Chapter XIX: Appendix: 1. Architect of the Ducal Palace (8)

1. _The Temptation of St. Anthony._ (Altar piece in the chapel on the
left of the choir.) A small and very carefully finished picture, but
marvellously temperate and quiet in treatment, especially considering
the subject, which one would have imagined likely to inspire the
painter with one of his most fantastic visions. As if on purpose to
disappoint us, both the effect, and the conception of the figures, are
perfectly quiet, and appear the result much more of careful study than
of vigorous imagination. The effect is one of plain daylight; there
are a few clouds drifting in the distance, but with no wildness in
them, nor is there any energy or heat in the flames which mantle about
the waist of one of the figures. But for the noble workmanship, we
might almost fancy it the production of a modern academy; yet as we
begin to read the picture, the painter's mind becomes felt. St.
Anthony is surrounded by four figures, one of which only has the form
of a demon, and he is in the background, engaged in no more terrific
act of violence toward St. Anthony, than endeavoring to pull off his
mantle; he has, however, a scourge over his shoulder, but this is
probably intended for St. Anthony's weapon of self-discipline, which
the fiend, with a very Protestant turn of mind, is carrying off. A
broken staff, with a bell hanging to it, at the saint's feet, also
expresses his interrupted devotion. The three other figures beside him
are bent on more cunning mischief: the woman on the left is one of
Tintoret's best portraits of a young and bright-eyed Venetian beauty.
It is curious that he has given so attractive a countenance to a type
apparently of the temptation to violate the power of poverty, for this
woman places one hand in a vase full of coins, and shakes golden
chains with the other. On the opposite side of the saint, another
woman, admirably painted, but of a far less attractive countenance, is
a type of the lusts of the flesh, yet there is nothing gross or
immodest in her dress or gesture. She appears to have been baffled,
and for the present to have given up addressing the saint: she lays
one hand upon her breast, and might be taken for a very respectable
person, but that there are flames playing about her loins. A recumbent
figure on the ground is of less intelligible character, but may
perhaps be meant for Indolence; at all events, he has torn the saint's
book to pieces. I forgot to note, that under the figure representing
Avarice, there is a creature like a pig; whether actual pig or not is
unascertainable, for the church is dark, the little light that comes
on the picture falls on it the wrong way, and one third of the lower
part of it is hidden by a white case, containing a modern daub, lately
painted by way of an altar piece; the meaning, as well as the merit,
of the grand old picture being now far beyond the comprehension both
of priests and people.

2. _The Last Supper._ (On the left-hand side of the Chapel of the
Sacrament.) A picture which has been through the hands of the Academy,
and is therefore now hardly worth notice. Its conception seems always
to have been vulgar, and far below Tintoret's usual standard; there is
singular baseness in the circumstance, that one of the near Apostles,
while all the others are, as usual, intent upon Christ's words, "One
of you shall betray me," is going to help himself to wine out of a
bottle which stands behind him. In so doing he stoops towards the
table, the flask being on the floor. If intended for the action of
Judas at this moment, there is the painter's usual originality in the
thought; but it seems to me rather done to obtain variation of
posture, in bringing the red dress into strong contrast with the
tablecloth. The color has once been fine, and there are fragments of
good painting still left; but the light does not permit these to be
seen, and there is too much perfect work of the master's in Venice, to
permit us to spend time on retouched remnants. The picture is only
worth mentioning, because it is ignorantly and ridiculously referred
to by Kugler as characteristic of Tintoret.

V

VITALI, CHURCH OF ST. Said to contain a picture by Vittor Carpaccio,
over the high altar: otherwise of no importance.

VOLTO SANTO, CHURCH OF THE. An interesting but desecrated ruin of the
fourteenth century; fine in style. Its roof retains some fresco
coloring, but, as far as I recollect, of later date than the
architecture.

Z

ZACCARIA, CHURCH OF ST. Early Renaissance, and fine of its kind; a
Gothic chapel attached to it is of great beauty. It contains the best
John Bellini in Venice, after that of San G. Grisostomo, "The Virgin,
with Four Saints;" and is said to contain another John Bellini and a
Tintoret, neither of which I have seen.

ZITELLE, CHURCH OF THE. Of no importance.

ZOBENIGO, CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA, III. 124. It contains one valuable
Tintoret, namely:

_Christ with Sta. Justina and St. Augustin._ (Over the third altar on
the south side of the nave.) A picture of small size, and upright,
about ten feet by eight. Christ appears to be descending out of the
clouds between the two saints, who are both kneeling on the sea shore.
It is a Venetian sea, breaking on a flat beach, like the Lido, with a
scarlet galley in the middle distance, of which the chief use is to
unite the two figures by a point of color. Both the saints are
respectable Venetians of the lower class, in homely dresses and with
homely faces. The whole picture is quietly painted, and somewhat
slightly; free from all extravagance, and displaying little power
except in the general truth or harmony of colors so easily laid on. It
is better preserved than usual, and worth dwelling upon as an instance
of the style of the master when _at rest_.

FOOTNOTES:

[71] "Am I in Italy? Is this the Mincius?
Are those the distant turrets of Verona?
And shall I sup where Juliet at the Masque
Saw her loved Montague, and now sleeps by him?
Such questions hourly do I ask myself;
And not a stone in a crossway inscribed
'To Mantua,' 'To Ferrara,' but excites
Surprise, and doubt, and self-congratulation."

Alas, after a few short months, spent even in the scenes dearest to
history, we can feel thus no more.

[72] I have always called this church, in the text, simply "St. John
and Paul," not Sts. John and Paul, just as the Venetians say San
Giovanni e Paolo, and not Santi G., &c.

* * * * *

CORRECTIONS MADE TO THE ORIGINAL TEXT.

Page 69: 'Italian sarcophagi are kept massive, smoth and gloomy' smoth
corrected to smooth.

Page 74: 'fallen back peacefully uppon his pillow' uppon corrected to
upon.

Page 100: 'men's modes of life, and tones of throught' throught changed
to thought.

Page 121: 'breathed upon her beaaty, until it melted away' beaaty
corrected to beauty.

Page 157: 'morbid action by terror, accompained by the belief'
accompained changed to accompanied.

Page 207: 'finds him by a fountaiu side' fountaiu corrected to fountain.

Page 222: 'Pietro di Castello, for the feast of St. Mary' Mary changed
to Mark.

Page 233: Number 2. misplaced. Moved to 'a. Lower arcade, Fondaco de'
Turchi.'

Page 233: Missing 4. added before 'a. Fondaco de' Turchi, central shaft,
upper arcade.'

Page 237: 'fourth order windows in Campo Sta. Ma Mater Domini' Ma
changed to M^a.

Page 293: 'the usual inportant purposes of the modern Italians.'
inportant changed to important.

Page 294: 'not the slightest touch os it but is delicious.' os corrected
to of.

Page 318: 'examine the two large tintorets' tintorets changed to
Tintorets.

Page 319: 'Mlaipiero, Palazzo, on the Campo St. M. Formosa.' Mlaipiero
corrected to Malipiero.

Page 358: 'drift of its clouds, and originalty and complication.'
originalty corrected to originality.