ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 
vanni della Robbia, who, in 1522, was commissioned 
by the Carthusians to adorn their cloisters with medal¬ 
lions representing Prophets, Evangelists, Saints, and 
Martyrs. These curious heads, executed in classical 
style and in a great variety of colours, were removed 
in the last century to the court of the Accademia, and 
have only recently been restored to their original 
place in the loggia of the large cloister. Twenty of 
the series seem to be by Giovanni’s own hand, and are 
full of vigour and character. The other forty-seven 
are evidently the work of assistants and followers, but 
are not without a certain interest. Moses and 
David appear in turbans and Oriental robes, judas 
Maccabeus as a knight in armour, St. James wears the 
pilgrim’s cockle-shell, and S. Mary Magdalen is con¬ 
spicuous by her noble Greek profile. The four 
Evangelists—evidently executed by Giovanni him¬ 
self—occupy the angles of the cloister, and a lunette 
in white and blue terra-cotta, representing S. Lorenzo 
surrounded by Angels, is to be seen in the small 
cloister. 
Thus, the Certosa continued to exercise a noble 
and liberal patronage of art until the monastery was 
seized and suppressed by the French, on the invasion 
of Napoleon. Many priceless treasures perished then, 
and the collections which had been formed with so 
much love and care were scattered by ruthless hands. 
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