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church of Santa Maria, at Florence, and saved from a fire there in 1771, is in the National Gallery, Among the scholars of Giotto was Taddeo Gaddi, horn in 1300, and who obtained a great eminence about the middle of the 14th century, and in common with other disciples of the schools of Cimabue and Giotto, obtained the merit of banish ing the insipid and spiritless manner of the Greek painters, and gave rise to a new and more natural style of composition. Instead of the harsh outline circumscribing the whole figure, the glaring eyes, the pointed feet and hands, and the total ab sence of shadow, his figures have attitudes, the countenances an air of life and freedom, the casting of the draperies were more natural, and attempts were made at foreshortening the limbs, and he is said to be the first who attempted the effects of the passions on the human countenance. His style was an evident improvement upon the productions of all ■former painters, but nevertheless rude, the figures ill-pro portioned, and the composition incongruous. But when we • consider the difficulties under which his works were executed, the ignorance of the times, the scarcity of good models, and the impossibility of obtaining instruction, we must esteem them ■as wonderful productions, and receive them as the harbingers of that improvement which in after times led to the fullest de velopment of the art. In the middle of the 14th century painters had considerably ■multiplied, for in the year 1349 (temp, of Edward IV. of En gland), they associated themselves into a religious fraternity, which they denominated the Society of St. Luke. There had previously existed, in 1290 a company of painters at Venice, of which St. Luke was chosen the patron. Neither of these could be called Academies of Design, but were rather the con sequences of Christian devotion by devotees of the Church. Neither of these fraternities was composed of painters only, but embraced designers and artists in metals and wood. In this unrefined age painting was not recognised as an art, but as a trade: the practisers were merely called master workmen, and what in our day is known as a studio, they were contented to eall shops. At this time Italy possessed many potent families that exer cised great influence m many cities. One of these, the cele brated Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, admired and cherished the rising arts, and invited learned men, poets and painters, to his court, and entrusted the formation of an academy to an eminent master of the period. The patronage of the art by the renowned family of the Medici was one of its greatest ad vantages, and among others it originated a great desire for the possession of the relics of classic art. The riches of Cosmo de Medici, and the perseverance of a sculptor named Donatillo, gave rise to the celebrated collection of antiques which, with considerable additions by his son Lorenzo, formed the collec tion now known as the Florentine Museum. Towards the close of the 14th century from the declension of the political power in Pisa, when it succumbed to the Florentines, and lay for a long time prostrate and humbled, and deprived not only of its artists, but of its citizens also, the arts greatly declined, and the spirit of the Florentines in the meantime increasing with their power, they became gradually solicitous to increase the grandeur of their capital. To this end Cosmo de Medici invited, and gave great en couragement to those artists and literary men who had ceased to obtain patronage and support in other states and cities,—and his relative Lorenzo, surnamed the “ Magnificent” followed his example. Their abodes were the resort of phil osophers, poets, and painters, and a taste of the arts radiated from the asylum or nursery of genius to the churches, the halls of commerce, and even to the houses of the opulent citizens. The subsequent adornment of the Cathedral and the Churches, gave such an impetus to the art, that not only painters, but workers in marble, bronze and silver, and carvers in wood and stone, crowded into, and took up their abode in the Florentine capital. Up to this time the productions of painters had been destitute of relief; and depended greatly upon a strong contrast of colour, or a decided outline; but a Florentine named Mazolino, and after him his pupil Masaccio, gave a new direction to the art, and by the knowledge of the effect of light and shadow, pro duced a style so greatly in advance of the former one, that a new or Second epoch of the art had now arrived. The anatomical drawing began to be marked with much truth, the casting of the draperies displayedfreedom, boldness, and breadth, instead of the former stiff, minute and angular folds of their pre decessors. Masaccio was the first painter who endeavoured to adapt the colour of his draperies to the tints of his carna tions (or flesh tints), thus producing harmony hitherto un known. He was but 26 when he died, in the year 1428 con- tempor- aneous with the reign of our Henry the 6th. Two succeeding artists, known as Fra Filippo Lippi and Filippo the younger (the first being a Carmelite Monk), if wo may judge from their works in our National Gallery, made rapid studies in the production of natural effect, but with a less dignified character than did Masaccio. A picture of the Madonna and Child, St. Jerome and St. Domenic, and another, the Wise Mens’ Offering, by the younger master, exhibit great truth in the attitudes; and the general expression of the heads are equal to the productions of a more advanced age. About the year 1401, (temp. Henry Sth of England,) John Van Eyke, or as he was called John of Bruges, discovered the art of painting in oil, the report of which having reached Italy, raised a great desire among the Florentines to possess them selves of the secret. For this purpose, Antonello de Messina, travelled to Flanders, and having learned the art from Van Eyke, went to Venice, and there imparted it to a friend named Dominico, who came to Florence where he became a general favourite; and in consequence raised the envy of an artist named Andre del Castagno, who under the guize of friendship, wormed from Dominico the imparted secret, and then assassina ted him in order that he might have no rival. Castagno success fully concealed the crime, but upon his death bed he disclosed his guilt. It has previously been remarked that the abode of Lorenzo de Medica, was the nursery of men of genius. A young painter of a noble but reduced family, had the good fortune to attract the notice of Lorenzo, and he and another were invited to pursue their studies in the gardens of the palace, which were then being set apart as an academy for the various arts. Of this number, was the celebrated modeller Torrigiano,* The young painter watched with intense interest, the works in clay executed by Torrigiano and being greatly enamour ed with the novel art, applied himself with much assiduity to its imitation, and being most successful in modelling the head of a satyr, Lorenzo upon seeing it, took him into his immediate patronage, made him reside in the palace, and set him at the table with his most honoured guests. This young man was the celebrated Michael Angelo Bonarotti, architect, sculptor, and painter. Before entering upon an account of Bonarotti and his works, let us first glance at those of the celebrated Leonardo de Vinci. He was of a noble family, born at the castle of Vinci, near Florence, in 1455, and died in 1520, aged 70. He was carefully instructed in early life in the sciences, and in every branch of polite literature, and having shown a peculiar fondness for designing, was placed under the instruction of Verocchio. He soon surpassed his instructor, became not only an adept, but an enthusiast in the art, studied nature with a curious and critical eye, and constantly employed his mind in searching out every principle and circumstance which might enable him to arrive at excellence. He frequented places of public resort, and all spectacles where men give play to their active feelings and passions, and noted down their several atti tudes and countenances which he preserved for future purposes. The characteristics of Leonardo consist in refinement of taste, and if he had possessed the opportunity of studying the antique models, as Raphael and other artists who visited Rome had, the question which of the two should have been renowned as the Prince of Painters, would have been severely contested. He visited Milan in 1494, and was most graciously received by the Duke Lodovica Sforza, on account of his many accomplish ments in music, poetry, and architecture, as well as in his pro fession of a painter. By order of the Duke, he painted a grand altar picture of the Nativity; and afterwards for the Fathers of the Dominican Convent of Santa Maria, at Milan, his im mortal production of the Last Supper. This was painted not in fresco, as was then the usual method, but in oil colours. From the effects of damp or a proper preparation of the wall on which it was painted, in a comparatively short time the * Torrigiano was the designer and executor of the tomb of our Henry VII, in Westminster Abbey, for which he was paid £1000. 11