242. (1.) Porch of the Church of St. Zeno. (Photograph.)
Of the 12th century.
(2.) Porch of the South Entrance of the Duomo.
Probably of the 10th or 11th century, and highly remarkable for the wildness of its grotesque or monstrous sculpture, which has been most carefully rendered by the draughts-man, Mr. Bunney.
It will save space to note that the sketches by my two most skillful and patient helpers, Mr. A. Burgess and Mr. Bunney, will be respectively marked (A) and (B), and my own (R).
(3.) Porch of the Western Entrance of the Duomo. (Photograph.)
Later in date--but still of 12th or very early 13th century. Details of it are given in the next drawings.
243. (4.) Griffin (I keep the intelligible old English spelling), sustaining the Pillar on the North Side of the Porch seen in No. 3. (R.)
Painted last summer.
I engraved his head and breast, seen from the other side, in the plate of "True and False Griffins," in "Modern Painters." Only the back of the head and neck of the small dragon he holds in his fore-claws can be seen from this side.
(5.) Capital of the Pillar sustained by the Griffin, of which the base is seen in No. 4. (A.)
First-rate sculpture of the time, and admirably drawn.
(6.) Portion of decorative Lombardic molding from the South Side of the Duomo. (A.)
Showing the peculiar writhing of the branched tracery with a serpentine flexure--altogether different from the springing lines of Gothic ornament. It would be almost impossible to draw this better; it is much more like the real thing than a cast would be.
(7.) Lion, with Dragon in its claws, of Lombardic sculpture (now built into a wall at Venice); above it, head of one of the Dogs which support the Tomb of Can Grande, at Verona. (R.)
The lion--in its emaciated strength, and the serpent with its vital writhe and deadly reverted bite, are both characteristic of the finest Lombard work. The dog's head is 14th century Gothic--a masterpiece of broad, subtle, easy sculpture, getting expression with every touch, and never losing the least undulation of surface, while it utterly disdains the mere imitation of hair, or attainment of effect by deep cutting.
On the Old Road, Vol. 2 (of 2) · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.