The late Sir. Dominic Colnaghi, while consul-general at Florence; devoted
his patient archivist talent to the records of the Guild of the Artists. Upon his researches he based the exhaustive Dictionary of Florentine Painters (The Bodley Head, £3 3s.) now. issued under the editorship of Mr. P. C. Konody and Mr. Selwyn Brinton. Its publication was delayed first by the War, and then by the death of the author ; we now welcome it as an invaluable work of reference for all who are interested in Florentine painting. It is even more informative about the obscure than the famous. The -historic debt never paid by Andrea del Sart° to the King of France is not chronicled more carefully than the soldi some. forgotten painter: owed his workman. Turning the leaves, you observe Attavante, the miniaturist, painting a missal for that book-loving warrior, Mathias Corvinus; King of Hungary ; on the Feast of St. Barnabas a pupil of Gentile Fabriano's fights a rude Florentine who is stoning his - master's work, and so begins a tale of misfortune ; Uccello paints a camel when he intends a chame- leon; Luca Signorelli forgets tci repay Michelangelo ; later, Allori returns to the Duchess Bianca CapellO the Woven gold and purple and pearls in which she sat to • him. So all the mobile Florentine life of old begins to waver and glitter behind those drily compacted pages.
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