Art Chowder January | February 2017, Issue 7 | Page 44

GIROLAMO MUZIANO (1532-1592)
The Raising of Lazarus 1555 Vatican Museum

Michelangelo praised this version of the subject by his friend Muziano,
but it is weak and disjointed in comparison to that of Sebastiano del
Piombo. The mass of figures is in confusion, with inexplicable gazes and
gestures, and the eye doesn’t know where to go for relief. Sebastiano
groups his figures coherently and without distraction from the dynamic
interaction of the central players, L azarus and Jesus. This is the famous
story where Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave and back to life.

and “of the Whole Together.” The artist is advised, as far as possible
and without affectation,
to arrange the objects in
such a way as to enable
the viewer to grasp the
character of the subject
at first sight, to achieve
the effect of “calling to
and detaining the spectator.”

SEBASTIANO DEL PIOMBO (1485-1547)
The Raising of Lazarus 1517-1519
National Gallery, London

44 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

COMPOSITION
often
calls for objects to be
grouped together. History painting, the highest order of the art that
painters in the Balance
aspired to, often called
for many figures and
these, by the demands
of the subject and the
principles of clarity and
variety, are often ar-

ranged in groups. De
Piles did not lay out detailed rules for this, given
the almost infinite number of possibilities, but
he did advise consulting
examples of beauty and
good judgment found
among the best masters,
pointing again to Raphael. Successful grouping
is closely related to Attitudes: the positions and
movements of the body.
De Piles observes that
the choices made in positioning the various figures should show their
beautiful parts, as much
as the subject allows.
He asserts that there is
nothing in the “imitation
[of nature] that is not susceptible to some grace.”