FLORENCE, BEGINNINGS TO UCCELLO 



Descent of the Holy Ghost, there are three dogs, and if 

 their mystic purpose is, as Ruskin says, "to mark the 

 share of the lower animals in the gentleness given by 

 the outpouring of the spirit of Christ,"^ the influ- 

 ence of Francis may be seen again here. 



Gentile da Fabriano's beautiful and elaborate Adora- Gentile da 

 tion of the Magi (Florence, Accademia), painted in 1423, fi^."^'!?) 

 set a fashion in processional pieces crowded with inci- 

 dent and full of observation of animal life. Here are 

 hunting dogs and leopards ; one, the head of which 

 only is seen, appears to be the true leopard, the 

 others are cheetahs. An ape and a monkey of the 

 Mangabey type snarl at each other from the humps of 

 camels, falcons seek their prey or perch on their master's 

 wrist. 



Sacchetti, who had not then been dead for twenty- 

 five years, tells in the Novelle (No. 47) of a pet baboon 

 belonging to Bishop Guido of Arezzo. The Bishop 

 had commissioned Buffalmacco to decorate his chapel, 

 and all went well until one dinner-time, when the 

 baboon escaped, and finding the eggs which were used 

 as medium, smashed them into the colours and smeared 

 them in handfuls all over the newly painted wall. 



It will be remembered that just about this time Bible 

 scenes such as this of the Adoration were actually being 



^ Mornings in Florence, 3rd ed., 1899, p. 115. 

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