File:Antonio Pollaiuolo (1907) (14784918033).jpg

Identifier: antoniopollaiuol00crut (find matches)
Title: Antonio Pollaiuolo
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Cruttwell, Maud
Subjects: Pollaiolo, Antonio, 1426?-1498 Pollaiolo, Piero, ca. 1443-1496
Publisher: London : Duckworth and Co. New York : C. Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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Text Appearing Before Image:
ation of thefigures, it would seem that the central position wasoccupied by the Charity, in her double character ofChief Virtue and Madonna. Botticellis Fortitudeprobably formed the pendant to the Prudence, theFaith to the Temperance, while the Hope and Justice,strangely enough on a larger scale than the rest, mustcertainly have matched each other. It is curious thatwhile the others are in a state of the utmost dilapida-tion, the Fortitude and Prudence are comparatively wellpreserved. So damaged were the remaining five panelsthat at the time of their removal to the Uffizi, theywere considered unfit for exhibition, the colour havingfor the most part completely peeled off.* The greaterpart of what we see is thus the work of the restorer,and the pictures must be judged therefore by com-position and form, for only in small parts has theoriginal colour escaped. The best painted, as well as the best preserved, of * Cavalcaselle, Storia della Pittura in Italia, Firenze, 1894, VI.p. 106. XXIX
Text Appearing After Image:
AlinariPRUDENCE. BY PIERO POLLAIUOLO.FLORENCE UFFIZI Face p. 140 VIRTUES OF THE MERCATANZIA 141 Pieros six figures, is the Prudence (Plate XXIX.), whichis officially attributed to Antonio. By Antonio how-ever it certainly is not, although the admirable paintingof certain details suggests that he may have lent someslight assistance. At the date when the Virtues werepainted Piero was twenty-seven, and his work hadnaturally improved since the S. Miniato Altar-piece andthe Turin Tobias^ but as yet, although the form beneaththe clothes is solid and well indicated, especially in thearms and breast, he is not able to suggest the structureof bone and muscle in the nude parts. The face ismodelled with complete disregard for the skull beneath,and the neck is as flat as a piece of paper. Though thefigure has a certain dignity of pose and bearing, hischaracteristic defects of proportion are as glaring aseve)\ The legs, especially from the knee downwards,are huge in relation to the body, and were

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