Giovanni dells Italia. By Allan Marquand. (Princeton University Press and
H. Milford. 8 dollars net.)—Professor Marquand has earned the gratitude of students of Italian art by his scholarly annotated and illustrated catalogues, embody- ing an immense amount of research. His new brok elucidates for the first time the life-work of Giovanni della H,bbia, third son of the great Andrea, and a grand-nephew of the famous Luca. He continued the family tradition iu glazed terra-cotta reliefs and died in 1529, four years after his aged father. Giovanni produced some attractive pieces in the Robbie manner, but now that his work is isolated, one can see oven from the photographs how it lacked the nobility of Luca's reliefs or the spontaneous charm of Andrea's. The catalogue emphasizes the distinction between the sculptor of genius and the good workman who could adapt favourite patterns. Professor Marquand remarks that Giovanni's " colour sense was not refined, and many of his works are gaudy and crude " ; he delighted in naturalistic effects and enlivened his garlands with lizards and snails. The barbaric methods of Prussian museum directors are exemplified in No. 145, a large medallion of the Virgin and Child with saints. When the author photographed it in 1894, this relief was white. But Dr. von Bode thought it " very dull," and the official Berlin catalogue now calls attention to the " naturalistic colouring of the fruit" in the garland and to the gilt background —the colour and gilt having been added by scene Prussian " restorer " to enliven poor Giovanni's work.
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