The painting, signed, and dated 1509, is in
the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, but has been injured by repainting.
In spite of this, Messrs. Crowe and Cavalcaselle believe they perceive
Bugiardini's hand in it.
In 1510 Albertinelli began one of his masterpieces, the
_Annunciation_ for the company of S. Zenobio, now in the Belle
Arti. All his zeal for art was reawakened, he flung himself _con
amore_ into this work, which, though in oil on panel, was painted on
the spot where it was intended to be placed, that the lights might be
managed with the best effect. He was imbued with Leonardo da Vinci's
principle, that the greatest relief and force are to be combined with
softness, and wishing to bring this combination to a perfection which
never before had been reached, he depended greatly on the natural light
to further his design. [Footnote: Vasari, vol. ii. p. 469.]
The picture, although a great work of art, and the most laboured of all
his paintings, failed to satisfy the artist. He tried various
experiments, painting in and painting out, but never reaching his own
ideal.
Pages:
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77