Beyond the confines of Italy, the art had yet made few advances worthy of notice; and what little had been effected was on the principles of the Tuscan school. In England, Spain, and Germany, during the sixteenth century, painting was patronised in prefer ence to sculpture. Torregiano, the envious rival of Michael Angelo, had erected in Westminster Abbey the tomb of Henry VII., for which he received L1000, a very considerable sum at that time; but this turbu lent spirit was inclined rather to brawl with, than to instruct the English in his art; and in the succeeding reigns we find Holbein and Zucchero in high favour; but hear little or nothing of sculptors, with the ex ception of John of Padua, who acted as master of works about the close of this century. In fact, in the early history of English art, anomalies of a singular nature arc encountered. From the seventh to the fifteenth century, four distinct species of architecture may be traced in the sacred and feudal edifices of Britain. During the two succeeding centuries the art declines,nor till the reign of Charles I. is it revived with any degree of magnificence. Sculpture, in these early times, was exercised only as an ornamental branch of architecture, or in tombs; and in each, it is singlar that, taken generally, the sculpture of the thirteenth is superior to the art of the fourteenth or fifteenth century; that of the sixteenth exhibits evi dences of Italian origin.
Bermudez, the Spanish historian of native artists, has given a splendid account of Sculptors from the sixteenth century upwards. The beautiful ecclesiasti cal edifices of Spain afforded an extensive field for sculptural ornament, and it is easy to perceive that those employed with a remarkable success in such embellishments have been exalted by national partial ity to the rank of sculptors and artists. This opinion derives confirmation from the fact, that not till 1558 was sculpture, in consequence of a royal edict, allowed the privileges of a liberal profession. About this pe riod Berruguete, after studying under Vasari and Buonaroti, returned to his native country, and at once exalted the arts of Spain to grace, beauty, and cor rectness. Previously, indeed, she had been indebted to Italy, and Torregiano in his wandering life, after residing and working for some time, had starved him self in the prisons of the inquisition to escape a hor rible death, to which priestcraft and aristocratic inso knee had unjustly condemned him. Berruguete, however, appears to have been the first native artist of Spain who acquired and deserved a high reputation; he founded a numerous school, of which Paul de Ces pides was the ornament, perhaps the greatest of Spa nish sculptors.
Before the seventeenth century, Germany makes no appearance in the history of sculpture. Both in let ters and in art she has entered the field at the eleventh hour: in the former, her sons have already effected noble progress; and in the history or philosophy of the latter, what have we finer than the writings of Winklemann and Lessing? In practical art, however, the Germans are still deficient: nor, perhaps, is that metaphysical enthusiasm—that ideal aspiration by which their national genius is distinguished, well adapted to succeed in the energetic but laborious realities of sculpture. Or if they do obtain reputa tion, it will be in that department which forms the most precious portion of their poetry and painting— unadorned representations of sweet and simple nature. The past history of their arts supports this idea in some measure, although it is probable had their en lightenment been such as to enable them to meet the advances of the sixteenth century, the grand and the wonderful in the style of Michael Angelo, would, to the Germans, have possessed irresistible attractions.
In France, the expeditions of Charles VIII. but more especially the close connection between the two countries in the reign of Francis, together with the personal predilections of that monarch, tended to dif fuse some knowledge of the arts of Italy. French writers have strained hard to elevate their native arts from an early date; and Jacques d'Angouleme is re ported to have surpassed Michael Angelo himself in a trial of skill at Rome. Certain it is, that during the sixteenth century no artists out of Italy could have competed successfully with Jean Gougon, author of the celebrated fountain of the Innocents, finished in 1550. He was also an architect and engraver. Of his life little is known, except its termination in the massacre of St. Bartholomew's. Of all his country men and contemporaries, Jean Cousin possesses most grace and delicacy, but to the acquisition of these he has sacrificed strength and correctness. His works arc still to be seen in several of the churches of Paris. German Pilon displays great energy and fire, with much beauty of mechanical detail; but his works are affected and destitute of natural expression. Indeed, from its origin we may trace an affected manner in French sculptors, which gives to the style even of these early masters a peculiar air of nationality, al though it is evident that the principles in all other spects are derived from Italy. These artists in fact were all pupils, either mediately or directly, of the Tuscan school; and Giovanni de Bologna and Fran cavilla, both French by birth, filled the whole of France with the style and manner of Buonaroti.