pains therewith, as may be seen in a drawing of the San Silvestro, admirably designed by his own hand, and which is perhaps a more graceful work than the finished picture of the same. It may indeed be affirmed, that Giulio always expressed his thoughts more effectually in drawings than in execution, or in the finished pictures, the former displaying more life, power, and feeling, a fact that may have arisen from the circumstance, that the drawing was executed at a sitting, and while he was well warmed with his subject, while over the paintings he sometimes consumed months and even years, insomuch that they became wearisome to him; the glowing inspiration and ardent love which is felt at the commencement of a work were then wanting, whence it is not to be wondered at, if he did not in such a case impart to the painting all that perfection which had been promised by the design.
But to return to the stories. In one of the compartments of the Hall of Constantine, Giulio depicted that Emperor making a speech to his soldiers, while in the air above is seen the sign of the cross appearing in a splendour of light, surrounded by angels in the form of children and with the words, “In hoc Signo vinces.” A Dwarf, standing at the feet of Constantine, and placing a helmet on his head, is executed with much art.[1] On the principal or largest façade there is the battle of Cavalry at the Ponte Molle,[2] where Maxentius was routed by Constantine: this work is considered to be one of great merit for the treatment of the dead and wounded, the variety and appropriate characterof the attitudes given to the different groups of foot and horse, seen fighting in different parts of the combat, and all very powerfully rendered. There are besides many portraits from the life in this work, and if the picture were not too much darkened, and too heavily loaded with shadows, of which
- ↑ Gradasso Beretta da Norcia, the Dwarf of the Cardinal Hyppolito de’ Medici, celebrated for his ugliness by Berni, Opere Burlesche, vol. i. p. 42. This Dwarf, with the two noble Pages beside the Emperor, is an addition of Giulio’s, not being in the original design of Raphael, which is in the collection of the Duke of Devonshire.
- ↑ Engraved by many of the older masters, and at a later period by Pietro Aquila, who copied the picture very closely. The original drawing was formerly in the possession of Malvasia, but afterwards fell into the hands of Crozat of Paris. See Felsina Pittrice, vol. iii. p. 522.
