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first period showed great creative power in design. It was a new 
birth, the product of vivid forces stirred to power by admiration 
for the past. These powers are well represented by the facade of 
the Certosa of Pavia, the most splendid monastery in the world, 
of which I shall show you many realistic views, ‘I'he too luxurious 
and ornate decoration of the early period gave way, even as the 
gaudy word painting of Macaulay’s first famous essay—to a more 
correct manner and work of greater purity. Gradually, without 
any sacrifice of beauty, style became refined. The production of 
new yet classic form was better realised. ‘lhe reckless employ- 
ment of luxuriant decoration yielded to more chastened taste. 
The years between 1400 and 1470, were marked by great activity 
in painting—progress in original design, the introduction of 
contemporary costume, and of landscape, flowers and animals, 
with studies from the tales of Greece and Rome. Fra Angelico, 
Benozzo Gozzili, Lippi, and Botticelli were the principal artists, 
and the very thought of seeing their work at Pisa, as did Shelley 
and Leigh Huntin company together, awoke felicitous thoughts 
in the poetical ones, as we talked matters over together before 
our visit. The culminating period extends from 1470 to 1550, 
and may be divided into two parts of thirty amd fifty years 
respectively. During the first of these there was greater freedom 
from conventional restraints, while the workmanship was almost 
perfect. Mantegna, Perugino, Francia, the Bellini, Signorello and 
Fra Bartolommeo, were the great masters. In the second division, 
1500 to 1550, Art reached its perfection. During this short 
period in one small country was produced Michael Angelo, 
Raphael, Giorgione, Corregio, Titian, Andrea del Sarto, 
Lianordo da Vinci and Tintoretto. I cannot refrain quoting 
what Symonds says of them, ‘‘ They display mastery more perfect— 
range of faculty more all embracing. What they design they do; 
nature and Art obey them equally ; the resources placed at their 
command are employed with facile and unfettered exercise of 
power. The hand, obedient to the brain, is now so expert that 
nothing further is left to be desired in the expression of the 
artist's thought. The student can only hope to penetrate the 
master’s meaning, to imagine a step further in the same direction 
is impossible. The full flower of the Italian genius has been 
unfolded. Its message to the world in Art has been delivered.”’ 
