t
agreeable wood. Above the branches are some cupids, who are flying
round and over a number of young women, evidently portraits of noble
women and ladies of the day, though they are not recognisable after
this lapse of time. The cupids are preparing to transfix the hearts
of the ladies, near whom are young men and lords listening to playing
and singing and watching the amorous dancing of men and maidens,
delighting in the sweetness of their loves. Among these lords Orcagna
drew Castruccio, the lord of Lucca, a youth of the most striking
aspect, with a blue hood bound about his head and a sparrowhawk on
his hand. Near him are other lords of the time, whose identity is not
known. In fine, in this first part he represented in a most gracious
manner all the delights of the world in accordance with the demands
of the place and the requirements of art. On the other side of the
same scene he represented, on a high mountain, the life of those who,
being moved by penitence for their sins and by the desire of
salvation, have escaped from the world to this mountain, which is
thus full of holy hermits serving the Lord, and doing various things
with very realistic expressions. Some are reading and praying, and
are all intent on contemplation; while others are working to earn
their living, and are exercising themselves in various activities.
Here is a hermit milking a goat in the most vigorous and realistic
manner. Below this is St Macario showing to three kings, who are
riding to hunt with their ladies and suite, the corpses of three
kings, partly consumed in a tomb, emblematic of human misery, and
which are regarded with attention by the living kings in fine and
varied attitudes, expressive of wonder, and they seem to be
reflecting that they themselves must shortly become such. One of
these kings is the portrait of Uguccione della Faggiuola of Arezzo,
in a figure represented as holding his nose with his hand in order
not to smell the odour of the dead kings. In the middle of this scene
is Death, flying through the air and clothed in black, while he
raises his scythe to take the life of many who are on the earth, of
every state and condition, poor, rich, lame, whole, young, old, men,
women, and, in short, a multitude of every age and sex. And because
Orcagna knew that the invention of Buffalmacco had pleased the
Pisans, by which Bruno caused his figures in S. Paolo a ripa d'Arno
to speak, making letters issue from their mouths, he