Mon 19. [19 February 1894] Tramontana: beastly! Searchingly cold, I
don't think I ever felt colder. We went to S Maria Novella where we
looked at the Ghirlandaios - but came to the conclusion that the great
Bigordi never would say anything to us - except perhaps in the little
chapel in the Palazzo V. Saw the Oreagnas too - most interesting -
the Hell taken straight from Dante. Then to the Spanish chapel and
were again overcome by its beauty - the little Giotto Salutation too is a
dear! On to the Medici Chapel - of all things in the world the Dawn and
Twilight with the grim Giuliano above must be the most beautiful and
the most terrible. The Night too is lovely - "Grato m'e il sonno e piu
l'esser di sasso" says M. Angelo of her in a tragic phrase - but she is
nothing like so lovely as the Dawn. On to the Riccardi Palace where
we saw again the dear Buozzos and loved them again as much as
ever. In the afternoon to the Uffizii and straight through the passage to
the Pitti - it is the purest joke that passage. I love the Lippo Lippi
Virgin and Child with the background of the birth of the Virgin, and the
two Botticellis in that room though the one with the St John seems to
me a little awkward the baby being held at exact right angles to him;
there is also a nice Luca Signorelli (round) the Virgin with the real
Signorelli face. Of the big things Fra Bartolommeos entombment - the
Virgin is like Lady M Majendie, the apostle perhaps a little effeminate
but very lovely - and risen Christ which is quite splendid; Andrea's
dispute about the Trinity, Holy family - the St Anna is quite beautiful -
and portrait of himself and his wife; Rafael's portraits of Leo X and
Julius II and the 2 Donis; Perugino's head of Magdalen which is like
the delicious brown eyed Lorenzo di Credi in the Uffizii and a portrait
by Leonardi da Vinci of a woman. The Giorgione Music Lesson and
the Lotto 3 Ages of Man grow on one. Home to tea. Read some of
Fratesi's In Provincia which I think is very good. Awfully cold.