,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,eminent ,,painters ,,sculptors ,,and ,,architects ,,by ,,giorgio ,,vasari ,,volume ,i4 ,,cimabue ,,to ,,agnolo ,,gaddi #aiab ,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,eminent ,,painters ,,sculptors ,,architects ,,by ,,giorgio ,,vasari3 ,,newly ,,translated ,,by ,,gaston ,du ,c4 ,,de ,,vere4 ,,with ,,five ,,hundred ,,illustrations3 ,,in ,,ten ,,volumes ,illustration3 #aeaa-aegd ,,london3 ,,macmillan ,,and ,,co4 ,,ld4 ,,the ,,medici ,,society1 ,,ld4 #aiab-ad ,,contents ,,of ,,volume ,i ,,page ,,translator',s ,,preface ,,to ,,this ,,edition xi ,,dedications ,,to ,,cosimo ,,de' ,,medici ,,edition ,,of #aeej xiii ,,edition ,,of #aefh xvii ,,imprimatur ,,of ,,pope ,,pius ,v xxi ,,the ,,author',s ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,whole ,,work xxiii ,,the ,,author',s ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,lives xxxvii ,,giovanni ,,cimabue #a ,,arnolfo ,,di ,,lapo #aa ,,niccola ,,and ,,giovanni ,,of ,,pisa ,,niccola ,,pisano3 ,,giovanni ,,pisano #bg ,,andrea ,,tafi #de ,,gaddo ,,gaddi #ec ,,margaritone #fa ,,giotto #fi ,,agostino ,,and ,,agnolo ,,of ,,siena #ie ,,stefano ,,and ,,ugolino ,,sanese ,,ugolino ,,da ,,siena #ajg ,,pietro ,,laurati ,,pietro ,,lorenzetti #aae ,,andrea ,,pisano #aba ,,buonamico ,,buffalmacco #acc ,,ambrogio ,,lorenzetti #aec ,,pietro ,,cavallini #aei ,,simone ,,sanese ,,simone ,,memmi ,,or ,,martini #afe ,,taddeo ,,gaddi #age ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione ,,orcagna #ahg ,,tommaso1 ,,called ,,giottino #bja ,,giovanni ,,dal ,,ponte #bji ,,agnolo ,,gaddi #bae ,,index ,,of ,,names #bbe ,,illustrations ,,to ,,volume ,i ,,plates ,,in ,,colour ,,facing ,,page ,,cimabue ,madonna and ,child ,florence3 ,accademia1 #ajb #aj ,,giotto ,madonna and ,child ,florence3 ,accademia1 #ajc #hb ,,pietro ,,laurati ,madonna and ,child1 ,assisi3 ,lower ,church #aah with ,,ss4 ,francis and ,john ,,ambrogio ,madonna and ,child1 ,siena3 ,pinacoteca1 #gg #aef ,,lorenzetti with ,,ss4 ,mary ,magdalen and ,dorothy ,,simone ,,sanese ,the ,knighting of ,assisi3 ,lower ,church1 ,s4 ,martin ,chapel of ,s4 ,martin #afh ,,lippo ,,memmi ,madonna and ,child ,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #ajha;,a #agb ,,taddeo ,,gaddi ,the ,presentation ,florence3 ,accademia1 #ajg #ahb in the ,temple ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione ,christ ,enthroned ,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,,orcagna ,novella1 ,strozzi ,chapel #aib ,,giottino ,the ,descent from ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #bg #bjf the ,cross ,,plates ,,in ,,monochrome ,,cimabue ,madonna1 ,child1 ,paris3 ,louvre1 #abfj #b and ,angels ,,roman ,,school ,isaac's ,blessing ,assisi3 ,upper ,church #f ,,roman ,,school ,the ,deposition ,assisi3 ,upper ,church #f from the ,cross ,,cimabue ,the ,crucifixion ,assisi3 ,upper ,church #h ,,arnolfo ,,di ,,lapo ,reclining ,female ,florence3 7,,school ,,of7 ,figure from a ,tomb ,collection ,bardini #ah ,,arnolfo ,,di ,,lapo ,tomb of ,adrian ,v ,viterbo3 ,s4 ,francesco #bd 7,,school ,,of7 ,,niccola ,,pisano ,pulpit ,pisa3 ,the ,baptistery #cj ,,niccola ,,pisano ,detail3 ,the ,pisa3 ,relief from the ,adoration of ,pulpit of the ,baptistery #cb the ,magi ,,niccola ,,pisano ,detail3 ,the ,siena3 ,relief from ,visitation and the ,pulpit ,the ,nativity of the ,baptistery #cd ,,giovanni ,,pisano ,detail3 ,a ,sibyl ,siena3 ,duomo 7facade7 #ch ,,giovanni ,,pisano ,detail3 ,the ,massacre ,pistoia3 ,relief from the of the ,innocents ,pulpit1 ,s4 ,andrea #dj ,,giovanni ,,pisano ,madonna and ,child ,padua3 ,arena ,chapel #db ,,margaritone ,the ,virgin and ,child1 ,london3 ,n4,g41 #ejdj #fd with ,scenes from the ,lives of the ,saints ,,giotto ,the ,death of ,s4 ,francis ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce #gj ,,roman ,,school ,s4 ,francis ,preaching ,assisi3 ,upper ,church #gb before ,pope ,honorius ,,iii ,,roman ,,school ,the ,body of ,s4 ,francis ,assisi3 ,upper ,church #gd before the ,church of ,s4 ,damiano ,,giotto ,,and ,,his ,the ,raising of ,lazarus ,assisi3 ,lower ,church #gh ,,pupils ,,giotto ,the ,flight into ,egypt ,padua3 ,arena ,chapel #hh ,,giotto ,the ,crucifixion ,assisi3 ,lower ,church #ij 7,,school ,,of7 ,,ugolino ,,sanese ,,ss4 ,paul1 ,peter1 ,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich and ,john the ,baptist ,museum1 #afce #aab ,,pietro ,,laurati ,the ,madonna ,enthroned ,arezzo3 ,s4 ,maria della ,pieve #aaf ,,pietro ,,laurati ,the ,deposition from the ,assisi3 ,lower ,church #abj ,cross ,,andrea ,,pisano ,details3 ,salome and ,the ,florence3 ,gates of the ,beheading of ,s4 ,john the ,baptistery #abf ,baptist ,,andrea ,,pisano ,the ,creation of ,man ,florence3 ,relief on the ,campanile #abh ,,nino ,,pisano ,madonna and ,child ,orvieto3 ,museo dell',opera #acj ,,ambrogio ,madonna and ,child ,milan3 ,cagnola ,collection #aed ,,lorenzetti ,,ambrogio ,central ,panel of ,massa ,marittima3 ,municipio ,,lorenzetti ,polyptych3 ,madonna #aeh and ,child ,,pietro ,detail from ,the ,last ,rome3 ,convent of ,s4 ,cecilia ,,cavallini ,judgment3 ,head of an #afb ,apostle ,,pietro ,detail from ,the ,last ,rome3 ,convent of ,s4 ,cecilia ,,cavallini ,judgment3 ,head of the #afd ,christ in ,glory ,,simone ,,sanese ,altar-piece3 ,s4 ,louis ,naples3 ,s4 ,lorenzo #aff crowning ,king ,robert of ,naples ,,simone ,,sanese ,the ,annunciation ,antwerp3 ,royal ,museum1 #beg-h #agj ,,lippo ,,memmi ,madonna and ,child ,altenburg3 ,lindenau ,museum1 #dc #agd ,,taddeo ,,gaddi ,the ,last ,supper ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce1 the ,refectory #agh ,,bernardo ,,di ,,cione ,detail from ,the ,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,novella #aij ,,orcagna ,paradise3 ,christ with the ,virgin ,enthroned ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione ,the ,death and ,assumption ,florence3 ,relief on the ,,orcagna of the ,virgin ,tabernacle1 ,or ,san ,michele #aid ,,francesco ,,traini ,s4 ,thomas ,aquinas ,pisa3 ,s4 ,caterina #aih ,,giovanni ,,dal ,s4 ,peter ,enthroned ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abib #bab ,,ponte ,,agnolo ,,gaddi ,the ,marriage of ,s4 ,philadelphia3 ,j4 ,g4 ,johnson #bah ,catharine ,collection 99 99 99 99 99 ---------------------------------------- --------- ,transcriber's note3 ,the ,,corrigenda have been corrected in this etext4 ---------------------------------------- --------- ,,corrigenda ,page #di1 lines #a1 #bg1 for ,apollonius read ,apollonio4 ,page #abj1 line #aj1 for which tabernacle is quite round read which tabernacle is in the round4 ,page #abg1 lines #aa1 #ab1 for oval spaces read mandorle4 ,page #aif1 line #ah1 for an oval space read a mandorla4 ,,translator',s ,,preface ,,to ,,this ,,edition ,vasari introduces himself sufficiently in his own prefaces and introduction2 a translator need concern himself only with the system by which the ,italian text can best be rendered in ,english4 ,the style of that text is sometimes laboured and pompous2 it is often ungrammatical4 ,but the narrative is generally lively1 full of neat phrases1 and abounding in quaint expressions--many of them still recognizable in the modern ,florentine vernacular--while1 in such ,lives as those of ,giotto1 ,leonardo da ,vinci1 and ,michelagnolo1 ,vasari shows how well he can rise to a fine subject4 ,his criticism is generally sound1 solid1 and direct2 and he employs few technical terms1 except in connection with architecture1 where we find passages full of technicalities1 often so loosely used that it is difficult to be sure of their exact meaning4 ,in such cases ,i have invariably adopted the rendering which seemed most in accordance with ,vasari's actual words1 so far as these could be explained by professional advice and local knowledge2 and ,i have included brief notes where they appeared to be indispensable4 ,in ,mrs4 ,foster's familiar ,english paraphrase--for a paraphrase it is rather than a translation--all ,vasari's liveliness evaporates1 even where his meaning is not blurred or misunderstood4 ,perhaps ,i have gone too far towards the other extreme in relying upon the ,anglo-,saxon side of the ,english language rather than upon the ,latin1 and in taking no liberties whatever with the text of #aefh4 ,my intention1 indeed1 has been to render my original word for word1 and to err1 if at all1 in favour of literalness4 ,the very structure of ,vasari's sentences has usually been retained1 though some freedom was necessary in the matter of the punctuation1 which is generally bewildering4 ,as ,mr4 ,horne's only too rare translation of the ,life of ,leonardo da ,vinci has proved1 it is by some such method that we can best keep ,vasari's sense and ,vasari's spirit--the one as important to the student of ,italian art as is the other to the general reader4 ,such an attempt1 however1 places an ,english translator of the first volume at a conspicuous disadvantage4 ,throughout the earlier ,lives ,vasari seems to be feeling his way4 ,he is not sure of himself1 and his style is often awkward4 ,the more faithful the attempted rendering1 the more plainly must that awkwardness be reproduced4 ,vasari's ,introduction on ,technique has not been included1 because it has no immediate connection with the ,lives4 ,in any case1 there already exists an adequate translation by ,miss ,maclehose4 ,all ,vasari's other prefaces and introductions are given in the order in which they are found in the edition of #aefh4 ,with this much explanation1 ,i may pass to personal matters1 and record my thanks to many ,florentine friends for help in technical and grammatical questions2 to ,professor ,baldwin ,brown for the notes on technical matters printed with ,miss ,maclehose's translation of ,vasari on ,technique2 and to ,mr4 ,c4 ,j4 ,holmes1 of the ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 for encouragement in a task which has proved no less pleasant than difficult4 ,g4 ,,du ,c4 ,,de ,v4 ,,london1 ,march #aiab4 ,,to ,,the ,,most ,,illustrious ,,and ,,most ,,excellent ,,signor ,,cosimo ,,de' ,,medici1 ,,duke ,,of ,,florence ,,my ,,most ,,honoured ,,lord1 ,seeing that your ,excellency1 following in this the footsteps of your most ,illustrious ancestors1 and incited and urged by your own natural magnanimity1 ceases not to favour and to exalt every kind of talent1 wheresoever it may be found1 and shows particular favour to the arts of design1 fondness for their craftsmen1#a and understanding and delight in their beautiful and rare works2 ,i think that you cannot but take pleasure in this labour which ,i have undertaken1 of writing down the lives1 the works1 the manners1 and the circumstances of all those who1 finding the arts already dead1 first revived them1 then step by step nourished and adorned them1 and finally brought them to that height of beauty and majesty whereon they stand at the present day4 ,and because these masters have been almost all ,tuscans1 and most of these ,florentines1 of whom many have been incited and aided by your most ,illustrious ancestors with every kind of reward and honour to put themselves to work1 it may be said that in your state1 nay1 in your most blessed house the arts were born anew1 and that through the generosity of your ancestors the world has recovered these most beautiful arts1 through which it has been ennobled and embellished4 ,wherefore1 through the debt which this age1 these arts1 and these craftsmen owe to your ancestors1 and to you as the heir of their virtue and of their patronage of these professions1 and through that debt which ,i1 above all1 owe them1 seeing that ,i was taught by them1 that ,i was their subject and their devoted servant1 that ,i was brought up under ,cardinal ,ippolito de' ,medici1 and under ,alessandro1 your predecessor1 and that1 finally1 ,i am infinitely attached to the blessed memory of the ,magnificent ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 by whom ,i was supported1 loved and protected while he lived2 for all these reasons1 ,i say1 and because from the greatness of your worth and of your fortunes there will come much favour for this work1 and from your understanding of its subject there will come a better appreciation than from any other for its usefulness and for the labour and the diligence that ,i have given to its execution1 it has seemed to me that to your ,excellency alone could it be fittingly dedicated1 and it is under your most honoured name that ,i have wished it to come to the hands of men4 ,deign1 then1 ,excellency1 to accept it1 to favour it1 and1 if this may be granted to it by your exalted thoughts1 sometimes to read it2 having regard to the nature of the matter therein dealt with and to my pure intention1 which has been1 not to gain for myself praise as a writer1 but as craftsman to praise the industry and to revive the memory of those who1 having given life and adornment to these professions1 do not deserve to have their names and their works wholly left1 even as they were1 the prey of death and of oblivion4 ,besides1 at the same time1 through the example of so many able men and through so many observations on so many works that ,i have gathered together in this book1 ,i have thought to help not a little the masters of these exercises and to please all those who therein have taste and pleasure4 ,this ,i have striven to do with that accuracy and with that good faith which are essential for the truth of history and of things written4 ,but if my writing1 being unpolished and as artless as my speech1 be unworthy of your ,excellency's ear and of the merits of so many most illustrious intellects2 as for them1 pardon me that the pen of a draughtsman1 such as they too were1 has no greater power to give them outline and shadow2 and as for yourself1 let it suffice me that your ,excellency should deign to approve my simple labour1 remembering that the necessity of gaining for myself the wherewithal to live has left me no time to exercise myself with any instrument but the brush4 ,nor even with that have ,i reached that goal to which ,i think to be able to attain1 now that ,fortune promises me so much favour1 that1 with greater ease and greater credit for myself and with greater satisfaction to others1 ,i may perchance be able1 as well with the pen as with the brush1 to unfold my ideas to the world1 whatsoever they may be4 ,for besides the help and protection for which ,i must hope from your ,excellency1 as my liege lord and as the protector of poor followers of the arts1 it has pleased the goodness of ,god to elect as ,his ,vicar on earth the most holy and most blessed ,julius ,,iii1 ,supreme ,pontiff and a friend and patron of every kind of excellence and of these most excellent and most difficult arts in particular1 from whose exalted liberality ,i expect recompense for many years spent and many labours expended1 and up to now without fruit4 ,and not only ,i1 who have dedicated myself to the perpetual service of ,his ,holiness1 but all the gifted craftsmen of this age1 must expect from him such honour and reward and opportunities for practising the arts so greatly1 that already ,i rejoice to see these arts arriving in his time at the greatest height of their perfection1 and ,rome adorned by craftsmen so many and so noble that1 counting them with those of ,florence1 whom your ,excellency is calling every day into activity1 ,i hope that someone after our time will have to write a fourth part to my book1 enriching it with other masters and other masterpieces than those described by me2 in which company ,i am striving with every effort not to be among the last4 ,meanwhile1 ,i am content if your ,excellency has good hope of me and a better opinion than that which1 by no fault of mine1 you have perchance conceived of me2 beseeching you not to let me be undone in your estimation by the malignant tales of other men1 until at last my life and my works shall prove the contrary to what they say4 ,now with that intent to which ,i hold1 always to honour and to serve your ,excellency1 dedicating to you this my rough labour1 as ,i have dedicated to you every other thing of mine and my own self1 ,i implore you not to disdain to grant it your protection1 or at least to appreciate the devotion of him who offers it to you2 and recommending myself to your gracious goodness1 most humbly do ,i kiss your hand4 ,your ,excellency's most humble ,servant1 ,,giorgio ,,vasari1 ,painter of ,arezzo4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,the word artist has become impossible as a translation of artefice4 ,such words as artificer1 art-worker1 or artisan1 seem even worse4 ,craftsman loses the alliterative connection with art1 but it comes nearest to expressing ,vasari's idea of the artefice as a practical workman 7cf4 his remark about ,ambrogio ,lorenzetti3 ,the ways of ,ambrogio were rather those of a 'gentiluomo' than of an 'artefice'74 ,,to ,,the ,,most ,,illustrious ,,and ,,most ,,excellent ,,signor ,,cosimo ,,de' ,,medici1 ,,duke ,,of ,,florence ,,and ,,siena ,,my ,,most ,,honoured ,,lord1 ,behold1 seventeen years since ,i first presented to your most ,illustrious ,excellency the ,lives1 sketched so to speak1 of the most famous painters1 sculptors and architects1 they come before you again1 not indeed wholly finished1 but so much changed from what they were and in such wise adorned and enriched with innumerable works1 whereof up to that time ,i had been able to gain no further knowledge1 that from my endeavour and in so far as in me lies nothing more can be looked for in them4 ,behold1 ,i say1 once again they come before you1 most ,illustrious and truly most ,excellent ,lord ,duke1 with the addition of other noble and right famous craftsmen1 who from that time up to our own day have passed from the miseries of this life to a better1 and of others who1 although they are still living in our midst1 have laboured in these professions to such purpose that they are most worthy of eternal memory4 ,and in truth it has been no small good-fortune for many that ,i1 by the goodness of ,him in whom all things have their being1 have lived so long that ,i have almost rewritten this book2 seeing that1 even as ,i have removed many things which had been included ,i know not how1 in my absence and without my consent1 and have changed others1 so too ,i have added many1 both useful and necessary1 that were lacking4 ,and as for the likenesses and portraits of so many men of worth which ,i have placed in this work1 whereof a great part have been furnished by the help and co-operation of your ,excellency1 if they are sometimes not very true to life1 and if they all have not that character and resemblance which the vivacity of colours is wont to give them1 that is not because the drawing and the lineaments have not been taken from the life and are not characteristic and natural2 not to mention that a great part of them have been sent me by the friends that ,i have in various places1 and they have not all been drawn by a good hand4 ,moreover1 ,i have suffered no small inconvenience in this from the distance of those who have engraved these heads1 because1 if the engravers had been near me1 it might perchance have been possible to use in this matter more diligence than has been shown4 ,but however this may be1 our lovers of art and our craftsmen1 for the convenience and benefit of whom ,i have put myself to so great pains1 must be wholly indebted to your most ,illustrious ,excellency for whatever they may find in it of the good1 the useful1 and the helpful1 seeing that while engaged in your service ,i have had the opportunity1 through the leisure which it has pleased you to give me and through the management of your many1 nay1 innumerable treasures1 to put together and to give to the world everything which appeared to be necessary for the perfect completion of this work2 and would it not be almost impiety1 not to say ingratitude1 were ,i to dedicate these ,lives to another1 or were the craftsmen to attribute to any other than yourself whatever they may find in them to give them help or pleasure8 ,for not only was it with your help and favour that they first came to the light1 as now they do again1 but you are1 in imitation of your ancestors1 sole father1 sole lord1 and sole protector of these our arts4 ,wherefore it is very right and reasonable that by these there should be made1 in your service and to your eternal and perpetual memory1 so many most noble pictures and statues and so many marvellous buildings in every manner4 ,but if we are all1 as indeed we are beyond calculation1 most deeply obliged to you for these and for other reasons1 how much more do ,i not owe to you1 who have always had 7would that my brain and my hand had been equal to my desire and right good will7 so many valuable opportunities to display my little knowledge1 which1 whatsoever it may be1 fails by a very great measure to counterbalance the greatness and the truly royal magnificence of your mind8 ,but how may ,i tell8 ,it is in truth better that ,i should stay as ,i am than that ,i should set myself to attempt what would be to the most lofty and noble brain1 and much more so to my insignificance1 wholly impossible4 ,accept then1 most ,illustrious ,excellency1 this my book1 or rather indeed your book1 of the ,lives of the craftsmen of design2 and like the ,almighty ,god1 looking rather at my soul and at my good intentions than at my work1 take from me with right good will not what ,i would wish and ought to give1 but what ,i can4 ,your most ,illustrious ,excellency's most indebted servant1 ,,giorgio ,,vasari4 ,,florence1 ,january #i1 #aefh4 ,,pius ,,papa ,,quintus ,motu proprio 7et cet474 ,cum1 sicut accepimus1 dilectus filius ,philippus ,junta1 typographus ,florentinus1 ad communem studiosorum utilitatem1 sua impensa1 ,vitas ,illustrium ,pictorum et ,sculptorum ,georgii ,vasarii demum auctas et suis imaginibus exornatas1 ,statuta ,equitum ,melitensium in ,italicam linguam translata1 ,receptariumque ,novum pro ,aromatariis1 aliaque opera tum ,latina1 tum ,italica1 saneque utilia et necessaria1 imprimi facere intendat1 dubitetque ne hujusmodi opera postmodum ab aliis sine ejus licentia et in ejus grave praejudicium imprimantur2 nos propterea1 illius indemnitati consulere volentes1 motu simili et ex certa scientia1 eidem ,philippo concedimus et indulgemus ne praedicta opera1 dummodo prius ab ,inquisitore visa et approbata fuerint1 per ipsum imprimenda1 infra decennium a quoquo sine ipsius licentia imprimi aut vendi vel in apothecis teneri possint2 inhibentes omnibus et singulis ,christi fidelibus tam in ,italia quam extra ,italiam existentibus1 sub excommunicationis lata sententia1 in terris vero ,s4,r4,e4 mediate vel immediate subjectis1 etiam ducentorum ducatorum auri ,camerae ,apostolicae applicandorum et amissionis librorum poenis1 totiens ipso facto et absque alia declaratione incurrendis quotiens contraventum fuerit1 ne intra decennium praefatum dicta opera sine ejusdem ,philippi expressa licentia imprimere1 seu ab ipsis aut aliis impressa vendere1 vel venalia habere2 mandantes universis veneralibus fratribus nostris ,archiepiscopis1 ,episcopis1 eorumque ,vicariis in spiritualibus generalibus1 et in ,statu ,s4,r4,e4 etiam ,legatis1 ,vicelegatis1 ,praesidibus et ,gubernatoribus1 ut quoties pro ipsius ,philippi parte fuerint requisiti1 vel eorum aliquis fuerit requisitus1 eidem1 efficacis defensionis praesidio assistentes1 praemissa contra inobedientes et rebelles1 per censuras ecclesiasticas1 etiam saepius aggravando1 et per alia juris remedia1 auctoritate ,apostolica exequantur2 invocato etiam ad hoc1 si opus fuerit1 auxilio brachii saecularis4 ,volumus autem quod praesentis motus proprii nostri sola signatura sufficiat1 et ubique fidem faciat in judicio et extra1 regula contraria non obstante et officii sanctissimae ,inquisitionis ,florentinae4 ,placet motu proprio ,m4 ,datum ,romae apud ,sanctum ,petrum1 quintodecimo ,cal4 ,maij1 anno secundo4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,whole ,,work ,it was the wont of the finest spirits in all their actions1 through a burning desire for glory1 to spare no labour1 however grievous1 in order to bring their works to that perfection which might render them impressive and marvellous to the whole world2 nor could the humble fortunes of many prevent their energies from attaining to the highest rank1 whether in order to live in honour or to leave in the ages to come eternal fame for all their rare excellence4 ,and although1 for zeal and desire so worthy of praise1 they were1 while living1 highly rewarded by the liberality of ,princes and by the splendid ambition of ,states1 and even after death kept alive in the eyes of the world by the testimony of statues1 tombs1 medals1 and other memorials of that kind2 none the less1 it is clearly seen that the ravening maw of time has not only diminished by a great amount their own works and the honourable testimonies of others1 but has also blotted out and destroyed the names of all those who have been kept alive by any other means than by the right vivacious and pious pens of writers4 ,pondering over this matter many a time in my own mind1 and recognizing1 from the example not only of the ancients but of the moderns as well1 that the names of very many architects1 sculptors1 and painters1 both old and modern1 together with innumerable most beautiful works wrought by them1 are going on being forgotten and destroyed little by little1 and in such wise1 in truth1 that nothing can be foretold for them but a certain and wellnigh immediate death2 and wishing to defend them as much as in me lies from this second death1 and to preserve them as long as may be possible in the memory of the living2 and having spent much time in seeking them out and used the greatest diligence in discovering the native city1 the origin1 and the actions of the craftsmen1 and having with great labour drawn them from the tales of old men and from various records and writings1 left by their heirs a prey to dust and food for worms2 and finally1 having received from this both profit and pleasure1 ,i have judged it expedient1 nay rather1 my duty1 to make for them whatsoever memorial my weak talents and my small judgment may be able to make4 ,in honour1 then1 of those who are already dead1 and for the benefit1 for the most part1 of all the followers of these three most excellent arts1 ,architecture1 ,sculpture1 and ,painting1 ,i will write the ,lives of the craftsmen of each according to the times wherein they lived1 step by step from ,cimabue down to our own time2 not touching on the ancients save in so far as it may concern our subject1 seeing that no more can be said of them than those so many writers have said who have come down to our own age4 ,i will treat thoroughly of many things that appertain to the science of one or other of the said arts2 but before ,i come to the secrets of these1 or to the history of the craftsmen1 it seems to me right to touch a little on a dispute1 born and bred between many without reason1 as to the sovereignty and nobility1 not of architecture1 which they have left on one side1 but of sculpture and painting2 there being advanced1 on one side and on the other1 many arguments whereof many1 if not all1 are worthy to be heard and discussed by their craftsmen4 ,i say1 then1 that the sculptors1 as being endowed1 perchance by nature and by the exercise of their art1 with a better habit of body1 with more blood1 and with more energy1 and being thereby more hardy and more fiery than the painters1 in seeking to give the highest rank to their art1 argue and prove the nobility of sculpture primarily from its antiquity1 for the reason that ,god ,almighty made man1 who was the first statue2 and they say that sculpture embraces many more arts as kindred1 and has many more of them subordinate to itself than has painting1 such as low-relief1 working in clay1 wax1 plaster1 wood1 and ivory1 casting in metals1 every kind of chasing1 engraving and carving in relief on fine stones and steel1 and many others which both in number and in difficulty surpass those of painting4 ,and alleging1 further1 that those things which stand longest and best against time and can be preserved longest for the use of men1 for whose benefit and service they are made1 are without doubt more useful and more worthy to be held in love and honour than are the others1 they maintain that sculpture is by so much more noble than painting as it is more easy to preserve1 both itself and the names of all who are honoured by it both in marble and in bronze1 against all the ravages of time and air1 than is painting1 which1 by its very nature1 not to say by external accidents1 perishes in the most sheltered and most secure places that architects have been able to provide4 ,nay more1 they insist that the small number not merely of their excellent but even of their ordinary craftsmen1 in contrast to the infinite number of the painters1 proves their greater nobility2 saying that sculpture calls for a certain better disposition1 both of mind and of body1 that are rarely found together1 whereas painting contents itself with any feeble temperament1 so long as it has a hand1 if not bold1 at least sure2 and that this their contention is proved by the greater prices cited in particular by ,pliny1 by the loves caused by the marvellous beauty of certain statues1 and by the judgment of him who made the statue of sculpture of gold and that of painting of silver1 and placed the first on the right and the second on the left4 ,nor do they even refrain from quoting the difficulties experienced before the materials1 such as the marbles and the metals1 can be got into subjection1 and their value1 in contrast to the ease of obtaining the panels1 the canvases1 and the colours1 for the smallest prices and in every place2 and further1 the extreme and grievous labour of handling the marbles and the bronzes1 through their weight1 and of working them1 through the weight of the tools1 in contrast to the lightness of the brushes1 of the styles1 and of the pens1 chalk-holders1 and charcoals2 besides this1 that they exhaust their minds together with all the parts of their bodies1 which is something very serious compared with the quiet and light work of the painter1 using only his mind and hand4 ,moreover1 they lay very great stress on the fact that things are more noble and more perfect in proportion as they approach more nearly to the truth1 and they say that sculpture imitates the true form and shows its works on every side and from every point of view1 whereas painting1 being laid on flat with most simple strokes of the brush and having but one light1 shows but one aspect2 and many of them do not scruple to say that sculpture is as much superior to painting as is truth to falsehood4 ,but as their last and strongest argument1 they allege that for the sculptor there is necessary a perfection of judgment not only ordinary1 as for the painter1 but absolute and immediate1 in a manner that it may see within the marble the exact whole of that figure which they intend to carve from it1 and may be able to make many parts perfect without any other model before it combines and unites them together1 as ,michelagnolo has done divinely well2 although1 for lack of this happiness of judgment1 they make easily and often some of those blunders which have no remedy1 and which1 when made1 bear witness for ever to the slips of the chisel or to the small judgment of the sculptor4 ,this never happens to painters1 for the reason that at every slip of the brush or error of judgment that might befall them they have time1 recognizing it themselves or being told by others1 to cover and patch it up with the very brush that made it2 which brush1 in their hands1 has this advantage over the sculptor's chisels1 that it not only heals1 as did the iron of the spear of ,achilles1 but leaves its wounds without a scar4 ,to these things the painters1 answering not without disdain1 say1 in the first place1 that if the sculptors wish to discuss the matter on the ground of the ,scriptures the chief nobility is their own1 and that the sculptors deceive themselves very grievously in claiming as their work the statue of our first father1 which was made of earth2 for the art of this performance1 both in its putting on and in its taking off1 belongs no less to the painters than to others1 and was called plastice by the ,greeks and fictoria by the ,latins1 and was judged by ,praxiteles to be the mother of sculpture1 of casting1 and of chasing1 a fact which makes sculpture1 in truth1 the niece of painting1 seeing that plastice and painting are born at one and the same moment from design4 ,and they say that if we consider it apart from the ,scriptures1 the opinions of the ages are so many and so varied that it is difficult to believe one more than the other2 and that finally1 considering this nobility as they wish it1 in one place they lose and in the other they do not win1 as may be seen more clearly in the ,preface to the ,lives4 ,after this1 in comparison with the arts related and subordinate to sculpture1 they say that they have many more than the sculptors1 because painting embraces the invention of history1 the most difficult art of foreshortening1 all the branches of architecture needful for the making of buildings1 perspective1 colouring in distemper1 and the art of working in fresco1 an art different and distinct from all the others2 likewise working in oils on wood1 on stone1 and on canvas2 illumination1 too1 an art different from all the others2 the staining of glass1 mosaics in glass1 the art of inlaying and making pictures with coloured woods1 which is painting2 making sgraffito#b work on houses with iron tools2 niello#c work and printing from copper1 both members of painting2 goldsmith's enamelling1 and the inlaying of gold for damascening2 the painting of glazed figures1 and the making on earthenware vessels of scenes and figures to resist the action of water2 weaving brocades with figures and flowers1 and that most beautiful invention1 woven tapestries1 that are both convenient and magnificent1 being able to carry painting into every place1 whether savage or civilized2 not to mention that in every department of art that has to be practised1 design1 which is our design1 is used by all2 so that the members of painting are more numerous and more useful than those of sculpture4 ,they do not deny the eternity1 for so the others call it1 of sculpture1 but they say that this is no privilege that should make the art more noble than it is by nature1 seeing that it comes simply from the material1 and that if length of life were to give nobility to souls1 the pine1 among the plants1 and the stag1 among the animals1 would have a soul more noble beyond compare than that of men2 although they could claim a similar immortality and nobility in their mosaics1 seeing that there may be seen some as ancient as the most ancient sculptures that are in ,rome1 and that they used to be made of jewels and fine stones4 ,and as for their small or smaller number1 they declare that this is not because the art calls for a better habit of body and greater judgment1 but that it depends wholly on the poverty of their resources and on the little favour1 or avarice1 as we would rather call it1 of rich men1 who give them no supply of marble and no opportunity to work2 in contrast with what may be believed1 nay1 seen to have happened in ancient times1 when sculpture rose to its greatest height4 ,indeed1 it is manifest that he who cannot use and waste a small quantity of marble and hard stone1 which are very costly1 cannot have that practice in the art that is essential2 he who does not practise does not learn it2 and he who does not learn it can do no good4 ,wherefore they should rather excuse with these arguments the imperfection and the small number of their masters1 than seek to deduce nobility from them under false colours4 ,as for the higher prices of sculptures1 they answer that1 although theirs might be much less1 they have not to share them1 being content with a boy who grinds their colours and hands them their brushes or their cheap stools1 whereas the sculptors1 besides the great cost of their material1 require many aids and spend more time on one single figure than they themselves do on very many2 wherefore their prices appear to come from the quality and the durability of the material itself1 from the aids that it requires for its completion1 and from the time that is taken in working it1 rather than from the excellence of the art itself4 ,and although that does not suffice and no greater price is found1 as would be easily seen by anyone who were willing to consider it diligently1 let them find a greater price than the marvellous1 beautiful1 and living gift that ,alexander the ,great made in return for the most splendid and excellent work of ,apelles1 bestowing on him1 not vast treasures or high estate1 but his own beloved and most beautiful ,campaspe2 let them observe1 in addition1 that ,alexander was young1 enamoured of her1 and naturally subject to the passions of love1 and also both a ,king and a ,greek2 and then1 from this1 let them draw what conclusion they please4 ,as for the loves of ,pygmalion and of those other rascals no more worthy to be men1 cited as proof of the nobility of the art1 they know not what to answer1 if1 from a very great blindness of intellect and from a licentiousness unbridled beyond all natural bounds1 there can be made a proof of nobility4 ,as for the man1 whosoever he was1 alleged by the sculptors to have made sculpture of gold and painting of silver1 they are agreed that if he had given as much sign of judgment as of wealth1 there would be no disputing it2 and finally1 they conclude that the ancient ,golden ,fleece1 however celebrated it may be1 none the less covered nothing but an unintelligent ram2 wherefore neither the testimony of riches nor that of dishonest desires1 but those of letters1 of practice1 of excellence1 and of judgment are those to which we must pay attention4 ,nor do they make any answer to the difficulty of obtaining the marbles and the metals1 save this1 that it springs from their own poverty and from the little favour of the powerful1 as has been said1 and not from any degree of greater nobility4 ,to the extreme fatigues of the body and to the dangers peculiar to them and to their works1 laughing and without any ado they answer that if greater fatigues and dangers prove greater nobility1 the art of quarrying the marbles from the bowels of mountains by means of wedges1 levers1 and hammers must be more noble than sculpture1 that of the blacksmith must surpass the goldsmith's1 and that of masonry must be superior to architecture4 ,they say1 next1 that the true difficulties lie rather in the mind than in the body1 wherefore those things that from their nature call for more study and knowledge are more noble and excellent than those that avail themselves rather of strength of body2 and they declare that since the painters rely more on the worth of the mind than the others1 this highest honour belongs to painting4 ,for the sculptors the compasses and squares suffice to discover and apply all the proportions and measurements whereof they have need2 for the painters there is necessary1 besides the knowledge how to make good use of the aforesaid instruments1 an accurate understanding of perspective1 for the reason that they have to provide a thousand other things beyond landscapes and buildings1 not to mention that they must have greater judgment by reason of the quantity of the figures in one scene1 wherein more errors can come than in a single statue4 ,for the sculptor it is enough to be acquainted with the true forms and features of solid and tangible bodies1 subordinate on every side to the touch1 and moreover of those only that have something to support them4 ,for the painter it is necessary to know the forms not only of all the bodies supported and not supported1 but also of all those transparent and intangible2 and besides this they must know the colours that are suitable for the said bodies1 whereof the multitude and the variety1 so absolute and admitting of such infinite extension1 are demonstrated better by the flowers1 the fruits1 and the minerals than by anything else2 and this knowledge is supremely difficult to acquire and to maintain1 by reason of their infinite variety4 ,they say1 moreover1 that whereas sculpture1 through the stubbornness and the imperfection of the material1 does not represent the emotions of the soul save with motion1 which does not1 however1 find much scope therein1 and with the mere shape of the limbs and not even of all these2 the painters demonstrate them with all the forms of motion1 which are infinite1 with the shape of the limbs1 however subtle they may be1 and even with breath itself and the spiritual essence of sight2 and that1 for greater perfection in demonstrating not only the passions and emotions of the soul but also the events of the future1 as living men do1 they must have1 besides long practice in the art1 a complete understanding of physiognomy1 whereof that part suffices for the sculptor which deals with the quantity and the quality of the members1 without troubling about the quality of colours1 as to the knowledge of which anyone who judges by the eye knows how useful and necessary it is for the true imitation of nature1 whereunto the closer a man approaches the more perfect he is4 ,after this they add that whereas sculpture1 taking away bit by bit1 at one and the same time gives depth to and acquires relief for those things that have solidity by their own nature1 and makes use of touch and sight1 the painters1 in two distinct actions1 give relief and depth to a flat surface with the help of one single sense2 and this1 when it has been done by a person intelligent in the art1 has caused many great men1 not to speak of animals1 to stand fast in the most pleasing illusion1 which has never been seen to be done by sculpture1 for the reason that it does not imitate nature in a manner that may be called as perfect as their own4 ,and finally1 in answer to that complete and absolute perfection of judgment which is required for sculpture1 by reason of its having no means to add where it takes away2 declaring1 first1 that such mistakes are irreparable1 as the others say1 and not to be remedied save by patches1 which1 even as in garments they are signs of poverty of wardrobe1 so too both in sculpture and in pictures are signs of poverty of intellect and judgment2 and saying1 further1 that patience1 at its own leisure1 by means of models1 protractors1 squares1 compasses1 and a thousand other devices and instruments for enlarging1 not only preserves them from mistakes but enables them to bring their whole work to its perfection2 they conclude1 then1 that this difficulty which they put down as the greater is nothing or little when compared to those which the painters have when working in fresco1 and that the said perfection of judgment is in no way more necessary for sculptors than for painters1 it being sufficient for the former to execute good models in wax1 clay1 or something else1 even as the latter make their drawings on corresponding materials or on cartoons2 and that finally1 the quality that little by little transfers their models to the marble is rather patience than aught else4 ,but let us consider about judgment1 as the sculptors wish1 and see whether it is not more necessary to one who works in fresco than to one who chisels in marble4 ,for here not only is there no place for patience or for time1 which are most mortal enemies to the union of the plaster and the colours1 but the eye does not see the true colours until the plaster is well dry1 nor can the hand judge of anything but of the soft or the dry1 in a manner that anyone who were to call it working in the dark1 or with spectacles of colours different from the truth1 would not in my belief be very far wrong4 ,nay1 ,i do not doubt at all that such a name is more suitable for it than for intaglio1 for which wax serves as spectacles both true and good4 ,they say1 too1 that for this work it is necessary to have a resolute judgment1 to foresee the end in the fresh plaster and how the work will turn out on the dry2 besides that the work cannot be abandoned so long as the plaster is still fresh1 and that it is necessary to do resolutely in one day what sculpture does in a month4 ,and if a man has not this judgment and this excellence1 there are seen1 on the completion of his work or in time1 patches1 blotches1 corrections1 and colours superimposed or retouched on the dry1 which is something of the vilest1 because afterwards mould appears and reveals the insufficiency and the small knowledge of the craftsmen1 even as the pieces added in sculpture lead to ugliness2 not to mention that when it comes about that the figures in fresco are washed1 as is often done after some time to restore them1 what has been worked on the fresh plaster remains1 and what has been retouched on the dry is carried away by the wet sponge4 ,they add1 moreover1 that whereas the sculptors make two figures together1 or at the most three1 from one block of marble1 they make many of them on one single panel1 with all those so many and so varied aspects which the sculptors claim for one single statue1 compensating with the variety of their postures1 foreshortenings1 and attitudes1 for the fact that the work of the sculptors can be seen from every side2 even as ,giorgione da ,castelfranco did once in one of his pictures1 wherein a figure with its back turned1 having a mirror on either side1 and a pool of water at its feet1 shows its back in the painting1 its front in the pool1 and its sides in the mirrors1 which is something that sculpture has never been able to do4 ,in addition to this1 they maintain that painting leaves not one of the elements unadorned and not abounding with all the excellent things that nature has bestowed on them1 giving its own light and its own darkness to the air1 with all its varieties of feeling1 and filling it with all the kinds of birds together2 to water1 its clearness1 the fishes1 the mosses1 the foam1 the undulations of the waves1 the ships1 and all its various moods2 and to the earth1 the mountains1 the plains1 the plants1 the fruits1 the flowers1 the animals1 and the buildings2 with so great a multitude of things and so great a variety of their forms and of their true colours1 that nature herself many a time stands in a marvel thereat2 and finally1 giving to fire so much of its heat and light that it is clearly seen burning things1 and1 almost quivering with its flames1 rendering luminous in part the thickest darkness of the night4 ,wherefore it appears to them that they can justly conclude and declare that contrasting the difficulties of the sculptors with their own1 the labours of the body with those of the mind1 the imitation of the mere form with the imitation of the impression1 both of quantity and of quality1 that strikes the eye1 the small number of the subjects wherein sculpture can and does demonstrate its excellence with the infinite number of those which painting presents to us 7not to mention the perfect preservation of them for the intellect and the distribution of them in those places wherein nature herself has not done so72 and finally1 weighing the whole content of the one with that of the other1 the nobility of sculpture1 as shown by the intellect1 the invention1 and the judgment of its craftsmen1 does not correspond by a great measure to that which painting enjoys and deserves4 ,and this is all that on the one side and on the other has come to my ears that is worthy of consideration4 ,but because it appears to me that the sculptors have spoken with too much heat and the painters with too much disdain1 and seeing that ,i have long enough studied the works of sculpture and have ever exercised myself in painting1 however small1 perhaps1 may be the fruit that is to be seen of it2 none the less1 by reason of that which it is worth1 and by reason of the undertaking of these writings1 judging it my duty to demonstrate the judgment that ,i have ever made of it in my own mind 7and may my authority avail the most that it can71 ,i will declare my opinion surely and briefly over such a dispute1 being convinced that ,i will not incur any charge of presumption or of ignorance1 seeing that ,i will not treat of the arts of others1 as many have done before to the end that they might appear to the crowd intelligent in all things by means of letters1 and as happened1 among others1 to ,phormio the ,peripatetic of ,ephesus1 who1 in order to display his eloquence1 lecturing and making disputation about the virtues and parts of the excellent captain1 made ,hannibal laugh not less at his presumption than at his ignorance4 ,i say1 then1 that sculpture and painting are in truth sisters1 born from one father1 that is1 design1 at one and the same birth1 and have no precedence one over the other1 save insomuch as the worth and the strength of those who maintain them make one craftsman surpass another1 and not by reason of any difference or degree of nobility that is in truth to be found between them4 ,and although by reason of the diversity of their essence they have many different advantages1 these are neither so great nor of such a kind that they do not come exactly into balance together and that we do not perceive the infatuation or the obstinacy1 rather than the judgment1 of those who wish one to surpass the other4 ,wherefore it may be said with reason that one and the same soul rules the bodies of both1 and by reason of this ,i conclude that those do evil who strive to disunite and to separate the one from the other4 ,heaven1 wishing to undeceive us in this matter and to show us the kinship and union of these two most noble arts1 has raised up in our midst at various times many sculptors who have painted and many painters who have worked in sculpture1 as will be seen in the ,life of ,antonio del ,pollaiuolo1 of ,leonardo da ,vinci1 and of many others long since passed away4 ,but in our own age the ,divine ,goodness has created for us ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 in whom both these arts shine forth so perfect and appear so similar and so closely united1 that the painters marvel at his pictures and the sculptors feel for the sculptures wrought by him supreme admiration and reverence4 ,on him1 to the end that he might not perchance need to seek from some other master some convenient resting-place for the figures that he wrought1 nature has bestowed so generously the science of architecture1 that without having need of others he has strength and power within himself to give to this or the other image made by himself an honourable and suitable resting-place1 in a manner that he rightly deserves to be called the king of sculptors1 the prince of painters1 and the most excellent of architects1 nay rather1 of architecture the true master4 ,and indeed we can affirm with certainty that those do in no way err who call him divine1 seeing that he has within his own self embraced the three arts most worthy of praise and most ingenious that are to be found among mortal men1 and that with these1 after the manner of a ,god1 he can give us infinite delight4 ,and let this suffice for the dispute raised between the factions1 and for our own opinion4 ,now1 returning to my first intention1 ,i say that1 wishing in so far as it lies within the reach of my powers to drag from the ravening maw of time1 the names of the sculptors1 painters1 and architects1 who1 from ,cimabue to the present day1 have been of some notable excellence in ,italy1 and desiring that this my labour may be no less useful than it has been pleasant to me in the undertaking1 it appears to me necessary1 before we come to the history1 to make as briefly as may be an introduction to these three arts1 wherein those were valiant of whom ,i am to write the ,lives1 to the end that every gracious spirit may first learn the most notable things in their professions1 and afterwards may be able with greater pleasure and benefit to see clearly in what they were different among themselves1 and how great adornment and convenience they give to their countries and to all who wish to avail themselves of their industry and knowledge4 ,i will begin1 then1 with architecture1 as the most universal and the most necessary and useful to men1 and as that for the service and adornment of which the two others exist2 and ,i will expound briefly the varieties of stone1 the manners or methods of construction1 with their proportions1 and how one may recognize buildings that are good and well-conceived4 ,afterwards1 discoursing of sculpture1 ,i will tell how statues are wrought1 the form and the proportion that are looked for in them1 and of what kind are good sculptures1 with all the most secret and most necessary precepts4 ,finally1 treating of painting1 ,i will speak of draughtsmanship1 of the methods of colouring1 of the perfect execution of any work1 of the quality of the pictures themselves1 and of whatsoever thing appertains to painting2 of every kind of mosaic1 of niello1 of enamelling1 of damascening1 and then1 lastly1 of the printing of pictures4 ,and in this way ,i am convinced that these my labours will delight those who are not engaged in these pursuits1 and will both delight and help those who have made them a profession4 ,for not to mention that in the ,introduction they will review the methods of working1 and that in the ,lives of the craftsmen themselves they will learn where their works are1 and how to recognize easily their perfection or imperfection and to discriminate between one manner and another1 they will also be able to perceive how much praise and honour that man deserves who adds upright ways and goodness of life to the excellencies of arts so noble4 ,kindled by the praise that those so constituted have obtained1 they too will aspire to true glory4 ,nor will little fruit be gathered from the history1 true guide and mistress of our actions1 in reading of the infinite variety of innumerable accidents that befell the craftsmen1 sometimes by their own fault and very often by chance4 ,it remains for me to make excuse for having on occasion used some words of indifferent ,tuscan1 whereof ,i do not wish to speak1 having ever taken thought to use rather the words and names particular and proper to our arts than the delicate or choice words of precious writers4 ,let me be allowed1 then1 to use in their proper speech the words proper to our craftsmen1 and let all content themselves with my good will1 which has bestirred itself to produce this result not in order to teach to others what ,i do not know myself1 but through a desire to preserve this memory at least of the most celebrated craftsmen1 seeing that in so many decades ,i have not yet been able to see one who has made much record of them4 ,for ,i have wished with these my rough labours1 adumbrating their noble deeds1 to repay to them in some measure the debt that ,i owe to their works1 which have been to me as masters for the learning of whatsoever ,i know1 rather than1 living in sloth1 to be a malignant critic of the works of others1 blaming and decrying them as men are often wont to do4 ,but it is now time to come to our business4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #b3 ,the process of sgraffito work is described in ,professor ,baldwin ,brown's notes to ,vasari on ,technique as follows3 ,a wall is covered with a layer of tinted plaster1 and on this is superimposed a thin coating of white plaster4 ,this outer coating is scratched through 7with an iron tool71 and the colour behind is revealed4 ,then all the surface outside the design is cut away1 and a cameo-like effect is given to the design4 ,footnote #c3 ,the process of niello is as follows3 ,a design is engraved on silver or bronze1 and the lines of the design are filled with a composition of silver and lead4 ,on the application of fire to the whole1 this composition turns black1 leaving the design strongly outlined4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,lives ,i have no manner of doubt that it is with almost all writers a common and deeply-fixed opinion that sculpture and painting together were first discovered1 by the light of nature1 by the people of ,egypt1 and that there are certain others who attribute to the ,chaldaeans the first rough sketches in marble and the first reliefs in statuary1 even as they also give to the ,greeks the invention of the brush and of colouring4 ,but ,i will surely say that of both one and the other of these arts the design1 which is their foundation1 nay rather1 the very soul that conceives and nourishes within itself all the parts of man's intellect1 was already most perfect before the creation of all other things1 when the ,almighty ,god1 having made the great body of the world and having adorned the heavens with their exceeding bright lights1 descended lower with ,his intellect into the clearness of the air and the solidity of the earth1 and1 shaping man1 discovered1 together with the lovely creation of all things1 the first form of sculpture2 from which man afterwards1 step by step 7and this may not be denied71 as from a true pattern1 there were taken statues1 sculptures1 and the science of pose and of outline2 and for the first pictures 7whatsoever they were71 softness1 harmony1 and the concord in discord that comes from light and shade4 ,thus1 then1 the first model whence there issued the first image of man was a lump of clay1 and not without reason1 seeing that the ,divine ,architect of time and of nature1 being ,himself most perfect1 wished to show in the imperfection of the material the way to add and to take away2 in the same manner wherein the good sculptors and painters are wont to work1 who1 adding and taking away in their models1 bring their imperfect sketches to that final perfection which they desire4 ,he gave to man that most vivid colour of flesh1 whence afterwards there were drawn for painting1 from the mines of the earth1 the colours themselves for the counterfeiting of all those things that are required for pictures4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that it cannot be affirmed for certain what was made by the men before the ,flood in these arts in imitation of so beautiful a work1 although it is reasonable to believe that they too carved and painted in every manner2 seeing that ,belus1 son of the proud ,nimrod1 about #bjj years after the ,flood1 caused to be made that statue wherefrom there was afterwards born idolatry1 and his son's wife1 the very famous ,semiramis1 ,queen of ,babylon1 in the building of that city1 placed among its adornments not only diverse varied kinds of animals1 portrayed and coloured from nature1 but also the image of herself and of ,ninus1 her husband1 and1 moreover1 statues in bronze of her husband's father1 of her husband's mother1 and of the mother of the latter1 as ,diodorus relates1 calling them by the ,greek names 7that did not yet exist71 ,jove1 ,juno1 and ,ops4 ,from these statues1 perchance1 the ,chaldaeans learnt to make the images of their gods1 seeing that #aej years later ,rachel1 in flying from ,mesopotamia together with ,jacob her husband1 stole the idols of ,laban her father1 as is clearly related in ,genesis4 ,nor1 indeed1 were the ,chaldaeans alone in making sculptures and pictures1 but the ,egyptians made them also1 exercising themselves in these arts with that so great zeal which is shown in the marvellous tomb of the most ancient ,king ,osimandyas1 copiously described by ,diodorus1 and proved by the stern commandment made by ,moses in the ,exodus from ,egypt1 namely1 that under pain of death there should be made to ,god no image whatsoever4 ,he1 on descending from the mountain1 having found the golden calf wrought and adored solemnly by his people1 and being greatly perturbed to see ,divine honours paid to the image of a beast1 not only broke it and reduced it to powder1 but for punishment of so great a sin caused many thousands of the wicked sons of ,israel to be slain by the ,levites4 ,but because not the making of statues but their adoration was a deadly sin1 we read in ,exodus that the art of design and of statuary1 not only in marble but in every kind of metal1 was bestowed by the mouth of ,god on ,bezaleel1 of the tribe of ,judah1 and on ,aholiab1 of the tribe of ,dan1 who were those that made the two cherubim of gold1 the candlesticks1 the veil1 the borders of the priestly vestments1 and so many other most beautiful castings for the ,tabernacle1 for no other reason than to bring the people to contemplate and to adore them4 ,from the things seen before the ,flood1 then1 the pride of men found the way to make the statues of those for whom they wished that they should remain famous and immortal in the world4 ,and the ,greeks1 who think differently about this origin1 say that the ,ethiopians invented the first statues1 as ,diodorus tells2 that the ,egyptians took them from the ,ethiopians1 and1 from them1 the ,greeks2 for by ,homer's time sculpture and painting are seen to have been perfected1 as it is proved1 in discoursing of the shield of ,achilles1 by that divine poet1 who shows it to us carved and painted1 rather than described1 with every form of art4 ,lactantius ,firmianus1 by way of fable1 attributes it to ,prometheus1 who1 in the manner of ,almighty ,god1 shaped man's image out of mud2 and from him1 he declares1 the art of statuary came4 ,but according to what ,pliny writes1 this came to ,egypt from ,gyges the ,lydian1 who1 being by the fire and gazing at his own shadow1 suddenly1 with some charcoal in his hand1 drew his own outline on the wall4 ,and from that age1 for a time1 outlines only were wont to be used1 with no body of colour1 as the same ,pliny confirms2 which method was rediscovered with more labour by ,philocles the ,egyptian1 and likewise by ,cleanthes and ,ardices of ,corinth and by ,telephanes of ,sicyon4 ,cleophantes of ,corinth was the first among the ,greeks who used colours1 and ,apollodorus the first who discovered the brush4 ,there followed ,polygnotus of ,thasos1 ,zeuxis1 and ,timagoras of ,chalcis1 with ,pythias and ,aglaophon1 all most celebrated2 and after these the most famous ,apelles1 so much esteemed and honoured by ,alexander the ,great for his talent1 and the most ingenious investigator of slander and false favour1 as ,lucian shows us2 even as almost all the excellent painters and sculptors were endowed by ,heaven1 in nearly every case1 not only with the adornment of poetry1 as may be read of ,pacuvius1 but with philosophy besides1 as may be seen in ,metrodorus1 who1 being as well versed in philosophy as in painting1 was sent by the ,athenians to ,paulus ,emilius to adorn his triumph1 and remained with him to read philosophy to his sons4 ,the art of sculpture1 then1 was greatly exercised in ,greece1 and there appeared many excellent craftsmen1 and1 among others1 ,pheidias1 an ,athenian1 with ,praxiteles and ,polycletus1 all very great masters1 while ,lysippus and ,pyrgoteles were excellent in sunk reliefs1 and ,pygmalion in reliefs in ivory1 of whom there is a fable that by his prayers he obtained breath and spirit for the figure of a virgin that he made4 ,painting1 likewise1 was honoured and rewarded by the ancient ,greeks and ,romans1 seeing that to those who made it appear marvellous they showed favour by bestowing on them citizenship and the highest dignities4 ,so greatly did this art flourish in ,rome that ,fabius gave renown to his house by writing his name under the things so beautifully painted by him in the temple of ,salus1 and calling himself ,fabius ,pictor4 ,it was forbidden by public decree that slaves should exercise this art throughout the cities1 and so much honour did the nations pay without ceasing to the art and to the craftsmen that the rarest works were sent among the triumphal spoils1 as marvellous things1 to ,rome1 and the finest craftsmen were freed from slavery and recompensed with honours and rewards by the commonwealths4 ,the ,romans themselves bore so great reverence for these arts that besides the respect that ,marcellus1 in sacking the city of ,syracuse1 commanded to be paid to a craftsman famous in them1 in planning the assault of the aforesaid city they took care not to set fire to that quarter wherein there was a most beautiful painted panel1 which was afterwards carried to ,rome in the triumph1 with much pomp4 ,thither1 having1 so to speak1 despoiled the world1 in course of time they assembled the craftsmen themselves as well as their finest works1 wherewith afterwards ,rome became so beautiful1 for the reason that she gained so great adornment from the statues from abroad more than from her own native ones2 it being known that in ,rhodes1 the city of an island in no way large1 there were more than #cj1jjj statues counted1 either in bronze or in marble1 nor did the ,athenians have less1 while those at ,olympia and at ,delphi were many more and those in ,corinth numberless1 and all were most beautiful and of the greatest value4 ,is it not known that ,nicomedes1 ,king of ,lycia1 in his eagerness for a ,venus that was by the hand of ,praxiteles1 spent on it almost all the wealth of his people8 ,did not ,attalus the same1 who1 in order to possess the picture of ,bacchus painted by ,aristides1 did not scruple to spend on it more than #f1jjj sesterces8 ,which picture was placed by ,lucius ,mummius in the temple of ,ceres with the greatest pomp1 in order to adorn ,rome4 ,but for all that the nobility of these arts was so highly valued1 it is none the less not yet known for certain who gave them their first beginning4 ,for1 as has been already said above1 it appears most ancient among the ,chaldaeans1 some give it to the ,ethiopians1 and the ,greeks attribute it to themselves2 and it may be thought1 not without reason1 that it is perchance even more ancient among the ,etruscans1 as our ,leon ,batista ,alberti testifies1 whereof we have clear enough proof in the marvellous tomb of ,porsena at ,chiusi1 where1 no long time since1 there were discovered underground1 between the walls of the ,labyrinth1 some terracotta tiles with figures on them in half-relief1 so excellent and in so beautiful a manner that it can be easily recognized that the art was not begun precisely at that time1 nay rather1 by reason of the perfection of these works1 that it was much nearer its height than its beginning4 ,to this1 moreover1 witness is likewise borne by our seeing every day many pieces of those red and black vases of ,arezzo1 made1 as may be judged from the manner1 about those times1 with the most delicate carvings and small figures and scenes in low-relief1 and many small round masks wrought with great subtlety by masters of that age1 men most experienced1 as is shown by the effect1 and most excellent in that art4 ,it may be seen1 moreover1 by reason of the statues found at ,viterbo at the beginning of the pontificate of ,alexander ,,vi1 that sculpture was in great esteem and in no small perfection among the ,etruscans2 and although it is not known precisely at what time they were made1 it may be reasonably conjectured1 both from the manner of the figures and from the style of the tombs and of the buildings1 no less than from the inscriptions in those ,etruscan letters1 that they are most ancient and were made at a time when the affairs of this country were in a good and prosperous state4 ,but what clearer proof of this can be sought8 seeing that in our own day--that is1 in the year #aeed--there has been found a bronze figure of the ,chimaera of ,bellerophon1 in making the ditches1 fortifications1 and walls of ,arezzo1 from which figure it is recognized that the perfection of that art existed in ancient times among the ,etruscans1 as may be seen from the ,etruscan manner and still more from the letters carved on a paw1 about which--since they are but few and there is no one now who understands the ,etruscan tongue--it is conjectured that they may represent the name of the master as well as that of the figure itself1 and perchance also the date1 according to the use of those times4 ,this figure1 by reason of its beauty and antiquity1 has been placed in our day by the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo in the hall of the new rooms in his ,palace1 wherein there have been painted by me the acts of ,pope ,leo ,x4 ,and besides this there were found in the same place many small figures in bronze after the same manner1 which are in the hands of the said ,lord ,duke4 ,but since the dates of the works of the ,greeks1 the ,ethiopians1 and the ,chaldaeans are as doubtful as our own1 and perhaps more1 and by reason of the greater need of founding our judgment about these works on conjectures1 which1 however1 are not so feeble that they are in every way wide of the mark1 ,i believe that ,i strayed not at all from the truth 7and ,i think that everyone who will consent to consider this question discreetly will judge as ,i did71 when ,i said above that the origin of these arts was nature herself1 and the example or model1 the most beautiful fabric of the world1 and the master1 that divine light infused by special grace into us1 which has not only made us superior to the other animals1 but1 if it be not sin to say it1 like to ,god4 ,and if in our own times it has been seen 7as ,i trust to be able to demonstrate a little later by many examples7 that simple children roughly reared in the woods1 with their only model in the beautiful pictures and sculptures of nature1 and by the vivacity of their wit1 have begun by themselves to make designs1 how much more may we1 nay1 must we confidently believe that these primitive men1 who1 in proportion as they were less distant from their origin and divine creation1 were thereby the more perfect and of better intelligence1 that they1 by themselves1 having for guide nature1 for master purest intellect1 and for example the so lovely model of the world1 gave birth to these most noble arts1 and from a small beginning1 little by little bettering them1 brought them at last to perfection8 ,i do not1 indeed1 wish to deny that there was one among them who was the first to begin1 seeing that ,i know very well that it must needs be that at some time and from some one man there came the beginning2 nor1 also1 will ,i deny that it may have been possible that one helped another and taught and opened the way to design1 to colour1 and relief1 because ,i know that our art is all imitation1 of nature for the most part and then1 because a man cannot by himself rise so high1 of those works that are executed by those whom he judges to be better masters than himself4 ,but ,i say surely that the wishing to affirm dogmatically who this man or these men were is a thing very perilous to judge1 and perchance little necessary to know1 provided that we see the true root and origin wherefrom art was born4 ,for since1 of the works that are the life and the glory of the craftsmen1 the first and step by step the second and the third were lost by reason of time1 that consumes all things1 and since1 for lack of writers at that time1 they could not1 at least in that way1 become known to posterity1 their craftsmen as well came to be forgotten4 ,but when once the writers began to make record of things that were before their day1 they could not speak of those whereof they had not been able to have information1 in a manner that there came to be first with them those of whom the memory had been the last to be lost4 ,even as the first of the poets1 by common consent1 is said to be ,homer1 not because there were none before him1 for there were1 although not so excellent1 which is seen clearly from his own works1 but because of these early poets1 whatever manner of men they were1 all knowledge had been lost quite #b1jjj years before4 ,however1 leaving behind us this part1 as too uncertain by reason of its antiquity1 let us come to the clearer matters of their perfection1 ruin1 and restoration1 or rather resurrection1 whereof we will be able to discourse on much better grounds4 ,i say1 then1 it being true indeed1 that they began late in ,rome1 if the first figure was1 as is said1 the image of ,ceres made of metal from the treasure of ,spurius ,cassius1 who1 for conspiring to make himself ,king1 was put to death by his own father without any scruple2 and that although the arts of sculpture and of painting continued up to the end of the twelve ,caesars1 they did not1 however1 continue in that perfection and excellence which they had enjoyed before1 for it may be seen from the edifices that the ,emperors built in succession one after the other that these arts1 decaying from one day to another1 were coming little by little to lose their whole perfection of design4 ,and to this clear testimony is borne by the works of sculpture and of architecture that were wrought in the time of ,constantine in ,rome1 and in particular the triumphal arch raised for him by the ,roman people near the ,colosseum1 wherein it is seen that in default of good masters they not only made use of marble groups made at the time of ,trajan1 but also of the spoils brought from various places to ,rome4 ,and whosoever knows that the votive offerings in the medallions1 that is1 the sculptures in half-relief1 and likewise the prisoners1 and the large groups1 and the columns1 and the mouldings1 and the other ornaments1 whether made before or from spoils1 are excellently wrought1 knows also that the works which were made to fill up by the sculptors of that time are of the rudest1 as also are certain small groups with little figures in marble below the medallions1 and the lowest base wherein there are certain victories1 and certain rivers between the arches at the sides1 which are very rude and so made that it can be believed most surely that by that time the art of sculpture had begun to lose something of the good4 ,and there had not yet come the ,goths and the other barbarous and outlandish peoples who destroyed1 together with ,italy1 all the finer arts4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that in the said times architecture had suffered less harm than the other arts of design had suffered1 for in the bath that ,constantine erected on the ,lateran1 in the entrance of the principal porch it may be seen1 to say nothing of the porphyry columns1 the capitals wrought in marble1 and the double bases taken from some other place and very well carved1 that the whole composition of the building is very well conceived2 whereas1 on the contrary1 the stucco1 the mosaics1 and certain incrustations on the walls made by masters of that time are not equal to those that he caused to be placed in the same bath1 which were taken for the most part from the temples of the heathen gods4 ,constantine1 so it is said1 did the same in the garden of ,a,equitius1 in making the temple which he afterwards endowed and gave to the ,christian priests4 ,in like manner1 the magnificent ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano1 erected by the same ,emperor1 can bear witness to the same--namely1 that in his day sculpture had already greatly declined2 for the image of the ,saviour and the twelve ,apostles in silver that he caused to be made were very debased sculptures1 wrought without art and with very little design4 ,besides this1 whosoever examines with diligence the medals of ,constantine and his image and other statues made by the sculptors of that time1 which are at the present day in the ,campidoglio1 may see clearly that they are very far removed from the perfection of the medals and statues of the other ,emperors2 and all this shows that long before the coming of the ,goths into ,italy sculpture had greatly declined4 ,architecture1 as has been said1 continued to maintain itself1 if not so perfect1 in a better state2 nor is there reason to marvel at this1 seeing that1 as the great edifices were made almost wholly of spoils1 it was easy for the architects1 in making the new1 to imitate in great measure the old1 which they had ever before their eyes1 and that much more easily than the sculptors could imitate the good figures of the ancients1 their art having wholly vanished4 ,and that this is true is manifest1 because the ,church of the ,prince of the ,apostles on the ,vatican was not rich save in columns1 bases1 capitals1 architraves1 mouldings1 doors1 and other incrustations and ornaments1 which were all taken from various places and from the edifices built most magnificently in earlier times4 ,the same could be said of ,s4 ,croce in ,gierusalemme1 which ,constantine erected at the entreaty of his mother ,helena1 of ,s4 ,lorenzo without the walls of ,rome1 and of ,s4 ,agnesa1 built by him at the request of ,constantia1 his daughter4 ,and who does not know that the font which served for the baptism of both her and her sister was all adorned with works wrought long before1 and in particular with the porphyry basin carved with most beautiful figures1 with certain marble candlesticks excellently carved with foliage1 and with some boys in low-relief that are truly most beautiful8 ,in short1 for these and many other reasons it is clear how much1 in the time of ,constantine1 sculpture had already declined1 and together with it the other finer arts4 ,and if anything was wanting to complete this ruin1 it was supplied to them amply by the departure of ,constantine from ,rome1 on his going to establish the seat of the ,empire at ,byzantium2 for the reason that he took with him not only all the best sculptors and other craftsmen of that age1 whatsoever manner of men they were1 but also an infinite number of statues and other works of sculpture1 all most beautiful4 ,after the departure of ,constantine1 the ,caesars whom he left in ,italy1 building continually both in ,rome and elsewhere1 exerted themselves to make their works as fine as they could2 but1 as may be seen1 sculpture1 as well as painting and architecture1 went ever from bad to worse1 and this perchance came to pass because1 when human affairs begin to decline1 they never cease to go ever lower and lower until such time as they can grow no worse4 ,so1 too1 it may be seen that although at the time of ,pope ,liberius the architects of that day strove to do something great in constructing the ,church of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 they were yet not happy in the success of the whole1 for the reason that although that building1 which is likewise composed for the greater part of spoils1 was made with good enough proportions1 it cannot be denied any the less1 not to speak of certain other parts1 that the frieze made right round above the columns with ornaments in stucco and in painting is wholly wanting in design1 and that many other things which are seen in that great church demonstrate the imperfection of the arts4 ,many years after1 when the ,christians were persecuted under ,julian the ,apostate1 there was erected on the ,coelian ,mount a church to ,s4 ,john and ,s4 ,paul1 the martyrs1 in a manner so much worse than those named above1 that it is seen clearly that the art was at that time little less than wholly lost4 ,the buildings1 too1 that were erected at the same time in ,tuscany1 bear most ample testimony to this2 and not to speak of many others1 the church that was built outside the walls of ,arezzo to ,s4 ,donatus1 ,bishop of that city 7who1 together with the monk ,hilarian1 suffered martyrdom under the said ,julian the ,apostate71 was in no way better in architecture than those named above4 ,nor can it be believed that this came from anything else but the absence of better architects in that age1 seeing that the said church 7as it has been possible to see in our own day71 which is octagonal and constructed from the spoils of the ,theatre1 the ,colosseum and other edifices that had been standing in ,arezzo before it was converted to the faith of ,christ1 was built without thought of economy and at the greatest cost1 and adorned with columns of granite1 of porphyry1 and of many-coloured marbles1 which had belonged to the said buildings4 ,and for myself ,i do not doubt1 from the expense which was clearly bestowed on that church1 that if the ,aretines had had better architects they would have built something marvellous2 for it may be seen from what they did that they spared nothing if only they might make that work as rich and as well designed as they possibly could1 and since1 as has been already said so many times1 architecture had lost less of its perfection than the other arts1 there was to be seen therein some little of the good4 ,at this time1 likewise1 was enlarged the ,church of ,s4 ,maria in ,grado1 in honour of the said ,hilarian1 for the reason that he had been for a long time living in it when he went1 with ,donatus1 to the crown of martyrdom4 ,but because ,fortune1 when she has brought men to the height of her wheel1 is wont1 either in jest or in repentance1 to throw them down again1 it came about after these things that there rose up in various parts of the world all the barbarous peoples against ,rome2 whence there ensued after no long time not only the humiliation of so great an ,empire but the ruin of the whole1 and above all of ,rome herself1 and with her were likewise utterly ruined the most excellent craftsmen1 sculptors1 painters1 and architects1 leaving the arts and their own selves buried and submerged among the miserable massacres and ruins of that most famous city4 ,and the first to fall into decay were painting and sculpture1 as being arts that served more for pleasure than for use1 while the other--namely1 architecture--as being necessary and useful for bodily weal1 continued to exist1 but no longer in its perfection and excellence4 ,and if it had not been that the sculptures and pictures presented1 to the eyes of those who were born from day to day1 those who had been thereby honoured to the end that they might have eternal life1 there would soon have been lost the memory of both2 whereas some of them survived in the images and in the inscriptions placed in private houses1 as well as in public buildings1 namely1 in the amphitheatres1 the theatres1 the baths1 the aqueducts1 the temples1 the obelisks1 the colossi1 the pyramids1 the arches1 the reservoirs1 the public treasuries1 and finally1 in the very tombs1 whereof a great part was destroyed by a barbarous and savage race who had nothing in them of man but the shape and the name4 ,these1 among others1 were the ,visigoths1 who1 having created ,alaric their ,king1 assailed ,italy and ,rome and sacked the city twice without respect for anything whatsoever4 ,the same1 too1 did the ,vandals1 having come from ,africa with ,genseric1 their ,king1 who1 not content with his booty and prey and all the cruelties that he wrought there1 carried away her people into slavery1 to their exceeding great misery1 and among them ,eudoxia1 once the wife of the ,emperor ,valentinian1 who had been slaughtered no long time before by his own soldiers4 ,for these1 having fallen away in very great measure from the ancient ,roman valour1 for the reason that all the best had gone a long time before to ,byzantium with the ,emperor ,constantine1 had no longer any good customs or ways of life4 ,nay more1 there had been lost at one and the same time all true men and every sort of virtue1 and laws1 habits1 names1 and tongues had been changed2 and all these things together and each by itself had caused every lovely mind and lofty intellect to become most brutish and most base4 ,but what brought infinite harm and damage on the said professions1 even more than all the aforesaid causes1 was the burning zeal of the new ,christian religion1 which1 after a long and bloody combat1 with its wealth of miracles and with the sincerity of its works1 had finally cast down and swept away the old faith of the heathens1 and1 devoting itself most ardently with all diligence to driving out and extirpating root and branch every least occasion whence error could arise1 not only defaced or threw to the ground all the marvellous statues1 sculptures1 pictures1 mosaics1 and ornaments of the false gods of the heathens1 but even the memorials and the honours of numberless men of mark1 to whom1 for their excellent merits1 the noble spirit of the ancients had set up statues and other memorials in public places4 ,nay more1 it not only destroyed1 in order to build the churches for the ,christian use1 the most honoured temples of the idols1 but in order to ennoble and adorn ,s4 ,pietro 7to say nothing of the ornaments which had been there from the beginning7 it also robbed of its stone columns the ,mausoleum of ,hadrian1 now called the ,castello di ,s4 ,angelo1 and many other buildings that to-day we see in ruins4 ,and although the ,christian religion did not do this by reason of hatred that it bore to the arts1 but only in order to humiliate and cast down the gods of the heathens1 it was none the less true that from this most ardent zeal there came so great ruin on these honoured professions that their very form was wholly lost4 ,and as if aught were wanting to this grievous misfortune1 there arose against ,rome the wrath of ,totila1 who1 besides razing her walls and destroying with fire and sword all her most wonderful and noble buildings1 burnt the whole city from end to end1 and1 having robbed her of every living body1 left her a prey to flames and fire1 so that there was not found in her in eighteen successive days a single living soul2 and he cast down and destroyed so completely the marvellous statues1 pictures1 mosaics1 and works in stucco1 that there was lost1 ,i do not say only their majesty1 but their very form and essence4 ,wherefore1 it being the lower rooms chiefly of the palaces and other buildings that were wrought with stucco1 with painting1 and with statuary1 there was buried by the ruins from above all that good work that has been discovered in our own day1 and those who came after1 judging the whole to be in ruins1 planted vines thereon1 in a manner that1 since the said lower rooms remained under the ground1 the moderns have called them grottoes1 and grotesque the pictures that are therein seen at the present day4 ,after the end of the ,ostrogoths1 who were destroyed by ,narses1 men were living among the ruins of ,rome in some fashion1 poorly indeed1 when there came1 after #ajj years1 ,constantine ,,ii1 ,emperor of ,constantinople1 who1 although received lovingly by the ,romans1 laid waste1 robbed1 and carried away all that had remained1 more by chance than by the good will of those who had destroyed her1 in the miserable city of ,rome4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that he was not able to enjoy this booty1 because1 being carried by a sea-tempest to ,sicily and being justly slain by his own men1 he left his spoils1 his kingdom1 and his life a prey to ,fortune4 ,but she1 not yet content with the woes of ,rome1 to the end that the things stolen might never return1 brought thither for the ruin of the island a host of ,saracens1 who carried off both the wealth of the ,sicilians and the spoils of ,rome to ,alexandria1 to the very great shame and loss of ,italy and of ,christendom4 ,and so all that the ,pontiffs had not destroyed 7and above all ,s4 ,gregory1 who is said to have decreed banishment against all the remainder of the statues and of the spoils of the buildings7 came finally1 at the hands of that most rascally ,greek1 to an evil end2 in a manner that1 there being no trace or sign to be found of anything that was in any way good1 the men who came after1 although rude and boorish1 and in particular in their pictures and sculptures1 yet1 incited by nature and refined by the air1 set themselves to work1 not according to the rules of the aforesaid arts1 which they did not know1 but according to the quality of their own intelligence4 ,the arts of design1 then1 having been brought to these limits both before and during the lordship of the ,lombards over ,italy and also afterwards1 continued gradually to grow worse1 although some little work was done1 insomuch that nothing could have been more rudely wrought or with less design than what was done1 as bear witness1 besides many other works1 certain figures that are in the portico of ,s4 ,pietro in ,rome1 above the doors1 wrought in the ,greek manner in memory of certain holy fathers who had made disputation for ,holy ,church in certain councils4 ,to this1 likewise1 bear witness many works in the same manner that are to be seen in the city and in the whole ,exarchate of ,ravenna1 and in particular some that are in ,s4 ,maria ,rotonda without that city1 made a little time after the ,lombards had been driven out of ,italy4 ,in this church1 as ,i will not forbear to say1 there may be seen a thing most notable and marvellous1 namely1 the vault1 or rather cupola1 that covers it1 which1 although it is ten braccia wide and serves for roof and covering to that building1 is nevertheless of one single piece1 so great and ponderous that it seems almost impossible that such a stone1 weighing more than #bjj1jjj libbre1#d could have been set into place so high4 ,but to return to our subject2 there issued from the hands of the masters of these times those puppet-like and uncouth figures that are still to be seen in the works of old4 ,the same thing happened to architecture1 seeing that1 since it was necessary to build1 and since form and the good method were completely lost by reason of the death of the craftsmen and the destruction and ruin of their works1 those who applied themselves to this exercise built nothing that either in ordering or in proportion showed any grace1 or design1 or reason whatsoever4 ,wherefore there came to arise new architects1 who brought from their barbarous races the method of that manner of buildings that are called by us to-day ,german2 and they made some that are rather a source of laughter for us moderns than creditable to them1 until better craftsmen afterwards found a better style1 in some measure similar to the good style of the ancients1 even as that manner may be seen throughout all ,italy in the old churches 7but not the ancient71 which were built by them1 such as a palace of ,theodoric1 ,king of ,italy1 in ,ravenna1 and one in ,pavia1 and another in ,modena2 all in a barbarous manner1 and rather rich and vast than well-conceived or of good architecture4 ,the same may be affirmed of ,s4 ,stefano in ,rimini1 of ,s4 ,martino in ,ravenna1 and of the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista1 erected in the same city by ,galla ,placidia about the year of our salvation #dch2 of ,s4 ,vitale1 which was erected in the year #edg1 of the ,abbey of ,classi di ,fuori1 and in short of many other monasteries and churches erected after the ,lombard rule4 ,all these buildings1 as has been said1 are both large and magnificent1 but of the rudest architecture1 and among them are many abbeys in ,france erected to ,s4 ,benedict1 the ,church and ,monastery of ,monte ,casino1 and the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,battista at ,monza1 built by that ,theodelinda1 ,queen of the ,goths1 to whom ,s4 ,gregory the ,pope wrote his ,dialogues2 in which place that ,queen caused to be painted the story of the ,lombards1 wherein it was seen that they shaved the back of their heads1 and in front they had long locks1 and they dyed themselves as far as the chin4 ,their garments were of ample linen1 as was the use of the ,angles and ,saxons1 and below a mantle of diverse colours2 their shoes open as far as the toes and tied above with certain straps of leather4 ,similar to the aforesaid churches were the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni in ,pavia1 erected by ,gondiberta1 daughter of the aforesaid ,theodelinda1 and in the same city the ,church of ,s4 ,salvadore1 built by the brother of the said ,queen1 ,aribert1 who succeeded to the throne of ,rodoald1 husband of ,gondiberta2 and the ,church of ,s4 ,ambrogio in ,pavia1 erected by ,grimoald1 ,king of the ,lombards1 who drove ,bertrid1 son of ,aribert1 from his throne4 ,this ,bertrid1 being restored to his throne after the death of ,grimoald1 erected1 also in ,pavia1 a monastery for nuns called the ,monasterio ,nuovo1 in honour of ,our ,lady and of ,s4 ,agatha2 and the ,queen erected one without the walls1 dedicated to the ,virgin ,mary in ,pertica4 ,cunibert1 likewise1 son of that ,bertrid1 erected a monastery and church after the same manner to ,s4 ,giorgio1 called di ,coronate1 on the spot where he had gained a great victory over ,alahi4 ,not unlike to these1 too1 was the church that the ,king of the ,lombards1 ,luitprand 7who lived in the time of ,king ,pepin1 father of ,charlemagne71 built in ,pavia1 which is called ,s4 ,pietro in ,cieldauro2 nor that one1 likewise1 that ,desiderius built1 who reigned after ,astolf--namely1 ,s4 ,pietro ,clivate1 in the diocese of ,milan2 nor the ,monastery of ,s4 ,vincenzo in ,milan1 nor that of ,s4 ,giulia in ,brescia1 seeing that they were all built at the greatest cost1 but in the most ugly and haphazard manner4 ,later1 in ,florence1 architecture made some little progress1 and the ,church of ,s4 ,apostolo1 that was erected by ,charlemagne1 although small1 was most beautiful in manner2 for not to mention that the shafts of the columns1 although they are of separate pieces1 show much grace and are made with beautiful proportion1 the capitals1 also1 and the arches turned to make the little vaulted roofs of the two small aisles1 show that in ,tuscany there had survived or in truth arisen some good craftsman4 ,in short1 the architecture of this church is such that ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco did not disdain to avail himself of it as a model in building the ,church of ,s4 ,spirito and that of ,s4 ,lorenzo in the same city4 ,the same may be seen in the ,church of ,s4 ,marco in ,venice1 which 7to say nothing of ,s4 ,giorgio ,maggiore1 erected by ,giovanni ,morosini in the year #igh7 was begun under the ,doge ,giustiniano and ,giovanni ,particiaco1 close by ,s4 ,teodosio1 when the body of that ,evangelist was sent from ,alexandria to ,venice2 and after many fires1 which greatly damaged the ,doge's palace and the church1 it was finally rebuilt on the same foundations in the ,greek manner and in that style wherein it is seen to-day1 at very great cost and under the direction of many architects1 in the year of ,christ #igc1 at the time of ,doge ,domenico ,selvo1 who had the columns brought from wheresoever he could find them4 ,and so it continued to go on up to the year #aadj1 when the ,doge was ,messer ,piero ,polani1 and1 as has been said1 with the design of many masters1 all ,greeks4 ,in the same ,greek manner and about the same time were the seven abbeys that ,count ,ugo1 ,marquis of ,brandenburg1 caused to be built in ,tuscany1 as can be seen in the ,badia of ,florence1 in that of ,settimo1 and in the others2 which buildings1 with the remains of those that are no longer standing1 bear testimony that architecture was still in a measure holding its ground1 although greatly corrupted and far removed from the good manner of the ancients4 ,to this can also bear witness many old palaces built in ,florence after the ruin of ,fiesole1 in ,tuscan workmanship1 but with barbaric ordering in the proportions of those doors and windows of immense length1 in the curves of the pointed quarter-segments1 and in the turning of the arches1 after the wont of the foreign architects of those times4 ,the year afterwards1 #ajac1 it is clear that the art had regained some of its vigour from the rebuilding of that most beautiful church1 ,s4 ,miniato in ,sul ,monte1 in the time of ,messer ,alibrando1 citizen and ,bishop of ,florence2 for the reason that1 besides the marble ornaments that are seen therein both within and without1 it may be seen from the facade that the ,tuscan architects strove as much as they could in the doors1 the windows1 the columns1 the arches1 and the mouldings1 to imitate the good order of the ancients1 having in part recovered it from the most ancient temple of ,s4 ,giovanni in their city4 ,at the same time painting1 which was little less than wholly spent1 may be seen to have begun to win back something1 as the mosaic shows that was made in the principal chapel#e of the said ,church of ,s4 ,miniato4 ,from such beginnings1 then1 these arts commenced to grow better in design throughout ,tuscany1 as is seen in the year #ajaf1 from the commencement made by the people of ,pisa for the building of their ,duomo1 seeing that in those times it was a great thing for men to put their hands to the construction of a church made1 as this was1 with five naves1 and almost wholly of marble both within and without4 ,this church1 which was built under the direction and design of ,buschetto1 a ,greek of ,dulichium1 an architect of rarest worth for those times1 was erected and adorned by the people of ,pisa with innumerable spoils brought by sea 7for they were at the height of their greatness7 from diverse most distant places1 as is well shown by the columns1 bases1 capitals1 cornices1 and all the other kinds of stonework that are therein seen4 ,and seeing that these things were some of them small1 some large1 and some of a middle size1 great was the judgment and the talent of ,buschetto in accommodating them and in making the distribution of all this building1 which is very well arranged both within and without2 and besides other work1 he contrived the frontal slope of the facade very ingeniously with a great number of columns1 adorning it besides with columns carved in diverse and varied ways1 and with ancient statues1 even as he also made the principal doors in the same facade1 between which--that is1 beside that of the ,carroccio--there was afterwards given an honourable burial-place to ,buschetto himself1 with three epitaphs1 whereof this is one1 in ,latin verses in no way dissimilar to others of those times3 ,,quod ,,vix ,,mille ,,boum ,,possent ,,juga ,,juncta ,,movere1 ,,et ,,quod ,,vix ,,potuit ,,per ,,mare ,,ferre ,,ratis1 ,,buschetti ,,nisu1 ,,quod ,,erat ,,mirabile ,,visu1 ,,dena ,,puellarum ,,turba ,,levavit ,,onus4 ,and seeing that there has been made mention above of the ,church of ,s4 ,apostolo in ,florence1 ,i will not forbear to say that on a marble slab therein1 on one side of the high-altar1 there may be seen these words3 ,,viii4 ,v4 ,,die ,,vi4 ,,aprilis ,,in ,,resurrectione ,,domini1 ,,karolus ,,francorum ,,rex ,a ,,roma ,,revertens1 ,,ingressus ,,florentiam1 ,,cum ,,magno ,,gaudio ,,et ,,tripudio ,,susceptus1 ,,civium ,,copiam ,,torqueis ,,aureis ,,decoravit 444 ,,ecclesia ,,sanctorum ,,apostolorum 444 ,,in ,,altari ,,inclusa ,,est ,,lamina ,,plumbea1 ,,in ,,qua ,,descripta ,,apparet ,,praefata ,,fundatio ,,et ,,consecratio ,,facta ,,per ,,archiepiscopum ,,turpinum1 ,,testibus ,,rolando ,,et ,,uliverio4 ,the aforesaid edifice of the ,duomo in ,pisa1 awaking the minds of many to fair enterprises throughout all ,italy1 and above all in ,tuscany1 was the cause that in the city of ,pistoia1 in the year #ajcb1 a beginning was made for the ,church of ,s4 ,paolo1 in the presence of the ,blessed ,atto1 ,bishop of that city1 as may be read in a contract made at that time1 and1 in short1 for many other buildings whereof it would take too long to make mention at present4 ,i cannot forbear to say1 however1 following the course of time1 that afterwards1 in the year #ajfj1 there was erected in ,pisa the round church of ,s4 ,giovanni1 opposite the ,duomo and in the same square4 ,and something marvellous and almost wholly incredible is to be found recorded in an old book of the ,works of the said ,duomo1 namely1 that the columns of the said ,s4 ,giovanni1 the pillars1 and the vaulting were raised and completed in fifteen days and no more4 ,in the same book1 which anyone can see who has the wish1 it may be read that for the building of this church there was imposed a tax of one danaio for each fire1 but it is not said therein whether of gold or of small coin2 and at that time there were in ,pisa1 as may be seen in the same book1 #cd1jjj fires4 ,truly this work was vast1 of great cost1 and difficult to execute1 and above all the vaulting of the tribune1 made in the shape of a pear and covered without with lead4 ,the outer side is full of columns1 carvings1 and groups1 and on the frieze of the central door is a ,jesus ,christ with the twelve ,apostles in half-relief1 after the ,greek manner4 ,the people of ,lucca1 about the same time--that is1 in the year #ajfa--;as rivals of the people of ,pisa1 began the ,church of ,s4 ,martino in ,lucca from the design of certain disciples of ,buschetto1 there being then no other architects in ,tuscany4 ,attached to the facade of this church there may be seen a marble portico with many ornaments and carvings made in memory of ,pope ,alexander ,,ii1 who had been1 a short time before he was elected to the ,pontificate1 ,bishop of that city4 ,of this construction and of ,alexander himself everything is fully told in nine ,latin verses1 and the same may be seen in certain other ancient letters engraved on the marble under the portico1 between the doors4 ,on the said facade are certain figures1 and under the portico many scenes in marble from the life of ,s4 ,martin1 in half-relief1 and in the ,greek manner4 ,but the best1 which are over one of the doors1 were made #agj years after by ,niccola ,pisano and finished in #abcc1 as will be told in the proper place2 the ,wardens1 when these were begun1 being ,abellenato and ,aliprando1 as it may be clearly seen from certain letters carved in marble in the same place4 ,these figures by the hand of ,niccola ,pisano show how much improvement there came from him to the art of sculpture4 ,similar to these were most1 nay1 all of the buildings that were erected in ,italy from the times aforesaid up to the year #abej1 seeing that little or no acquisition or improvement can be seen to have been made in the space of so many years by architecture1 which stayed within the same limits and went on ever in that rude manner1 whereof many examples are still to be seen1 of which ,i will at present make no mention1 for the reason that they will be spoken of below according to the occasions that may come before me4 ,in like manner the good sculptures and pictures which had been buried under the ruins of ,italy remained up to the same time hidden from or not known to the men boorishly reared in the rudeness of the modern use of that age1 wherein no other sculptures or pictures existed than those which a remnant of old ,greeks were making either in images of clay or stone1 or painting monstrous figures and covering only the bare lineaments with colour4 ,these craftsmen1 as the best1 being the only ones in these professions1 were summoned to ,italy1 whither they brought sculpture and painting1 together with mosaic1 in that style wherein they knew them2 and even so they taught them rudely and roughly to the ,italians1 who afterwards made use of them1 as has been told and will be told further1 up to a certain time4 ,and the men of those times1 not being used to see other excellence or greater perfection in any work than that which they themselves saw1 marvelled and took these for the best1 for all that they were vile1 until the spirits of the generation then arising1 helped in some places by the subtlety of the air1 became so greatly purged that about #abej1 ,heaven1 moved to pity for the lovely minds that the ,tuscan soil was producing every day1 restored them to their first condition4 ,and although those before them had seen remains of arches1 of colossi1 of statues1 of urns1 and of storied columns in the ages that came after the sackings1 the destructions1 and the burnings of ,rome1 and never knew how to make use of them or draw from them any benefit1 up to the time mentioned above1 the minds that came after1 discerning well enough the good from the bad and abandoning the old manners1 turned to imitating the ancient with all their industry and wit4 ,but in order that it may be understood more clearly what ,i call old and what ancient1 the ancient were the works made before ,constantine in ,corinth1 in ,athens1 in ,rome1 and in other very famous cities1 until the time of ,nero1 the ,vespasians1 ,trajan1 ,hadrian1 and ,antoninus2 whereas those others are called old that were executed from ,s4 ,silvester's day up to that time by a certain remnant of ,greeks1 who knew rather how to dye than how to paint4 ,for since the excellent early craftsmen had been killed in these wars1 as has been said1 to the remainder of these ,greeks1 old but not ancient1 there had been left nothing but elementary outlines on a ground of colour2 and to this at the present day witness is borne by an infinity of mosaics1 which1 wrought throughout all ,italy by these ,greeks1 are to be seen in every old church in any city whatsoever of ,italy1 and above all in the ,duomo of ,pisa1 in ,s4 ,marco at ,venice1 and in other places as well2 and so1 too1 they kept making many pictures in that manner1 with eyes staring1 hands outstretched1 and standing on tiptoe1 as may still be seen in ,s4 ,miniato without ,florence1 between the door that leads into the sacristy and that which leads into the convent2 and in ,s4 ,spirito in the said city1 the whole side of the cloister opposite the church2 and in like manner at ,arezzo1 in ,s4 ,giuliano and ,s4 ,bartolommeo and in other churches2 and in ,rome1 in the old ,church of ,s4 ,pietro1 scenes right round between the windows--works that have more of the monstrous in their lineaments than of likeness to whatsoever they represent4 ,of sculptures1 likewise1 they made an infinity1 as may still be seen in low-relief over the door of ,s4 ,michele in the ,piazza ,padella of ,florence1 and in ,ognissanti2 and tombs and adornments in many places for the doors of churches1 wherein they have certain figures for corbels to support the roof1 so rude and vile1 so misshapen1 and of such a grossness of manner1 that it appears impossible that worse could be imagined4 ,thus far have ,i thought fit to discourse from the beginning of sculpture and of painting1 and peradventure at greater length than was necessary in this place1 which ,i have done1 indeed1 not so much carried away by my affection for art as urged by the common benefit and advantage of our craftsmen4 ,for having seen in what way she1 from a small beginning1 climbed to the greatest height1 and how from a state so noble she fell into utter ruin1 and that1 in consequence1 the nature of this art is similar to that of the others1 which1 like human bodies1 have their birth1 their growth1 their growing old1 and their death2 they will now be able to recognize more easily the progress of her second birth and of that very perfection whereto she has risen again in our times4 ,and ,i hope1 moreover1 that if ever 7which ,god forbid7 it should happen at any time1 through the negligence of men1 or through the malice of time1 or1 finally1 through the decree of ,heaven1 which appears to be unwilling that the things of this earth should exist for long in one form1 that she falls again into the same chaos of ruin2 that these my labours1 whatsoever they may be worth 7if indeed they may be worthy of a happier fortune71 both through what has been already said and through what remains to say1 may be able to keep her alive or at least to encourage the most exalted minds to provide them with better assistance2 so much so that1 what with my good will and the works of these masters1 she may abound in those aids and adornments wherein1 if ,i may freely speak the truth1 she has been wanting up to the present day4 ,but it is now time to come to the ,life of ,giovanni ,cimabue1 and even as he gave the first beginning to the new method of drawing and painting1 so it is just and expedient that he should give it to the ,lives1 in which ,i will do my utmost to observe1 the most that ,i can1 the order of their manners rather than that of time4 ,and in describing the forms and features of the craftsmen ,i will be brief1 seeing that their portraits1 which have been collected by me with no less cost and fatigue than diligence1 will show better what sort of men the craftsmen themselves were in appearance than describing them could ever do2 and if the portrait of any one of them should be wanting1 that is not through my fault but by reason of its being nowhere found4 ,and if the said portraits were not peradventure to appear to someone to be absolutely like to others that might be found1 ,i wish it to be remembered that the portrait made of a man when he was eighteen or twenty years old will never be like to the portrait that may have been made fifteen or twenty years later4 ,to this it must be added that portraits in drawing are never so like as are those in colours1 not to mention that the engravers1 who have no draughtsmanship1 always rob the faces 7being unable or not knowing how to make exactly those minutenesses that make them good and true to life7 of that perfection which is rarely or never found in portraits cut in wood4 ,in short1 how great have been therein my labour1 expense1 and diligence1 will be evident to those who1 in reading1 will see whence ,i have to the best of my ability unearthed them4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #d3 ,the libbra is twelve ounces of our ordinary pound 7avoirdupois74 ,footnote #e3 ,it is difficult to find a rendering of cappella maggiore that is absolutely satisfactory4 ,there may be a chapel in some churches that is actually larger than the principal chapel4 ,the principal chapel generally contains the choir1 but not always1 and when ,vasari wants to say choir he uses the word coro4 ,the rendering principal chapel has therefore been adopted as the least misleading4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,painters1 ,,sculptors1 ,,and ,,architects1 ,,who ,,have ,,lived ,,from ,,cimabue ,,to ,,the ,,present ,,day4 ,,written ,,by ,,messer ,,giorgio ,,vasari1 ,,painter ,,of ,,arezzo ,,giovanni ,,cimabue ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,madonna1 ,,child ,,and ,,angels 7,after the painting by ,cimabue4 ,paris3 ,louvre1 #abfj7 ,,life ,,of ,,giovanni ,,cimabue1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,by the infinite flood of evils which had laid prostrate and submerged poor ,italy there had not only been ruined everything that could truly claim the name of building1 but there had been blotted out 7and this was of graver import7 the whole body of the craftsmen1 when1 by the will of ,god1 in the city of ,florence1 in the year #abdj1 there was born1 to give the first light to the art of painting1 ,giovanni1 surnamed ,cimabue1 of the family1 noble in those times1 of ,cimabue4 ,he1 while growing up1 being judged by his father and by others to have a beautiful and acute intelligence1 was sent1 to the end that he might exercise himself in letters1 to a master in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 his relative1 who was then teaching grammar to the novices of that convent2 but ,cimabue1 in place of attending to his letters1 would spend the whole day1 as one who felt himself led thereto by nature1 in drawing1 on books and other papers1 men1 horses1 houses1 and diverse other things of fancy2 to which natural inclination fortune was favourable1 for certain ,greek painters had been summoned to ,florence by those who then governed the city1 for nothing else but to restore to ,florence the art of painting1 which was rather out of mind than out of fashion1 and they began1 among the other works undertaken in the city1 the ,chapel of the ,gondi1 whereof to-day the vaulting and the walls are little less than eaten away by time1 as may be seen in ,s4 ,maria ,novella beside the principal chapel1 where it stands4 ,wherefore ,cimabue1 having begun to take his first steps in this art which pleased him1 playing truant often from school1 would stand the livelong day watching these masters at work1 in a manner that1 being judged by his father and by these painters to be in such wise fitted for painting that there could be hoped for him1 applying himself to this profession1 an honourable success1 to his own no small satisfaction he was apprenticed by the said father to these men2 whereupon1 exercising himself without ceasing1 in a short time nature assisted him so greatly that he surpassed by a long way1 both in drawing and in colouring1 the manner of the masters who were teaching him4 ,for they1 giving no thought to making any advance1 had made those works in that fashion wherein they are seen to-day--that is1 not in the good ancient manner of the ,greeks but in that rude modern manner of those times2 and because1 although he imitated these ,greeks1 he added much perfection to the art1 relieving it of a great part of their rude manner1 he gave honour to his country with his name and with the works that he made1 to which witness is borne in ,florence by the pictures that he wrought1 such as the front of the altar in ,s4 ,cecilia1 and in ,s4 ,croce a panel with a ,madonna1 which was and still is placed against a pilaster on the right within the choir4 ,after this1 he made a ,s4 ,francis on a small panel on a gold ground1 and portrayed him from nature 7which was something new in those times7 as best he knew1 and round him all the stories of his life1 in twenty small pictures full of little figures on a gold ground4 ,having next undertaken to make a large panel for the monks of ,vallombrosa1 in the ,abbey of ,s4 ,trinita in ,florence1 he showed in that work 7using therein great diligence1 so as to rise equal to the esteem which had already been conceived of him7 better inventions and a beautiful method in the attitude of a ,madonna1 whom he made with the ,child in her arms and with many angels round her in adoration1 on a gold ground2 which panel1 being finished1 was placed by these monks over the high-altar of the said church1 and being afterwards removed1 in order to give that place to the panel by ,alesso ,baldovinetti which is there to-day1 it was placed in a smaller chapel in the left-hand aisle of the said church4 ,working next in fresco on the ,hospital of the ,porcellana1 at the corner of the ,via ,nuova which goes into the ,borg' ,ognissanti1 on the facade which has in the middle the principal door1 and making on one side the ,annunciation of the ,virgin by the ,angel1 and on the other ,jesus ,christ with ,cleophas and ,luke1 figures as large as life1 he swept away that ancient manner1 making the draperies1 the vestments1 and everything else in this work1 a little more lively and more natural and softer than the manner of these ,greeks1 all full of lines and profiles both in mosaic and in painting2 which manner1 rough1 rude1 and vulgar1 the painters of those times1 not by means of study1 but by a certain convention1 had taught one to the other for many and many a year1 without ever thinking of bettering their draughtsmanship1 of beauty of colouring1 or of any invention that might be good4 ,cimabue1 being summoned again after this work by the same ,prior who had caused him to make the works in ,s4 ,croce1 made him a large ,crucifix on wood1 which is still seen to-day in the church2 which work was the reason1 it appearing to the ,prior that he had been well served1 that he took him to ,s4 ,francesco in ,pisa1 their convent1 in order to make a ,s4 ,francis on a panel1 which was held by these people to be a most rare work1 there being seen therein a certain greater quality of excellence1 both in the air of the heads and in the folds of the draperies1 than had been shown in the ,greek manner up to that time by anyone who had wrought anything1 not only in ,pisa1 but in all ,italy4 ,cimabue having next made for the same church on a large panel the image of ,our ,lady1 with the ,child in her arms and with many angels round her1 also on a ground of gold1 it was after no long time removed from where it had been set up the first time1 in order to make there the marble altar that is there at present1 and was placed within the church beside the door on the left hand2 and for this work he was much praised and rewarded by the people of ,pisa4 ,in the same city of ,pisa1 at the request of the then ,abbot of ,s4 ,paolo in ,ripa d',arno1 he made a ,s4 ,agnes on a little panel1 and round her1 with little figures1 all the stories of her life2 which little panel is to-day over the altar of the ,virgins in the said church4 ,by reason of these works1 then1 the name of ,cimabue being very famous everywhere1 he was brought to ,assisi1 a city of ,umbria1 where1 in company with certain ,greek masters1 in the lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 he painted part of the vaulting1 and on the walls the life of ,jesus ,christ and that of ,s4 ,francis4 ,in these pictures he surpassed by a long way those ,greek painters2 wherefore1 growing in courage1 he began by his own self to paint the upper church in fresco1 and in the chief apse1 over the choir1 on four sides1 he made certain stories of ,our ,lady--namely1 her death2 when her soul is borne by ,christ to ,heaven upon a throne of clouds2 and when1 in the midst of a choir of angels1 ,he crowns her1 with a great number of saints below1 both male and female1 now eaten away by time and by dust4 ,next1 in the sections of the vaulting of the said church1 which are five1 he painted in like manner many scenes4 ,in the first1 over the choir1 he made the four ,evangelists1 larger than life1 and so well that to-day there is still recognized in them much that is good1 and the freshness of the colours in the flesh shows that painting began to make great progress in fresco work through the labours of ,cimabue4 ,the second section he made full of golden stars on a ground of ultramarine4 ,in the third he made in certain medallions ,jesus ,christ1 the ,virgin ,his mother1 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 and ,s4 ,francis--namely1 in every medallion one of these figures1 and in every quarter segment of the vaulting a medallion4 ,and between this and the fifth section he painted the fourth with golden stars1 as above1 on a ground of ultramarine4 ,in the fifth he painted the four ,doctors of the ,church1 and beside each one of these one of the four chief ,religious ,orders--a work truly laborious and executed with infinite diligence4 ,the vaulting finished1 he wrought1 also in fresco1 the upper walls of the whole left-hand side of the church1 making towards the high-altar1 between the windows and right up to the vaulting1 eight scenes from the ,old ,testament1 commencing from the beginning of ,genesis and following the most notable events4 ,and in the space that is round the windows1 up to the point where they end in the gallery that encircles the interior of the wall of the church1 he painted the remainder of the ,old ,testament in eight other scenes4 ,and opposite this work1 in sixteen other scenes corresponding to these1 he painted the acts of ,our ,lady and of ,jesus ,christ4 ,and on the end wall over the principal door1 and round the rose window of the church1 he made her ,ascension into ,heaven and the ,holy ,spirit descending on the ,apostles4 ,this work1 truly very great and rich and most excellently executed1 must have1 in my judgment1 amazed the world in those times1 seeing1 above all1 that painting had lain so long in such great darkness2 and to me1 who saw it again in the year #aefc1 it appeared very beautiful1 thinking how in so great darkness ,cimabue could see so great light4 ,but of all these pictures 7and to this we should give consideration71 those on the roof1 as being less injured by dust and by other accidents1 have been preserved much better than the others4 ,these works finished1 ,giovanni put his hand to painting the lower walls--namely1 those that are from the windows downwards--and made certain works upon them1 but being called to ,florence on some business of his own1 he did not carry this work further2 but it was finished1 as will be told in the proper place1 by ,giotto1 many years afterwards4 ,illustration3 ,anderson ,,isaac',s ,,blessing 7,after the fresco of the ,roman ,school4 ,assisi3 ,upper ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,illustration3 ,anderson ,,the ,,deposition ,,from ,,the ,,cross 7,after the fresco by ,pietro ,laurati ,lorenzetti4 ,assisi3 ,lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,having returned1 then1 to ,florence1 ,cimabue painted in the cloister of ,s4 ,spirito 7wherein there is painted in the ,greek manner1 by other masters1 the whole side facing the church7 three small arches by his own hand1 from the life of ,christ1 and truly with much design4 ,and at the same time he sent certain works wrought by himself in ,florence to ,empoli1 which works are still held to-day in great veneration in the ,pieve of that township4 ,next1 he made for the ,church of ,s4 ,maria ,novella the panel of ,our ,lady that is set on high between the ,chapel of the ,rucellai and that of the ,bardi da ,vernia2 which work was of greater size than any figure that had been made up to that time4 ,and certain angels that are round it show that1 although he still had the ,greek manner1 he was going on approaching in part to the line and method of the modern4 ,wherefore this work caused so great marvel to the people of that age1 by reason of there not having been seen up to then anything better1 that it was borne in most solemn procession from the house of ,cimabue to the church1 with much rejoicing and with trumpets1 and he was thereby much rewarded and honoured4 ,it is said1 and it may be read in certain records of old painters1 that while ,cimabue was painting the said panel in certain gardens close to the ,porta ,s4 ,pietro1 there passed through ,florence ,king ,charles the ,elder of ,anjou1 and that1 among the many signs of welcome made to him by the men of this city1 they brought him to see ,cimabue's panel2 whereupon1 for the reason that it had not yet been seen by anyone1 in the showing it to the ,king there flocked together to it all the men and all the women of ,florence1 with the utmost rejoicing and in the greatest crowd in the world4 ,wherefore1 by reason of the joy that the neighbours had thereby1 they called that place the ,borgo ,allegri2 which place1 although enclosed in time within the walls1 has ever after retained the same name4 ,in ,s4 ,francesco in ,pisa1 where he wrought1 as has been said above1 certain other works1 there is in the cloister1 beside the door that leads into the church1 in a corner1 a small panel in distemper by the hand of ,cimabue1 wherein is a ,christ on the ,cross1 with certain angels round ,him1 who1 weeping1 are taking with their hands certain words that are written round the head of ,christ and are presenting them to the ears of a ,madonna who stands weeping on the right1 and on the other side to ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 who is on the left1 all grieving4 ,and the words to the ,virgin are3 ,,mulier1 ,,ecce ,,filius ,,tuus2 and those to ,s4 ,john3 ,,ecce ,,mater ,,tua2 and those that an angel standing apart holds in his hand1 say3 ,,ex ,,illa ,,hora ,,accepit ,,eam ,,discipulus ,,in ,,suam4 ,wherein it is to be observed that ,cimabue began to give light and to open the way to invention1 assisting art with words in order to express his conception2 which was certainly something whimsical and new4 ,now because1 by means of these works1 ,cimabue had acquired a very great name1 together with much profit1 he was appointed as architect1 in company with ,arnolfo ,lapi1 a man then excellent in architecture1 for the building of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore in ,florence4 ,but at length1 having lived sixty years1 he passed to the other life in the year #acjj1 having little less than resurrected painting4 ,he left many disciples1 and among others ,giotto1 who was afterwards an excellent painter2 which ,giotto dwelt1 after ,cimabue1 in his master's own house in the ,via del ,cocomero4 ,cimabue was buried in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 with that epitaph made for him by one of the ,nini3 ,,credidit ,,ut ,,cimabos ,,picturae ,,castra ,,tenere1 ,,sic ,,tenuit1 ,,vivens3 ,,nunc ,,tenet ,,astra ,,poli4 ,illustration3 ,anderson ,,the ,,crucifixion 7,after the fresco by ,cimabue4 ,assisi3 ,upper ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,i will not refrain from saying that if to the glory of ,cimabue there had not been contrasted the greatness of ,giotto1 his disciple1 his fame would have been greater1 as ,dante demonstrates in his ,commedia1 wherein1 alluding in the eleventh canto of the ,purgatorio to this very inscription on the tomb1 he said3 ,credette ,cimabue nella pittura ,tener lo campo1 ed hora ha ,giotto il grido1 ,si che la fama di colui s' oscura4 ,in explanation of these verses1 a commentator of ,dante1 who wrote at the time when ,giotto was alive and ten or twelve years after the death of ,dante himself--that is1 about the year of ,christ #accd--says1 speaking of ,cimabue1 precisely these words3 ,cimabue was a painter of ,florence in the time of the author1 very noble beyond the knowledge of man1 and withal so arrogant and so disdainful that if there were found by anyone any failing or defect in his work1 or if he himself had seen one 7even as it comes to pass many times that the craftsman errs1 through a defect in the material whereon he works1 or through some lack in the instrument wherewith he labours71 incontinently he would destroy that work1 however costly it might be4 ,giotto was and is the most exalted among the painters of the same city of ,florence1 and his works bear testimony for him in ,rome1 in ,naples1 in ,avignon1 in ,florence1 in ,padua1 and in many parts of the world4 ,this commentary is now in the hands of the ,very ,reverend ,don ,vincenzio ,borghini1 ,prior of the ,innocenti1 a man not only most famous for his nobility1 goodness1 and learning1 but also endowed with such love and understanding for all the finer arts that he has deserved to be elected by the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 most properly1 as his ,lieutenant in our ,academy of ,design4 ,but to return to ,cimabue3 ,giotto1 truly1 obscured his fame not otherwise than as a great light does the splendour of one much less1 for the reason that although ,cimabue was1 as it were1 the first cause of the renovation of the art of painting1 yet ,giotto1 his pupil1 moved by laudable ambition and assisted by ,heaven and by nature1 was he who1 rising higher with his thought1 opened the gate of truth to those who have brought her to that perfection and majesty wherein we see her in her own century1 which1 being used to see every day the marvels1 the miracles1 nay1 the impossibilities wrought by the craftsmen in that art1 is now brought to such a pitch that nothing that men do1 be it even more ,divine than human1 causes it in any way to marvel4 ,well is it with those whose labours deserve all praise1 if1 in place of being praised and admired1 they do not thereby incur blame and many times even disgrace4 ,the portrait of ,cimabue1 by the hand of ,simone ,sanese1 is to be seen in the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 made in profile in the story of the ,faith1 in a figure that has the face thin1 the beard small1 reddish1 and pointed1 with a cap according to the use of those times--that is1 wound round and round and under the throat in lovely fashion4 ,he who is beside him is ,simone himself1 the author of that work1 who portrayed himself with two mirrors in order to make his head in profile1 placing the one opposite to the other4 ,and that soldier clad in armour who is between them is said to be ,count ,guido ,novello1 then ,lord of ,poppi4 ,there remains for me to say of ,cimabue that in the beginning of our book1 where ,i have put together drawings from the own hand of all those who have made drawings from his time to ours1 there are to be seen certain small things made by his hand in the way of miniature1 wherein1 although to-day perchance they appear rather rude than otherwise1 it is seen how much excellence was given by his work to draughtsmanship4 ,illustration3 ,,cimabue3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,florence3 ,accademia #ajb ,panel7 ,,arnolfo ,,di ,,lapo ,,life ,,of ,,arnolfo ,,di ,,lapo1 ,,architect ,,of ,,florence ,,notice ,,to ,,readers ,,in ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,arnolfo4--,the said ,arnolfo began1 in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore in ,rome1 the tomb of ,pope ,honorius ,,iii1 of the house of ,savelli2 which tomb he left imperfect1 with the portrait of the said ,pope1 which was afterwards placed with his design in the principal chapel of mosaic of ,s4 ,paolo in ,rome1 with the portrait of ,giovanni ,gaetano1 ,abbot of that monastery4 ,and the marble chapel1 wherein is the ,manger of ,jesus ,christ1 was one of the last pieces of sculpture in marble that ,arnolfo ever made2 and he made it at the instance of ,pandolfo ,ippotecorvo1 in the year twelve 7871 as an epitaph bears witness that is on the wall beside the chapel2 and likewise the chapel and tomb of ,pope ,boniface ,,viii1 in ,s4 ,pietro in ,rome1 whereon is carved the same name of ,arnolfo1 who wrought it4 ,having discoursed1 in the ,preface to the ,lives1 of certain buildings in a manner old but not ancient1 and having been silent1 for the reason that ,i did not know them1 about the names of the architects who had charge of their construction1 ,i will make mention1 in the ,preface to this ,life of ,arnolfo1 of certain other edifices built in his time or a little before1 whereof in like manner it is not known who were the masters2 and then of those that were built in the same times1 whereof it is known who were the architects1 either because the manner of the edifices themselves is recognized very well1 or because we have had information about them by means of the writings and memorials left by them in the works that they made4 ,nor will this be outside our subject1 seeing that1 although they are neither in a beautiful nor in a good manner but only vast and magnificent1 they are worthy none the less of some consideration4 ,there were built1 then1 in the time of ,lapo and of ,arnolfo his son1 many edifices of importance both in ,italy and abroad1 whereof ,i have not been able to find the architects1 such as the ,abbey of ,monreale in ,sicily1 the ,piscopio of ,naples1 the ,certosa of ,pavia1 the ,duomo of ,milan1 ,s4 ,pietro and ,s4 ,petronio in ,bologna1 and many others which are seen throughout all ,italy1 built at incredible cost4 ,having seen all these buildings for myself and studied them1 and likewise many sculptures of those times1 particularly in ,ravenna1 and not having ever found1 ,i do not say any memorials of the masters1 but even many times the date when they were built1 ,i cannot but marvel at the rudeness and little desire for glory of the men of that age4 ,but returning to our subject2 after the buildings named above1 there began at last to arise men of a more exalted spirit1 who1 if they did not find1 sought at least to find something of the good4 ,the first was ,buono1 of whom ,i know neither the country nor the surname1 for the reason that in making record of himself in some of his works he put nothing but simply his name4 ,he1 being both sculptor and architect1 first made many palaces and churches and some sculptures in ,ravenna1 in the year of our salvation #aaeb2 and having become known by reason of these works1 he was called to ,naples1 where he founded 7although they were finished by others1 as will be told7 the ,castel ,capoano and the ,castel dell' ,uovo2 and afterwards1 in the time of ,domenico ,morosini1 ,doge of ,venice1 he founded the ,campanile of ,s4 ,marco with much consideration and judgment1 having caused the foundation of that tower to be so well fixed with piles that it has never moved a hair's-breadth1 as many buildings constructed in that city before his day have been seen and still are seen to have done4 ,and from him1 perchance1 the ,venetians learnt to found1 in the manner in which they do it to-day1 the very beautiful and very rich edifices that every day are being built so magnificently in that most noble city4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that this tower has nothing else good in it1 neither manner1 nor ornament1 nor1 in short1 anything that might be worthy of much praise4 ,it was finished under ,anastasius ,,iv and ,adrian ,,iv1 ,pontiffs1 in the year #aaed4 ,in architecture1 likewise1 ,buono made the ,church of ,s4 ,andrea in ,pistoia1 and in sculpture he made an architrave of marble that is over the door1 full of figures made in the manner of the ,goths1 on which architrave his name is carved1 with the date when this work was made by him1 which was the year #aaff4 ,next1 being summoned to ,florence1 he gave the design for enlarging1 as was done1 the ,church of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 which was then without the city1 and held in great veneration for the reason that ,pope ,pelagius had consecrated it many years before1 and because1 as to size and manner1 it was a very fair body of a church4 ,being then summoned by the ,aretines to their city1 ,buono built the old habitation of the ,lords of ,arezzo1 namely1 a palace in the manner of the ,goths1 and beside it a bell-tower4 ,this edifice1 which for that manner was good enough1 was thrown to the ground1 because it was opposite and very near to the fortress of that city1 in the year #aecc4 ,afterwards1 the art making some little improvement through the works of one ,guglielmo1 ,german 7,i believe7 in origin1 there were built certain edifices of the greatest cost and in a slightly better manner2 for this ,guglielmo1 so it is said1 in the year #aagd1 together with ,bonanno1 a sculptor1 founded in ,pisa the ,campanile of the ,duomo1 where there are certain words carved that say3 ,a4,d4 ,,mclxxiv1 ,,campanile ,,hoc ,,fuit ,,fundatum1 ,,mense ,,aug4 ,but these two architects not having much practice of founding in ,pisa and therefore not supporting the platform with piles1 as they ought1 before they had gone halfway with that building it inclined to one side and bent over to the weakest part1 in a manner that the said campanile leans six and a half braccia#f out of the straight1 according as the foundation sank on this side2 and although in the lower part this is not much1 up above it shows clear enough to make men stand fast in a marvel how it can be that it has not fallen down and has not thrown out cracks4 ,the reason is that this edifice is round both without and within and built in the shape of a hollow well1 and bound together with the stones in a manner that it is well-nigh impossible that it should fall2 and it is assisted1 above all1 by the foundations1 which have an outwork three braccia wide outside the tower1 made1 as it is seen1 after the sinking of the campanile1 in order to support it4 ,i am convinced that if it had been square it would not have been standing to-day1 for the reason that the corner-stones of the square sides1 as is often seen to happen1 would have forced them out in a manner that it would have fallen down4 ,and if the ,garisenda1 a tower in ,bologna1 although square1 leans and does not fall1 that comes to pass because it is slender and does not lean so much1 not being burdened by so great a weight1 by a great measure1 as is this campanile1 which is praised1 not because it has in it any design or beautiful manner1 but simply for its extravagance1 it appearing impossible to anyone who sees it that it can in any wise keep standing4 ,and the same ,bonanno1 while the said campanile was building1 made1 in the year #aahj1 the royal door of bronze for the said ,duomo of ,pisa1 wherein are seen these letters3 ,,ego ,,bonannus ,,pis4 ,,mea ,,arte ,,hanc ,,portam ,,uno ,,anno ,,perfeci1 ,,tempore ,,benedicti ,,operarii4 ,next1 from the walls that were made from ancient spoils at ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano in ,rome1 under ,lucius ,,iii and ,urban ,,iii1 ,pontiffs1 when the ,emperor ,frederick was crowned by this ,urban1 it is seen that the art was going on continually improving1 because certain little temples and chapels1 built1 as has been said1 of spoils1 have passing good design and certain things in them worthy of consideration1 and among others this1 that in order not to overburden the walls of these buildings the vaulting was made of small tubes and with partitions of stucco1 praiseworthy enough for these times4 ,and from the mouldings and other parts it is seen that the craftsmen were going on striving in order to find the good way4 ,innocent ,,iii afterwards caused two palaces to be built on the ,vatican ,hill1 which were passing good1 in so far as it has been possible to discover2 but since they were destroyed by other ,popes1 and in particular by ,nicholas ,v1 who pulled down and rebuilt the greater part of one palace1 there will be nothing said of them but this1 that a part of them is to be seen in the great ,round ,tower and part in the old sacristy of ,s4 ,pietro4 ,this ,innocent ,,iii1 who ruled for nineteen years and took much delight in building1 made many edifices in ,rome2 and in particular1 with the design of ,marchionne ,aretino1 both architect and sculptor1 the ,conti ,tower1 so called from his own surname1 seeing that he was of that family4 ,the same ,marchionne1 in the year when ,innocent ,,iii died1 finished the building of the ,pieve of ,arezzo and likewise the campanile1 making in sculpture1 for the facade of the said church1 three rows of columns one above the other1 with great variety not only in the fashion of the capitals and the bases but also in the shafts of the columns1 some among them being thick1 some slender1 some joined together two by two1 and others four by four4 ,in like manner there are some twined in the manner of vines1 and some made in the shape of figures acting as supports1 with diverse carvings4 ,he also made therein many animals of diverse sorts that support on the middle of their backs the weights of those columns1 and all with the most strange and extravagant inventions that can possibly be imagined1 and not only wide of the good order of the ancients but almost wide of all just and reasonable proportion4 ,but with all this1 whosoever sets out well to consider the whole sees that he went on striving to do well1 and thought peradventure to have found it in that method of working and in that whimsical variety4 ,the same man made in sculpture1 on the arch that is over the door of the said church1 in barbaric manner1 a ,god the ,father with certain angels1 in half-relief and rather large2 and in the arch he carved the twelve months1 placing his own name underneath in round letters1 as was the custom1 and the date--namely1 the year #abaf4 ,it is said that ,marchionne built in the ,borgo ,vecchio in ,rome1 for the same ,pope ,innocent ,,iii1 the ancient edifice of the ,hospital and ,church of ,s4 ,spirito in ,sassia1 where there is still seen something of the old2 and the ancient church was still standing in our own day1 when it was rebuilt in modern fashion1 with greater ornament and design1 by ,pope ,paul ,,iii of the house of ,farnese4 ,and in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 also in ,rome1 he built the marble chapel where there is the ,manger of ,jesus ,christ2 here he portrayed from the life ,pope ,honorius ,,iii1 whose tomb1 also1 he made1 with ornaments some little better than and different enough from the manner that was then in universal use throughout all ,italy4 ,about the same time ,marchionne also made the side door of ,s4 ,pietro in ,bologna1 which was truly for those times a work of the greatest mastery1 by reason of the many carvings that are seen therein1 such as lions in the round that sustain columns1 and men in the use of porters1 and other animals that support weights2 and in the arch above he made the twelve months in full relief1 with various fancies1 and for each month its celestial sign2 which work must have been held marvellous in those times4 ,illustration3 ,,reclining ,,female ,,figure ,,from ,a ,,tomb 7,after the ,school of ,arnolfo di ,lapo4 ,florence3 ,collection ,bardini7 ,about the same time there was founded the ,order of the ,friars ,minor of ,s4 ,francis1 which was confirmed by the said ,innocent ,,iii1 ,pontiff1 in the year #abjf2 and there came such growth1 not only in ,italy but in all the other parts of the world1 both to the devoutness and to the number of the ,friars1 that there was scarce a city of account that did not erect for them churches and convents of the greatest cost1 each according to its power4 ,wherefore1 ,frate ,elia having erected1 two years before the death of ,s4 ,francis 7while the ,saint himself1 as ,general1 was abroad preaching1 and he1 ,prior in ,assisi71 a church with the title of ,our ,lady1 and ,s4 ,francis having died1 and all ,christendom flocking together to visit the body of the ,saint1 who1 in life and in death1 had been known as so much the friend of ,god1 and every man making offering to the holy place according to his power1 it was ordained that the said church begun by ,frate ,elia should be built much greater and more magnificent4 ,but there being a dearth of good architects1 and the work which was to be done having need of an excellent one1 seeing that it had to be built upon a very high hill at the foot of which there runs a torrent called ,tescio1 there was brought to ,assisi1 after much consideration1 as the best of all that were then to be found1 one ,maestro ,jacopo ,tedesco4 ,he1 having considered the site and grasped the wishes of the fathers1 who held thereunto a general ,chapter in ,assisi1 designed a very beautiful body of a church and convent1 making in the model three tiers1 one to be made underground and the others for two churches1 one of which1 on the lower level1 should serve as a court1 with a fairly large portico round it1 and the other for a church2 planning that from the first one should climb to the second by a most convenient flight of steps1 which should wind round the principal chapel1 opening out into two parts in order to lead more easily into the second church1 to which he gave the form of a ,symbol3 ,t1 making it five times as long as it is broad and dividing one bay from another with great piers of stone1 on which he afterwards threw very bold arches1 with groined vaulting between one and another4 ,from a model so made1 then1 was built this truly very great edifice1 and it was followed in every part1 save in the buttresses above that had to surround the apse and the principal chapel1 and in making the vaulting groined1 because they did not make it as has been said1 but barrel-shaped1 in order that it might be stronger4 ,next1 in front of the principal chapel of the lower church1 they placed the altar1 and under that1 when it was finished1 they laid1 with most solemn translation1 the body of ,s4 ,francis4 ,and because the true sepulchre which holds the body of the glorious ,saint is in the first--that is1 in the lowest church--where no one ever goes1 and the doors are walled up1 round the said altar there are very large gratings of iron1 with rich ornaments in marble and mosaic1 that look down therein4 ,this building is flanked on one of the sides by two sacristies1 and by a very high campanile1 namely1 five times as high as it is broad4 ,it had on top a very high octagonal spire1 but this was removed because it threatened to fall4 ,this whole work was brought to a finish in the space of four years1 and no more1 by the genius of ,maestro ,jacopo ,tedesco and by the solicitude of ,frate ,elia1 after whose death1 to the end that such a pile might never through any lapse of time fall into ruin1 there were built round the lower church twelve very stout towers1 and in each of these a spiral staircase that climbs from the ground up to the summit4 ,and in time1 afterwards1 there were made therein many chapels and other very rich ornaments1 whereof there is no need to discourse further1 since this is enough on this subject for the present1 and above all because everyone can see how much of the useful1 the ornamental1 and the beautiful has been added to this beginning of ,maestro ,jacopo's by many supreme ,pontiffs1 ,cardinals1 ,princes1 and other people of importance throughout all ,europe4 ,now1 to return to ,maestro ,jacopo2 by means of this work he acquired so great fame throughout all ,italy that he was summoned by those who then governed the city of ,florence1 and afterwards received with the greatest possible friendliness2 although1 according to the use that the ,florentines have1 and had still more in ancient times1 of abbreviating names1 he was called not ,jacopo but ,lapo throughout all the course of his life2 for he dwelt ever with his whole family in that city4 ,and although he went at diverse times to erect many buildings throughout ,tuscany1 such as the ,palace of ,poppi in the ,casentino1 for that ,count who had had for wife the beautiful ,gualdrada1 and for her dower1 the ,casentino2 and for the ,aretines1 the ,vescovado1#g and the ,palazzo ,vecchio of the ,lords of ,pietramala2 none the less his home was always in ,florence1 where1 having founded in the year #abah the piers of the ,ponte alla ,carraja1 which was then called the ,ponte ,nuovo1 he delivered them finished in two years2 and a little time afterwards the rest was finished of wood1 as was then the custom4 ,and in the year #abba he gave the design for the ,church of ,s4 ,salvadore del ,vescovado1 which was begun under his direction1 and that of ,s4 ,michele in ,piazza ,padella1 where there are certain sculptures in the manner of those times4 ,next1 having given the design for draining the waters of the city1 having caused the ,piazza di ,s4 ,giovanni to be raised1 having built1 in the time of ,messer ,rubaconte da ,mandella1 a ,milanese1 the bridge that retains the same man's name1 and having discovered that most useful method of paving streets1 which before were covered with bricks1 he made the model of the ,palace1 to-day of the ,podesta1 which was then built for the ,anziani4 ,and finally1 having sent the model of a tomb to ,sicily1 to the ,abbey of ,monreale1 for the ,emperor ,frederick and by order of ,manfred1 he died1 leaving ,arnolfo1 his son1 heir no less to the talent than to the wealth of his father4 ,this ,arnolfo1 from whose talent architecture gained no less betterment than painting had gained from that of ,cimabue1 being born in the year #abcb1 was thirty years of age when his father died1 and was held in very great esteem1 for the reason that1 having not only learnt from his father all that he knew1 but having also given attention under ,cimabue to design in order to make use of it in sculpture1 he was held by so much the best architect in ,tuscany1 that not only did the ,florentines found the last circle of the walls of their city under his direction1 in the year #abhd1 and make after his design the ,loggia and the piers of ,or ,san ,michele1 where the grain was sold1 building them of bricks and with a simple roof above1 but by his counsel1 in the same year when the ,poggio de' ,magnuoli collapsed1 on the brow of ,s4 ,giorgio above ,s4 ,lucia in the ,via de' ,bardi1 they determined by means of a public decree that there should be no more building on the said spot1 nor should any edifice be ever made1 seeing that by the sinking of the stones1 which have water trickling under them1 there would be always danger in whatsoever edifice might be made there4 ,that this is true has been seen in our own day from the ruin of many buildings and magnificent houses of noblemen4 ,in the next year1 #abhe1 he founded the ,loggia and ,piazza de' ,priori1 and built the principal chapel of the ,badia of ,florence1 and the two that are on either side of it1 renovating the church and the choir1 which at first had been made much smaller by ,count ,ugo1 founder of that abbey2 and for ,cardinal ,giovanni degli ,orsini1 ,legate of the ,pope in ,tuscany1 he built the campanile of the said church1 which1 according to the works of those times1 was much praised1 although it did not have its completion of grey-stone until afterwards1 in the year #accj4 ,after this there was founded with his design1 in the year #abid1 the ,church of ,s4 ,croce1 where the ,friars ,minor have their seat4 ,what with the middle nave and the two lesser ones ,arnolfo constructed this so wide1 that1 being unable to make the vaulting below the roof by reason of the too great space1 he1 with much judgment1 caused arches to be made from pier to pier1 and upon these he placed the roofs on a slope1 building stone gutters over the said arches in order to carry away the rain-water1 and giving them so much fall as to make the roofs secure1 as they are1 from the danger of rotting2 which device was not only new and ingenious then1 but is equally useful and worthy of being considered to-day4 ,he then gave the design for the first cloisters of the old convent of that church1 and a little time after he caused to be removed from round the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni1 on the outer side1 all the arches and tombs of marble and grey-stone that were there1 and had part of them placed behind the campanile on the facade of the ,canon's house1 beside the ,company of ,s4 ,zanobi2 and then he incrusted with black marble from ,prato all the eight outer walls of the said ,s4 ,giovanni1 removing the grey-stone that there had been before between these ancient marbles4 ,the ,florentines1 in the meanwhile1 wishing to build walls in the ,valdarno di ,sopra round ,castello di ,san ,giovanni and ,castel ,franco1 for the convenience of the city and of their victualling by means of the markets1 ,arnolfo made the design for them in the year #abie1 and satisfied them in such a manner1 as well in this as he had done in the other works1 that he was made citizen of ,florence4 ,after these works1 the ,florentines determined1 as ,giovanni ,villani relates in his ,history1 to build a principal church in their city1 and to build it such that in point of greatness and magnificence there could be desired none larger or more beautiful from the industry and knowledge of men2 and ,arnolfo made the design and the model of the never to be sufficiently praised ,church of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 ordering that it should be all incrusted1 without1 with polished marbles and with the so many cornices1 pilasters1 columns1 carved foliage1 figures1 and other ornaments1 with which to-day it is seen brought1 if not to the whole1 to a great part at least of its perfection4 ,and what was marvellous therein above everything else was this1 that incorporating1 besides ,s4 ,reparata1 other small churches and houses that were round it1 in making the site1 which is most beautiful1 he showed so great diligence and judgment in causing the foundations of so great a fabric to be made broad and deep1 filling them with good material--namely1 with gravel and lime and with great stones below--wherefore the square is still called ,lungo i ,fondamenti1 that they have been very well able1 as is to be seen to-day1 to support the weight of the great mass of the cupola which ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco raised over them4 ,the laying of such foundations for so great a church was celebrated with much solemnity1 for on the day of the ,nativity of ,our ,lady1 in #abih1 the first stone was laid by the ,cardinal ,legate of the ,pope1 in the presence not only of many ,bishops and of all the clergy1 but of the ,podesta as well1 the ,captains1 ,priors1 and other magistrates of the city1 nay1 of the whole people of ,florence1 calling it ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore4 ,and because it was estimated that the expenses of this fabric must be very great1 as they afterwards were1 there was imposed a tax at the ,chamber of the ,commune of four danari in the lira on everything that was put out at interest1 and two soldi per head per annum2 not to mention that the ,pope and the ,legate granted very great indulgences to those who should make them offerings thereunto4 ,i will not forbear to say1 moreover1 that besides the foundations1 very broad and fifteen braccia deep1 much consideration was shown in making those buttresses of masonry at every angle of the eight sides1 seeing that it was these afterwards that emboldened the mind of ,brunellesco to superimpose a much greater weight than that which ,arnolfo1 perchance1 had thought to impose thereon4 ,it is said that while the two first side-doors of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore were being begun in marble ,arnolfo caused some fig-leaves to be carved on a frieze1 these being the arms of himself and of ,maestro ,lapo1 his father1 and that therefore it may be believed that from him the family of the ,lapi had its origin1 to-day a noble family in ,florence4 ,others say1 likewise1 that from the descendants of ,arnolfo there descended ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco4 ,but leaving this1 seeing that others believe that the ,lapi came from ,ficaruolo1 a township on the mouth of the ,po1 and returning to our ,arnolfo1 ,i say that by reason of the greatness of this work he deserves infinite praise and an eternal name1 above all because he caused it to be all incrusted1 without1 with marbles of many colours1 and within1 with hard stone1 and made even the smallest corners of that same stone4 ,but in order that everyone may know the exact size of this marvellous fabric1 ,i say that from the door up to the end of the ,chapel of ,s4 ,zanobi the length is #bfj braccia1 and the breadth across the transepts #aff2 across the three naves it is #ff braccia4 ,the middle nave alone is #gb braccia in height2 and the other two lesser naves1 #dh braccia4 ,the external circuit of the whole church is #a1bhj braccia4 ,the cupola1 from the ground up to the base of the lantern1 is #aed braccia2 the lantern1 without the ball1 is #cf braccia in height2 the ball1 #d braccia in height2 the cross1 #h braccia in height4 ,the whole cupola1 from the ground up to the summit of the cross1 is #bjb braccia4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,tomb ,,of ,,adrian ,v 7,after the ,school of ,arnolfo di ,lapo4 ,viterbo3 ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,but returning to ,arnolfo1 ,i say that being held1 as he was1 excellent1 he had acquired so great trust that nothing of importance was determined without his counsel2 wherefore1 in the same year1 the ,commune of ,florence having finished the foundation of the last circle of the walls of the city1 even as it was said above that they were formerly begun1 and so too the towers of the gates1 and all being in great part well advanced1 he made a beginning for the ,palace of the ,signori1 designing it in resemblance to that which his father ,lapo had built in the ,casentino for the ,counts of ,poppi4 ,but yet1 however magnificent and great he designed it1 he could not give it that perfection which his art and his judgment required1 for the following reason3 the houses of the ,uberti1 ,ghibellines and rebels against the people of ,florence1 had been pulled down and thrown to the ground1 and a square had been made on the site1 and the stupid obstinacy of certain men prevailed so greatly that ,arnolfo could not bring it about1 through whatsoever arguments he might urge thereunto1 that it should be granted to him to put the ,palace on a square base1 because the governors had refused that the ,palace should have its foundations in any way whatsoever on the ground of the rebel ,uberti4 ,and they brought it about that the northern aisle of ,s4 ,pietro ,scheraggio should be thrown to the ground1 rather than let him work in the middle of the square with his own measurements2 not to mention that they insisted1 moreover1 that there should be united and incorporated with the ,palace the ,tower of the ,foraboschi1 called the ,torre della ,vacca1 in height fifty braccia1 for the use of the great bell1 and together with it some houses bought by the ,commune for this edifice4 ,for which reasons no one must marvel if the foundation of the ,palace is awry and out of the square1 it having been necessary1 in order to incorporate the tower in the middle and to render it stronger1 to bind it round with the walls of the ,palace2 which walls1 having been laid open in the year #aefa by ,giorgio ,vasari1 painter and architect1 were found excellent4 ,arnolfo1 then1 having filled up the said tower with good material1 it was afterwards easy for other masters to make thereon the very high campanile that is to be seen there to-day2 for within the limits of two years he finished only the ,palace1 which has subsequently received from time to time those improvements which give it to-day that greatness and majesty that are to be seen4 ,after all these works and many more that ,arnolfo made1 no less convenient and useful than beautiful1 he died at the age of seventy1 in #acjj1 at the very time when ,giovanni ,villani began to write the ,universal ,history of his times4 ,and because he not only left ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore founded1 but its three principal tribunes1 which are under the cupola1 vaulted1 to his own great glory1 he well deserved that there should be made a memorial of him on the corner of the church opposite the ,campanile1 with these verses carved in marble in round letters3 ,,annis 4 ,,millenis 4 ,,centum 4 ,,bis 4 ,,octo 4 ,,nogenis 4 ,,venit 4 ,,legatus 4 ,,roma 4 ,,bonitate 4 ,,dotatus 4 ,,qui 4 ,,lapidem 4 ,,fixit 4 ,,fundo 4 ,,simul 4 ,,et 4 ,,benedixit 4 ,,praesule 4 ,,francisco 4 ,,gestante 4 ,,pontificatum 4 ,,istud 4 ,,ab 4 ,,arnolfo 4 ,,templum 4 ,,fuit 4 ,,aedificatum 4 ,,hoc 4 ,,opus 4 ,,insigne 4 ,,decorans 4 ,,florentia 4 ,,digne 4 ,,reginae 4 ,c,,oe,,li 4 ,,construxit 4 ,,mente 4 ,,fideli 4 ,,quam 4 ,,tu 4 ,,virgo 4 ,,pia 4 ,,semper 4 ,,defende 4 ,,maria 4 ,of this ,arnolfo we have written the ,life1 with the greatest brevity that has been possible1 for the reason that1 although his works do not approach by a great measure the perfection of the things of to-day1 he deserves1 none the less1 to be celebrated with loving memory1 having shown amid so great darkness1 to those who lived after him1 the way to walk to perfection4 ,the portrait of ,arnolfo1 by the hand of ,giotto1 is to be seen in ,s4 ,croce1 beside the principal chapel1 at the beginning of the story1 where the friars are weeping for the death of ,s4 ,francis1 in one of two men that are talking together4 ,and the picture of the ,church of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore--namely1 of the outer side with the cupola--by the hand of ,simone ,sanese1 is to be seen in the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 copied from the original in wood that ,arnolfo made2 wherein it is noticeable that he had thought to raise the dome immediately over the walls1 at the edge of the first cornice1 whereas ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco1 in order to relieve them of weight and to make it more graceful1 added thereto1 before he began to raise it1 all that height wherein to-day are the round windows2 which circumstance would be even clearer than it is1 if the little care and diligence of those who have directed the ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore in the years past had not left the very model that ,arnolfo made to go to ruin1 and afterwards those of ,brunellesco and of the others4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #f3 ,the braccio is a very variable standard of measurement4 ,as used by ,vasari1 it may be taken to denote about #bc inches4 ,footnote #g3 ,vescovado includes both the ,cathedral and the ,episcopal buildings of ,arezzo4 ,vasari generally uses it to denote the ,cathedral4 ,,niccola ,,and ,,giovanni ,,of ,,pisa ,,life ,,of ,,niccola ,,and ,,giovanni ,,of ,,pisa1 ,,niccola ,,pisano ,,and ,,giovanni ,,pisano1 ,,sculptors ,,and ,,architects ,having discoursed of design and of painting in the ,life of ,cimabue and of architecture in that of ,arnolfo di ,lapo1 in this one concerning ,niccola and ,giovanni of ,pisa we will treat of sculpture1 and also of the most important buildings that they made1 for the reason that their works in sculpture and in architecture truly deserve to be celebrated1 not only as being large and magnificent but also well enough conceived1 since both in working marble and in building they swept away in great part that old ,greek manner1 rude and void of proportion1 showing better invention in their stories and giving better attitudes to their figures4 ,niccola ,pisano1 then1 chancing to be under certain ,greek sculptors who were working the figures and other carved ornaments of the ,duomo of ,pisa and of the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni1 and there being1 among many marble spoils brought by the fleet of the ,pisans1 certain ancient sarcophagi that are to-day in the ,campo ,santo of that city1 there was one of them1 most beautiful among them all1 whereon there was carved the ,chase of ,meleager after the ,calydonian ,boar1 in very beautiful manner1 seeing that both the nude figures and the draped were wrought with much mastery and with most perfect design4 ,this sarcophagus was placed by the ,pisans1 by reason of its beauty1 in the side of the ,duomo opposite ,s4 ,rocco1 beside the principal side-door1 and it served for the body of the mother of ,countess ,matilda1 if indeed these words are true that are to be read carved in the marble3 ,a4,d4 ,,mcxvi4 ,,ix ,,kal4 ,,aug4 ,,obiit ,d4 ,,matilda ,,felicis ,,memoriae ,,comitissa1 ,,quae ,,pro ,,anima ,,genetricis ,,suae ,,dominae ,,beatricis ,,comitissae ,,venerabilis1 ,,in ,,hac ,,tumba ,,honorabili ,,quiescentis1 ,,in ,,multis ,,partibus ,,mirifice ,,hanc ,,dotavit ,,ecclesiam2 ,,quarum ,,animae ,,requiescant ,,in ,,pace ,and then3 ,a4,d4 ,,mccciii4 ,,sub ,,dignissimo ,,operario ,d4 ,,burgundio ,,tadi1 ,,occasione ,,graduum ,,fiendorum ,,per ,,ipsum ,,circa ,,ecclesiam1 ,,supradicta ,,tumba ,,superius ,,notata ,,bis ,,translata ,,fuit1 ,,tunc ,,de ,,sedibus ,,primis ,,in ,,ecclesiam1 ,,nunc ,,de ,,ecclesia ,,in ,,hunc ,,locum1 ,,ut ,,cernitis1 ,,excellentem4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,pulpit ,,of ,,the ,,baptistery ,,of ,,pisa 7,after ,niccola ,pisano4 ,pisa7 ,niccola1 pondering over the beauty of this work and being greatly pleased therewith1 put so much study and diligence into imitating this manner and some other good sculptures that were in these other ancient sarcophagi1 that he was judged1 after no long time1 the best sculptor of his day2 there being in ,tuscany in those times1 after ,arnolfo1 no other sculptor of repute save ,fuccio1 an architect and sculptor of ,florence1 who made ,s4 ,maria sopra ,arno in ,florence1 in the year #abbi1 placing his name there1 over a door1 and in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco in ,assisi he made the marble tomb of the ,queen of ,cyprus1 with many figures1 and in particular a portrait of her sitting on a lion1 in order to show the strength of her soul2 which ,queen1 after her death1 left a great sum of money to the end that this fabric might be finished4 ,niccola1 then1 having made himself known as a much better master than was ,fuccio1 was summoned to ,bologna in the year #abbe1 after the death of ,s4 ,domenico ,calagora1 first founder of the ,order of ,preaching ,friars1 in order to make a marble tomb for the said ,saint2 wherefore1 after agreement with those who had the charge of it1 he made it full of figures in that manner wherein it is to be seen to-day1 and delivered it finished in the year #abca with much credit to himself1 for it was held something remarkable1 and the best of all the works that had been wrought in sculpture up to that time4 ,he made1 likewise1 the model of that church and of a great part of the convent4 ,afterwards ,niccola1 returning to ,tuscany1 found that ,fuccio had departed from ,florence and had gone to ,rome in those days when the ,emperor ,frederick was crowned by ,honorius1 and from ,rome with ,frederick to ,naples1 where he finished the ,castel di ,capoana1 to-day called the ,vicaria1 wherein are all the tribunals of that kingdom1 and likewise the ,castel dell' ,uovo2 and where he likewise founded the towers he also made the gates over the ,river ,volturno for the city of ,capua1 and a park girt with walls1 for fowling1 near ,gravina1 and another for sport in winter at ,melfi2 besides many other things that are not related1 for the sake of brevity4 ,niccola1 meanwhile1 busying himself in ,florence1 was going on exercising himself not only in sculpture but in architecture as well1 by means of the buildings that were going on being made with some little goodness of design throughout all ,italy1 and in particular in ,tuscany2 wherefore he occupied himself not a little with the building of the ,abbey of ,settimo1 which had not been finished by the executors of ,count ,ugo of ,brandenburg1 like the other six1 as was said above4 ,and although it is read in a marble epitaph on the campanile of the said abbey1 ,,guglielm4 ,,me ,,fecit1 it is known1 nevertheless1 by the manner1 that it was directed with the counsel of ,niccola4 ,about the same time he made the ,palazzo ,vecchio of the ,anziani in ,pisa1 pulled down in our day by ,duke ,cosimo1 in order to make the magnificent ,palace and ,convent of the ,knights of ,s4 ,stephen on the same spot1 using some part of the old1 from the design and model of ,giorgio ,vasari1 painter and architect of ,arezzo1 who has accommodated himself to those old walls as well as he has been able in fitting them into the new4 ,niccola made1 likewise in ,pisa1 many other palaces and churches1 and he was the first1 since the loss of the good method of building1 who made it the custom to found edifices in ,pisa on piers1 and on these to raise arches1 piles having first been sunk under the said piers2 because1 with any other method1 the solid base of the foundation cracked and the walls always collapsed1 whereas the sinking of piles renders the edifice absolutely safe1 even as experience shows4 ,with his design1 also1 was made the ,church of ,s4 ,michele in ,borgo for the ,monks of ,camaldoli4 ,but the most beautiful1 the most ingenious1 and the most whimsical work of architecture that ,niccola ever made was the ,campanile of ,s4 ,niccola in ,pisa1 where is the seat of the ,friars of ,s4 ,augustine1 for the reason that it is octagonal on the outer side and round within1 with stairs that wind in a spiral and lead to the summit1 leaving the hollow space in the middle free1 in the shape of a well1 and on every fourth step are columns that have the arches above them on a slant and wind round and round2 wherefore1 the spring of the vaulting resting on the said arches1 one goes climbing to the summit in a manner that he who is on the ground always sees all those who are climbing1 those who are climbing see those who are on the ground1 and those who are halfway up see both the first and the second--that is1 those who are above and those who are below4 ,this fanciful invention1 with better method and more just proportions1 and with more adornment1 was afterwards put into execution by the architect ,bramante in the ,belvedere in ,rome1 for ,pope ,julius ,,ii1 and by ,antonio da ,san ,gallo in the well that is at ,orvieto1 by order of ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 as will be told when the time comes4 ,but returning to ,niccola1 who was no less excellent as sculptor than as architect2 in the facade of the ,church of ,s4 ,martino in ,lucca1 under the portico that is above the lesser door1 on the left as one enters into the church1 where there is seen a ,christ ,deposed from the ,cross1 he made a marble scene in half-relief1 all full of figures wrought with much diligence1 having hollowed out the marble and finished the whole in a manner that gave hope to those who were previously working at the art with very great difficulty1 that there soon should come one who1 with more facility1 would give them better assistance4 ,the same ,niccola1 in the year #abdj1 gave the design for the ,church of ,s4 ,jacopo in ,pistoia1 and put to work there in mosaic certain ,tuscan masters who made the vaulting of the choir-niche1 which1 although in those times it was held as something difficult and of great cost1 moves us to-day rather to laughter and to compassion than to marvel1 and all the more because such confusion1 which comes from lack of design1 existed not only in ,tuscany but throughout all ,italy1 where many buildings and other works1 that were being wrought without method and without design1 give us to know no less the poverty of their talents than the unmeasured riches wasted by the men of those times1 by reason of their having had no masters who might execute in a good manner any work that they might do4 ,niccola1 then1 by means of the works that he was making in sculpture and in architecture1 was going on ever acquiring a greater name than the sculptors and architects who were then working in ,romagna1 as can be seen in ,s4 ,ippolito and ,s4 ,giovanni of ,faenza1 in the ,duomo of ,ravenna1 in ,s4 ,francesco1 in the houses of the ,traversari1 and in the ,church of ,porto2 and at ,rimini1 in the fabric of the public buildings1 in the houses of the ,malatesti1 and in other buildings1 which are all much worse than the old edifices made about the same time in ,tuscany4 ,and what has been said of ,romagna can be also said with truth of a part of ,lombardy4 ,a glance at the ,duomo of ,ferrara1 and at the other buildings made by the ,marquis ,azzo1 will give us to know that this is the truth and how different they are from the ,santo of ,padua1 made with the model of ,niccola1 and from the ,church of the ,friars ,minor in ,venice1 both magnificent and honoured buildings4 ,many1 in the time of ,niccola1 moved by laudable envy1 applied themselves with more zeal to sculpture than they had done before1 and particularly in ,milan1 whither there assembled for the building of the ,duomo many ,lombards and ,germans1 who afterwards scattered throughout ,italy by reason of the discords that arose between the ,milanese and the ,emperor ,frederick4 ,and so these craftsmen1 beginning to compete among themselves both in marble and in building1 found some little of the good4 ,the same came to pass in ,florence after the works of ,arnolfo and ,niccola had been seen2 and the latter1 while the little ,church of the ,misericordia was being erected from his design in the ,piazza di ,s4 ,giovanni1 made therein in marble1 with his own hand1 a ,madonna with ,s4 ,dominic and another ,saint1 one on either side of her1 which may still be seen on the outer facade of the said church4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi 7,detail1 after ,niccola ,pisano1 from the ,pulpit of the ,baptistery1 ,pisa7 ,the ,florentines had begun1 in the time of ,niccola1 to throw to the ground many towers made formerly in barbaric manner throughout the whole city1 in order that the people might be less hurt by reason of these in the brawls that were often taking place between the ,guelphs and the ,ghibellines1 or in order that there might be greater security for the ,state1 and it appeared to them that it would be very difficult to pull down the ,tower of ,guardamorto1 which was in the ,piazza di ,s4 ,giovanni1 because the walls had been made so stoutly that they could not be pulled to pieces with pickaxes1 and all the more because it was very high4 ,wherefore1 ,niccola causing the foot of the tower to be cut away on one side and supporting it with wooden props a braccio and a half in length1 and then setting fire to them1 as soon as the props were burnt away it fell and was almost entirely shattered2 which was held something so ingenious and useful for such affairs that later it passed into use1 insomuch that1 when there is need1 any building is destroyed in very little time with this most easy method4 ,niccola was present at the first foundation of the ,duomo of ,siena1 and designed the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni in the same city2 then1 having returned to ,florence in the same year that the ,guelphs returned1 he designed the ,church of ,s4 ,trinita1 and the ,convent of the ,nuns of ,faenza1 destroyed in our day in order to make the citadel4 ,being next summoned to ,naples1 in order not to desert the work in ,tuscany he sent thither ,maglione1 his pupil1 a sculptor and architect1 who afterwards made1 in the time of ,conradin1 the ,church of ,s4 ,lorenzo in ,naples1 finished part of the ,piscopio1 and made there certain tombs1 wherein he imitated closely the manner of ,niccola1 his master4 ,niccola1 meanwhile1 being summoned by the people of ,volterra1 in the year #abed 7when they came under the power of the ,florentines71 in order that their ,duomo1 which was small1 might be enlarged1 he brought it to better form1 although it was very irregular1 and made it more magnificent than it was before4 ,then1 having returned finally to ,pisa1 he made the pulpit of ,s4 ,giovanni1 in marble1 putting therein all diligence in order to leave a memorial of himself to his country2 and among other things1 carving in it the ,universal ,judgment1 he made therein many figures1 if not with perfect design1 at least with infinite patience and diligence1 as can be seen4 ,and because it appeared to him1 as was true1 that he had done a work worthy of praise1 he carved at the foot of it these verses3 ,,anno ,,milleno ,,bis ,,centum ,,bisque ,,trideno ,,hoc ,,opus ,,insigne ,,sculpsit ,,nicola ,,pisanus4 ,the people of ,siena1 moved by the fame of this work1 which greatly pleased not only the ,pisans but everyone who saw it1 gave to ,niccola the making of the pulpit of their ,duomo1 in which there is sung the ,gospel2 ,guglielmo ,mariscotti being ,praetor4 ,in this ,niccola made many stories of ,jesus ,christ1 with much credit to himself1 by reason of the figures that are there wrought and with great difficulty almost wholly detached from the marble4 ,niccola likewise made the design of the ,church and ,convent of ,s4 ,domenico in ,arezzo for the ,lords of ,pietramala1 who erected it4 ,and at the entreaty of ,bishop ,ubertini he restored the ,pieve of ,cortona1 and founded the ,church of ,s4 ,margherita for the ,friars of ,s4 ,francis1 on the highest point of that city4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,visitation ,,and ,,the ,,nativity 7,detail1 after ,niccola ,pisano1 from the ,pulpit of the ,baptistery1 ,siena7 ,wherefore1 the fame of ,niccola ever growing greater by reason of so great works1 he was summoned in the year #abfg1 by ,pope ,clement ,,iv1 to ,viterbo1 where1 besides many other works1 he restored the ,church and ,convent of the ,preaching ,friars4 ,from ,viterbo he went to ,naples to ,king ,charles ,i1 who1 having routed and slain ,conradin on the plain of ,tagliacozzo1 caused to be made on that spot a very rich church and abbey1 burying therein the infinite number of bodies slain on that day1 and ordaining afterwards that there should be prayers offered by many monks1 day and night1 for their souls2 in which building ,king ,charles was so well pleased with the work of ,niccola that he honoured and rewarded him very greatly4 ,returning from ,naples to ,tuscany1 ,niccola stayed in ,orvieto for the building of ,s4 ,maria1 and working there in company with some ,germans1 he made in marble1 for the facade of that church1 certain figures in the round1 and in particular two scenes of the ,universal ,judgment containing ,paradise and ,hell2 and even as he strove1 in the ,paradise1 to give the greatest beauty that he knew to the souls of the blessed1 restored to their bodies1 so too in the ,hell he made the strangest forms of devils that can possibly be seen1 most intent on tormenting the souls of the damned2 and in this work he surpassed not merely the ,germans who were working there but even his own self1 to his own great credit4 ,and for the reason that he made therein a great number of figures and endured much fatigue1 it has been nothing but praised up to our own times by those who have had no more judgment than this much in sculpture4 ,niccola had1 among others1 a son called ,giovanni1 who1 because he ever followed his father and applied himself under his teaching to sculpture and to architecture1 in a few years became not only equal to his father but in some ways superior2 wherefore ,niccola1 being now old1 retired to ,pisa1 and living there quietly left the management of everything to his son4 ,pope ,urban ,,iv having died at that time in ,perugia1 a summons was sent to ,giovanni1 who1 having gone there1 made a tomb of marble for that ,pontiff1 which1 together with that of ,pope ,martin ,,iv1 was afterwards thrown to the ground when the people of ,perugia enlarged their ,vescovado1 in a manner that there are seen only a few relics of it scattered throughout the church4 ,and the people of ,perugia1 at the same time1 having brought a very great body of water through leaden pipes from the hill of ,pacciano1 two miles distant from the city1 by means of the genius and industry of a friar of the ,silvestrines1 it was given to ,giovanni ,pisano to make all the ornaments of the fountain1 both in bronze and in marble2 wherefore he put his hand thereto and made three tiers of basins1 two of marble and one of bronze4 ,the first is placed above twelve rows of steps1 each with twelve sides2 the other on some columns that stand on the lowest level of the first basin--that is1 in the middle2 and the third1 which is of bronze1 rests on three figures1 and has in the middle certain griffins1 also of bronze1 that pour water on every side2 and because it appeared to ,giovanni that he had done very well in this work1 he put on it his name4 ,about the year #aefj1 the arches and the conduits of this fountain 7which cost #afj1jjj ducats of gold7 having become in great part spoilt and ruined1 ,vincenzio ,danti1 a sculptor of ,perugia1 without rebuilding the arches1 which would have been a thing of the greatest cost1 very ingeniously reconducted the water to the fountain in the way that it was before1 with no small credit to himself4 ,this work finished1 ,giovanni1 desiring to see again his old and ailing father1 departed from ,perugia in order to return to ,pisa2 but1 passing through ,florence1 he was forced to stay1 to the end that he might apply himself1 together with others1 to the work of the ,mills on the ,arno1 which were being made at ,s4 ,gregorio near the ,piazza de' ,mozzi4 ,but finally1 having had news that his father ,niccola was dead1 he went to ,pisa1 where1 by reason of his worth1 he was received by the whole city with great honour1 every man rejoicing that after the loss of ,niccola there still remained ,giovanni1 as heir both of his talents and of his wealth4 ,and the occasion having come of making proof of him1 their opinion was in no way disappointed1 because1 there being certain things to do in the small but most ornate ,church of ,s4 ,maria della ,spina1 they were given to ,giovanni to do1 and he1 putting his hand thereunto1 with the help of some of his boys brought many ornaments in that oratory to that perfection that is seen to-day2 which work1 in so far as we can judge1 must have been held miraculous in those times1 and all the more that he made in one figure the portrait of ,niccola from nature1 as best he knew4 ,seeing this1 the ,pisans1 who long before had had the idea and the wish to make a place of burial for all the inhabitants of the city1 both noble and plebeian1 either in order not to fill the ,duomo with graves or for some other reason1 caused ,giovanni to make the edifice of the ,campo ,santo1 which is on the ,piazza del ,duomo1 towards the walls2 wherefore he1 with good design and with much judgment1 made it in that manner and with those ornaments of marble and of that size which are to be seen2 and because there was no consideration of expense1 the roof was made of lead4 ,and outside the principal door there are seen these words carved in marble3 ,a4,d4 ,,mcclxxviii4 ,,tempore ,,domini ,,frederigi ,,archiepiscopi ,,pisani1 ,,et ,,domini ,,tarlati ,,potestatis1 ,,operario ,,orlando ,,sardella1 ,,johanne ,,magistro ,,aedificante4 ,this work finished1 in the same year1 #abhc1 ,giovanni went to ,naples1 where1 for ,king ,charles1 he made the ,castel ,nuovo of ,naples2 and in order to have room and to make it stronger1 he was forced to pull down many houses and churches1 and in particular a convent of ,friars of ,s4 ,francis1 which was afterwards rebuilt no little larger and more magnificent than it was before1 far from the castle and under the title of ,s4 ,maria della ,nuova4 ,these buildings being begun and considerably advanced1 ,giovanni departed from ,naples1 in order to return to ,tuscany2 but arriving at ,siena1 without being allowed to go on farther he was caused to make the model of the facade of the ,duomo of that city1 and afterwards the said facade was made very rich and magnificent from this model4 ,next1 in the year #abhf1 when the ,vescovado of ,arezzo was building with the design of ,margaritone1 architect of ,arezzo1 ,giovanni was brought from ,siena to ,arezzo by ,guglielmino ,ubertini1 ,bishop of that city1 where he made in marble the panel of the high-altar1 all filled with carvings of figures1 of foliage1 and other ornaments1 distributing throughout the whole work certain things in delicate mosaic1 and enamels laid on plates of silver1 let into the marble with much diligence4 ,in the middle is a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 and on one side ,s4 ,gregory the ,pope1 whose face is the portrait from life of ,pope ,honorius ,,iv2 and on the other side is ,s4 ,donatus1 ,bishop and ,protector of that city1 whose body1 with those of ,s4 ,antilla and of other ,saints1 is laid under that same altar4 ,and because the said altar stands out by itself1 round it and on the sides there are small scenes in low-relief from the life of ,s4 ,donatus1 and the crown of the whole work are certain tabernacles full of marble figures in the round1 wrought with much subtlety4 ,on the breast of the said ,madonna is a bezel-shaped setting of gold1 wherein1 so it is said1 were jewels of much value1 which have been carried away in the wars1 so it is thought1 by soldiers1 who have no respect1 very often1 even for the most holy ,sacrament1 together with some little figures in the round that were on the top of and around that work2 on which the ,aretines spent altogether1 according to what is found in certain records1 #cj1jjj florins of gold4 ,nor does this seem anything great1 seeing that at that time it was something as precious and rare as it could well be2 wherefore ,frederick ,barbarossa1 returning from ,rome1 where he had been crowned1 and passing through ,arezzo1 many years after it had been made1 praised it1 nay1 admired it infinitely2 and in truth with great reason1 seeing that1 besides everything else1 the joinings of this work1 made of innumerable pieces1 are cemented and put together so well that the whole work is easily judged1 by anyone who has not much practice in the matters of the art1 to be all of one piece4 ,in the same church ,giovanni made the ,chapel of the ,ubertini1 a most noble family1 and lords of castles1 as they still are to-day and were formerly even more2 with many ornaments of marble1 which to-day have been covered over with other ornaments of grey-stone1 many and fine1 which were set up in that place with the design of ,giorgio ,vasari in the year #aece1 for the supporting of an organ of extraordinary excellence and beauty that stands thereon4 ,illustration3 ,lombardi ,a ,,sybil 7,detail1 after ,giovanni ,pisano1 from the facade of the ,duomo1 ,siena7 ,giovanni ,pisano likewise made the design of the ,church of ,s4 ,maria de' ,servi1 which to-day has been destroyed1 together with many palaces of the most noble families of the city1 for the reasons mentioned above4 ,i will not forbear to say that ,giovanni made use1 in working on the said marble altar1 of certain ,germans who had apprenticed themselves to him rather for learning than for gain2 and under his teaching they became such that1 having gone after this work to ,rome1 they served ,boniface ,,viii in many works of sculpture for ,s4 ,pietro1 and in architecture when he made ,civita ,castellana4 ,besides this1 they were sent by the same man to ,s4 ,maria in ,orvieto1 where1 for its facade1 they made many figures in marble which were passing good for those times4 ,but among others who assisted ,giovanni in the work of the ,vescovado in ,arezzo1 ,agostino and ,agnolo1 sculptors and architects of ,siena1 surpassed in time all the others1 as will be told in the proper place4 ,but returning to ,giovanni2 having departed from ,orvieto1 he came to ,florence1 in order to see the fabric of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore that ,arnolfo was making1 and likewise to see ,giotto1 of whom he had heard great things spoken abroad2 and no sooner had he arrived in ,florence than he was charged by the ,wardens of the said fabric of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore to make the ,madonna which is over that door of the church that leads to the ,canon's house1 between two little angels2 which work was then much praised4 ,next1 he made the little baptismal font of ,s4 ,giovanni1 wherein are certain scenes in half-relief from the life of that ,saint4 ,having then gone to ,bologna1 he directed the building of the principal chapel of the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico1 wherein he was charged by ,bishop ,teodorigo ,borgognoni of ,lucca1 a friar of that ,order1 to make an altar of marble2 and in the same place he afterwards made1 in the year #abih1 the marble panel wherein are the ,madonna and eight other figures1 reasonably good4 ,in the year #acjj1 ,niccola da ,prato1 ,cardinal ,legate of the ,pope1 being in ,florence in order to accommodate the dissensions of the ,florentines1 caused him to make a convent for nuns in ,prato1 which is called ,s4 ,niccola from his name1 and to restore in the same territory the ,convent of ,s4 ,domenico1 and so too that of ,pistoia2 in both the one and the other of which there are still seen the arms of the said ,cardinal4 ,and because the people of ,pistoia held in veneration the name of ,niccola1 father of ,giovanni1 by reason of that which he had wrought in that city with his talent1 they caused ,giovanni himself to make a pulpit of marble for the ,church of ,s4 ,andrea1 like to the one which he had made in the ,duomo of ,siena2 and this he did in order to compete with one which had been made a little before in the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista by a ,german1 who was therefore much praised4 ,giovanni1 then1 delivered his finished in four years1 having divided this work into five scenes from the life of ,jesus ,christ1 and having made therein1 besides this1 a ,universal ,judgment1 with the greatest diligence that he knew1 in order to equal or perchance to surpass the one of ,orvieto1 then so greatly renowned4 ,and round the said pulpit1 on the architrave1 over some columns that support it1 thinking 7as was the truth1 according to the knowledge of that age7 that he had done a great and beautiful work1 he carved these verses3 ,,hoc ,,opus ,,sculpsit ,,joannes1 ,,qui ,,res ,,non ,,egit ,,inanes1 ,,nicoli ,,natus 444444 ,,meliora ,,beatus1 ,,quem ,,genuit ,,pisa1 ,,doctum ,,super ,,omnia ,,visa4 ,at the same time ,giovanni made the holy-water font1 in marble1 of the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista in the same city1 with three figures that support it--,temperance1 ,prudence1 and ,justice2 which work1 by reason of its having then been held very beautiful1 was placed in the centre of that church as something remarkable4 ,and before he departed from ,pistoia1 although the work had not up to then been begun1 he made the model of the ,campanile of ,s4 ,jacopo1 the principal church of that city2 on which campanile1 which is on the square of the said ,s4 ,jacopo and beside the church1 there is this date3 ,a4,d4 #acja4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,massacre ,,of ,,the ,,innocents 7,detail1 after ,giovanni ,pisano1 from the ,pulpit of the ,church of ,s4 ,andrea1 ,pistoia7 ,afterwards1 ,pope ,benedict ,,ix having died in ,perugia1 a summons was sent to ,giovanni1 who1 having gone to ,perugia1 made a tomb of marble for that ,pontiff in the old ,church of ,s4 ,domenico1 belonging to the ,preaching ,friars2 the ,pope1 portrayed from nature and robed in his pontifical habits1 is lying at full length on the bier1 with two angels1 one on either side1 that are holding up a curtain1 and above there is a ,madonna with two saints in relief1 one on either side of her2 and many other ornaments are carved round that tomb4 ,in like manner1 in the new church of the said ,preaching ,friars he made the tomb of ,messer ,niccolo ,guidalotti of ,perugia1 ,bishop of ,recanati1 who was founder of the ,sapienza ,nuova of ,perugia4 ,in this new church1 which had been founded before this by others1 he executed the central nave1 which was founded by him with much better method than the remainder of the church had been2 for on one side it leans and threatens to fall down1 by reason of having been badly founded4 ,and in truth1 he who puts his hand to building and to doing anything of importance should ever take counsel1 not from him who knows little but from the best1 in order not to have to repent after the act1 with loss and shame1 that where he most needed good counsel he took the bad4 ,giovanni1 having dispatched his business in ,perugia1 wished to go to ,rome1 in order to learn from those few ancient things that were to be seen there1 even as his father had done2 but being hindered by good reasons1 this his desire did not take effect1 and the rather as he heard that the ,court had just gone to ,avignon4 ,returning1 then1 to ,pisa1 ,nello di ,giovanni ,falconi1 ,warden1 caused him to make the great pulpit of the ,duomo1 which is on the right hand going towards the high-altar1 attached to the choir2 and having made a beginning with this and with many figures in the round1 three braccia high1 that were to serve for it1 little by little he brought them to that form that is seen to-day1 placing the pulpit partly on the said figures and partly on some columns sustained by lions2 and on the sides he made some scenes from the life of ,christ4 ,it is a pity1 truly1 that so great cost1 so great diligence1 and so great labour should not have been accompanied by good design and should be wanting in perfection and in excellence of invention1 grace1 and manner1 such as any work of our own times would show1 even if made with much less cost and labour4 ,none the less1 it must have caused no small marvel to the men of those times1 used to seeing only the rudest works4 ,this work was finished in the year #acbj1 as appears in certain verses that are round the said pulpit1 which run thus3 ,,laudo ,,deum ,,verum1 ,,per ,,quem ,,sunt ,,optima ,,rerum1 ,,qui ,,dedit ,,has ,,puras ,,hominem ,,formare ,,figuras2 ,,hoc ,,opus ,,his ,,annis ,,domini ,,sculpsere ,,johannis ,,arte ,,manus ,,sole ,,quondam1 ,,natique ,,nicole1 ,,cursis ,,ventenis ,,tercentum ,,milleque ,,plenis2 with other thirteen verses1 which are not written1 in order not to weary the reader1 and because these are enough not only to bear witness that the said pulpit is by the hand of ,giovanni1 but also that the men of these times were in all things made thus4 ,a ,madonna of marble1 also1 that is seen between ,s4 ,john the ,baptist and another ,saint1 over the principal door of the ,duomo1 is by the hand of ,giovanni2 and he who is at the feet of the ,madonna1 on his knees1 is said to be ,piero ,gambacorti1 ,warden of ,works4 ,however this may be1 on the base whereon stands the image of ,our ,lady there are carved these words3 ,,sub ,,petri ,,cura ,,haec ,,pia ,,fuit ,,sculpta ,,figura1 ,,nicoli ,,nato ,,sculptore ,,johanne ,,vocato4 ,in like manner1 over the side door that is opposite the campanile1 there is a ,madonna of marble by the hand of ,giovanni1 having on one side a woman kneeling with two babies1 representing ,pisa1 and on the other the ,emperor ,henry4 ,on the base whereon stands the ,madonna are these words3 ,,ave ,,gratia ,,plena1 ,,dominus ,,tecum2 and beside them3 ,,nobilis ,,arte ,,manus ,,sculpsit ,,johannes ,,pisanus ,,sculpsit ,,sub ,,burgundio ,,tadi ,,benigno4444 ,and round the base of ,pisa3 ,,virginis ,,ancilla ,,sum ,,pisa ,,quieta ,,sub ,,illa4 ,and round the base of ,henry3 ,,imperat ,,henricus ,,qui ,,christo ,,fertur ,,amicus4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,after ,giovanni ,pisano4 ,padua3 ,arena ,chapel7 ,in the old ,pieve of the territory of ,prato1 under the altar of the principal chapel1 there had been kept for many years the ,girdle of ,our ,lady1 which ,michele da ,prato1 returning from the ,holy ,land1 had brought to his country in the year #aada and consigned to ,uberto1 ,provost of that church1 who placed it where it has been said1 and where it had been ever held in great veneration2 and in the year #acab an attempt was made to steal it by a man of ,prato1 a fellow of the basest sort1 and as it were1 another ,ser ,ciappelletto2 but having been discovered1 he was put to death for sacrilege by the hand of justice4 ,moved by this1 the people of ,prato determined to make a strong and suitable resting-place1 in order to hold the said ,girdle more securely2 wherefore1 having summoned ,giovanni1 who was now old1 they made with his counsel1 in the greater church1 the chapel wherein there is now preserved the said ,girdle of ,our ,lady4 ,and next1 with the same man's design1 they made the said church much larger than it was before1 and encrusted it without with white and black marbles1 and likewise the campanile1 as may be seen4 ,finally1 being now very old1 ,giovanni died in the year #acbj1 after having made1 besides those that have been mentioned1 many other works in sculpture and in architecture4 ,and in truth there is much owed to him and to his father ,niccola1 seeing that1 in times void of all goodness of design1 they gave in so great darkness no small light to the matters of these arts1 wherein they were1 for that age1 truly excellent4 ,giovanni was buried in the ,campo ,santo1 with great honour1 in the same grave wherein had been laid ,niccola1 his father4 ,there were as disciples of ,giovanni many who flourished after him1 but in particular ,lino1 sculptor and architect of ,siena1 who made in the ,duomo of ,pisa the chapel all adorned with marble wherein is the body of ,s4 ,ranieri1 and likewise the baptismal font that is in the said ,duomo1 with his name4 ,nor let anyone marvel that ,niccola and ,giovanni did so many works1 because1 not to mention that they lived very long1 being the first masters that were in ,europe at that time1 there was nothing done of any importance in which they did not have a hand1 as can be seen in many inscriptions besides those that have been mentioned4 ,and seeing that1 while touching on these two sculptors and architects1 there has been something said of matters in ,pisa1 ,i will not forbear to say that on the top of the steps in front of the new hospital1 round the base that supports a lion and the vase that rests on the porphyry column1 are these words3 ,,this ,,is ,,the ,,measure ,,which ,,the ,,emperor ,,caesar ,,gave ,,to ,,pisa1 ,,wherewith ,,there ,,was ,,measured ,,the ,,tribute ,,that ,,was ,,paid ,,to ,,him2 ,,which ,,has ,,been ,,set ,,up ,,over ,,this ,,column ,,and ,,lion1 ,,in ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,giovanni ,,rosso1 ,,warden ,,of ,,the ,,works ,,of ,s4 ,,maria ,,maggiore ,,in ,,pisa1 ,a4,d4 ,,mcccxiii41 ,,in ,,the ,,second ,,indiction1 ,,in ,,march4 ,,andrea ,,tafi ,,life ,,of ,,andrea ,,tafi1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,even as the works of ,cimabue awakened no small marvel 7he having given better design and form to the art of painting7 in the men of those times1 used to seeing nothing save works done after the ,greek manner1 even so the works in mosaic of ,andrea ,tafi1 who lived in the same times1 were admired1 and he thereby held excellent1 nay1 divine2 these people not thinking1 being unused to see anything else1 that better work could be done in such an art4 ,but not being in truth the most able man in the world1 and having considered that mosaic1 by reason of its long life1 was held in estimation more than all the other forms of painting1 he went from ,florence to ,venice1 where some ,greek painters were working in ,s4 ,marco in mosaic2 and becoming intimate with them1 with entreaties1 with money1 and with promises he contrived in such a manner that he brought to ,florence ,maestro ,apollonio1 a ,greek painter1 who taught him to fuse the glass for mosaic and to make the cement for putting it together2 and in his company he wrought the upper part of the tribune of ,s4 ,giovanni1 where there are the ,powers1 the ,thrones1 and the ,dominions2 in which place ,andrea1 when more practised1 afterwards made1 as will be said below1 the ,christ that is over the side of the principal chapel4 ,but having made mention of ,s4 ,giovanni1 ,i will not pass by in silence that this ancient temple is all wrought1 both without and within1 with marbles of the ,corinthian ,order1 and that it is not only designed and executed perfectly in all its parts and with all its proportions1 but also very well adorned with doors and with windows1 and enriched with two columns of granite on each wall-face1 each eleven braccia high1 in order to make the three spaces over which are the architraves1 that rest on the said columns in order to support the whole mass of the double vaulted roof1 which has been praised by modern architects as something remarkable1 and deservedly1 for the reason that it showed the good which that art already had in itself to ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco1 to ,donatello1 and to the other masters of those times1 who learnt the art by means of this work and of the ,church of ,s4 ,apostolo in ,florence1 a work so good in manner that it casts back to the true ancient goodness1 having all the columns in sections1 as it has been said above1 measured and put together with so great diligence that much can be learnt by studying it in all its parts4 ,but to be silent about many things that could be said about the good architecture of this church1 ,i will say only that there was a great departure from this example and from this good method of working when the facade of ,s4 ,miniato sul ,monte without ,florence was rebuilt in marble1 in honour of the conversion of the ,blessed ,s4 ,giovanni ,gualberto1 citizen of ,florence and founder of the ,order of the ,monks of ,vallombrosa2 because that and many other works that were made later were in no way similar in beauty to those mentioned4 ,the same1 in like manner1 came to pass in the works of sculpture1 for all those that were made in ,italy by the masters of that age1 as has been said in the ,preface to the ,lives1 were very rude1 as can be seen in many places1 and in particular in ,s4 ,bartolommeo at ,pistoia1 a church of the ,canons ,regular1 where1 in a pulpit very rudely made by ,guido da ,como1 there is the beginning of the life of ,jesus ,christ1 with these words carved thereon by the craftsman himself in the year #aaii3 ,,sculptor ,,laudatur1 ,,quod ,,doctus ,,in ,,arte ,,probatur1 ,,guido ,,de ,,como ,,me ,,cunctis ,,carmine ,,promo4 ,but to return to the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni2 forbearing to relate its origin1 by reason of its having been described by ,giovanni ,villani and by other writers1 and having already said that from this church there came the good architecture that is to-day in use1 ,i will add that the tribune was made later1 so far as it is known1 and that at the time when ,alesso ,baldovinetti1 succeeding ,lippo1 a painter of ,florence1 restored those mosaics1 it was seen that it had been in the past painted with designs in red1 and all worked on stucco4 ,andrea ,tafi and ,apollonio the ,greek1 then1 in order to cover this tribune with mosaics1 made therein a number of compartments1 which1 narrow at the top beside the lantern1 went on widening as far as the level of the cornice below2 and they divided the upper part into circles of various scenes4 ,in the first are all the ministers and executors of the ,divine ,will1 namely1 the ,angels1 the ,archangels1 the ,cherubim1 the ,seraphim1 the ,powers1 the ,thrones1 and the ,dominions4 ,in the second row1 also in mosaic1 and after the ,greek manner1 are the principal works done by ,god1 from the creation of light down to the ,flood4 ,in the circle that is below these1 which goes on widening with the eight sides of that tribune1 are all the acts of ,joseph and of his twelve brethren4 ,below these1 then1 there follow as many other spaces of the same size that circle in like manner onward1 wherein there is the life of ,jesus ,christ1 also in mosaic1 from the time when ,he was conceived in ,mary's womb up to the ,ascension into ,heaven4 ,then1 resuming the same order1 under the three friezes there is the life of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 beginning with the appearing of the ,angel to ,zacharias the priest1 up to his beheading and to the burial that his disciples gave him4 ,all these works1 being rude1 without design and without art1 ,i do not absolutely praise2 but of a truth1 having regard to the method of working of that age and to the imperfection that the art of painting then showed1 not to mention that the work is solid and that the pieces of the mosaic are very well put together1 the end of this work is much better--or to speak more exactly1 less bad--than is the beginning1 although the whole1 with respect to the work of to-day1 moves us rather to laughter than to pleasure or marvel4 ,finally1 over the side of the principal chapel in the said tribune1 ,andrea made by himself and without the help of ,apollonio1 to his own great credit1 the ,christ that is still seen there to-day1 seven braccia high4 ,becoming famous for these works throughout all ,italy1 and being reputed in his own country as excellent1 he well deserved to be largely honoured and rewarded4 ,it was truly very great good-fortune1 that of ,andrea1 to be born at a time when1 all work being rudely done1 there was great esteem even for that which deserved to be esteemed very little1 or rather not at all4 ,this same thing befell ,fra ,jacopo da ,turrita1 of the ,order of ,s4 ,francis1 seeing that1 having made the works in mosaic that are in the recess behind the altar of the said ,s4 ,giovanni1 notwithstanding that they were little worthy of praise he was remunerated for them with extraordinary rewards1 and afterwards1 as an excellent master1 summoned to ,rome1 where he wrought certain things in the chapel of the high-altar of ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano1 and in that of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore4 ,next1 being summoned to ,pisa1 he made the ,evangelists in the principal apse of the ,duomo1 with other works that are there1 assisted by ,andrea ,tafi and by ,gaddo ,gaddi1 and using the same manner wherein he had done his other works2 but he left them little less than wholly imperfect1 and they were afterwards finished by ,vicino4 ,the works of these men1 then1 were prized for some time2 but when the works of ,giotto1 as will be said in its own place1 were set in comparison with those of ,andrea1 of ,cimabue1 and of the others1 people recognized in part the perfection of the art1 seeing the difference that there was between the early manner of ,cimabue and that of ,giotto1 in the figures of the one and of the other and in those that their disciples and imitators made4 ,from this beginning the others sought step by step to follow in the path of the best masters1 surpassing one another happily from one day to another1 so that from such depths these arts have been raised1 as is seen1 to the height of their perfection4 ,andrea lived eighty-one years1 and died before ,cimabue1 in #abid4 ,and by reason of the reputation and the honour that he gained with his mosaic1 seeing that he1 before any other man1 introduced and taught it in better manner to the men of ,tuscany1 he was the cause that ,gaddo ,gaddi1 ,giotto1 and the others afterwards made the most excellent works of that craft which have acquired for them fame and an eternal name4 ,after the death of ,andrea there was not wanting one to magnify him with this inscription3 ,,qui ,,giace ,,andrea1 ,,ch' ,,opre ,,leggiadre ,e ,,belle ,,fece ,,in ,,tutta ,,toscana1 ,,ed ,,ora ,e ,,ito ,a ,,far ,,vago ,,lo ,,regno ,,delle ,,stelle4 ,a disciple of ,andrea was ,buonamico ,buffalmacco1 who1 being very young1 played him many tricks1 and had from him the portrait of ,pope ,celestine ,,iv1 a ,milanese1 and that of ,innocent ,,iv1 both one and the other of whom he portrayed afterwards in the pictures that he made in ,s4 ,paolo a ,ripa d' ,arno in ,pisa4 ,a disciple and perhaps a son of the same man was ,antonio d',andrea ,tafi1 who was a passing good painter2 but ,i have not been able to find any work by his hand4 ,there is only mention made of him in the old book of the ,company of the ,men of ,design4 ,deservedly1 then1 did ,andrea ,tafi gain much praise among the early masters1 for the reason that1 although he learnt the principles of mosaic from those whom he brought from ,venice to ,florence1 he added nevertheless so much of the good to the art1 putting the pieces together with much diligence and executing the work smooth as a table1 which is of the greatest importance in mosaic1 that he opened the way to good work to ,giotto1 among others1 as will be told in his ,life2 and not only to ,giotto1 but to all those who have exercised themselves in this sort of painting from his day up to our own times4 ,wherefore it can be truly affirmed that those marvellous works which are being made to-day in ,s4 ,marco at ,venice1 and in other places1 had their first beginning from ,andrea ,tafi4 ,,gaddo ,,gaddi ,,life ,,of ,,gaddo ,,gaddi1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,gaddo1 painter of ,florence1 displayed at this same time more design in his works1 wrought after the ,greek manner1 than did ,andrea ,tafi and the other painters that were before him1 and this perchance arose from the intimate friendship and intercourse that he held with ,cimabue1 seeing that1 by reason either of their conformity of blood or of the goodness of their minds1 finding themselves united one to the other by a strait affection1 from the frequent converse that they had together and from their discoursing lovingly very often about the difficulties of the arts there were born in their minds conceptions very beautiful and grand2 and this came to pass for them the more easily inasmuch as they were assisted by the subtlety of the air of ,florence1 which is wont to produce spirits both ingenious and subtle1 removing continually from round them that little of rust and grossness that most times nature is not able to remove1 together with the emulation and with the precepts that the good craftsmen provide in every age4 ,and it is seen clearly that works concerted between those who1 in their friendship1 are not veiled with the mask of duplicity 7although few so made are to be found71 arrive at much perfection2 and the same men1 conferring on the difficulties of the sciences that they are learning1 purge them and render them so clear and easy that the greatest praise comes therefrom4 ,whereas some1 on the contrary1 diabolically working with profession of friendship1 and using the cloak of truth and of lovingness to conceal their envy and malice1 rob them of their conceptions1 in a manner that the arts do not so soon attain to that excellence which they would if love embraced the minds of the gracious spirits2 as it truly bound together ,gaddo and ,cimabue1 and in like manner ,andrea ,tafi and ,gaddo1 who was taken by ,andrea into company with himself in order to finish the mosaics of ,s4 ,giovanni1 where that ,gaddo learnt so much that afterwards he made by himself the ,prophets that are seen round that church in the square spaces beneath the windows2 and having wrought these by his own self and with much better manner1 they brought him very great fame4 ,wherefore1 growing in courage and being disposed to work by himself1 he applied himself continually to studying the ,greek manner together with that of ,cimabue4 ,whence1 after no long time1 having become excellent in the art1 there was allotted to him by the ,wardens of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore the lunette over the principal door within the church1 wherein he wrought in mosaic the ,coronation of ,our ,lady2 which work1 when finished1 was judged by all the masters1 both foreign and native1 the most beautiful that had yet been seen in all ,italy in that craft1 there being recognized therein more design1 more judgment1 and more diligence than in all the rest of the works in mosaic that were then to be found in ,italy4 ,wherefore1 the fame of this work spreading1 ,gaddo was called to ,rome in the year #acjh 7which was the year after the fire that burnt down the ,church and the ,palaces of the ,lateran7 by ,clement ,v1 for whom he finished certain works in mosaic left imperfect by ,fra ,jacopo da ,turrita4 ,he then wrought certain works1 also in mosaic1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,pietro1 both in the principal chapel and throughout the church1 and in particular a large ,god the ,father1 with many other figures1 on the facade2 and helping to finish some scenes in mosaic that are in the facade of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 he somewhat improved the manner1 and departed also a little from that manner of the ,greeks1 which had in it nothing whatever of the good4 ,next1 having returned to ,tuscany1 he wrought in the ,duomo ,vecchio without the city of ,arezzo1 for the ,tarlati1 ,lords of ,pietramala1 certain works in mosaic on a vault that was all made of sponge-stone and served for roof to the middle part of that church1 which1 being too much burdened by the ancient vault of stone1 fell down in the time of ,bishop ,gentile of ,urbino1 who had it afterwards all rebuilt with bricks4 ,departing from ,arezzo1 ,gaddo went to ,pisa1 where1 in the niche over the ,chapel of the ,incoronata in the ,duomo1 he made a ,madonna who is ascending into ,heaven1 and1 above1 a ,jesus ,christ who is awaiting her and has a rich chair prepared as a seat for her2 which work1 for those times1 was wrought so well and with so great diligence that it has been very well preserved1 even to our own day4 ,after this ,gaddo returned to ,florence1 in mind to rest2 wherefore1 undertaking to make little panels in mosaic1 he executed some with egg-shells1 with incredible diligence and patience1 as can be seen1 among others1 in some that are still to-day in the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni in ,florence4 ,it is read1 also1 that he made two of them for ,king ,robert1 but nothing more is known of these4 ,and let this be enough to have said of ,gaddo ,gaddi with regard to work in mosaic4 ,in painting he made many panels1 and among others that which is in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 in the tramezzo#h of the church1 in the ,chapel of the ,minerbetti1 and many others that were sent into diverse parts of ,tuscany4 ,and working thus1 now in mosaic and now in painting1 he made both in the one and in the other exercise many passing good works1 which maintained him ever in good credit and reputation4 ,i could here enlarge further in discoursing of ,gaddo1 but seeing that the manners of the painters of those times cannot1 for the most part1 render great assistance to the craftsmen1 ,i will pass this over in silence1 reserving myself to be longer in the ,lives of those who1 having improved the arts1 can give some measure of assistance4 ,gaddo lived seventy-three years1 and died in #acab1 and was given honourable burial in ,s4 ,croce by his son ,taddeo4 ,and although he had other sons1 ,taddeo alone1 who was held at the baptismal font by ,giotto1 applied himself to painting1 learning at first the principles from his father and then the rest from ,giotto4 ,a disciple of ,gaddo1 besides ,taddeo his son1 was ,vicino1 painter of ,pisa1 who wrought very well certain works in mosaic in the principal apse of the ,duomo of ,pisa1 as these words demonstrate1 that are still seen in that apse3 ,,tempore ,,domini ,,joannis ,,rossi1 ,,operarii ,,istius ,,ecclesiae1 ,,vicinus ,,pictor ,,incepit ,,et ,,perfecit ,,hanc ,,imaginem ,,beatae ,,mariae2 ,,sed ,,majestatis1 ,,et ,,evangelistae1 ,,per ,,alios ,,inceptae1 ,,ipse ,,complevit ,,et ,,perfecit1 ,a4,d4 #acba1 ,,de ,,mense ,,septembris4 ,,benedictum ,,sit ,,nomen ,,domini ,,dei ,,nostri ,,jesu ,,christi4 ,,amen4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,baroncelli1 in the same ,church of ,s4 ,croce1 there is a portrait of ,gaddo by the hand of his son ,taddeo1 in a ,marriage of ,our ,lady1 and beside him is ,andrea ,tafi4 ,and in our aforesaid book there is a drawing by the hand of ,gaddo1 made in miniature1 like that of ,cimabue1 wherein it is seen how strong he was in draughtsmanship4 ,now1 seeing that in an old book1 from which ,i have drawn these few facts that have been related about ,gaddo ,gaddi1 there is also an account of the building of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 the ,church of the ,preaching ,friars in ,florence1 a building truly magnificent and highly honoured1 ,i will not pass by in silence by whom and at what time it was built4 ,i say1 then1 that the ,blessed ,dominic being in ,bologna1 and there being conceded to him the property of ,ripoli without ,florence1 he sent thither twelve friars under the care of the ,blessed ,giovanni da ,salerno2 and not many years afterwards these friars came to ,florence to occupy the church and precincts of ,s4 ,pancrazio1 and they were settled there1 when ,dominic himself came to ,florence1 whereupon they left that place and went to settle in the ,church of ,s4 ,paolo1 according to his pleasure4 ,later1 there being conceded to the said ,blessed ,giovanni the precincts of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 with all its wealth1 by the ,legate of the ,pope and by the ,bishop of the city1 they were put in possession and began to occupy the said precincts on the last day of ,october1 #abba4 ,and because the said church was passing small and faced westward1 with its entrance on the ,piazza ,vecchia1 the friars1 being now grown to a good number and having great repute in the city1 began to think of increasing the said church and convent4 ,wherefore1 having got together a very great sum of money1 and having many in the city who were promising every assistance1 they began the building of the new church on ,st4 ,luke's ,day1 in #abgh2 the first stone of the foundations being most solemnly laid by ,cardinal ,latino degli ,orsini1 ,legate of ,pope ,nicholas ,,iii to the ,florentines4 ,the architects of the said church were ,fra ,giovanni1 a ,florentine1 and ,fra ,ristoro da ,campi1 lay-brothers of the same ,order1 who rebuilt the ,ponte alla ,carraja and that of ,s4 ,trinita1 destroyed by the flood of #abfd on ,october #a4 ,the greater part of the site of the said church and convent was presented to the friars by the heirs of ,messer ,jacopo1 ,cavaliere de' ,tornaquinci4 ,the cost1 as has been said1 was met partly by alms and partly by the money of diverse persons who assisted gallantly1 and in particular with the assistance of ,frate ,aldobrandino ,cavalcanti1 who was afterwards ,bishop of ,arezzo and is buried over the door of the ,virgin4 ,some say that1 besides everything else1 he got together by his own industry all the labour and material that went into the said church1 which was finished when the ,prior of this convent was ,fra ,jacopo ,passavanti1 who was therefore deemed worthy of a marble tomb in front of the principal chapel1 on the left hand4 ,this church was consecrated in the year #adbj1 by ,pope ,martin ,v1 as is seen in an inscription on marble on the righthand pillar of the principal chapel1 which runs thus3 ,a4,d4 #adbj4 ,,die ,,septima ,,septembris1 ,,dominus ,,martinus ,,divina ,,providentia ,,papa ,v4 ,,personaliter ,,hanc ,,ecclesiam ,,consecravit1 ,,et ,,magnas ,,indulgentias ,,contulit ,,visitantibus ,,eandem4 ,of all these things and of many others there is an account in a chronicle of the building of the said church1 which is in the hands of the fathers of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 and in the ,history of ,giovanni ,villani likewise2 and ,i have not wished to withhold these few facts regarding this church and convent1 both because it is one of the most important and most beautiful churches in ,florence1 and also because they have therein1 as will be said below1 many excellent works made by the most famous craftsmen that have lived in the years past4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #h3 ,the literal meaning of tramezzo is something that acts as a partition between one thing and another4 ,there are cases where it might be translated rood-screen2 but in general it may be taken to mean transept1 which may be said to divide a church into two parts4 ,in all cases where the word occurs1 reference will be made to this note4 ,,margaritone ,,life ,,of ,,margaritone1 ,,painter1 ,,sculptor1 ,,and ,,architect1 ,,of ,,arezzo ,among the old painters who were much alarmed by the praises rightly given by men to ,cimabue and to his disciple ,giotto1 whose good work in painting was making their glory shine throughout all ,italy1 was one ,margaritone1 painter of ,arezzo1 who1 with the others who in that unhappy century were holding the highest rank in painting1 recognized that their works were little less than wholly obscuring his own fame4 ,margaritone1 then1 being held excellent among the other painters of these times who were working after the ,greek manner1 wrought many panels in distemper at ,arezzo1 and he painted in fresco--in even more pictures1 but in a long time and with much fatigue--almost the whole ,church of ,s4 ,clemente1 ,abbey of the ,order of ,camaldoli1 which is to-day all in ruins and thrown down1 together with many other buildings and a strong fortress called ,s4 ,chimenti1 for the reason that ,duke ,cosimo de' ,medici1 not only on that spot but right round that city1 pulled down many buildings and the old walls 7which were restored by ,guido ,pietramalesco1 formerly ,bishop and ,patron of that city72 in order to rebuild the latter with connecting wings and bastions1 much stronger and smaller than they were1 and in consequence more easy to guard and with few men4 ,there were1 in the said pictures1 many figures both small and great1 and although they were wrought after the ,greek manner1 it was recognized1 none the less1 that they had been made with good judgment and lovingly2 to which witness is borne by works by the same man's hand which have survived in that city1 and above all a panel that is now in ,s4 ,francesco1 in the ,chapel of the ,conception1 with a modern frame1 wherein is a ,madonna held by these friars in great veneration4 ,he made in the same church1 also after the ,greek manner1 a great ,crucifix which is now placed in that chapel where there is the ,office of the ,wardens of ,works2 this is wrought on the planking1 with the ,cross outlined1 and of this sort he made many in that city4 ,for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,margherita he wrought a work that is to-day set up against the tramezzo#i of the church--namely1 a canvas fixed on a panel1 wherein are scenes with small figures from the life of ,our ,lady and of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 in considerably better manner than the large1 and executed with more diligence and grace4 ,this work is notable1 not only because the said small figures are so well made that they look like miniatures1 but also because it is a marvel to see that a work on canvas has been preserved for three hundred years4 ,he made throughout the whole city an infinity of pictures1 and at ,sargiano1 a convent of the ,frati de' ,zoccoli1 a ,s4 ,francis portrayed from nature on a panel1 whereon he placed his name1 as on a work1 in his judgment1 wrought better than was his wont4 ,next1 having made a large ,crucifix on wood1 painted after the ,greek manner1 he sent it to ,florence to ,messer ,farinata degli ,uberti1 a most famous citizen1 for the reason that he had1 among other noble deeds1 freed his country from imminent ruin and peril4 ,this ,crucifix is to-day in ,s4 ,croce1 between the ,chapel of the ,peruzzi and that of the ,giugni4 ,in ,s4 ,domenico in ,arezzo1 a church and convent built by the ,lords of ,pietramala in the year #abge1 as their arms still prove1 he wrought many works1 and then returned to ,rome 7where he had already been held very dear by ,pope ,urban ,,iv71 to the end that he might do certain works in fresco at his commission in the portico of ,s4 ,pietro2 these were in the ,greek manner1 and passing good for those times4 ,illustration3 ,mansell ,,the ,,virgin ,,and ,,child1 ,,with ,,scenes ,,from ,,the ,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,saints 7,after the painting by ,margaritone4 ,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #ejdj7 ,next1 having made a ,s4 ,francis on a panel at ,ganghereto1 a place above ,terra ,nuova in ,valdarno1 his spirit grew exalted and he gave himself to sculpture1 and that with so much zeal that he succeeded much better than he had done in painting1 because1 although his first sculptures were in ,greek manner1 as four wooden figures show that are in a ,deposition from the ,cross in the ,prieve1 and some other figures in the round placed in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,francesco over the baptismal font1 none the less he adopted a better manner after he had seen in ,florence the works of ,arnolfo and of the other then most famous sculptors4 ,wherefore1 having returned to ,arezzo in the year #abge1 in the wake of the ,court of ,pope ,gregory1 who passed through ,florence on his return from ,avignon to ,rome1 there came to him opportunity to make himself more known1 for the reason that this ,pope died in ,arezzo1 after having presented thirty thousand crowns to the ,commune to the end that there might be finished the building of the ,vescovado1 formerly begun by ,maestro ,lapo and little advanced1 and the ,aretines1 besides making the ,chapel of ,s4 ,gregorio 7where ,margaritone afterwards made a panel7 in the ,vescovado1 in memory of the said ,pontiff1 also ordained that a tomb of marble should be made for him by the same man in the said ,vescovado4 ,putting his hand to the work1 he brought it to completion1 including therein the portrait of the ,pope from nature1 done both in marble and in painting1 in a manner that it was held the best work that he had ever yet made4 ,next1 work being resumed on the building of the ,vescovado1 ,margaritone carried it very far on1 following the design of ,lapo2 but he did not1 however1 deliver it finished1 because a few years later1 in the year #abhi1 the wars between the ,florentines and the ,aretines were renewed1 by the fault of ,guglielmino ,ubertini1 ,bishop and ,lord of ,arezzo1 assisted by the ,tarlati da ,pietramala and by the ,pazzi di ,valdarno1 although evil came to them thereby1 for they were routed and slain at ,campaldino2 and there was spent in that war all the money left by the ,pope for the building of the ,vescovado4 ,and therefore the ,aretines ordained that in place of this there should serve the impost paid by the district 7thus do they call a tax71 as a particular revenue for that work2 which impost has lasted up to our own day1 and continues to last4 ,now returning to ,margaritone3 from what is seen in his works1 as regards painting1 he was the first who considered what a man must do when he works on panels of wood1 to the end that they may stay firm in the joinings1 and that they may not show fissures and cracks opening out after they have been painted2 for he was used to put over the whole surface of the panels a canvas of linen cloth1 attached with a strong glue made from shreds of parchment and boiled over a fire2 and then over the said canvas he spread gesso1 as is seen in many panels by him and by others4 ,he wrought1 besides1 on gesso mingled with the same glue1 friezes and diadems in relief and other ornaments in the round2 and he was the inventor of the method of applying ,armenian bole1 and of spreading gold-leaf thereon and burnishing it4 ,all these things1 never seen before1 are seen in many of his works1 and in particular in the ,pieve of ,arezzo1 in an altar-front wherein are stories of ,s4 ,donatus1 and in ,s4 ,agnesa and ,s4 ,niccolo in the same city4 ,finally1 he wrought many works in his own country1 which went abroad2 some of which are at ,rome1 in ,s4 ,giovanni and in ,s4 ,pietro1 and some at ,pisa1 in ,s4 ,caterina1 where1 in the tramezzo#aj of the church1 there is set up over an altar a panel with ,s4 ,catherine on it1 and many scenes from her life with little figures1 and a ,s4 ,francis with many scenes on a panel1 on a ground of gold4 ,and in the upper ,church of ,s4 ,francesco d',assisi there is a ,crucifix by his hand1 painted in the ,greek manner1 on a beam that crosses the church4 ,all which works were in great esteem among the people of that age1 although to-day by us they are not esteemed save as old things1 good when art was not1 as it is to-day1 at its height4 ,and seeing that ,margaritone applied himself also to architecture1 although ,i have not made mention of any buildings made with his design1 because they are not of importance1 ,i will yet not forbear to say that he1 according to what ,i find1 made the design and model of the ,palazzo de' ,governatori in the city of ,ancona1 after the ,greek manner1 in the year #abgj2 and what is more1 he made in sculpture1 on the principal front1 eight windows1 whereof each one has1 in the space in the middle1 two columns that support in the middle two arches1 over which each window has a scene in half-relief that reaches from the said small arches up to the top of the window2 a scene1 ,i say1 from the ,old ,testament1 carved in a kind of stone that is found in that district4 ,under the said windows1 on the facade1 there are certain words that are understood rather at discretion than because they are either in good form or rightly written1 wherein there is read the date and in whose time this work was made4 ,by the hand of the same man1 also1 was the design of the ,church of ,s4 ,ciriaco in ,ancona4 ,margaritone died at the age of seventy-seven1 disgusted1 so it is said1 to have lived so long1 seeing the age changed and the honours with the new craftsmen4 ,he was buried in the ,duomo ,vecchio without ,arezzo1 in a tomb of travertine1 now gone to ruin in the destruction of that church2 and there was made for him this epitaph3 ,,hic ,,jacet ,,ille ,,bonus ,,pictura ,,margaritonus1 ,,cui ,,requiem ,,dominus ,,tradat ,,ubique ,,pius4 ,the portrait of ,margaritone1 by the hand of ,spinello1 is in the ,story of the ,magi1 in the said ,duomo1 and was copied by me before that church was pulled down4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #i3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,footnote #aj3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,,giotto ,illustration3 ,anderson ,,the ,,death ,,of ,s4 ,,francis 7,after the fresco by ,giotto4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce7 ,,life ,,of ,,giotto1 ,,painter1 ,,sculptor1 ,,and ,,architect1 ,,of ,,florence ,that very obligation which the craftsmen of painting owe to nature1 who serves continually as model to those who are ever wresting the good from her best and most beautiful features and striving to counterfeit and to imitate her1 should be owed1 in my belief1 to ,giotto1 painter of ,florence1 for the reason that1 after the methods of good paintings and their outlines had lain buried for so many years under the ruins of the wars1 he alone1 although born among inept craftsmen1 by the gift of ,god revived that art1 which had come to a grievous pass1 and brought it to such a form as could be called good4 ,and truly it was a very great miracle that that age1 gross and inept1 should have had strength to work in ,giotto in a fashion so masterly1 that design1 whereof the men of those times had little or no knowledge1 was restored completely to life by means of him4 ,and yet this great man was born at the village of ,vespignano1 in the district of ,florence1 fourteen miles distant from that city1 in the year #abgf1 from a father named ,bondone1 a tiller of the soil and a simple fellow4 ,he1 having had this son1 to whom he gave the name ,giotto1 reared him conformably to his condition2 and when he had come to the age of ten1 he showed in all his actions1 although childish still1 a vivacity and readiness of intelligence much out of the ordinary1 which rendered him dear not only to his father but to all those also who knew him1 both in the village and beyond4 ,now ,bondone gave some sheep into his charge1 and he1 going about the holding1 now in one part and now in another1 to graze them1 and impelled by a natural inclination to the art of design1 was for ever drawing1 on stones1 on the ground1 or on sand1 something from nature1 or in truth anything that came into his fancy4 ,wherefore ,cimabue1 going one day on some business of his own from ,florence to ,vespignano1 found ,giotto1 while his sheep were browsing1 portraying a sheep from nature on a flat and polished slab1 with a stone slightly pointed1 without having learnt any method of doing this from others1 but only from nature2 whence ,cimabue1 standing fast all in a marvel1 asked him if he wished to go to live with him4 ,the child answered that1 his father consenting1 he would go willingly4 ,cimabue then asking this from ,bondone1 the latter lovingly granted it to him1 and was content that he should take the boy with him to ,florence2 whither having come1 in a short time1 assisted by nature and taught by ,cimabue1 the child not only equalled the manner of his master1 but became so good an imitator of nature that he banished completely that rude ,greek manner and revived the modern and good art of painting1 introducing the portraying well from nature of living people1 which had not been used for more than two hundred years4 ,if1 indeed1 anyone had tried it1 as has been said above1 he had not succeeded very happily1 nor as well by a great measure as ,giotto1 who portrayed among others1 as is still seen to-day in the ,chapel of the ,palace of the ,podesta at ,florence1 ,dante ,alighieri1 a contemporary and his very great friend1 and no less famous as poet than was in the same times ,giotto as painter1 so much praised by ,messer ,giovanni ,boccaccio in the preface to the story of ,messer ,forese da ,rabatta and of ,giotto the painter himself4 ,in the same chapel are the portraits1 likewise by the same man's hand1 of ,ser ,brunetto ,latini1 master of ,dante1 and of ,messer ,corso ,donati1 a great citizen of those times4 ,illustration3 ,anderson ,s4 ,,francis ,,preaching ,,before ,,pope ,,honorius ,,iii 7,after the fresco of the ,roman ,school4 ,assisi3 ,upper ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,the first pictures of ,giotto were in the chapel of the high-altar in the ,badia of ,florence1 wherein he made many works held beautiful1 but in particular a ,madonna receiving the ,annunciation1 for the reason that in her he expressed vividly the fear and the terror that the salutation of ,gabriel inspired in ,mary the ,virgin1 who appears1 all full of the greatest alarm1 to be wishing almost to turn to flight4 ,by the hand of ,giotto1 likewise1 is the panel on the high-altar of the said chapel1 which has been preserved there to our own day1 and is still preserved there1 more because of a certain reverence that is felt for the work of so great a man than for any other reason4 ,and in ,s4 ,croce there are four chapels by the same man's hand3 three between the sacristy and the great chapel1 and one on the other side4 ,in the first of the three1 which is that of ,messer ,ridolfo de' ,bardi1 and is that wherein are the bell-ropes1 is the life of ,s4 ,francis1 in the death of whom a good number of friars show very naturally the expression of weeping4 ,in the next1 which is that of the family of ,peruzzi1 are two stories of the life of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 to whom the chapel is dedicated2 wherein great vivacity is seen in the dancing and leaping of ,herodias1 and in the promptness of some servants bustling at the service of the table4 ,in the same are two marvellous stories of ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist--namely1 when he brings ,drusiana back to life1 and when he is carried off into ,heaven4 ,in the third1 which is that of the ,giugni1 dedicated to the ,apostles1 there are painted by the hand of ,giotto the stories of the martyrdom of many of them4 ,in the fourth1 which is on the other side of the church1 towards the north1 and belongs to the ,tosinghi and to the ,spinelli1 and is dedicated to the ,assumption of ,our ,lady1 ,giotto painted her ,birth1 her ,marriage1 her ,annunciation1 the ,adoration of the ,magi1 and when she presents ,christ as a little ,child to ,simeon1 which is something very beautiful1 seeing that1 besides a great affection that is seen in that old man as he receives ,christ1 the action of the child1 stretching out its arms in fear of him and turning in terror towards its mother1 could not be more touching or more beautiful4 ,next1 in the death of the ,madonna herself1 there are the ,apostles1 and a good number of angels with torches in their hands1 all very beautiful4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,baroncelli1 in the said church1 is a panel in distemper by the hand of ,giotto1 wherein is executed with much diligence the ,coronation of ,our ,lady1 with a very great number of little figures and a choir of angels and saints1 very diligently wrought4 ,and because in that work there are written his name and the date in letters of gold1 craftsmen who will consider at what time ,giotto1 with no glimmer of the good manner1 gave a beginning to the good method of drawing and of colouring1 will be forced to hold him in the highest veneration4 ,in the same ,church of ,s4 ,croce1 over the marble tomb of ,carlo ,marsuppini of ,arezzo1 there is a ,crucifix1 with the ,madonna1 ,s4 ,john1 and ,magdalene at the foot of the ,cross2 and on the other side of the church1 exactly opposite this1 over the burial-place of ,lionardo ,aretino1 facing the high-altar1 there is an ,annunciation1 which has been recoloured by modern painters1 with small judgment on the part of him who has had this done4 ,in the refectory1 on a ,tree of the ,cross1 are stories of ,s4 ,louis and a ,last ,supper by the same man's hand2 and on the wardrobes in the sacristy are scenes with little figures from the life of ,christ and of ,s4 ,francis4 ,he wrought1 also1 in the ,church of the ,carmine1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,giovanni ,battista1 all the life of that ,saint1 divided into a number of pictures2 and in the ,palace of the ,guelph party1 in ,florence1 there is a story of the ,christian ,faith1 painted perfectly in fresco by his hand2 and therein is the portrait of ,pope ,clement ,,iv1 who created that magisterial body1 giving it his arms1 which it has always held and holds still4 ,illustration3 ,anderson ,,the ,,body ,,of ,s4 ,,francis ,,before ,,the ,,church ,,of ,s4 ,,damiano 7,after the fresco of the ,roman ,school4 ,assisi3 ,upper ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,after these works1 departing from ,florence in order to go to finish in ,assisi the works begun by ,cimabue1 in passing through ,arezzo he painted in the ,pieve the ,chapel of ,s4 ,francesco1 which is above the place of baptism2 and on a round column1 near a ,corinthian capital that is both ancient and very beautiful1 he portrayed from nature a ,s4 ,francis and a ,s4 ,dominic2 and in the ,duomo without ,arezzo he painted the ,stoning of ,s4 ,stephen in a little chapel1 with a beautiful composition of figures4 ,these works finished1 he betook himself to ,assisi1 a city of ,umbria1 being called thither by ,fra ,giovanni di ,muro della ,marca1 then ,general of the ,friars of ,s4 ,francis2 where1 in the upper church1 he painted in fresco1 under the gallery that crosses the windows1 on both sides of the church1 thirty-two scenes of the life and acts of ,s4 ,francis--that is1 sixteen on each wall--so perfectly that he acquired thereby very great fame4 ,and in truth there is seen great variety in that work1 not only in the gestures and attitudes of each figure but also in the composition of all the scenes2 not to mention that it enables us very beautifully to see the diversity of the costumes of those times1 and certain imitations and observations of the things of nature4 ,among others1 there is one very beautiful scene1 wherein a thirsty man1 in whom the desire for water is vividly seen1 is drinking1 bending down on the ground by a fountain with very great and truly marvellous expression1 in a manner that it seems almost a living person that is drinking4 ,there are also many other things there most worthy of consideration1 about which1 in order not to be tedious1 ,i do not enlarge further4 ,let it suffice that this whole work acquired for ,giotto very great fame1 by reason of the excellence of the figures and of the order1 proportion1 liveliness1 and facility which he had from nature1 and which he had made much greater by means of study1 and was able to demonstrate clearly in all his works4 ,and because1 besides that which ,giotto had from nature1 he was most diligent and went on ever thinking out new ideas and wresting them from nature1 he well deserved to be called the disciple of nature and not of others4 ,the aforesaid scenes being finished1 he painted in the same place1 but in the lower church1 the upper part of the walls at the sides of the high-altar1 and all the four angles of the vaulting above in the place where lies the body of ,s4 ,francis2 and all with inventions both fanciful and beautiful4 ,in the first is ,s4 ,francis glorified in ,heaven1 surrounded by those virtues which are essential for him who wishes to be perfectly in the grace of ,god4 ,on one side ,obedience is placing a yoke on the neck of a friar who is before her on his knees1 and the bands of the yoke are drawn by certain hands towards ,heaven2 and1 enjoining silence with one finger to her lips1 she has her eyes on ,jesus ,christ1 who is shedding blood from ,his side4 ,and in company with this virtue are ,prudence and ,humility1 in order to show that where there is true obedience there are ever humility and prudence1 which enable us to carry out every action well4 ,in the second angle is ,chastity1 who1 standing in a very strong fastness1 is refusing to be conquered either by kingdoms or crowns or palms that some are presenting to her4 ,at her feet is ,purity1 who is washing naked figures2 and ,force is busy leading people to wash and purify themselves4 ,near to ,chastity1 on one side1 is ,penitence1 who is chasing ,love away with a ,discipline1 and putting to flight ,impurity4 ,in the third space is ,poverty1 who is walking with bare feet on thorns1 and has a dog that is barking at her from behind1 and about her a boy who is throwing stones at her1 and another who is busy pushing some thorns with a stick against her legs4 ,and this ,poverty is seen here being espoused by ,s4 ,francis1 while ,jesus ,christ is holding her hand1 there being present1 not without mystic meaning1 ,hope and ,compassion4 ,in the fourth and last of the said spaces is a ,s4 ,francis1 also glorified1 in the white tunic of a deacon1 and shown triumphant in ,heaven in the midst of a multitude of angels who are forming a choir round him1 with a standard whereon is a ,cross with seven stars2 and on high is the ,holy ,spirit4 ,within each of these angles are some ,latin words that explain the scenes4 ,in like manner1 besides the said four angles1 there are pictures on the side walls which are very beautiful and truly to be held in great price1 both by reason of the perfection that is seen in them and because they were wrought with so great diligence that up to our own day they have remained fresh4 ,in these pictures is the portrait of ,giotto himself1 very well made1 and over the door of the sacristy1 by the same man's hand and also in fresco1 there is a ,s4 ,francis who is receiving the ,stigmata1 so loving and devout that to me it appears the most excellent picture that ,giotto made in these works1 which are all truly beautiful and worthy of praise4 ,having finished1 then1 for the last1 the said ,s4 ,francis1 he returned to ,florence1 where1 on arriving there1 he painted1 on a panel that was to be sent to ,pisa1 a ,s4 ,francis on the tremendous rock of ,la ,vernia1 with extraordinary diligence1 seeing that1 besides certain landscapes full of trees and cliffs1 which was something new in those times1 there are seen in the attitude of a ,s4 ,francis1 who is kneeling and receiving the ,stigmata with much readiness1 a most ardent desire to receive them and infinite love towards ,jesus ,christ1 who1 being surrounded in the sky by seraphim1 is granting them to him with an expression so vivid that anything better cannot be imagined4 ,in the lower part of the same panel there are three very beautiful scenes of the life of the same ,saint4 ,this panel1 which to-day is seen in ,s4 ,francesco in ,pisa on a pillar beside the high-altar1 and is held in great veneration as a memorial of so great a man1 was the reason that the ,pisans1 having just finished the building of the ,campo ,santo after the design of ,giovanni1 son of ,niccola ,pisano1 as has been said above1 gave to ,giotto the painting of part of the inner walls1 to the end that1 since this so great fabric was all incrusted on the outer side with marbles and with carvings made at very great cost1 and roofed over with lead1 and also full of sarcophagi and ancient tombs once belonging to the heathens and brought to ,pisa from various parts of the world1 even so it might be adorned within1 on the walls1 with the noblest painting4 ,having gone to ,pisa1 then1 for this purpose1 ,giotto made in fresco1 on the first part of a wall in that ,campo ,santo1 six large stories of the most patient ,job4 ,and because he judiciously reflected that the marbles of that part of the building where he had to work were turned towards the sea1 and that1 all being saline marbles1 they are ever damp by reason of the south-east winds and throw out a certain salt moisture1 even as the bricks of ,pisa do for the most part1 and that therefore the colours and the paintings fade and corrode1 he caused to be made over the whole surface where he wished to work in fresco1 to the end that his work might be preserved as long as possible1 a coating1 or in truth an intonaco or incrustation--that is to say1 with lime1 gypsum1 and powdered brick all mixed together2 so suitably that the pictures which he afterwards made thereon have been preserved up to the present day4 ,and they would be still better if the negligence of those who should have taken care of them had not allowed them to be much injured by the damp1 because the fact that this was not provided for1 as was easily possible1 has been the reason that these pictures1 having suffered from damp1 have been spoilt in certain places1 and the flesh-colours have been blackened1 and the intonaco has peeled off2 not to mention that the nature of gypsum1 when it has been mixed with lime1 is to corrode in time and to grow rotten1 whence it arises that afterwards1 perforce1 it spoils the colours1 although it appears at the beginning to take a good and firm hold4 ,in these scenes1 besides the portrait of ,messer ,farinata degli ,uberti1 there are many beautiful figures1 and above all certain villagers1 who1 in carrying the grievous news to ,job1 could not be more full of feeling nor show better than they do the grief that they felt over the lost cattle and over the other misadventures4 ,likewise there is amazing grace in the figure of a man-servant who is standing with a fan beside ,job1 who is covered with ulcers and almost abandoned by all2 and although he is well done in every part1 he is marvellous in the attitude that he strikes in chasing the flies from his leprous and stinking master with one hand1 while with the other he is holding his nose in disgust1 in order not to notice the stench4 ,in like manner1 the other figures in these scenes and the heads both of the males and of the women are very beautiful2 and the draperies are wrought to such a degree of softness that it is no marvel if this work acquired for him so great fame1 both in that city and abroad1 that ,pope ,benedict ,,ix of ,treviso sent one of his courtiers into ,tuscany to see what sort of man was ,giotto1 and of what kind his works1 having designed to have some pictures made in ,s4 ,pietro4 ,this courtier1 coming in order to see ,giotto and to hear what other masters there were in ,florence excellent in painting and in mosaic1 talked to many masters in ,siena4 ,then1 having received drawings from them1 he came to ,florence1 and having gone into the shop of ,giotto1 who was working1 declared to him the mind of the ,pope and in what way it was proposed to make use of his labour1 and at last asked him for some little drawing1 to the end that he might send it to ,his ,holiness4 ,giotto1 who was most courteous1 took a paper1 and on that1 with a brush dipped in red1 holding his arm fast against his side in order to make a compass1 with a turn of the hand he made a circle1 so true in proportion and circumference that to behold it was a marvel4 ,this done1 he smiled and said to the courtier3 ,here is your drawing4 ,he1 thinking he was being derided1 said3 ,am ,i to have no other drawing but this8 ',tis enough and to spare1 answered ,giotto4 ,send it1 together with the others1 and you will see if it will be recognized4 ,the envoy1 seeing that he could get nothing else1 left him1 very ill-satisfied and doubting that he had been fooled4 ,all the same1 sending to the ,pope the other drawings and the names of those who had made them1 he also sent that of ,giotto1 relating the method that he had followed in making his circle without moving his arm and without compasses4 ,wherefore the ,pope and many courtiers that were versed in the arts recognized by this how much ,giotto surpassed in excellence all the other painters of his time4 ,this matter having afterwards spread abroad1 there was born from it the proverb that is still wont to be said to men of gross wits3 ,tu sei piu tondo che l' ,o di ,giotto6 7,thou art rounder than ,giotto's circle74 ,this proverb can be called beautiful not only from the occasion that gave it birth1 but also for its significance1 which consists in the double meaning2 tondo being used1 in ,tuscany1 both for the perfect shape of a circle and for slowness and grossness of understanding4 ,illustration3 ,anderson ,,the ,,raising ,,of ,,lazarus 7,after the fresco by ,giotto and his ,pupils4 ,assisi3 ,lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,the aforesaid ,pope then made him come to ,rome1 where1 honouring him much and appreciating his talents1 he made him paint five scenes from the life of ,christ in the apse of ,s4 ,pietro1 and the chief panel in the sacristy1 which were all executed by him with so great diligence that there never issued from his hands any more finished work in distemper4 ,wherefore he well deserved that the ,pope1 holding himself to have been well served1 should cause to be given to him six hundred ducats of gold1 besides granting him so many favours that they were talked of throughout all ,italy4 ,about this time--in order to withhold nothing worthy of remembrance in connection with art--there was in ,rome one ,oderigi d',agobbio1 who was much the friend of ,giotto and an excellent illuminator for those days4 ,this man1 being summoned for this purpose by the ,pope1 illuminated many books for the library of the palace1 which are now in great part eaten away by time4 ,and in my book of ancient drawings are some remains from the very hand of this man1 who in truth was an able man2 although a much better master than ,oderigi was ,franco ,bolognese1 who wrought a number of works excellently in that manner for the same ,pope and for the same library1 about the same time1 as can be seen in the said book1 wherein ,i have designs by his hand both in painting and in illumination1 and among them an eagle very well done1 and a very beautiful lion that is tearing a tree4 ,of these two excellent illuminators ,dante makes mention in the eleventh canto of the ,purgatorio1 where he is talking of the vainglorious1 in these verses3 ,o1 dissi a lui1 non se' tu ,oderigi1 ,l'onor d',agobbio1 e l'onor di quell'arte ,che alluminare e chiamata in ,parigi8 ,frate1 diss'egli1 piu ridon le carte ,che pennelleggia ,franco ,bolognese2 ,l'onor e tutto suo1 e mio in parte4 ,the ,pope1 having seen these works1 and the manner of ,giotto pleasing him infinitely1 ordered him to make scenes from the ,old ,testament and the ,new right round ,s4 ,pietro2 wherefore1 for a beginning1 ,giotto made in fresco the ,angel that is over the organ1 seven braccia high1 and many other paintings1 whereof part have been restored by others in our own days1 and part1 in founding the new walls1 have been either destroyed or removed from the old edifice of ,s4 ,pietro1 up to the space below the organ2 such as a ,madonna on a wall1 which1 to the end that it might not be thrown to the ground1 was cut right out of the wall and made fast with beams and iron bars and thus removed1 and afterwards built in1 by reason of its beauty1 in the place that pleased the pious love that is borne towards everything excellent in art by ,messer ,niccolo ,acciaiuoli1 doctor of ,florence1 who richly adorned this work of ,giotto with stucco-work and also with modern paintings4 ,by his hand1 also1 was the ,navicella in mosaic that is over the three doors of the portico in the court of ,s4 ,pietro1 which is truly marvellous and deservedly praised by all beautiful minds1 because in it1 besides the design1 there is the grouping of the ,apostles1 who are travailing in diverse manners through the sea-tempest1 while the winds are blowing into a sail1 which has so high a relief that a real one would not have more2 and moreover it is difficult to have to make with those pieces of glass a unity such as that which is seen in the lights and shadows of so great a sail1 which could only be equalled by the brush with great difficulty and by making every possible effort2 not to mention that in a fisherman1 who is fishing from a rock with a line1 there is seen an attitude of extreme patience proper to that art1 and in his face the hope and the wish to make a catch4 ,under this work are three little arches in fresco1 of which1 since they are for the greater part spoilt1 ,i will say no more4 ,the praises universally given by craftsmen to this work are well deserved4 ,giotto1 having afterwards painted on a panel a large ,crucifix coloured in distemper1 for the ,minerva1 a church of the ,preaching ,friars1 returned to his own country1 having been abroad six years4 ,but no long time after1 by reason of the death of ,pope ,benedict ,,ix1 ,clement ,v was created ,pope in ,perugia1 and ,giotto was forced to betake himself with that ,pope to the place where he brought his ,court1 to ,avignon1 in order to do certain works there2 and having gone there1 he made1 not only in ,avignon but in many other places in ,france1 many very beautiful panels and pictures in fresco1 which pleased the ,pontiff and the whole ,court infinitely4 ,wherefore1 the work dispatched1 the ,pope dismissed him lovingly and with many gifts1 and he returned home no less rich than honoured and famous2 and among the rest he brought back the portrait of that ,pope1 which he gave afterwards to ,taddeo ,gaddi1 his disciple4 ,and this return of ,giotto to ,florence was in the year #acaf4 ,but it was not granted to him to stay long in ,florence1 because1 being summoned to ,padua by the agency of the ,signori della ,scala1 he painted a very beautiful chapel in the ,santo1 a church built in those times4 ,from there he went to ,verona1 where1 for ,messer ,cane1 he made certain pictures in his palace1 and in particular the portrait of that lord2 and a panel for the ,friars of ,s4 ,francis4 ,these works completed1 in returning to ,tuscany he was forced to stay in ,ferrara1 and he painted at the behest of those ,signori d',este1 in their palace and in ,s4 ,agostino1 some works that are still seen there to-day4 ,meanwhile1 it coming to the ears of ,dante1 poet of ,florence1 that ,giotto was in ,ferrara1 he so contrived that he brought him to ,ravenna1 where he was living in exile2 and he caused him to make round the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 for the ,signori da ,polenta1 some scenes in fresco that are passing good4 ,next1 having gone from ,ravenna to ,urbino1 there too he wrought some works4 ,then1 chancing to pass through ,arezzo1 he could not but comply with the wish of ,piero ,saccone1 who had been much his friend2 wherefore he made for him in fresco1 on a pillar in the principal chapel of the ,vescovado1 a ,s4 ,martin who has cut his cloak in half and is giving one part of it to a beggar1 who is standing before him almost wholly naked4 ,then1 having made for the ,abbey of ,s4 ,fiore a large ,crucifix painted in distemper on wood1 which is to-day in the middle of that church1 he returned finally to ,florence1 where1 among many other works1 he made some pictures in the ,convent of the ,nuns of ,faenza1 both in fresco and in distemper1 that are not in existence to-day1 by reason of the destruction of that convent4 ,in the year #acbb1 likewise--,dante1 very much his friend1 having died in the year before1 to his great sorrow--he went to ,lucca1 and at the request of ,castruccio1 then ,lord of that city1 his birthplace1 he made a panel in ,s4 ,martino with a ,christ in air and four ,saints1 ,protectors of that city--namely1 ,s4 ,peter1 ,s4 ,regulus1 ,s4 ,martin1 and ,s4 ,paulinus--who appear to be recommending a ,pope and an ,emperor1 who1 according to what is believed by many1 are ,frederick of ,bavaria and the ,anti-,pope ,nicholas ,v4 ,some1 likewise1 believe that ,giotto designed the castle and fortress of ,giusta1 which is impregnable1 at ,san ,frediano1 in the same city of ,lucca4 ,afterwards1 ,giotto having returned to ,florence1 ,robert1 ,king of ,naples1 wrote to ,charles1 ,king of ,calabria1 his first-born son1 who chanced to be in ,florence1 that he should send him ,giotto to ,naples at all costs1 for the reason that1 having finished the building of ,s4 ,chiara1 a convent of nuns and a royal church1 he wished that it should be adorned by him with noble paintings4 ,giotto1 then1 hearing himself summoned by a ,king so greatly renowned and famous1 went more than willingly to serve him1 and1 on arriving1 painted many scenes from the ,old ,testament and the ,new in some chapels of the said convent4 ,and the scenes from the ,apocalypse that he made in one of the said chapels are said to have been inventions of ,dante2 and this may be also true of those at ,assisi1 so greatly renowned1 whereof there has been enough said above4 ,and although ,dante at that time was dead1 they may have held discourse on these matters1 as often comes to pass between friends4 ,illustration3 ,,giotto3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,florence3 ,accademia #ajc4 ,panel7 ,but to return to ,naples2 ,giotto made many works in the ,castel dell',uovo1 and in particular the chapel1 which much pleased that ,king1 by whom he was so greatly beloved that many times1 while working1 ,giotto found himself entertained by the ,king in person1 who took pleasure in seeing him at work and in hearing his discourse4 ,and ,giotto1 who had ever some jest on his tongue and some witty repartee in readiness1 would entertain him with his hand1 in painting1 and with pleasant discourse1 in his jesting4 ,wherefore1 the ,king saying to him one day that he wished to make him the first man in ,naples1 ,giotto answered1 ,and for that end am ,i lodged at the ,porta ,reale1 in order to be the first in ,naples4 ,another time1 the ,king saying to him1 ,giotto1 an ,i were you1 now that it is hot1 ,i would give over painting for a little2 he answered1 ,and ,i1 i' faith1 an ,i were you4 ,being then very dear to the ,king1 he made for him a good number of pictures in a hall 7that ,king ,alfonso ,i pulled down in order to make the ,castle71 and also in the ,incoronata2 and among others in the said hall were the portraits of many famous men1 and among them that of ,giotto himself4 ,now the ,king having one day out of caprice besought him to paint his realm for him1 ,giotto1 so it is said1 painted for him an ass saddled1 that had at its feet a new pack-saddle1 and was sniffing at it and making semblance of desiring it2 and on both the old pack-saddle and the new one were the royal crown and the sceptre of sovereignty2 wherefore ,giotto1 being asked by the ,king what such a picture signified1 answered that such were his subjects and such the kingdom1 wherein every day a new lord was desired4 ,departing from ,naples in order to go to ,rome1 ,giotto stopped at ,gaeta1 where he was forced to paint some scenes from the ,old ,testament in the ,nunziata1 which are now spoilt by time1 but yet not so completely that there may not be seen in them very well the portrait of ,giotto himself1 near a large and very beautiful ,crucifix4 ,this work finished1 not being able to refuse this to ,signor ,malatesta1 he first occupied himself in his service for some days in ,rome1 and afterwards he betook himself to ,rimini1 of which city the said ,malatesta was lord2 and there1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 he made very many pictures1 which were afterwards thrown to the ground and destroyed by ,gismondo1 son of ,pandolfo ,malatesta1 who rebuilt the whole said church anew4 ,in the cloisters of the said place1 also1 opposite to the wall of the church1 he painted in fresco the story of the ,blessed ,michelina1 which was one of the most beautiful and excellent works that ,giotto ever made1 by reason of the many and beautiful ideas that he had in working thereon2 for besides the beauty of the draperies1 and the grace and vivacity of the heads1 which are miraculous1 there is a young woman therein as beautiful as ever a woman can be1 who1 in order to clear herself from the false charge of adultery1 is taking oath over a book in a most wonderful attitude1 holding her eyes fixed on those of her husband1 who was making her take the oath by reason of mistrust in a black son born from her1 whom he could in no way bring himself to believe to be his4 ,she1 even as the husband is showing disdain and distrust in his face1 is making clear with the purity of her brow and of her eyes1 to those who are most intently gazing on her1 her innocence and simplicity1 and the wrong that he is doing to her in making her take oath and in proclaiming her wrongly as a harlot4 ,in like manner1 very great feeling was that which he expressed in a sick man stricken with certain sores1 seeing that all the women who are round him1 overcome by the stench1 are making certain grimaces of disgust1 the most gracious in the world4 ,the foreshortenings1 next1 that are seen in another picture among a quantity of beggars that he portrayed1 are very worthy of praise and should be held in great price among craftsmen1 because from them there came the first beginning and method of making them1 not to mention that it cannot be said that they are not passing good for early work4 ,but above everything else that is in this work1 most marvellous is the gesture that the aforesaid ,blessed ,michelina is making towards certain usurers1 who are disbursing to her the money from the sale of her possessions for giving to the poor1 seeing that in her there is shown contempt of money and of the other things of this earth1 which appear to disgust her1 and1 in them1 the personification of human avarice and greed4 ,very beautiful1 too1 is the figure of one who1 while counting the money1 appears to be making sign to the notary who is writing1 considering that1 although he has his eyes on the notary1 he is yet keeping his hands on the money1 thus revealing his love of it1 his avarice1 and his distrust4 ,in like manner1 the three figures that are upholding the garments of ,s4 ,francis in the sky1 representing ,obedience1 ,patience1 and ,poverty1 are worthy of infinite praise1 above all because there is in the manner of the draperies a natural flow of folds that gives us to know that ,giotto was born in order to give light to painting4 ,besides this1 he portrayed ,signor ,malatesta on a ship in this work1 so naturally that he appears absolutely alive2 and some mariners and other people1 in their promptness1 their expressions1 and their attitudes--and particularly a figure that is speaking with some others and spits into the sea1 putting one hand up to his face--give us to know the excellence of ,giotto4 ,and certainly1 among all the works of painting made by this master1 this may be said to be one of the best1 for the reason that there is not one figure in so great a number that does not show very great craftsmanship1 and that is not placed in some characteristic attitude4 ,and therefore it is no marvel that ,signor ,malatesta did not fail to reward him magnificently and to praise him4 ,having finished his labours for that lord1 he complied with the request of a ,prior of ,florence who was then at ,s4 ,cataldo d',arimini1 and made a ,s4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 reading to his friars1 without the door of the church4 ,departing thence1 he returned to ,ravenna and painted a chapel in fresco in ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista1 which is much extolled4 ,having next returned to ,florence with very great honour and ample means1 he painted a ,crucifix on wood and in distemper for ,s4 ,marco1 larger than life and on a ground of gold1 which was placed on the right hand in the church4 ,and he made another like it in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 whereon ,puccio ,capanna1 his pupil1 worked in company with him2 and this is still to-day over the principal door1 on the right as you enter the church1 over the tomb of the ,gaddi4 ,and in the same church1 over the tramezzo1#aa he made a ,s4 ,louis for ,paolo di ,lotto ,ardinghelli1 and at the foot thereof the portrait of him and of his wife1 from the life4 ,afterwards1 in the year #acbg1 ,guido ,tarlati da ,pietramala1 ,bishop and ,lord of ,arezzo1 died at ,massa di ,maremma in returning from ,lucca1 where he had been to visit the ,emperor1 and after his body had been brought to ,arezzo and the most magnificent funeral honours had been paid to it1 ,piero ,saccone and ,dolfo da ,pietramala1 the brother of the ,bishop1 determined that there should be made for him a tomb in marble worthy of the greatness of so notable a man1 who had been a lord both spiritual and temporal1 and head of the ,ghibelline party in ,tuscany4 ,wherefore1 having written to ,giotto that he should make the design of a tomb very rich and with all possible adornment1 and having sent him the measurements1 they prayed him afterwards that he should place at their disposal the sculptor who was the most excellent1 according to his opinion1 of all that were in ,italy1 because they were relying wholly on his judgment4 ,giotto1 who was most courteous1 made the design and sent it to them2 and after this design1 as will be told in the proper place1 the said tomb was made4 ,and because the said ,piero ,saccone had infinite love for the talent of this man1 having taken ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro no long time after he had received the said design1 he brought from there to ,arezzo a panel with little figures by the hand of ,giotto1 which afterwards fell to pieces2 and ,baccio ,gondi1 nobleman of ,florence1 a lover of these noble arts and of every talent1 being ,commissary of ,arezzo1 sought out the pieces of this panel with great diligence1 and having found some brought them to ,florence1 where he holds them in great veneration1 together with some other works that he has by the hand of the same ,giotto1 who wrought so many that their number is almost beyond belief4 ,and not many years ago1 chancing to be at the ,hermitage of ,camaldoli1 where ,i have wrought many works for those reverend ,fathers1 ,i saw in a cell1 whither it had been brought by the ,very ,reverend ,don ,antonio da ,pisa1 then ,general of the ,congregation of ,camaldoli1 a very beautiful little ,crucifix on a ground of gold1 with the name of ,giotto in his own hand2 which ,crucifix1 according to what ,i hear from the ,reverend ,don ,silvano ,razzi1 monk of ,camaldoli1 is kept to-day in the cell of the ,superior of the ,monastery of the ,angeli1 as being a very rare work and by the hand of ,giotto1 in company with a most beautiful little picture by ,raffaello da ,urbino4 ,for the ,frati ,umiliati of ,ognissanti in ,florence1 ,giotto painted a chapel and four panels1 in one of which there was the ,madonna1 with many angels round her and the ,child in her arms1 and a large ,crucifix on wood1 whereof ,puccio ,capanna took the design and wrought many of them afterwards throughout all ,italy1 having much practice in the manner of ,giotto4 ,in the tramezzo#ab of the said church1 when this book of the ,lives of the ,painters1 ,sculptors1 and ,architects was printed the first time1 there was a little panel in distemper painted by ,giotto with infinite diligence1 wherein was the death of ,our ,lady1 with the ,apostles round her and with a ,christ who is receiving her soul into ,his arms4 ,this work was much praised by the craftsmen of painting1 and in particular by ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 who declared1 as was said another time1 that the quality of this painted story could not be more like to the truth than it is4 ,this little panel1 ,i say1 having come into notice from the time when the book of these ,lives was first published1 was afterwards carried off by someone unknown1 who1 perhaps out of love for art and out of piety1 it seeming to him that it was little esteemed1 became1 as said our poet1 impious4 ,and truly it was a miracle in those times that ,giotto had so great loveliness in his painting1 considering1 above all1 that he learnt the art in a certain measure without a master4 ,after these works1 in the year #accd1 on ,july #i1 he put his hand to the ,campanile of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 whereof the foundation was a platform of strong stone1 in a pit sunk twenty braccia deep from which water and gravel had been removed2 upon this platform he made a good mass of concrete1 that reached to the height of twelve braccia above the first foundation1 and the rest--namely1 the other eight braccia--he caused to be made of masonry4 ,and at this beginning and foundation there officiated the ,bishop of the city1 who1 in the presence of all the clergy and all the magistrates1 solemnly laid the first stone4 ,this work1 then1 being carried on with the said model1 which was in the ,german manner that was in use in those times1 ,giotto designed all the scenes that were going into the ornamentation1 and marked out the model with white1 black1 and red colours in all those places wherein the marbles and the friezes were to go1 with much diligence4 ,the circuit round the base was one hundred braccia--that is1 twenty-five braccia for each side--and the height1 one hundred and forty-four braccia4 ,and if that is true1 and ,i hold it as of the truest1 which ,lorenzo di ,cione ,ghiberti has left in writing1 ,giotto made not only the model of this campanile1 but also part of those scenes in marble wherein are the beginnings of all the arts1 in sculpture and in relief4 ,and the said ,lorenzo declares that he saw models in relief by the hand of ,giotto1 and in particular those of these works2 which circumstance can be easily believed1 design and invention being father and mother of all these arts and not of one alone4 ,this campanile was destined1 according to the model of ,giotto1 to have a spire1 or rather a pyramid1 four-sided and fifty braccia high1 as a completion to what is now seen2 but1 for the reason that it was a ,german idea and in an old manner1 modern architects have never done aught but advise that it should not be made1 the work seeming to be better as it is4 ,for all these works ,giotto was not only made citizen of ,florence1 but was given a pension of one hundred florins yearly by the ,commune of ,florence1 which was something very great in those times2 and he was made overseer over this work1 which was carried on after him by ,taddeo ,gaddi1 for he did not live so long as to be able to see it finished4 ,now1 while this work continued to be carried forward1 he made a panel for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,giorgio1 and three half-length figures in an arch over the inner side of the door of the ,badia in ,florence1 now covered with whitewash in order to give more light to the church4 ,and in the ,great ,hall of the ,podesta of ,florence he painted the ,commune 7an idea stolen by many71 representing it as sitting in the form of ,judge1 sceptre in hand1 and over its head he placed the balanced scales as symbol of the just decisions administered by it1 accompanying it with four ,virtues1 that are1 ,strength with courage1 ,wisdom with the laws1 ,justice with arms1 and ,temperance with words2 this work is beautiful as a picture1 and characteristic and appropriate in invention4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,flight ,,into ,,egypt 7,after the fresco by ,giotto4 ,padua3 ,arena ,chapel7 ,afterwards1 having gone again to ,padua1 besides many other works and chapels that he painted there1 he made a ,mundane ,glory in the precincts of the ,arena1 which gained him much honour and profit4 ,in ,milan1 also1 he wrought certain works1 that are scattered throughout that city and held most beautiful even to this day4 ,finally1 having returned from ,milan1 no long time passed before he gave up his soul to ,god1 having wrought so many most beautiful works in his life1 and having been no less good as ,christian than he was excellent as painter4 ,he died in the year #accf1 to the great grief of all his fellow-citizens--nay1 of all those who had known him or even only heard his name--and he was buried1 even as his virtues deserved1 with great honour1 having been loved by all while he lived1 and in particular by the men excellent in all the professions1 seeing that1 besides ,dante1 of whom we have spoken above1 he was much honoured by ,petrarca1 both he and his works1 so greatly that it is read in ,petrarca's testament that he left to ,signor ,francesco da ,carrara1 ,lord of ,padua1 among other things held by him in the highest veneration1 a picture by the hand of ,giotto containing a ,madonna1 as something rare and very dear to him4 ,and the words of that clause in the testament run thus3 ,transeo ad dispositionem aliarum rerum2 et praedicto igitur domino meo ,paduano1 quia et ipse per ,dei gratiam non eget1 et ego nihil aliud habeo dignum se1 mitto tabulam meam sive historiam ,beatae ,virginis ,mariae1 opus ,jocti pictoris egregii1 quae mihi ab amico meo ,michaele ,vannis de ,florentia missa est1 in cujus pulchritudinem ignorantes non intelligunt1 magistri autem artis stupent2 hanc iconam ipsi domino lego1 ut ipsa ,virgo benedicta sibi sit propitia apud filium suum ,jesum ,christum4 ,and the same ,petrarch1 in a ,latin epistle in the fifth book of his ,familiar ,letters1 says these words3 ,atque 7ut a veteribus ad nova1 ab externis ad nostra transgrediar7 duos ego novi pictores egregios1 nec formosos1 ,joctum ,florentinum civem1 cujus inter modernos fama ingens est1 et ,simonem ,senensem4 ,novi scultores aliquot1 etc4 ,giotto was buried in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 on the left side as you enter the church1 where there is a slab of white marble in memory of so great a man4 ,and1 as was told in the ,life of ,cimabue1 a commentator of ,dante1 who lived at the same time as ,giotto1 said3 ,giotto was and is the most eminent among painters in the same city of ,florence1 and his works bear testimony for him in ,rome1 in ,naples1 in ,avignon1 in ,florence1 in ,padua1 and in many other parts of the world4 ,his disciples were ,taddeo ,gaddi1 held by him at baptism1 as has been said1 and ,puccio ,capanna of ,florence1 who1 working at ,rimini in the ,church of ,s4 ,cataldo1 belonging to the ,preaching ,friars1 painted perfectly in fresco the hull of a ship which appears to be sinking in the sea1 with men who are throwing things into the sea1 one of whom is ,puccio himself portrayed from life among a good number of mariners4 ,the same man painted many works after the death of ,giotto in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco at ,assisi1 and in the ,church of ,s4 ,trinita in ,florence1 near the side-door towards the river1 he painted the ,chapel of the ,strozzi1 wherein is the ,coronation of the ,madonna in fresco1 with a choir of angels which draw very much to the manner of ,giotto2 and on the sides are stories of ,s4 ,lucia1 very well wrought4 ,in the ,badia of ,florence he painted the ,chapel of ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista1 belonging to the family of ,covoni1 beside the sacristry2 and in ,pistoia he wrought in fresco the principal chapel of the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco and the ,chapel of ,s4 ,lodovico1 with the stories of those ,saints1 passing well painted4 ,in the middle of the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico1 in the same city1 there are a ,crucifix1 a ,madonna1 and a ,s4 ,john1 wrought with much sweetness1 and at their feet a complete human skeleton1 wherein 7and this was something unusual in those times7 ,puccio showed that he had sought to find the foundations of art4 ,in this work there is read his name1 written by himself in this fashion3 ,,puccio ,,di ,,fiorenza ,,me ,,fece4 ,in the arch over the door of ,s4 ,maria ,nuova in the said church there are three half-length figures by his hand1 ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 and ,s4 ,peter on one side1 and on the other ,s4 ,francis4 ,he also painted in the aforesaid city of ,assisi1 in the lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 some scenes of the ,passion of ,jesus ,christ in fresco1 with good and very resolute mastery1 and in the chapel of the ,church of ,s4 ,maria degli ,angeli he wrought in fresco a ,christ in ,glory1 with the ,virgin praying to ,him for the ,christian people2 this work1 which is passing good1 has been all blackened by the smoke of the lamps and the candles that are burning there continually in great quantity4 ,and in truth1 in so far as it can be judged1 ,puccio had the manner and the whole method of working of his master ,giotto1 and knew how to make good use of it in the works that he wrought1 even if1 as some have it1 he did not live long1 having fallen sick and died by reason of labouring too much in fresco4 ,by his hand1 in so far as is known1 is the ,chapel of ,s4 ,martino in the same church1 with the stories of that ,saint1 wrought in fresco for ,cardinal ,gentile4 ,there is seen1 also1 in the middle of the street called ,portica1 a ,christ at the ,column1 and in a square picture there is ,our ,lady1 with ,s4 ,catherine and ,s4 ,clara1 one on either side of her4 ,there are works by his hand scattered about in many other places1 such as a panel with the ,passion of ,christ1 and stories of ,s4 ,francis1 in the tramezzo#ac of the church in ,bologna2 and many others1 in short1 that are passed by for the sake of brevity4 ,i will say1 indeed1 that in ,assisi1 where most of his works are1 and where it appears to me that he assisted ,giotto in painting1 ,i have found that they hold him as their fellow-citizen1 and that there are still to-day in that city some of the family of the ,capanni4 ,wherefore it may easily be believed that he was born in ,florence1 having written so himself1 and that he was a disciple of ,giotto1 but that afterwards he took a wife in ,assisi1 that there he had children1 and that now he has descendants there4 ,but because it is of little importance to know this exactly1 it is enough to say that he was a good master4 ,likewise a disciple of ,giotto and a very masterly painter was ,ottaviano da ,faenza1 who painted many works at ,ferrara in ,s4 ,giorgio1 the seat of the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto2 and in ,faenza1 where he lived and died1 he painted1 in the arch over the door of ,s4 ,francesco1 a ,madonna1 ,s4 ,peter and ,s4 ,paul1 and many other works in his said birthplace and in ,bologna4 ,a disciple of ,giotto1 also1 was ,pace da ,faenza1 who stayed with him long and assisted him in many works2 and in ,bologna there are some scenes in fresco by his hand on the facade of ,s4 ,giovanni ,decollato4 ,this ,pace was an able man1 particularly in making little figures1 as can be seen to this day in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco at ,forli1 in a ,tree of the ,cross1 and in a little panel in distemper1 wherein is the life of ,christ1 with four little scenes from the life of ,our ,lady1 all very well wrought4 ,it is said that he wrought in fresco1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,antonio at ,assisi1 some stories of the life of that ,saint1 for a ,duke of ,spoleto who is buried in that place together with his son1 both having died fighting in certain suburbs of ,assisi1 according to what is seen in a long inscription that is on the sarcophagus of the said tomb4 ,in the old book of the ,company of ,painters it is found that the same man had another disciple1 ,francesco1 called di ,maestro ,giotto1 of whom ,i have nothing else to relate4 ,guglielmo of ,forli was also a disciple of ,giotto1 and besides many other works he painted the chapel of the high-altar in ,s4 ,domenico at ,forli1 his native city4 ,disciples of ,giotto1 also1 were ,pietro ,laurati and ,simon ,memmi of ,siena1 ,stefano1 a ,florentine1 and ,pietro ,cavallini1 a ,roman2 but1 seeing that of all these there is account in the ,life of each one of them1 let it suffice to have said in this place that they were disciples of ,giotto1 who drew very well for his time and for that manner1 whereunto witness is borne by many sheets of parchment drawn by his hand in water-colour1 outlined with the pen1 in chiaroscuro1 with the high lights in white1 which are in our book of drawings1 and are truly a marvel in comparison with those of the masters that lived before him4 ,giotto1 as it has been said1 was very ingenious and humorous1 and very witty in his sayings1 whereof there is still vivid memory in that city2 for besides that which ,messer ,giovanni ,boccaccio wrote about him1 ,franco ,sacchetti1 in his three hundred ,stories1 relates many of them that are very beautiful4 ,of these ,i will not forbear to write down some with the very words of ,franco himself1 to the end that1 together with the story itself1 there may be seen certain modes of speech and expressions of those times4 ,he says in one1 then1 to give it its heading3 ,to ,giotto1 a great painter1 is given a buckler to paint by a man of small account4 ,he1 making a jest of it1 paints it in such a fashion that the other is put to confusion4 ,the story3 ,everyone must have heard already who was ,giotto1 and how great a painter he was above every other4 ,a clownish fellow1 having heard his fame and having need1 perchance for doing watch and ward1 to have a buckler of his painted1 went off incontinent to the shop of ,giotto1 with one who carried his buckler behind him1 and1 arriving where he found ,giotto1 said1 ',god save thee1 master1 ,i would have thee paint my arms on this buckler4' ,giotto1 considering the man and the way of him1 said no other word save this1 ',when dost thou want it8' ,and he told him2 and ,giotto said1 ',leave it to me'2 and off he went4 ,and ,giotto1 being left alone1 ponders to himself1 ',what meaneth this8 ,can this fellow have been sent to me in jest8 ,howsoever it may be1 never was there brought to me a buckler to paint1 and he who brings it is a simple manikin and bids me make him his arms as if he were of the blood-royal of ,france2 i' faith1 ,i must make him a new fashion of arms4' ,and so1 pondering within himself1 he put the said buckler before him1 and1 having designed what seemed good to him1 bade one of his disciples finish the painting1 and so he did2 which painting was a helmet1 a gorget1 a pair of arm-pieces1 a pair of iron gauntlets1 a cuirass and a back-piece1 a pair of thigh-pieces1 a pair of leg-pieces1 a sword1 a dagger1 and a lance4 ,the great man1 who knew not what he was in for1 on arriving1 comes forward and says1 ',master1 is it painted1 that buckler8' ,said ,giotto1 ',of a truth1 it is2 go1 someone1 and bring it down4' ,the buckler coming1 that would-be gentleman begins to look at it and says to ,giotto1 ',what filthy mess is this that thou hast painted for me8' ,said ,giotto1 ',and it will seem to thee a right filthy business in the paying4' ,said he1 ',i will not pay four farthings for it4' ,said ,giotto1 ',and what didst thou tell me that ,i was to paint8' ,and he answered1 ',my arms4' ,said ,giotto1' ,and are they not here8 ,is there one wanting8' ,said the fellow1 ',well1 well6' ,said ,giotto1 ',nay1 'tis not well1 ,god help thee6 ,and a great booby must thou be1 for if one asked thee1 ,who art thou8 scarce wouldst thou be able to tell2 and here thou comest and sayest1 ,paint me my arms6 ,an thou hadst been one of the ,bardi1 that were enough4 ,what arms dost thou bear8 ,whence art thou8 ,who were thy ancestors8 ,out upon thee6 ,art not ashamed of thyself8 ,begin first to come into the world before thou pratest of arms as if thou wert ,dusnam of ,bavaria4 ,i have made thee a whole suit of armour on thy buckler2 if there be one piece wanting1 name it1 and ,i will have it painted4' ,said he1 ',thou dost use vile words to me1 and hast spoilt me a buckler2' and taking himself off1 he went to the justice and had ,giotto summoned4 ,giotto appeared and had him summoned1 claiming two florins for the painting1 and the other claimed them from him4 ,the officers1 having heard the pleadings1 which ,giotto made much the better1 judged that the other should take his buckler so painted1 and should give six lire to ,giotto1 since he was in the right4 ,wherefore he was constrained to take his buckler and go1 and was dismissed2 and so1 not knowing his measure1 he had his measure taken4 ,it is said that ,giotto1 while working in his boyhood under ,cimabue1 once painted a fly on the nose of a figure that ,cimabue himself had made1 so true to nature that his master1 returning to continue the work1 set himself more than once to drive it away with his hand1 thinking that it was real1 before he perceived his mistake4 ,many other tricks played by ,giotto and many witty retorts could ,i relate1 but ,i wish that these1 which deal with matters pertinent to art1 should be enough for me to have told in this place1 leaving the rest to the said ,franco and others4 ,finally1 seeing that there remained memory of ,giotto not only in the works that issued from his hands1 but in those also that issued from the hand of the writers of those times1 he having been the man who recovered the true method of painting1 which had been lost for many years before him2 therefore1 by public decree and by the effort and particular affection of the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 the ,magnificent1 in admiration of the talent of so great a man his portrait was placed in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 carved in marble by ,benedetto da ,maiano1 an excellent sculptor1 together with the verses written below1 made by that divine man1 ,messer ,angelo ,poliziano1 to the end that those who should become excellent in any profession whatsoever might be able to cherish a hope of obtaining1 from others1 such memorials as these that ,giotto deserved and obtained in liberal measure from his goodness3 ,ille ego sum1 per quem pictura extincta revixit1 ,cui quam recta manus1 tam fuit et facilis4 ,naturae deerat nostrae quod defuit arti2 ,plus licuit nulli pingere1 nec melius4 ,miraris turrim egregiam sacro aere sonantem8 ,haec quoque de modulo crevit ad astra meo4 ,denique sum ,jottus1 quid opus fuit illa referre8 ,hoc nomen longi carminis instar erit4 ,and to the end that those who come after may be able to see drawings by the very hand of ,giotto1 and from these to recognize all the more the excellence of so great a man1 in our aforesaid book there are some that are marvellous1 sought out by me with no less diligence than labour and expense4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #aa3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,footnote #ab3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,footnote #ac3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,,agostino ,,and ,,agnolo ,,of ,,siena ,,life ,,of ,,agostino ,,and ,,agnolo ,,of ,,siena1 ,,sculptors ,,and ,,architects ,among others who exercised themselves in the school of the sculptors ,giovanni and ,niccola of ,pisa1 ,agostino and ,agnolo1 sculptors of ,siena1 of whom we are at present about to write the ,life1 became very excellent for those times4 ,these1 according to what ,i find1 were born from a father and mother of ,siena1 and their forefathers were architects1 seeing that in the year #aaij1 under the rule of the three ,consuls1 they brought to perfection the ,fontebranda1 and afterwards1 in the following year1 under the same ,consulate1 the ,customs-house of that city and other buildings4 ,and in truth it is clear that very often the seeds of talent germinate in the houses where they have lain for some time1 and throw out shoots which afterwards produce greater and better fruits than the first plants had done4 ,agostino and ,agnolo1 then1 adding great betterment to the manner of ,giovanni and ,niccola of ,pisa1 enriched the art with better design and invention1 as their works clearly demonstrate4 ,it is said that the aforesaid ,giovanni1 returning from ,naples to ,pisa in the year #abhd1 stayed in ,siena in order to make the design and foundation for the facade of the ,duomo1 wherein are the three principal doors1 to the end that it might be all adorned very richly with marbles2 and that then ,agostino1 being no more than fifteen years of age1 went to be with him in order to apply himself to sculpture1 whereof he had learnt the first principles1 being no less inclined to this art than to the matters of architecture4 ,and so1 under the teaching of ,giovanni1 by means of continual study he surpassed all his fellow-disciples in design1 grace1 and manner1 so greatly that it was said by all that he was the right eye of his master4 ,and because1 between people who love each other1 there is no gift1 whether of nature1 or of soul1 or of fortune1 that is mutually desired so much as excellence1 which alone makes men great and noble1 and what is more1 most happy both in this life and in the other1 therefore ,agostino1 seizing this occasion of assistance from ,giovanni1 drew his brother ,agnolo into the same pursuit4 ,nor was it a great labour for him to do this1 seeing that the intercourse of ,agnolo with ,agostino and with the other sculptors had already1 as he saw the honour and profit that they were drawing from such an art1 fired his mind with extreme eagerness and desire to apply himself to sculpture2 nay1 before ,agostino had given a thought to this1 ,agnolo had wrought certain works in secret4 ,agostino1 then1 being engaged in working with ,giovanni on the marble panel of the high-altar in the ,vescovado of ,arezzo1 whereof there has been mention above1 contrived to bring there the said ,agnolo1 his brother1 who acquitted himself in this work in such a manner that when it was finished he was found to have equalled ,agostino in the excellence of his art4 ,which circumstance1 becoming known to ,giovanni1 was the reason that after this work he made use of both one and the other in many other works of his that he wrought in ,pistola1 in ,pisa1 and in other places4 ,and seeing that he applied himself not only to sculpture but to architecture as well1 no long time passed before1 under the rule of the ,nine in ,siena1 ,agostino made the design of their ,palace in ,malborghetto1 which was in the year #acjh4 ,in the making of this he acquired so great a name in his country1 that1 returning to ,siena after the death of ,giovanni1 they were made1 both one and the other1 architects to the ,state2 wherefore afterwards1 in the year #acag1 there was made under their direction the front of the ,duomo that faces towards the north1 and in the year #acba1 with the design of the same men1 there was begun the construction of the ,porta ,romana in that manner wherein it stands to-day1 and it was finished in the year #acbf2 which gate was first called ,porta ,s4 ,martino4 ,they rebuilt1 also1 the ,porta a ,tufi1 which at first was called ,porta di ,s4 ,agata all',arco4 ,in the same year1 with the design of the same ,agostino and ,agnolo1 there was begun the ,church and ,convent of ,s4 ,francesco in the presence of ,cardinal di ,gaeta1 ,apostolic ,legate4 ,no long time after1 by the action of some of the ,tolomei who were living as exiles at ,orvieto1 ,agostino and ,agnolo were summoned to make certain sculptures for the work of ,s4 ,maria in that city2 wherefore1 going there1 they carved some prophets in marble which are now1 in comparison with the other statues in that facade1 the finest and best proportioned in that so greatly renowned work4 ,now it came to pass in the year #acbf1 as it has been said in his ,life1 that ,giotto was called by means of ,charles1 ,duke of ,calabria1 who was then staying in ,florence1 to ,naples1 in order to make some things for ,king ,robert in ,s4 ,chiara and other places in that city2 wherefore ,giotto1 passing by way of ,orvieto on his way to ,naples1 in order to see the works that had been made and were still being made there by so many men1 wished to see everything minutely4 ,and because the prophets of ,agostino and ,agnolo of ,siena pleased him more than all the other sculptures1 it came about therefore that ,giotto not only commended them and held them1 much to their contentment1 among his friends1 but also presented them to ,piero ,saccone da ,pietramala as the best of all the sculptors then living1 for the making of the tomb of ,bishop ,guido1 ,lord and ,bishop of ,arezzo1 which has been mentioned in the ,life of ,giotto himself4 ,and so then ,giotto having seen in ,orvieto the works of many sculptors and having judged the best to be those of ,agostino and ,agnolo of ,siena1 this was the reason that the said tomb was given to them to make--in that manner1 however1 wherein he had designed it1 and according to the model which he himself had sent to the said ,piero ,saccone4 ,agostino and ,agnolo finished this tomb in the space of three years1 executing it with much diligence1 and built it into the ,church of the ,vescovado of ,arezzo1 in the ,chapel of the ,sacrament4 ,over the sarcophagus1 which rests on certain great consoles carved more than passing well1 there is stretched the body of that ,bishop in marble1 and at the sides are some angels that are drawing back certain curtains very gracefully4 ,besides this1 there are carved in half-relief1 in compartments1 twelve scenes from the life and actions of that ,bishop1 with an infinite number of little figures4 ,i will not grudge the labour of describing the contents of these scenes1 to the end that it may be seen with what great patience they were wrought1 and how zealously these sculptors sought the good manner4 ,in the first is the scene when1 assisted by the ,ghibelline party of ,milan1 which sent him money and four hundred masons1 he is rebuilding the walls of ,arezzo all anew1 making them much longer than they were and giving them the form of a galley4 ,in the second is the taking of ,lucignano di ,valdichiana4 ,in the third1 that of ,chiusi4 ,in the fourth1 that of ,fronzoli1 then a strong castle above ,poppi1 and held by the sons of the ,count of ,battifolle4 ,the fifth is when the ,castle of ,rondine1 after having been many months besieged by the ,aretines1 is surrendering finally to the ,bishop4 ,in the sixth is the taking of the ,castle of ,bucine in ,valdarno4 ,the seventh is when he is taking by storm the fortress of ,caprese1 which belonged to the ,count of ,romena1 after having maintained the siege for several months4 ,in the eighth the ,bishop is having the ,castle of ,laterino pulled down and the hill that rises above it cut into the shape of a cross1 to the end that it may no longer be possible to build a fortress thereon4 ,in the ninth he is seen destroying ,monte ,sansovino and putting it to fire and flames1 chasing from it all the inhabitants4 ,in the eleventh is his coronation1 wherein are to be seen many beautiful costumes of soldiers on foot and on horseback1 and of other people4 ,in the twelfth1 finally1 his men are seen carrying him from ,montenero1 where he fell sick1 to ,massa1 and thence afterwards1 now dead1 to ,arezzo4 ,round this tomb1 also1 in many places1 are the ,ghibelline insignia1 and the arms of the ,bishop1 which are six square stones or1 on a field azure1 in the same ordering as are the six balls in the arms of the ,medici2 which arms of the house of the ,bishop were described by ,frate ,guittone1 chevalier and poet of ,arezzo1 when he said1 writing of the site of the ,castle of ,pietramala1 whence that family had its origin3 ,dove si scontra il ,giglion con la ,chiassa ,ivi furono i miei antecessori1 ,che in campo azurro d'or portan sei sassa4 ,agnolo and ,agostino of ,siena1 then1 executed this work with better art and invention and with more diligence than there had been shown in any work executed in their times4 ,and in truth they deserve nothing but infinite praise1 having made therein so many figures and so great a variety of sites1 places1 towers1 horses1 men1 and other things1 that it is indeed a marvel4 ,and although this tomb was in great part destroyed by the ,frenchmen of the ,duke of ,anjou1 who sacked the greater part of that city in order to take revenge on the hostile party for certain affronts received1 none the less it shows that it was wrought with very good judgment by the said ,agostino and ,agnolo1 who cut on it1 in rather large letters1 these words3 ,,hoc ,,opus ,,fecit ,,magister ,,augustinus ,,et ,,magister ,,angelus ,,de ,,senis4 ,after this1 in the year #acbi1 they wrought an altar-panel of marble for the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco at ,bologna1 in a passing good manner2 and therein1 besides the carved ornamentation1 which is very rich1 they made a ,christ who is crowning ,our ,lady1 and on each side three similar figures--,s4 ,francis1 ,s4 ,james1 ,s4 ,dominic1 ,s4 ,anthony of ,padua1 ,s4 ,petronius1 and ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 with figures one braccio and a half in height4 ,below each of the said figures is carved a scene in low-relief from the life of the ,saint that is above2 and in all these scenes is an infinite number of half-length figures1 which make a rich and beautiful adornment1 according to the custom of those times4 ,it is seen clearly that ,agostino and ,agnolo endured very great fatigue in this work1 and that they put into it all diligence and study in order to make it1 as it truly was1 a work worthy of praise2 and although they are half eaten away1 yet there are to be read thereon their names and the date1 by means of which1 it being known when they began it1 it is seen that they laboured eight whole years in completing it4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that in that same time they wrought many other small works in diverse places and for various people4 ,now1 while they were working in ,bologna1 that city1 by the mediation of a ,legate of the ,pope1 gave herself absolutely over to the ,church2 and the ,pope1 in return1 promised that he would go to settle with his ,court in ,bologna1 saying that he wished to erect a castle there1 or truly a fortress1 for his own security4 ,this being conceded to him by the ,bolognese1 it was immediately built under the direction and design of ,agostino and ,agnolo1 but it had a very short life1 for the reason that the ,bolognese1 having found that the many promises of the ,pope were wholly vain1 pulled down and destroyed the said fortress1 with much greater promptness than it had been built4 ,it is said that while these two sculptors were staying in ,bologna the ,po issued in furious flood from its bed and laid waste the whole country round for many miles1 doing incredible damage to the territory of ,mantua and ,ferrara and slaying more than ten thousand persons2 and that they1 being called on for this reason as ingenious and able men1 found a way to put this terrible river back into its course1 confining it with dykes and other most useful barriers2 which was greatly to their credit and profit1 because1 besides acquiring fame thereby1 they were recompensed by the ,lords of ,mantua and by the ,d',este family with most honourable rewards4 ,after this they returned to ,siena1 and in the year #acch1 with their direction and design1 there was made the new ,church of ,s4 ,maria1 near the ,duomo ,vecchio1 towards ,piazza ,manetti2 and no long time after1 the people of ,siena1 remaining much satisfied with all the works that these men were making1 determined with an occasion so apt to put into effect that which had been discussed many times1 but up to then in vain--namely1 the making of a public fountain on the principal square1 opposite the ,palagio della ,signoria4 ,wherefore1 this being entrusted to ,agostino and ,agnolo1 they brought the waters of that fountain through pipes of lead and of clay1 which was very difficult1 and it began to play in the year #acdc1 on the first day of ,june1 with much pleasure and contentment to the whole city1 which remained thereby much indebted to the talent of these its two citizens4 ,about the same time there was made the ,great ,council ,chamber in the ,municipal ,palace2 and so too1 with the direction and design of the same men1 there was brought to its completion the tower of the said ,palace1 in the year #acdd1 and there were placed thereon two great bells1 whereof they had one from ,grosseto and the other was made in ,siena4 ,finally1 while ,agnolo chanced to be in the city of ,assisi1 where he made a chapel and a tomb in marble in the lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco for a brother of ,napoleone ,orsino1 a ,cardinal and a friar of ,s4 ,francis1 who had died in that place--,agostino1 who had remained in ,siena in the service of the ,state1 died while he was busy making the design for the adornments of the said fountain in the square1 and was honourably buried in the ,duomo4 ,i have not yet found1 and cannot therefore say anything about the matter1 either how or when ,agnolo died1 or even any other works of importance by their hand2 and therefore let this be the end of their ,life4 ,now1 seeing that it would be without doubt an error1 in following the order of time1 not to make mention of some who1 although they have not wrought so many works that it is possible to write their whole life1 have none the less contributed betterment and beauty to art and to the world1 ,i will say1 taking occasion from that which has been said above about the ,vescovado of ,arezzo and about the ,pieve1 that ,pietro and ,paolo1 goldsmiths of ,arezzo1 who learnt design from ,agnolo and ,agostino of ,siena1 were the first who wrought large works of some excellence with the chasing-tool1 since1 for an arch-priest of the said ,pieve of ,arezzo1 they executed a head in silver as large as life1 wherein was placed the head of ,s4 ,donatus1 ,bishop and ,protector of that city2 which work was worthy of nothing but praise1 both because they made therein some very beautiful figures in enamel and other ornaments1 and because it was one of the first works1 as it has been said1 that were wrought with the chasing-tool4 ,about the same time1 the ,guild of ,calimara in ,florence caused ,maestro ,cione1 an excellent goldsmith1 to make the greater part1 if not the whole1 of the silver altar of ,s4 ,giovanni ,battista1 wherein are many scenes from the life of that ,saint embossed on a plate of silver1 with passing good figures in half-relief2 which work1 both by reason of its size and of its being something new1 was held marvellous by all who saw it4 ,in the year #accj1 after the body of ,s4 ,zanobi had been found beneath the vaults of ,s4 ,reparata1 the same ,maestro ,cione made a head of silver to contain a piece of the head of that ,saint1 which is still preserved to-day in the same head of silver and is borne in processions2 which head was then held something very beautiful and gave a great name to its craftsman1 who died no long time after1 rich and in great repute4 ,maestro ,cione left many disciples1 and among others ,forzore di ,spinello of ,arezzo1 who wrought every kind of chasing very well but was particularly excellent in making scenes in silver enamelled over fire1 to which witness is borne by a mitre with most beautiful adornments in enamel1 and a very beautiful pastoral staff of silver1 which are in the ,vescovado of ,arezzo4 ,the same man wrought for ,cardinal ,galeotto da ,pietramala many works in silver that remained after his death with the friars of ,la ,vernia1 where he wished to be buried4 ,there1 besides the wall that was erected in that place by ,count ,orlando1 ,lord of ,chiusi1 a small town below ,la ,vernia1 the ,cardinal built the church1 together with many rooms in the convent and throughout that whole place1 without putting his arms there or leaving any other memorial4 ,a disciple of ,maestro ,cione1 also1 was ,leonardo di ,ser ,giovanni1 a ,florentine1 who wrought many works in chasing and soldering1 with better design than the others before him had shown1 and in particular the altar and panel of silver in ,s4 ,jacopo at ,pistoia2 in which work1 besides the scenes1 which are numerous1 there was much praise given to a figure in the round that he made in the middle1 representing ,s4 ,james1 more than one braccio in height1 and wrought with so great finish that it appears rather to have been made by casting than by chasing4 ,this figure is set in the midst of the said scenes on the panel of the altar1 round which is a frieze of letters in enamel1 that run thus3 ,,ad ,,honorem ,,dei ,,et ,,sancti ,,jacobi ,,apostoli1 ,,hoc ,,opus ,,factum ,,fuit ,,tempore ,,domini ,,franc4 ,,pagni ,,dictae ,,operae ,,operarii ,,sub ,,anno #acga ,,per ,,me ,,leonardum ,,ser ,,jo4 ,,de ,,floren4 ,,aurific4 ,now1 returning to ,agostino and ,agnolo3 they had many disciples who1 after their death1 wrought many works of architecture and of sculpture in ,lombardy and other parts of ,italy1 and among others ,maestro ,jacopo ,lanfrani of ,venice1 who founded ,s4 ,francesco of ,imola and wrought the principal door in sculpture1 where he carved his name and the date1 which was the year #acdc4 ,and at ,bologna1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico1 the same ,maestro ,jacopo made a tomb in marble for ,giovanni ,andrea ,calduino1 ,doctor of ,laws and ,secretary to ,pope ,clement ,,vi2 and another1 also in marble and in the said church1 very well wrought1 for ,taddeo ,peppoli1 ,conservator of the people and of ,justice in ,bologna4 ,and in the same year1 which was the year #acdg1 or a little before1 this tomb being finished1 ,maestro ,jacopo went to his native city of ,venice and founded the ,church of ,s4 ,antonio1 which was previously of wood1 at the request of a ,florentine ,abbot of the ancient family of the ,abati1 the ,doge being ,messer ,andrea ,dandolo4 ,this church was finished in the year #acdi4 ,jacobello and ,pietro ,paolo1 also1 ,venetians and disciples of ,agostino and ,agnolo1 made a tomb in marble for ,messer ,giovanni da ,lignano1 ,doctor of ,laws1 in the year #achc1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico at ,bologna4 ,all these and many other sculptors went on for a long space of time following one and the same method1 in a manner that with it they filled all ,italy4 ,it is believed1 also1 that the ,pesarese1 who1 besides many other works1 built the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico in his native city1 and made in sculpture the marble door with the three figures in the round1 ,god the ,father1 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 and ,s4 ,mark1 was a disciple of ,agostino and ,agnolo2 and to this the manner bears witness4 ,this work was finished in the year #ache4 ,but1 seeing that it would take too long if ,i were to make mention minutely of the works that were wrought by many masters of those times in that manner1 ,i wish that this1 that ,i have said of them thus in general1 should suffice me for the present1 and above all because there is not any benefit of much account for our arts from such works4 ,of the aforesaid it has seemed to me proper to make mention1 because1 if they do not deserve to be discussed at length1 yet1 on the other hand1 they were not such as to need to be passed over completely in silence4 ,,stefano ,,and ,,ugolino ,,sanese ,,life ,,of ,,stefano1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence1 ,,and ,,of ,,ugolino ,,sanese ,,ugolino ,,da ,,siena ,stefano1 painter of ,florence and disciple of ,giotto1 was so excellent1 that he not only surpassed all the others who had laboured in the art before him1 but outstripped his own master himself by so much that he was held1 and deservedly1 the best of all the painters who had lived up to that time1 as his works clearly demonstrate4 ,he painted in fresco the ,madonna of the ,campo ,santo in ,pisa1 which is no little better in design and in colouring than the work of ,giotto2 and in ,florence1 in the cloister of ,s4 ,spirito1 he painted three little arches in fresco4 ,in the first of these1 wherein is the ,transfiguration of ,christ with ,moses and ,elias1 imagining how great must have been the splendour that dazzled them1 he fashioned the three ,disciples with extraordinary and beautiful attitudes1 and enveloped in draperies in a manner that it is seen that he went on trying to do something that had never been done before--namely1 to suggest the nude form of the figures below new kinds of folds1 which1 as ,i have said1 had not been thought of even by ,giotto4 ,under this arch1 wherein he made a ,christ delivering the woman possessed1 he drew a building in perspective1 perfectly and in a manner then little known1 executing it in good form and with better knowledge2 and in it1 working with very great judgment in modern fashion1 he showed so great art and so great invention and proportion in the columns1 in the doors1 in the windows1 and in the cornices1 and so great diversity from the other masters in his method of working1 that it appears that there was beginning to be seen a certain glimmer of the good and perfect manner of the moderns4 ,he invented1 among other ingenious ideas1 a flight of steps very difficult to make1 which1 both in painting and built out in relief--wrought in either way1 in fact--is so rich in design and variety1 and so useful and convenient in invention1 that the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 the ,magnificent1 availed himself of it in making the outer staircase of the ,palace of ,poggio a ,cajano1 now the principal villa of the most ,illustrious ,lord ,duke4 ,in the other little arch is a story of ,christ when he is delivering ,s4 ,peter from shipwreck1 so well done that one seems to hear the voice of ,peter saying3 ,domine1 salva nos1 perimus4 ,this work is judged much more beautiful than the others1 because1 besides the softness of the draperies1 there are seen sweetness in the air of the heads and terror in the perils of the sea1 and because the ,apostles1 shaken by diverse motions and by phantoms of the sea1 have been represented in attitudes very appropriate and all most beautiful4 ,and although time has eaten away in part the labours that ,stefano put into this work1 it may be seen1 although but dimly1 that the ,apostles are defending themselves from the fury of the winds and from the waves of the sea with great energy2 which work1 being very highly praised among the moderns1 must have certainly appeared a miracle in all ,tuscany in the time of him who wrought it4 ,after this he painted a ,s4 ,thomas ,aquinas beside a door in the first cloister of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 where he also made a ,crucifix1 which was afterwards executed in a bad manner by other painters in restoring it4 ,in like manner he left a chapel in the church begun and not finished1 which has been much eaten away by time1 wherein the angels are seen raining down in diverse forms by reason of the pride of ,lucifer2 where it is to be noticed that the figures1 with the arms1 trunks1 and legs foreshortened much better than any foreshortenings that had been made before1 give us to know that ,stefano began to understand and to demonstrate in part the difficulties that those men had to reduce to excellence1 who afterwards1 with greater science1 showed them to us1 as they have done1 in perfection2 wherefore the surname of ,the ,ape of ,nature was given him by the other craftsmen4 ,next1 being summoned to ,milan1 ,stefano made a beginning for many works for ,matteo ,visconti1 but was not able to finish them1 because1 having fallen sick by reason of the change of air1 he was forced to return to ,florence4 ,there1 having regained his health1 he made in fresco1 in the tramezzo#ad of the ,church of ,s4 ,croce1 in the ,chapel of the ,asini1 the story of the martyrdom of ,s4 ,mark1 when he was dragged to death1 with many figures that have something of the good4 ,being then summoned to ,rome by reason of having been a disciple of ,giotto1 he made some stories of ,christ in ,s4 ,pietro1 in the principal chapel wherein is the altar of the said ,saint1 between the windows that are in the great choir-niche1 with so much diligence that it is seen that he approached closely to the modern manner1 surpassing his master ,giotto considerably in draughtsmanship and in other respects4 ,after this1 on a pillar on the left-hand side of the principal chapel of the ,araceli1 he made a ,s4 ,louis in fresco1 which is much praised1 because it has in it a vivacity never displayed up to that time even by ,giotto4 ,and in truth ,stefano had great facility in draughtsmanship1 as can be seen in our said book in a drawing by his hand1 wherein is drawn the ,transfiguration 7which he painted in the cloister of ,s4 ,spirito71 in such a manner that in my judgment he drew much better than ,giotto4 ,having gone1 next1 to ,assisi1 he began in fresco a scene of the ,celestial ,glory in the niche of the principal chapel of the lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 where the choir is2 and although he did not finish it1 it is seen from what he did that he used so great diligence that no greater could be desired4 ,in this work there is seen begun a circle of saints1 both male and female1 with so beautiful variety in the faces of the young1 the men of middle age1 and the old1 that nothing better could be desired4 ,and there is seen a very sweet manner in these blessed spirits1 with such great harmony that it appears almost impossible that it could have been done in those times by ,stefano1 who indeed did do it2 although there is nothing of the figures in this circle finished save the heads1 over which is a choir of angels who are hovering playfully about in various attitudes1 appropriately carrying theological symbols in their hands1 and all turned towards a ,christ on the ,cross1 who is in the middle of this work1 over the head of a ,s4 ,francis1 who is in the midst of an infinity of saints4 ,besides this1 in the border of the whole work1 he made some angels1 each of whom is holding in his hand one of those ,churches that ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist described in the ,apocalypse2 and these angels are executed with so much grace that ,i am amazed how in that age there was to be found one who knew so much4 ,stefano began this work with a view to bringing it to the fullest perfection1 and he would have succeeded1 but he was forced to leave it imperfect and to return to ,florence by some important affairs of his own4 ,during that time1 then1 that he stayed for this purpose in ,florence1 in order to lose no time he painted for the ,gianfigliazzi1 by the side of the ,arno1 between their houses and the ,ponte alla ,carraja1 a little shrine on a corner that is there1 wherein he depicted a ,madonna sewing1 to whom a boy dressed and seated is handing a bird1 with such diligence that the work1 small as it is1 deserves to be praised no less than do the works that he wrought on a larger and more masterly scale4 ,this shrine finished and his affairs dispatched1 being called to ,pistoia by its ,lords in the year #acdf1 he was made to paint the ,chapel of ,s4 ,jacopo1 on the vaulting of which he made a ,god the ,father with some ,apostles1 and on the walls the stories of that ,saint1 and in particular when his mother1 wife of ,zebedee1 asks ,jesus ,christ to consent to place her two sons1 one on ,his right hand and the other on ,his left hand1 in the ,kingdom of the ,father4 ,close to this is the beheading of the said ,saint1 a very beautiful work4 ,it is reputed that ,maso1 called ,giottino1 of whom there will be mention below1 was the son of this ,stefano2 and although many1 by reason of the suggestiveness of the name1 hold him the son of ,giotto1 ,i1 by reason of certain records that ,i have seen1 and of certain memoirs of good authority written by ,lorenzo ,ghiberti and by ,domenico del ,ghirlandajo1 hold it as true that he was rather the son of ,stefano than of ,giotto4 ,be this as it may1 returning to ,stefano1 it can be credited to him that he did more than anyone after ,giotto to improve painting1 for1 besides being more varied in invention1 he was also more harmonious1 more mellow1 and better blended in colouring than all the others2 and above all he had no peer in diligence4 ,and as for those foreshortenings that he made1 although1 as ,i have said1 he showed a faulty manner in them by reason of the difficulty of making them1 none the less he who is the pioneer in the difficulties of any exercise deserves a much greater name than those who follow with a somewhat more ordered and regular manner4 ,truly great1 therefore1 is the debt that should be acknowledged to ,stefano1 because he who walks in darkness and gives heart to others1 by showing them the way1 brings it about that its difficult steps are made easy1 so that with lapse of time men leave the false road and attain to the desired goal4 ,at ,perugia1 too1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico1 he began in fresco the ,chapel of ,s4 ,caterina1 which remained unfinished4 ,illustration3 ,berlin ,photo4 ,co4 ,,ss4 ,,paul1 ,,peter ,,and ,,john ,,the ,,baptist 7,after the painting by ,ugolino ,sanese da ,siena4 ,berlin3 ,k4 ,friedrich ,museum1 #afce7 ,there lived about the same time as ,stefano a man of passing good repute1 ,ugolino1 painter of ,siena1 very much his friend1 who painted many panels and chapels throughout all ,italy1 although he held ever in great part to the ,greek manner1 as one who1 grown old therein1 had wished by reason of a certain obstinacy in himself to hold rather to the manner of ,cimabue than to that of ,giotto1 which was so greatly revered4 ,by the hand of ,ugolino1 then1 is the panel of the high-altar of ,s4 ,croce1 on a ground all of gold1 and also a panel which stood many years on the high-altar of ,s4 ,maria ,novella and is to-day in the ,chapter-house1 where the ,spanish nation every year holds most solemn festival on the day of ,s4 ,james1 with other offices and funeral ceremonies of its own4 ,besides these1 he wrought many other works with good skill1 without departing1 however1 from the manner of his master4 ,the same man made1 on a brick-pier in the ,loggia that ,lapo had built on the ,piazza d',orsanmichele1 that ,madonna which worked so many miracles1 not many years later1 that the ,loggia was for a long time full of images1 and is still held in the greatest veneration4 ,finally1 in the ,chapel of ,messer ,ridolfo de' ,bardi1 which is in ,s4 ,croce1 where ,giotto painted the life of ,s4 ,francis1 he painted a ,crucifix in distemper on the altar-panel1 with a ,magdalene and a ,s4 ,john weeping1 and two friars1 one on either side4 ,ugolino passed away from this life1 being old1 in the year #acdi1 and was buried with honour in ,siena1 his native city4 ,but returning to ,stefano1 of whom they say that he was also a good architect1 which is proved by what has been said above1 he died1 so it is said1 in the year when there began the jubilee1 #acej1 at the age of forty-nine1 and was laid to rest in the tomb of his fathers1 in ,s4 ,spirito1 with this epitaph3 ,,stephano ,,florentino ,,pictori1 ,,faciundis ,,imaginibus ,,ac ,,colorandis ,,figuris ,,nulli ,,unquam ,,inferiori1 ,,affines ,,moestiss4 ,,pos4 ,,vix4 ,,an4 ,,xxxxix4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ad3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,,pietro ,,laurati ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,madonna ,,enthroned 7,after the polyptych by ,pietro ,laurati ,lorenzetti4 ,arezzo3 ,s4 ,maria della ,pieve7 ,,life ,,of ,,pietro ,,laurati ,,pietro ,,lorenzetti1 ,,painter ,,of ,,siena ,pietro ,laurati1 an excellent painter of ,siena1 proved in his life how great is the contentment of the truly able1 who feel that their works are prized both at home and abroad1 and who see themselves sought after by all men1 for the reason that in the course of his life he was sent for and held dear throughout all ,tuscany1 having first become known through the scenes that he painted in fresco for the ,scala1 a hospital in ,siena1 wherein he imitated in such wise the manner of ,giotto1 then spread throughout all ,tuscany1 that it was believed with great reason that he was destined1 as afterwards came to pass1 to become a better master than ,cimabue and ,giotto and the others had been2 for the figures that represent the ,virgin ascending the steps of the ,temple1 accompanied by ,joachim and ,anna1 and received by the priest1 and then in the ,marriage1 are so beautifully adorned1 so well draped1 and so simply wrapped in their garments1 that they show majesty in the air of the heads1 and a most beautiful manner in their bearing4 ,by reason of this work1 which was the first introduction into ,siena of the good method of painting1 giving light to the many beautiful intellects which have flourished in that city in every age1 ,pietro was invited to ,monte ,oliveto di ,chiusuri1 where he painted a panel in distemper that is placed to-day in the portico below the church4 ,in ,florence1 next1 opposite to the left-hand door of the ,church of ,s4 ,spirito1 on the corner where to-day there is a butcher1 he painted a shrine which1 by reason of the softness of the heads and of the sweetness that is seen in it1 deserves the highest praise from every discerning craftsman4 ,going from ,florence to ,pisa1 he wrought in the ,campo ,santo1 on the wall that is beside the principal door1 all the lives of the ,holy ,fathers1 with expressions so lively and attitudes so beautiful that he equalled ,giotto and gained thereby very great praise1 having expressed in certain heads1 both with drawing and with colour1 all that vivacity that the manner of those times was able to show4 ,from ,pisa he went to ,pistoia1 where he made a ,madonna with some angels round her1 very well grouped1 on a panel in distemper1 for the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco2 and in the predella that ran below this panel1 in certain scenes1 he made certain little figures so lively and so vivid that in those times it was something marvellous2 wherefore1 since they satisfied himself no less than others1 he thought fit to place thereon his name1 with these words3 ,,petrus ,,laurati ,,de ,,senis4 ,illustration3 ,,pietro ,,lorenzetti3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child ,,with ,s4,s4 ,,francis ,,and ,,john 7,assisi3 ,lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco4 ,fresco7 ,pietro was summoned1 next1 in the year #acee1 by ,messer ,guglielmo1 arch-priest1 and by the ,wardens of ,works of the ,pieve of ,arezzo1 who were then ,margarito ,boschi and others2 and in that church1 built long before with better design and manner than any other that had been made in ,tuscany up to that time1 and all adorned with squared stone and with carvings1 as it has been said1 by the hand of ,margaritone1 he painted in fresco the apse and the whole great niche of the chapel of the high-altar1 making there twelve scenes from the life of ,our ,lady with figures large as life1 beginning with the expulsion of ,joachim from the ,temple1 up to the ,nativity of ,jesus ,christ4 ,in these scenes1 wrought in fresco1 may be recognized almost the same inventions 7the lineaments1 the air of the heads1 and the attitudes of the figures7 which had been characteristic of and peculiar to ,giotto1 his master4 ,and although all this work is beautiful1 what he painted on the vaulting of this niche is without doubt better than all the rest1 for in representing the ,madonna ascending into ,heaven1 besides making the ,apostles each four braccia high1 wherein he showed greatness of spirit and was the first to try to give grandness to the manner1 he gave so beautiful an air to the heads and so great loveliness to the vestments that in those times nothing more could have been desired4 ,likewise1 in the faces of a choir of angels who are flying in the air round the ,madonna1 dancing with graceful movements1 and appearing to sing1 he painted a gladness truly angelic and divine1 above all because he made the angels sounding diverse instruments1 with their eyes all fixed and intent on another choir of angels1 who1 supported by a cloud in the form of an almond1 are bearing the ,madonna to ,heaven1 with beautiful attitudes and all surrounded by rainbows4 ,this work1 seeing that it rightly gave pleasure1 was the reason that he was commissioned to make in distemper the panel for the high-altar of the aforesaid ,pieve2 wherein1 in five parts1 with figures as far as the knees and large as life1 he made ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 and ,s4 ,john the ,baptist and ,s4 ,matthew on the one side1 and on the other the ,evangelist and ,s4 ,donatus1 with many little figures in the predella and in the border of the panel above1 all truly beautiful and executed in very good manner4 ,this panel1 after ,i had rebuilt the high-altar of the aforesaid ,pieve completely anew1 at my own expense and with my own hand1 was set up over the altar of ,s4 ,cristofano at the foot of the church4 ,nor do ,i wish to grudge the labour of saying in this place1 with this occasion and not wide of the subject1 that ,i1 moved by ,christian piety and by the affection that ,i bear towards this venerable and ancient collegiate church1 and for the reason that in it1 in my earliest childhood1 ,i learnt my first lessons1 and that it contains the remains of my fathers3 moved1 ,i say1 by these reasons1 and by it appearing to me that it was wellnigh deserted1 ,i have restored it in a manner that it can be said that it has returned from death to life2 for besides changing it from a dark to a well-lighted church by increasing the windows that were there before and by making others1 ,i have also removed the choir1 which1 being in front1 used to occupy a great part of the church1 and to the great satisfaction of those reverend canons ,i have placed it behind the high-altar4 ,this new altar1 standing by itself1 has on the panel in front a ,christ calling ,peter and ,andrew from their nets1 and on the side towards the choir it has1 on another panel1 ,s4 ,george slaying the ,dragon4 ,on the sides are four pictures1 and in each of these are two saints as large as life4 ,then above1 and below in the predella1 there is an infinity of other figures1 which1 for brevity's sake1 are not enumerated4 ,the ornamental frame of this altar is thirteen braccia high1 and the predella is two braccia high4 ,and because within it is hollow1 and one ascends to it by a staircase through an iron wicket very conveniently arranged1 there are preserved in it many venerable relics1 which can be seen from without through two gratings that are in the front part2 and among others there is the head of ,s4 ,donatus1 ,bishop and ,protector of that city1 and in a coffer of variegated marble1 three braccia long1 which ,i have had restored1 are the bones of four ,saints4 ,and the predella of the altar1 which surrounds it all right round in due proportion1 has in front of it the tabernacle1 or rather ciborium1 of the ,sacrament1 made of carved wood and all gilt1 about three braccia high2 which tabernacle is in the round and can be seen as well from the side of the choir as from in front4 ,and because ,i have spared no labour and no expense1 considering myself bound to act thus in honour of ,god1 this work1 in my judgment1 has in all those ornaments of gold1 of carvings1 of paintings1 of marbles1 of travertines1 of variegated marbles1 of porphyries1 and of other stones1 the best that could be got together by me in that place4 ,but returning now to ,pietro ,laurati2 that panel finished whereof there has been talk above1 he wrought in ,s4 ,pietro at ,rome many works which were afterwards destroyed in making the new building of ,s4 ,pietro4 ,he also wrought some works in ,cortona and in ,arezzo1 besides those that have been mentioned1 and some others in the ,church of ,s4 ,fiora e ,lucilla1 a monastery of ,black ,friars1 and in particular1 in a chapel1 a ,s4 ,thomas who is putting his hand on the wound in the breast of ,christ4 ,a disciple of ,pietro was ,bartolommeo ,bologhini of ,siena1 who wrought many panels in ,siena and other places in ,italy1 and in ,florence there is one by his hand on the altar of the ,chapel of ,s4 ,silvestro in ,s4 ,croce4 ,the pictures of these men date about the year of our salvation #acej2 and in my book1 so many times cited1 there is seen a drawing by the hand of ,pietro1 wherein a shoemaker who is sewing1 with simple but very natural lineaments1 shows very great expression and the characteristic manner of ,pietro1 the portrait of whom1 by the hand of ,bartolommeo ,bologhini1 was in a panel in ,siena1 when ,i copied it from the original in the manner that is seen above4 ,illustration3 ,anderson ,,the ,,deposition ,,from ,,the ,,cross 7,after the fresco of the ,roman ,school4 ,assisi3 ,upper ,church of ,s4 ,francesco7 ,,andrea ,,pisano ,,life ,,of ,,andrea ,,pisano1 ,,sculptor ,,and ,,architect ,the art of painting never flourished at any time without the sculptors also pursuing their exercise with excellence1 and to this the works of all ages bear witness for the close observer1 because these two arts are truly sisters1 born at one and the same time1 and fostered and governed by one and the same soul4 ,this is seen in ,andrea ,pisano1 who1 practising sculpture in the time of ,giotto1 made so great improvement in this art1 that both in practice and in theory he was esteemed the greatest man that the ,tuscans had had up to his times in this profession1 and above all in casting in bronze4 ,wherefore his works were honoured and rewarded in such a manner by all who knew him1 and above all by the ,florentines1 that it was no hardship to him to change country1 relatives1 property and friends4 ,he received much assistance from the difficulties experienced in sculpture by the masters who had lived before him1 whose sculptures were so uncouth and worthless that whosoever saw them in comparison with those of this man judged the last a miracle4 ,and that these early works were rude1 witness is borne1 as it has been said elsewhere1 by some that are over the principal door of ,s4 ,paolo in ,florence and some in stone that are in the ,church of ,ognissanti1 which are so made that they move those who view them rather to laughter than to any marvel or pleasure4 ,and it is certain that the art of sculpture can recover itself much better1 in the event of the essence of statuary being lost 7since men have the living and the natural model1 which is wholly rounded1 as that art requires71 than can the art of painting2 it being not so easy and simple to recover the beautiful outlines and the good manner1 in order to bring the art to the light1 for these are the elements that produce majesty1 beauty1 grace and adornment in the works that the painters make4 ,in one respect fortune was favourable to the labours of ,andrea1 because there had been brought to ,pisa1 as it has been said elsewhere1 by means of the many victories that the ,pisans had at sea1 many antiquities and sarcophagi that are still round the ,duomo and the ,campo ,santo1 and these brought him such great assistance and gave him such great light as could not be obtained by ,giotto1 for the reason that the ancient paintings had not been preserved as much as the sculptures4 ,and although statues are often destroyed by fires and by the ruin and fury of war1 and buried or transported to diverse places1 nevertheless it is easy for the experienced to recognize the difference in the manner of all countries2 as1 for example1 the ,egyptian is slender and lengthy in its figures1 the ,greek is scientific and shows much study in the nudes1 while the heads have almost all the same expression1 and the most ancient ,tuscan is laboured in the hair and somewhat uncouth4 ,that of the ,romans 7,i call ,romans1 for the most part1 those who1 after the subjugation of ,greece1 betook themselves to ,rome1 whither all that there was of the good and of the beautiful in the world was carried7--that1 ,i say1 is so beautiful1 by reason of the expressions1 the attitudes1 and the movements both of the nude and of the draped figures1 that it may be said that they wrested the beautiful from all the other provinces and moulded it into one single manner1 to the end that it might be1 as it is1 the best--nay1 the most divine of all4 ,all these beautiful manners and arts being spent in the time of ,andrea1 that alone was in use which had been brought by the ,goths and by the uncivilized ,greeks into ,tuscany4 ,wherefore he1 having studied the new method of design of ,giotto and those few antiquities that were known to him1 refined in great part the grossness of so miserable a manner with his judgment1 in such wise that he began to work better and to give much greater beauty to statuary than any other had yet done in that art up to his times4 ,therefore1 his genius and his good skill and dexterity becoming known1 he was assisted by many in his country1 and while still young he was commissioned to make for ,s4 ,maria a ,ponte some little figures in marble1 which brought him so good a name that he was sought out with very great insistence to come to work in ,florence for the ,office of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 which1 after a beginning had been made with the facade containing the three doors1 was suffering from a dearth of masters to make the scenes that ,giotto had designed for the beginning of the said fabric4 ,andrea1 then1 betook himself to ,florence1 for the service of the said ,office of ,works4 ,and because the ,florentines desired at that time to gain the friendship and love of ,pope ,boniface ,,viii1 who was then ,supreme ,pontiff of the ,church of ,god1 they wished that1 before anything else1 ,andrea should make a portrait in marble of the said ,pontiff1 from the life4 ,wherefore1 putting his hand to this work1 he did not rest until he had finished the figure of the ,pope1 with a ,s4 ,peter and a ,s4 ,paul who are one on either side of him2 which three figures were placed in the facade of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 where they still are4 ,andrea then made certain little figures of prophets for the middle door of the said church1 in some shrines or rather niches1 from which it is seen that he had brought great betterment to the art1 and that he was in advance1 both in excellence and design1 of all those who had worked up to then on the said fabric4 ,wherefore it was resolved that all the works of importance should be given to him to do1 and not to others2 and so1 no long time after1 he was commissioned to make the four statues of the principal ,doctors of the ,church1 ,s4 ,jerome1 ,s4 ,ambrose1 ,s4 ,augustine1 and ,s4 ,gregory4 ,and these being finished and acquiring for him favour and fame with the ,wardens of ,works--nay1 with the whole city--he was commissioned to make two other figures in marble of the same size1 which were ,s4 ,stephen and ,s4 ,laurence1 now standing in the said facade of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 at the outermost corners4 ,by the hand of ,andrea1 likewise1 is the ,madonna in marble1 three braccia and a half high1 with the ,child in her arms1 which stands on the altar of the little ,church of the ,company of the ,misericordia1 on the ,piazza di ,s4 ,giovanni in ,florence2 which was a work much praised in those times1 and above all because he accompanied it with two angels1 one on either side1 each two braccia and a half high4 ,round this work there has been made in our own day a frame of wood1 very well wrought by ,maestro ,antonio1 called ,il ,carota2 and below1 a predella full of most beautiful figures coloured in oil by ,ridolfo1 son of ,domenico ,ghirlandajo4 ,in like manner1 that half-length ,madonna in marble that is over the side door of the same ,misericordia1 in the facade of the ,cialdonai1 is by the hand of ,andrea1 and it was much praised1 because he imitated therein the good ancient manner1 contrary to his wont1 which was ever far distant from it1 as some drawings testify that are in our book1 wrought by his hand1 wherein are drawn all the stories of the ,apocalypse4 ,now1 seeing that ,andrea had applied himself in his youth to the study of architecture1 there came occasion for him to be employed in this by the ,commune of ,florence2 for ,arnolfo being dead and ,giotto absent1 he was commissioned to make the design of the ,castle of ,scarperia1 which is in the ,mugello1 at the foot of the mountains4 ,some say1 although ,i would not indeed vouch for it as true1 that ,andrea stayed a year in ,venice1 and there wrought1 in sculpture1 some little figures in marble that are in the facade of ,s4 ,marco1 and that at the time of ,messer ,piero ,gradenigo1 ,doge of that ,republic1 he made the design of the ,arsenal2 but seeing that ,i know nothing about it save that which ,i find to have been written by some without authority1 ,i leave each one to think in his own way about this matter4 ,andrea having returned from ,venice to ,florence1 the city1 fearful of the coming of the ,emperor1 caused a part of the walls to be raised with lime post-haste to the height of eight braccia1 employing in this ,andrea1 in that portion that is between ,san ,gallo and the ,porta al ,prato2 and in other places he made bastions1 stockades1 and other ramparts of earth and of wood1 very strong4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,salome ,,and ,,the ,,beheading ,,of ,s4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist 7,details1 after ,andrea ,pisano1 from the ,gates of the ,baptistery1 ,florence7 ,now because1 three years before1 he had shown himself to his own great credit to be an able man in the casting of bronze1 having sent to the ,pope in ,avignon1 by means of ,giotto1 his very great friend1 who was then staying at that ,court1 a very beautiful cross cast in bronze1 he was commissioned to complete in bronze one of the doors of the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni1 for which ,giotto had already made a very beautiful design2 this was given to him1 ,i say1 to complete1 by reason of his having been judged1 among so many who had worked up to then1 the most able1 the most practised and the most judicious master not only of ,tuscany but of all ,italy4 ,wherefore1 putting his hand to this1 with a mind determined not to consent to spare either time1 or labour1 or diligence in executing a work of so great importance1 fortune was so propitious to him in the casting1 for those times when the secrets were not known that are known to-day1 that within the space of twenty-two years he brought it to that perfection which is seen2 and what is more1 he also made during that same time not only the shrine of the high-altar of ,s4 ,giovanni1 with two angels1 one on either side of it1 that were held something very beautiful1 but also1 after the design of ,giotto1 those little figures in marble that act as adornment for the door of the ,campanile of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 and round the same ,campanile1 in certain mandorle1 the seven planets1 the seven virtues1 and the seven works of mercy1 little figures in half-relief that were then much praised4 ,he also made during the same time the three figures1 each four braccia high1 that were set up in the niches of the said ,campanile1 beneath the windows that face the spot where the ,orphans now are--that is1 towards the south2 which figures were thought at that time more than passing good4 ,but to return to where ,i left off3 ,i say that in the said bronze door are little scenes in low relief of the life of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 that is1 from his birth up to his death1 wrought happily and with much diligence4 ,and although it seems to many that in these scenes there do not appear that beautiful design and that great art which are now put into figures1 yet ,andrea deserves nothing but the greatest praise1 in that he was the first to put his hand to the complete execution of such a work1 which afterwards enabled the others who lived after him to make whatever of the beautiful1 of the difficult and of the good is to be seen at the present day in the other two doors and in the external ornaments4 ,this work was placed in the middle door of that church1 and stood there until the time when ,lorenzo ,ghiberti made that one which is there at the present day2 for then it was removed and placed opposite the ,misericordia1 where it still stands4 ,i will not forbear to say that ,andrea was assisted in making this door by ,nino1 his son1 who was afterwards a much better master than his father had been1 and that it was completely finished in the year #acci1 that is1 not only made smooth and polished all over1 but also gilded by fire2 and it is believed that it was cast in metal by some ,venetian masters1 very expert in the founding of metals1 and of this there is found record in the books of the ,guild of the ,merchants of ,calimara1 ,wardens of the ,works of ,s4 ,giovanni4 ,while the said door was making1 ,andrea made not only the other works aforesaid but also many others1 and in particular the model of the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni at ,pistoia1 which was founded in the year #accg4 ,in that same year1 on ,january #be1 in excavating the foundations of this church1 there was found the body of the ,blessed ,atto1 once ,bishop of that city1 who had been buried in that place one hundred and thirty-seven years4 ,the architecture1 then1 of this church1 which is round1 was passing good for those times4 ,in the principal church of the said city of ,pistoia there is also a tomb of marble by the hand of ,andrea1 with the body of the sarcophagus full of little figures1 and some larger figures above2 in which tomb is laid to rest the body of ,messer ,cino d' ,angibolgi1 ,doctor of ,laws1 and a very famous scholar in his time1 as ,messer ,francesco ,petrarca testifies in that sonnet3 ,piangete1 donne1 e con voi pianga ,amore2 and also in the fourth chapter of the ,triumph of ,love1 where he says3 ,ecco ,cin da ,pistoia1 ,guitton d',arezzo1 ,che di non esser primo par ch'ira aggia4 ,in that tomb there is seen the portrait of ,messer ,cino himself in marble1 by the hand of ,andrea2 he is teaching a number of his scholars1 who are round him1 with an attitude and manner so beautiful that1 although to-day it might not be prized1 in those days it must have been a marvellous thing4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,creation ,,of ,,man 7,after a relief1 by ,andrea ,pisano1 on the ,campanile1 ,florence7 ,andrea was also made use of in matters of architecture by ,gualtieri1 ,duke of ,athens and ,tyrant of the ,florentines1 who made him enlarge the square1 and caused him1 in order to safeguard himself in his palace1 to secure all the lower windows on the first floor 7where to-day is the ,sala de' ,dugento7 with iron bars1 square and very strong4 ,the said ,duke also added1 opposite ,s4 ,pietro ,scheraggio1 the walls of rustic work that are beside the palace1 in order to enlarge it2 and in the thickness of the wall he made a secret staircase1 in order to ascend and descend unseen4 ,and at the foot of the said wall of rustic work he made a great door1 which serves to-day for the ,customs-house1 and above that his arms1 and all with the design and counsel of ,andrea2 and although these arms were chiselled out by the ,council of ,twelve1 which took pains to efface every memorial of that ,duke1 there remained none the less in the square shield the form of the lion rampant with two tails1 as anyone can see who examines it with diligence4 ,for the same ,duke ,andrea built many towers round the walls of the city1 and he not only made a magnificent beginning for the ,porta a ,s4 ,friano and brought it to the completion that is seen1 but also made the walls for the vestibules of all the gates of the city1 and the lesser gates for the convenience of the people4 ,and because the ,duke had it in his mind to make a fortress on the ,costa di ,s4 ,giorgio1 ,andrea made the model for it1 which afterwards was not used1 for the reason that the work was never given a beginning1 the ,duke having been driven out in the year #acdc4 ,nevertheless1 there was effected in great part the desire of that ,duke to bring the palace to the form of a strong castle1 because1 to that which had been made originally1 he added the great mass which is seen to-day1 enclosing within its circuit the houses of the ,filipetri1 the tower and the houses of the ,amidei and ,mancini1 and those of the ,bellalberti4 ,and because1 having made a beginning with so great a fabric and with the thick walls and barbicans1 he had not all the material that was essential equally in readiness1 he held back the construction of the ,ponte ,vecchio1 which was being worked on with all haste as a work of necessity1 and availed himself of the stone hewn and the wood prepared for it1 without the least scruple4 ,and although ,taddeo ,gaddi was not perhaps inferior in the matters of architecture to ,andrea ,pisano1 the ,duke would not avail himself of him in these buildings1 by reason of his being a ,florentine1 but only of ,andrea4 ,the same ,duke ,gualtieri wished to pull down ,s4 ,cecilia1 in order to see from his palace the ,strada ,romana and the ,mercato ,nuovo1 and likewise to destroy ,s4 ,pietro ,scheraggio for his own convenience1 but he had not leave to do this from the ,pope2 and meanwhile1 as it has been said above1 he was driven out by the fury of the people4 ,deservedly then did ,andrea gain1 by the honourable labours of so many years1 not only very great rewards but also the citizenship2 for he was made a citizen of ,florence by the ,signoria1 and was given offices and magistracies in the city1 and his works were esteemed both while he lived and after his death1 there being found no one who could surpass him in working1 until there came ,niccolo ,aretino1 ,jacopo della ,quercia of ,siena1 ,donatello1 ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco1 and ,lorenzo ,ghiberti1 who executed the sculptures and other works that they made in such a manner that people recognized in how great error they had lived up to that time2 for these men recovered with their works that excellence which had been hidden and little known by men for many and many a year4 ,the works of ,andrea date about the year of our salvation #acdj4 ,andrea left many disciples2 among others1 ,tommaso ,pisano1 architect and sculptor1 who finished the ,chapel of the ,campo ,santo and added the finishing touch to the ,campanile of the ,duomo--namely1 that final part wherein are the bells4 ,tommaso is believed to have been the son of ,andrea1 this being found written in the panel of the high-altar of ,s4 ,francesco in ,pisa1 wherein there is1 carved in half-relief1 a ,madonna1 with other ,saints made by him1 and below these his name and that of his father4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,after ,nino ,pisano4 ,orvieto3 ,museo dell',opera7 ,andrea was survived by ,nino1 his son1 who applied himself to sculpture2 and his first work was in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 where he finished a ,madonna in marble begun by his father1 which is within the side door1 beside the ,chapel of the ,minerbetti4 ,next1 having gone to ,pisa1 he made in the ,spina a half-length figure in marble of ,our ,lady1 who is suckling an infant ,jesus ,christ wrapped in certain delicate draperies4 ,for this ,madonna an ornamental frame of marble was made in the year #aebb1 by the agency of ,messer ,jacopo ,corbini1 and another frame1 much greater and more beautiful1 was made then for another ,madonna of marble1 which was of full length and by the hand of the same ,nino2 in the attitude of which ,madonna the mother is seen handing a rose with much grace to her ,son1 who is taking it in a childlike manner1 so beautiful that it may be said that ,nino was beginning to rob the stone of its hardness and to reduce it to the softness of flesh1 giving it lustre by means of the highest polish4 ,this figure is between a ,s4 ,john and a ,s4 ,peter in marble1 the head of the latter being a portrait of ,andrea from the life4 ,besides this1 for an altar in ,s4 ,caterina1 also in ,pisa1 ,nino made two statues of marble--that is1 a ,madonna1 and an ,angel who is bringing her the ,annunciation1 wrought1 like his other works1 with so great diligence that it can be said that they are the best that were made in those times4 ,below this ,madonna receiving the ,annunciation ,nino carved these words on the base3 ,,on ,,the ,,first ,,day ,,of ,,february1 #acgj2 and below the ,angel3 ,,these ,,figures ,,nino ,,made1 ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,andrea ,,pisano4 ,he also made other works in that city and in ,naples1 whereof it is not needful to make mention4 ,andrea died at the age of seventy-five1 in the year #acde1 and was buried by ,nino in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 with this epitaph3 ,,ingenti ,,andreas ,,jacet ,,hic ,,pisanus ,,in ,,urna1 ,,marmore ,,qui ,,potuit ,,spirantes ,,ducere ,,vultus1 ,,et ,,simulacra ,,deum ,,mediis ,,imponere ,,templis ,,ex ,,aere1 ,,ex ,,auro ,,candenti1 ,,et ,,pulcro ,,elephanto4 ,,buonamico ,,buffalmacco ,,life ,,of ,,buonamico ,,buffalmacco1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,buonamico di ,cristofano1 called ,buffalmacco1 painter of ,florence1 who was a disciple of ,andrea ,tafi1 and celebrated for his jokes by ,messer ,giovanni ,boccaccio in his ,decameron1 was1 as is known1 a very dear companion of ,bruno and ,calandrino1 painters equally humorous and gay2 and as may be seen in his works1 scattered throughout all ,tuscany1 he was a man of passing good judgment in his art of painting4 ,franco ,sacchetti relates in his three hundred ,stories 7to begin with the things that this man did while still youthful71 that ,buffalmacco lived1 while he was a lad1 with ,andrea1 and that this master of his used to make it a custom1 when the nights were long1 to get up before daylight to labour1 and to call the lads to night-work4 ,this being displeasing to ,buonamico1 who was made to rise out of his soundest sleep1 he began to think of finding a way whereby ,andrea might give up rising so much before daylight to work1 and he succeeded2 for having found thirty large cockroaches1 or rather blackbeetles1 in a badly swept cellar1 with certain fine and short needles he fixed a little taper on the back of each of the said cockroaches1 and1 the hour coming when ,andrea was wont to rise1 he lit the tapers and put the animals one by one into the room of ,andrea1 through a chink in the door4 ,he1 awaking at the very hour when he was wont to call ,buffalmacco1 and seeing those little lights1 all full of fear began to tremble and in great terror to recommend himself under his breath to ,god1 like the old gaffer that he was1 and to say his prayers or psalms2 and finally1 putting his head below the bedclothes1 he made no attempt for that night to call ,buffalmacco1 but stayed as he was1 ever trembling with fear1 up to daylight4 ,in the morning1 then1 having risen1 he asked ,buonamico if he had seen1 as he had himself1 more than a thousand demons2 whereupon ,buonamico said he had not1 because he had kept his eyes closed1 and was marvelling that he had not been called to night-work4 ,to night-work6 said ,tafo1 ,i have had something else to think of besides painting1 and ,i am resolved at all costs to go and live in another house4 ,the following night1 although ,buonamico put only three of them into the said room of ,tafo1 none the less1 what with terror of the past night and of those few devils that he saw1 he slept not a wink2 nay1 no sooner was it daylight than he rushed from the house1 meaning never to return1 and a great business it was to make him change his mind4 ,at last ,buonamico brought the parish priest1 who consoled him the best that he could4 ,later1 ,tafo and ,buonamico discoursing over the affair1 ,buonamico said3 ,i have ever heard tell that the greatest enemies of ,god are the demons1 and that in consequence they must also be the most capital adversaries of painters2 because1 besides that we make them ever most hideous1 what is worse1 we never attend to aught else than to making saints1 male and female1 on walls and panels1 and to making men more devout and more upright thereby1 to the despite of the demons2 wherefore1 these demons having a grudge against us for this1 as beings that have greater power by night than by day they come and play us these tricks1 and worse tricks will they play if this use of rising for night-work is not given up completely4 ,with these and many other speeches ,buffalmacco knew so well how to manage the business1 being borne out by what ,sir ,priest kept saying1 that ,tafo gave over rising for night-work1 and the devils ceased going through the house at night with little lights4 ,but ,tafo beginning again1 for the love of gain1 not many months afterwards1 having almost forgotten all fear1 to rise once more to work in the night and to call ,buffalmacco1 the cockroaches too began again to wander about2 wherefore he was forced by fear to give up the habit entirely1 being above all advised to do this by the priest4 ,afterwards this affair1 spreading throughout the city1 brought it about that for a time neither ,tafo nor other painters made a practice of rising to work at night4 ,later1 and no long time after this1 ,buffalmacco1 having become a passing good master1 took leave of ,tafo1 as the same ,franco relates1 and began to work for himself2 and he never lacked for something to do4 ,now1 ,buffalmacco having taken a house1 to work in and to live in as well1 that had next door a passing rich woolworker1 who1 being a simpleton1 was called ,capodoca 7,goosehead71 the wife of this man would rise every night very early1 precisely when ,buffalmacco1 having up to then been working1 would go to lie down2 and sitting at her wheel1 which by misadventure she had planted opposite to the bed of ,buffalmacco1 she would spend the whole night spinning her thread2 wherefore ,buonamico1 being able to get scarce a wink of sleep1 began to think and think how he could remedy this nuisance4 ,nor was it long before he noticed that behind a wall of brickwork1 that divided his house from ,capodoca's1 was the hearth of his uncomfortable neighbour1 and that through a hole it was possible to see what she was doing over the fire4 ,having therefore thought of a new trick1 he bored a hole with a long gimlet through a cane1 and1 watching for a moment when the wife of ,capodoca was not at the fire1 he pushed it more than once through the aforesaid hole in the wall and put as much salt as he wished into his neighbour's pot2 wherefore ,capodoca1 returning either for dinner or for supper1 more often than not could not eat or even taste either broth or meat1 so bitter was everything through the great quantity of salt4 ,for once or twice he had patience and only made a little noise about it2 but after he saw that words were not enough1 he gave blows many a time for this to the poor woman1 who was in despair1 it appearing to her that she was more than careful in salting her cooking4 ,she1 one time among others that her husband was beating her for this1 began to try to excuse herself1 wherefore ,capodoca1 falling into even greater rage1 set himself to thrash her again in a manner that the woman screamed with all her might1 and the whole neighbourhood ran up at the noise2 and among others there came up ,buffalmacco1 who1 having heard of what ,capodoca was accusing his wife and in what way she was excusing herself1 said to ,capodoca3 ,i' faith1 comrade1 this calls for a little reason2 thou dost complain that the pot1 morning and evening1 is too much salted1 and ,i marvel that this good woman of thine can do anything well4 ,i1 for my part1 know not how1 by day1 she keeps on her feet1 considering that the whole night she sits up over that wheel of hers1 and sleeps not1 to my belief1 an hour4 ,make her give up this rising at midnight1 and thou wilt see that1 having her fill of sleep1 she will have her wits about her by day and will not fall into such blunders4 ,then1 turning to the other neighbours1 he convinced them so well of the grave import of the matter1 that they all said to ,capodoca that ,buonamico was speaking the truth and that it must be done as he advised4 ,he1 therefore1 believing that it was so1 commanded her not to rise in the night1 and the pot was then reasonably salted1 save when perchance the woman on occasion rose early1 for then ,buffalmacco would return to his remedy1 which finally brought it about that ,capodoca made her give it up completely4 ,buffalmacco1 then1 among the first works that he made1 painted with his own hand the whole church of the ,convent of the ,nuns of ,faenza1 which stood in ,florence on the site of the present ,cittadella del ,prato2 and among other scenes that he made there from the life of ,christ1 in all which he acquitted himself very well1 he made the ,massacre that ,herod ordained of the ,innocents1 wherein he expressed very vividly the emotions both of the murderers and of the other figures2 for in some nurses and mothers who are snatching the infants from the hands of the murderers and are seeking all the assistance that they can from their hands1 their nails1 their teeth1 and every movement of the body1 there is shown on the surface a heart no less full of rage and fury than of woe4 ,of this work1 that convent being to-day in ruins1 there is to be seen nothing but a coloured sketch in our book of drawings by diverse masters1 wherein there is this scene drawn by the hand of ,buonamico himself4 ,in the doing of this work for the aforesaid ,nuns of ,faenza1 seeing that ,buffalmacco was a person very eccentric and careless both in dress and in manner of life1 it came to pass1 since he did not always wear his cap and his mantle1 as in those times it was the custom to do1 that the nuns1 seeing him once through the screen that he had caused to be made1 began to say to the steward that it did not please them to see him in that guise1 in his jerkin2 however1 appeased by him1 they stayed for a little without saying more4 ,but at last1 seeing him ever in the same guise1 and doubting whether he was not some knavish boy for grinding colours1 they had him told by the ,abbess that they would have liked to see the master at work1 and not always him4 ,to which ,buonamico answered1 like the good fellow that he was1 that as soon as the master was there1 he would let them know2 taking notice1 none the less1 of the little confidence that they had in him4 ,taking a stool1 therefore1 and placing another above it1 he put on top of all a pitcher1 or rather a water-jar1 and on the mouth of that he put a cap1 hanging over the handle1 and then he covered the rest of the jar with a burgher's mantle1 and finally1 putting a brush in suitable fashion into the spout through which the water is poured1 he went off4 ,the nuns1 returning to see the work through an opening where the cloth had slipped1 saw the supposititious master in full canonicals2 wherefore1 believing that he was working might and main and was by way of doing different work from that which the untidy knave was doing1 they left it at that for some days1 without thinking more about it4 ,finally1 having grown desirous to see what beautiful work the master had done1 fifteen days having passed1 during which space of time ,buonamico had never come near the place1 one night1 thinking that the master was not there1 they went to see his paintings1 and remained all confused and blushing by reason of one bolder than the rest discovering the solemn master1 who in fifteen days had done not one stroke of work4 ,then1 recognizing that he had served them as they merited and that the works that he had made were worthy of nothing but praise1 they bade the steward recall ,buonamico1 who1 with the greatest laughter and delight1 returned to the work1 having given them to know what difference there is between men and pitchers1 and that it is not always by their clothes that the works of men should be judged4 ,in a few days1 then1 he finished a scene wherewith they were much contented1 it appearing to them to be in every way satisfactory1 except that the figures appeared to them rather wan and pallid than otherwise in the flesh-tints4 ,buonamico1 hearing this1 and having learnt that the ,abbess had some ,vernaccia1 the best in ,florence1 which was used for the holy office of the ,mass1 said to them that in order to remedy this defect nothing else could be done but to temper the colours with some good ,vernaccia2 because1 touching the cheeks and the rest of the flesh on the figures with colours thus tempered1 they would become rosy and coloured in most lifelike fashion4 ,hearing this1 the good sisters1 who believed it all1 kept him ever afterwards furnished with the best ,vernaccia1 as long as the work lasted2 and he1 rejoicing in it1 from that time onwards made the figures fresher and more highly coloured with his ordinary colours4 ,this work finished1 he painted some stories of ,s4 ,james in the ,abbey of ,settimo1 in the chapel that is in the cloister1 and dedicated to that ,saint1 on the vaulting of which he made the four ,patriarchs and the four ,evangelists1 among whom ,s4 ,luke is doing a striking action in blowing very naturally on his pen1 in order that it may yield its ink4 ,next1 in the scenes on the walls1 which are five1 there are seen beautiful attitudes in the figures1 and the whole work is executed with invention and judgment4 ,and because ,buonamico was wont1 in order to make his flesh-colour better1 as is seen in this work1 to make a ground of purple1 which in time produces a salt that becomes corroded and eats away the white and other colours1 it is no marvel if this work is spoilt and eaten away1 whereas many others that were made long before have been very well preserved4 ,and ,i1 who thought formerly that these pictures had received injury from the damp1 have since proved by experience1 studying other works of the same man1 that it is not from the damp but from this particular use of ,buffalmacco's that they have become spoilt so completely that there is not seen in them either design or anything else1 and that where the flesh-colours were there has remained nothing else but the purple4 ,this method of working should be used by no one who is anxious that his pictures should have long life4 ,buonamico wrought1 after that which has been described above1 two panels in distemper for the ,monks of the ,certosa of ,florence1 whereof one is where the books of chants are kept for the use of the choir1 and the other below in the old chapels4 ,he painted in fresco the ,chapel of the ,giochi and ,bastari in the ,badia of ,florence1 beside the principal chapel2 which chapel1 although afterwards it was conceded to the family of the ,boscoli1 retains the said pictures of ,buffalmacco up to our own day4 ,in these he made the ,passion of ,christ1 with effects ingenious and beautiful1 showing very great humility and sweetness in ,christ1 who is washing the feet of ,his ,disciples1 and ferocity and cruelty in the ,jews1 who are leading ,him to ,herod4 ,but he showed talent and facility more particularly in a ,pilate1 whom he painted in prison1 and in ,judas hanging from a tree2 wherefore it is easy to believe what is told about this gay painter--namely1 that when he thought fit to use diligence and to take pains1 which rarely came to pass1 he was not inferior to any painter whatsoever of his times4 ,and to show that this is true1 the works in fresco that he made in ,ognissanti1 where to-day there is the cemetery1 were wrought with so much diligence and with so many precautions1 that the water which has rained over them for so many years has not been able to spoil them or to prevent their excellence from being recognized1 and that they have been preserved very well1 because they were wrought purely on the fresh plaster4 ,on the walls1 then1 are the ,nativity of ,jesus ,christ and the ,adoration of the ,magi--that is1 over the tomb of the ,aliotti4 ,after this work ,buonamico1 having gone to ,bologna1 wrought some scenes in fresco in ,s4 ,petronio1 in the ,chapel of the ,bolognini--that is1 on the vaulting2 but by reason of some accident1 ,i know not what1 supervening1 he did not finish them4 ,it is said that in the year #acjb he was summoned to ,assisi1 and that in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,caterina1 he painted all the stories of her life in fresco1 which have been very well preserved2 and there are therein some figures that are worthy to be praised4 ,this chapel finished1 on his passing through ,arezzo1 ,bishop ,guido1 by reason of having heard that ,buonamico was a gay fellow and an able painter1 desired him to stop in that city and paint for him1 in the ,vescovado1 the chapel where baptisms are now held4 ,buonamico1 having put his hand to the work1 had already done a good part of it when there befell him the strangest experience in the world1 which was1 according to what ,franco ,sacchetti relates1 as follows4 ,the ,bishop had an ape1 the drollest and the most mischievous that there had ever been4 ,this animal1 standing once on the scaffolding to watch ,buonamico at work1 had given attention to everything1 and had never taken his eyes off him when he was mixing the colours1 handling the flasks1 beating the eggs for making the distempers1 and in short when he was doing anything else whatsoever4 ,now1 ,buonamico having left off working one ,saturday evening1 on the ,sunday morning this ape1 notwithstanding that he had1 fastened to his feet1 a great block of wood which the ,bishop made him carry in order that thus he might not be able to leap wherever he liked1 climbed on to the scaffolding whereon ,buonamico was used to stand to work1 in spite of the very great weight of the block of wood2 and there1 seizing the flasks with his hands1 pouring them one into another and making six mixtures1 and beating up whatever eggs there were1 he began to daub over with the brushes all the figures there1 and1 persevering in this performance1 did not cease until he had repainted everything with his own hand2 and this done1 he again made a mixture of all the colours that were left him1 although they were but few1 and1 getting down from the scaffolding1 went off4 ,monday morning having come1 ,buonamico returned to his work1 where1 seeing the figures spoilt1 the flasks all mixed up1 and everything upside down1 he stood all in marvel and confusion4 ,then1 having pondered much in his own mind1 he concluded finally that some ,aretine had done this1 through envy or through some other reason2 wherefore1 having gone to the ,bishop1 he told him how the matter stood and what he suspected1 whereat the ,bishop became very much disturbed1 but1 consoling ,buonamico1 desired him to put his hand again to the work and to repaint all that was spoilt4 ,and because the ,bishop had put faith in his words1 which had something of the probable1 he gave him six of his men-at-arms1 who should stand in hiding with halberds while he was not at work1 and1 if anyone came1 should cut him to pieces without mercy4 ,the figures1 then1 having been painted over again1 one day that the soldiers were in hiding1 lo and behold6 they hear a certain rumbling through the church1 and a little while after the ape climbing on to the scaffolding2 and in the twinkling of an eye1 the mixtures made1 they see the new master set himself to work over the saints of ,buonamico4 ,calling him1 therefore1 and showing him the culprit1 and standing with him to watch the beast at his work1 they were all like to burst with laughter2 and ,buonamico in particular1 for all that he was vexed thereby1 could not keep from laughing till the tears came4 ,finally1 dismissing the soldiers who had mounted guard with their halberds1 he went off to the ,bishop and said to him3 ,my lord1 you wish the painting to be done in one fashion1 and your ape wishes it done in another4 ,then1 relating the affair1 he added3 ,there was no need for you to send for painters from elsewhere1 if you had the true master at home4 ,but he1 perhaps1 knew not so well how to make the mixtures2 now that he knows1 let him do it by himself1 since ,i am no more good here4 ,and his talent being revealed1 ,i am content that there should be nothing given to me for my work save leave to return to ,florence4 ,the ,bishop1 hearing the affair1 although it vexed him1 could not keep from laughing1 and above all as he thought how an animal had played a trick on him who was the greatest trickster in the world4 ,however1 after they had talked and laughed their fill over this strange incident1 the ,bishop persuaded ,buonamico to resume the work for the third time1 and he finished it4 ,and the ape1 as punishment and penance for the crime committed1 was shut up in a great wooden cage and kept where ,buonamico was working1 until this work was entirely finished2 and no one could imagine the contortions which that creature kept making in this cage with his face1 his body1 and his hands1 seeing others working and himself unable to take part4 ,the work in this chapel finished1 the ,bishop1 either in jest or for some other reason known only to himself1 commanded that ,buffalmacco should paint him1 on one wall of his palace1 an eagle on the back of a lion which it had killed4 ,the crafty painter1 having promised to do all that the ,bishop wished1 had a good scaffolding made of planks1 saying that he refused to be seen painting such a thing4 ,this made1 shutting himself up alone inside it1 he painted1 contrary to what the ,bishop wished1 a lion that was tearing to pieces an eagle2 and1 the work finished1 he sought leave from the ,bishop to go to ,florence in order to get some colours that he was wanting4 ,and so1 locking the scaffolding with a key1 he went off to ,florence1 in mind to return no more to the ,bishop1 who1 seeing the business dragging on and the painter not returning1 had the scaffolding opened1 and discovered that ,buonamico had been too much for him4 ,wherefore1 moved by very great displeasure1 he had him banished on pain of death1 and ,buonamico1 hearing this1 sent to tell him to do his worst2 whereupon the ,bishop threatened him to a fearful tune4 ,but finally1 remembering that he had begun the playing of tricks and that it served him right to be tricked himself1 he pardoned ,buonamico for his insult and rewarded him liberally for his labours4 ,nay1 what is more1 summoning him again no long time after to ,arezzo1 he caused him to make many works in the ,duomo ,vecchio1 which are now destroyed1 treating him ever as his familiar friend and very faithful servant4 ,the same man painted the niche of the principal chapel in the ,church of ,s4 ,giustino1 also in ,arezzo4 ,some writers tell that ,buonamico being in ,florence and often frequenting the shop of ,maso del ,saggio with his friends and companions1 he was there1 with many others1 arranging the festival which the men of the ,borgo ,san ,friano held on ,may #a in certain boats on the ,arno2 and that when the ,ponte alla ,carraia1 which was then of wood1 collapsed by reason of the too great weight of the people who had flocked to that spectacle1 he did not die there1 as many others did1 because1 precisely at the moment when the bridge collapsed on to the structure that was representing ,hell on the boats in the ,arno1 he had gone to get some things that were wanting for the festival4 ,being summoned to ,pisa no long time after these events1 ,buonamico painted many stories of the ,old ,testament in the ,abbey of ,s4 ,paolo a ,ripa d',arno1 then belonging to the ,monks of ,vallombrosa1 in both transepts of the church1 on three sides1 and from the roof down to the floor1 beginning with the ,creation of man1 and continuing up to the completion of the ,tower of ,nimrod4 ,in this work1 although it is to-day for the greater part spoilt1 there are seen vivacity in the figures1 good skill and loveliness in the colouring1 and signs to show that the hand of ,buonamico could very well express the conceptions of his mind1 although he had little power of design4 ,on the wall of the right transept which is opposite to that wherein is the side door1 in some stories of ,s4 ,anastasia1 there are seen certain ancient costumes and head-dresses1 very charming and beautiful1 in some women who are painted there with graceful manner4 ,not less beautiful1 also1 are those figures that are in a boat1 with well-conceived attitudes1 among which is the portrait of ,pope ,alexander ,,iv1 which ,buonamico had1 so it is said1 from ,tafo his master1 who had portrayed that ,pontiff in mosaic in ,s4 ,pietro4 ,in the last scene1 likewise1 wherein is the martyrdom of that ,saint and of others1 ,buonamico expressed very well in the faces the fear of death and the grief and terror of those who are standing to see her tortured and put to death1 while she stands bound to a tree and over the fire4 ,a companion of ,buonamico in this work was ,bruno di ,giovanni1 a painter1 who is thus called in the old book of the ,company2 which ,bruno 7also celebrated as a gay fellow by ,boccaccio71 the said scenes on the walls being finished1 painted the altar of ,s4 ,ursula with the company of virgins1 in the same church4 ,he made in one hand of the said ,saint a standard with the arms of ,pisa1 which are a white cross on a field of red1 and he made her offering the other hand to a woman who1 rising between two mountains and touching the sea with one of her feet1 is stretching both her hands to her in the act of supplication2 which woman1 representing ,pisa1 and having on her head a crown of gold and over her shoulders a mantle covered with circlets and eagles1 is seeking assistance from that ,saint1 being much in travail in the sea4 ,now1 for the reason that in painting this work ,bruno was bewailing that the figures which he was making therein had not the same life as those of ,buonamico1 the latter1 in his waggish way1 in order to teach him to make his figures not merely vivacious but actually speaking1 made him paint some words issuing from the mouth of that woman who is supplicating the ,saint1 and the answer of the ,saint to her1 a device that ,buonamico had seen in the works that had been made in the same city by ,cimabue4 ,this expedient1 even as it pleased ,bruno and the other thick-witted men of those times1 in like manner pleases certain boors to-day1 who are served therein by craftsmen as vulgar as themselves4 ,and in truth it seems extraordinary that from this beginning there should have passed into use a device that was employed for a jest and for no other reason1 insomuch that even a great part of the ,campo ,santo1 wrought by masters of repute1 is full of this rubbish4 ,the works of ,buonamico1 then1 finding much favour with the ,pisans1 he was charged by the ,warden of the ,works of the ,campo ,santo to make four scenes in fresco1 from the beginning of the world up to the construction of ,noah's ,ark1 and round the scenes an ornamental border1 wherein he made his own portrait from the life--namely1 in a frieze1 in the middle of which1 and on the corners1 are some heads1 among which1 as ,i have said1 is seen his own1 with a cap exactly like the one that is seen above4 ,and because in this work there is a ,god1 who is upholding with his arms the heavens and the elements--nay1 the whole body of the universe--,buonamico1 in order to explain his story with verses similar to the pictures of that age1 wrote this sonnet in capital letters at the foot1 with his own hand1 as may still be seen2 which sonnet1 by reason of its antiquity and of the simplicity of the language of those times1 it has seemed good to me to include in this place1 although in my opinion it is not likely to give much pleasure1 save perchance as something that bears witness as to what was the knowledge of the men of that century3 ,voi che avisate questa dipintura ,di ,dio pietoso1 sommo creatore1 ,lo qual fe' tutte cose con amore1 ,pesate1 numerate ed in misura2 ,in nove gradi angelica natura1 ,in ello empirio ciel pien di splendore1 ,colui che non si muove ed e motore1 ,ciascuna cosa fece buona e pura4 ,levate gli occhi del vostro intelletto1 ,considerate quanto e ordinato ,lo mondo universale2 e con affetto ,lodate lui che l'ha si ben creato2 ,pensate di passare a tal diletto ,tra gli ,angeli1 dov'e ciascun beato4 ,per questo mondo si vede la gloria1 ,lo basso e il mezzo e l'alto in questa storia4 ,and to tell the truth1 it was very courageous in ,buonamico to undertake to make a ,god the ,father five braccia high1 with the hierarchies1 the heavens1 the angels1 the zodiac1 and all the things above1 even to the heavenly body of the moon1 and then the element of fire1 the air1 the earth1 and finally the nether regions2 and to fill up the two angles below he made in one1 ,s4 ,augustine1 and in the other1 ,s4 ,thomas ,aquinas4 ,at the head of the same ,campo ,santo1 where there is now the marble tomb of ,corte1 ,buonamico painted the whole ,passion of ,christ1 with a great number of figures on foot and on horseback1 and all in varied and beautiful attitudes2 and continuing the story he made the ,resurrection and the ,apparition of ,christ to the ,apostles1 passing well4 ,having finished these works and at the same time all that he had gained ,pisa1 which was not little1 he returned to ,florence as poor as he had left it1 and there he made many panels and works in fresco1 whereof there is no need to make further record4 ,meanwhile there had been entrusted to ,bruno1 his great friend 7who had returned with him from ,pisa1 where they had squandered everything71 some works in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 and seeing that ,bruno had not much design or invention1 ,buonamico designed for him all that he afterwards put into execution on a wall in the said church1 opposite to the pulpit and as long as the space between column and column1 and that was the story of ,s4 ,maurice and his companions1 who were beheaded for the faith of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this work ,bruno made for ,guido ,campese1 then ,constable of the ,florentines1 whose portrait he had made before he died in the year #acab2 in that work he painted him in his armour1 as was the custom in those times1 and behind him he made a line of men-at-arms1 armed in ancient fashion1 who make a beautiful effect1 while ,guido himself is kneeling before a ,madonna who has the ,child ,jesus in her arms1 and is appearing to be recommended to her by ,s4 ,dominic and ,s4 ,agnes1 who are on either side of him4 ,although this picture is not very beautiful1 yet1 considering the design and invention of ,buonamico1 it is worthy to be in part praised1 and above all by reason of the costumes1 helmets1 and other armour of those times4 ,and ,i have availed myself of it in some scenes that ,i have made for the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 wherein it was necessary to represent men armed in ancient fashion1 and other similar things of that age2 which work has greatly pleased his most ,illustrious ,excellency and others who have seen it4 ,and from this it can be seen how much benefit may be gained from the inventions and works made by these ancients1 although they may not be very perfect1 and in what fashion profit and advantage can be drawn from their performances1 since they opened the way for us to the marvels that have been made up to our day and are being made continually4 ,while ,bruno was making this work1 a peasant desiring that ,buonamico should make him a ,s4 ,christopher1 they came to an agreement in ,florence and arranged a contract in this fashion1 that the price should be eight florins and that the figure should be twelve braccia high4 ,buonamico1 then1 having gone to the church where he was to make the ,s4 ,christopher1 found that by reason of its not being more than nine braccia either in height or in length1 he could not1 either without or within1 accommodate the figure in a manner that it might stand well2 wherefore he made up his mind1 since it would not go in upright1 to make it within the church lying down4 ,but since1 even so1 the whole length would not go in1 he was forced to bend it from the knees downwards on to the wall at the head of the church4 ,the work finished1 the peasant would by no means pay for it2 nay1 he made an outcry and said he had been cozened4 ,the matter1 therefore1 going before the ,justices1 it was judged1 according to the contract1 that ,buonamico was in the right4 ,in ,s4 ,giovanni fra l',arcore was a very beautiful ,passion of ,christ by the hand of ,buonamico1 and among other things that were much praised therein was a ,judas hanging from a tree1 made with much judgment and beautiful manner4 ,an old man1 likewise1 who was blowing his nose1 was most natural1 and the ,maries1 broken with weeping1 had expressions and aspects so sad1 that they deserved to be greatly praised1 since that age had not as yet much facility in the method of representing the emotions of the soul with the brush4 ,on the same wall there was a good figure in a ,s4 ,ivo of ,brittany1 who had many widows and orphans at his feet1 and two angels in the sky1 who were crowning him1 were made with the sweetest manner4 ,this edifice and the pictures together were thrown to the ground in the year of the war of #aebi4 ,in ,cortona1 also1 for ,messer ,aldobrandino1 ,bishop of that city1 ,buonamico painted many works in the ,vescovado1 and in particular the chapel and panel of the high-altar2 but seeing that everything was thrown to the ground in renovating the palace and the church1 there is no need to make further mention of them4 ,in ,s4 ,francesco1 however1 and in ,s4 ,margherita1 in the same city1 there are still some pictures by the hand of ,buonamico4 ,from ,cortona going once more to ,assisi1 ,buonamico painted in fresco1 in the lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 the whole ,chapel of ,cardinal ,egidio ,alvaro1 a ,spaniard2 and because he acquitted himself very well1 he was therefore liberally rewarded by that ,cardinal4 ,finally1 ,buonamico having wrought many pictures throughout the whole ,march1 in returning to ,florence he stopped at ,perugia1 and painted there in fresco the ,chapel of the ,buontempi in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico1 making therein stories of the life of ,s4 ,catherine1 virgin and martyr4 ,and in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico ,vecchio1 on one wall1 he painted in fresco the scene when the same ,catherine1 daughter of ,king ,costa1 making disputation1 is convincing and converting certain philosophers to the faith of ,christ2 and seeing that this scene is more beautiful than any other that ,buonamico ever made1 it can be said with truth that in this work he surpassed himself4 ,the people of ,perugia1 moved by this1 according to what ,franco ,sacchetti writes1 commanded that he should paint ,s4 ,ercolano1 ,bishop and ,protector of that city1 in the square2 wherefore1 having agreed about the price1 on the spot where the painting was to be done there was made a screen of planks and matting1 to the end that the master might not be seen painting2 and this made1 he put his hand to the work4 ,but before ten days had passed1 every passer-by asking when this picture would be finished1 as though such works were cast in moulds1#ae the matter disgusted ,buonamico2 wherefore1 having come to the end of the work and being distracted with such importunity1 he determined within himself to take a gentle vengeance on the impatience of these people4 ,and this came to pass1 for1 when the work was finished1 before unveiling it1 he let them see it1 and it was entirely to their satisfaction2 but on the people of ,perugia wishing to remove the screen at once1 ,buonamico said that for two days longer they should leave it standing1 for the reason that he wished to retouch certain parts on the dry2 and so it was done4 ,buonamico1 then1 having mounted the scaffolding1 removed the great diadem of gold that he had given to the ,saint1 raised in relief with plaster1 as was the custom in those times1 and made him a crown1 or rather garland1 right round his head1 of roaches2 and this done1 one morning he settled with his host and went off to ,florence4 ,now1 two days having passed1 the people of ,perugia1 not seeing the painter going about as they had been used1 asked the host what had become of him1 and1 hearing that he had returned to ,florence1 went at once to remove the screen2 and finding their ,s4 ,ercolano crowned solemnly with roaches1 they sent word of it immediately to their governors4 ,but although these sent horsemen post-haste to look for ,buonamico1 it was all in vain1 seeing that he had returned in great haste to ,florence4 ,having determined1 then1 to make a painter of their own remove the crown of roaches and restore the diadem to the ,saint1 they said all the evil that can be imagined about ,buonamico and the rest of the ,florentines4 ,buonamico1 back in ,florence and caring little about what the people of ,perugia might say1 set to work and made many paintings1 whereof1 in order not to be too long1 there is no need to make mention4 ,i will say only this1 that having painted in fresco at ,calcinaia a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 he who had charged him to do it1 in place of paying him1 gave him words2 whence ,buonamico1 who was not used to being trifled with or being fooled1 determined to get his due by hook or by crook4 ,and so1 having gone one morning to ,calcinaia1 he transformed the child that he had painted in the arms of the ,virgin into a little bear1 but in colours made only with water1 without size or distemper4 ,this change being seen1 not long after1 by the peasant who had given him the work to do1 almost in despair he went to find ,buonamico1 praying him for the sake of ,heaven to remove the little bear and to paint another child as before1 for he was ready to make satisfaction4 ,this the other did amicably1 being paid for both the first and the second labour without delay2 and for restoring the whole work a wet sponge sufficed4 ,finally1 seeing that it would take too long were ,i to wish to relate all the tricks1 as well as all the pictures1 that ,buonamico ,buffalmacco made1 and above all when frequenting the shop of ,maso del ,saggio1 which was the resort of citizens and of all the gay and mischievous spirits that there were in ,florence1 ,i will make an end of discoursing about him4 ,he died at the age of seventy-eight1 and being very poor and having done more spending than earning1 by reason of being such in character1 he was supported in his illness by the ,company of the ,misericordia in ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 the hospital of ,florence2 and then1 being dead1 he was buried in the ,ossa 7for so they call a cloister1 or rather cemetery1 of the hospital71 like the rest of the poor1 in the year #acdj4 ,the works of this man were prized while he lived1 and since then1 for works of that age1 they have been ever extolled4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ae3 ,proverbial expression1 equivalent to our twinkling of an eye4 ,,ambrogio ,,lorenzetti ,illustration3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,after the painting by ,ambrogio ,lorenzetti4 ,milan3 ,cagnola ,collection7 ,,life ,,of ,,ambrogio ,,lorenzetti1 ,,painter ,,of ,,siena ,if that debt is great1 as without doubt it is1 which craftsmen of fine genius should acknowledge to nature1 much greater should that be that is due from us to them1 seeing that they1 with great solicitude1 fill the cities with noble and useful buildings and with lovely historical compositions1 gaining for themselves1 for the most part1 fame and riches with their works2 as did ,ambrogio ,lorenzetti1 painter of ,siena1 who showed beautiful and great invention in grouping and placing his figures thoughtfully in historical scenes4 ,that this is true is proved by a scene in the ,church of the ,friars ,minor in ,siena1 painted by him very gracefully in the cloister1 wherein there is represented in what manner a youth becomes a friar1 and how he and certain others go to the ,soldan1 and are there beaten and sentenced to the gallows and hanged on a tree1 and finally beheaded1 with the addition of a terrible tempest4 ,in this picture1 with much art and dexterity1 he counterfeited in the travailing of the figures the turmoil of the air and the fury of the rain and of the wind1 wherefrom the modern masters have learnt the method and the principle of this invention1 by reason of which1 since it was unknown before1 he deserved infinite commendation4 ,ambrogio was a practised colourist in fresco1 and he handled colours in distemper with great dexterity and facility1 as it is still seen in the panels executed by him in ,siena for the little hospital called ,mona ,agnesa1 where he painted and finished a scene with new and beautiful composition4 ,and at the great hospital1 on one front1 he made in fresco the ,nativity of ,our ,lady and the scene when she is going with the virgins to the ,temple4 ,for the ,friars of ,s4 ,augustine in the same city he painted their ,chapter-house1 where the ,apostles are seen represented on the vaulting1 with scrolls in their hands whereon is written that part of the ,creed which each one of them made2 and below each is a little scene containing in painting that same subject that is signified above by the writing4 ,near this1 on the main front1 are three stories of ,s4 ,catherine the martyr1 who is disputing with the tyrant in a temple1 and1 in the middle1 the ,passion of ,christ1 with the ,thieves on the ,cross1 and the ,maries below1 who are supporting the ,virgin ,mary who has swooned2 which works were finished by him with much grace and with beautiful manner4 ,in a large hall of the ,palazzo della ,signoria in ,siena he painted the ,war of ,asinalunga1 and after it the ,peace and its events1 wherein he fashioned a map1 perfect for those times2 and in the same palace he made eight scenes in terra-verde1 highly finished4 ,it is said that he also sent to ,volterra a panel in distemper which was much praised in that city4 ,and painting a chapel in fresco and a panel in distemper at ,massa1 in company with others1 he gave them proof how great1 both in judgment and in genius1 was his worth in the art of painting2 and in ,orvieto he painted in fresco the principal ,chapel of ,s4 ,maria4 ,after these works1 proceeding to ,florence1 he made a panel in ,s4 ,procolo1 and in a chapel he painted the stories of ,s4 ,nicholas with little figures1 in order to satisfy certain of his friends1 who desired to see his method of working2 and1 being much practised1 he executed this work in so short a time that there accrued to him fame and infinite repute4 ,and this work1 on the predella of which he made his own portrait1 brought it about that in the year #acce he was summoned to ,cortona by order of ,bishop ,ubertini1 then lord of that city1 where he wrought certain works in the ,church of ,s4 ,margherita1 built a short time before for the ,friars of ,s4 ,francis on the summit of the hill1 and in particular the half of the vaulting and the walls1 so well that1 although to-day they are wellnigh eaten away by time1 there are seen notwithstanding most beautiful effects in the figures2 and it is clear that he was deservedly commended for them4 ,illustration3 ,,ambrogio ,,lorenzetti3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child ,,with ,s4,s4 ,,mary ,,magdalene ,,and ,,dorothy 7,siena3 ,pinacoteca #gg4 ,panel7 ,this work finished1 ,ambrogio returned to ,siena1 where he lived honourably the remainder of his life1 not only by reason of being an excellent master in painting1 but also because1 having given attention in his youth to letters1 they were a useful and pleasant accompaniment to him in his painting1 and so great an ornament to his whole life that they rendered him no less popular and beloved than did his profession of painting2 wherefore he was not only intimate with men of learning and of taste1 but he was also employed1 to his great honour and advantage1 in the government of his ,republic4 ,the ways of ,ambrogio were in all respects worthy of praise1 and rather those of a gentleman and a philosopher than of a craftsman2 and what most demonstrates the wisdom of men1 he had ever a mind disposed to be content with that which the world and time brought1 wherefore he supported with a mind temperate and calm the good and the evil that came to him from fortune4 ,and truly it cannot be told to what extent courteous ways and modesty1 with the other good habits1 are an honourable accompaniment to all the arts1 and in particular to those that are derived from the intellect and from noble and exalted talents2 wherefore every man should make himself no less beloved with his ways than with the excellence of his art4 ,finally1 at the end of his life1 ,ambrogio made a panel at ,monte ,oliveto di ,chiusuri with great credit to himself1 and a little afterwards1 being eighty-three years of age1 he passed happily and in the ,christian faith to a better life4 ,his works date about #acdj4 ,as it has been said1 the portrait of ,ambrogio1 by his own hand1 is seen in the predella of his panel in ,s4 ,procolo1 with a cap on his head4 ,and what was his worth in draughtsmanship is seen in our book1 wherein are some passing good drawings by his hand4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,central panel of the polyptych by ,ambrogio ,lorenzetti4 ,massa ,marittima3 ,municipio7 ,,pietro ,,cavallini ,,life ,,of ,,pietro ,,cavallini1 ,,painter ,,of ,,rome ,for many centuries ,rome had been deprived not only of fine letters and of the glory of arms but also of all the sciences and fine arts1 when1 by the will of ,god1 there was born therein ,pietro ,cavallini1 in those times when ,giotto1 having1 it may be said1 restored painting to life1 was holding the sovereignty among the painters in ,italy4 ,he1 then1 having been a disciple of ,giotto and having worked with ,giotto himself on the ,navicella in mosaic in ,s4 ,pietro1 was the first who1 after him1 gave light to that art1 and he began to show that he had been no unworthy disciple of so great a master when he painted1 over the door of the sacristy of the ,araceli1 some scenes that are to-day eaten away by time1 and very many works coloured in fresco throughout the whole ,church of ,s4 ,maria di ,trastevere4 ,afterwards1 working in mosaic on the principal chapel and on the facade of the church1 he showed in the beginning of such a work1 without the help of ,giotto1 that he was no less able in the execution and bringing to completion of mosaics than he was in painting4 ,making many scenes in fresco1 also1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,grisogono1 he strove to make himself known both as the best disciple of ,giotto and as a good craftsman4 ,in like manner1 also in ,trastevere1 he painted almost the whole ,church of ,s4 ,cecilia with his own hand1 and many works in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco appresso ,ripa4 ,he then made the facade of mosaic in ,s4 ,paolo without ,rome1 and many stories of the ,old ,testament for the central nave4 ,and painting some works in fresco in the ,chapter-house of the first cloister1 he put therein so great diligence that he gained thereby from men of judgment the name of being a most excellent master1 and was therefore so much favoured by the prelates that they commissioned him to do the inner wall of ,s4 ,pietro1 between the windows4 ,between these he made the four ,evangelists1 wrought very well in fresco1 of extraordinary size in comparison with the figures that at that time were customary1 with a ,s4 ,peter and a ,s4 ,paul1 and a good number of figures in a ship1 wherein1 the ,greek manner pleasing him much1 he blended it ever with that of ,giotto2 and since he delighted to give relief to his figures1 it is recognized that he used thereunto the greatest efforts that can be imagined by man4 ,but the best work that he made in that city was in the said ,church of ,araceli on the ,campidoglio1 where he painted in fresco1 on the vaulting of the principal apse1 the ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 surrounded by a circle of sunlight1 and beneath is the ,emperor ,octavian1 to whom the ,tiburtine ,sibyl is showing ,jesus ,christ1 and he is adoring ,him2 and the figures in this work1 as it has been said in other places1 have been much better preserved than the others1 because those that are on the vaulting are less injured by dust than those that are made on the walls4 ,after these works ,pietro went to ,tuscany1 in order to see the works of the other disciples of his master ,giotto and those of ,giotto himself2 and with this occasion he painted many figures in ,s4 ,marco in ,florence1 which are not seen to-day1 the church having been whitewashed1 except the ,annunciation1 which stands covered beside the principal door of the church4 ,in ,s4 ,basilio1 also1 in the ,canto alla ,macine1 he made another ,annunciation in fresco on a wall1 so like to that which he had made before in ,s4 ,marco1 and to another one that is in ,florence1 that some believe1 and not without probability1 that they are all by the hand of this ,pietro2 and in truth they could not be more like1 one to another1 than they are4 ,among the figures that he made in the said ,s4 ,marco in ,florence was the portrait of ,pope ,urban ,v from the life1 with the heads of ,s4 ,peter and ,s4 ,paul2 from which portrait ,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole copied that one which is in a panel in ,s4 ,domenico1 also of ,fiesole2 and that was no small good-fortune1 seeing that the portrait which was in ,s4 ,marco and many other figures that were about the church in fresco were covered with whitewash1 as it has been said1 when that convent was taken from the monks who occupied it before and given to the ,preaching ,friars1 the whole being whitewashed with little attention and consideration4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,head ,,of ,,an ,,apostle 7,detail from ,the ,last ,judgment1 after the fresco by ,pietro ,cavallini4 ,rome3 ,convent of ,s4 ,cecilia7 ,passing afterwards1 in returning to ,rome1 through ,assisi1 not only in order to see those buildings and those notable works made there by his master and by some of his fellow-disciples1 but also to leave something there by his own hand1 he painted in fresco in the lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco--namely1 in the transept that is on the side of the sacristy--a ,crucifixion of ,jesus ,christ1 with men on horseback armed in various fashions1 and with many varied and extravagant costumes of diverse foreign peoples4 ,in the air he made some angels1 who1 poised on their wings in diverse attitudes1 are in a storm of weeping2 and some pressing their hands to their breasts1 others wringing them1 and others beating the palms1 they are showing that they feel the greatest grief at the death of the ,son of ,god2 and all1 from the middle backwards1 or rather from the middle downwards1 melt away into air4 ,in this work1 well executed in the colouring1 which is fresh and vivacious and so well contrived in the junctions of the plaster that the work appears all made in one day1 ,i have found the coat of arms of ,gualtieri1 ,duke of ,athens2 but by reason of there not being either a date or other writing there1 ,i cannot affirm that it was caused to be made by him4 ,i say1 however1 that besides the firm belief of everyone that it is by the hand of ,pietro1 the manner could not be more like his than it is1 not to mention that it may be believed1 this painter having lived at the time when ,duke ,gualtieri was in ,italy1 that it was made by ,pietro as well as by order of the said ,duke4 ,at least1 let everyone think as he pleases1 the work1 as ancient1 is worthy of nothing but praise1 and the manner1 besides the public voice1 shows that it is by the hand of this man4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,maria at ,orvieto1 wherein is the most holy relic of the ,corporal1 the same ,pietro wrought in fresco certain stories of ,jesus ,christ and of the ,host1 with much diligence2 and this he did1 so it is said1 for ,messer ,benedetto1 son of ,messer ,buonconte ,monaldeschi and lord at that time1 or rather tyrant1 of that city4 ,some likewise affirm that ,pietro made some sculptures1 and that they were very successful1 because he had genius for whatever he set himself to do1 and that he made the ,crucifix that is in the great ,church of ,s4 ,paolo without ,rome2 which ,crucifix1 as it is said and may be believed1 is the one that spoke to ,s4 ,brigida in the year #acgj4 ,by the hand of the same man were some other works in that manner1 which were thrown to the ground when the old ,church of ,s4 ,pietro was pulled down in order to build the new4 ,pietro was very diligent in all his works1 and sought with every effort to gain honour and to acquire fame in the art4 ,he was not only a good ,christian1 but most devout and very much the friend of the poor1 and he was beloved by reason of his excellence not only in his native city of ,rome but by all those who had knowledge of him or of his works4 ,and finally1 he devoted himself at the end of his old age to religion1 leading an exemplary life1 with so much zeal that he was almost held a saint4 ,wherefore there is no reason to marvel not only that the said ,crucifix by his hand spoke to the ,saint1 as it has been said1 but also that innumerable miracles have been and still are wrought by a certain ,madonna by his hand1 which ,i do not intend to call his best1 although it is very famous in all ,italy and although ,i know very certainly and surely1 by the manner of the painting1 that it is by the hand of ,pietro1 whose most praiseworthy life and piety towards ,god were worthy to be imitated by all men4 ,nor let anyone believe1 for the reason that it is scarcely possible and that experience continually shows this to us1 that it is possible to attain to honourable rank without the fear and grace of ,god and without goodness of life4 ,a disciple of ,pietro ,cavallini was ,giovanni da ,pistoia1 who made some works of no great importance in his native city4 ,finally1 at the age of eighty-five1 he died in ,rome of a colic caught while working in fresco1 by reason of the damp and of standing continually at this exercise4 ,his pictures date about the year #acfd1 and he was honourably buried in ,s4 ,paolo without ,rome1 with this epitaph3 ,,quantum ,,romanae ,,petrus ,,decus ,,addidit ,,urbi ,,pictura1 ,,tantum ,,dat ,,decus ,,ipse ,,polo4 ,his portrait has never been found1 for all the diligence that has been used2 it is therefore not included4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,head ,,of ,,the ,,christ ,,in ,,glory 7,detail from ,the ,last ,judgment1 after the fresco by ,pietro ,cavallini4 ,rome3 ,convent of ,s4 ,cecilia7 ,,simone ,,sanese ,illustration3 ,anderson ,s4 ,,louis ,,crowning ,,king ,,robert ,,of ,,naples 7,after the ,altarpiece by ,simon ,sanese ,memmi or ,martini4 ,naples3 ,church of ,s4 ,lorenzo7 ,,life ,,of ,,simone ,,sanese ,,simone ,,memmi ,,or ,,martini ,,painter ,truly happy can those men be called1 who are inclined by nature to those arts that can bring to them not only honour and very great profit1 but also1 what is more1 fame and a name wellnigh eternal1 and happier still are they who have from their cradles1 besides such inclination1 courtesy and honest ways1 which render them very dear to all men4 ,but happiest of all1 finally1 talking of craftsmen1 are they who not only receive a love of the good from nature1 and noble ways from the same source and from education1 but also live in the time of some famous writer1 from whom1 in return for a little portrait or some other similar courtesy in the way of art1 they gain on occasion the reward of eternal honour and name1 by means of their writings2 and this1 among those who practise the arts of design1 should be particularly desired and sought by the excellent painters1 seeing that their works1 being on the surface and on a ground of colour1 cannot have that eternal life which castings in bronze and works in marble give to sculpture1 or buildings to the architects4 ,very great1 then1 was that good-fortune of ,simone1 to live at the time of ,messer ,francesco ,petrarca and to chance to find that most amorous poet at the ,court of ,avignon1 desirous of having the image of ,madonna ,laura by the hand of ,maestro ,simone1 because1 having received it as beautiful as he had desired1 he made memory of him in two sonnets1 whereof one begins3 ,per mirar ,policleto a prova fiso ,con gli altri che ebber fama di quell'arte2 and the second3 ,quando giunse a ,simon l'alto concetto ,ch'a mio nome gli pose in man lo stile4 ,these sonnets1 in truth1 together with the mention made of him in one of his ,familiar ,letters1 in the fifth book1 which begins3 ,non sum nescius1 have given more fame to the poor life of ,maestro ,simone than all his own works have ever done or ever will1 seeing that they must at some time perish1 whereas the writings of so great a man will live for eternal ages4 ,simone ,memmi of ,siena1 then1 was an excellent painter1 remarkable in his own times and much esteemed at the ,court of the ,pope1 for the reason that after the death of ,giotto his master1 whom he had followed to ,rome when he made the ,navicella in mosaic and the other works1 he made a ,virgin ,mary in the portico of ,s4 ,pietro1 with a ,s4 ,peter and a ,s4 ,paul1 near to the place where the bronze pine-cone is1 on a wall between the arches of the portico on the outer side2 and in this he counterfeited the manner of ,giotto very well1 receiving so much praise1 above all because he portrayed therein a sacristan of ,s4 ,pietro lighting some lamps before the said figures with much promptness1 that he was summoned with very great insistence to the ,court of the ,pope at ,avignon1 where he wrought so many pictures1 in fresco and on panels1 that he made his works correspond to the reputation that had been borne thither4 ,whence1 having returned to ,siena in great credit and much favoured on this account1 he was commissioned by the ,signoria to paint in fresco1 in a hall of their ,palace1 a ,virgin ,mary with many figures round her1 which he completed with all perfection to his own great credit and advantage4 ,and in order to show that he was no less able to work on panel than in fresco1 he painted in the said ,palace a panel which led to his being afterwards made to paint two of them in the ,duomo1 and a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 in a very beautiful attitude1 over the door of the ,office of the ,works of the said ,duomo4 ,in this picture certain angels1 supporting a standard in the air1 are flying and looking down on to some saints who are round the ,madonna1 and they make a very beautiful composition and great adornment4 ,illustration3 ,,simone ,,martini3 ,,knighting ,,of ,s4 ,,martin 7,assisi3 ,lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 ,chapel of ,s4 ,martin4 ,fresco7 ,this done1 ,simone was brought by the ,general of the ,augustinians to ,florence1 where he painted the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,spirito1 showing invention and admirable judgment in the figures and the horses that he made1 as is proved in that place by the story of the ,passion of ,christ1 wherein everything is seen to have been made by him with ingenuity1 with discretion1 and with most beautiful grace4 ,there are seen the ,thieves on the ,cross yielding up their breath1 and the soul of the good one being carried to ,heaven by the angels1 and that of the wicked one going1 accompanied by devils and all harassed1 to the torments of ,hell4 ,simone likewise showed invention and judgment in the attitudes and in the very bitter weeping of some angels round the ,crucifix4 ,but what is most worthy of consideration1 above everything else1 is to see those spirits visibly cleaving the air with their shoulders1 almost whirling right round and yet sustaining the motion of their flight4 ,this work would bear much stronger witness to the excellence of ,simone1 if1 besides the fact that time has eaten it away1 it had not been spoilt by those ,fathers in the year #aefj1 when they1 being unable to use the ,chapter-house1 because it was in bad condition from damp1 made a vaulted roof to replace a worm-eaten ceiling1 and threw down the little that was left of the pictures of this man4 ,about the same time ,simone painted a ,madonna and a ,s4 ,luke1 with some other ,saints1 on a panel in distemper1 which is to-day in the ,chapel of the ,gondi in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 with his name4 ,next1 ,simone painted three walls of the ,chapter-house of the said ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 very happily4 ,on the first1 which is over the door whereby one enters1 he made the life of ,s4 ,dominic2 and on that which follows in the direction of the church1 he represented the ,religious ,order of the same ,saint fighting against the heretics1 represented by wolves1 which are attacking some sheep1 which are defended by many dogs spotted with black and white1 and the wolves are beaten back and slain4 ,there are also certain heretics1 who1 being convinced in disputation1 are tearing their books and penitently confessing themselves1 and so their souls are passing through the gate of ,paradise1 wherein are many little figures that are doing diverse things4 ,in ,heaven is seen the glory of the ,saints1 and ,jesus ,christ2 and in the world below remain the vain pleasures and delights1 in human figures1 and above all in the shape of women who are seated1 among whom is the ,madonna ,laura of ,petrarca1 portrayed from life and clothed in green1 with a little flame of fire between her breast and her throat4 ,there is also the ,church of ,christ1 and1 as a guard for her1 the ,pope1 the ,emperor1 the ,kings1 the ,cardinals1 the ,bishops1 and all the ,christian ,princes2 and among them1 beside a ,knight of ,rhodes1 is ,messer ,francesco ,petrarca1 also portrayed from the life1 which ,simone did in order to enhance by his works the fame of the man who had made him immortal4 ,for the ,universal ,church he painted the ,church of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 not as it stands to-day1 but as he had drawn it from the model and design that the architect ,arnolfo had left in the ,office of ,works for the guidance of those who had to continue the building after him2 of which models1 by reason of the little care of the ,wardens of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 as it has been said in another place1 there would be no memorial for us if ,simone had not left it painted in this work4 ,on the third wall1 which is that of the altar1 he made the ,passion of ,christ1 who1 issuing from ,jerusalem with the ,cross on ,his shoulder1 is going to ,mount ,calvary1 followed by a very great multitude4 ,arriving there1 ,he is seen raised on the ,cross between the ,thieves1 with the other circumstances that accompany this story4 ,i will say nothing of there being therein a good number of horses1 of the casting of lots by the servants of the court for the garments of ,christ1 of the raising of the ,holy ,fathers from the ,limbo of ,hell1 and of all the other well-conceived inventions1 which belong not so much to a master of that age as to the most excellent of the moderns2 inasmuch as1 taking up the whole walls1 with very diligent judgment he made in each wall diverse scenes on the slope of a mountain1 and did not divide scene from scene with ornamental borders1 as the old painters were wont to do1 and many moderns1 who put the earth over the sky four or five times1 as it is seen in the principal chapel of this same church1 and in the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa1 where1 painting many works in fresco1 he was forced against his will to make such divisions1 for the other painters who had worked in that place1 such as ,giotto and ,buonamico his master1 had begun to make their scenes with this bad arrangement4 ,illustration3 ,g4 ,h4 ,,the ,,annunciation 7,after the painting by ,simone ,sanese ,memmi or ,martini4 ,antwerp3 ,royal ,museum1 #beg1 #beh7 ,in that ,campo ,santo1 then1 following as the lesser evil the method used by the others1 ,simone made in fresco1 over the principal door and on the inner side1 a ,madonna borne to ,heaven by a choir of angels1 who are singing and playing so vividly that there are seen in them all those various gestures that musicians are wont to make in singing or playing1 such as turning the ears to the sound1 opening the mouth in diverse ways1 raising the eyes to ,heaven1 blowing out the cheeks1 swelling the throat1 and in short all the other actions and movements that are made in music4 ,under this ,assumption1 in three pictures1 he made some scenes from the life of ,s4 ,ranieri of ,pisa4 ,in the first scene he is shown as a youth1 playing the psaltery and making some girls dance1 who are most beautiful by reason of the air of the heads and of the loveliness of the costumes and head-dresses of those times4 ,next1 the same ,ranieri1 having been reproved for such lasciviousness by the ,blessed ,alberto the ,hermit1 is seen standing with his face downcast and tearful and with his eyes red from weeping1 all penitent for his sin1 while ,god1 in the sky1 surrounded by a celestial light1 appears to be pardoning him4 ,in the second picture ,ranieri1 distributing his wealth to ,god's poor before mounting on board ship1 has round him a crowd of beggars1 of cripples1 of women1 and of children1 all most touching in their pushing forward1 their entreating1 and their thanking him4 ,and in the same picture1 also1 that ,saint1 having received in the ,temple the gown of a pilgrim1 is standing before a ,madonna1 who1 surrounded by many angels1 is showing him that he will repose on her bosom in ,pisa2 and all these figures have vivacity and a beautiful air in the heads4 ,in the third ,simone painted the scene when1 having returned after seven years from beyond the seas1 he is showing that he has spent thrice forty days in the ,holy ,land1 and when1 standing in the choir to hear the ,divine offices1 he is tempted by the ,devil1 who is seen driven away by a firm determination that is perceived in ,ranieri not to consent to offend ,god1 assisted by a figure made by ,simone to represent ,constancy1 who is chasing away the ancient adversary not only all in confusion but also 7with beautiful and fanciful invention7 all in terror1 holding his hands to his head in his flight1 and walking with his face downcast and his shoulders shrunk as close together as could be1 and saying1 as it is seen from the writing that is issuing from his mouth3 ,i can no more4 ,and finally1 there is also in this picture the scene when ,ranieri1 kneeling on ,mount ,tabor1 is miraculously seeing ,christ in air with ,moses and ,elias2 and all the features of this work1 with others that are not mentioned1 show that ,simone was very fanciful and understood the good method of grouping figures gracefully in the manner of those times4 ,these scenes finished1 he made two panels in distemper in the same city1 assisted by ,lippo ,memmi1 his brother1 who had also assisted him to paint the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,maria ,novella and other works4 ,he1 although he had not the excellence of ,simone1 none the less followed his manner as well as he could1 and made many works in fresco in his company for ,s4 ,croce in ,florence2 the panel of the high-altar in ,s4 ,caterina at ,pisa1 for the ,preaching ,friars2 and in ,s4 ,paolo a ,ripa d' ,arno1 besides many very beautiful scenes in fresco1 the panel in distemper that is to-day over the high-altar1 containing a ,madonna1 ,s4 ,peter1 ,s4 ,paul1 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 and other ,saints2 and on this ,lippo put his name4 ,after these works he wrought by himself a panel in distemper for the ,friars of ,s4 ,augustine in ,san ,gimignano1 and thereby acquired so great a name that he was forced to send to ,arezzo1 to ,bishop ,guido de' ,tarlati1 a panel with three half-length figures which is to-day in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,gregorio in the ,vescovado4 ,while ,simone was at work in ,florence1 one his cousin1 an ingenious architect called ,neroccio1 undertook in the year #accb to make to ring the great bell of the ,commune of ,florence1 which1 for a period of seventeen years1 no one had been able to make to ring without twelve men to pull at it4 ,he balanced it1 then1 in a manner that two could move it1 and once moved one alone could ring it without a break1 although it weighed more than six thousand libbre2 wherefore1 besides the honour1 he gained thereby as his reward three hundred florins of gold1 which was great payment in those times4 ,illustration3 ,,lippo ,,memmi3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,berlin3 ,k4 ,friedrich ,museum #ajha;,a4 ,panel7 ,but to return to our two ,memmi of ,siena2 ,lippo1 besides the works mentioned1 wrought a panel in distemper1 with the design of ,simone1 which was carried to ,pistoia and placed over the high-altar of the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 and was held very beautiful4 ,finally1 both having returned to their native city of ,siena1 ,simone began a very large work in colour over the great gate of ,camollia1 containing the ,coronation of ,our ,lady1 with an infinity of figures1 which remained unfinished1 a very great sickness coming upon him1 so that he1 overcome by the gravity of the sickness1 passed away from this life in the year #acde1 to the very great sorrow of all his city and of ,lippo his brother1 who gave him honourable burial in ,s4 ,francesco4 ,lippo afterwards finished many works that ,simone had left imperfect1 and among these was a ,passion of ,jesus ,christ over the high-altar of ,s4 ,niccola in ,ancona1 wherein ,lippo finished what ,simone had begun1 imitating that which the said ,simone had made and finished in the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,spirito in ,florence4 ,this work would be worthy of a longer life than peradventure will be granted to it1 there being in it many horses and soldiers in beautiful attitudes1 which they are striking with various animated movements1 doubting and marvelling whether they have crucified or not the ,son of ,god4 ,at ,assisi1 likewise1 in the lower ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 he finished some figures that ,simone had begun for the altar of ,s4 ,elizabeth1 which is at the entrance of the door that leads into the chapels1 making there a ,madonna1 a ,s4 ,louis ,king of ,france1 and other ,saints1 in all eight figures1 which are only as far as the knees1 but good and very well coloured4 ,besides this1 in the great refectory of the said convent1 at the top of the wall1 ,simone had begun many little scenes and a ,crucifix made in the shape of a ,tree of the ,cross1 but this remained unfinished and outlined with the brush in red over the plaster1 as may still be seen to-day2 which method of working was the cartoon that our old masters used to make for painting in fresco1 for greater rapidity2 for having distributed the whole work over the plaster1 they would outline it with the brush1 reproducing from a small design all that which they wished to paint1 and enlarging in proportion all that they thought to put down4 ,wherefore1 even as this one is seen thus outlined1 and many others in other places1 so there are many others that had once been painted1 from which the work afterwards peeled off1 leaving them thus outlined in red over the plaster4 ,but returning to our ,lippo1 who drew passing well1 as it may be seen in our book in a hermit who is reading with his legs crossed2 he lived for twelve years after ,simone1 executing many works throughout all ,italy1 and in particular two panels in ,s4 ,croce in ,florence4 ,and seeing that the manner of these two brothers is very similar1 one can distinguish the one from the other by this1 that ,simone used to sign his name at the foot of his works in this way3 ,,simonis ,,memmi ,,senensis ,,opus2 and ,lippo1 leaving out his baptismal name and caring nothing about a ,latinity so rough1 in this other fashion3 ,,opus ,,memmi ,,de ,,senis ,,me ,,fecit4 ,on the wall of the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,maria ,novella--besides ,petrarca and ,madonna ,laura1 as it has been said above--,simone portrayed ,cimabue1 the architect ,lapo1 his son ,arnolfo1 and himself1 and in the person of that ,pope who is in the scene he painted ,benedetto ,,xi of ,treviso1 one of the ,preaching ,friars1 the likeness of which ,pope had been brought to ,simone long before by ,giotto1 his master1 when he returned from the ,court of the said ,pope1 who had his seat in ,avignon4 ,in the same place1 also1 beside the said ,pope1 he portrayed ,cardinal ,niccola da ,prato1 who had come to ,florence at that time as ,legate of the said ,pontiff1 as ,giovanni ,villani relates in his ,history4 ,over the tomb of ,simone was placed this epitaph3 ,,simoni ,,memmio ,,pictorum ,,omnium ,,omnis ,,aetatis ,,celeberrimo4 ,,vixit ,,ann4 ,,lx1 ,,mens4 ,,ii1 ,d4 ,,iii4 ,as it is seen in our aforesaid book1 ,simone was not very excellent in draughtsmanship1 but he had invention from nature1 and he took much delight in drawing portraits from the life2 and in this he was held so much the greatest master of his times that ,signor ,pandolfo ,malatesti sent him as far as ,avignon to portray ,messer ,francesco ,petrarca1 at the request of whom he made afterwards the portrait of ,madonna ,laura1 with so much credit to himself4 ,illustration3 ,m4 ,s4 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,after the painting by ,lippo ,memmi4 ,altenburg3 ,lindenau ,museum1 #dc7 ,,taddeo ,,gaddi ,,life ,,of ,,taddeo ,,gaddi1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,it is a beautiful and truly useful and praiseworthy action to reward talent largely in every place1 and to honour him who has it1 seeing that an infinity of intellects which might otherwise slumber1 roused by this encouragement1 strive with all industry not only to learn their art but to become excellent therein1 in order to advance themselves and to attain to a rank both profitable and honourable2 whence there may follow honour for their country1 glory for themselves1 and riches and nobility for their descendants1 who1 upraised by such beginnings1 very often become both very rich and very noble1 even as the descendants of the painter ,taddeo ,gaddi did by reason of his work4 ,this ,taddeo di ,gaddo ,gaddi1 a ,florentine1 after the death of ,giotto--who had held him at his baptism and had been his master for twenty-four years after the death of ,gaddo1 as it is written by ,cennino di ,drea ,cennini1 painter of ,colle di ,valdelsa--remained among the first in the art of painting and greater than all his fellow-disciples both in judgment and in genius2 and he wrought his first works1 with a great facility given to him by nature rather than acquired by art1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,croce in ,florence1 in the chapel of the sacristy1 where1 together with his companions1 disciples of the dead ,giotto1 he made some stories of ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene1 with beautiful figures and with most beautiful and extravagant costumes of those times4 ,and in the ,chapel of the ,baroncelli and ,bandini1 where ,giotto had formerly wrought the panel in distemper1 he made by himself in fresco1 on one wall1 some stories of ,our ,lady which were held very beautiful4 ,he also painted over the door of the said sacristy the story of ,christ disputing with the ,doctors in the ,temple1 which was afterwards half ruined when the elder ,cosimo de' ,medici1 in making the noviciate1 the chapel1 and the antechamber in front of the sacristy1 placed a cornice of stone over the said door4 ,in the same church he painted in fresco the ,chapel of the ,bellacci1 and also that of ,s4 ,andrea by the side of one of the three of ,giotto1 wherein he made the scene of ,jesus ,christ taking ,andrew and ,peter from their nets1 and the crucifixion of the former ,apostle1 a work greatly commended and extolled both then when it was finished and still at the present day4 ,over the side-door1 below the burial-place of ,carlo ,marsuppini of ,arezzo1 he made a ,dead ,christ with the ,maries1 wrought in fresco1 which was very much praised2 and below the tramezzo#af that divides the church1 on the left hand1 above the ,crucifix of ,donato1 he painted in fresco a story of ,s4 ,francis1 representing a miracle that he wrought in restoring to life a boy who was killed by falling from a terrace1 together with his apparition in the air4 ,and in this story he portrayed ,giotto his master1 ,dante the poet1 ,guido ,cavalcanti1 and1 some say1 himself4 ,throughout the said church1 also1 in diverse places1 he made many figures which are known by painters from the manner4 ,for the ,company of the ,temple he painted the shrine that is at the corner of the ,via del ,crocifisso1 containing a very beautiful ,deposition from the ,cross4 ,in the cloister of ,s4 ,spirito he wrought two scenes in the little arches beside the ,chapter-house1 in one of which he made ,judas selling ,christ1 and in the other the ,last ,supper that ,he held with the ,apostles4 ,and in the same convent1 over the door of the refectory1 he painted a ,crucifix and some ,saints1 which give us to know that among the others who worked here he was truly an imitator of the manner of ,giotto1 which he held ever in the greatest veneration4 ,in ,s4 ,stefano del ,ponte ,vecchio he painted the panel and the predella of the high-altar with great diligence2 and on a panel in the ,oratory of ,s4 ,michele in ,orto he made a very good picture of a ,dead ,christ being lamented by the ,maries and laid to rest very devoutly by ,nicodemus in the ,sepulchre4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,last ,,supper 7,after the fresco by ,taddeo ,gaddi1 in the ,refectory of ,s4 ,croce1 ,florence7 ,in the ,church of the ,servite ,friars he painted the ,chapel of ,s4 ,niccolo1 belonging to those of the palace1 with stories of that ,saint1 wherein he showed very good judgment and grace in a boat that he painted1 demonstrating that he had complete understanding of the tempestuous agitation of the sea and of the fury of the storm2 and while the mariners are emptying the ship and jettisoning the cargo1 ,s4 ,nicholas appears in the air and delivers them from that peril4 ,this work1 having given pleasure and having been much praised1 was the reason that he was made to paint the chapel of the high-altar in that church1 wherein he made in fresco some stories of ,our ,lady1 and another figure of ,our ,lady on a panel in distemper1 with many ,saints wrought in lively fashion4 ,in like manner1 in the predella of the said panel1 he made some other stories of ,our ,lady with little figures1 whereof there is no need to make particular mention1 seeing that in the year #adfg everything was destroyed when ,lodovico1 ,marquis of ,mantua1 made in that place the tribune that is there to-day and the choir of the friars1 with the design of ,leon ,battista ,alberti1 causing the panel to be carried into the ,chapter-house of that convent2 in the refectory of which ,taddeo made1 just above the wooden seats1 the ,last ,supper of ,jesus ,christ with the ,apostles1 and above that a ,crucifix with many saints4 ,having given the last touch to these works1 ,taddeo ,gaddi was summoned to ,pisa1 where1 for ,gherardo and ,bonaccorso ,gambacorti1 he wrought in fresco the principal chapel of ,s4 ,francesco1 painting with beautiful colours many figures and stories of that ,saint and of ,s4 ,andrew and ,s4 ,nicholas4 ,next1 on the vaulting and on the front wall is ,pope ,honorius1 who is confirming the ,order2 here ,taddeo is portrayed from the life1 in profile1 with a cap wrapped round his head1 and at the foot of this scene are written these words3 ,,magister ,,taddeus ,,gaddus ,,de ,,florentia ,,pinxit ,,hanc ,,historiam ,,sancti ,,francisci ,,et ,,sancti ,,andreae ,,et ,,sancti ,,nicolai1 ,,anno ,,domini ,,mcccxlii1 ,,de ,,mense ,,augusti4 ,besides this1 in the cloister also of the same convent he made in fresco a ,madonna with her ,child in her arms1 very well coloured1 and in the middle of the church1 on the left hand as one enters1 a ,s4 ,louis the ,bishop1 seated1 to whom ,s4 ,gherardo da ,villamagna1 who had been a friar of this ,order1 is recommending a ,fra ,bartolommeo1 then ,prior of the said convent4 ,in the figures of this work1 seeing that they were taken from nature1 there are seen liveliness and infinite grace1 in that simple manner which was in some respects better than that of ,giotto1 above all in expressing supplication1 joy1 sorrow1 and other similar emotions1 which1 when well expressed1 ever bring very great honour to the painter4 ,next1 having returned to ,florence1 ,taddeo continued for the ,commune the work of ,orsanmichele and refounded the piers of the ,loggia1 building them with stone dressed and well shaped1 whereas before they had been made of bricks1 without1 however1 altering the design that ,arnolfo left1 with directions that there should be made over the ,loggia a palace with two vaults for storing the provisions of grain that the people and ,commune of ,florence used to make4 ,to the end that this work might be finished1 the ,guild of ,porta ,s4 ,maria1 to which the charge of the fabric had been given1 ordained that there should be paid thereunto the tax of the square of the grain-market and some other taxes of very small importance4 ,but what was far more important1 it was well ordained with the best counsel that each of the ,guilds of ,florence should make one pier by itself1 with the ,patron ,saint of the ,guild in a niche therein1 and that every year1 on the festival of each ,saint the ,consuls of that ,guild should go to church to make offering1 and should hold there the whole of that day the standard with their insignia1 but that the offering1 none the less1 should be to the ,madonna for the succour of the needy poor4 ,and because1 during the great flood of the year #accc1 the waters had swept away the parapets of the ,ponte ,rubaconte1 thrown down the ,castle of ,altafronte1 left nothing of the ,ponte ,vecchio but the two piers in the middle1 and completely ruined the ,ponte a ,s4 ,trinita except one pier that remained all shattered1 as well as half the ,ponte alla ,carraia1 bursting also the weir of ,ognissanti1 those who then ruled the city determined no longer to allow the dwellers on the other side of the ,arno to have to return to their homes with so great inconvenience as was caused by their having to cross in boats4 ,wherefore1 having sent for ,taddeo ,gaddi1 for the reason that ,giotto his master had gone to ,milan1 they caused him to make the model and design of the ,ponte ,vecchio1 giving him instructions that he should have it brought to completion as strong and as beautiful as might be possible2 and he1 sparing neither cost nor labour1 made it with such strength in the piers and with such magnificence in the arches1 all of stone squared with the chisel1 that it supports to-day twenty-two shops on either side1 which make in all forty-four1 with great profit to the ,commune1 which drew from them eight hundred florins yearly in rents4 ,the extent of the arches from one side to the other is thirty-two braccia1 that of the street in the middle is sixteen braccia1 and that of the shops on either side eight braccia4 ,for this work1 which cost sixty thousand florins of gold1 not only did ,taddeo then deserve infinite praise1 but even to-day he is more than ever commended for it1 for the reason that1 besides many other floods1 it was not moved in the year #aeeg1 on ,september #ac1 by that which threw down the ,ponte a ,s4 ,trinita and two arches of that of the ,carraia1 and shattered in great part the ,rubaconte1 together with much other destruction that is very well known4 ,and truly there is no man of judgment who can fail to be amazed1 not to say marvel1 considering that the said ,ponte ,vecchio in so great an emergency could sustain unmoved the onset of the waters and of the beams and the wreckage made above1 and that with so great firmness4 ,at the same time ,taddeo directed the founding of the ,ponte a ,s4 ,trinita1 which was finished less happily in the year #acdf1 at the cost of twenty thousand florins of gold2 ,i say less happily1 because1 not having been made like the ,ponte ,vecchio1 it was entirely ruined by the said flood of the year #aeeg4 ,in like manner1 under the direction of ,taddeo there was made at the said time the wall of the ,costa a ,s4 ,gregorio1 with piles driven in below1 including two piers of the bridge in order to gain additional ground for the city on the side of the ,piazza de' ,mozzi1 and to make use of it1 as they did1 to make the mills that are there4 ,while all these works were being made by the direction and design of ,taddeo1 seeing that he did not therefore stop painting1 he decorated the ,tribunal of the ,mercanzia ,vecchia1 wherein1 with poetical invention1 he represented the ,tribunal of ,six 7which is the number of the chief men of that judicial body71 who are standing watching the tongue being torn from ,falsehood by ,truth1 who is clothed with a veil over the nude1 while ,falsehood is draped in black2 with these verses below3 ,,la ,,pura ,,verita1 ,,per ,,ubbidire ,,alla ,,santa ,,giustizia1 ,,che ,,non ,,tarda1 ,,cava ,,la ,,lingua ,,alla ,,falsa ,,bugiarda4 ,and below the scene are these verses3 ,,taddeo ,,dipinse ,,questo ,,bel ,,rigestro2 ,,discepol ,,fu ,,di ,,giotto ,,il ,,buon ,,maestro4 ,taddeo received a commission for some works in fresco in ,arezzo1 which he carried to the greatest perfection in company with his disciple ,giovanni da ,milano4 ,of these we still see one in the ,company of the ,holy ,spirit1 a scene on the wall over the high-altar1 containing the ,passion of ,christ1 with many horses1 and the ,thieves on the ,cross1 a work held very beautiful by reason of the thought that he showed in placing ,him on the ,cross4 ,therein are some figures with vivid expressions which show the rage of the ,jews1 some pulling ,him by the legs with a rope1 others offering the sponge1 and others in various attitudes1 such as the ,longinus who is piercing ,his side1 and the three soldiers who are gambling for ,his raiment1 in the faces of whom there is seen hope and fear as they throw the dice4 ,the first of these1 in armour1 is standing in an uncomfortable attitude awaiting his turn1 and shows himself so eager to throw that he appears not to be feeling the discomfort2 the other1 raising his eyebrows1 with his mouth and with his eyes wide open1 is watching the dice1 in suspicion1 as it were1 of fraud1 and shows clearly to anyone who studies him the desire and the wish that he has to win4 ,the third1 who is throwing the dice1 having spread the garment on the ground1 appears to be announcing with a grin his intention of casting them4 ,in like manner1 throughout the walls of the church are seen some stories of ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 and throughout the city other works made by ,taddeo1 which are recognized as being by his hand by anyone who has judgment in art4 ,in the ,vescovado1 also1 behind the high-altar1 there are still seen some stories of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 which are wrought with such marvellous manner and design that they cause him to be held in admiration4 ,in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,sebastiano in ,s4 ,agostino1 beside the sacristy1 he made the stories of that martyr1 and a ,disputation of ,christ with the ,doctors1 so well wrought and finished that it is a miracle to see the beauty in the changing colours of various sorts and the grace in the pigments of these works1 which are finished to perfection4 ,illustration3 ,,taddeo ,,gaddi3 ,,the ,,presentation ,,in ,,the ,,temple 7,florence3 ,accademia #ajg4 ,panel7 ,in the ,church of the ,sasso della ,vernia in the ,casentino he painted the chapel wherein ,s4 ,francis received the ,stigmata1 assisted in the minor details by ,jacopo di ,casentino1 who became his disciple by reason of this visit4 ,this work finished1 he returned to ,florence together with ,giovanni1 the ,milanese1 and there1 both within the city and without1 they made very many panels and pictures of importance2 and in process of time he gained so much1 turning all into capital1 that he laid the foundation of the wealth and the nobility of his family1 being ever held a prudent and far-sighted man4 ,he also painted the ,chapter-house in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 being commissioned by the ,prior of the place1 who suggested the subject to him4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that by reason of the work being large and of there being unveiled1 at that time when the bridges were being made1 the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,spirito1 to the very great fame of ,simone ,memmi1 who had painted it1 there came to the said ,prior a desire to call ,simone to the half of this work2 wherefore1 having discussed the whole matter with ,taddeo1 he found him well contented therewith1 for the reason that he had a surpassing love for ,simone1 because he had been his fellow-disciple under ,giotto and ever his loving friend and companion4 ,oh6 minds truly noble6 seeing that without emulation1 ambition1 or envy1 ye loved one another like brothers1 each rejoicing as much in the honour and profit of his friend as in his own6 ,the work was divided1 therefore1 and three walls were given to ,simone1 as ,i said in his ,life1 and ,taddeo had the left-hand wall and the whole vaulting1 which was divided by him into four sections or quarters in accordance with the form of the vaulting itself4 ,in the first he made the ,resurrection of ,christ1 wherein it appears that he wished to attempt to make the splendour of the ,glorified ,body give forth light1 as we perceive in a city and in some mountainous crags2 but he did not follow this up in the figures and in the rest1 doubting1 perchance1 that he was not able to carry it out by reason of the difficulty that he recognized therein4 ,in the second section he made ,jesus ,christ delivering ,s4 ,peter from shipwreck1 wherein the ,apostles who are manning the boat are certainly very beautiful2 and among other things1 one who is fishing with a line on the shore of the sea 7a subject already used by ,giotto in the mosaics of the ,navicella in ,s4 ,pietro7 is depicted with very great and vivid feeling4 ,in the third he painted the ,ascension of ,christ1 and in the fourth the coming of the ,holy ,spirit1 where there are seen many beautiful attitudes in the figures of the ,jews who are seeking to gain entrance through the door4 ,on the wall below are the ,seven ,sciences1 with their names and with those figures below them that are appropriate to each4 ,grammar1 in the guise of a woman1 with a door1 teaching a child1 has the writer ,donato seated below her4 ,after ,grammar follows ,rhetoric1 and at her feet is a figure that has two hands on books1 while it draws a third hand from below its mantle and holds it to its mouth4 ,logic has the serpent in her hand below a veil1 and at her feet ,zeno of ,elea1 who is reading4 ,arithmetic is holding the tables of the abacus1 and below her is sitting ,abraham1 its inventor4 ,music has the musical instruments1 and below her is sitting ,tubal-,cain1 who is beating with two hammers on an anvil and is standing with his ears intent on that sound4 ,geometry has the square and the compasses1 and below1 ,euclid4 ,astrology has the celestial globe in her hands1 and below her feet1 ,atlas4 ,in the other part are sitting seven ,theological ,sciences1 and each has below her that estate or condition of man that is most appropriate to her--,pope1 ,emperor1 ,king1 ,cardinals1 ,dukes1 ,bishops1 ,marquises1 and others2 and in the face of the ,pope is the portrait of ,clement ,v4 ,in the middle and highest place is ,s4 ,thomas ,aquinas1 who was adorned with all the said sciences1 holding below his feet some heretics--,arius1 ,sabellius1 and ,averroes2 and round him are ,moses1 ,paul1 ,john the ,evangelist1 and some other figures1 that have above them the four ,cardinal ,virtues and the three ,theological1 with an infinity of other details depicted by ,taddeo with no little design and grace1 insomuch that it can be said to have been the best conceived as well as the best preserved of all his works4 ,in the same ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 over the tramezzo#ag of the church1 he also made a ,s4 ,jerome robed as a ,cardinal1 having such a devotion for that ,saint that he chose him as the protector of his house2 and below this1 after the death of ,taddeo1 his son caused a tomb to be made for their descendants1 covered with a slab of marble bearing the arms of the ,gaddi4 ,for these descendants1 by reason of the excellence of ,taddeo and of their merits1 ,cardinal ,jerome has obtained from ,god most honourable offices in the ,church--,clerkships of the ,chamber1 ,bishoprics1 ,cardinalates1 ,provostships1 and ,knighthoods1 all most honourable2 and all these descendants of ,taddeo1 of whatsoever degree1 have ever esteemed and favoured the beautiful intellects inclined to the matters of sculpture and painting1 and have given them assistance with every effort4 ,finally1 having come to the age of fifty and being smitten with a most violent fever1 ,taddeo passed from this life in the year #acej1 leaving his son ,agnolo and ,giovanni to apply themselves to painting1 recommending them to ,jacopo di ,casentino for ways of life and to ,giovanni da ,milano for instruction in the art4 ,after the death of ,taddeo this ,giovanni1 besides many other works1 made a panel which was placed on the altar of ,s4 ,gherardo da ,villamagna in ,s4 ,croce1 fourteen years after he had been left without his master1 and likewise the panel of the high-altar of ,ognissanti1 where the ,frati ,umiliati had their seat1 which was held very beautiful1 and the tribune of the high-altar at ,assisi1 wherein he made a ,crucifix1 with ,our ,lady and ,s4 ,chiara1 and stories of ,our ,lady on the walls and sides4 ,afterwards he betook himself to ,milan1 where he wrought many works in distemper and in fresco1 and there finally he died4 ,taddeo1 then1 adhered constantly to the manner of ,giotto1 but did not better it much save in the colouring1 which he made fresher and more vivacious than that of ,giotto1 the latter having applied himself so ardently to improving the other departments and difficulties of this art1 that although he gave attention to this1 he could not1 however1 attain to the privilege of doing it1 whereas ,taddeo1 having seen that which ,giotto had made easy and having learnt it1 had time to add something and to improve the colouring4 ,taddeo was buried by ,agnolo and ,giovanni1 his sons1 in the first cloister of ,s4 ,croce1 in that tomb which he had made for ,gaddo his father1 and he was much honoured with verses by the men of culture of that time1 as a man who had been greatly deserving for his ways of life and for having brought to completion with beautiful design1 besides his pictures1 many buildings of great convenience to his city1 and besides what has been mentioned1 for having carried out with solicitude and diligence the construction of the ,campanile of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 from the design left by ,giotto his master2 which campanile was built in such a manner that stones could not be put together with more diligence1 nor could a more beautiful tower be made1 with regard either to ornament1 or cost1 or design4 ,the epitaph that was made for ,taddeo was this that is to be read here3 ,,hoc ,,uno ,,dici ,,poterat ,,florentia ,,felix ,,vivente2 ,,at ,,certa ,,est ,,non ,,potuisse ,,mori4 ,taddeo was very resolute in draughtsmanship1 as it may be seen in our book1 wherein is drawn by his hand the scene that he wrought in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,andrea1 in ,s4 ,croce at ,florence4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #af3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,footnote #ag3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione ,,orcagna ,,life ,,of ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione ,,orcagna1 ,,painter1 ,,sculptor1 ,,and ,,architect1 ,,of ,,florence ,rarely is a man of parts excellent in one pursuit without being able easily to learn any other1 and above all any one of those that are akin to his original profession1 and proceed1 as it were1 from one and the same source1 as did the ,florentine ,orcagna1 who was painter1 sculptor1 architect1 and poet1 as it will be told below4 ,born in ,florence1 he began while still a child to give attention to sculpture under ,andrea ,pisano1 and pursued it for some years2 then1 being desirous to become abundant in invention in order to make lovely historical compositions1 he applied himself with so great study to drawing1 assisted by nature1 who wished to make him universal1 that having tried his hand at painting with colours both in distemper and in fresco1 even as one thing leads to another1 he succeeded so well with the assistance of ,bernardo ,orcagna1 his brother1 that this ,bernardo took him in company with himself to paint the life of ,our ,lady in the principal chapel of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 which then belonged to the family of the ,ricci4 ,this work1 when finished1 was held very beautiful1 although1 by reason of the neglect of those who afterwards had charge of it1 not many years passed before1 the roof becoming ruined1 it was spoilt by the rains and thereby brought to the condition wherein it is to-day1 as it will be told in the proper place4 ,it is enough for the present to say that ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 who repainted it1 availed himself greatly of the invention put into it by ,orcagna1 who also painted in fresco in the same church the ,chapel of the ,strozzi1 which is near to the door of the sacristy and of the belfry1 in company with ,bernardo1 his brother4 ,in this chapel1 to which one ascends by a staircase of stone1 he painted on one wall the glory of ,paradise1 with all the ,saints and with various costumes and head-dresses of those times4 ,on the other wall he made ,hell1 with the abysses1 centres1 and other things described by ,dante1 of whom ,andrea was an ardent student4 ,in the ,church of the ,servites in the same city he painted in fresco1 also with ,bernardo1 the ,chapel of the family of ,cresci2 with a ,coronation of ,our ,lady on a very large panel in ,s4 ,pietro ,maggiore1 and a panel in ,s4 ,romeo1 close to the side-door4 ,in like manner1 he and his brother ,bernardo painted the outer facade of ,s4 ,apollinare1 with so great diligence that the colours in that exposed place have been preserved marvellously vivid and beautiful up to our own day4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,christ ,,with ,,the ,,virgin ,,enthroned 7,detail from the ,paradise1 after the fresco by ,bernardo di ,cione ,orcagna4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,novella7 ,moved by the fame of these works of ,orcagna1 which were much praised1 the men who at that time were governing ,pisa had him summoned to work on a portion of one wall in the ,campo ,santo of that city1 even as ,giotto and ,buffalmacco had done before4 ,wherefore1 putting his hand to this1 ,andrea painted a ,universal ,judgment1 with some fanciful inventions of his own1 on the wall facing towards the ,duomo1 beside the ,passion of ,christ made by ,buffalmacco2 and making the first scene on the corner1 he represented therein all the degrees of lords temporal wrapped in the pleasures of this world1 placing them seated in a flowery meadow and under the shade of many orange-trees1 which make a most delicious grove and have some ,cupids in their branches above2 and these ,cupids1 flying round and over many young women 7all portraits from the life1 as it seems clear1 of noble ladies and dames of those times1 who1 by reason of the long lapse of time1 are not recognized71 are making a show of shooting at the hearts of these young women1 who have beside them young men and nobles who are standing listening to music and song and watching the amorous dances of youths and maidens1 who are sweetly taking joy in their loves4 ,among these nobles ,orcagna portrayed ,castruccio1 ,lord of ,lucca1 as a youth of most beautiful aspect1 with a blue cap wound round his head and with a hawk on his wrist1 and near him other nobles of that age1 of whom we know not who they are4 ,in short1 in that first part1 in so far as the space permitted and his art demanded1 he painted all the delights of the world with exceeding great grace4 ,in the other part of the same scene he represented on a high mountain the life of those who1 drawn by repentance for their sins and by the desire to be saved1 have fled from the world to that mountain1 which is all full of saintly hermits who are serving the ,lord1 busy in diverse pursuits with most vivacious expressions4 ,some1 reading and praying1 are shown all intent on contemplation1 and others1 labouring in order to gain their livelihood1 are exercising themselves in various forms of action4 ,there is seen here among others a hermit who is milking a goat1 who could not be more active or more lifelike in appearance than he is4 ,below there is ,s4 ,macarius showing to three ,kings1 who are riding with their ladies and their retinue and going to the chase1 human misery in the form of three ,kings who are lying dead but not wholly corrupted in a tomb1 which is being contemplated with attention by the living ,kings in diverse and beautiful attitudes full of wonder1 and it appears as if they are reflecting with pity for their own selves that they have in a short time to become such4 ,in one of these ,kings on horseback ,andrea portrayed ,uguccione della ,faggiuola of ,arezzo1 in a figure which is holding its nose with one hand in order not to feel the stench of the dead and corrupted ,kings4 ,in the middle of this scene is ,death1 who1 flying through the air and draped in black1 is showing that she has cut off with her scythe the lives of many1 who are lying on the ground1 of all sorts and conditions1 poor and rich1 halt and whole1 young and old1 male and female1 and in short a good number of every age and sex4 ,and because he knew that the people of ,pisa took pleasure in the invention of ,buffalmacco1 who gave speech to the figures of ,bruno in ,s4 ,paolo a ,ripa d',arno1 making some letters issue from their mouths1 ,orcagna filled this whole work of his with such writings1 whereof the greater part1 being eaten away by time1 cannot be understood4 ,to certain old men1 then1 he gives these words3 ,,dacche ,,prosperitade ,,ci ,,ha ,,lasciati1 ,o ,,morte1 ,,medicina ,d' ,,ogni ,,pena1 ,,deh ,,vieni ,a ,,darne ,,omai ,l' ,,ultima ,,cena6 with other words that cannot be understood1 and verses likewise in ancient manner1 composed1 as ,i have discovered1 by ,orcagna himself1 who gave attention to poetry and to making a sonnet or two4 ,round these dead bodies are some devils who are tearing their souls from their mouths1 and are carrying them to certain pits full of fire1 which are on the summit of a very high mountain4 ,over against these are angels who are likewise taking the souls from the mouths of others of these dead people1 who have belonged to the good1 and are flying with them to ,paradise4 ,and in this scene there is a scroll1 held by two angels1 wherein are these words3 ,,ischermo ,,di ,,savere ,e ,,di ,,ricchezza1 ,,di ,,nobiltade ,,ancora ,e ,,di ,,prodezza1 ,,vale ,,niente ,a ,i ,,colpi ,,di ,,costei2 with some other words that are difficult to understand4 ,next1 below this1 in the border of this scene1 are nine angels who are holding legends both ,italian and ,latin in some suitable scrolls1 put into that place below because above they were like to spoil the scene1 and not to include them in the work seemed wrong to their author1 who considered them very beautiful2 and it may be that they were to the taste of that age4 ,the greater part is omitted by us1 in order not to weary others with such things1 which are not pertinent and little pleasing1 not to mention that the greater part of these inscriptions being effaced1 the remainder is little less than fragmentary4 ,after these works1 in making the ,judgment1 ,orcagna set ,jesus ,christ on high above the clouds in the midst of ,his twelve ,apostles1 judging the quick and the dead2 showing on one side1 with beautiful art and very vividly1 the sorrowful expressions of the damned who are being dragged weeping by furious demons to ,hell1 and1 on the other1 the joy and the jubilation of the good1 whom a body of angels guided by the ,archangel ,michael are leading as the elect1 all rejoicing1 to the right1 where are the blessed4 ,and it is truly a pity that for lack of writers1 in so great a multitude of men of the robe1 chevaliers1 and other lords1 that are clearly depicted and portrayed there from the life1 there should be not one1 or only very few1 of whom we know the names or who they were2 although it is said that a ,pope who is seen there is ,innocent ,,iv1 friend#ah of ,manfredi4 ,illustration3 ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione ,,orcagna3 ,,christ ,,enthroned 7,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 ,strozzi ,chapel4 ,fresco7 ,after this work1 and after making some sculptures in marble for the ,madonna that is on the abutment of the ,ponte ,vecchio1 with great honour for himself1 he left his brother ,bernardo to execute by himself a ,hell in the ,campo ,santo1 which is described by ,dante1 and which was afterwards spoilt in the year #aecj and restored by ,sollazzino1 a painter of our own times2 and he returned to ,florence1 where1 in the middle of the ,church of ,s4 ,croce1 on a very great wall on the right1 he painted in fresco the same subjects that he painted in the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa1 in three similar pictures1 excepting1 however1 the scene where ,s4 ,macarius is showing to three ,kings the misery of man1 and the life of the hermits who are serving ,god on that mountain4 ,making1 then1 all the rest of that work1 he laboured therein with better design and more diligence than he had done in ,pisa1 holding1 nevertheless1 to almost the same plan in the invention1 the manner1 the scrolls1 and the rest1 without changing anything save the portraits from life1 for those in this work were partly of his dearest friends1 whom he placed in ,paradise1 and partly of men little his friends1 who were put by him in ,hell4 ,among the good is seen portrayed from life in profile1 with the triple crown on his head1 ,pope ,clement ,,vi1 who changed the ,jubilee in his reign from every hundred to every fifty years1 and was a friend of the ,florentines1 and had some of ,orcagna's pictures1 which were very dear to him4 ,among the same is ,maestro ,dino del ,garbo1 a most excellent physician of that time1 dressed as was then the wont of doctors1 with a red bonnet lined with miniver on his head1 and held by the hand by an angel2 with many other portraits that are not recognized4 ,among the damned he portrayed ,guardi1 serjeant of the ,commune of ,florence1 being dragged along by the ,devil with a hook1 and he is known by three red lilies that he has on his white bonnet1 such as were then wont to be worn by the serjeants and other similar officials2 and this he did because ,guardi once made distraint on his property4 ,he also portrayed there the notary and the judge who had been opposed to him in that action4 ,near to ,guardi is ,ceccho d',ascoli1 a famous wizard of those times2 and a little above--namely1 in the middle--is a hypocrite friar1 who1 having issued from a tomb1 is seeking furtively to put himself among the good1 while an angel discovers him and thrusts him among the damned4 ,besides ,bernardo1 ,andrea had a brother called ,jacopo1 who was engaged in sculpture1 but with little profit2 and in making on occasion for this ,jacopo designs in relief and in clay1 there came to him the wish to make something in marble and to see whether he remembered the principles of that art1 wherein1 as it has been said1 he had worked in ,pisa2 and so1 putting himself with more study to the test1 he made progress therein in such a fashion that afterwards he made use of it with honour1 as it will be told4 ,afterwards he devoted himself with all his energy to the study of architecture1 thinking that at some time or another he would have to make use of it4 ,nor did his thought deceive him1 seeing that in the year #acee1 the ,commune of ,florence having bought some citizens' houses near their ,palace 7in order to have more space and to make a larger square1 and also in order to make a place where the citizens could take shelter in rainy or wintry days1 and carry on under cover such business as was transacted on the ,ringhiera when bad weather did not hinder71 they caused many designs to be made for the building of a magnificent and very large ,loggia for this purpose near the ,palace1 and at the same time for the ,mint where the money is struck4 ,among these designs1 made by the best masters in the city1 that of ,orcagna being universally approved and accepted as greater1 more beautiful1 and more magnificent than all the others1 by decree of the ,signori and of the ,commune there was begun under his direction the great ,loggia of the square1 on the foundations made in the time of the ,duke of ,athens1 and it was carried on with squared stone very well put together1 with much diligence4 ,and what was something new in those times1 the arches of the vaulting were made no longer quarter-acute1 as it had been the custom up to that time1 but they were turned in half-circles in a new and laudable method1 which gave much grace and beauty to this great fabric1 which was brought to completion in a short time under the direction of ,andrea4 ,and if there had been taken thought to put it beside ,s4 ,romolo and to turn the arches with the back to the north1 which they did not do1 perchance1 in order to have it conveniently near to the gate of the ,palace1 it would have been as useful a building for the whole city as it is beautiful in workmanship2 whereas1 by reason of the great wind1 in winter no one can stand there4 ,in this ,loggia1 between the arches on the front wall1 in some ornamental work by his own hand1 ,orcagna made seven marble figures in half-relief representing the seven ,theological and ,cardinal ,virtues1 as accompaniment to the whole work1 so beautiful that they made him known for no less able as sculptor than as painter and architect2 not to mention that he was in all his actions as pleasant1 courteous1 and lovable a man as was ever any man of his condition4 ,and because he would never abandon the study of any one of his professions for that of another1 while the ,loggia was building he made a panel in distemper with many large figures1 with little figures in the predella1 for that chapel of the ,strozzi wherein he had formerly made some works in fresco with his brother ,bernardo2 on which panel1 it appearing to him that it could bear better testimony to his profession than the works wrought in fresco could do1 he wrote his name with these words3 ,,anno ,,domini ,,mccclvii1 ,,andreas ,,cionis ,,de ,,florentia ,,me ,,pinxit4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,,the ,,death ,,and ,,assumption ,,of ,,the ,,virgin 7,relief on the ,tabernacle by ,andrea di ,cione ,orcagna1 ,or ,san ,michele1 ,florence7 ,this work completed1 he made some pictures1 also on panel1 which were sent to the ,pope in ,avignon and are still in the ,cathedral ,church of that city4 ,a little while afterwards the men of the ,company of ,orsanmichele1 having collected large sums of money from offerings and donations given to their ,madonna by reason of the mortality of #acdh1 resolved to make round her a chapel1 or rather shrine1 not only very ornate and rich with marbles carved in every way and with other stones of price1 but also with mosaic and ornaments of bronze1 as much as could possibly be desired1 in a manner that both in workmanship and in material it might surpass every other work of so great a size wrought up to that day4 ,wherefore1 the charge of the whole being given to ,orcagna as the most excellent of that age1 he made so many designs that finally one of them pleased the authorities1 as being better than all the others4 ,the work1 therefore1 being allotted to him1 they put complete reliance in his judgment and counsel2 wherefore1 giving the making of all the rest to diverse master-carvers brought from several districts1 he applied himself with his brother to executing all the figures of the work1 and1 the whole being finished1 he had them built in and put together very thoughtfully without mortar1 with clamps of copper fixed with lead1 to the end that the shining and polished marbles might not become discoloured2 and in this he succeeded so well1 with profit and honour from those who came after him1 that to one who studies that work it appears1 by reason of such union and methods of joining discovered by ,orcagna1 that the whole chapel has been shaped out of one single piece of marble4 ,and although it is in a ,german manner1 for that style it has so great grace and proportion that it holds the first place among the works of those times1 above all because its composition of figures great and small1 and of angels and prophets in half-relief round the ,madonna1 is very well executed4 ,marvellous1 also1 is the casting of the bands of bronze1 diligently polished1 which1 encircling the whole work1 enclose and bind it together in a manner that it is therefore as stout and strong as it is beautiful in all other respects4 ,but how much he laboured in order to show the subtlety of his intellect in that gross age is seen in a large scene in half-relief on the back part of the said shrine1 wherein1 with figures of one braccio and a half each1 he made the twelve ,apostles gazing on high at the ,madonna1 while she1 in an oval space1 surrounded by angels1 is ascending to ,heaven4 ,in one of these ,apostles he portrayed himself in marble1 old1 as he was1 with the beard shaven1 with the cap wound round the head1 and with the face flat and round1 as it is seen above in his portrait1 drawn from that one4 ,besides this1 he inscribed these words in the marble below3 ,,andreas ,,cionis1 ,,pictor ,,florentinus1 ,,oratorii ,,archimagister ,,extitit ,,hujus1 ,,mccclix4 ,it is known that the building of this ,loggia and of the marble shrine1 with all the master-work1 cost ninety-six thousand florins of gold1 which were very well spent1 for the reason that it is1 both in the architecture and in the sculptures and other ornaments1 as beautiful as any other work whatsoever of those times1 and is such that1 by reason of the parts made therein by him1 the name of ,andrea ,orcagna has been and will be ever living and great4 ,he used to write in his pictures3 ,,fece ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione1 ,,scultore2 and in his sculptures3 ,,fece ,,andrea ,,di ,,cione1 ,,pittore2 wishing that his painting should be known by his sculpture1 and his sculpture by his painting4 ,there are throughout all ,florence many panels made by him1 which are partly known by the name1 such as a panel in ,s4 ,romeo1 and partly by the manner1 such as one that is in the ,chapter-house of the ,monastery of the ,angeli4 ,some of them that he left unfinished were completed by ,bernardo1 his brother1 who survived him1 but not for many years4 ,and because1 as it has been said1 ,andrea delighted in making verses and various forms of poetry1 when already old he wrote some sonnets to ,burchiello1 then a youth2 and finally1 being sixty years of age1 he finished the course of his life in #achi1 and was borne with honour from his dwelling1 which was in the ,via ,vecchia de' ,corazzai1 to his tomb4 ,there were many men able in sculpture and in architecture at the same time as ,orcagna1 of whom the names are not known1 but their works are to be seen1 and these are worthy of nothing but praise and commendation4 ,among their works is not only the ,monastery of the ,certosa of ,florence1 made at the expense of the noble family of the ,acciaiuoli1 and in particular of ,messer ,niccola1 ,grand ,seneschal of the ,king of ,naples1 but also the tomb of the same man1 whereon he is portrayed in stone1 and that of his father and one of his sisters1 which has a covering of marble1 whereon both were portrayed very well from nature in the year #acff4 ,there1 too1 wrought by the hand of the same men1 is the tomb of ,messer ,lorenzo1 son of the said ,niccola1 who1 dying at ,naples1 was brought to ,florence and laid to rest there with the most honourable pomp of funeral obsequies4 ,in like manner1 in the tomb of ,cardinal ,santa ,croce of the same family1 which is in a choir then built anew in front of the high-altar1 there is his portrait on a slab of marble1 very well wrought in the year #acij4 ,disciples of ,andrea in painting were ,bernardo ,nello di ,giovanni ,falconi of ,pisa1 who wrought many panels in the ,duomo of ,pisa1 and ,tommaso di ,marco of ,florence1 who1 besides many other works1 made in the year #acib a panel that is in ,s4 ,antonio in ,pisa1 set up against the tramezzo#ai of the church4 ,after the death of ,andrea1 his brother ,jacopo1 occupied himself in sculpture1 as it has been said1 and in architecture1 was employed in the year #acbh on the foundation and building of the ,tower and ,gate of ,s4 ,piero ,gattolini1 and it is said that he made the four marzocchi#bj of stone which were placed on the four corners of the ,palazzo ,principale of ,florence1 all overlaid with gold4 ,this work was much censured1 by reason of there being laid on those places1 without necessity1 a greater weight than peradventure was expedient2 and many would have been pleased to have the marzocchi made rather of plates of copper1 hollow within1 and then1 after being gilded in the fire1 set up in the same place1 because they would have been much less heavy and more durable4 ,it is said1 too1 that the same man made the horse1 gilded and in full relief1 that is in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 over the door that leads to the ,company of ,s4 ,zanobi1 which horse is believed to be there in memory of ,piero ,farnese1 ,captain of the ,florentines2 however1 knowing nothing more about this1 ,i could not vouch for it4 ,about the same time ,mariotto1 nephew of ,andrea1 made in fresco the ,paradise of ,s4 ,michele ,bisdomini1 in the ,via de' ,servi in ,florence1 and the panel with an ,annunciation that is on the altar2 and for ,monna ,cecilia de' ,boscoli he made another panel with many figures1 placed near the door of the same church4 ,but among all the disciples of ,orcagna none was more excellent than ,francesco ,traini1 who made a panel with a ground of gold for a nobleman of the house of ,coscia1 who is buried at ,pisa in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,domenico1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,caterina2 which panel contained a ,s4 ,dominic standing two braccia and a half high1 with six scenes of his life on either side of him1 animated and vivacious and well coloured4 ,and in the same church1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,tommaso d',aquino1 he made a panel in distemper with fanciful invention1 which is much praised1 placing therein the said ,s4 ,thomas seated1 portrayed from the life3 ,i say from the life1 because the friars of that place had an image of him brought from the ,abbey of ,fossa ,nuova1 where he died in the year #acbc4 ,below1 round ,s4 ,thomas1 who is placed seated in the air with some books in his hand1 which are illuminating the ,christian people with their rays and lustre1 there are kneeling a great number of doctors and clergy of every sort1 ,bishops1 ,cardinals1 and ,popes1 among whom is the portrait of ,pope ,urban ,,vi4 ,under the feet of ,s4 ,thomas are standing ,sabellius1 ,arius1 ,averroes1 and other heretics and philosophers1 with their books all torn2 and the said figure of ,s4 ,thomas is placed between ,plato1 who is showing him the ,timaeus1 and ,aristotle1 who is showing him the ,ethics4 ,above1 a ,jesus ,christ1 in like manner in the air between the four ,evangelists1 is blessing ,s4 ,thomas1 and appears to be in the act of sending down upon him the ,holy ,spirit1 and filling him with it and with ,his grace4 ,this work1 when finished1 acquired very great fame and praise for ,francesco ,traini1 for in making it he surpassed his master ,andrea by a great measure in colouring1 in harmony1 and in invention4 ,this ,andrea was very diligent in his drawings1 as it may be seen in our book4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,s4 ,,thomas ,,aquinas 7,after the painting by ,francesco ,traini4 ,pisa3 ,church of ,s4 ,caterina7 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ah3 ,this is probably a printer's error for nemico1 as that ,pope was anything but the friend of ,manfredi4 ,footnote #ai3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,footnote #bj3 ,lions of stone1 emblems of the city of ,florence4 ,,tommaso1 ,,called ,,giottino ,,life ,,of ,,tommaso1 ,,called ,,giottino1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,when those arts that proceed from design come into competition and their craftsmen work in rivalry1 without doubt the good intellects1 exercising themselves with much study1 discover new things every day in order to satisfy the various tastes of men2 and some1 speaking for the present of painting1 executing works obscure and unusual and demonstrating in them the difficulty of making them1 make known by the shadows the brightness of their genius4 ,others1 fashioning the sweet and delicate1 thinking these to be likely to be more pleasing to the eyes of all who behold them by reason of their having more relief1 easily attract to themselves the minds of the greater part of men4 ,others1 again1 painting with unity and lowering the tones of the colours1 reducing to their proper places the lights and shades of their figures1 deserve very great praise1 and reveal the thoughts of the intellect with beautiful dexterity of mind2 even as they were ever revealed with a sweet manner in the works of ,tommaso di ,stefano1 called ,giottino1 who1 being born in the year #acbd and having learnt from his father the first principles of painting1 resolved while still very young to attempt1 in so far as he might be able with assiduous study1 to be an imitator of the manner of ,giotto rather than of that of his father ,stefano4 ,in this attempt he succeeded so well that he gained thereby1 besides the manner1 which was much more beautiful than that of his master1 the surname of ,giottino1 which never left him2 nay1 by reason both of the manner and of the name it was the opinion of many1 who1 however1 were in very great error1 that he was the son of ,giotto2 but in truth it is not so1 it being certain1 or to speak more exactly1 believed 7it being impossible for such things to be affirmed by any man7 that he was the son of ,stefano1 painter of ,florence4 ,he was1 then1 so diligent in painting and so greatly devoted to it1 that1 although many of his works are not to be found1 those nevertheless that have been found are good and in a beautiful manner1 for the reason that the draperies1 the hair1 the beards1 and all the rest of his work were made and harmonized with so great softness and diligence1 that it is seen that without doubt he added harmony to this art and had it much more perfect than his master ,giotto and his father ,stefano4 ,in his youth ,giottino painted a chapel near the side-door of ,s4 ,stefano al ,ponte ,vecchio in ,florence1 wherein1 although it is to-day much spoilt by damp1 the little that has remained shows the dexterity and the genius of the craftsman4 ,next1 he made the two ,saints1 ,cosimo and ,damiano1 for the ,frati ,ermini in the ,canto alla ,macine1 but little is seen of them to-day1 for they too have been ruined by time4 ,and he wrought in fresco a chapel in the old ,s4 ,spirito in that city1 which was afterwards ruined in the burning of that church2 and in fresco1 over the principal door of the church1 the story of the ,sending of the ,holy ,spirit2 and on the square before the said church1 on the way to the ,canto alla ,cuculia1 on the corner of the convent1 he painted that shrine that is still seen there1 with ,our ,lady and other ,saints round her1 wherein both the heads and the other parts lean strongly towards the modern manner1 for the reason that he sought to vary and to blend the flesh-colours1 and to harmonize all the figures with grace and judgment by means of a variety of colours and draperies4 ,in like manner he wrought the stories of ,constantine with much diligence in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,silvestro in ,s4 ,croce1 showing very beautiful ideas in the gestures of the figures2 and then1 behind an ornament of marble made for the tomb of ,messer ,bertino de' ,bardi1 a man who at that time had held honourable military rank1 he made this ,messer ,bertino in armour1 after the life1 issuing from a sepulchre on his knees1 being summoned with the sound of the trumpets of the ,judgment by two angels1 who are in the air accompanying a beautifully-wrought ,christ in the clouds4 ,on the right hand of the entrance of the door of ,s4 ,pancrazio the same man made a ,christ who is bearing ,his ,cross1 and some ,saints near ,him1 that have exactly the manner of ,giotto4 ,in ,s4 ,gallo 7which convent was without the ,gate called by the same name1 and was destroyed in the siege7 in a cloister1 there was a ,pieta painted in fresco1 whereof there is a copy in the aforesaid ,s4 ,pancrazio1 on a pillar beside the principal chapel4 ,in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,lorenzo de' ,giuochi1 as one enters by the door on the left1 on the front wall1 he wrought in fresco a ,s4 ,cosimo and a ,s4 ,damiano1 and1 in ,ognissanti1 a ,s4 ,christopher and a ,s4 ,george1 which were spoilt by the malice of time1 and then restored by other painters by reason of the ignorance of a ,provost little conversant with such matters4 ,in the said church there has remained whole the arch that is over the door of the sacristy1 wherein there is in fresco a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms by the hand of ,tommaso1 which is a good work1 by reason of his having wrought it with diligence4 ,by means of these works ,giottino had acquired so good a name1 imitating his master both in design and in invention1 as it has been told1 that there was said to be in him the spirit of ,giotto himself1 both because of the vividness of his colouring and of his mastery in draughtsmanship2 and in the year #acdc1 on ,july #b1 when the ,duke of ,athens was driven out by the people and when he had renounced the sovereignty and restored their liberty to the ,florentines1 ,giottino was forced by the twelve ,reformers of the ,state1 and in particular by the prayers of ,messer ,agnolo ,acciaiuoli1 then a very great citizen1 who had great influence with him1 to paint in contempt1 on the tower of the ,palace of the ,podesta1 the said ,duke and his followers1 who were ,messer ,ceritieri ,visdomini1 ,messer ,maladiasse1 his ,conservator1 and ,messer ,ranieri da ,san ,gimignano1 all with the cap of ,justice ignominiously on their heads4 ,round the head of the ,duke were many beasts of prey and other sorts1 signifying his nature and his character2 and one of those his counsellors had in his hand the ,palace of the ,priors of the city1 and was handing it to him1 like a disloyal traitor to his country4 ,and all had below them the arms and emblems of their families1 and some writings which can hardly be read to-day because they have been eaten away by time4 ,in this work1 both by reason of the draughtsmanship and of the great diligence wherewith it was executed1 the manner of the craftsman gave universal pleasure to all4 ,afterwards1 at the ,campora1 a seat of the ,black ,friars without the ,porta a ,s4 ,piero ,gattolini1 he made a ,s4 ,cosimo and a ,s4 ,damiano1 which were spoilt in the whitewashing of the church2 and on the bridge of ,romiti in ,valdarno he painted in fresco the shrine that is built over the middle1 with his own hand and in a beautiful manner4 ,it is found recorded by many who wrote thereon that ,tommaso applied himself to sculpture and wrought a figure in marble on the ,campanile of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore in ,florence1 four braccia high and facing the place where the ,orphans now dwell4 ,in ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano in ,rome1 likewise1 he brought to fine completion a scene wherein he represented the ,pope in several capacities1 which is now seen to have been eaten away and corroded by time2 and in the house of the ,orsini he painted a hall full of famous men2 with a very beautiful ,s4 ,louis on a pillar in the ,araceli1 on the right hand beside the altar4 ,in the lower church of ,s4 ,francesco at ,assisi1 in an arch over the pulpit 7there being no other space that was not painted7 he wrought the ,coronation of ,our ,lady1 with many angels round her1 so gracious1 so beautiful in the expressions of the faces1 and so sweet and delicate in manner1 that they show1 with the usual harmony of colour which was something peculiar to this painter1 that he had proved himself the peer of all who had lived up to that time2 and round this arch he made some stories of ,s4 ,nicholas4 ,in like manner1 in the ,monastery of ,s4 ,chiara in the same city1 in the middle of the church1 he painted a scene in fresco1 wherein is ,s4 ,chiara supported in the air by two angels who appear real2 she is restoring to life a child that was dead1 while round her are standing many women all full of wonder1 with great beauty in the faces and in the very gracious head-dresses and costumes of those times that they are wearing4 ,in the same city of ,assisi1 over the gate of the city that leads to the ,duomo--namely1 in an arch on the inner side--he made a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 with so great diligence that she appears alive1 and a ,s4 ,francis and another ,saint1 both very beautiful2 both of which works1 although the story of ,s4 ,chiara remained unfinished by reason of ,tommaso having fallen sick and returned to ,florence1 are perfect and most worthy of all praise4 ,illustration3 ,,giottino3 ,,the ,,descent ,,from ,,the ,,cross 7,florence3 ,uffizi #bg4 ,panel7 ,it is said that ,tommaso was melancholic in temperament and very solitary1 but with respect to art devoted and very studious1 as it is clearly seen from a panel in the ,church of ,s4 ,romeo in ,florence1 wrought by him in distemper with so great diligence and love that there has never been seen a better work on wood by his hand4 ,in this panel1 which is placed in the tramezzo#ba of the church1 on the right hand1 is a ,dead ,christ with the ,maries and ,nicodemus1 accompanied by other figures1 who are bewailing ,his death with bitterness and with very sweet and affectionate movements1 wringing their hands with diverse gestures1 and beating themselves in a manner that in the air of the faces there is shown very clearly their sharp sorrow at the so great cost of our sins4 ,and it is something marvellous to consider1 not that he penetrated with his genius to such a height of imagination1 but that he could express it so well with the brush4 ,wherefore this work is consummately worthy of praise1 not so much by reason of the subject and of the invention1 as because in it the craftsman has shown1 in some heads that are weeping1 that although the lineaments of those that are weeping are distorted in the brows1 in the eyes1 in the nose1 and in the mouth1 this1 however1 neither spoils nor alters a certain beauty which is wont to suffer much in weeping when the painters do not know well how to avail themselves of the good methods of art4 ,but it is no great thing that ,giottino should have executed this panel with so much consideration1 since in his labours he ever aimed rather at fame and glory than at any other reward1 being free from the greed of gain1 that makes our present masters less diligent and good4 ,and even as he did not seek to have great riches1 so he did not trouble himself much about the comforts of life--nay1 living poorly1 he sought to satisfy others rather than himself2 wherefore1 taking little care of himself and enduring fatigue1 he died of consumption at the age of thirty-two1 and was given burial by his relatives at the ,martello ,gate without ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 beside the tomb of ,bontura4 ,disciples of ,giottino1 who left more fame than wealth1 were ,giovanni ,tossicani of ,arezzo1 ,michelino1 ,giovanni dal ,ponte1 and ,lippo1 who were passing good masters of this art1 but above all ,giovanni ,tossicani1 who made many works throughout all ,tuscany after ,tommaso and in the same manner as his1 and in particular the ,chapel of ,s4 ,maria ,maddalena1 belonging to the ,tuccerelli1 in the ,pieve of ,arezzo1 and a ,s4 ,james on a pillar in the ,pieve of the township of ,empoli4 ,in the ,duomo of ,pisa1 also1 he wrought some panels which have since been removed in order to make room for the modern4 ,the last work that he made was in a chapel of the ,vescovado of ,arezzo1 for the ,countess ,giovanna1 wife of ,tarlato da ,pietramala--namely1 a very beautiful ,annunciation1 with ,s4 ,james and ,s4 ,philip2 which work1 by reason of the back of the wall being turned to the north1 was little less than completely spoilt by damp1 when ,maestro ,agnolo di ,lorenzo of ,arezzo restored the ,annunciation1 and shortly afterwards ,giorgio ,vasari1 still a youth1 restored the ,s4 ,james and ,s4 ,philip1 to his own great profit1 having learnt much1 at that time when he had not the advantage of other masters1 by studying ,giovanni's method of painting and the shadows and colours of that work1 spoilt as it was4 ,in this chapel there are still read these words in an epitaph of marble1 in memory of the ,countess who had it built and painted3 ,,anno ,,domini #acce1 ,,de ,,mense ,,augusti1 ,,hanc ,,capellam ,,constitui ,,fecit ,,nobilis ,,domina ,,comitissa ,,joanna ,,de ,,sancta ,,flora1 ,,uxor ,,nobilis ,,militis ,,domini ,,tarlati ,,de ,,petramala1 ,,ad ,,honorem ,,beatae ,,mariae ,,virginis4 ,of the works of the other disciples of ,giottino there is no mention made1 seeing that they were but ordinary and little like those of the master and of ,giovanni ,tossicani1 their fellow-disciple4 ,tommaso drew very well1 as it may be seen in our book1 in certain drawings wrought by his hand with much diligence4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #ba3 ,see note on p4 #eg4 ,,giovanni ,,dal ,,ponte ,,life ,,of ,,giovanni ,,dal ,,ponte1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,although there is no truth and not much confidence to be placed in the ancient proverb that the prodigal's purse is never empty1 and although1 on the contrary1 it is very true that he who does not live a well-ordered life in his own degree lives at the last in want and dies miserably1 it is seen1 nevertheless1 that fortune sometimes aids rather those who squander without restraint than those who are in all things careful and self-restrained2 and when the favour of fortune ceases1 there often comes death1 to make up for her defection and for the bad management of men1 supervening at the very moment when such men would begin with infinite dismay to recognize how miserable a thing it is to have squandered in youth and to want in old age1 living and labouring in poverty1 as would have happened to ,giovanni da ,santo ,stefano a ,ponte of ,florence1 if1 after having consumed his patrimony and much gain which had been brought to his hands rather by fortune than by his merits1 with some inheritances that came to him from an unexpected source1 he had not finished at one and the same time the course of his life and all his means4 ,this man1 then1 who was a disciple of ,buonamico ,buffalmacco1 and who imitated him more in attending to the pleasures of life than in seeking to become an able painter1 was born in the year #acjg1 and after being in early youth a disciple of ,buffalmacco1 he made his first works in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 in the ,pieve of ,empoli1 painting there in fresco many scenes of the life of that ,saint1 with so great diligence that he was summoned to ,arezzo in the year #acdd1 a better development being expected after so fine a beginning2 and there he painted the ,assumption of ,our ,lady in a chapel in ,s4 ,francesco4 ,and a little time afterwards1 being in some credit in that city for lack of other painters1 he painted the ,chapel of ,s4 ,onofrio in the ,pieve1 with that of ,s4 ,antonio1 which to-day is spoilt by damp4 ,he also made some other pictures that were in ,s4 ,giustina and in ,s4 ,matteo1 but these were thrown to the ground by ,duke ,cosimo1 together with the said churches1 in the making of fortifications for that city2 and exactly in that place1 at the foot of the abutment of an ancient bridge beside the said ,s4 ,giustina1 where the stream entered the city1 there were then found a head of ,appius ,caecus and one of his son1 both in marble and very beautiful1 with an ancient epitaph1 likewise very beautiful1 which are all now in the guardaroba#bb of the said ,lord ,duke4 ,giovanni1 having returned to ,florence at the time when there was finished the closing of the middle arch of the ,ponte a ,s4 ,trinita1 painted many figures both within and without a chapel built over one pier and dedicated to ,s4 ,michelagnolo1 and in particular all the front wall2 which chapel1 together with the bridge1 was carried away by the flood of the year #aeeg4 ,it is by reason of these works that some maintain1 besides what has been said about him at the beginning1 that he was ever afterwards called ,giovanni dal ,ponte4 ,in ,pisa1 also1 in the year #acee1 he made some scenes in fresco behind the altar of the principal chapel of ,s4 ,paolo a ,ripa d',arno1 which are now all spoilt by damp and by time4 ,giovanni also painted the ,chapel of the ,scali in ,s4 ,trinita in ,florence1 with another that is beside it1 and one of the stories of ,s4 ,paul by the side of the principal chapel1 where is the tomb of ,maestro ,paolo1 the astrologer4 ,in ,s4 ,stefano al ,ponte ,vecchio he painted a panel1 with other pictures in distemper and in fresco both within and without ,florence1 which brought him considerable credit4 ,he gave contentment to his friends1 but more in his pleasures than in his works1 and he was the friend of men of learning1 and in particular of all those who pursued the studies of his own profession in order to become excellent therein2 and although he had not sought to have in himself that which he desired in others1 yet he never ceased to encourage others to work valiantly4 ,finally1 having lived fifty-nine years1 ,giovanni was seized by pleurisy and in a few days departed this life1 wherein1 had he survived a little longer1 he would have suffered many discomforts1 there being left in his house scarce as much as sufficed to give him decent burial in ,s4 ,stefano al ,ponte ,vecchio4 ,his works date about #acfe4 ,illustration3 ,alinari ,s4 ,,peter ,,enthroned 7,after the painting by ,giovanni dal ,ponte4 ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abib7 ,in our book of drawings by diverse ancients and moderns there is a drawing in water-colour by the hand of ,giovanni1 wherein is a ,s4 ,george on horseback who is slaying the ,dragon1 and a skeleton1 which bear witness to the method and manner that he had in drawing4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #bb3 ,guardaroba1 the room or rooms where everything of value was stored--clothes1 linen1 art treasures1 furniture1 etc4 ,,agnolo ,,gaddi ,,life ,,of ,,agnolo ,,gaddi1 ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,how honourable and profitable it is to be excellent in a noble art is manifestly seen in the talent and management of ,taddeo ,gaddi1 who1 having acquired very good means as well as fame with his industry and labours1 left the affairs of his family so well arranged1 when he passed to the other life1 that ,agnolo and ,giovanni1 his sons1 were easily able to give a beginning to the very great riches and to the exaltation of the house of ,gaddi1 to-day very noble in ,florence and in great repute throughout all ,christendom4 ,and in truth it has been very reasonable1 seeing that ,gaddo1 ,taddeo1 ,agnolo1 and ,giovanni adorned many honoured churches with their talent and their art1 that their successors have been since adorned by the ,holy ,roman ,church and by the ,supreme ,pontiffs of the same with the greatest ecclesiastical dignities4 ,taddeo1 then1 of whom we have already written the ,life1 left his sons ,agnolo and ,giovanni in company with many of his disciples1 hoping that ,agnolo1 in particular1 would become very excellent in painting2 but he1 who in his youth showed promise of surpassing his father by a great measure1 did not succeed further in justifying the opinion that had already been conceived of him1 for the reason that1 being born and bred in easy circumstances1 which are often an impediment to study1 he was given more to traffic and to trading than to the art of painting2 which should not appear a thing new or strange1 seeing that avarice very often bars the way to many intellects which would ascend to the greatest height of excellence1 if the desire of gain did not impede their path in their earliest and best years4 ,working as a youth in ,s4 ,jacopo tra' ,fossi in ,florence1 ,agnolo wrought a little scene1 with figures little more than a braccio high1 of ,christ raising ,lazarus on the fourth day after death1 wherein1 imagining the corruption of that body1 which had been dead three days1 with much thought he made the grave-clothes which held him bound discoloured by the decay of the flesh1 and round the eyes certain livid and yellowish marks in the flesh1 that seems half living and half dead2 not without stupefaction in the ,apostles and in other figures1 who1 with attitudes varied and beautiful1 and with their draperies to their noses in order not to feel the stench of that corrupt body1 are no less afraid and awestruck at such a marvellous miracle than ,mary and ,martha are joyful and content to see life returning to the dead body of their brother4 ,this work was judged so excellent that many deemed the talent of ,agnolo to be destined to surpass all the disciples of ,taddeo1 and even ,taddeo himself2 but the event proved otherwise1 because1 even as in youth the will conquers every difficulty in order to acquire fame1 so a certain negligence that the years bring with them often causes a man1 instead of advancing1 to go backwards1 as did ,agnolo4 ,having given so great a proof of his talent1 he was commissioned by the family of ,soderini1 who had great hopes of him1 to paint the principal chapel of the ,carmine1 and he painted therein all the life of ,our ,lady1 so much less well than he had done the resurrection of ,lazarus1 that he gave every man to know that he had little wish to attend with every effort to the art of painting2 for the reason that in all that great work there is nothing else of the good save one scene1 wherein1 round ,our ,lady1 in a room1 are many maidens who are wearing diverse costumes and head-dresses1 according to the diversity of the use of those times1 and are engaged in diverse exercises3 this one is spinning1 that one is sewing1 that other is winding thread1 one is weaving1 and others working in other ways1 all passing well conceived and executed by ,agnolo4 ,for the noble family of the ,alberti1 likewise1 he painted in fresco the principal chapel of the ,church of ,s4 ,croce1 making therein all that came to pass in the discovery of the ,cross1 and he executed that work with much mastery of handling but not with much design1 for only the colouring is beautiful and good enough4 ,next1 in painting in fresco some stories of ,s4 ,louis in the ,chapel of the ,bardi in the same church1 he acquitted himself much better4 ,and because he used to work by caprice1 now with more zeal and now with less1 working in ,s4 ,spirito1 also in ,florence1 within the door that leads from the square into the convent1 he made in fresco1 over another door1 a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 and ,s4 ,augustine and ,s4 ,nicholas1 so well that the said figures appear as if made only yesterday4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,marriage ,,of ,s4 ,,catharine 7,after the painting by ,agnolo ,gaddi4 ,philadelphia1 ,u4,s4,a43 ,j4 ,g4 ,johnson ,collection7 ,and because in a certain manner there had come to ,agnolo1 by way of inheritance1 the secret of working in mosaic1 and he had at home the instruments and all the materials that his grandfather ,gaddo had used in this1 he would make something in mosaic when it pleased him1 merely to pass time and by reason of that convenience of material1 rather than for aught else4 ,now1 seeing that time had eaten away many of those marbles that cover the eight faces of the roof of ,s4 ,giovanni1 and that the damp penetrating within had therefore spoilt much of the mosaic which ,andrea ,tafi had wrought there at a former time1 the ,consuls of the ,guild of ,merchants determined1 to the end that the rest might not be spoilt1 to rebuild the greater part of that covering with marble1 and in like manner to have the mosaic restored4 ,wherefore1 the direction and commission for the whole being given to ,agnolo1 he1 in the year #acdf1 had it recovered with new marbles and the pieces laid over each other at the joinings1 with unexampled diligence1 to the breadth of two fingers1 cutting each slab to the half of its thickness2 then1 joining them together with cement made of mastic and wax melted together1 he fitted them with so great diligence that from that time onwards neither the roof nor the vaulting has received any damage from the rains4 ,agnolo1 having afterwards restored the mosaic1 brought it about by means of his counsel and of a design very well conceived that there was rebuilt1 round the said church1 all the upper cornice of marble below the roof1 in that form wherein it now remains2 which cornice was much smaller than it is and very commonplace4 ,under direction of the same man there was also made the vaulting of the ,great ,hall of the ,palace of the ,podesta1 which before was directly under the roof1 to the end that1 besides the adornment1 fire might not again be able to do it damage1 as it had done a long time before4 ,after this1 by the counsel of ,agnolo1 there were made round the said ,palace the battlements that are there to-day1 which before were in no wise there4 ,the while that these works were executing1 he did not desert his painting entirely1 and painted in distemper1 in the panel that he made for the high-altar of ,s4 ,pancrazio1 ,our ,lady1 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 and the ,evangelist1 and beside them the ,saints ,nereus1 ,archileus1 and ,pancratius1 brothers1 with other ,saints4 ,but the best of this work--nay1 all that is seen therein of the good--is the predella alone1 which is all full of little figures1 divided into eight stories of the ,madonna and of ,s4 ,reparata4 ,next1 in #acdh1 he painted the panel of the high-altar of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 also in ,florence1 for ,barone ,cappelli1 making therein a passing good dance of angels round a ,coronation of ,our ,lady4 ,a little afterwards1 in the ,pieve of the district of ,prato1 rebuilt under direction of ,giovanni ,pisano in the year #acab1 as it has been said above1 ,agnolo painted in fresco1 in the chapel wherein was deposited the ,girdle of ,our ,lady1 many scenes of her life2 and in other churches of that district1 which was full of monasteries and convents held in great honour1 he made other works in plenty4 ,in ,florence1 next1 he painted the arch over the door of ,s4 ,romeo2 and in ,orto ,s4 ,michele he wrought in distemper a ,disputation of the ,doctors with ,christ in the ,temple4 ,and at the same time1 many houses having been pulled down in order to enlarge the ,piazza de' ,signori1 and in particular the ,church of ,s4 ,romolo1 this was rebuilt with the design of ,agnolo4 ,there are many panels by his hand throughout the churches in the said city1 and many of his works may also be recognized in the domain1 which were wrought by him with much profit to himself1 although he worked more in order to do as his forefathers had done than for any love of it1 having his mind directed on commerce1 which brought him better profit2 as it is seen when his sons1 not wishing any longer to be painters1 gave themselves over completely to commerce1 holding a house open for this purpose in ,venice together with their father1 who1 from a certain time onward1 did not work save for his own pleasure1 and1 in a certain manner1 in order to pass time4 ,having thus acquired great wealth by means of trading and by means of his art1 ,agnolo died in the sixty-third year of his life1 overcome by a malignant fever which in a few days made an end of him4 ,his disciples were ,maestro ,antonio da ,ferrara1 who made many beautiful works in ,s4 ,francesco at ,urbino1 and at ,citta di ,castello2 and ,stefano da ,verona1 who painted in fresco most perfectly1 as it is seen in many places at ,verona1 his native city1 and also in many of his works at ,mantua4 ,this man1 among other things1 was excellent in giving very beautiful expressions to the faces of children1 of women1 and of old men1 as it may be seen in his works1 which were all imitated and copied by that ,piero da ,perugia1 illuminator1 who illuminated all the books that are in the library of ,pope ,pius in the ,duomo at ,siena1 and was a practised colourist in fresco4 ,a disciple of ,agnolo1 also1 was ,michele da ,milano1 as was ,giovanni ,gaddi1 his brother1 who made1 in the cloister of ,s4 ,spirito where are the little arches of ,gaddo and of ,taddeo1 the ,disputation of ,christ in the ,temple with the ,doctors1 the ,purification of the ,virgin1 the ,temptation of ,christ in the ,wilderness1 and the ,baptism of ,john2 and finally1 having created very great expectation1 he died4 ,a pupil of the same ,agnolo in painting was ,cennino di ,drea ,cennini of ,colle di ,valdelsa1 who1 having very great affection for the art1 wrote a book describing the methods of working in fresco1 in distemper1 in size1 and in gum1 and1 besides1 how illuminating is done1 and all the methods of applying gold2 which book is in the hands of ,giuliano1 goldsmith of ,siena1 an excellent master and a friend of these arts4 ,and in the beginning of this his book he treated of the nature of colours1 both the minerals and the earth-colours1 according as he learnt from ,agnolo his master1 wishing1 for the reason perchance that he did not succeed in learning to paint perfectly1 at least to know the nature of the colours1 the distempers1 the sizes1 and the application of gesso1 and what colours we must guard against as harmful in making the mixtures1 and in short many other considerations whereof there is no need to discourse1 there being to-day a perfect knowledge of all those matters which he held as great and very rare secrets in those times4 ,but ,i will not forbear to say that he makes no mention 7and perchance they may not have been in use7 of some earth-colours1 such as dark red earths1 cinabrese1 and certain vitreous greens4 ,since then there have been also discovered umber1 which is an earth-colour1 giallo santo1#bc the smalts both for fresco and for oils1 and some vitreous greens and yellows1 wherein the painters of that age were lacking4 ,he treated finally of mosaics1 and of grinding colours in oils in order to make grounds of red1 blue1 green1 and in other manners2 and of the mordants for the application of gold1 but not then for figures4 ,besides the works that he wrought in ,florence with his master1 there is a ,madonna with certain saints by his hand under the loggia of the hospital of ,bonifazio ,lupi1 coloured in such a manner that it has been very well preserved up to our own day4 ,this ,cennino1 in the first chapter of his said book1 speaking of himself1 uses these very words3 ,i1 ,cennino di ,drea ,cennini1 of ,colle di ,valdelsa1 was instructed in the said art for twelve years by ,agnolo di ,taddeo of ,florence1 my master1 who learnt the said art from ,taddeo1 his father1 who was held at baptism by ,giotto and was his disciple for four-and-twenty years2 which ,giotto transmuted the art of painting from ,greek into ,latin1 and brought it to the modern manner1 and had it for certain more perfected than anyone ever had it4 ,these are the very words of ,cennino1 to whom it appeared that even as those who translate any work from ,greek into ,latin confer very great benefit on those who do not understand ,greek1 so1 too1 did ,giotto in transforming the art of painting from a manner not understood or known by anyone1 save perchance as very rude1 to a beautiful1 facile1 and very pleasing manner1 understood and known as good by all who have judgment and the least grain of reason4 ,all these disciples of ,agnolo did him very great honour1 and he was buried by his sons1 to whom it is said that he left the sum of fifty thousand florins or more1 in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 in the tomb that he himself had made for himself and for his descendants1 in the year of our salvation #achg4 ,the portrait of ,agnolo1 made by himself1 is seen in the ,chapel of the ,alberti1 in ,s4 ,croce1 beside a door in the scene wherein1 the ,emperor ,heraclius is bearing the ,cross2 it is painted in profile1 with a little beard1 and with a rose-coloured cap on his head according to the use of those times4 ,he was not excellent in draughtsmanship1 in so far as is shown by some drawings by his hand that are in our book4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #bc3 ,a yellow-lake made from the unripe berries of the spin cervino1 a sort of brier4 ,,index ,,of ,,names ,,of ,,the ,,craftsmen ,,mentioned ,,in ,,volume ,i ,aglaophon1 xxxix ,agnolo 7of ,siena71 ,life1 #ig-aje4 #ci ,agnolo di ,lorenzo1 #bjh ,agnolo ,gaddi1 ,life1 #bag-bbc4 #ahe1 #ahf ,agobbio1 ,oderigi d'1 #gi ,agostino 7of ,siena71 ,life1 #ig-aje4 #ci ,aholiab1 xxxviii ,alberti1 ,leon ,batista1 xli1 #agi ,alesso ,baldovinetti1 #d1 #dh ,ambrogio ,lorenzetti1 ,life1 #aee-aeg ,andrea di ,cione ,orcagna1 ,life1 #ahi-aii ,andrea ,pisano1 ,life1 #abc-aca4 #ahi ,andrea ,tafi1 ,life1 #dg-ea4 #ee1 #ef1 #eh1 #ace1 #acf1 #ade1 #bai ,angelico1 ,fra 7,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole71 #afb ,antonio 7called ,il ,carota71 #abe ,antonio d',andrea ,tafi1 #ea ,antonio da ,ferrara1 #bba ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 #cb ,antonio ,pollaiuolo1 xxxiv ,apelles1 xxviii1 xxxix ,apollodorus1 xxxix ,apollonio1 #dg1 #di ,ardices1 xxxix 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,jacopo di1 #ahc1 #ahe ,castelfranco1 ,giorgione da1 xxxii ,cavallini1 ,pietro1 ,life1 #afa-afd4 #ib ,cennini1 ,cennino di ,drea1 #agg1 #bba1 #bbb ,cimabue1 ,giovanni1 ,life1 #c-aj4 xxiv1 xxxv1 lix1 #c-aj1 #bj1 #ba1 #bi1 #dg1 #ej1 #ee1 #ef1 #eh1 #fc1 #gb1 #gd1 #hi1 #id1 #aac1 #aag1 #ade1 #agd ,cione1 #ajc1 #ajd ,cleanthes1 xxxix ,cleophantes1 xxxix ,como1 ,guido da1 #dh ,danti1 ,vincenzio1 #cf ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 #aab1 #abf1 #ahi ,donato 7,donatello71 #dh1 #acj1 #agh ,fabius1 xl ,faenza1 ,ottaviano da1 #ia ,faenza1 ,pace da1 #ia ,falconi1 ,bernardo ,nello di ,giovanni1 #aig ,ferrara1 ,antonio da1 #bba ,fiesole1 ,fra ,giovanni da 7called ,fra ,angelico71 #afb ,filippo ,brunelleschi 7,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco71 lii1 #bb1 #bc1 #bf1 #dh1 #acj ,fonte1 ,jacopo della 7,jacopo della ,quercia71 #acj ,forli1 ,guglielmo da1 #ib ,forzore di ,spinello1 #ajd ,fra ,angelico 7,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole71 #afb ,fra ,giovanni1 #ei ,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole 7called ,fra ,angelico71 #afb ,fra ,jacopo da ,turrita1 #di1 #ej1 #ef ,fra ,ristoro da ,campi1 #ei ,francesco 7called di ,maestro ,giotto71 #ia ,francesco ,traini1 #aih1 #aii ,franco ,bolognese1 #gi ,fuccio1 #cj1 #ca ,gaddi1 ,agnolo1 ,life1 #bag-bbc4 #ahe1 #ahf ,gaddi1 ,gaddo1 ,life1 #ee-eh4 #ej1 #ee-eh1 #agg1 #ahf1 #bag1 #bai1 #bba ,gaddi1 ,giovanni1 #ahe1 #ahf1 #bag1 #bba ,gaddi1 ,taddeo1 ,life1 #agg-ahf4 #eg1 #eh1 #ha1 #hh1 #hi1 #abi1 #agg-ahf1 #bag1 #bah1 #bba1 #bbb ,ghiberti1 ,lorenzo 7,lorenzo di ,cione ,ghiberti71 #hg1 #aab1 #abg1 #acj ,ghirlandajo1 ,domenico1 #aab1 #abf1 #ahi ,ghirlandajo1 ,ridolfo1 #abe ,giorgio ,vasari1 see ,vasari ,giorgione da ,castelfranco1 xxxii ,giottino 7,tommaso1 or ,maso71 ,life1 #bjc-bjh4 #aab ,giotto1 ,life1 #ga-id4 #g-i1 #be1 #ci1 #ej1 #ea1 #eg1 #fc1 #ga-id1 #ii1 #aji1 #aaa-aac1 #aag1 #aah1 #abc-abg1 #afa1 #afb1 #afh1 #agj1 #agd1 #agg1 #agh1 #ahj1 #ahb1 #ahd-ahf1 #aij1 #bjc-bje1 #bbb ,giovanni1 ,bruno di1 #ace1 #ade1 #adg1 #adh1 #aia ,giovanni1 ,fra1 #ei ,giovanni ,cimabue1 ,life1 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#bag1 #bbb as painter1 xlii1 #fg1 #hf1 #aai1 #abj1 #adg1 #bjh as architect1 #be1 #ca1 #ch1 #ci1 #aai1 #abj ,verona1 ,stefano da1 #bba ,vicino1 #ej1 #eg1 #eh ,vincenzio ,danti1 #cf ,vinci1 ,leonardo da1 xxxiv ,zeuxis1 xxxix ,,end ,,of ,,vol4 ,i4 ,,printed ,,under ,,the ,,supervision ,,of ,,chas4 ,t4 ,,jacobi ,,of ,,the ,,chiswick ,,press1 ,,london4 ,,the ,,coloured ,,reproductions ,,engraved ,,and ,,printed ,,by ,,henry ,,stone ,,and ,,son1 ,,ltd4 ,,banbury