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294 VENETIAN INDEX.
1. The Crucifixion. (On the left of the high altar.) It is
refreshing to find a picture taken care of, and in a bright
though not a good light, so that such parts of it as are seen at
all are seen well. It is also in a better state than most pictures
in galleries, and most remarkable for its new and strange
treatment of the subject. It seems to have been painted more
for the artist's own delight, than with any labored attempt at
composition; the horizon is so low that the spectator must
fancy himself lying at full length on the grass, or rather among
the brambles and luxuriant weeds, of which the foreground is
entirely composed. Among these, the seamless robe of Christ
has fallen at the foot of the cross; the rambling briars and wild
grasses thrown here and there over its folds of rich, but pale,
crimson. Behind them, and seen through them, the heads of
a troop of Roman soldiers are raised against the sky; and,
above them, their spears and halberds form a thin forest
against the horizontal clouds. The three crosses are put on
the extreme right of the picture, and its centre is occupied
by the executioners, one of whom, standing on a ladder, receives from the other at once the sponge and the tablet with
the letters INRI. The Madonna and St. John are on the extreme left, superbly painted, like all the rest, but quite subordinate. In fact, the whole mind of the painter seems to
have been set upon making the principals accessary, and the
accessaries principal. We look first at the grass, and then at
the scarlet robe; and then at the clump of distant spears, and
then at the sky, and last of all at the cross. As a piece of
color, the picture is notable for its extreme modesty. There
is not a single very full or bright tint in any part, and yet the
color is delighted in throughout; not the slightest touch os it
but is delicious. It is worth notice also, and especially, because
this picture being in a fresh state we are sure of one fact, that,
like nearly all other great colorists, Tintoret was afraid of
light greens in his vegetation. He often uses dark blue greens
in his shadowed trees, but here where the grass is in full light,
it is all painted with various hues of sober brown, more especially where it crosses the crimson robe. The handling of the
whole is in his noblest manner; and I consider the picture
generally quite beyond all price. It was cleaned, I believe,
| Title | The stones of Venice - 3 |
| Creator | Ruskin, John |
| Publisher | J. Wiley |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Date | 1889 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000324 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 294 VENETIAN INDEX. 1. The Crucifixion. (On the left of the high altar.) It is refreshing to find a picture taken care of, and in a bright though not a good light, so that such parts of it as are seen at all are seen well. It is also in a better state than most pictures in galleries, and most remarkable for its new and strange treatment of the subject. It seems to have been painted more for the artist's own delight, than with any labored attempt at composition; the horizon is so low that the spectator must fancy himself lying at full length on the grass, or rather among the brambles and luxuriant weeds, of which the foreground is entirely composed. Among these, the seamless robe of Christ has fallen at the foot of the cross; the rambling briars and wild grasses thrown here and there over its folds of rich, but pale, crimson. Behind them, and seen through them, the heads of a troop of Roman soldiers are raised against the sky; and, above them, their spears and halberds form a thin forest against the horizontal clouds. The three crosses are put on the extreme right of the picture, and its centre is occupied by the executioners, one of whom, standing on a ladder, receives from the other at once the sponge and the tablet with the letters INRI. The Madonna and St. John are on the extreme left, superbly painted, like all the rest, but quite subordinate. In fact, the whole mind of the painter seems to have been set upon making the principals accessary, and the accessaries principal. We look first at the grass, and then at the scarlet robe; and then at the clump of distant spears, and then at the sky, and last of all at the cross. As a piece of color, the picture is notable for its extreme modesty. There is not a single very full or bright tint in any part, and yet the color is delighted in throughout; not the slightest touch os it but is delicious. It is worth notice also, and especially, because this picture being in a fresh state we are sure of one fact, that, like nearly all other great colorists, Tintoret was afraid of light greens in his vegetation. He often uses dark blue greens in his shadowed trees, but here where the grass is in full light, it is all painted with various hues of sober brown, more especially where it crosses the crimson robe. The handling of the whole is in his noblest manner; and I consider the picture generally quite beyond all price. It was cleaned, I believe, |
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