| [CHAPTER I] |
| | PAGE |
| [THE RELATIONSHIP OF MURAL PAINTING TO ARCHITECTURE ] | [1] |
| [CHAPTER II] |
| [MURAL DECORATION—SYSTEMS AND METHODS] | [8] |
| [CHAPTER III] |
| [FRESCO-BUONO PROCESS—COLOURS—PREPARATION OF THE WALL—METHOD OF EXECUTION] | [12] |
| [CHAPTER IV] |
| [PAINTING OF FLESH AND DRAPERIES—PERMANENCE OF BUON-FRESCO] | [25] |
| [CHAPTER V] |
| [SPIRIT FRESCO PAINTING] | [31] |
| [CHAPTER VI] |
| [TECHNICAL NOTES ON THE COMPOSITION, COLOUR, AND PRESENT STATE OF SOME ITALIAN FRESCOS] | [39] |
| [CHAPTER VII] |
| [FRESCO PAINTINGS BY GOZZOLI AND PERUGINO] | [51] |
| [CHAPTER VIII] |
| [THE WORK OF PINTURICCHIO AND GHIRLANDAJO] | [56] |
| [CHAPTER IX] |
| [FRESCOS BY ANDREA DEL SARTO, LUINI, G. FERRARI, RAFFAELLE AND MICHAEL ANGELO] | [63] |
| [INDEX]:[A],[B],[C],[D],[E],[F],[G],[H],[I],[K],[L],[M],[P],[R],[S],[T],[U],[V],[W]. | [71] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| PLATE | | To face page |
| [1.] | [The Arts of Peace (colour). Lord Leighton] | [Frontispiece] |
| [2.] | [Fragment of Ancient Fresco from Tiryns ] | [10] |
| [3.] | [Portion of Fresco Border (colour). After Sir E. J. Poynter, P.R.A.] | [20] |
| [4.] | [Trial Piece of Buon Fresco. G. F. Watts, R.A.] | [23] |
| [5.] | [Trial Piece of Buon Fresco. G. F. Watts, R.A.] | [25] |
| [6.] | [Group of Three Figures (colour). G. F. Watts, R.A.] | [27] |
| [7.] | [St. Stephen before his Accusers, and the Stoning of St. Stephen. Sir E. J. Poynter, P.R.A.] | [30] |
| [8.] | [Detail from the Arts of War. Lord Leighton] | [32] |
| [9.] | [Detail from the Arts of War. Lord Leighton] | [34] |
| [10.] | [Detail from the Arts of Peace. Lord Leighton.] | [37] |
| [11.] | [The Birth of the Virgin. Giotto] | [39] |
| [12.] | [The Death of St. Francis. Giotto] | [40] |
| [13.] | [St. Louis, King of France. Giotto] | [42] |
| [14.] | [The Meeting of SS. Joachim and Anna. Giotto] | [43] |
| [15.] | [Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene. Fra Angelico] | [44] |
| [16.] | [The Deposition in the Sepulchre. Fra Angelico] | [46] |
| [17.] | [Detail of the Crucifixion. Fra Angelico] | [47] |
| [18.] | [The Tribute Money (colour). Masaccio] | [49] |
| [19.] | [Angels, from the Paradise. B. Gozzoli] | [51] |
| [20.] | [Angels, from the Paradise. B. Gozzoli] | [53] |
| [21.] | [St. Benedict. Perugino] | [54] |
| [22.] | [St. John. Perugino] | [55] |
| [23.] | [Detail from the Christ’s Charge to Peter. Perugino] | [56] |
| [24.] | [St. Catherine disputing before Maximianus. Pinturicchio] | [57] |
| [25.] | [Detail of the St. Catherine Fresco. Pinturicchio] | [58] |
| [26.] | [The Nativity, Spello Cathedral. Pinturicchio] | [59] |
| [27.] | [Florentine Lady. Ghirlandajo] | [60] |
| [28.] | [The Death of St. Francis. Ghirlandajo] | [61] |
| [29.] | [Florentine Lady. Ghirlandajo] | [62] |
| [30.] | [Detail from the Birth of the Virgin. Ghirlandajo] | [63] |
| [31.] | [Fresco of an Infant Angel. B. Luini] | [64] |
| [32.] | [The Virgin and Child. B. Luini] | [65] |
| [33.] | [St. Lucy sentenced to Death. Jacopo d’Avanzo] | [66] |
| [34.] | [The Fire in the Borgo. Raffaelle] | [68] |
| [35.] | [Figure of Adam, Sistine Chapel. Michael Angelo] | [69] |
FRESCO PAINTING
CHAPTER I
THE RELATIONSHIP OF MURAL PAINTING TO ARCHITECTURE
When considering the subject of mural painting, and indeed the progress and development of art generally, of the so-called “fine arts,” or of the lesser arts that minister to the uses and wants of everyday life, we cannot regard them as isolated creations of human activity apart from their legitimate connection with the laws and principles of good architecture. The progress, development, culmination, and decadence of architecture synchronize with the similar stages of painting and sculpture.
In a noble building the special functions of the three sister arts are clearly defined; each supplies its own distinct qualities of expression to make up the general artistic unity. The severe lines and proportional rhythm of the architecture are enriched by sculpture, which in its turn is chastened and modified by the contiguous severity of the former, while painting adds the necessary colour finish to the bare spaces that are enclosed by the mouldings and constructional lines of the architecture, borrowing at the same time much of its dignity, restfulness of form, simplicity of composition, and whatever else that adds to its nobility and monumental fitness, from its close association with the architecture. Thus, while the three arts are each limited to their own special functions, they, at the same time, would appear to assimilate from each other what is lacking in themselves, and so contribute to the complete artistic harmony.
Painting, as the most ornate of the three, owing to its greater power of expression and beauty of colour, must nevertheless be employed to decorate, in the true sense of the word, the plain spaces in a building, and in the largest and simplest manner, without any definite attempts to represent the true facts of nature, or at least it should be suggestive of such facts rather than descriptive of them.