382 Route 53. FLORENCE. Gal. degli Uffizi.
Returning hence, and passing through the second door to the
left of the entrance, we next reach the octagonal —
**Trtbuna , containing a magnificent and almost unparalleled
collection of masterpieces of ancient sculpture and modern paint¬
ing. The hall was constructed by Bernardo Buontalenti; the de¬
corations are by Bernardino Pocetti. In the centre are placed five
very celebrated marble sculptures: *Satyr playing on the cymbal
and pressing the scabellum or krupezion with his foot; the admir¬
able head, the arms, and part of the feet were restored by Michael
Angelo (?). Group of the *Wrestlers; the heads, which resemble
those of the Children of Niobe, do not belong to the original, and
the greater part of the legs and arms are modern; the right arm of
the victor is erroneously restored. *Medici Venus, found at Rome
in the 16th cent., and brought to Florence in 1680 ; the affectedly
held fingers and the inscription on the base are modern. Adjoin¬
ing this statue is Cupid on a dolphin. The *Grinder, a Scythian
whetting his knife to flay Marsyas, found at Rome in the 16th
century. The *Apollino, or young Apollo (freely restored).
Paintings, beginning on the left: *1134. Correggio, Madonna
adoring the Holy Child, in a cheerful southern landscape; 1133.
Ann. Carracci, Pan and Bacchante; 1135. B. Luini, The daughter
of Herodias with the head of the Baptist.
**1129. Raphael, Madonna and Child with the cardinal (small
grey bird with red crest), painted in Florence about 1507.
The 'Madonna del Cardinello', the 'Madonna al Verde' at Vienna,
and 'La belle Jardiniere' in the Louvre form a group nearly allied in
point of conception. To the earlier and simpler representations of the
Madonna, in which Mary and her Son alone appear, the child John the
Baptist has been added. This not only admits of the delineation of ad¬
ditional features of child-life, but also makes possible the construction
of a regularly-arranged group. The two children, standing at the feet of
the Madonna, form a broad base for the composition, which tapers up¬
wards easily and naturally to the head of the Virgin. This arrangement
first found expression within the realms of sculpture, whence it was
eagerly adopted by the Florentine painters. — Springer.
1130. Fra Bartolommeo, Job. *1127. Raphael, The young St.
John, an oft-repeated subject, painted during the master's Roman
period; the comely youth rather suggests a Dionysos than a saint.
1128. Van Dyck, Emp. Charles V.; *1125. Giuliano Bugiardini
(d. 1554), formerly attributed to Raphael, Madonna at the well;
1126. Fra Bartolommeo, Isaiah; *1123. Sebastiano del Piombo,
Portrait, formerly called the Fornarina, and attributed to Raphael •
* 1124. Franc. Francia, Portrait of Evangelista Scappi. Over the
door: 1122. Perugino, Madonna with SS. John and Sebastian
(1493). *1120. Raphael, Female portrait, an admirable work of
his Florentine period, the hands prettily posed. *1121. Mantegna
(?, or, according to Sign. Cavalcaselle probably Costa or Bon¬
signori), Elizabeth of Mantua. *1118. Correggio, Repose on the
Flight to Egypt, an early and badly-preserved work of Correggio's
Ferrara period. 1119. F----•'" ^-i-> v*.,„„,-c ivr^,-, tj 0f TJrbino.
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