But among all the admirable peculiarities which distinguish this picture, none are more remarkable than the figure of a hoy, who, having taken up a little dog by the neck, is plunging its muzzle into the water, that it may drink; but the dog, having already drunk sufficiently, wdll not take any more, and shakes its head in a manner so natural that the animal seems to be alive. The whole of this work is in fact so beautiful, that no production of the kind could possibly exhibit finer qualities in art. The various shadows and reflections thrown by the different figures are rather to be called wonderful than merely beautiful; and although the whole of this performance is greatly admired for the originality of its character, yet these are considered to be the most remarkable features thereof.
Beneath the Cupola there is furthermore to be observed an hexagonal compartment, which is divided into seven hexagonal compartments, and six rhombs. Of these hexagons Domenico completed four previous to his death, delineating the History and Sacrifice of Elisha therein; and all this he did quite at his leisure, seeing that this work was as a kind of study and pastime to him, nor would he ever wholly give it up for any of his other undertakings.. While thus occupied, therefore, sometimes with this, sometimes in other places, Domenico painted a large picture in oil in the church of San Francesco, and on the right hand on entering into the church. The subject chosen is Our Saviour Christ descending in his glory to the Limbo, or the entrance into Hell, to recall thence the souls of the holy fathers; and here, among many other nude figures, is one of Eve, which is most beautiful: the figure of one of the Thieves also, who is standing behind Our Saviour with the Cross, is in like manner exceedingly well conducted; and the caverns of the Limbo, wfith the demons and fires of that place, are all highly original.[1]
It was the opinion of Domenico that paintings in tempera maintain their beauty better than paintings in oil: to him, he would say, it appeared, that the works of Luca da Cortona, of the Pollaiuoli, and of other masters who have
- ↑ Still in the Church of San Francesco. It has been engraved by Filippo Tommasini, Giuliano Traballesi, Agostino Costa, and Pietro Jode. —Guida della Città di Siena.
