Upon Leonardo's return to Florence, he found another luminary, Michael Angelo, had arisen in the same hemi sphere, and moving in the same orbit, whose aspiring ge nius proved rather too much for him. The universality of Leonardo's talent had led him into a versatility of applica tion, which too much attenuated the vigour of his capacity, and prevented his coping with success against the steady tenacious purpose, and absolute fury of application, with which the uncontrollable impetuosity of Michael Angelo hurried him on to perfection. The mild and winning grace which was the merit and peculiar character of Leo nardo, was overwhelmed by the force and vigour of Bonar ruoti's commanding talent, steadily directed to one object. Whatever demand for grand inspiring subjects occurred, were therefore yielded up without a struggle to his pow erful pencil, while Leonardo occupied himself with the gentler beauty of female portrait. Many of these still re main, the admiration of the lovers of painting. This ac complished artist dwelt with such delight on any subject of peculiar beauty, that he is said to have employed four years on the famous portrait of Mona Lisa, the wife of Francisco di Giocondo, which Francis I. bought for 45,000 francs.
There is so much resemblance in the character, as well as occasionally in the style of Leonardo da Vinci and Ra phael, that, had the circumstances of their studies been si milar, as they travelled on the same road, they would pro bably have reached the same point. We observe the same lovely grace and modesty. the same propriety and sedate ness; but Raphael added the magic of ease, and the ele gance resulting from a more intimate study of the antique. Yet Leonardo studied with acuteness the original of the antique, nature itself; and that with the experienced eye of an anatomist, tracing with accuracy the movemen•s of the mind, as manifested in the body, and as indicating the rising sentiment in the delicate movement of the muscles. We never detect, in his learned works, what the more ig norant productions of modern artists so frequently —that inexpressible something which we see to be ellen sive and unnatural, without being able to fix on the cause ; eyes suffused with tears, where the ministering muscles remain inert ; where the painter represents a figure running without the requisite quality of making him move his limbs ; and various other incongruities, which it were needless to enumerate. Every passion and sentiment, however feeble, of which the human mind is susceptible, exercises an individual and marked influence over the whole body.—Here is the mare magnum of the unlearned painter, a failure in the most delicate indication of its movements, a contradiction of cause and effect, at once disenchants the scene, even to vulgar eyes. We need no eruditos oculos to detect any offence, however slight, against nature; it is felt, though we may not have the power to express it. Much, indeed, is required of the painter who aspires to move our feelings.
The versatility of Leonardo's genius was his misfortune ; it interfered with his steady application to any one of the many pursuits, which, had they singly engaged the undi vided capacity of his accomplished mind, he might have carried to the greatest perfection. But the consequence of bestowing only a portion of his time on each, has been, that he allowed himself to be excelled in all. He is ex celled by Raphael in grace, by Michael Angelo in science, and in his physical pursuits by many. But Leonardo was a distinguished benefactor to the arts, by introducing a purer style, and laying the foundation of a deeper and more accurate study of the science of painting. He was in the constant habit of committing to paper the results of daily observation and experience, on his acute, inventive, and vigorous mind, accompanied with innumerable pencil hints and studies. To this practice we owe his valuable
treatise on painting ; which contains a comprehensive view of the art, accompanied with every precept, demon stration, or reasoning, suggested by the constant experi ence of a life passed in the active exercise of the various branches of the fine arts, as well as of the sciences.
When Leo X. obtained the pontificate, he continued his protection of Leonardo da Vinci, by inviting him to Rome, where he gave many proofs of his talent. Being brought into more immediate competition with the aspiring genius of Michael Angelo, yet a youth, and likewise at that time in the employment of the pontiff, Leonardo was induced to accept of the invitation of Francis I. of France, in whose arms he soon afterwards expired, in the year 1518. The Ambrosian library of Milan possesses a variety of his va luable manuscripts and drawings in architecture, me chanics and anatomy ; and also of his pictures, besides notes on the various sciences, of which he was an ardent cultivator, accompanied with explanations of machines, and written in his usual manner from right to left. Why he adopted this peculiarity is not known, but there was something original in every thing he did.
It was about the period of Leonardo's death that atten tion began to be drawn to the remains of ancient art, of which the ferocity of barbarian ignorance had, for the long succession of ages so ungenial to the prosecution of these pursuits, nearly extirpated all memory. The misdirected zeal of the early Christians having long continued to give vent to its fervour in the destruction of every thing con nected with the worship of the Gentiles, had along with them demolished, in one undistinguishing havoc, the sta tues of the great men of antiquity, as well as of the gods ; equally incapable, in their ignorance, of discrimination, as of forbearance. Mr. Roscoe observes, that " The fury of the Iconoclasts subsided as the restoration of Paganism became no longer an object of dread ; and some of the meagre and mutilated remains of ancient skill, sanctified by new appellations, derived from the objects of Christian worship, were suffered to remain, to attract the supersti tious devotion rather than the enlightened admiration of the people. The remonstrances and example of Petrarca seem first to have roused the attention of the Romans to the excellence of those admirable works, by the remains of which they were still surrounded. From this period some traces appear of a rising taste for these productions, which, in the course of the succeeding century, became a passion that could only he gratified by the acquisition of them. By Lorenzo the Magnificent, this object was pursued with constant solicitude, and great success; and the collection of antiques formed by him in the gardens of St. Marco, at Florence, became the school of Michael Angelo. This relish for the remains of antiquity, whether they consisted of statues, gems, vases, or other specimens of skill, had been cultivated by Leo X. from his earliest years, under his paternal roof, where the instructions of the accom plished Politiano had enabled him to combine amusement with improvement, and to unite a correct taste with the science of an antiquarian." Although no sovereign has a more distinguished claim to the glory of encouraging the arts than Leo X. yet the constant practice of the Roman pontiffs had been to protect the arts, ever since their re vival in modern times. It was a fortunate circumstance for Michal Angelo, as well as for Raphael, that the muni ficent and vigorous mind of Pope Julius 11. took this happy turn, which so materially seconded the aspiring genius of both these great men ; as some share of their excellence is perhaps due to the vast and magnificent designs of this pontiff offering so fortunate a theatre fer the exercise of their talents.