READINGS IN ART.
P. 442.—“Dürer,” düˈrer; “Schongauer,” shōnˈgow-er. More generally known as Martin Schön (the beautiful Martin). Among the Italians he was called “Bel Martino,” and the French called him “Beau Martin”—so named from the beauty of his works. He lived in the fifteenth century—the greatest German artist of that period. His paintings are rare, he being more famous as an engraver than as a painter. A fine collection of his prints are in the British Museum.
“Wolgemut,” wolˈge-moot. (1434-1519.) A native of Wurtemburg, who devoted himself chiefly to the carving and manufacture of huge altar chests and other specimens of church furniture. Specimens of his painting are in the gallery at Munich, also at Zwickau, and at Nuremburg.
“Florins,” flŏrˈins. A silver coin of Florence first used in the twelfth century. The name is given to various coins, in different countries; the value varying from twenty-three to fifty-four cents.
“Giovanni Bellini,” jo-väˈnee bel-leeˈnee. (1426-1516.) Generally regarded as the founder of the Venetian school of painting. He decorated the walls of the Hall of the Council, painted many church pieces, and a few portraits.
“Zisselgasse,” tsiss-el-gassˈä; “Bruges,” brüzh.
P. 443, c. 1.—“Shahpour,” shaˈpoor; “Pirkheimer,” pirkˈhi-mer; “Holbein,” hōlˈbin.
“Kugler,” koogˈler. (1808-1858.) A German writer whose works on the history of art met with great success. He also wrote histories and published a volume of poems and several successful dramas.
“Bâle,” bäl.
“Rathaus,” rawtˈhous. Counsel house.
P. 443, c. 2.—“More.” (1480-1535.) An English statesman. He was finely educated at the university, and afterward studied law. At the bar he became very successful. Under Henry VIII. he was employed in many public affairs until he won that monarch’s dislike by refusing to consent to his divorce from the queen. This dislike led to a charge of treason being preferred against him, and he was condemned and executed.
“Chelsea,” chelˈse. Formerly a village about two miles from London, but now a suburb. The famous military hospital for invalid soldiers and the royal military asylum for the support and education of the children of soldiers are at Chelsea.
“In tempera.” “Tempera painting or distemper, as it is now called, is that in which the pigments are mixed with chalk or clay, and mixed with weak glue or size.”
“Easterlings.” The popular name of traders from the Baltic and Germany during the Middle Ages.
“Francesco Sforza,” fran-chĕsˈko sfortˈsä.
“Friedrich Overbeck,” fredˈric oˌver-bekˈ.
“Degli Angeli,” deˈglee änˈgel-ee.
“Tasso.” (1144-1595.) An Italian poet. His “Jerusalem Delivered” was an epic poem on the delivery of the holy city by Godfrey of Bouillon.
P. 444, c. 1.—“Marchese Massimo,” marˈchez mäs-seeˈmo; “Städel,” stäˈdel.
“Van Eyck,” van-ikˈ. These brothers, Huibrecht and Jan Van Eyck, lived in the latter part of the fourteenth and first part of the fifteenth centuries. They attained a great success, which was undoubtedly due to the discovery of a new process for mixing colors with oil. This discovery led to a new coloring known as “the purple of Van Eyck.”
“Matsys,” mätˌsisˈ. (1460?-1529.) He is said to have been a blacksmith in early life, and to have been a self-taught artist. His pictures are highly colored and finished. One of his best is an altar piece in the cathedral at Antwerp.
“Siegen,” seˈgen.
“Paolo Veronese,” pawˈlo vá-ro nā-zá. Commonly known as Cagliari (kälˈjä-ree) (1530?-1588.) A native of Verona. When quite young he painted the dome of the cathedral at Mantua, and soon after gained a prize at Venice from several eminent painters. His splendid coloring made his pictures very famous. One of the best known is the “Marriage of Cana,” in the Louvre. He also painted portraits of great merit.
“Vincenzo Gonzaga,” vin-senˈzo gon-zäˈgä.
“Giulio Romano,” jooˈle-o ro-mäˈno (1492-1546.) The most famous disciple of Raphael. “He was particularly successful as an original painter in battle pieces, and other warlike subjects, and was, above all, an inimitable designer.”
“Lichtenstein,” lĭkˈten-stine.
“Whitehall.” A famous royal palace of London of great historical interest. The old palace was burnt in 1697, leaving only a banqueting hall, which was converted into a Chapel Royal by George I.
“Fourment,” foor-mentˈ.
P. 444, c. 1.—“Decius.” Emperor of Rome from 249 to 251.
“Ixion,” ixˈion; “Antoon van Dyck,” anˈtoon van dikeˈ.
P. 445, c. 1.—“Velasquez,” vä-lasˈkes. (1599-1660.) A painter of Seville. He studied with the best masters of the times and early attained a success which led to his being appointed court painter to Philip IV. In 1627 Velasquez visited Rome to study the masters there. On his return he was given a studio in the king’s palace, and in 1656 he was given a lucrative position as superintendent of the king’s lodgement. Of his painting it is said: “He drew nothing from the antique, and his visit to Italy produced no change in his style. He held up the mirror to his age alone; all his art was his own—original, national and idiosyncratic.” Mengs gives the historical picture—“General Pescara receiving the keys of a Flemish citadel” as his masterpiece. The finest pictures of Velasquez remain at Madrid.
“Mater Dolorosa,” maˈter dō-lō-rōˈsä. Sorrowing mother.
“Pittore Cavalieresco,” pitˈō-rā cä-välˌee-resˈcō. The Cavalier painter.
“Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn,” remˈbrănt harˈmensz van rīn; “Van Mander,” van manˈder. (1548-1606.) A Flemish painter of historical pieces and landscapes.
“Houbraken.” A Dutch painter of portraits and historical pieces, who lived in the latter part of the seventeenth century.
“Hermann Gerritszoon,” herˈmann ger-ritsˈzoon; “Weddesteeg,” vedˈdes-tēg; “Antoine Breedstraat,” anˈto-ny breed-sträˈät; “Saskia van Ulenburch,” sasˈki-a van ooˈlen-burk; “Leeuwarden,” lö-warˈden.
P. 445, c. 2.—“Guilders,” gĭldˈer. A Dutch coin worth about 38 cents.
“Walloon,” walˈloon. A native of that part of Flanders between the Scheldt and the Lys.