FLORENCE, BEGINNINGS TO UCCELLO 



extraordinary revival of antique art which began at 

 Byzantium in the ninth and lasted on into the thirteenth 

 century " these accessories had become stereotyped ; 

 to the loss of personal thought and invention if to the 

 advantage of a steady and uniform tradition. 



In the Nativity the sheep, lying in a row deliberately 

 composed for sleep, and the ox and ass sitting up on 

 their haunches smiling at the child, are undeniably gro- 

 tesque. There is, however, natural action in the dog, 

 who, with one paw raised, looks round to howl at the 

 angel in the sky. In the Ado7'ation there are camels 

 and also a nondescript and unpleasant creature, perhaps 

 a carnally minded dog, but as much like a badger as 

 anything, which slinks away as though it did not feel 

 comfortable in the company : "Oh come, I can't stand 

 this ; this is no place for me." The pose of the front 

 legs seems to express an uneasy self-consciousness. 



Orcagna was Capo Maesti'o of the Cathedral of 

 Orvieto for about two years, under contract to paint, 

 carve, or work in mosaic. On September i6, 1360, he 

 siorned a contract to design and construct a mosaic for 



o o 



the west front of the cathedral. We are fortunate in 

 having what is probably a portion of this work so near 

 at hand as the South Kensington Museum, barbarous 

 though its removal may have been. It was formerly 

 over the right-hand portal, and represents the Birth of 



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