CESNOLA

cesnola, luigi palma di (1832-1904), italian-american soldier and archaeologist, was born near turin on the 29th of july 1832. having served in the austrian and crimean wars, in 1860 he went to new york, where he taught italian and french and founded a military school for officers. he took part in the american civil war as colonel of a cavalry regiment, and at aldie (june 1863) was wounded and taken prisoner. he was released from libby prison early in 1864, served in the wilderness and petersburg campaigns (1864-65) as a brigadier of cavalry, and at the close of the war was breveted brigadier-general. he was then appointed united states consul at larnaca in cyprus (1865-1877). during his stay in the island he carried on excavations, which resulted in the discovery of a large number of antiquities. the collection was purchased by the metropolitan museum of new york, and cesnola became director in 1879. doubt having been thrown by gaston l. feuerdant, in an article in the new york _herald_ (august 1880), upon the genuineness of his restorations, the matter was referred to a special committee, which pronounced in his favour.[1] he is the author of _cyprus, its ancient cities, tombs and temples_ (1877), an interesting book of travel and of considerable service to the practical antiquary; and of a _descriptive atlas of the cesnola collection of cypriote antiquities_ (3 vols., 1884-6). he died in new york on the 21st of november 1904. he was a member of several learned societies in europe and america, and in 1897 he received a congressional medal of honour for conspicuous military services. his brother, alessandro palma di cesnola, born in 1839, conducted excavations at paphos (where he was u.s. vice-consul) and salamis on behalf of the british government. the results of these are described in _salaminia_ (1882). footnote: [1] for the cesnola controversy see c.d. cobham's _attempt at a bibliography of cyprus_ (4th ed., 1900). see also article cyprus. cespedes (in ital. cedaspe), pablo de (1538-1608), spanish poet, painter, sculptor and architect, was born at cordova, and was educated at alcala de henares, where he studied theology and oriental languages. on leaving the university, he went to rome, where he became the pupil and friend of federigo zuccaro, under whose direction he studied particularly the works of raphael and of michelangelo. in 1560, while yet in rome, proceedings were taken against him by the inquisition at valladolid on account of a letter which, found among the papers of the archbishop of toledo, had been written by cespedes during the preceding year, and in which he had spoken with great freedom against the holy office and the inquisitor-general, fernando de valdes. cespedes remained in rome at this critical moment, and he appears rightly to have treated the prosecution with derision. it is not known how he contrived to bring the proceedings to an end; he returned, however, to spain a little before 1577, and in that year was installed in a prebend of the cathedral at cordova, where he resided till his death. pablo de cespedes has been called the most _savant_ of spanish artists. according to his friend francisco pacheco, to whom posterity is indebted for the preservation of all of cespedes's verse that is extant, the school of seville owes to him its introduction to the practice of chiaroscuro. he was a bold and correct draughtsman, a skilful anatomist, a master of colour and composition; and the influence he exerted to the advantage of early spanish art was considerable. cristobal de vera, juan de penalosa and zambrano were among his pupils. his best picture is a last supper at cordova, but there are good examples of his work at seville and at madrid. cespedes was author of several opuscules in prose on subjects connected with his profession. of his poem on _the art of painting_ enough was preserved by pacheco to enable us to form an opinion of the whole. it is esteemed the best didactic verse in spanish; and it has been compared, not disadvantageously, with the _georgics_. it is written in strong and sonorous octaves, in the majestic declamatory vein of fernando herrera, and is not altogether so dull and lifeless as is most didactic verse. it contains a glowing eulogy of michelangelo, and some excellent advice to young painters, insisting particularly on hard work and on the study of nature. the few fragments yet remaining, amounting in all to some six hundred lines, were first printed by pacheco in his treatise _del arte de la pintura_, in 1649.