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19 October 1884 — Florence | |
Sunday. 19th October [1884]. At 10 we went to the Pitti Palace to look again at the pictures & meant to have gone thro’ to the Uffizzi but we found that on fête days the passage was shut up. Walked to the Bargello & spent some time there. Went into the Badia opposite to see the Altar piece by Filippo Lippi & then drove to the Colnaghis– Lunched with them. Took a carriage & drove off to Villa del Pino to see Miss Macleod by appointment. She received us kindly as ever—& looked stately tho’ quaint dressed in black silk with her head tied up in folds of white muslin edged with lace. She told us a great deal about poor Mrs Sloane’s death & illness & she told us how much Princess Mary had been liked here last winter & how much Teck had been disliked & many other bits of tittle tattle & she asked us if we would buy a clock a friend had to sell for 20,000 fcs. We told her we could not afford so much as we were going to buy a house in London & wanted furniture for it– “Then I wonder whether you would find room to place my old bust there by Bastianini” she said. We laughed & asked what she meant. She said it had been left her by Mr Sloane & was far too valuable for a lone person like her for any child might throw pebbles at it & break it, & she was serious & would be much relieved if Henry would accept it for she knew he would appreciate it. She only begged we would bring a man to carry it away & pack it & that we would not tell anyone at Florence about it for that Ouida was most offensive & violent on finding that Mrs Sloane had left her nothing & Miss Macleod had the bust. We gratefully accepted it & arranged to send up for it & carry it to Venice next week. She said Mr Sloane had ordered the bust of Bastianini to help to keep him from starving & that Bastianini died literally of dirt. He could never be persuaded to wash & when he had a fever the pores of his skin were in such a state that he died. This she knew for a fact—but he was full of genius & had constructed this bust of from Pictures he had seen. We got back to the hotel about 5. I painted till dark– Read Ruskin aloud to Henry & finished the Art Lectures. Dinner 7.30. Henry went to the Opera. I stayed in & wrote & packed. | |
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