XXII 



THE POMEGRANATE 



Neri di Bicci/ Fra Angelico," Filippo Lippi ^ 

 and other artists of the fifteenth century painted 

 the Infant Saviour with a pomegranate in His 

 hand. 



On the wall of the Bargello/ in the Chapel 

 of the Podesta, is a frescoed Paradise, which 

 contains a figure long believed to be a portrait 

 of Dante by Giotto. He is seen in profile, 

 wearing the characteristic hood, and holds in 

 his hand a small branch on which are two ripe 

 pomegranates. The fresco is not now considered 

 to be by Giotto, nor the portrait contempo- 

 raneous, but that would not materially affect 

 the meaning of the pomegranates, if they be a 

 symbol, since the painting dates from the last 

 half of the fourteenth century. 



Were it not for Dante's pomegranate there 



^ Ufi&zi. ' Accademia, Florence. 



' Pitti. * Florence. 



261 



