1435-1^ 



ANIMAL LIFE IN ITALIAN PAINTING 



His master, Fra Angelico, could nor possibly have 

 painted such an incident, though such incidents do 

 occur, most uncomfortably and disconcertingly, in real 

 life. 



In S^. Augustine Teaching in Rome, an unabashed 

 dog, ears acock, occupies the central space on the marble 

 floor in front of the lecturer's stall. A curly dog appears 

 in the Departure of St. Augustine for Milan, walking 

 alongside the horse. 

 Verrocchio, Probably only one painting by Andrea Verrocchio 



now survives. Like his more celebrated pupil Leonardo, 

 he spread his energies over various artistic efforts, and 

 is best known by the splendid equestrian statue of the 

 Condottiere Colleoni in Venice. But it is significant 

 that in his one undoubted remaining picture, the Baptism 

 of Christ (Florence, Accademia), a hawk flies across the 

 sky into a thicket. 



It may be mentioned here that scientifically there 

 is a difference between the hawk and the falcon, the 

 one being short-winged and the other being long- 

 winded and havinor also a tooth or indentation in the 

 Upper mandible. In the common language of falconry, 

 however, the word " hawk " is used for both. This 

 will be noticed in most of the quotations, and the 

 terms are used in their popular sense throughout the 

 book. 



38 



