EARLY DAYS
There are three pictures, one of which is especially named by Crowe and
Cavalcaselle, which seem to belong to the early days of Perugino.
Not that they should be ascribed to the Cerqueto period, or to the
Sistine Chapel time, but it is probable that they were painted between
1480, when the master was in Rome, and 1491, when he produced on his
second journey to the Eternal City the magnificent altar-piece now in
the Villa Albani. Crowe and Cavalcaselle refer to the tondo in the
Louvre, and to it we add the somewhat similar work at Verona and the
"Baptism" at Vienna.
There is a certain immaturity in these three pictures, a straining after
effect, a poorness in colouring, and a rigidity in the draperies,
together with a niggling technique, with hard tight outlines, that was
to give place so speedily to far more breadth. At the same time, thus
early, if my surmise as to date is correct, can be seen the
characteristics of Perugino. All three pictures are full of _plein-air_
effect, the one at Verona especially. The group in Paris of "Madonna and
Child" with two saints and two angels is a little cramped and crowded.
The Verona one omits the two saints and introduces as another child St.
John Baptist.
In the Vienna "Baptism," which has been repainted in places, there is a
hardness in the draperies, a stiffness in the attendant figures, and an
unfinished character to the landscape; but in each of the three there is
sweetness, calm, and devotion, and they mark the beginning of quite a
new movement in Italian art. It will be noticed that both in Paris and
Verona the under draperies are regular and hard in their pleating, that
the head-dresses are merely conventional and stiffly angular and that
ornaments, decoration, and jewellery have received an amount of fine
laborious detail work, which renders them somewhat too conspicuous, and
shows that the artist had not yet realised the sense of proportion in
the various parts of his pictures that distinguished him later on.
From consideration of these three pictures, remarkably interesting and
thoroughly typical as they are of the new school of work just unfolding,
it will be well to pass on to more definite ground and consider some
dated pictures which follow in due course.
There is an amusing story in Mariotti respecting one masterpiece that
should be mentioned here. The Priori of Perugia desired to have an
important altar-piece for their Capella dell' Magistrato, and in the
predella of the picture, or else introduced into the altar-piece itself,
were to be the portraits of the worthy Priori.
A local artist, one Pietro di Maestro Galeotto, was selected for the
work, and on the 7th of June 1479 a contract was made with him for it,
the price to be 200 florins, and the picture to be completed in two
years under a fine for non-compliance of 50 golden ducats. Galeotto
from time to time drew payments on account from the Priori, and three
years passed away and yet there were no signs of the altar-piece and no
mention of the fine. On June 29th, 1482, another year's grace was
granted to Galeotto on the plea that there had been some contagious
disease in Perugia and he had struck work and absented himself; but in
May 1483 Galeotto died, whether from this plague or not is not recorded,
but when inquiry was made of his heirs as to the picture nothing could
be found of it but the frame. Shortly after this time Perugino visited
Perugia, and to him the Magistrates turned for help; and, bringing much
pressure to bear upon him, prevailed upon the artist to sign a contract
dated 28th November 1483 binding himself to produce the picture in four
months for 100 florins. The details of the picture are all given in the
contract, and the names of the four Saints, who were to surround the
Madonna and Child, and, above all, the portraits of the Priori were not
to be omitted. But by this time Perugino had received the commands of
Pope Sixtus IV. to come to Rome, and so a few days after signing the
contract Perugino left Perugia without giving any further consideration
to the wishes of the worthy Priori or the text of the contract. Even the
first section of the work, containing the portraits which he had
faithfully promised should be ready in December 1483, was quite
forgotten.
The term of office, however, for which the Priori were elected was
rapidly nearing its close, and there were still no signs of the
portraits of these eminent men. In despair the Priori turned to a third
artist, Santi di Polonio del Celandro, and in a contract dated 31st
December 1483 they bound him to supply the picture and complete it
within a year, but inserted a clause that all the portraits together
with that of their notary were to be painted within a fortnight.
For the whole work he was to have one hundred florins. This time the
Priori kept their eye on the artist; there was no time to lose. Shortly
they would go out of office, and then the chance of having their
portraits forever adorning their chapel walls would be gone, and so the
poor Celandro had to paint the eleven portraits within fifteen days,
under pain of a very heavy fine. Somehow or other he accomplished the
work; the portraits were done, and temporarily remained in the chapel
standing against the wall waiting for the completion of the rest of the
pictures. But, having accomplished this part of the work, Celandro took
no further heed of the contract, and the Priori having obtained their
desire, troubled no further as to the Madonna and saints, or were
powerless to force Celandro to complete the work. Twelve years actually
passed away, and the chapel still lacked its altar-piece, and Celandro,
like Galeotto, died.[G] In 1495 Perugino was again at Perugia, full of
honour and fame; and once more the decoration of the Capella was
resolved on. The Priori--quite a new body to the one which had
originally planned the picture, entered into another contract with
Perugino, dated 6th March 1495--for him to paint the altar-piece on the
same scheme as before, but with far higher remuneration. Perugino was to
do the work in six months, was to receive one hundred gold ducats in
three payments, and, in lieu of the Mother of Mercy in the lunette, was
to paint a Pietà, and for that purpose--alas for the poor Priori--the
portraits in fresco by Celandro which filled the space allotted to the
Pietà were to be removed, broken up, and carted away. All, therefore,
that remains concerning these notable Priori of 1483 whose portraits
were to have been handed down to perpetuity, are their ten names
recorded by Mariotti, and the name of Rubino di Giacomo, their notary;
but of their portraits nothing is left.
[Illustration:
_Alinari photo_] [_Vatican, Rome_
THE MADONNA ENTHRONED, WITH FOUR SAINTS]
Perugino at last set to work, and the beautiful altar-piece now in the
Vatican is the result. There is the Madonna and Child on the throne, and
near by there are the four great saints. The picture is exquisitely
beautiful, full of Perugino's special charm, and bearing marks of the
Piero della Francesca influence in the arches that support the canopy,
while below the feet of the Madonna, to make quite clear as to who
painted the picture, is the signature in somewhat remarkable form:
HOC PETRUS DE CHASTRO PLEBIS PINXIT.
Inasmuch as consideration of this finished picture brings our
chronological survey up to 1495, it will be desirable for us to retrace
our steps to the time that Perugino spent in Florence.
Vasari records many works executed in that city, but his chronology is
so perplexing that it is difficult to say whether they were all executed
at the time to which we refer, or later in the artist's career.
Probably the frescoes in the Convent of the Frati-Gesuati beyond the
Pinti Gale, a house that was destroyed in the siege of Florence in 1529,
were early works, inasmuch as the panel pictures that were saved from
the church, and which now rest in the Accademia, were painted in
1492-93.
There were, however, as already mentioned, three pictures on panel
executed for the same convent, and these, fortunately, are still in
existence. They were carried, at the time of the siege, to the gate of
San Pier Gattolini, where the monks were provided with a refuge in the
church and convent of San Giovannino, now known as La Calza. These three
pictures are the "Crucifixion," now in La Calza, the "Pietà," in the
Accademia, dated 1493, and the "Christ in the Garden," also in the
Accademia. Of these three early pictures the one in La Calza is in some
ways the most interesting. It is a very puzzling picture. Vasari
describes it so clearly that there is no possibility of error as to the
picture he names. He speaks of the "infinite care" with which it is
executed. He refers to its being carried for safety to the church, where
it still rests, and he mentions its condition as injured by numerous
cracks, but the difficulty is that, while much of the picture is
distinctly Peruginesque, three of the figures might have been painted by
Luca Signorelli, so great a resemblance in general characteristics do
they bear to his work. Crowe and Cavalcaselle hesitate to ascribe it to
either master, inclining more to the view that Raffaelino del Garbo
may have painted it, but with this last ascription I cannot at all
agree. The composition is that of Perugino, the open air effect and the
distance, the single detached trees and the high rocks are all Umbrian.
The draperies of the four standing figures and of the Christ have the
distinctive folds that are so thoroughly characteristic of our painter,
and the borders to the garments are equally noteworthy. The attitude of
St. Francis and of S. Giovanni Columbini are thoroughly in accordance
with Perugino's methods, but when we turn to St. Jerome and St. John
Baptist the case is very different. In these figures the fierce strength
and muscular development is foreign to Perugino's ordinary work, and he
appears to have been painting under Signorelli's influence, and even
endeavouring to introduce into faces and limbs the virile power and
movement of Signorelli, which at that time was specially attractive to
him. The figure of the Magdalen (strangely termed by Crowe and
Cavalcaselle the best figure in the picture) is, I consider, a much
later addition by quite another hand. The picture composes perfectly
without it, and a very close inspection convinced me that it was not
originally in the design, and that the draperies of S. Giovanni
Columbini can be traced through the draperies of the Magdalen. In no way
does the Magdalen recall Perugino. The attitude is not his; the
draperies have entirely different folds; the hands are quite different
in their structure; and the hair is painted with entirely altered
technique.
[Illustration:
_Alinari photo_] [_La Calza, Florence_
THE CRUCIFIXION]
I look upon this La Calza "Crucifixion" as one of the earliest, if not
the very first of Perugino's works in Florence that survives.
In the Accademia (two pictures) we are on quite different ground. Here
can be seen the hand of Perugino in every part and the wonderful power
of space composition can be realised to the full. The receding arches in
the "Pietà," bespeaking the influence of Piero della Francesca, the
exquisite landscape in the background, the curious aloofness of each
figure, and the delicate chain of sympathy that binds them all together,
the tender sorrowful face of the Madonna seated in the midst bearing on
her knees the dead body of her Son, all of Perugino's best.
[Illustration:
_Alinari photo_] [_Accademia, Florence_
THE DEAD CHRIST]
The third picture, the "Christ in the Garden," is fuller still of the
genius of space composition. Far off are the hills that girdle the
landscape, and the eye is carried on from one to the other, each step
revealing new beauties, till in the extreme distance the sky and land
melt into one another. In the immediate foreground are the three
disciples sound asleep in the attitudes that convince you of heavy
slumber. In the centre of the picture is Our Lord kneeling on a hillock
deeply engaged in prayer, and above is an angel flying toward Him
bearing the chalice of sorrow. Below and still further removed from the
eye of the spectator are groups of soldiers on the one hand and of
priests and people on the other rapidly moving toward the central
figure. Their proportions are finely adjusted to their distance and
position, and there is an admirable sense of movement in all. Beyond
them are the distant town, the hills, the country, and above, with its
depth and arch and vastness, suggested in most subtle manner by the
light fleecy clouds and by the very curves of the angel's figure and the
movement of his wing rises the blue vault of the heaven.
[Illustration:
_Alinari Photo_] [_Accademia, Florence_
CHRIST IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE]
All the genius of Perugino exists in this picture. Later on there is a
greater sweetness in some of the faces, there are more figures, there is
a purer and more exquisitely sunny colouring, but in composition this
early work contains all the characteristics of the master.
These two must be attributed, however, to a later period than the
frescoes and La Calza picture already mentioned, which were for the same
convent, and in the interval between painting the frescoes for the
Gesuati and the La Calza picture and these two Accademia pictures,
Perugino had declined a commission at Orvieto, and had been to Rome and
painted there for Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, afterwards Julius II.
Once more we must retrace our steps and tell the story of the Orvieto
contract.
It is unnecessary to refer to the work done in Orvieto Cathedral by
Beato Fra Angelico; but after his death the work remained unfinished,
and the authorities of the cathedral could not find anyone who was
prepared to complete the scheme of decoration and whose work appeared to
them worthy of its place. Forty-four years had passed away, and then
Perugino visited Orvieto. He was asked to examine the chapel and give a
price for its decoration. He did so; at 1500 gold ducats for the whole
chapel, provided that scaffolding, lime, gold, and ultramarine were
furnished to him. He agreed to use such subjects as were submitted to
him, and to personally execute the hands and faces of all the figures.
His offer was not accepted in its entirety; but a contract was made for
him to do the ceilings and spaces above the capitals for 200 gold
ducats, ten of which were paid him, on the understanding that he began
the work in April 1490 and continued it through the whole of the
following summer. Perugino, however, having secured the contract, was in
no hurry to fulfil it, and as the question was being discussed in
Florence as to the completion of the cathedral west front, he left
Orvieto, and hurried on to Florence to compete in the proposed work.
The work in Florence, however, did not come off, and Perugino proceeded
to Perugia and went on again to Rome. Here he commenced the work for his
patron Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, almost all of which has since
perished, one notable picture only being left.
The artist seems to have dreaded lest the canons of Orvieto should
demand his presence in their cathedral, and it is clear that they made
strenuous efforts to lay hold of him.
The Cardinal, very desirous of retaining his services for himself,
protected the artist, and when the Orvieto authorities determined to
cancel the contract, he wrote to the Priori an exceedingly strong
letter, telling them to await the convenience of the artist and himself.
This letter of June 2, 1492, was in reply to one sent to Perugino
stating that the Priori would appoint some one else in his stead.
[Illustration:
_Anderson photo_] [_Villa Albani, Rome_
THE ALBANI ALTAR-PIECE, 1491]
The Cardinal reminded the authorities that they had promised, in reply
to a previous letter from Perugino, to wait a few months, and he adds:
"Now Maestro Pietro has stated that, contrary to your word, you intend
to substitute for him another painter who shall do your work. This is
indeed truly remarkable conduct. We laboured under the impression that
you were to be compliant as best suits the love we have ever borne to
your community. So we now again exhort and pray that you do reserve this
place, which is his due, to Maestro Pietro, and refrain from molesting
him for the short time during which he has to expedite our affairs."
The Orvietans had, however, meantime, been in correspondence with
Pinturicchio, but fearing to offend so great a dignitary as the
Cardinal, they retained the chapel of S. Brizio for Perugino, giving
Pinturicchio work in another part of the cathedral.
Perugino, however, never kept his promise, though it does not appear
whether he returned to the Priori of Orvieto, the ten ducats they had
advanced him, and eventually, as is well known, Luca Signorelli was
employed to decorate the chapel in question.
As already mentioned, but one picture remains of the work done for the
Cardinal at Rome. This is the wonderful altar-piece, dated 1491, now the
property of Prince Torlonia, and to be seen in the Villa Albani.
It is in six compartments, and is a most beautiful work, full of
brilliant colour. In the centre is "The Nativity," represented as having
taken place beneath a sort of temple with open sides, its roof resting
on a series of beautiful arches forming a centre and two aisles and
springing from square pillars with rich capitals.
The three divisions above contain the "Annunciation" and "Crucifixion."
On either side of the cross are St. John the Divine and the Virgin, and
at its foot kneels the Magdalen. If with this figure of Mary Magdalen
is compared the similar one in the La Calza picture the difference will
be apparent. There is a beauty and nobility of face and a grace of
posture wholly lacking in the La Calza picture, and the draperies, so
sure a mark of Perugino's hand, are here as true to his method as in the
Florence picture they are manifestly different. On one side of the
lunette is a panel representing the Virgin kneeling beneath the open
arcading of a temple, and on the opposite side a similar panel
containing the Archangel Gabriel.
The altar-piece is full of the influence of Piero della Francesca, the
fine drawing of the receding arches, the architectural details, the
marble of the pavement and the proportion of all the figures mark in
unmistakable form the teaching of the man of Arezzo, but beyond all this
there is that marvellous charm of open air and composition in depth that
is so marked in the best works of our Umbrian master. The lunette gives
Perugino at his best in this period, and the distance, with its rocks,
pools of water, cities, plains, and hills, is of fascinating beauty, and
fills the spectator with amazement. The whole picture is bathed in a
haze of golden colouring. The tones, in places almost jewel-like in
their transparent brilliancy, are tender and expressive, and there is a
serenity and quiet about the work that is quite wonderful and expressive
of complete peace and masterful resignation. The picture is signed:
PETRVS DE PERVSIA PINXIT 1491.
Now for a while we return to Florence, picking up the threads that we
dropped a few pages back.
[Illustration:
_Alinari photo_] [_Uffizi Palace, Florence_
THE FIESOLE ALTAR-PIECE, 1493]
In 1493 Perugino was balloted, so Orsini says, into the municipal
council at his native place, Città della Pieve, for May and June, and is
said to have served his time there, but in the same year he was painting
at Florence, and, according to Mariotti, had a botega in that city and
accepted many commissions. To this period belong two notable pictures,
one in Florence and the other in Vienna. The face of the Virgin in each
picture is identical, and the infant Christ in each is painted from the
same model. The picture in the Uffizi was painted for San Domenico in
Fiesole, and was the second altar-piece Perugino did for that church,
the first, painted in 1488, having disappeared.
It represents the Virgin on a throne bearing the infant Christ on her
knees. On one side stands St. Sebastian (to whom reference will be made
later on) and on the other, St. John the Baptist. The group stands under
the vaulted arching resting on square pillars, of which Perugino was so
fond. In the distance is the customary landscape. The picture is signed:
PETRVS PERVSINVS PINXIT AN 1493.
The other work is at Vienna, and bears an inscription denoting the name
of the priest who commissioned its execution.
The Blessed Virgin is on a throne in this picture also, but the group is
enclosed by high stone walls only open to the sky. On one side stand St.
John the Baptist and St. Paul, on the other, St. Jerome and St. Peter.
The St. Jerome is the same face as appears in the Albani altar-piece of
1491, and the curious long white beard which he wears, and which hangs
in two divisions, will be noticed many times in later works notably at
Trevi and Montefalco, and constitutes a mark of Perugino's own
handiwork.
FOOTNOTES:
[G] In 1491 the incomplete picture begun by Galeotto turned up. It had
been at his father's house, and quite overlooked; but in that year the
heirs of Galeotto's father found it and sent it to the Priori, together
with a number of colours that had been prepared for it. For three years
the incomplete picture stood in the Priori's room, silently reminding
them of Galeotto; but no further progress in the negotiation was made
till 1495.