of a Young Woman (157) is ascribed to Piero dei Franceschi,
but Verrocchio and Antonio Pollajuolo have also been suggested as the
author. The outline has the play and movement, and the character a
vivacity that one associates with Florentine painting, and the
peculiarly large and impersonal qualities that Piero gets even into his
portraits are absent. But whoever the artist may be, it is a very
attractive work. The Madonna and Child (158) is by Rafaello Caponi, a
Florentine Cinquecento painter. The Madonna Enthroned with Angels (154)
is of the fifteenth century school of Murano.
Apart from the pictures, the most precious object in the room is a
marvellous Persian Carpet (159) of the fifteenth or sixteenth century,
of large size and in perfect preservation. The beauty of the design and
the exquisite colour make this carpet a miracle of decorative art. It
was made for the feet of princes, as the legend, worked in silver round
the border, records:—_Blessed is the carpet which in a pleasant company
has become shadowed beneath the footsteps of the Shah_.
_It has sacrificed itself upon his path, as the sun does, and has
offered itself beneath his feet like a white fleece._
_This is not a carpet, it is a white rose; it is a fabric which
resembles the eyes of the very Houris...._[22] And so on.
Footnote 22:
An Italian translation of these verses is given in the _Rassegna
d’Arte_ (Anno iv., No. 10), and appears in the official catalogue of
the Museum.
Another beautiful piece of work (155) is the middle portion of a
vestment of the later fifteenth century, embroidered with the Coronation
of the Virgin and two devotees kneeling at the sides.
The case in the middle of the room contains a collection of beautiful
objects of the goldsmiths’ and kindred arts, chiefly of the fourteenth,
fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries—tabernacles, paxes, reliquaries of
precious materials chiselled and adorned with enamel; cups and vases and
basins of crystal and agate; exquisitely worked spoons and forks, etc.,
etc. One very lovely pax (unnumbered) of silver, decorated with enamel,
has a Resurrection on the front—the figures in grisaille upon a blue
background—and heads of saints in medallions, and on the back the Pietà
figured in mother-of-pearl. Another pax (161 _bis_), of characteristic
Lombard workmanship, is in the form of a little tabernacle, and has
sacred subjects and figures of saints exquisitely worked in enamel. A
fourteenth century crystal cup (163) is of most graceful form and
beautiful workmanship; upon the foot episodes from the story of Tristan
and Isolda are figured in enamel. It is suggested that this may have
been a tourney prize. A cup with a cover of agate (169) and decorated
with silver gilt, chiselled and enamelled and with precious stones, is
specially noticeable for beauty of material and shape. The enamel (180)
with a representation of the Resurrection, is a very precious fifteenth
century work, probably Milanese. A tiny diptych (214) of gilded bronze
is particularly interesting for the two little figures in _niello_ on
the outside, representing Lodovico il Moro and Beatrice d’Este. Within
there are subjects depicted in enamel—St. George and the Dragon, and the
Deposition—in the style of the painter Foppa.
In the large case nearer the window there is a wonderful display of
jewellery, from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. No. 286 is a
miniature of the Duke of Monmouth. In the other large case, near the
fireplace, there are numerous treasures of Roman, Etruscan, and Greek
art. A smaller case holds gold ornaments, chiefly of the Roman epoch.
There are also in this room suits of armour, some fine pieces of
seventeenth century furniture, tapestries, bronzes, etc.
Gabinetto del Salone Dorato.—Here are pictures of the late Flemish and
Italian schools, and an Annunciation (436) of Tuscan style, attributed
to Pesellino.
Sala Nera.—Among the pictures in this room are St. Mary Magdalen (473),
attributed to Luca Signorelli, but with doubtful justice, and a very
charming little triptych (477) by Mariotto Albertinelli, Madonna and
Child, with SS. Catherine and Barbara, which shows how good his work can
be on a small scale, like that of his fellow-worker Fra Bartolommeo,
whose style he much resembles. Here are also some fine pieces of
furniture, notably a cabinet (481) of sixteenth century Italian
workmanship, and another (482) of Florentine production in the
seventeenth century.
Sala dei Vetri Antichi.—The chief interest of this room is the splendid
collection of antique Muranese glass. Many of the pieces are of very
beautiful form, some decorated with patterns in colour and gold, and
some with handles and bases of bronze or silver.
Gabinetto Dante contains a numerous collection of small artistic
objects.
Sala degli Specchi.—Here hang pictures of various Italian schools, among
others a Deposition (552) of the school of Botticelli, and a Brescian
fifteenth century work (555)—a large canvas of the Madonna Enthroned, to
whom St. Benedict presents a devotee.
Sala del Perugino.—A pleasing little picture by Perugino (603), Madonna
and Child with angels, gives its name to this room. Here are also
pictures of the Florentine school and of the school of Murano. Of the
latter the large Madonna Enthroned (589), by Antonio Vivarini, is a fine
decorative altarpiece; by Nicolò da Foligno, there is a Crucifixion
(582), with a realistic Umbrian landscape; by Stefano da Zevio, a Hermit
in the Wilderness (591). A stout monk in a black habit (598), ascribed
to Piero dei Franceschi, looks like a good portrait of a man of strong
character. In the Annunciation (599), by Marco Palmezzano, the figures
are stiff, but there is light and air in the landscape. A little picture
of a bishop (600) has the peculiar manner of Cosimo Tura.
[Illustration:
MADONNA, by MANTEGNA (POLDI-PEZZOLI)
_To face p. 356_] [_Anderson, Rome_
]
Gabinetto dei Veneti.—The small picture by Mantegna is the greatest
treasure of the collection. It is the most appealing of all his Madonna
pictures. Never has the subject of mother and child been so
sympathetically expressed, even among Italian masters, unless we except
Luca della Robbia. The sleeping baby is touchingly true to nature, its
round little form under the tightly wound drapery is perfectly given,
and there is a depth of feeling in the mother’s thoughtful, almost sad
expression as she clasps Him to her, as if the very intensity of her
love gave her a sense of foreboding. It is a late work of the master,
painted with perfect mastery of form and a breadth of technique in which
there is none of the dryness of his early years. Christ with the Symbols
of the Passion and St. Francis kneeling to receive the blood in a
chalice, (620) by Carlo Crivelli, has a mystical feeling and the beauty
of a miniature painting. St. Sebastian tied to a tree (621) is also a
characteristic picture of Crivelli’s. Pietà (623), a miniature in an
ornamental Gothic frame is of the school of Murano, probably of the
Vivarini. Pietà (624) is by an imitator of Giovanni Bellini. By
Bonsignore is a good profile of an old man (627). Cariani has a small
Holy Family (613), gracious in colour and composition. Lorenzo Lotto, a
Madonna with St. John Baptist and a prophet (614). A rather stiff
altarpiece, Madonna with angels making music (610), is by Marcello
Fogolino, a painter of Vicenza.
Passage.—A portrait (634), of herself, by the Bolognese woman painter,
Sofonisba Anguissola, of the later sixteenth century, hangs here.
Sala dei Lombardi.—This room contains a good collection of the Lombard
painters, especially of the followers of Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna
_alla cuscino verde_ (602), by Andrea Solario, is a thoroughly
representative picture, not only of Solario but of the Leonardesque
school. The subject is one we see repeated continually, and the
juxtaposition of vivid colours, the very soft flesh painting and rather
grey tones melting into each other, are local characteristics. Solario,
however, is a more accomplished painter and better draughtsman than most
of the school. This picture shows a kindly feeling in the portrayal of
the simple, happy-looking mother and child, but it lacks refinement and
distinction. The bit of landscape seen through the window is lovely. The
Ecce Homo (637) is an elaborately-finished work, but leaves the
spectator cold. Two panels of saints, S. Giovanni Battista (653), dated
1499, and St. Catherine of Alexandria (657), have the Lombard heaviness
of form. The _Riposo_, dated 1515 (655), is a mature work of Solario’s.
The landscape is beautiful and the colour with the dark trees and rich
purple and gold of St. Joseph’s garments is admirable, but rather
disturbed by the over bright blue and red of the Madonna’s drapery.
Madonna and Angels (640) by Borgognone is a very sweet and refined
little picture, harmonious in colour, the child’s gold-coloured tunic
being the brightest note in the picture. Madonna (643) by Foppa has the
charm of sincere and tender sentiment. Madonna and Child, picking a
flower (642), is one of Boltraffio’s most stately Madonnas, with perfect
oval face and regular features, and dressed in richly patterned
garments. The painting is highly finished and so smooth that the flesh
looks rather like porcelain. The child is Leonardesque in type with that
exaggeration of form and modelling that is common to the master’s
followers. Portrait of Francesco Brivio (641), by Ambrogio de Predis, is
a fine portrait, one of those profiles in which he excelled.
Gianpietrino has a charming little Madonna (648), with long hair falling
each side of her face. Also by Gianpietrino, according to Morelli, is
the delightful little picture of Madonna and Child with a lamb (667), of
Leonardesque composition, attributed to Cesare da Sesto. The Marriage of
St. Catherine (663) by Bernardino Luini is a much-admired picture. There
is also a St. Jerome (652) by him. The picture of the Sorrowing Madonna
and Christ carrying the Cross (659), attributed to Luini, is considered
by Signor Venturi[23] to be the work of Solario. Besides other pictures
we have not space to dwell on, there are some beautiful wedding chests
in this room.
Footnote 23:
_La Galleria Crespi._
Sala d’Armi contains a very fine collection of armour and weapons,
chiefly of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with a few older
specimens.
* * * * *
Biblioteca Ambrosiana.—This famous library was founded by Cardinal
Federigo Borromeo, a cousin of San Carlo, and Archbishop of Milan in his
turn from 1594 to 1631. He is the Cardinal Borromeo of Manzoni’s
well-known romance, the _Promessi Sposi_. A man of great virtue, he was
also a splendid patron of literature, science and art. The foundation of
a library for the free use of his fellow-citizens and of all comers was
a long-pondered scheme of the Cardinal, and for years he employed
competent scholars to collect books and manuscripts in all countries,
till he had amassed no less than fifteen thousand codices, many of
exceeding rarity, and thirty thousand printed volumes. In 1603 the
building was begun and in 1609 it was solemnly opened. Since then the
treasures of the library have increased continually by gifts and
legacies, and collections of pictures and prints, etc., have been added
to it.
The entrance to the Ambrosiana is in the Piazza della Rosa. In the
vestibule an inscription records the Founder, and another threatens with
excommunication anyone who should carry away a book.
_Biblioteca._—In the Sala Antica some of the chief treasures of the
Library are exposed to view. Here is shown a page of the precious _Codex
Atlanticus_, a volume of miscellaneous writings and drawings, chiefly of
engineering subjects, by Leonardo da Vinci, collected and bound together
by Pompeo Leoni in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Here, too,
are twelve letters written by Lucrezia Borgia to Pietro Bembo, and with
them a lock of golden hair, her gift to him, according to a long
established belief, which there is no ground for discrediting. The same
case contains a MS. of the _Divina Commedia_—late fourteenth
century—with damaged miniatures; a Cicero, with very lovely and delicate
miniatures of the early Cinquecento; a MS. with a miniatured page—St.
Barnabas baptizing the first Christians in Milan—in the realistic
Lombard manner of the sixteenth century, several books of Hours, and
some very beautiful fifteenth century bindings, Italian and French. The
famous Borromeo Book of Hours, one of the gems of the Library, is not
shown here now, and can only be seen by permission of the Librarian. It
is a little fifteenth century volume, adorned with numerous miniatures
of exquisite workmanship by Cristoforo de Predis, a native of Modena,
and apparently by another hand, perhaps more than one. On one of the
pages the Annunciation is depicted, and below are two kneeling figures,
a knight and lady, conjectured to be portraits of Conte Giovanni and
Contessa Cleofe Borromeo. Besides scenes from the New Testament there is
a calendar in the book with miniatures descriptive of the occupations of
each month. The work is very delicate and fine, distinctively North
Italian, but not heavy like the Milanese. Another case contains ancient
manuscripts—Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Ethiopian; a page of a Gothic version
of the Bible belonging to a very precious palimpsest; two Irish
manuscripts from the monastery of Bobbio, founded by St. Columban in the
seventh century; a Syrian MS. of the eighth century in a later
Greco-Egyptian binding, covered with stamped leather; some palimpsests
and an Egyptian papyrus of B.C. 169. Deeply interesting is the copy of
Virgil, which once belonged to Petrarca, and has minute marginal notes
in his handwriting. It has a miniatured page attributed to Simone
Martini, representing in allegorical form the different works of Virgil.
On the back there is a note written by Petrarca concerning Laura. A
French MS. of the fourteenth century has exquisitely fine miniatures
representing the Vices and Virtues, and the Judgment. Among the
remaining books in this case there is one, the treatise _Regimine
Principum_, by Lucano da Parma, dedicated to Galeazzo Maria Sforza, with
a miniature of that prince, a proud figure in black and gold, with St.
Catherine.
In another case are a number of very interesting autographs, including a
letter from Galileo to Cardinal Federigo Borromeo, lauding the
Biblioteca Ambrosiana.
The Library also possesses some priceless fragments of the _Iliad_, with
paintings of the third century, the most ancient illustrated text known,
but these are not exhibited. There are reproductions of two of the
illustrations in the Guide Book of the Ambrosiana.
A small case at the end of the room holds a unique printed copy of a
letter written by Christopher Columbus on his return from the discovery
of the New World. In another are some pages of Tasso, with his autograph
corrections; an Ethiopian psaltery; an illustrated Persian MS., etc.
The Sala Incoronazione is part of an older building incorporated a
century ago with the Library. At one end the wall is covered with a
great fresco by Luini, Christ being crowned with thorns; the kneeling
figures on either side, portraits of the Brothers of the Congregation of
Santa Corona, to which the hall belonged, are very finely depicted,
those on the left hand especially. Luini painted this fresco in 1521,
with the help of an assistant, and was paid 115 lire, 9 soldi.
The Museo Settala, also on the ground floor, is open on Wednesday,
Friday, and Sunday. It contains Etruscan, Roman, and Egyptian
antiquities, and objects of mediæval art; a mineralogical collection;
medals, weapons, and curiosities of various kinds.
_Pinacoteca._—The picture galleries are on the upper floor.
Sala A.—Cabinet of the gilded bronzes contains German and Dutch
pictures. Sala B has little of importance, but one may notice two panels
by Bernardino Buttinone, St. Bonaventura (1) and St. Louis (5). By
Bartolommeo Veneto, a Madonna and Child with St. John Baptist (3), and a
Madonna picture by Bernardino Luini. Sala D contains the gem of the
collection, Botticelli’s picture of the Madonna adoring the Child, and
three angels (15). It is one of the most lovely of his Madonna pictures,
luminous in colour, full of movement, and delicate in execution. Well
placed on an easel in the middle of the room it can be seen by itself
and thoroughly enjoyed. The small picture of the Eternal Father (6), now
attributed to Timoteo Viti, is very refined; it was formerly given to
Francesco Francia, and certainly reminds one of the Ferrarese-Bolognese
school. Two pictures by Bramantino, the Virgin, with St. Ambrogio,
angels and donors (18) is in his usual manner, but the Nativity (19) is
a strange picture, and somewhat suggestive of the Northern schools,
especially the Madonna with her abnormal forehead and quaint head-dress.
The group of musicians behind are graceful figures standing up against
the light sky. The large altarpiece by Borgognone, Madonna and Saints
(23), an early work, possesses the dignity, simplicity, and devotion
which are his unfailing qualities. The characteristics of his early
period are to be seen in the straight and rather rigid figures, the
badly foreshortened angels with large heads, and in the elaborate
architectural throne and lavish use of gold. There are also by him, two
Saints (17), St. Francis, rather sentimental, and St. Elizabeth, an
elderly woman with a sympathetic face; the colour of the picture is
pleasant.
[Illustration:
PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN, BY AMBROGIO DE PREDIS(?)
_To face p. 363_] (AMBROSIANA) [_Anderson, Rome_
]
Sala E.—The most important work here is the cartoon by Raphael, for the
School of Athens, his great fresco in the Vatican. This extremely
interesting study was acquired for the Ambrosiana by Cardinal Federigo
Borromeo. The figures are drawn with all the vigour and grace of the
master, and are worth careful study. One noticeable difference between
the finished fresco and the cartoon is the absence in the latter of the
figure of Heraclites. The stooping figure on the right, Archimedes, is a
portrait of Bramante, and there is a study from life of his head beside
the cartoon.
Portrait of a young woman (8), formerly ascribed to Leonardo, but given
by Morelli to Ambrogio de Predis, an attribution which is now generally
accepted. It is a charming and vivacious portrait, and certainly
superior to most of de Predis’ work, but we must remember that he
excelled in portraiture. By Leonardo it assuredly is not. The identity
of the portrait has also been much discussed. It was at one time called
Beatrice d’Este. The latest conjecture is that it is the portrait of
Bianca, natural daughter of Lodovico Sforza and wife of Galeazzo di San
Severino. The portrait of a man holding a scroll of music (19), is
attributed in the catalogue to Leonardo; we think, however, it is more
likely to be also by Ambrogio de Predis, whose work was much influenced
by Leonardo, and it has all the characteristics of his painting, the
heavy modelling, and hot dark colour. It is an interesting and
thoughtful face, presumably a musician, and perhaps the portrait of the
celebrated Franchino Gaffurio, master of the choir of the Duomo of
Milan. Holy Family and St. Elizabeth (3), from Leonardo’s design (the
cartoon in Burlington House), is a well-known picture by Luini, but like
all imitations of the master, it is quite superficial, and loses
entirely the deep and mysterious significance of the original, so that
one can hardly help wishing his designs had not been so much copied. The
youthful Saviour (9) has a certain beauty and refinement, but shows
Luini’s weakness in drawing, especially in the large and clumsy hand.
St. John with a Lamb (10) is a very charming picture of a little boy
hugging a lamb. The Way to Calvary (18), by Giovanni Cariani, is an
interesting example of this Bergamesque artist. Other noticeable
pictures in this room are, the Presentation in the Temple (33), by
Tiepolo; Adoration of the Magi (42), ascribed to Titian; Holy Family
(43), by Bonifazio Veronese, and a full-length portrait by Gio. Battista
Moroni.
Sala F contains inferior pictures of the late Lombard school; there is,
besides, a pleasing altarpiece, attributed to Pinturicchio (58), though
surely by a North Italian hand.
Sala G.—This room is filled with drawings; there are various studies,
doubtfully attributed to Leonardo and drawings by his followers; among
the latter an excellent pencil-drawing of a child’s profile by Ambrogio
de Predis or Bernardino dei Conti; it is the portrait of Massimiliano
Sforza, eldest son of Lodovico il Moro, and probably the study for his
portrait in the large altarpiece in the Brera; some well-drawn heads by
Boltraffio; a drawing by Luini of Tobias and the Angel, and the Marriage
of the Virgin by Gaudenzio Ferrari. There are two small profiles of
Prospero Colonna and the Marchese di Pescara, and some caricatures. In a
case there is a reproduction of the _Codex Atlanticus_ of Leonardo.
Sala H.—Here are more drawings and a collection of prints. In the
central case is a drawing by Raphael for the figure of the Virgin in the
Dispute of the Sacrament; on the back of the sheet is a pen-sketch of a
group. There are other drawings attributed to various North Italian
artists, and to Albert Dürer. The prints include specimens of Italian,
French, English, Flemish and German schools.
* * * * *
Milan is rich in private art collections, some the fruit of a liberal
patronage of the fine arts by her wealthy and noble families in the
past, others brought together by distinguished connoisseurs in the
present day. The famous Borromeo Collection is housed in the old family
palace, and is open to the public on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.
Among a number of works of the best Lombard period there is the
Abbondanza of Gian Pietrino, an allegorical figure much resembling his
well-known Magdalenes, with beautiful hands displayed in somewhat
affected pose. The flesh colour is luminous and golden, not heavy and
dark as so often with this painter. A painting by Boltraffio, after
Leonardo’s Madonna of the Rocks, has been spoiled by cleaning. There is
a very charming small picture by the same artist, of a woman’s head,
with golden hair and a crown of leaves. A little Madonna, attributed in
the gallery to Leonardo, is by one of his followers, perhaps Ambrogio de
Predis. A small picture by Borgognone, grey in hue, shows his early
manner, derived from Foppa. There are several others by this artist. By
Filippo Mazzola is the line realistic head of a Young Man in a dark
crimson cap and black dress, seen against a green background. Another
very interesting portrait, of Camillo Trivulzio, is by the rare painter,
Bernardino de’ Conti. It shows a man in a red cap and red dress, with
black curling hair—a very serious profile, full of character and
thought, and finely realised by the artist. The Madonna and Child, with
two Hermit Saints, by Gaudenzio Ferrari, is a large and simple
composition, full of the painter’s geniality, but without the
exaggeration and vulgarity he often falls into. The Madonna is a
beautiful image of maternity, stately and sweet, with golden hair simply
arranged; such a face, typically North Italian, you may sometimes see
to-day among the peasant women in and around Milan. By the same artist
is St. Roch as a pilgrim in full travelling costume of the sixteenth
century. Luini is represented by Susannah and an Elder, of soft morbid
tones, and by Madonna and Child and little St. John, in a landscape of
hills and trees and water—a thoroughly characteristic work.
Of other Schools there is Christ on the Cross, by Lorenzo Lotto; St.
Catherine, by Bartolommeo Veneto; Christ bearing the Cross, by
Pinturicchio; and a Madonna, by Piero di Cosimo. There are many
interesting things in the Museum besides pictures, including relics of
San Carlo.
The important Trivulzio Collection, in the family palace, opposite to
St. Alessandro, can only be visited by permission of the owner, Prince
Trivulzio. It contains a fine Mantegna—the Assumption of the
Virgin—painted in 1497; Portrait of a Man, by Antonello da Messina;
Birth of the Virgin, by the Siennese Sano di Pietro; Madonna and Angels,
by Pier’ di Cosimo, etc., and a very interesting portrait of Lodovico il
Moro, by Boltraffio. Here is also preserved the Gothic tomb of Azzo
Visconte, originally in S. Gottardo, and some splendid tapestries—the
Twelve Months of the Year—of the Renaissance period, and of Lombard
production. The fine library is rich in the possession of a manuscript
by Leonardo, known as the _Codex Trivulziana_, and of a fragment of the
precious _Libro di Gesù_, in which are portraits of Lodovico il Moro and
his son Massimiliano, aged five, miniatured by Ambrogio de Predis.
The other private collections not being open to the public hardly come
within our province; we may perhaps be permitted to mention Signor
Crespi’s (Via Borgo Nuovo), a particularly fine collection, which has
been fully illustrated in a monograph by Sig. Adolfo Venturi, with
reproductions of the pictures.[24] It contains the very fine portrait of
a woman, variously ascribed to Titian and Giorgione, but given by
Venturi to Pordenone; a very interesting early Correggio—the
Presepio—and a small Madonna, by the same master; a Madonna of Gio.
Bellini, also an early work of great beauty; a Holy Family, by Lorenzo
Lotto, in which the Virgin is one of his most subtle presentments of
feminine character; the Flight into Egypt, also by Lotto; Victory of the
Gonzaga over the Buonacorsi, with a very interesting view of Mantua, by
Domenico Morone; a fine portrait of a man attributed to Andrea Solari,
but, according to Venturi, by Bartolommeo Veneto. The Milanese school is
also well represented, and there are many other works of value.
Footnote 24:
_La Galleria Crespi._
The well-known connoisseur, Dr. Gustavo Frizzoni, also has a small, but
very choice collection of pictures, chiefly of the North Italian and
Venetian schools.