/int arts.
THE ARUNDEL SOCIETY.
The fifth annual report of the Council of this Society, and the engrav- ings which accompany it, show a satisfactory state of things. The artist selected to make drawings from Giotto's frescoes in the Arena Chapel at Padua, Mr. W. 0. Williams, has completed seventeen ; fourteen illus- trative of the lives or legends of the Virgin Mary and her parents St. Anna and St. Joachim, forming the upper series on the side-walls of the chapel, and three from the lower series of the life of Christ. On the completion of the publication of the first series, Mr. Ruskin, who is on the Council for this year, will issue a short description of the chapel and its frescoes; and another stop contemplated by the Society is to engage apartments for the transaction of its business and exhibition of publica- tions.
The postponed issue for the fourth year, which terminated in April 1853, consists of the first eight of the former series of frescoes, engraved on wood by Messrs. Dalziel. No more acceptable service could have been rendered to art and its cultivators in England. There is not in this in- stalment anything quite so glorious and supreme as the "Pieta" of the master, which was engraved in a previous issue of the Society ; but the examples, one and all, serve to show that Giotto wanted nothing to the perfection of art save only some of that scientific knowledge which is an aid, and, when once familiarized, an indispensable aid, but not an essen- tial-no part of the artistic soul, but merely a valuable part of artistic education. Thought, dignity, tenderness, and nature-which com- bine to result in beauty-are here at their acme. The plates now published begin with the third of the series, the Angel appears to Anna to announce that she is to become the mother of the Blessed Virgin. Then follow the accepted sacrifice of Joachim, the Angel appearing to Joachim who sleeps with his flock by night, the meeting of Joachim and Anna, the birth of the Virgin, the rods of the suitors for the Virgin's hand brought to the high-priest, the watching of the rods at the altar, when, as the legend is, Joseph's acceptance was indicated by the budding of his rod, and the Virgin returning to her home after marriage. The first, second, eighth, and eleventh of the series, are not among the number.
We need only add, that Messrs. Dalziel, the engravers, have done their part excellently,-preserving breadth and severity without meagreness, and producing finished specimens of their art without funcality.
Previous page
