566 RESTORATION OF THE ART OF SCULPTURE. 



marten The emulation to which this gave rife amongft 

 his contemporary artifis throughout all Italy,, contri- 

 buted very much to the advancement of the art of 

 fcuipture. 



The moil capital of his works are the hiflorical 

 carvings on the pulpit of the cathedral at Pifa, and the 

 representation of hell on the porch of the cathedral at 

 Orvieto. The fertility displayed in the invention, the; 

 natural fimpiicity in the ordonnance, the truth and 

 vivacity in the expreffion, in conjunction with a tole- 

 rably jiift drawing, and which particularly difringuifh. 

 thefe works, efpecially the hell at Orvieto, would have 

 conferred a great reputation on any other artirr even in 

 the lixteenth century. Were they fomewhat more 

 highly fuiifhed in the execution, and a. little more de- 

 corated in the drawing, we might truly advance, that, 

 fince him, the art of fcuipture in half-raifed works, 

 lias not advanced one ftep. In the picture of hell 

 every fpecies of horror and torment is prefentecj 

 to the fight. Some of the damned are feen tearing 

 their own faces with their long fharp nails ; others are 

 entwined and gnawed by hideous ferpents ; others 

 again pinched and torn by grifly fpeclres, and in the 

 countenance and limbs of all are varioufly exhibited the 

 expreffions of pain and rage and defpair. 



Some perfoiis are of opinion that he drew thefe hor* 

 rid images from the Inferno of Dante : but, according 

 to the calculation of Vafari, Dante was then either 

 quite a child, or not yet born. And what difparage- 

 merit would it be to him if he were indebted for thefe 

 terrible ideas to the reading of Dante ! Would the 

 great gulf between thoughts and execution be thereby 

 7 filled 



