; his ease in composition and his skill in the
management of drapery would have made him eminent; but the effect of all
these good qualities was injured by his mannerism, and the fact that his
standard of beauty was not a high one. This may be partly accounted for
by the fact that in Lombardy an artist had no opportunity to study the
remains of classic art, and this one circumstance very largely excuses
the inferiority of the northern sculptors to those of Tuscany, whose
taste had been much improved by close study of ancient plastic art.

There are many sculptors mentioned as having done some part of the work
upon the Milan Cathedral, but very few are known, except by casual
remark. CRISTOFORO SOLARI, called "IL GOBBO, or DEL GOBBO," was one of
the most prominent, and yet we know almost nothing of his history until,
in 1490, he was so disappointed when Omodeo was made architect of the
cathedral instead of himself that he went to Venice, and remained there
during several years.

After a time Solari was appointed ducal sculptor to Ludovico Moro, and
the monument which he erected to Beatrice d'Este was one of his
principal works. When Ludovico lost his power Solari went to Rome, and
remained until he was recalled to Milan to execute sculptures for the
cathedral. He was very independent in his reply, and refused to go
unless his conditions were complied with; one of these conditions was
that he should not be under the direction of any one, but should select
his marbles and his subjects to please himself. The statues he made are
not as fine as we might expect them to be after this beginning; however,
he was at length appointed head architect. Soon after this he was
engaged in making a new model for a cupola, and then suddenly his name
ceases to appear upon the registers.

The Cathedral of Como is another of those vast edifices which afforded
opportunities for artists to make themselves famous. The principal part
of the facade to this cathedral was ornamented by TOMMASO and JACOPO
RODARI. The first was at one time architect of the cathedral, and
together they executed a large portion of the sculptures. Their best
work was in the ornamental parts.

In the southern parts of Italy, both in the states of the Church and in
Naples, there are many works of the fifteenth century which were
executed by artists from Florence and other parts of Italy. Thus there
is nothing new to be said concerning sculpture in Southern Italy during