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 SODOMA

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SODOMA

tion of the Society of Jesus the sodahtiea grew cnor- apprenticed for seven years to a glass-painter from

mously. In the fifty years after the declaration of Ciusale, named Spanzotti, and with him the young

the dogma of the Immaculate Conception nearly Sodoma went to Milan, where he came under the

35,000 new sodalities were united with the Roman influence of Leonardo da Vinci, although it is exceed-

main sodality. In the year 1910, 1192 new sodalities ingly doubtful whether he ever entered his studio,

were established, of which 178 were in North America. He executed his first important decorative work in

At various times and in various countries emperors, 150.3 for a small Olivetan convent near Picnza, and,

kings, and princes have been zealous members of two years after, he passed on to the mother-convent

sodalities, and have encouraged the growth of these of the same order, known as Monte Oliveto Maggiore,

bodies. In the seventeenth century alone eiglity car- to continue the work commenced by Signorelli.

dinals and seven popes came from them. In all Catholic countries the Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin include among their most faithful members, the greatest and noblest men of every position in life, generals and scholars of the highest rank. St. Stanis- laus Kostka, St. John Berchmans, St. Francis de Sales, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, St. Peter Fourier, St. John Baptist de Rossi, the Venerable Jean Eudcs, and many other saints, blesseds, and venerables, were proud to belong to the sodali- ties of the Blessed Virgin. For six years St. Francis de Sales worked, during his student life, in the sodality of the Col- lege of Clermont at Paris as member, assistant, and prefect. Others, like St. Alphonsus Liguori and St. Charles Bor- romeo, praised and recom- mended the SodaUtics of the Blessed Virgin as nurseries for youth and for growth in per- fection. Above all it has always been the teachers and shepherds of the entire Cathohc Church, the popes, who have, in their words and actions, highly honoured these sodaU- ties, and who have earnestly recommended them to all tlie faithful-, e. g. Gregory XIII, Sixtus V, Gregory XV, Bene- dict XIV, Leo XIII, Pius X.

There he not only painted twenty-five large frescoes, but many other smaller ones; "these constitute his most notable and perhaps his greatest works. Two years later he was at Rome, one of a number of artists employed by Julius II to decorate the Vatican. He then went to Siena, and, returning to Rome, exe- cuted important commissions for Agostino Chigi in the Villa Farnisena. Having completed that work he returned to Siena, where he spent a considerable time, iiainting some wonderful pictures, including his "Christ Bound to the Column". We do not know where he was be- tween 1518 and 1525, but in the latter year he was at work at fresco decoration, painting a world-renowned panel, now in the Uffizi Gallery at Florence, with its almost unapproachable figure of San Sebastian; and various smaller pictures. In 1526 he was back at Siena, painting his famous frescoes in the Chapel of St. Catherine and St. Domenico, following them by other fresco works in the Palazzo Pubblico, and then by his decorations in the Chapel of San Spirito. It was these latter works which obtained honours for him from the Em- peror Charles V, who created him a count palatine. He then wandered to Volterra, Pisa,

Self-portrait, Uffizi Gallery
 * i Antonio Bazzi. Called Sodoma

Undoubtedly a well-conducted Sodality of the Lucca, and various other places, leaving behind him

Blessed Virgin is in itself the best method of spiritual traces of fine artistic work, and finally returned

development for the members and also the best aid to to Siena in his old age. He was an erratic and ex-

the priest in his anxietj' for the well-being of his en- traordinary man. Vasari gives various malicious

tu'e flock. In addition these sodalities are the most reports about him, many of which are palpably

universally extended of all pious associations and con- untrue, and others probably exaggerated. There is

fraternities, for they can be and are erected separately little doubt, however, that his moral character was

for each sex, for every age, and every station in life, not above reproach, and at the very least coarse

so that they include in themselv^es the advantages of and lascivious. He drew perfectly, and with great

all unions for ditTerent positions in life. Moreover, as ease, his colouring is delightful, sumptuous, and

has been ah-cady clearly shown, they seek to attain at times sensuous; he was greatly influenced by

as fully as possible in their members the twofold object Leonardo, and to a certain extent by Raphael, and

which all other confraternities, in a certain sense, only there is a remarkable charm and poetic feeling

strive for partially, namely, to attain to true love of running through all his works, while at times the

God by the exercises of the Divine service, prayer and beauty of the faces of his women and children is al-

reception of Holy Communion, and to attain to true most irresistible. His works are scattered all over

charity by exercising the most universal possible zeal Italy, perhaps the greatest being those which are

for souls. , ^ ,„, , «it or near Siena, the painting already alluded to in

C^^Zi^d:!:lS:Z S;«^Jrrf ^l^ei Ivl^ini^Tsbs"! f'^-'f''^' and examples of his work at Milan Munich,

MOLLAN, The Smlali/y n/ Our Lady Studied in the Documents i/Ondon, and Kome. Even,- possible scraj) of informal

(New York. 1912); Delplace, Histoire des Congrtgationst de la tion respecting him has been gathered together in a

Sainu ri<TB« (Bruges, 1884); Loffler, Die marianischen Con- memoir issued in 1906 by R. H. H. Cusf. This is the

standard book on Sodoma, and contains the very latest information concerning him. It is more im- portant than his original statements, to form a proper judgment concerning the artist, because it contains

(3rd ed., Freiburg) ; LXXVni, 437sqq.

Joseph Hilgers.

Sodoma (Giovaxxi Antonio Bazzi, or De'Bazzi,

often miscalled Razzi, more usually known by his all that Vasari states, together with many important

nickname, Sodoma), Piedmontese and Florentine documents and new pieces of information, dealing

painter, b. at Vercelli in Piedmont, 1477; d. at Sien:i, with the life of the painter, and refuting many of

1.549. His father, Giacono da Bazzi, w.as a shoemaker the statements which have been made concerning him.

who had settled in Vercelli. The son was in 1490 He must be regarded as an extraordinary genius, XIV.-9