ho
about 1600 executed the elaborate choir-screen of St. Etienne du Mont,
the French renaissance sinks to a not inglorious end. His Fame (224,
_bis_), in Room III. and a copy of Giov. da Bologna's Mercury, made
for the Duke of Epernon's tomb, hints at the impending pomposity and
extravagance of the later French pseudo-classic school. Room V.
affords an instructive comparison with some productions of the Italian
renaissance. 332, Florentine school, is a charming bust of Beatrice
d'Este, the girl bride of Lodovico il Moro, autocrat of Milan. The
fine bas-relief, 386, Julius Caesar, was formerly ascribed to
Donatello; 389, Virgin and Child, is also a school work; 403, the
Child-Baptist, is a good example of Mino da Fiesole's sweet and tender
style, as are some Madonna bas-reliefs in the embrasure of the first
window. Here, too, and in the next window, are some well-wrought early
renaissance reliefs in bronze (scenes in the life of a physician), by
a Paduan artist, from the tomb of a celebrated professor of Verona,
Marc'antonio della Torre. In the lunette of the R. wall is embedded
Cellini's Nymph of Fontainebleau, and on either side of the noble
portal from the Palazzo Stanza at Cremona, which forms the entrance to
Room VI., stand the divine Michael Angelo's so-called Two Slaves,
actually fettered Virtues intended for the unfortunate tomb of Pope
Julius II. These priceless statues, given to Francis I. by Robert
Strozzi, subsequently found their way to Richelieu's garden, and
during the later years of the monarchy lay neglected in a stable in
the Faubourg du Roule: when put up to auction in 1793 the vigilant and
admirable Lenoir seized them for his Musee National at the Augustins.
Among other objects we note, 396, a fine bust of Filippo Strozzi by
Benedetto da Maiano. We enter Room VI. The excellent bust of the
Baptist, 383, by Desiderio da Settignano is officially assigned to
Donatello, and the coloured Virgin and Child in wood to the Sienese
Jacopo della Quercia. Room VII. contains many beautiful specimens of
della Robbia ware, and among the statues and busts we note Louis XII.
by Lorenzo da Mugiano, of which the head has been restored.
Provisionally placed in this room is a recently acquired relief in
marble of the Madonna by Agostino di Duccio.

[Footnote 200: The canons decided that these were unworthy of the
enlightened taste of the eighteenth century and had them cleared away.
The relief of the Evangelists was disco