splendours and liberalities of Leo, were dismayed and bewildered, and the best of the artists were beginning to consider where they might seek a refuge for the abilities which they saw to be no longer prized;—as it pleased God, I say, Adrian died,[1] and the Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici, who took the name of Clement VII., was created High Pontiff in his room. On that day the arts of design, together with all the other arts, were recalled to new life, and Giulio and Giovan Francesco set themselves joyfully to work, by command of the Pontiff, to finish the above-named hall of Constantine. The preparation of grounding which had been made for painting in oil they threw down; leaving nevertheless two figures, which Raphael had previously painted in oil as a sort of ornamental frame-work to certain popes: these were a figure of Justice, and another figure of similar character.[2] The compartments of this hall had been designed with great judgment by Raphael, who had carefully kept in view the fact that it was somewhat deficient in height: over all the doors he had designed niches with decorations of children holding the various devices of the house of Medici, lions, lilies, diamonds, plumes, and other emblems used by that family.
In each of these niches was seated the shaded figure of a Pope in pontifical robes, and around these figures were angels represented by groups of children, and holding books and other appropriate objects in their hands, each pope had moreover a figure presenting a virtue on each side of him, and between whom he sat, these being selected as was deemed befitting the character and deserts of the Pontiff, as for example Religion was placed on one side of the apostle Peter, and Charity or Piety on the other, and thus of all, each was accompanied by his appropriate virtues; and the Popes thus represented were, Damarus I., Alexander I., Leo III., Gregory, Silvester, and some others. These figures were all exceedingly well executed by Giulio, who performed all the best parts of this work in fresco, and took extraordinary
- ↑ Our author, as it has been justly remarked, appears to forget that the protection of the fine arts is not the sole merit of a sovereign, but it must not be concealed that Adrian, who found the finances of the state previously disordered, by the profusion of his predecessors, commenced the reform of expenditure by first reducing that of his own household.
- ↑ This figure has a Dove, and is believed by some to represent Humility; by others, Innocence or Clemency.
