,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,eminent ,,painters ,,sculptors ,,architects ,,by ,,giorgio ,,vasari3 ,,volume ,,iii4 ,,filarete ,,and ,,simone ,,to ,,mantegna #aiab ,,newly ,,translated ,,by ,,gaston ,du ,c4 ,,de ,,vere4 ,,with ,,five ,,hundred ,,illustrations3 ,,in ,,ten ,,volumes ,illustration3 #aeaa-aegd ,,philip ,,lee ,,warner1 ,,publisher ,,to ,,the ,,medici ,,society1 ,,limited #g ,,grafton ,,st4 ,,london1 ,w4 #aiab-ad ,,contents ,,of ,,volume ,,iii ,,page ,,antonio ,,filarete ,,and ,,simone #a ,,giuliano ,,da ,,maiano #i ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca ,,piero ,,borghese #ae ,,fra ,,giovanni ,,da ,,fiesole ,,fra ,,angelico #be ,,leon ,,batista ,,alberti #da ,,lazzaro ,,vasari #di ,,antonello ,,da ,,messina #eg ,,alesso ,,baldovinetti #fe ,,vellano ,,da ,,padova #ga ,,fra ,,filippo ,,lippi #gg ,,paolo ,,romano1 ,,maestro ,,mino ,,mino ,,del ,,regno ,,or ,,mino ,,del ,,reame1 ,,and ,,chimenti ,,camicia #hi ,,andrea ,,dal ,,castagno ,,of ,,mugello ,,andrea ,,degl' ,,impiccati ,,and ,,domenico ,,viniziano ,,domenico ,,da ,,venezia #ie ,,gentile ,,da ,,fabriano ,,and ,,vittore ,,pisanello ,,of ,,verona #ajg ,,pesello ,,and ,,francesco ,,peselli ,,pesellino ,,or ,,francesco ,,di ,,pesello #aae ,,benozzo ,,gozzoli #aai ,,francesco ,,di ,,giorgio ,,and ,,lorenzo ,,vecchietto #abg ,,galasso ,,ferrarese ,,galasso ,,galassi #acc ,,antonio ,,rossellino ,,rossellino ,,dal ,,proconsolo ,,and ,,bernardo ,,his ,,brother #acg ,,desiderio ,,da ,,settignano #ade ,,mino ,,da ,,fiesole ,,mino ,,di ,,giovanni #aea ,,lorenzo ,,costa #aei ,,ercole ,,ferrarese ,,ercole ,,da ,,ferrara #afe ,,jacopo1 ,,giovanni1 ,,and ,,gentile ,,bellini #aga ,,cosimo ,,rosselli #ahe ,,cecca #aia ,,don ,,bartolommeo ,,della ,,gatta1 ,,abbot ,,of ,s4 ,,clemente #bja ,,gherardo #baa ,,domenico ,,ghirlandajo #bag ,,antonio ,,and ,,piero ,,pollaiuolo #bce ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,,alessandro ,,filipepi ,,or ,,sandro ,,di ,,botticello #bde ,,benedetto ,,da ,,maiano #bee ,,andrea ,,verrocchio #bfe ,,andrea ,,mantegna #bgg ,,index ,,of ,,names #bhg ,,illustrations ,,to ,,volume ,,iii ,,plates ,,in ,,colour ,,facing ,,page ,,vincenzio ,,di ,,zoppa 7,,foppa7 ,madonna and ,child ,settignano3 ,berenson ,collection #f ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca ,federigo da ,montefeltro1 ,duke of ,urbino1 and ,battista ,sforza1 his ,wife ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #acjj #ah ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca ,the ,baptism in ,jordan ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #ffe #bb ,,fra ,,giovanni ,,da ,,fiesole 7,,fra ,,angelico7 ,the ,annunciation ,cortona3 ,gesu ,gallery #cd ,,antonello ,,da ,,messina ,portrait of a ,young ,man ,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #ah #fb ,,antonello ,,da ,,messina ,the ,crucifixion ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #aaff #fd ,,alesso ,,baldovinetti ,madonna and ,child in a ,landscape ,paris3 ,louvre1 #acjj;,b #fh ,,fra ,,filippo ,,lippi ,the ,annunciation ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #fff #hj ,,andrea ,,dal ,,castagno ,dante ,florence3 ,s4 ,apollonia #ajb ,,gentile ,,da ,,fabriano ,detail from ,the ,adoration of the ,magi3 ,madonna and ,child1 with ,three ,kings ,florence3 ,accademia1 #afe #aaj ,,vittore ,,pisanello ,the ,vision of ,s4 ,eustace ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #adcf #aab ,,francesco ,,peselli 7,,pesellino7 ,madonna ,enthroned1 with ,saints and ,angels ,empoli3 ,gallery #aah ,,benozzo ,,gozzoli ,madonna and ,child ,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #fj;,b #abb ,,francesco ,,di ,,giorgio ,s4 ,dorothy ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #afhb #abh ,,jacopo ,,bellini ,madonna and ,child ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #aefb #agd ,,giovanni ,,bellini ,the ,doge ,leonardo ,loredano ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #ahi #agd ,,giovanni ,,bellini ,fortuna ,venice3 ,accademia1 #eie #agh ,,giovanni ,,bellini ,the ,dead ,christ ,milan3 ,poldi ,pezzoli1 #fbd #agh ,,gentile ,,bellini ,s4 ,dominic ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #addj #ahb ,,domenico ,,ghirlandajo ,the ,vision of ,s4 ,fina ,san ,gimignano #bbd ,,antonio ,,pollaiuolo ,david ,victor ,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #gc;,a #bdj ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,pallas and the ,centaur ,florence3 ,pitti ,palace #bdh ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,giovanna ,tornabuoni and the ,graces ,paris3 ,louvre1 #abig #bdh ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,madonna of the ,pomegranate ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abhi #beb ,,andrea ,,mantegna ,madonna of the ,rocks ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #ajbe #bhj ,,plates ,,in ,,monochrome ,,facing ,,page ,,antonio ,,filarete ,bronze ,doors ,rome3 ,s4 ,peter's #d ,,simone ,tomb of ,pope ,martin ,v ,rome3 ,s4 ,giovanni in ,laterano #h ,,benedetto ,,da ,,maiano ,s4 ,sebastian ,florence3 ,oratorio della ,misericordia #ad ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca ,the ,resurrection ,borgo ,s4 ,sepolcro #bj ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca ,the ,vision of ,constantine ,arezzo3 ,s4 ,francesco #bd ,,fra ,,giovanni ,,da ,,fiesole 7,,fra ,,angelico7 ,the ,transfiguration ,florence3 ,s4 ,marco #cj ,,fra ,,giovanni ,,da ,,fiesole 7,,fra ,,angelico7 ,s4 ,stephen ,preaching ,rome3 ,the ,vatican1 ,chapel of ,nicholas ,v #cb ,,leon ,,batista ,,alberti ,facade of ,s4 ,andrea ,mantua #df ,,alesso ,,baldovinetti ,the ,annunciation ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #ef #ff ,,graffione ,the ,trinity ,florence3 ,s4 ,spirito #gj ,,vellano ,,da ,,padova ,jonah ,cast into the ,sea ,padua3 ,s4 ,antonio #gd ,,fra ,,filippo ,,lippi ,the ,virgin ,adoring ,florence3 ,accademia1 #gi #hb ,,fra ,,filippo ,,lippi ,madonna and ,child ,florence3 ,pitti1 #cdc #hf ,,andrea ,,dal ,,castagno ,the ,last ,supper ,florence3 ,s4 ,apollonia #ih ,,domenico ,,viniziano ,madonna and ,child ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #abae #ajd ,,vittore ,,pisanello ,medals3 ,n4 ,piccinino and ,sigismondo ,malatesta ,london3 ,british ,museum #aad ,,benozzo ,,gozzoli ,detail3 ,procession of the ,magi ,florence3 ,palazzo ,riccardi #abj ,,benozzo ,,gozzoli ,the ,death of ,s4 ,augustine ,san ,gimignano3 ,s4 ,agostino #abd ,,lorenzo ,,vecchietto ,the ,risen ,christ ,siena3 ,s4 ,maria della ,scala #acj ,,cosme 7,,cosimo ,,tura7 ,the ,madonna ,enthroned ,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #hf #acf ,,antonio ,,rossellino ,tomb of ,cardinal ,jacopo of ,portugal ,florence3 ,s4 ,miniato #adb ,,bernardo ,,rossellino ,tomb of ,leonardo ,bruni ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce #add ,,desiderio ,,da ,,settignano ,tomb of ,carlo ,marsuppini ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce #adh ,,mino ,,da ,,fiesole ,tomb of ,margrave ,hugo ,florence3 ,la ,badia #aed ,,lorenzo ,,costa ,the ,coronation of the ,virgin ,bologna3 ,s4 ,giovanni in ,monte #afb ,,ercole ,,ferrarese ,the ,israelites ,gathering ,manna ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #abag #afh ,,gentile ,,bellini ,the ,miracle of the ,true ,cross ,venice3 ,accademia1 #efh #agf ,,giovanni ,,bellini ,madonna and ,saints ,venice3 ,s4 ,francesco della ,vigna #ahj ,,cosimo ,,rosselli ,detail3 ,christ ,healing the ,leper ,rome3 ,sistine ,chapel #aij ,,domenico ,,ghirlandajo ,the ,death of ,s4 ,francis ,florence3 ,s4 ,trinita #bbb ,,domenico ,,ghirlandajo ,the ,birth of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist ,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,novella #bbf ,,bastiano ,,mainardi ,the ,madonna giving the ,girdle to ,s4 ,thomas ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce #bcb ,,piero ,,pollaiuolo ,,ss4 ,eustace1 ,james1 and ,vincent ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #acja #bch ,,antonio ,,pollaiuolo ,the ,martyrdom of ,s4 ,sebastian ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #bib #bdb ,,antonio ,,pollaiuolo ,tomb of ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv ,rome3 ,s4 ,peter's #bdb ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,the ,adoration of the ,magi ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abhf #bej ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,the ,calumny of ,apelles ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #aahb #bed ,,benedetto ,,da ,,maiano ,pulpit ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce #beh ,,andrea ,,verrocchio ,david ,florence3 ,bargello #bff ,,andrea ,,verrocchio ,detail3 ,corner and ,foot of the ,medici ,sarcophagus ,florence3 ,s4 ,lorenzo #bgj ,,andrea ,,verrocchio ,statue of ,bartolommeo ,colleoni ,venice3 ,campo ,,ss4 ,giovanni e ,paolo #bgb ,,andrea ,,mantegna ,the ,martyrdom of ,s4 ,james ,padua3 ,eremitani #bgh ,,andrea ,,mantegna ,madonna and ,angels ,milan3 ,brera1 #aih #bhb ,,andrea ,,mantegna ,judith with the ,head of ,holofernes ,dublin3 ,n4 ,g4 #bhf ,,antonio ,,filarete ,,and ,,simone ,,lives ,,of ,,antonio ,,filarete ,,and ,,simone ,,sculptors ,,of ,,florence ,if ,pope ,eugenius ,,iv1 when he resolved to make the bronze door for ,s4 ,pietro in ,rome1 had used diligence in seeking for men of excellence to execute that work 7and he would easily have been able to find them at that time1 when ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco1 ,donatello1 and other rare craftsmen were alive71 it would not have been carried out in the deplorable manner which it reveals to us in our own day4 ,but perchance the same thing happened to him that is very often wont to happen to the greater number of ,princes1 who either have no understanding of such works or take very little delight in them4 ,now1 if they were to consider how important it is to show preference to men of excellence in public works1 by reason of the fame that comes from these1 it is certain that neither they nor their ministers would be so negligent2 for the reason that he who encumbers himself with poor and inept craftsmen ensures but a short life to his works or his fame1 not to mention that injury is done to the public interest and to the age in which he was born1 for it is firmly believed by all who come after1 that1 if there had been better masters to be found in that age1 the ,prince would have availed himself rather of them than of the inept and vulgar4 ,now1 after being created ,pontiff in the year #adca1 ,pope ,eugenius ,,iv1 hearing that the ,florentines were having the doors of ,s4 ,giovanni made by ,lorenzo ,ghiberti1 conceived a wish to try to make one of the doors of ,s4 ,pietro in like manner in bronze4 ,but since he had no knowledge of such works1 he entrusted the matter to his ministers1 with whom ,antonio ,filarete1 then a youth1 and ,simone1 the brother of ,donatello1 both sculptors of ,florence1 had so much interest1 that the work was allotted to them4 ,putting their hands to this1 therefore1 they toiled for twelve years to complete it2 and although ,pope ,eugenius fled from ,rome and was much harassed by reason of the ,councils1 yet those who had charge of ,s4 ,pietro contrived to prevent that work from being abandoned4 ,filarete1 then1 wrought that door in low-relief1 making a simple division1 with two upright figures in each part--namely1 the ,saviour and the ,madonna above1 and ,s4 ,peter and ,s4 ,paul below2 and at the foot of ,s4 ,peter is that ,pope on his knees1 portrayed from life4 ,beneath each figure1 likewise1 there is a little scene from the life of the ,saint that is above2 below ,s4 ,peter1 his crucifixion1 and below ,s4 ,paul1 his beheading2 and beneath the ,saviour and the ,madonna1 also1 some events from their lives4 ,at the foot of the inner side of the said door1 to amuse himself1 ,antonio made a little scene in bronze1 wherein he portrayed himself and ,simone and their disciples going with an ass laden with good cheer to take their pleasure in a vineyard4 ,but since they were not always at work on the said door during the whole of those twelve years1 they also made in ,s4 ,pietro some marble tombs for ,popes and ,cardinals1 which were thrown to the ground in the building of the new church4 ,illustration3 ,,bronze ,,doors 7,after ,antonio ,filarete4 ,rome3 ,s4 ,peter's7 ,alinari ,after these works1 ,antonio was summoned to ,milan by ,duke ,francesco ,sforza1 then ,gonfalonier of ,holy ,church 7who had seen his works in ,rome71 to the end that there might be made with his design1 as it afterwards was1 the ,albergo de' poveri di ,dio1#a which is a hospital that serves for sick men and women1 and for the innocent children born out of wedlock4 ,the division for the men in this place is in the form of a cross1 and extends #afj braccia in all directions2 and that of the women is the same4 ,the width is #af braccia1 and within the four square sides that enclose the crosses of each of these two divisions there are four courtyards surrounded by porticoes1 loggie1 and rooms for the use of the director1 the officials1 the servants1 and the nurses of the hospital1 all very commodious and useful4 ,on one side there is a channel with water continually running for the service of the hospital and for grinding corn1 with no small benefit and convenience for that place1 as all may imagine4 ,between the two divisions of the hospital there is a cloister1 #hj braccia in extent in one direction and #afj in the other1 in the middle of which is the church1 so contrived as to serve for both divisions4 ,in a word1 this place is so well built and designed1 that ,i do not believe that there is its like in ,europe4 ,according to the account of ,filarete himself1 the first stone of this building was laid with a solemn procession of the whole of the clergy of ,milan1 in the presence of ,duke ,francesco ,sforza1 the ,lady ,bianca ,maria1 and all their children1 with the ,marquis of ,mantua1 the ,ambassador of ,king ,alfonso of ,arragon1 and many other lords4 ,on the first stone which was laid in the foundations1 as well as on the medals1 were these words3 ,,franciscus ,,sfortia ,,dux ,,iv1 ,,qui ,,amissum ,,per ,,praecessorum ,,obitum ,,urbis ,,imperium ,,recuperavit1 ,,hoc ,,munus ,,christi ,,pauperibus ,,dedit ,,fundavitque ,,mcccclvii1 ,,die ,,xii ,,april4 ,these scenes were afterwards depicted on the portico by ,maestro ,vincenzio di ,zoppa1 a ,lombard1 since no better master could be found in those parts4 ,a work by the same ,antonio1 likewise1 was the principal church of ,bergamo1 which he built with no less diligence and judgment than he had shown in the above-named hospital4 ,and because he also took delight in writing1 the while that these works of his were in progress he wrote a book divided into three parts4 ,in the first he treats of the measurements of all edifices1 and of all that is necessary for the purpose of building4 ,in the second he speaks of the methods of building1 and of the manner wherein a most beautiful and most convenient city might be laid out4 ,in the third he invents new forms of buildings1 mingling the ancient with the modern4 ,the whole work is divided into twenty-four books1 illustrated throughout by drawings from his own hand2 but1 although there is something of the good to be found in it1 it is nevertheless mostly ridiculous1 and perhaps the most stupid book that was ever written4 ,it was dedicated by him in the year #adfd to the ,magnificent ,piero di ,cosimo de' ,medici1 and it is now in the collection of the most ,illustrious ,lord ,duke ,cosimo4 ,and in truth1 since he put himself to so great pains1 the book might be commended in some sort1 if he had at least made some records of the masters of his day and of their works2 but as there are few to be found therein1 and those few are scattered throughout the book without method and in the least suitable places1 he has toiled only to beggar himself1 as the saying goes1 and to be thought a man of little judgment for meddling with something that he did not understand4 ,but ,i have said quite enough about ,filarete1 and it is now time to turn to ,simone1 the brother of ,donato4 ,this man1 after the work of the door1 made the bronze tomb of ,pope ,martin4 ,he likewise made some castings that were sent to ,france1 of many of which the fate is not known4 ,for the ,church of the ,ermini1 in the ,canto alla ,macine in ,florence1 he wrought a life-size ,crucifix for carrying in processions1 and to render it the lighter he made it of cork4 ,in ,s4 ,felicita he made a terra-cotta figure of ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene in ,penitence1 three braccia and a half in height and beautifully proportioned1 and revealing the muscles in such a manner as to show that he had a very good knowledge of anatomy4 ,he also wrought a marble tombstone for the ,company of the ,nunziata in the ,church of the ,servi1 inlaying it with a figure in grey and white marble in the manner of a painting 7which was much extolled71 like the work already mentioned as having been done by the ,sienese ,duccio in the ,duomo of ,siena4 ,at ,prato he made the bronze grille for the ,chapel of the ,girdle4 ,at ,forli1 over the door of the ,canon's house1 he wrought a ,madonna with two angels in low-relief2 and he adorned the ,chapel of the ,trinita in ,s4 ,francesco with work in half-relief for ,messer ,giovanni da ,riolo4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco at ,rimini1 for ,sigismondo ,malatesti1 he built the ,chapel of ,s4 ,sigismondo1 wherein there are many elephants1 the device of that lord1 carved in marble4 ,to ,messer ,bartolommeo ,scamisci1 ,canon of the ,pieve of ,arezzo1 he sent a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 made of terra-cotta1 with certain angels in half-relief1 very well executed2 which ,madonna is now in the said ,pieve1 set up against a column4 ,for the baptismal font of the ,vescovado of ,arezzo1 likewise1 he wrought1 in some scenes in low-relief1 a ,christ being baptized by ,s4 ,john4 ,in the ,church of the ,nunziata in ,florence he made a marble tomb for ,messer ,orlando de' ,medici4 ,finally1 at the age of fifty-five1 he rendered up his spirit to ,god who had given it to him4 ,nor was it long before ,filarete1 having returned to ,rome1 died at the age of sixty-nine1 and was buried in the ,minerva1 where he had caused ,giovanni ,foccora1 a painter of no small repute1 to make a portrait of ,pope ,eugenius1 while he was staying in ,rome in the service of that ,pontiff4 ,the portrait of ,antonio1 by his own hand1 is at the beginning of his book1 where he gives instructions for building4 ,his disciples were ,varrone and ,niccolo1 both ,florentines1 who made the marble statue for ,pope ,pius ,,ii near ,pontemolle1 at the time when he brought the head of ,s4 ,andrew to ,rome4 ,by order of the same ,pope they restored ,tigoli almost from the foundations2 and in ,s4 ,pietro they made the ornament of marble that is above the columns of the chapel wherein the said head of ,s4 ,andrew is preserved4 ,near that chapel is the tomb of the said ,pope ,pius1 made by ,pasquino da ,montepulciano1 a disciple of ,filarete1 and ,bernardo ,ciuffagni4 ,this ,bernardo wrought a tomb of marble for ,gismondo ,malatesti in ,s4 ,francesco at ,rimini1 making his portrait there from nature2 and he also executed some works1 so it is said1 in ,lucca and in ,mantua4 ,illustration3 ,,vincenzio ,,di ,,zoppa 7,,foppa73 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,settignano3 ,berenson ,collection4 ,panel7 ,illustration3 ,,tomb ,,of ,,pope ,,martin ,v 7,after the bronze relief by ,simone4 ,rome3 ,s4 ,giovanni in ,laterano7 ,anderson ,,footnote3 #a ,literally1 ,hospice for ,god's poor4 ,,giuliano ,,da ,,maiano ,,life ,,of ,,giuliano ,,da ,,maiano ,,sculptor ,,and ,,architect ,no small error do those fathers of families make who do not allow the minds of their children to run the natural course in their childhood1 and do not suffer them to follow the calling that is most in accordance with their taste2 for to try to turn them to something for which they have no inclination is manifestly to prevent them from ever being excellent in anything1 because we almost always find that those who labour at something that they do not like make little progress in any occupation whatsoever4 ,on the other hand1 those who follow the instinct of nature generally become excellent and famous in the arts that they pursue2 as was seen clearly in ,giuliano da ,maiano4 ,the father of this man1 after living a long time on the hill of ,fiesole1 in the part called ,maiano1 working at the trade of stone-cutter1 finally betook himself to ,florence1 where he opened a shop for the sale of dressed stone1 keeping it furnished with the sort of work that is apt very often to be called for without warning by those who are erecting some building4 ,living in ,florence1 then1 there was born to him a son1 ,giuliano1 whom his father1 growing convinced in the course of time that he had a good intelligence1 proposed to make into a notary1 for it appeared to him that his own occupation of stone-cutting was too laborious and too unprofitable an exercise4 ,but this did not come to pass1 because1 although ,giuliano went to a grammar-school for a little1 his thoughts were never there1 and in consequence he made no progress2 nay1 he played truant very often1 and showed that he had his mind wholly set on sculpture1 although at first he applied himself to the calling of joiner and also gave attention to drawing4 ,it is said that in company with ,giusto and ,minore1 masters of tarsia1#b he wrought the seats of the ,sacristy of the ,nunziata1 and likewise those of the choir that is beside the chapel1 and many things in the ,badia of ,florence and in ,s4 ,marco2 and that1 having acquired a name through these works1 he was summoned to ,pisa1 in the ,duomo of which he wrought the seat that is beside the high-altar1 in which the priest1 the deacon1 and the sub-deacon sit when ,mass is being sung2 making in tarsia on the back of this seat1 with tinted and shaded woods1 the three prophets that are seen therein4 ,in this work he availed himself of ,guido del ,servellino and ,maestro ,domenico di ,mariotto1 joiners of ,pisa1 to whom he taught the art so well that they afterwards wrought the greater part of that choir both with carvings and with tarsia-work2 which choir has been finished in our own day1 with a manner no little better1 by ,batista del ,cervelliera of ,pisa1 a man truly ingenious and fanciful4 ,but to return to ,giuliano2 he made the presses of the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 which were held at that time to be admirable examples of tarsia and inlaid-work4 ,now1 while ,giuliano thus continued to devote himself to tarsia1 to sculpture1 and to architecture1 ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco died2 whereupon1 being chosen by the ,wardens of ,works to succeed him1 he made the borders1 incrusted with black and white marble1 which are round the circular windows below the vault of the cupola2 and at the corners he placed the marble pilasters on which ,baccio d',agnolo afterwards laid the architrave1 frieze1 and cornice1 as will be told below4 ,it is true that1 as it appears from some designs by his hand that are in our book1 he wished to make another arrangement of frieze1 cornice1 and gallery1 with pediments on each of the eight sides of the cupola2 but he had not time to put this into execution1 for1 being carried away by an excess of work from one day to another1 he died4 ,before this happened1 however1 he went to ,naples and designed the architecture of the magnificent ,palace at ,poggio ,reale for ,king ,alfonso1 with the beautiful fountains and conduits that are in the courtyard4 ,in the city1 likewise1 he made designs for many fountains1 some for the houses of noblemen and some for public squares1 with beautiful and fanciful inventions2 and he had the said ,palace of ,poggio ,reale all wrought with paintings by ,piero del ,donzello and his brother ,polito4 ,working in sculpture1 likewise1 for the said ,king ,alfonso1 then ,duke of ,calabria1 he wrought scenes in low-relief over a door 7both within and without7 in the great hall of the ,castle of ,naples2 and he made a marble gate for the castle after the ,corinthian ,order1 with an infinite number of figures1 giving to that work the form of a triumphal arch1 on which stories from the life of that ,king and some of his victories are carved in marble4 ,giuliano also wrought the decorations of the ,porta ,capovana1 making therein many varied and beautiful trophies2 wherefore he well deserved that great love should be felt for him by that ,king1 who1 rewarding him liberally for his labours1 enriched his descendants4 ,giuliano had taught to his nephew ,benedetto the arts of tarsia and architecture1 and something about working in marble2 and ,benedetto was living in ,florence1 devoting himself to working at tarsia1 because this brought him greater gains than the other arts did4 ,now ,giuliano was summoned to ,rome by ,messer ,antonio ,rosello of ,arezzo1 ,secretary to ,pope ,paul ,,ii1 to enter the service of that ,pontiff4 ,having gone thither1 he designed the loggie of travertine in the first court of the ,palace of ,s4 ,pietro1 with three ranges of columns1 of which the first is on the lowest floor1 where there are now the ,signet ,office and other offices2 the second is above this1 where the ,datary and other prelates live2 and the third and last is where those rooms are that look out on the court of ,s4 ,pietro1 which he adorned with gilded ceilings and other ornaments4 ,from his design1 likewise1 were made the marble loggie from which the ,pope gives his benediction--a very great work1 as may still be seen to-day4 ,but the most stupendous and marvellous work that he made was the palace that he built for that ,pope1 together with the ,church of ,s4 ,marco in ,rome1 for which there was used an infinite quantity of travertine blocks1 said to have been excavated from certain vineyards near the ,arch of ,constantine1 where they served as buttresses for the foundations of that part of the ,colosseum which is now in ruins1 perchance because of the weakening of that edifice4 ,giuliano was sent by the same ,pontiff to the ,madonna of ,loreto1 where he rebuilt the foundations and greatly enlarged the body of the church1 which had formerly been small and built over piers in rustic-work4 ,he did not go higher than the string-course that was there already2 but he summoned his nephew ,benedetto to that place1 and he1 as will be told1 afterwards raised the cupola4 ,being then forced to return to ,naples in order to finish the works that he had begun1 ,giuliano received a commission from ,king ,alfonso for a gate near the castle1 which was to include more than eighty figures1 which ,benedetto had to execute in ,florence2 but the whole remained unfinished by reason of the death of that ,king4 ,there are still some relics of these figures in the ,misericordia in ,florence1 and there were others in our own day in the ,canto alla ,macine2 but ,i do not know where these are now to be found4 ,before the death of the ,king1 however1 ,giuliano died in ,naples at the age of seventy1 and was greatly honoured with rich obsequies2 for the ,king had fifty men clothed in mourning1 who accompanied ,giuliano to the grave1 and then he gave orders that a marble tomb should be made for him4 ,the continuation of his work was left to ,polito1 who completed the conduits for the waters of ,poggio ,reale4 ,benedetto1 devoting himself afterwards to sculpture1 surpassed his uncle ,giuliano in excellence1 as will be told2 and in his youth he was the rival of a sculptor named ,modanino da ,modena1 who worked in terra-cotta1 and who wrought for the said ,alfonso a ,pieta with an infinite number of figures in the round1 made of terra-cotta and coloured1 which were executed with very great vivacity1 and were placed by the ,king in the ,church of ,monte ,oliveto1 a very highly honoured monastery in the city of ,naples4 ,in this work the said ,king is portrayed on his knees1 and he appears truly more than alive2 wherefore ,modanino was remunerated by him with very great rewards4 ,but when the ,king died1 as it has been said1 ,polito and ,benedetto returned to ,florence2 where1 no long time after1 ,polito followed ,giuliano into eternity4 ,the sculptures and pictures of these men date about the year of our salvation #addg4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,sebastian 7,after the marble by ,benedetto da ,maiano4 ,florence3 ,oratorio della ,misericordia7 ,alinari ,,footnote3 #b ,inlaying with various kinds of coloured wood4 ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca ,,life ,,of ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca ,,piero ,,borghese ,,painter ,,of ,,borgo ,a ,,san ,,sepolcro ,truly unhappy are those who1 labouring at their studies in order to benefit others and to make their own name famous1 are hindered by infirmity and sometimes by death from carrying to perfection the works that they have begun4 ,and it happens very often that1 leaving them all but finished or in a fair way to completion1 they are falsely claimed by the presumption of those who seek to conceal their asses' skin under the honourable spoils of the lion4 ,and although time1 who is called the father of truth1 sooner or later makes manifest the real state of things1 it is none the less true that for a certain space of time the true craftsman is robbed of the honour that is due to his labours2 as happened to ,piero della ,francesca of ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro4 ,he1 having been held a rare master of the difficulties of drawing regular bodies1 as well as of arithmetic and geometry1 was yet not able--being overtaken in his old age by the infirmity of blindness1 and finally by the close of his life--to bring to light his noble labours and the many books written by him1 which are still preserved in the ,borgo1 his native place4 ,the very man who should have striven with all his might to increase the glory and fame of ,piero1 from whom he had learnt all that he knew1 was impious and malignant enough to seek to blot out the name of his teacher1 and to usurp for himself the honour that was due to the other1 publishing under his own name1 ,fra ,luca dal ,borgo1 all the labours of that good old man1 who1 besides the sciences named above1 was excellent in painting4 ,piero was born in ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro1 which is now a city1 although it was not one then2 and he was called ,della ,francesca after the name of his mother1 because she had been left pregnant with him at the death of her husband1 his father1 and because it was she who had brought him up and assisted him to attain to the rank that his good-fortune held out to him4 ,piero applied himself in his youth to mathematics1 and although it was settled when he was fifteen years of age that he was to be a painter1 he never abandoned this study2 nay1 he made marvellous progress therein1 as well as in painting4 ,he was employed by ,guidobaldo ,feltro the elder1 ,duke of ,urbino1 for whom he made many very beautiful pictures with little figures1 which have been for the most part ruined on the many occasions when that state has been harassed by wars4 ,nevertheless1 there were preserved there some of his writings on geometry and perspective1 in which sciences he was not inferior to any man of his own time1 or perchance even to any man of any other time2 as is demonstrated by all his works1 which are full of perspectives1 and particularly by a vase drawn in squares and sides1 in such a manner that the base and the mouth can be seen from the front1 from behind1 and from the sides2 which is certainly a marvellous thing1 for he drew the smallest details therein with great subtlety1 and foreshortened the curves of all the circles with much grace4 ,having thus acquired credit and fame at that ,court1 he resolved to make himself known in other places2 wherefore he went to ,pesaro and ,ancona1 whence1 in the very thick of his work1 he was summoned by ,duke ,borso to ,ferrara1 where he painted many apartments in his palace1 which were afterwards destroyed by ,duke ,ercole the elder in the renovation of the palace1 insomuch that there is nothing by the hand of ,piero left in that city1 save a chapel wrought in fresco in ,s4 ,agostino2 and even that has been injured by damp4 ,afterwards1 being summoned to ,rome1 he painted two scenes for ,pope ,nicholas ,v in the upper rooms of his palace1 in competition with ,bramante da ,milano2 but these also were thrown to the ground by ,pope ,julius ,,ii--to the end that ,raffaello da ,urbino might paint there the ,imprisonment of ,s4 ,peter and the ,miracle of the ,corporale of ,bolsena--together with certain others that had been painted by ,bramantino1 an excellent painter in his day4 ,illustration3 ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca3 ,,battista ,,sforza1 ,,wife ,,of ,,federigo ,,da ,,montefeltro 7,florence3 ,uffizi1 #acjj4 ,panel7 ,now1 seeing that ,i cannot write the life of this man1 nor particularize his works1 because they have been ruined1 ,i will not grudge the labour of making some record of him1 for it seems an apt occasion4 ,in the said works that were thrown to the ground1 so ,i have heard tell1 he had made some heads from nature1 so beautiful and so well executed that speech alone was wanting to give them life4 ,of these heads not a few have come to light1 because ,raffaello da ,urbino had them copied in order that he might have the likenesses of the subjects1 who were all people of importance2 for among them were ,niccolo ,fortebraccio1 ,charles ,,vii1 ,king of ,france1 ,antonio ,colonna1 ,prince of ,salerno1 ,francesco ,carmignuola1 ,giovanni ,vitellesco1 ,cardinal ,bessarione1 ,francesco ,spinola1 and ,battista da ,canneto4 ,all these portraits were given to ,giovio by ,giulio ,romano1 disciple and heir of ,raffaello da ,urbino1 and they were placed by ,giovio in his museum at ,como4 ,over the door of ,s4 ,sepolcro in ,milan ,i have seen a ,dead ,christ wrought in foreshortening by the hand of the same man1 in which1 although the whole picture is not more than one braccio in height1 there is an effect of infinite length1 executed with facility and with judgment4 ,by his hand1 also1 are some apartments and loggie in the house of the ,marchesino ,ostanesia in the same city1 wherein there are many pictures wrought by him that show mastery and very great power in the foreshortening of the figures4 ,and without the ,porta ,vercellina1 near the ,castle1 in certain stables now ruined and destroyed1 he painted some grooms currying horses1 among which there was one so lifelike and so well wrought1 that another horse1 thinking it a real one1 lashed out at it repeatedly with its hooves4 ,illustration3 ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca3 ,,federigo ,,da ,,montefeltro1 ,,duke ,,of ,,urbino 7,florence3 ,uffizi1 #acjj4 ,panel7 ,but to return to ,piero della ,francesca2 his work in ,rome finished1 he returned to the ,borgo1 where his mother had just died2 and on the inner side of the central door of the ,pieve he painted two saints in fresco1 which are held to be very beautiful4 ,in the ,convent of the ,friars of ,s4 ,augustine he painted the panel of the high-altar1 which was a thing much extolled2 and he wrought in fresco a ,madonna della ,misericordia for a company1 or rather1 as they call it1 a confraternity2 with a ,resurrection of ,christ in the ,palazzo de' ,conservadori1 which is held the best of all the works that are in the said city1 and the best that he ever made4 ,in company with ,domenico da ,vinezia1 he painted the beginning of a work on the vaulting of the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,maria at ,loreto2 but they left it unfinished from fear of plague1 and it was afterwards completed by ,luca da ,cortona1#c a disciple of ,piero1 as will be told in the proper place4 ,going from ,loreto to ,arezzo1 ,piero painted for ,luigi ,bacci1 a citizen of ,arezzo1 the ,chapel of the ,high-altar of ,s4 ,francesco1 belonging to that family1 the vaulting of which had been already begun by ,lorenzo di ,bicci4 ,in this work there are ,stories of the ,cross1 from that wherein the sons of ,adam are burying him and placing under his tongue the seed of the tree from which there came the wood for the said ,cross1 down to the ,exaltation of the ,cross itself performed by the ,emperor ,heraclius1 who1 walking barefoot and carrying it on his shoulder1 is entering with it into ,jerusalem4 ,here there are many beautiful conceptions and attitudes worthy to be extolled2 such as1 for example1 the garments of the women of the ,queen of ,sheba1 executed in a sweet and novel manner2 many most lifelike portraits from nature of ancient persons2 a row of ,corinthian columns1 divinely well proportioned2 and a peasant who1 leaning with his hands on his spade1 stands listening to the words of ,s4 ,helena--while the three ,crosses are being disinterred--with so great attention1 that it would not be possible to improve it4 ,very well wrought1 also1 is the dead body that is restored to life at the touch of the ,cross1 together with the joy of ,s4 ,helena and the marvelling of the bystanders1 who are kneeling in adoration4 ,but above every other consideration1 whether of imagination or of art1 is his painting of ,night1 with an angel in foreshortening who is flying with his head downwards1 bringing the sign of victory to ,constantine1 who is sleeping in a pavilion1 guarded by a chamberlain and some men-at-arms who are seen dimly through the darkness of the night2 and with his own light the angel illuminates the pavilion1 the men-at-arms1 and all the surroundings4 ,this is done with very great thought1 for ,piero gives us to know in this darkness how important it is to copy things as they are and to ever take them from the true model2 which he did so well that he enabled the moderns to attain1 by following him1 to that supreme perfection wherein art is seen in our own time4 ,in this same story he represented most successfully in a battle fear1 animosity1 dexterity1 vehemence1 and all the other emotions that can be imagined in men who are fighting1 and likewise all the incidents of battle1 together with an almost incredible carnage1 what with the wounded1 the fallen1 and the dead4 ,in these ,piero counterfeited in fresco the glittering of their arms1 for which he deserves no less praise than he does for the flight and submersion of ,maxentius painted on the other wall1 wherein he made a group of horses in foreshortening1 so marvellously executed that they can be truly called too beautiful and too excellent for those times4 ,in the same story he made a man1 half nude and half clothed in the dress of a ,saracen1 riding a lean horse1 which reveals a very great mastery of anatomy1 a science little known in his age4 ,for this work1 therefore1 he well deserved to be richly rewarded by ,luigi ,bacci1 whom he portrayed there in the scene of the beheading of a ,king1 together with ,carlo and others of his brothers and many ,aretines who were then distinguished in letters2 and to be loved and revered ever afterwards1 as he was1 in that city1 which he had made so illustrious with his works4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,resurrection 7,after the fresco by ,piero della ,francesca4 ,borgo ,san ,sepolchro7 ,alinari ,in the ,vescovado of the same city1 also1 he made a ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene in fresco beside the door of the sacristy2 and for the ,company of the ,nunziata he painted the banner that is carried in processions4 ,at the head of a cloister at ,s4 ,maria delle ,grazie1 without that district1 he painted ,s4 ,donatus in his robes1 seated in a chair drawn in perspective1 together with certain boys2 and in a niche high up on a wall of ,s4 ,bernardo1 for the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 he made a ,s4 ,vincent1 which is much esteemed by craftsmen4 ,in a chapel at ,sargiano1 a seat of the ,frati ,zoccolanti di ,s4 ,francesco1 without ,arezzo1 he painted a very beautiful ,christ praying by night in the ,garden4 ,in ,perugia1 also1 he wrought many works that are still to be seen in that city2 as1 for example1 a panel in distemper in the ,church of the ,nuns of ,s4 ,anthony of ,padua1 containing a ,madonna with the ,child in her lap1 ,s4 ,francis1 ,s4 ,elizabeth1 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 and ,s4 ,anthony of ,padua4 ,above these is a most beautiful ,annunciation1 with an ,angel that seems truly to have come out of ,heaven2 and1 what is more1 a row of columns diminishing in perspective1 which is indeed beautiful4 ,in the predella there are scenes with little figures1 representing ,s4 ,anthony restoring a boy to life2 ,s4 ,elizabeth saving a child that has fallen into a well2 and ,s4 ,francis receiving the ,stigmata4 ,in ,s4 ,ciriaco at ,ancona1 on the altar of ,s4 ,giuseppe1 he painted a most beautiful scene of the ,marriage of ,our ,lady4 ,piero1 as it has been said1 was a very zealous student of art1 and gave no little attention to perspective2 and he had a very good knowledge of ,euclid1 insomuch that he understood all the best curves drawn in regular bodies better than any other geometrician1 and the clearest elucidations of these matters that we have are from his hand4 ,now ,maestro ,luca dal ,borgo1 a friar of ,s4 ,francis1 who wrote about the regular geometrical bodies1 was his pupil2 and when ,piero1 after having written many books1 grew old and finally died1 the said ,maestro ,luca1 claiming the authorship of these books1 had them printed as his own1 for they had fallen into his hands after the death of ,piero4 ,piero was much given to making models in clay1 on which he spread wet draperies with an infinity of folds1 in order to make use of them for drawing4 ,a disciple of ,piero was ,lorentino d',angelo of ,arezzo1 who made many pictures in ,arezzo1 imitating his manner1 and completed those that ,piero1 overtaken by death1 left unfinished4 ,near the ,s4 ,donatus that ,piero wrought in the ,madonna delle ,grazie1 ,lorentino painted in fresco some stories of ,s4 ,donatus1 with very many works in many other places both in that city and in the district1 partly because he would never stay idle1 and partly to assist his family1 which was then very poor4 ,in the said ,church of the ,grazie the same man painted a scene wherein ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv1 between the ,cardinal of ,mantua and ,cardinal ,piccolomini 7who was afterwards ,pope ,pius ,,iii71 is granting an indulgence to that place2 in which scene ,lorentino portrayed from the life1 on their knees1 ,tommaso ,marzi1 ,piero ,traditi1 ,donato ,rosselli1 and ,giuliano ,nardi1 all citizens of ,arezzo and ,wardens of ,works for that building4 ,in the hall of the ,palazzo de' ,priori1 moreover1 he portrayed from the life ,cardinal ,galeotto da ,pietramala1 ,bishop ,guglielmino degli ,ubertini1 and ,messer ,angelo ,albergotti1 ,doctor of ,laws2 and he made many other works1 which are scattered throughout that city4 ,illustration3 ,,piero ,,della ,,francesca3 ,,the ,,baptism ,,in ,,jordan 7,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #ffe4 ,panel7 ,it is said that once1 when the ,carnival was close at hand1 the children of ,lorentino kept beseeching him to kill a pig1 as it is the custom to do in that district2 and that1 since he had not the means to buy one1 they would say1 ,what will you do about buying a pig1 father1 if you have no money8 ,to which ,lorentino would answer1 ,some ,saint will help us4 ,but when he had said this many times and the season was passing by without any pig appearing1 they had lost hope1 when at length there arrived a peasant from the ,pieve a ,quarto1 who wished to have a ,s4 ,martin painted in fulfilment of a vow1 but had no means of paying for the picture save a pig1 which was worth five lire4 ,this man1 coming to ,lorentino1 told him that he wished to have the ,s4 ,martin painted1 but that he had no means of payment save the pig4 ,whereupon they came to an agreement1 and ,lorentino painted him the ,saint1 while the peasant brought him the pig2 and so the ,saint provided the pig for the poor children of this painter4 ,another disciple of ,piero was ,pietro da ,castel della ,pieve1#d who painted an arch above ,s4 ,agostino1 and a ,s4 ,urban for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,caterina in ,arezzo1 which has been thrown to the ground in rebuilding the church4 ,his pupil1 likewise1 was ,luca ,signorelli of ,cortona1 who did him more honour than all the others4 ,piero ,borghese1 whose pictures date about the year #adeh1 became blind through an attack of catarrh at the age of sixty1 and lived thus up to the eighty-sixth year of his life4 ,he left very great possessions in the ,borgo1 with some houses that he had built himself1 which were burnt and destroyed in the strife of factions in the year #aecf4 ,he was honourably buried by his fellow-citizens in the principal church1 which formerly belonged to the ,order of ,camaldoli1 and is now the ,vescovado4 ,piero's books are for the most part in the library of ,frederick ,,ii1 ,duke of ,urbino1 and they are such that they have deservedly acquired for him the name of the best geometrician of his time4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,,constantine 7,after the fresco by ,piero della ,francesca4 ,arezzo3 ,s4 ,francesco7 ,alinari ,,footnotes3 #c ,luca ,signorelli4 #d ,pietro ,perugino4 ,,fra ,,giovanni ,,da ,,fiesole ,,fra ,,giovanni ,,da ,,fiesole ,,fra ,,angelico ,,painter ,,of ,,the ,,order ,,of ,,preaching ,,friars ,fra ,giovanni ,angelico da ,fiesole1 who was known in the world as ,guido1 was no less excellent as painter and illuminator than he was upright as churchman1 and for both one and the other of these reasons he deserves that most honourable record should be made of him4 ,this man1 although he could have lived in the world with the greatest comfort1 and could have gained whatever he wished1 besides what he possessed1 by means of those arts1 of which he had a very good knowledge even in his youth1 yet resolved1 for his own peace and satisfaction1 being by nature serious and upright1 and above all in order to save his soul1 to take the vows of the ,order of ,preaching ,friars2 for the reason that1 although it is possible to serve ,god in all walks of life1 nevertheless it appears to some men that they can gain salvation in monasteries better than in the world4 ,now in proportion as this plan succeeds happily for good men1 so1 on the contrary1 it has a truly miserable and unhappy issue for a man who takes the vows with some other end in view4 ,there are some choral books illuminated by the hand of ,fra ,giovanni in his ,convent of ,s4 ,marco in ,florence1 so beautiful that words are not able to describe them2 and similar to these are some others that he left in ,s4 ,domenico da ,fiesole1 wrought with incredible diligence4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that in making these he was assisted by an elder brother1 who was likewise an illuminator and well practised in painting4 ,one of the first works in painting wrought by this good father was a panel in the ,certosa of ,florence1 which was placed in the principal chapel 7belonging to ,cardinal ,acciaiuoli72 in which panel is a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 and with certain very beautiful angels at her feet1 sounding instruments and singing2 at the sides are ,s4 ,laurence1 ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene1 ,s4 ,zanobi1 and ,s4 ,benedict2 and in the predella are little stories of these ,saints1 wrought in little figures with infinite diligence4 ,in the cross of the said chapel are two other panels by the hand of the same man2 one containing the ,coronation of ,our ,lady1 and the other a ,madonna with two saints1 wrought with most beautiful ultramarine blues4 ,afterwards1 in the tramezzo#e of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 beside the door opposite to the choir1 he painted in fresco ,s4 ,dominic1 ,s4 ,catherine of ,siena1 and ,s4 ,peter ,martyr2 and some little scenes in the ,chapel of the ,coronation of ,our ,lady in the said tramezzo4 ,on canvas1 fixed to the doors that closed the old organ1 he painted an ,annunciation1 which is now in the convent1 opposite to the door of the lower dormitory1 between one cloister and the other4 ,this father was so greatly beloved for his merits by ,cosimo de' ,medici1 that1 after completing the construction of the ,church and ,convent of ,s4 ,marco1 he caused him to paint the whole ,passion of ,jesus ,christ on a wall in the chapter-house2 and on one side all the ,saints who have been heads and founders of religious bodies1 mourning and weeping at the foot of the ,cross1 and on the other side ,s4 ,mark the ,evangelist beside the ,mother of the ,son of ,god1 who has swooned at the sight of the ,saviour of the world ,crucified1 while round her are the ,maries1 all grieving and supporting her1 with ,s4 ,cosimo and ,s4 ,damiano4 ,it is said that in the figure of ,s4 ,cosimo ,fra ,giovanni portrayed from the life ,nanni d' ,antonio di ,banco1 a sculptor and his friend4 ,below this work1 in a frieze above the panelling1 he made a tree with ,s4 ,dominic at the foot of it1 and1 in certain medallions encircled by the branches1 all the ,popes1 ,cardinals1 ,bishops1 ,saints1 and ,masters of ,theology whom his ,order of ,preaching ,friars had produced up to that time4 ,in this work he made many portraits from nature1 being assisted by the friars1 who sent for them to various places2 and they were the following3 ,s4 ,dominic in the middle1 grasping the branches of the tree2 ,pope ,innocent ,v1 a ,frenchman2 the ,blessed ,ugone1 first ,cardinal of that ,order2 the ,blessed ,paolo1 ,florentine and ,patriarch2 ,s4 ,antonino1 ,archbishop of ,florence2 the ,blessed ,giordano1 a ,german1 and the second ,general of that ,order2 the ,blessed ,niccolo2 the ,blessed ,remigio1 a ,florentine2 and the martyr ,boninsegno1 a ,florentine2 all these are on the right hand4 ,on the left are ,benedict ,,ii#f of ,treviso2 ,giandomenico1 a ,florentine ,cardinal2 ,pietro da ,palude1 ,patriarch of ,jerusalem2 ,alberto ,magno1 a ,german2 the ,blessed ,raimondo di ,catalonia1 third ,general of the ,order2 the ,blessed ,chiaro1 a ,florentine1 and ,provincial of ,rome2 ,s4 ,vincenzio di ,valenza2 and the ,blessed ,bernardo1 a ,florentine4 ,all these heads are truly gracious and very beautiful4 ,then1 over certain lunettes in the first cloister1 he made many very beautiful figures in fresco1 and a ,crucifix with ,s4 ,dominic at the foot1 which is much extolled2 and in the dormitory1 besides many other things throughout the cells and on the surface of the walls1 he painted a story from the ,new ,testament1 of a beauty beyond the power of words to describe4 ,particularly beautiful and marvellous is the panel of the high-altar of that church2 for1 besides the fact that the ,madonna rouses all who see her to devotion by her simplicity1 and that the ,saints that surround her are like her in this1 the predella1 in which there are stories of the martyrdom of ,s4 ,cosimo1 ,s4 ,damiano1 and others1 is so well painted1 that one cannot imagine it possible ever to see a work executed with greater diligence1 or little figures more delicate or better conceived than these are4 ,in ,s4 ,domenico da ,fiesole1 likewise1 he painted the panel of the high-altar1 which has been retouched by other masters and injured1 perchance because it appeared to be spoiling4 ,but the predella and the ,ciborium of the ,sacrament have remained in better preservation2 and the innumerable little figures that are to be seen there1 in a ,celestial ,glory1 are so beautiful1 that they appear truly to belong to ,paradise1 nor can any man who approaches them ever have his fill of gazing on them4 ,in a chapel of the same church is a panel by his hand1 containing the ,annunciation of ,our ,lady by the ,angel ,gabriel1 with features in profile1 so devout1 so delicate1 and so well executed1 that they appear truly to have been made rather in ,paradise than by the hand of man2 and in the landscape at the back are ,adam and ,eve1 because of whom the ,redeemer was born from the ,virgin4 ,in the predella1 also1 there are some very beautiful little scenes4 ,but superior to all the other works that ,fra ,giovanni made1 and the one wherein he surpassed himself and gave supreme proof of his talent and of his knowledge of art1 was a panel that is beside the door of the same church1 on the left hand as one enters1 wherein ,jesus ,christ is crowning ,our ,lady in the midst of a choir of angels and among an infinite multitude of saints1 both male and female1 so many in number1 so well wrought1 and with such variety in the attitudes and in the expressions of the heads1 that incredible pleasure and sweetness are felt in gazing at them2 nay1 one is persuaded that those blessed spirits cannot look otherwise in ,heaven1 or1 to speak more exactly1 could not if they had bodies2 for not only are all these saints1 both male and female1 full of life and sweet and delicate in expression1 but the whole colouring of that work appears to be by the hand of a saint or an angel like themselves2 wherefore it was with very good reason that this excellent monk was ever called ,fra ,giovanni ,angelico4 ,moreover1 the stories of the ,madonna and of ,s4 ,dominic in the predella are divine in their own kind2 and ,i1 for one1 can declare with truth that ,i never see this work without thinking it something new1 and that ,i never leave it sated4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,nunziata in ,florence which ,piero di ,cosimo de' ,medici caused to be built1 he painted the doors of the press 7in which the silver is kept7 with little figures executed with much diligence4 ,this father painted so many pictures1 now to be found in the houses of ,florentine citizens1 that ,i sometimes stand marvelling how one single man could execute so much work to such perfection1 even in the space of many years4 ,the ,very ,reverend ,don ,vincenzio ,borghini1 ,director of the ,hospital of the ,innocenti1 has a very beautiful little ,madonna by the hand of this father2 and ,bartolommeo ,gondi1 as devoted a lover of these arts as any gentleman that one could think of1 has a large picture1 a small one1 and a ,crucifix1 all by the same hand4 ,the pictures that are in the arch over the door of ,s4 ,domenico are also by the same man2 and in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,trinita there is a panel containing a ,deposition from the ,cross1 into which he put so great diligence1 that it can be numbered among the best works that he ever made4 ,in ,s4 ,francesco1 without the ,porta a ,s4 ,miniato1 there is an ,annunciation2 and in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 besides the works already named1 he painted with little scenes the ,paschal candle and some ,reliquaries which are placed on the altar in the most solemn ceremonies4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,transfiguration 7,after the fresco by ,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole ,fra ,angelico4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,marco7 ,anderson ,over a door of the cloister of the ,badia in the same city he painted a ,s4 ,benedict1 who is making a sign enjoining silence4 ,for the ,linen-manufacturers he painted a panel that is in the ,office of their ,guild2 and in ,cortona he painted a little arch over the door of the church of his ,order1 and likewise the panel of the high-altar4 ,at ,orvieto1 on a part of the vaulting of the ,chapel of the ,madonna in the ,duomo1 he began certain prophets1 which were finished afterwards by ,luca da ,cortona4 ,for the ,company of the ,temple in ,florence he painted a ,dead ,christ on a panel2 and in the ,church of the ,monks of the ,angeli he made a ,paradise and a ,hell with little figures1 wherein he showed fine judgment by making the blessed very beautiful and full of jubilation and celestial gladness1 and the damned all ready for the pains of ,hell1 in various most woeful attitudes1 and bearing the stamp of their sins and unworthiness on their faces4 ,the blessed are seen entering the gate of ,paradise in celestial dance1 and the damned are being dragged by demons to the eternal pains of ,hell4 ,this work is in the aforesaid church1 on the right hand as one goes towards the high-altar1 where the priest sits when ,mass is sung4 ,for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,piero ,martire--who now live in the ,monastery of ,s4 ,felice in ,piazza1 which used to belong to the ,order of ,camaldoli--he painted a panel with ,our ,lady1 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 ,s4 ,dominic1 ,s4 ,thomas1 and ,s4 ,peter ,martyr1 and a number of little figures4 ,and in the tramezzo#g of ,s4 ,maria ,nuova there may also be seen a panel by his hand4 ,these many labours having made the name of ,fra ,giovanni illustrious throughout all ,italy1 ,pope ,nicholas ,v sent for him and caused him to adorn that chapel of his ,palace in ,rome wherein the ,pope hears ,mass with a ,deposition from the ,cross and some very beautiful stories of ,s4 ,laurence1 and also to illuminate some books1 which are most beautiful4 ,in the ,minerva he painted the panel of the high-altar1 and an ,annunciation that is now set up against a wall beside the principal chapel4 ,he also painted for the said ,pope in the ,palace the ,chapel of the ,sacrament1 which was afterwards destroyed by ,paul ,,iii in the making of a staircase through it4 ,in that work1 which was an excellent example of his manner1 he had wrought in fresco some scenes from the life of ,jesus ,christ1 and he had made therein many portraits from life of distinguished persons of those times1 which would probably now be lost if ,giovio had not caused the following among them to be preserved for his museum--namely1 ,pope ,nicholas ,v2 the ,emperor ,frederick1 who came to ,italy at that time2 ,frate ,antonino1 who was afterwards ,archbishop of ,florence2 ,biondo da ,forli2 and ,ferrante of ,arragon4 ,now ,fra ,giovanni appeared to the ,pope to be1 as indeed he was1 a person of most holy life1 peaceful and modest2 and1 since the ,archbishopric of ,florence was at that time vacant1 the ,pope had judged him worthy of that rank2 but the said friar1 hearing this1 implored ,his ,holiness to find another man1 for the reason that he did not feel himself fitted for ruling others1 whereas his ,order contained a brother most learned and well able to govern1 a ,godfearing man and a friend of the poor1 on whom that dignity would be conferred much more fittingly than on himself4 ,the ,pope1 hearing this and remembering that what he said was true1 granted him the favour willingly2 and thus the ,archbishopric of ,florence was given to ,frate ,antonino of the ,order of ,preaching ,friars1 a man truly very famous both for sanctity and for learning1 and of such a character1 in short1 that he was deservedly canonized in our own day by ,adrian ,,vi4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,stephen ,,preaching 7,after the fresco by ,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole ,fra ,angelico ,rome3 ,the ,vatican1 ,chapel of ,nicholas ,v7 ,anderson ,great excellence was that of ,fra ,giovanni1 and a thing truly very rare1 to resign a dignity and honour and charge so important1 offered to himself by a ,supreme ,pontiff1 in favour of the man whom he1 with his singleness of eye and sincerity of heart1 judged to be much more worthy of it than himself4 ,let the churchmen of our own times learn from this holy man not to take upon themselves charges that they cannot worthily carry out1 and to yield them to those who are most worthy of them4 ,would to ,god1 to return to ,fra ,giovanni 7and may this be said without offence to the upright among them71 that all churchmen would spend their time as did this truly angelic father1 seeing that he spent every minute of his life in the service of ,god and in benefiting both the world and his neighbour4 ,and what can or ought to be desired more than to gain the kingdom of ,heaven by living a life of holiness1 and to win eternal fame in the world by labouring virtuously8 ,and in truth a talent so extraordinary and so supreme as that of ,fra ,giovanni could not and should not descend on any save a man of most holy life1 for the reason that those who work at religious and holy subjects should be religious and holy men2 for it is seen1 when such works are executed by persons of little faith who have little esteem for religion1 that they often arouse in men's minds evil appetites and licentious desires2 whence there comes blame for the evil in their works1 with praise for the art and ability that they show4 ,now ,i would not have any man deceive himself by considering the rude and inept as holy1 and the beautiful and excellent as licentious2 as some do1 who1 seeing figures of women or of youths adorned with loveliness and beauty beyond the ordinary1 straightway censure them and judge them licentious1 not perceiving that they are very wrong to condemn the good judgment of the painter1 who holds the ,saints1 both male and female1 who are celestial1 to be as much more beautiful than mortal man as ,heaven is superior to earthly beauty and to the works of human hands2 and1 what is worse1 they reveal the unsoundness and corruption of their own minds by drawing evil and impure desires out of works from which1 if they were lovers of purity1 as they seek by their misguided zeal to prove themselves to be1 they would gain a desire to attain to ,heaven and to make themselves acceptable to the ,creator of all things1 in whom1 as most perfect and most beautiful1 all perfection and beauty have their source4 ,what would such men do if they found themselves1 or rather1 what are we to believe that they do when they actually find themselves1 in places containing living beauty1 accompanied by licentious ways1 honey-sweet words1 movements full of grace1 and eyes that ravish all but the stoutest of hearts1 if the very image of beauty1 nay1 its mere shadow1 moves them so profoundly8 ,however1 ,i would not have any believe that ,i approve of those figures that are painted in churches in a state of almost complete nudity1 for in these cases it is seen that the painter has not shown the consideration that was due to the place2 because1 even although a man has to show how much he knows1 he should proceed with due regard for circumstances and pay respect to persons1 times1 and places4 ,fra ,giovanni was a man of great simplicity1 and most holy in his ways2 and his goodness may be perceived from this1 that1 ,pope ,nicholas ,v wishing one morning to entertain him at table1 he had scruples of conscience about eating meat without leave from his ,prior1 forgetting about the authority of the ,pontiff4 ,he shunned the affairs of the world2 and1 living a pure and holy life1 he was as much the friend of the poor as ,i believe his soul to be now the friend of ,heaven4 ,he was continually labouring at his painting1 and he would never paint anything save ,saints4 ,he might have been rich1 but to this he gave no thought2 nay1 he used to say that true riches consist only in being content with little4 ,he might have ruled many1 but he would not1 saying that it was less fatiguing and less misleading to obey others4 ,he had the option of obtaining dignities both among the friars and in the world1 but he despised them1 declaring that he sought no other dignity save that of seeking to avoid ,hell and draw near to ,paradise4 ,and what dignity1 in truth1 can be compared to that which all churchmen1 nay1 all men1 should seek1 and which is to be found only in ,god and in a life of virtue8 ,he was most kindly and temperate2 and he lived chastely and withdrew himself from the snares of the world1 being wont very often to say that he who pursued such an art had need of quiet and of a life free from cares1 and that he whose work is connected with ,christ must ever live with ,christ4 ,he was never seen in anger among his fellow-friars1 which is a very notable thing1 and almost impossible1 it seems to me1 to believe2 and it was his custom to admonish his friends with a simple smile4 ,with incredible sweetness1 if any sought for works from him1 he would say that they had only to gain the consent of the ,prior1 and that then he would not fail them4 ,in short1 this never to be sufficiently extolled father was most humble and modest in all his works and his discourse1 and facile and devout in his pictures2 and the ,saints that he painted have more the air and likeness of ,saints than those of any other man4 ,it was his custom never to retouch or improve any of his pictures1 but to leave them ever in the state to which he had first brought them2 believing1 so he used to say1 that this was the will of ,god4 ,some say that ,fra ,giovanni would never have taken his brushes in his hand without first offering a prayer4 ,he never painted a ,crucifix without the tears streaming down his cheeks2 wherefore in the countenances and attitudes of his figures one can recognize the goodness1 nobility1 and sincerity of his mind towards the ,christian religion4 ,illustration3 ,,fra ,,giovanni ,,da ,,fiesole 7,,fra ,,angelico73 ,,the ,,annunciation 7,cortona3 ,gesu ,gallery4 ,panel7 ,he died in #adee at the age of sixty-eight1 and left disciples in ,benozzo1 a ,florentine1 who ever imitated his manner1 and ,zanobi ,strozzi1 who painted pictures and panels throughout all ,florence for the houses of citizens1 and particularly a panel that is now in the tramezzo#h of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 beside that by ,fra ,giovanni1 and one in ,s4 ,benedetto1 a monastery of the ,monks of ,camaldoli without the ,porta a ,pinti1 now in ruins4 ,the latter panel is at present in the little ,church of ,s4 ,michele in the ,monastery of the ,angeli1 before one enters the principal church1 set up against the wall on the right as one approaches the altar4 ,there is also a panel in the ,chapel of the ,nasi in ,s4 ,lucia1 and another in ,s4 ,romeo2 and in the guardaroba of the ,duke there is the portrait of ,giovanni di ,bicci de' ,medici1 with that of ,bartolommeo ,valori1 in one and the same picture by the hand of the same man4 ,another disciple of ,fra ,giovanni was ,gentile da ,fabriano1 as was also ,domenico di ,michelino1 who painted the panel for the altar of ,s4 ,zanobi in ,s4 ,apollinare at ,florence1 and many other pictures4 ,fra ,giovanni was buried by his fellow-friars in the ,minerva in ,rome1 near the lateral door beside the sacristy1 in a round tomb of marble1 with himself1 portrayed from nature1 lying thereon4 ,the following epitaph may be read1 carved in the marble3 ,,non ,,mihi ,,sit ,,laudi1 ,,quod ,,eram ,,velut ,,alter ,,apelles1 ,,sed ,,quod ,,lucra ,,tuis ,,omnia1 ,,christe1 ,,dabam2 ,,altera ,,nam ,,terris ,,opera ,,extant1 ,,altera ,c,,oe,,lo4 ,,urbs ,,me ,,joannem ,,flos ,,tulit ,,etruriae4 ,in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore are two very large books illuminated divinely well by the hand of ,fra ,giovanni1 which are held in great veneration and richly adorned1 nor are they ever seen save on days of the highest solemnity4 ,a celebrated and famous illuminator at the same time as ,fra ,giovanni was one ,attavante1 a ,florentine1 of whom ,i know no other name4 ,this man1 among many other works1 illuminated a ,silius ,italicus1 which is now in ,s4 ,giovanni e ,polo in ,venice2 of which work ,i will not withhold certain particulars1 both because they are worthy of the attention of craftsmen1 and because1 to my knowledge1 no other work by this master is to be found2 nor should ,i know even of this one1 had it not been for the affection borne to these noble arts by the ,very ,reverend ,maestro ,cosimo ,bartoli1 a gentleman of ,florence1 who gave me information about it1 to the end that the talent of ,attavante might not remain1 as it were1 buried out of sight4 ,in the said book1 then1 the figure of ,silius has on the head a helmet with a crest of gold and a chaplet of laurel2 he is wearing a blue cuirass picked out with gold in the ancient manner1 while he is holding a book in his right hand1 and the left he has on a short sword4 ,over the cuirass he has a red chlamys1 fastened in front with a knot1 and fringed with gold1 which hangs down from his shoulders4 ,the inside of this chlamys is seen to be of changing colours and embroidered with gold4 ,his buskins are yellow1 and he is standing on his right foot in a niche4 ,the next figure in this work represents ,scipio ,africanus4 ,he is wearing a yellow cuirass1 and his sword-belt and sleeves1 which are blue in colour1 are all embroidered with gold4 ,on his head he has a helmet with two little wings and a fish by way of crest4 ,the young man's countenance is fair and very beautiful2 and he is raising his right arm proudly1 holding in that hand a naked sword1 while in the left hand he has the scabbard1 which is red and embroidered with gold4 ,the hose are green in colour and plain2 and the chlamys1 which is blue1 has a red lining with a fringe of gold all round1 and it is fastened at the throat1 leaving the front quite open1 and falling behind with beautiful grace4 ,this young man1 who stands in a niche of mixed green and grey marble1 with blue buskins embroidered with gold1 is looking with indescribable fierceness at ,hannibal1 who faces him on the opposite page of the book4 ,this figure of ,hannibal is that of a man about thirty-six years of age2 he is frowning1 with two furrows in his brow expressive of impatience and anger1 and he1 too1 is looking fixedly at ,scipio4 ,on his head he has a yellow helmet1 with a green and yellow dragon for crest and a serpent for chaplet4 ,he is standing on his left foot and raising his right arm1 with which he holds the shaft of an ancient javelin1 or rather1 of a little partisan4 ,his cuirass is blue1 his sword-belt partly blue and partly yellow1 his sleeves of changing blue and red1 and his buskins yellow4 ,his chlamys1 of changing red and yellow1 is fastened on the right shoulder and lined with green2 and1 holding his left hand on his sword1 he is standing in a niche of varicoloured marbles1 yellow1 white1 and changing4 ,on another page is ,pope ,nicholas ,v1 portrayed from the life1 with a mantle of changing purple and red and all embroidered with gold4 ,he is without a beard and in full profile1 and he is looking towards the beginning of the book1 which is opposite to him2 and he is pointing to it with his right hand1 as though in a marvel4 ,the niche is green1 white1 and red4 ,then in the border there are certain little half-length figures in an ornament composed of ovals and circles1 and other things of that kind1 together with an infinite number of little birds and children1 so well wrought that nothing more could be desired4 ,close to this1 in like manner1 are ,hanno the ,carthaginian1 ,hasdrubal1 ,laelius1 ,massinissa1 ,c4 ,salinator1 ,nero1 ,sempronius1 ,m4 ,marcellus1 ,q4 ,fabius1 the other ,scipio1 and ,vibius4 ,at the end of the book there is seen a ,mars in an antique chariot drawn by two reddish horses4 ,on his head he has a helmet of red and gold1 with two little wings2 on his left arm he has an antique shield1 which he holds before him1 and in his right hand a naked sword4 ,he is standing on his left foot only1 holding the other in the air4 ,he has a cuirass in the antique manner1 all red and gold1 as are his hose and his buskins4 ,his chlamys is blue without1 and within all green and embroidered with gold4 ,the chariot is covered with red cloth embroidered with gold1 with a border of ermine all round2 and it stands in a verdant and flowery champaign country1 surrounded by cliffs and rocks2 while landscapes and cities are seen in the distance1 with a sky of a most marvellous blue4 ,on the opposite page is a young ,neptune1 whose clothing is in the shape of a long shirt1 embroidered all round with the colour formed from terretta verde4 ,the flesh-colour is very pale4 ,in his right hand he is holding a little trident1 and with his left he is raising his dress4 ,he is standing with both feet on the chariot1 which has a covering of red1 embroidered with gold and fringed all round with sable4 ,this chariot has four wheels1 like that of ,mars1 but it is drawn by four dolphins1 and accompanied by three sea-nymphs1 two boys1 and a great number of fishes1 all wrought with a water-colour similar to the terretta1 and very beautiful in expression4 ,after these is seen ,carthage in despair1 in the form of a woman standing upright with dishevelled hair4 ,her upper garment is green1 and it is open from the waist downwards1 being lined with red cloth embroidered in gold2 and through this opening there may be seen another garment1 delicate and of changing purple and white colour4 ,the sleeves are red and gold1 with certain puffs and floating folds made by the upper garment1 and she is stretching out her left hand towards ,rome1 who is opposite to her1 as though saying1 ,what is thy wish8 ,i have my answer ready2 and in her right hand she holds a naked sword1 with an air of frenzy4 ,her buskins are blue1 and she is standing on a rock in the middle of the sea1 surrounded by a very beautiful sky4 ,rome is a maiden as beautiful as it is possible for man to imagine1 with dishevelled hair and certain tresses wrought with infinite grace4 ,her clothing is pure red1 with only an embroidered border at the foot2 the lining of her robe is yellow1 and the garment beneath1 which is seen through the opening1 is of changing purple and white4 ,her buskins are green2 in her right hand she has a sceptre1 in her left a globe2 and she1 too1 is standing on a rock1 in the midst of a sky that could not be more beautiful than it is4 ,now1 although ,i have striven to the best of my power to show with what great art these figures were wrought by ,attavante1 let no one believe that ,i have said more than a very small part of what might be said about their beauty1 seeing that1 considering the time1 there are no better examples of illumination to be seen1 nor any work wrought with more invention1 judgment1 and design2 and the colours1 above all1 could not be more beautiful or laid in their places more delicately1 so perfect is their grace4 ,,footnotes3 #e ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 #f ,this seems to be a mistake for ,benedict ,,xi4 #g ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 #h ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 ,,leon ,,batista ,,alberti ,,life ,,of ,,leon ,,batista ,,alberti ,,architect ,,of ,,florence ,very great is the advantage bestowed by learning1 without exception1 on all those craftsmen who take delight in it1 but particularly on sculptors1 painters1 and architects1 for it opens up the way to invention in all the works that are made2 not to mention that a man cannot have a perfect judgment1 be his natural gifts what they may1 if he is deprived of the complemental advantage of being assisted by learning4 ,for who does not know that it is necessary1 in choosing sites for buildings1 to show enlightenment in the avoidance of danger from pestiferous winds1 insalubrious air1 and the smells and vapours of impure and unwholesome waters8 ,who is ignorant that a man must be able1 in whatever work he is seeking to carry out1 to reject or adopt everything for himself after mature consideration1 without having to depend on help from another man's theory8 ,for theory1 when separated from practice1 is generally of very little use2 but when the two chance to come together1 there is nothing that is more helpful to our life1 both because art becomes much richer and more perfect by the aid of science1 and because the counsels and the writings of learned craftsmen have in themselves greater efficacy and greater credit than the words or works of those who know nothing but mere practice1 whether they do it well or ill4 ,and that all this is true is seen manifestly in ,leon ,batista ,alberti1 who1 having studied the ,latin tongue1 and having given attention to architecture1 to perspective1 and to painting1 left behind him books written in such a manner1 that1 since not one of our modern craftsmen has been able to expound these matters in writing1 although very many of them in his own country have excelled him in working1 it is generally believed--such is the influence of his writings over the pens and speech of the learned--that he was superior to all those who were actually superior to him in work4 ,wherefore1 with regard to name and fame1 it is seen from experience that writings have greater power and longer life than anything else2 for books go everywhere with ease1 and everywhere they command belief1 if only they be truthful and not full of lies4 ,it is no marvel1 then1 if the famous ,leon ,batista is known more for his writings than for the work of his hands4 ,this man1 born in ,florence of the most noble family of the ,alberti1 of which we have spoken in another place1 devoted himself not only to studying geography and the proportions of antiquities1 but also to writing1 to which he was much inclined1 much more than to working4 ,he was excellent in arithmetic and geometry1 and he wrote ten books on architecture in the ,latin tongue1 which were published by him in #adha1 and may now be read in a translation in the ,florentine tongue made by the ,reverend ,maestro ,cosimo ,bartoli1 ,provost of ,s4 ,giovanni in ,florence4 ,he wrote three books on painting1 now translated into the ,tuscan tongue by ,messer ,lodovico ,domenichi2 he composed a treatise on traction and on the rules for measuring heights1 as well as the books on the ,vita ,civile1 and some erotic works in prose and verse2 and he was the first who tried to reduce ,italian verse to the measure of the ,latin1 as is seen in the following epistle by his pen3 ,questa per estrema miserabile pistola mando ,a te1 che spregi miseramente noi4 ,arriving at ,rome in the time of ,nicholas ,v1 who had turned the whole of ,rome upside down with his manner of building1 ,leon ,batista1 through the agency of ,biondo da ,forli1 who was much his friend1 became intimate with that ,pope1 who had previously carried out all his building after the advice of ,bernardo ,rossellino1 a sculptor and architect of ,florence1 as will be told in the ,life of his brother ,antonio4 ,this man1 having put his hand to restoring the ,pope's ,palace and to certain works in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 thenceforward1 according to the will of the ,pope1 ever sought the advice of ,leon ,batista4 ,wherefore1 using one of them as adviser and the other as executor1 the ,pope carried out many useful and praiseworthy works1 such as the restoring of the conduit of the ,acqua ,vergine1 which was in ruins2 and there was made the fountain on the ,piazza de' ,trevi1 with those marble ornaments that are seen there1 on which are the arms of that ,pontiff and of the ,roman people4 ,afterwards1 having gone to ,signor ,sigismondo ,malatesti of ,rimini1 he made for him the model of the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 and in particular that of the facade1 which was made of marble2 and likewise the side facing towards the south1 which was built with very great arches and with tombs for the illustrious men of that city4 ,in short1 he brought that building to such a form that in point of solidity it is one of the most famous temples in ,italy4 ,within it are six most beautiful chapels1 one of which1 dedicated to ,s4 ,jerome1 is very ornate2 and in it are preserved many relics brought from ,jerusalem4 ,in the same chapel are the tombs of the said ,signor ,sigismondo and of his wife1 constructed very richly of marble in the year #adej2 on one there is the portrait of ,sigismondo himself1 and in another part of the work there is that of ,leon ,batista4 ,after this1 in the year #adeg1 when the very useful method of printing books was discovered by ,johann ,gutenberg the ,german1 ,leon ,batista1 working on similar lines1 discovered a way of tracing natural perspectives and of effecting the diminution of figures by means of an instrument1 and likewise the method of enlarging small things and reproducing them on a greater scale2 all ingenious inventions1 useful to art and very beautiful4 ,in ,leon ,batista's time ,giovanni di ,paolo ,rucellai wished to build the principal facade of ,s4 ,maria ,novella entirely of marble at his own expense1 and he spoke of this to ,leon ,batista1 who was very much his friend2 and having received from him not only counsel1 but the actual model1 ,giovanni resolved to have the work executed at all costs1 in order to leave it behind him as a memorial of himself4 ,a beginning having been made1 therefore1 it was finished in the year #adgg1 to the great satisfaction of all the city1 which was pleased with the whole work1 but particularly with the door1 from which it is seen that ,leon ,batista took more than ordinary pains4 ,for ,cosimo ,rucellai1 likewise1 he made the design for the palace which that man built in the street which is called ,la ,vigna1 and that for the loggia which is opposite to it4 ,in the latter1 having turned his arches over columns close together1 both in the front and at the ends1 since he wished to adhere to this plan and not to make one single arch1 he had a certain space left over on each side2 wherefore he was forced to make certain projections at the inner corners4 ,and then1 when he wished to turn the arch of the inner vaulting1 having seen that he could not give it the shape of a half-circle1 which would have been flat and awkward1 he resolved to turn certain small arches at the corners from one projection to another2 and this lack of judgment in design gives us to know clearly that practice is necessary as well as science1 for the judgment can never become perfect unless science attains to experience by actual work4 ,it is said that the same man made the design for the house and garden of these ,rucellai in the ,via della ,scala4 ,this house is built with much judgment and very commodious1 for1 besides many other conveniences1 it has two loggie1 one facing south and the other west1 both very beautiful1 and made without arches on the columns1 which is the true and proper method that the ancients used1 for the reason that the architraves which are placed on the capitals of the columns lie level1 whereas a four-sided thing like a curving arch cannot rest on a round column without the corners jutting out over space4 ,the good method1 therefore1 demands that architraves should rest on columns1 and that1 when arches are to be turned1 pilasters and not columns should be made4 ,for the same ,rucellai ,leon ,batista made a chapel in the same manner in ,s4 ,pancrazio1 which rests on great architraves placed on two columns and two pilasters1 piercing the wall of the church below2 which is a difficult thing1 but safe2 wherefore this work is one of the best that this architect ever made4 ,in the middle of this chapel is a tomb of marble1 wrought very well in the form of a rather long oval1 and similar1 as may be read on it1 to the ,sepulchre of ,jesus ,christ in ,jerusalem4 ,illustration3 ,,facade ,,of ,s4 ,,andrea 7,after ,leon ,batista ,alberti4 ,mantua7 ,alinari ,about the same time ,lodovico ,gonzaga1 ,marquis of ,mantua1 wished to build the tribune and the principal chapel in the ,nunziata1 the ,church of the ,servi in ,florence1 after the design and model of ,leon ,batista2 and pulling down a square chapel1 old1 not very large1 and painted in the ancient manner1 which stood at the head of the church1 he built the said tribune in the bizarre and difficult form of a round temple surrounded by nine chapels1 all curving in a round arch1 and each within in the shape of a niche4 ,now1 since the arches of the said chapels rest on the pilasters in front1 the result is that the stone dressings of the arches1 inclining towards the wall1 tend to draw ever backwards in order to meet the said wall1 which turns in the opposite direction according to the shape of the tribune2 wherefore1 when the said arches of the chapels are looked at from the side1 it appears that they are falling backwards1 and that they are clumsy1 as indeed they are1 although the proportions are correct1 and the difficulties of the method must be remembered4 ,truly it would have been better if ,leon ,batista had avoided this method1 for1 although there is some credit for the difficulty of its execution1 it is clumsy both in great things and in small1 and it cannot have a good result4 ,and that this is true of great things is proved by the great arch in front1 which forms the entrance to the said tribune2 for1 although it is very beautiful on the outer side1 on the inner side1 where it has to follow the curve of the chapel1 which is round1 it appears to be falling backwards and to be extremely clumsy4 ,this ,leon ,batista would perhaps not have done1 if1 in addition to science and theory1 he had possessed practical experience in working2 for another man would have avoided this difficulty1 and would have rather aimed at grace and greater beauty for the edifice4 ,the whole work is otherwise in itself very beautiful1 bizarre1 and difficult2 and nothing save great courage could have enabled ,leon ,batista to vault that tribune in those times in the manner that he did4 ,being then summoned by the same ,marquis ,lodovico to ,mantua1 ,leon ,batista made for him the models of the ,church of ,s4 ,andrea and of some other works2 and on the road leading from ,mantua to ,padua there may be seen certain temples built after his manner4 ,many of the designs and models of ,leon ,batista were carried into execution by ,salvestro ,fancelli1 a passing good architect and sculptor of ,florence1 who1 according to the desire of the said ,leon ,batista1 executed with judgment and extraordinary diligence all the works that he undertook in ,florence4 ,for those in ,mantua he employed one ,luca1 a ,florentine1 who1 living ever afterwards in that city and dying there1 left his name--so ,filarete tells us--to the family of the ,luchi1 which is still there to-day4 ,it was no small good-fortune for him to have friends who understood him and were able and willing to serve him1 because architects cannot be always standing over their work1 and it is of the greatest use to them to have a faithful and loving assistant2 and if any man ever knew it1 ,i know it very well by long experience4 ,in painting ,leon ,batista did not do great or very beautiful works1 for the few by his hand that are to be seen do not show much perfection2 nor is this to be wondered at1 seeing that he devoted himself more to his studies than to draughtsmanship4 ,yet he could express his conceptions well enough in drawing1 as may be seen from some sketches by his hand that are in our book1 in which there are drawn the ,bridge of ,s4 ,angelo and the covering that was made for it with his design in the form of a loggia1 for protection from the sun in summer and from the rain and wind in winter4 ,this work he was commissioned to execute by ,pope ,nicholas ,v1 who had intended to carry out many similar works throughout the whole of ,rome2 but death intervened to hinder him4 ,there is a work of ,leon ,batista's in a little ,chapel of ,our ,lady on the abutment of the ,ponte alla ,carraja in ,florence--namely1 an altar-predella1 containing three little scenes with some perspectives1 which he was much more able to describe with the pen than to paint with the brush4 ,in the house of the ,palla ,rucellai family1 also in ,florence1 there is a portrait of himself made with a mirror2 and a panel with rather large figures in chiaroscuro4 ,he also made a picture of ,venice in perspective1 with ,s4 ,marco1 but the figures therein were executed by other masters2 and this is one of the best examples of his painting that there are to be seen4 ,leon ,batista was a person of most honest and laudable ways1 the friend of men of talent1 and very open and courteous to all2 and he lived honourably and like a gentleman--which he was--through the whole course of his life4 ,finally1 having reached a mature enough age1 he passed content and tranquil to a better life1 leaving a most honourable name behind him4 ,,lazzaro ,,vasari ,,life ,,of ,,lazzaro ,,vasari ,,painter ,,of ,,arezzo ,truly great is the pleasure of those who find one of their ancestors and of their own family to have been distinguished and famous in some profession1 whether that of arms1 or of letters1 or of painting1 or any other noble calling whatsoever2 and those men who find some honourable mention of one of their forefathers in history1 if they gain nothing else thereby1 have an incitement to virtue and a bridle to restrain them from doing anything unworthy of a family which has produced illustrious and very famous men4 ,how great is this pleasure1 as ,i said at the beginning1 ,i have experienced for myself in finding that one among my ancestors1 ,lazzaro ,vasari1 was famous as a painter in his day not only in his native place1 but throughout all ,tuscany2 and that certainly not without reason1 as ,i could clearly prove1 if it were permissible for me to speak as freely of him as ,i have spoken of others4 ,but1 since ,i was born of his blood1 it might be readily believed that ,i had exceeded all due bounds in praising him2 wherefore1 leaving on one side the merits of the man himself and of the family1 ,i will simply tell what ,i cannot and should not under any circumstances withhold1 if ,i would not fall short of the truth1 on which all history hangs4 ,lazzaro ,vasari1 then1 a painter of ,arezzo1 was very much the friend of ,piero della ,francesca of ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro1 and ever held intercourse with him while ,piero was working1 as it has been said1 in ,arezzo4 ,and1 as it often comes to pass1 this friendship brought him nothing but advantage1 for the reason that1 whereas ,lazzaro had formerly devoted himself only to making little figures for certain works according to the custom of those times1 he was persuaded by ,piero della ,francesca to set himself to do bigger things4 ,his first work in fresco was a ,s4 ,vincent in ,s4 ,domenico at ,arezzo1 in the second chapel on the left as one enters the church2 and at his feet he painted himself and his young son ,giorgio kneeling1 clothed in honourable costumes of those times1 and recommending themselves to the ,saint1 because the boy had inadvertently cut his face with a knife4 ,although there is no inscription on this work1 yet certain memories of old men belonging to our house and the fact that it contains the ,vasari arms1 enable us to attribute it to him without a doubt4 ,of this there must certainly have been some record in that convent1 but their papers and everything else have been destroyed many times by soldiers1 and ,i do not marvel at the lack of records4 ,the manner of ,lazzaro was so similar to that of ,piero ,borghese1 that very little difference could be seen between one and the other4 ,now it was very much the custom at that time to paint various things1 such as the quarterings of arms1 on the caparisons of horses1 according to the rank of those who bore them2 and in this work ,lazzaro was an excellent master1 and the rather as it was his province to make very graceful little figures1 which were very well suited to such caparisons4 ,lazzaro wrought for ,niccolo ,piccino and for his soldiers and captains many things full of stories and arms1 which were held in great price1 with so much profit for himself1 that the gains that he drew from this work enabled him to recall to ,arezzo many of his brothers1 who were living at ,cortona and working at the manufacture of earthenware vases4 ,he also brought into his house his nephew1 ,luca ,signorelli of ,cortona1 his sister's son1 whom he placed1 by reason of his good intelligence1 with ,piero ,borghese1 to the end that he might learn the art of painting2 which he contrived to do very well1 as will be told in the proper place4 ,lazzaro1 then1 devoting himself continually to the study of art1 became every day more excellent1 as is shown by some very good drawings by his hand that are in our book4 ,and because he took much pleasure in depicting certain natural effects full of emotions1 in which he expressed very well weeping1 laughing1 crying1 fear1 trembling1 and the like1 his pictures are mostly full of such inventions2 as may be seen in a little chapel painted in fresco by his hand in ,s4 ,gimignano at ,arezzo1 wherein there is a ,crucifix1 with the ,madonna1 ,s4 ,john1 and the ,magdalene at the foot of the ,cross1 in various attitudes1 and weeping so naturally1 that they acquired credit and fame for him among his fellow-citizens4 ,for the ,company of ,s4 ,antonio1 in the same city1 he painted a cloth banner that is borne in processions1 on which he wrought ,jesus ,christ at the ,column1 naked and bound and so lifelike1 that ,he appears to be trembling1 and1 with ,his shoulders all drawn together1 to be enduring with incredible humility and patience the blows that two ,jews are giving ,him4 ,one of these1 firmly planted on his feet1 is plying his scourge with both his hands1 turning his back towards ,christ in an attitude full of cruelty4 ,the other is seen in profile1 raising himself on tip-toe2 and grasping the scourge with his hands1 and gnashing his teeth1 he is wielding it with so great rage that words are powerless to express it4 ,both these men ,lazzaro painted with their garments torn1 the better to reveal the nude1 contenting himself with covering after a fashion their private and less honourable parts4 ,this work painted on cloth has lasted all these years--which truly makes me marvel--right up to our own day2 and by reason of its beauty and excellence the men of that ,company caused a copy to be made of it by the ,french ,prior1#i as we will relate in the proper place4 ,at ,perugia1 also1 ,lazzaro wrought some stories of the ,madonna1 with a ,crucifix1 in a chapel beside the ,sacristy of the ,church of the ,servi4 ,in the ,pieve of ,montepulciano he executed a predella with little figures1 and at ,castiglione ,aretino he painted a panel in distemper in ,s4 ,francesco2 together with many other works1 which1 for the sake of brevity1 ,i refrain from describing1 more particularly many chests that are in the houses of citizens1 which he painted with little figures4 ,in the ,palace of the ,guelphs in ,florence1 among the ancient arms1 there may be seen some caparisons wrought very well by him4 ,he also painted a banner for the ,company of ,s4 ,sebastiano1 containing the said ,saint at the column1 with certain angels crowning him2 but it is now spoilt and all eaten away by time4 ,in ,lazzaro's time there was one who made glass windows in ,arezzo1 ,fabiano ,sassoli1 a young ,aretine of great excellence in that profession1 as is proved by those of his works that are in the ,vescovado1 the ,abbey1 the ,pieve1 and other places in that city2 but he knew little of design1 and he was very far from reaching the excellence of those that ,parri ,spinelli made4 ,wherefore he determined that1 even as he knew well how to fire1 to put together1 and to mount the glass1 so he would make some work that should also be passing good with regard to the painting2 and he caused ,lazzaro to execute for him two cartoons of his own invention1 in order to make two windows for the ,madonna delle ,grazie4 ,having obtained these from ,lazzaro1 who was his friend and a courteous craftsman1 he made the said windows1 which turned out so beautiful and so well wrought that there are not many to which they have to give precedence4 ,in one there is a very beautiful ,madonna2 and in the other1 which is by far the better of the two1 there is the ,resurrection of ,christ1 with an armed man in foreshortening in front of the ,sepulchre2 and it is a marvel1 considering the small size of the window and consequently of the picture1 how those figures can appear so large in so small a space4 ,many other things could ,i tell of ,lazzaro1 who was a very good draughtsman1 as may be seen from certain drawings in our book2 but ,i think it best for me to pass them by4 ,lazzaro was a pleasant person and very witty in his speech2 and although he was much given to pleasure1 nevertheless he never strayed from the path of right living4 ,his life lasted seventy-two years1 and he left a son called ,giorgio1 who occupied himself continually with the ancient ,aretine vases of terra-cotta2 and at the time when ,messer ,gentile of ,urbino1 ,bishop of ,arezzo1 was dwelling in that city1 ,giorgio rediscovered the method of giving red and black colours to terra-cotta vases1 such as those that the ancient ,aretines made up to the time of ,king ,porsena4 ,being a most industrious person1 he made large vases with the potter's wheel1 one braccio and a half in height1 which are still to be seen in his house4 ,men say that while searching for vases in a place where he thought that the ancients had worked1 he found three arches of their ancient furnaces three braccia below the surface in a field of clay near the bridge at ,calciarella1 a place called by that name2 and round these he found some of the mixture for making the vases1 and many broken ones1 with four that were whole4 ,these last were given by ,giorgio1 through the mediation of the ,bishop1 to the ,magnificent ,lorenzo de' ,medici on his visiting ,arezzo2 wherefore they were the source and origin of his entering into the service of that most exalted family1 in which he remained ever afterwards4 ,giorgio worked very well in relief1 as may be seen from some heads by his hand that are in his house4 ,he had five sons1 who all followed the same calling2 two of them1 ,lazzaro and ,bernardo1 were good craftsmen1 of whom the latter died very young in ,rome2 and in truth1 by reason of his intelligence1 which is known to have been dexterous and ready1 if death had not snatched him so prematurely from his house1 he would have brought honour to his native place4 ,the elder ,lazzaro died in #adeb1 and his son1 ,giorgio1 died in #adhd at the age of sixty-eight2 and both were buried in the ,pieve of ,arezzo at the foot of their own ,chapel of ,s4 ,giorgio1 where the following verses were set up after a time in praise of ,lazzaro3 ,,aretii ,,exultet ,,tellus ,,clarissima2 ,,namque ,,est ,,rebus ,,in ,,angustis1 ,,in ,,tenuique ,,labor4 ,,vix ,,operum ,,istius ,,partes ,,cognoscere ,,possis3 ,,myrmecides ,,taceat2 ,,callicrates ,,sileat4 ,finally1 the last ,giorgio ,vasari1 writer of this history1 in gratitude for the benefits for which he has to thank in great measure the excellence of his ancestors1 having received the principal chapel of the said ,pieve as a gift from his fellow-citizens and from the ,wardens of ,works and ,canons1 as was told in the ,life of ,pietro ,laurati1 and having brought it to the condition that has been described1 has made a new tomb in the middle of the choir1 which is behind the altar2 and in this he has laid the bones of the said ,lazzaro the elder and ,giorgio the elder1 having removed them from their former resting-place1 and likewise those of all the other members of the said family1 both male and female2 and thus he has made a new burial-place for all the descendants of the house of ,vasari4 ,in like manner1 the body of his mother 7who died in ,florence in the year #aeeg71 after having remained for some years in ,s4 ,croce1 has been deposited by him in the said tomb1 according to her own desire1 together with ,antonio1 her husband and his father1 who died of plague at the end of the year #aebg4 ,in the predella that is below the panel of the said altar there are portraits from nature1 made by the said ,giorgio1 of ,lazzaro1 of the elder ,giorgio1 his grandfather1 of his father ,antonio1 and of his mother ,monna ,maddalena de' ,tacci4 ,and let this be the end of the ,life of ,lazzaro ,vasari1 painter of ,arezzo4 ,,footnote3 #i ,guglielmo da ,marcilla4 ,,antonello ,,da ,,messina ,,life ,,of ,,antonello ,,da ,,messina ,,painter ,when ,i consider within my own mind the various qualities of the benefits and advantages that have been conferred on the art of painting by many masters who have followed the second manner1 ,i cannot do otherwise than call them1 by reason of their efforts1 truly industrious and excellent1 because they sought above all to bring painting to a better condition1 without thinking of discomfort1 expense1 or any particular interest of their own4 ,they continued1 then1 to employ no other method of colouring save that of distemper for panels and for canvases1 which method had been introduced by ,cimabue in the year #abej1 when he was working with those ,greeks1 and had been afterwards followed by ,giotto and by the others of whom we have spoken up to the present2 and they were still adhering to the same manner of working1 although the craftsmen recognized clearly that pictures in distemper were wanting in a certain softness and liveliness1 which1 if they could be obtained1 would be likely to give more grace to their designs1 loveliness to their colouring1 and greater facility in blending the colours together2 for they had ever been wont to hatch their works merely with the point of the brush4 ,but although many had made investigations and sought for something of the sort1 yet no one had found any good method1 either by the use of liquid varnish or by the mixture of other kinds of colours with the distemper4 ,among many who made trial of these and other similar expedients1 but all in vain1 were ,alesso ,baldovinetti1 ,pesello1 and many others1 not one of whom succeeded in giving to his works the beauty and excellence that he had imagined4 ,and even if they had found what they were seeking1 they still lacked the method of making their figures on panel adhere as well as those painted on walls1 and also that of making them so that they could be washed without destroying the colours1 and would endure any shock in handling4 ,these matters a great number of craftsmen had discussed many times in common1 but without result4 ,this same desire was felt by many lofty minds that were devoted to painting beyond the bounds of ,italy--namely1 by all the painters of ,france1 ,spain1 ,germany1 and other countries4 ,now1 while matters stood thus1 it came to pass that1 while working in ,flanders1 ,johann#aj of ,bruges1 a painter much esteemed in those parts by reason of the great mastery that he had acquired in his profession1 set himself to make trial of various sorts of colours1 and1 as one who took delight in alchemy1 to prepare many kinds of oil for making varnishes and other things dear to men of inventive brain1 such as he was4 ,now1 on one occasion1 having taken very great pains with the painting of a panel1 and having brought it to completion with much diligence1 he gave it the varnish and put it to dry in the sun1 as is the custom4 ,but1 either because the heat was too violent1 or perchance because the wood was badly joined together or not seasoned well enough1 the said panel opened out at the joinings in a ruinous fashion4 ,whereupon ,johann1 seeing the harm that the heat of the sun had done to it1 determined to bring it about that the sun should never again do such great damage to his works4 ,and so1 being disgusted no less with his varnish than with working in distemper1 he began to look for a method of making a varnish that should dry in the shade1 without putting his pictures in the sun4 ,wherefore1 after he had made many experiments with substances both pure and mixed together1 he found at length that linseed oil and oil of nuts dried more readily than all the others that he had tried4 ,these1 then1 boiled together with other mixtures of his1 gave him the varnish that he--nay1 all the painters in the world--had long desired4 ,afterwards1 having made experiments with many other substances1 he saw that mixing the colours with those oils gave them a very solid consistency1 not only securing the work1 when dried1 from all danger from water1 but also making the colour so brilliant as to give it lustre by itself without varnish2 and what appeared most marvellous to him was this1 that it could be blended infinitely better than distemper4 ,rejoicing greatly over such a discovery1 as was only reasonable1 ,johann made a beginning with many works and filled all those parts with them1 with incredible pleasure for others and very great profit for himself2 and1 assisted by experience from day to day1 he kept on ever making greater and better works4 ,no long time passed before the fame of his invention1 spreading not only throughout ,flanders but through ,italy and many other parts of the world1 awakened in all craftsmen a very great desire to know by what method he gave so great a perfection to his works4 ,these craftsmen1 seeing his works and not knowing what means he employed1 were forced to extol him and to give him immortal praise1 and at the same time to envy him with a blameless envy1 the rather as he refused for some time to allow himself to be seen at work by anyone1 or to reveal his secret to any man4 ,at length1 however1 having grown old1 he imparted it to ,roger of ,bruges1 his pupil1 who passed it on to his disciple ,ausse#aa and to the others whom we have mentioned in speaking of colouring in oil with regard to painting4 ,but with all this1 although merchants did a great business in his pictures and sent them all over the world to ,princes and other great persons1 to their own great profit1 yet the knowledge did not spread beyond ,flanders2 and although these pictures had a very pungent odour1 given to them by the mixture of colours and oils1 particularly when they were new1 so that it seemed possible for the secret to be found out1 yet for many years it was not discovered4 ,but certain ,florentines1 who traded between ,flanders and ,naples1 sent to ,king ,alfonso ,i of ,naples a panel with many figures painted in oil by ,johann1 which became very dear to that ,king both for the beauty of the figures and for the novel invention shown in the colouring2 and all the painters in that kingdom flocked together to see it1 and it was consummately extolled by all4 ,now there was one ,antonello da ,messina1 a person of good and lively intelligence1 of great sagacity1 and skilled in his profession1 who1 having studied design for many years in ,rome1 had first retired to ,palermo1 where he had worked for many years1 and finally to his native place1 ,messina1 where he had confirmed by his works the good opinion that his countrymen had of his excellent ability in painting4 ,this man1 then1 going once on some business of his own from ,sicily to ,naples1 heard that the said ,king ,alfonso had received from ,flanders the aforesaid panel by the hand of ,johann of ,bruges1 painted in oil in such a manner that it could be washed1 would endure any shock1 and was in every way perfect4 ,thereupon1 having contrived to obtain a view of it1 he was so strongly impressed by the liveliness of the colours and by the beauty and harmony of that painting1 that he put on one side all other business and every thought and went off to ,flanders4 ,having arrived in ,bruges1 he became very intimate with the said ,johann1 making him presents of many drawings in the ,italian manner and other things1 insomuch that the latter1 moved by this and by the respect shown by ,antonello1 and being now old1 was content that he should see his method of colouring in oil2 wherefore ,antonello did not depart from that place until he had gained a thorough knowledge of that way of colouring1 which he desired so greatly to know4 ,and no long time after1 ,johann having died1 ,antonello returned from ,flanders in order to revisit his native country and to communicate to all ,italy a secret so useful1 beautiful1 and advantageous4 ,then1 having stayed a few months in ,messina1 he went to ,venice1 where1 being a man much given to pleasure and very licentious1 he resolved to take up his abode and finish his life1 having found there a mode of living exactly suited to his taste4 ,and so1 putting himself to work1 he made there many pictures in oil according to the rules that he had learned in ,flanders2 these are scattered throughout the houses of noblemen in that city1 where they were held in great esteem by reason of the novelty of the work4 ,he made many others1 also1 which were sent to various places4 ,finally1 having acquired fame and great repute there1 he was commissioned to paint a panel that was destined for ,s4 ,cassiano1 a parish church in that city4 ,this panel was wrought by ,antonio with all his knowledge and with no sparing of time2 and when finished1 by reason of the novelty of the colouring and the beauty of the figures1 which he had made with good design1 it was much commended and held in very great price4 ,and afterwards1 when men heard of the new secret that he had brought from ,flanders to that city1 he was ever loved and cherished by the magnificent noblemen of ,venice throughout the whole course of his life4 ,illustration3 ,,antonello ,,da ,,messina3 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,young ,,man 7,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #ah4 ,panel7 ,among the painters who were then in repute in ,venice1 a certain ,maestro ,domenico was held very excellent4 ,this man1 on the arrival of ,antonello in ,venice1 received him with such great lovingness and courtesy1 that he could not have shown more to a very dear and cherished friend4 ,for this reason ,antonello1 who would not be beaten in courtesy by ,maestro ,domenico1 after a few months taught him the secret and method of colouring in oil4 ,nothing could have been dearer to ,domenico than this extraordinary courtesy and friendliness2 and well might he hold it dear1 since it caused him1 as he had foreseen1 to be greatly honoured ever afterwards in his native city4 ,grossly deceived1 in truth1 are those who think that1 while they grudge to others even those things that cost them nothing1 they should be served by all for the sake of their sweet smile1 as the saying goes4 ,the courtesies of ,maestro ,domenico ,viniziano wrested from the hands of ,antonello that which he had won for himself with so much fatigue and labour1 and which he would probably have refused to hand over to any other even for a large sum of money4 ,but since1 with regard to ,maestro ,domenico1 we will mention in due time all that he wrought in ,florence1 and who were the men with whom he generously shared the secret that he had received as a courteous gift from another1 let us pass to ,antonello4 ,after the panel for ,s4 ,cassiano1 he made many pictures and portraits for various ,venetian noblemen4 ,messer ,bernardo ,vecchietti1 the ,florentine1 has a painting by his hand of ,s4 ,francis and ,s4 ,dominic1 both in the one picture1 and very beautiful4 ,then1 after receiving a commission from the ,signoria to paint certain scenes in their ,palace 7which they had refused to give to ,francesco di ,monsignore of ,verona1 although he had been greatly favoured by the ,duke of ,mantua71 he fell sick of a pleurisy and died at the age of forty-nine1 without having set a hand to the work4 ,he was greatly honoured in his obsequies by the craftsmen1 by reason of the gift bestowed by him on art in the form of the new manner of colouring1 as the following epitaph testifies3 ,d4 ,o4 ,m4 ,,antonius ,,pictor1 ,,praecipuum ,,messanae ,,suae ,,et ,,siciliae ,,totius ,,ornamentum1 ,,hac ,,humo ,,contegitur4 ,,non ,,solum ,,suis ,,picturis1 ,,in ,,quibus ,,singulare ,,artificium ,,et ,,venustas ,,fuit1 ,,sed ,,et ,,quod ,,coloribus ,,oleo ,,miscendis ,,splendorem ,,et ,,perpetuitatem ,,primus ,,italicae ,,picturae ,,contulit1 ,,summo ,,semper ,,artificium ,,studio ,,celebratus4 ,the death of ,antonello was a great grief to his many friends1 and particularly to the sculptor ,andrea ,riccio1 who wrought the nude marble statues of ,adam and ,eve1 held to be very beautiful1 which are seen in the courtyard of the ,palace of the ,signoria in ,venice4 ,such was the end of ,antonello1 to whom our craftsmen should certainly feel no less indebted for having brought the method of colouring in oil into ,italy than they should to ,johann of ,bruges for having discovered it in ,flanders4 ,both of them benefited and enriched the art2 for it is by means of this invention that craftsmen have since become so excellent1 that they have been able to make their figures all but alive4 ,their services should be all the more valued1 inasmuch as there is no writer to be found who attributes this manner of colouring to the ancients2 and if it could be known for certain that it did not exist among them1 this age would surpass all the excellence of the ancients by virtue of this perfection4 ,since1 however1 even as nothing is said that has not been said before1 so perchance nothing is done that has not been done before1 ,i will let this pass without saying more2 and praising consummately those who1 in addition to draughtsmanship1 are ever adding something to art1 ,i will proceed to write of others4 ,illustration3 ,,antonello ,,da ,,messina3 ,,the ,,crucifixion 7,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #aaff4 ,panel7 ,,footnotes3 #aj ,jan van ,eyck4 #aa ,it is reasonable to suppose that this stands for ,hans 7,memling74 ,,alesso ,,baldovinetti ,illustration3 ,,the ,,annunciation 7,after the panel by ,alesso ,baldovinetti4 ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #ef7 ,anderson ,,life ,,of ,,alesso ,,baldovinetti ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,so great an attraction has the noble art of painting1 that many eminent men have deserted the callings in which they might have become very rich1 and1 drawn by their inclination against the wishes of their parents1 have followed the promptings of their nature and devoted themselves to painting1 to sculpture1 or to some similar pursuit4 ,and1 to tell the truth1 if a man estimates riches at their true worth and no higher1 and regards excellence as the end of all his actions1 he acquires treasures very different from silver and gold2 not to mention that he is never afraid of those things that rob us in a moment of those earthly riches1 which are foolishly esteemed by men at more than their true value4 ,recognizing this1 ,alesso ,baldovinetti1 drawn by a natural inclination1 abandoned commerce--in which his relatives had ever occupied themselves1 insomuch that by practising it honourably they had acquired riches and lived like noble citizens--and devoted himself to painting1 in which he showed a peculiar ability to counterfeit very well the objects of nature1 as may be seen in the pictures by his hand4 ,this man1 while still very young1 and almost against the wish of his father1 who would have liked him to give his attention to commerce1 devoted himself to drawing2 and in a short time he made so much progress therein1 that his father was content to allow him to follow the inclination of his nature4 ,the first work that ,alesso executed in fresco was in ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 on the front wall of the ,chapel of ,s4 ,gilio1 which was much extolled at that time1 because1 among other things1 it contained a ,s4 ,egidio that was held to be a very beautiful figure4 ,in like manner1 he painted in ,s4 ,trinita the chapel in fresco and the chief panel in distemper1 for ,messer ,gherardo and ,messer ,bongianni ,gianfigliazzi1 most honourable and wealthy gentlemen of ,florence4 ,in this chapel ,alesso painted some scenes from the ,old ,testament1 which he first sketched in fresco and then finished on the dry1 tempering his colours with yolk of egg mingled with a liquid varnish prepared over a fire4 ,this vehicle1 he thought1 would preserve the paintings from damp2 but it was so strong that where it was laid on too thickly the work has peeled off in many places2 and thus1 whereas he thought he had found a rare and very beautiful secret1 he was deceived in his hopes4 ,he drew many portraits from nature1 and in the scene of the ,queen of ,sheba going to hear the wisdom of ,solomon1 which he painted in the aforesaid chapel1 he portrayed the ,magnificent ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 father of ,pope ,leo ,x1 and ,lorenzo della ,volpaia1 a most excellent maker of clocks and a very fine astrologer1 who was the man who made for the said ,lorenzo de' ,medici the very beautiful clock that the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo now has in his ,palace2 in which clock all the wheels of the planets are perpetually moving1 which is a rare thing1 and the first that was ever made in this manner4 ,in the scene opposite to that one ,alesso portrayed ,luigi ,guicciardini the elder1 ,luca ,pitti1 ,diotisalvi ,neroni1 and ,giuliano de' ,medici1 father of ,pope ,clement ,,vii2 and beside the stone pilaster he painted ,gherardo ,gianfigliazzi the elder1 the ,chevalier ,messer ,bongianni1 who is wearing a blue robe1 with a chain round his neck1 and ,jacopo and ,giovanni1 both of the same family4 ,near these are ,filippo ,strozzi the elder and the astrologer ,messer ,paolo dal ,pozzo ,toscanelli4 ,on the vaulting are four patriarchs1 and on the panel is the ,trinity1 with ,s4 ,giovanni ,gualberto kneeling1 and another ,saint4 ,all these portraits are very easily recognized from their similarity to those that are seen in other works1 particularly in the houses of their descendants1 whether in gesso or in painting4 ,alesso gave much time to this work1 because he was very patient and liked to execute his works at his ease and convenience4 ,illustration3 ,,alesso ,,baldovinetti3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child ,,in ,a ,,landscape 7,paris3 ,louvre1 #acjj;,b4 ,panel7 ,he drew very well1 as may be seen from a mule drawn from nature in our book1 wherein the curves of the hair over the whole body are done with much patience and with beautiful grace4 ,alesso was very diligent in his works1 and he strove to be an imitator of all the minute details that ,mother ,nature creates4 ,he had a manner somewhat dry and harsh1 particularly in draperies4 ,he took much delight in making landscapes1 copying them from the life of nature exactly as they are2 wherefore there are seen in his pictures streams1 bridges1 rocks1 herbs1 fruits1 roads1 fields1 cities1 castles1 sand1 and an infinity of other things of the kind4 ,in the ,nunziata at ,florence1 in the court1 exactly behind the wall where the ,annunciation itself is painted1 he painted a scene in fresco1 retouched on the dry1 in which there is a ,nativity of ,christ1 wrought with so great labour and diligence that one could count the stalks and knots of the straw in a hut that is there2 and he also counterfeited there the ruin of a house with the stones mouldering1 all eaten away and consumed by rain and frost1 and a thick ivy root that covers a part of the wall1 wherein it is to be observed that with great patience he made the outer side of the leaves of one shade of green1 and the under side of another1 as ,nature does1 neither more nor less2 and1 in addition to the shepherds1 he made a serpent1 or rather1 a grass-snake1 crawling up a wall1 which is most life-like4 ,it is said that ,alesso took great pains to discover the true method of making mosaic1 but that he never succeeded in anything that he wanted to do1 until at length he came across a ,german who was going to ,rome to obtain some indulgences4 ,this man he took into his house1 and he gained from him a complete knowledge of the method and the rules for executing mosaic1 insomuch that afterwards1 having set himself boldly to work1 he made some angels holding the head of ,christ over the bronze doors of ,s4 ,giovanni1 in the arches on the inner side4 ,his good method of working becoming known by reason of this work1 he was commissioned by the ,consuls of the ,guild of ,merchants to clean and renovate all the vaulting of that church1 which had been wrought1 as has been said1 by ,andrea ,tafi2 for it had been spoilt in many places1 and was in need of being renewed and restored4 ,this he did with love and diligence1 availing himself for that purpose of a wooden staging made for him by ,cecca1 who was the best architect of that age4 ,alesso taught the craft of mosaic to ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 who portrayed him afterwards near himself in the ,chapel of the ,tornabuoni in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 in the scene where ,joachim is driven from the ,temple1 in the form of a clean-shaven old man with a red cap on his head4 ,alesso lived eighty years1 and when he began to draw near to old age1 as one who wished to be able to attend with a quiet mind to the studies of his profession1 he retired into the ,hospital of ,s4 ,paolo1 as many men are wont to do4 ,and perhaps to the end that he might be received more willingly and better treated 7or it may have been by chance71 he had a great chest carried into his rooms in the said hospital1 giving out that it contained a good sum of money4 ,wherefore the ,director and the other officials of the hospital1 believing this to be true1 and knowing that he had bequeathed to the hospital all that might be found after his death1 showed him all the attention in the world4 ,but on the death of ,alesso1 there was nothing found in it save drawings1 portraits on paper1 and a little book that explained the preparation of the stones and stucco for mosaic and the method of using them4 ,nor was it any marvel1 so men said1 that no money was found there1 because he was so open-handed that he had nothing that did not belong as much to his friends as to himself4 ,a disciple of ,alesso was the ,florentine ,graffione1 who wrought in fresco1 over the door of the ,innocenti1 that figure of ,god the ,father and those angels that are still there4 ,it is said that the ,magnificent ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 conversing one day with ,graffione1 who was an original1 said to him1 ,i wish to have all the ribs of the inner cupola adorned with mosaic and stucco-work2 and that ,graffione replied1 ,you have not the masters4 ,to which ,lorenzo answered1 ,we have enough money to make some4 ,graffione instantly retorted1 ,ah1 ,lorenzo1 'tis not the money that makes the masters1 but the masters that make the money4 ,this man was a bizarre and fantastic person4 ,in his house he would never eat off any table-cloth save his own cartoons1 and he slept in no other bed than a chest filled with straw1 without sheets4 ,but to return to ,alesso2 he took leave of his art and of his life in #addh1 and he was honourably buried by his relatives and fellow-citizens4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,trinity 7,after the panel by ,graffione4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,spirito7 ,alinari ,,vellano ,,da ,,padova ,,life ,,of ,,vellano ,,da ,,padova ,,sculptor ,so great is the effect of counterfeiting anything with love and diligence1 that very often1 when the manner of any master of these our arts has been well imitated by those who take delight in his works1 the imitation resembles the thing imitated so closely1 that no difference is discerned save by those who have a sharpness of eye beyond the ordinary2 and it rarely comes to pass that a loving disciple fails to learn1 at least in great measure1 the manner of his master4 ,vellano da ,padova strove with so great diligence to counterfeit the manner and the method of ,donato in sculpture1 particularly in bronze1 that in his native city of ,padua he was left the heir to the excellence of the ,florentine ,donatello2 and to this witness is borne by his works in the ,santo1 which nearly every man that has not a complete knowledge of the matter attributes to ,donato1 so that every day many are deceived1 if they are not informed of the truth4 ,this man1 then1 fired by the great praise that he heard given to ,donato1 the sculptor of ,florence1 who was then working in ,padua1 and by a desire for those profits that come into the hands of good craftsmen through the excellence of their works1 placed himself under ,donato in order to learn sculpture1 and devoted himself to it in such a manner1 that1 with the aid of so great a master1 he finally achieved his purpose2 wherefore1 before ,donatello had finished his works and departed from ,padua1 ,vellano had made such great progress in the art that great expectations were already entertained about him1 and he inspired such confidence in his master as to induce him 7and that rightly7 to leave to his pupil all the equipment1 designs1 and models for the scenes in bronze that were to be made round the choir of the ,santo in that city4 ,this was the reason why1 when ,donato departed1 as has been said1 the commission for the whole of that work was publicly given to ,vellano in his native city1 to his very great honour4 ,whereupon he made all the scenes in bronze that are on the outer side of the choir of the ,santo1 wherein1 among others1 there is the scene of ,samson embracing the column and destroying the temple of the ,philistines1 in which one sees the fragments of the ruined building duly falling1 and the death of so many people1 not to mention a great diversity of attitudes among them as they die1 some through the ruins1 and some through fear2 and all this ,vellano represented marvellously4 ,in the same place are certain works in wax and the models for these scenes1 and likewise some bronze candelabra wrought by the same man with much judgment and invention4 ,from what we see1 this craftsman appears to have had a very great desire to attain to the standard of ,donatello2 but he did not succeed1 for he aimed too high in a most difficult art4 ,vellano also took delight in architecture1 and was more than passing good in that profession2 wherefore1 having gone to ,rome in the year #adfd1 at the time of ,pope ,paul the ,venetian1 for which ,pontiff ,giuliano da ,maiano was architect in the building of the ,vatican1 he too was employed in many things2 and by his hand1 among other works that he made1 are the arms of that ,pontiff which are seen there with his name beside them4 ,he also wrought many of the ornaments of the ,palace of ,s4 ,marco for the same ,pope1 whose head1 by the hand of ,vellano1 is at the top of the staircase4 ,for that building the same man designed a stupendous courtyard1 with a commodious and elegant flight of steps1 but the death of the ,pontiff intervened to hinder the completion of the whole4 ,the while that he stayed in ,rome1 ,vellano made many small things in marble and in bronze for the said ,pope and for others1 but ,i have not been able to find them4 ,in ,perugia the same master made a bronze statue larger than life1 in which he portrayed the said ,pope from nature1 seated in his pontifical robes2 and at the foot of this he placed his name and the year when it was made4 ,this figure is in a niche of several kinds of stone1 wrought with much diligence1 without the door of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 which is the ,duomo of that city4 ,the same man made many medals1 some of which are still to be seen1 particularly that of the aforesaid ,pope1 and those of ,antonio ,rosello of ,arezzo and ,batista ,platina1 both ,secretaries to that ,pontiff4 ,illustration3 ,,jonah ,,cast ,,into ,,the ,,sea 7,after the bronze relief by ,vellano da ,padova4 ,padua3 ,s4 ,antonio7 ,anderson ,having returned after these works to ,padua with a very good name1 ,vellano was held in esteem not only in his native city1 but in all ,lombardy and in the ,march of ,treviso1 both because up to that time there had been no craftsmen of excellence in those parts1 and because he had very great skill in the founding of metals4 ,afterwards1 when ,vellano was already old1 the ,signoria of ,venice determined to have an equestrian statue of ,bartolommeo da ,bergamo made in bronze2 and they allotted the horse to ,andrea del ,verrocchio of ,florence1 and the figure to ,vellano4 ,on hearing this1 ,andrea1 who thought that the whole work should fall to him1 knowing himself to be1 as indeed he was1 a better master than ,vellano1 flew into such a rage that he broke up and destroyed the whole model of the horse that he had already finished1 and went off to ,florence4 ,but after a time1 being recalled by the ,signoria1 who gave him the whole work to do1 he returned once more to finish it2 at which ,vellano felt so much displeasure that he departed from ,venice1 without saying a word or expressing his resentment in any manner1 and returned to ,padua1 where he afterwards lived in honour for the rest of his life1 contenting himself with the works that he had made and with being loved and honoured1 as he ever was1 in his native place4 ,he died at the age of ninety-two1 and was buried in the ,santo with that distinction which his excellence1 having honoured both himself and his country1 had deserved4 ,his portrait was sent to me from ,padua by certain friends of mine1 who had it1 so they told me1 from the very learned and very reverend ,cardinal ,bembo1 whose love of our arts was no less remarkable than his supremacy over all other men of our age in all the rarest qualities and gifts both of mind and body4 ,,fra ,,filippo ,,lippi ,,life ,,of ,,fra ,,filippo ,,lippi ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,fra ,filippo di ,tommaso ,lippi1 a ,carmelite1 was born in ,florence in a street called ,ardiglione1 below the ,canto alla ,cuculia and behind the ,convent of the ,carmelites4 ,by the death of his father ,tommaso he was left a poor little orphan at the age of two1 with no one to take care of him1 for his mother had also died not long after giving him birth4 ,he was left1 therefore1 in the charge of one ,mona ,lapaccia1 his aunt1 sister of his father1 who brought him up with very great inconvenience to herself2 and when he was eight years of age and she could no longer support him1 she made him a friar in the aforesaid ,convent of the ,carmine4 ,living there1 in proportion as he showed himself dexterous and ingenious in the use of his hands1 so was he dull and incapable of making any progress in the learning of letters1 so that he would never apply his intelligence to them or regard them as anything save his enemies4 ,this boy1 who was called by his secular name of ,filippo1 was kept with others in the noviciate under the discipline of the schoolmaster1 in order to see what he could do2 but in place of studying he would never do anything save deface his own books and those of the others with caricatures4 ,whereupon the ,prior resolved to give him every opportunity and convenience for learning to paint4 ,there was then in the ,carmine a chapel that had been newly painted by ,masaccio1 which1 being very beautiful1 pleased ,fra ,filippo so greatly that he would haunt it every day for his recreation2 and continually practising there in company with many young men1 who were ever drawing in it1 he surpassed the others by a great measure in dexterity and knowledge1 insomuch that it was held certain that in time he would do something marvellous4 ,nay1 not merely in his maturity1 but even in his early childhood1 he executed so many works worthy of praise that it was a miracle4 ,it was no long time before he wrought in terra-verde in the cloister1 close to the ,consecration painted by ,masaccio1 a ,pope confirming the ,rule of the ,carmelites2 and he painted pictures in fresco on various walls in many parts of the church1 particularly a ,s4 ,john the ,baptist with some scenes from his life4 ,and thus1 making progress every day1 he had learnt the manner of ,masaccio very well1 so that he made his works so similar to those of the other that many said that the spirit of ,masaccio had entered into the body of ,fra ,filippo4 ,on a pilaster in the church1 close to the organ1 he made a figure of ,s4 ,marziale which brought him infinite fame1 for it could bear comparison with the works that ,masaccio had painted4 ,wherefore1 hearing himself so greatly praised by the voices of all1 at the age of seventeen he boldly threw off his monastic habit4 ,now1 chancing to be in the ,march of ,ancona1 he was disporting himself one day with some of his friends in a little boat on the sea1 when they were all captured together by the ,moorish galleys that were scouring those parts1 and taken to ,barbary1 where each of them was put in chains and held as a slave2 and thus he remained in great misery for eighteen months4 ,but one day1 seeing that he was thrown much into contact with his master1 there came to him the opportunity and the whim to make a portrait of him2 whereupon1 taking a piece of dead coal from the fire1 with this he portrayed him at full length on a white wall in his ,moorish costume4 ,when this was reported by the other slaves to the master 7for it appeared a miracle to them all1 since drawing and painting were not known in these parts71 it brought about his liberation from the chains in which he had been held for so long4 ,truly glorious was it for this art to have caused one to whom the power of condemnation and punishment was granted by law1 to do the very opposite--nay1 in place of inflicting pains and death1 to consent to show friendliness and grant liberty6 ,after having wrought some works in colour for his master1 he was brought safely to ,naples1 where he painted for ,king ,alfonso1 then ,duke of ,calabria1 a panel in distemper for the ,chapel of the ,castle1 where the guard-room now is4 ,illustration3 ,,fra ,,filippo ,,lippi3 ,,the ,,annunciation 7,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #fff4 ,panel7 ,after this there came upon him a desire to return to ,florence1 where he remained for some months4 ,there he wrought a very beautiful panel for the high-altar of the ,nuns of ,s4 ,ambrogio1 which made him very dear to ,cosimo de' ,medici1 who became very much his friend for this reason4 ,he also painted a panel for the ,chapter-house of ,s4 ,croce1 and another that was placed in the chapel of the house of the ,medici1 on which he painted the ,nativity of ,christ4 ,for the wife of the said ,cosimo1 likewise1 he painted a panel with the same ,nativity of ,christ and with ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 which was to be placed in the ,hermitage of ,camaldoli1 in one of the hermits' cells1 dedicated to ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 which she had caused to be built in proof of her devotion4 ,and he painted some little scenes that were sent by ,cosimo as a gift to ,pope ,eugenius ,,iv1 the ,venetian2 wherefore ,fra ,filippo acquired great favour with that ,pope by reason of this work4 ,it is said that he was so amorous1 that1 if he saw any women who pleased him1 and if they were to be won1 he would give all his possessions to win them2 and if he could in no way do this1 he would paint their portraits and cool the flame of his love by reasoning with himself4 ,so much a slave was he to this appetite1 that when he was in this humour he gave little or no attention to the works that he had undertaken2 wherefore on one occasion ,cosimo de' ,medici1 having commissioned him to paint a picture1 shut him up in his own house1 in order that he might not go out and waste his time2 but after staying there for two whole days1 being driven forth by his amorous--nay1 beastly--passion1 one night he cut some ropes out of his bed-sheets with a pair of scissors and let himself down from a window1 and then abandoned himself for many days to his pleasures4 ,thereupon1 since he could not be found1 ,cosimo sent out to look for him1 and finally brought him back to his labour2 and thenceforward ,cosimo gave him liberty to go out when he pleased1 repenting greatly that he had previously shut him up1 when he thought of his madness and of the danger that he might run4 ,for this reason he strove to keep a hold on him for the future by kindnesses2 and so he was served by ,filippo with greater readiness1 and was wont to say that the virtues of rare minds were celestial beings1 and not slavish hacks4 ,for the ,church of ,s4 ,maria ,primerana1 on the ,piazza of ,fiesole1 he painted a panel containing the ,annunciation of ,our ,lady by the ,angel1 which shows very great diligence1 and there is such beauty in the figure of the ,angel that it appears truly a celestial thing4 ,for the ,nuns of the ,murate he painted two panels3 one1 containing an ,annunciation1 is placed on the high-altar2 and the other is on an altar in the same church1 and contains stories of ,s4 ,benedict and ,s4 ,bernard4 ,in the ,palace of the ,signoria he painted an ,annunciation on a panel1 which is over a door2 and over another door in the said ,palace he also painted a ,s4 ,bernard4 ,for the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,spirito in ,florence he executed a panel with the ,madonna surrounded by angels1 and with saints on either side--a rare work1 which has ever been held in the greatest veneration by the masters of these our arts4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,wardens of ,works in ,s4 ,lorenzo he wrought a panel with another ,annunciation2 with one for the ,della ,stufa ,chapel1 which he did not finish4 ,for a chapel in ,s4 ,apostolo1 in the same city1 he painted a panel with some figures round a ,madonna4 ,in ,arezzo1 by order of ,messer ,carlo ,marsuppini1 he painted the panel of the ,chapel of ,s4 ,bernardo for the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 depicting therein the ,coronation of ,our ,lady1 surrounded by many saints2 which picture has remained so fresh1 that it appears to have been made by the hand of ,fra ,filippo at the present day4 ,it was then that he was told by the aforesaid ,messer ,carlo to give attention to the painting of the hands1 seeing that his works were much criticized in this respect2 wherefore from that day onwards1 in painting hands1 ,fra ,filippo covered the greater part of them with draperies or with some other contrivance1 in order to avoid the aforesaid criticism4 ,in this work he portrayed the said ,messer ,carlo from the life4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,virgin ,,adoring 7,after the panel by ,fra ,filippo ,lippi4 ,florence3 ,accademia1 #gi7 ,anderson ,for the ,nuns of ,annalena in ,florence he painted a ,manger on a panel2 and some of his pictures are still to be seen in ,padua4 ,he sent two little scenes with small figures1 painted by his hand1 to ,cardinal ,barbo in ,rome2 these were very excellently wrought1 and executed with great diligence4 ,truly marvellous was the grace with which he painted1 and very perfect the harmony that he gave to his works1 for which he has been ever esteemed by craftsmen and honoured by our modern masters with consummate praise2 nay1 so long as the voracity of time allows his many excellent labours to live1 he will be held in veneration by every age4 ,in ,prato1 near ,florence1 where he had some relatives1 he stayed for many months1 executing many works throughout that whole district in company with ,fra ,diamante1 a friar of the ,carmine1 who had been his comrade in the noviciate4 ,after this1 having been commissioned by the ,nuns of ,s4 ,margherita to paint the panel of their high-altar1 he was working at this when there came before his eyes a daughter of ,francesco ,buti1 a citizen of ,florence1 who was living there as a ward or as a novice4 ,having set eyes on ,lucrezia 7for this was the name of the girl71 who was very beautiful and graceful1 ,fra ,filippo contrived to persuade the nuns to allow him to make a portrait of her for a figure of ,our ,lady in the work that he was doing for them4 ,with this opportunity he became even more enamoured of her1 and then wrought upon her so mightily1 what with one thing and another1 that he stole her away from the nuns and took her off on the very day when she was going to see the ,girdle of ,our ,lady1 an honoured relic of that township1 being exposed to view4 ,whereupon the nuns were greatly disgraced by such an event1 and her father1 ,francesco1 who never smiled again1 made every effort to recover her2 but she1 either through fear or for some other reason1 refused to come back--nay1 she insisted on staying with ,filippo1 to whom she bore a male child1 who was also called ,filippo1 and who became1 like his father1 a very excellent and famous painter4 ,in ,s4 ,domenico1 in the aforesaid ,prato1 there are two of his panels2 and in the tramezzo#ab of the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco there is a ,madonna1 in the removing of which from the place where it was at first1 it was cut out from the wall on which it was painted1 in order not to spoil it1 and bound round with wood1 and then transported to that wall of the church where it is still to be seen to-day4 ,in a courtyard of the ,ceppo of ,francesco di ,marco1 over a well1 there is a little panel by the hand of the same man1 containing the portrait of the said ,francesco di ,marco1 the creator and founder of that holy place4 ,in the ,pieve of the said township1 on a little panel over the side-door as one ascends the steps1 he painted the ,death of ,s4 ,bernard1 by the touch of whose bier many cripples are being restored to health4 ,in this picture are friars bewailing the death of their master1 and it is a marvellous thing to see the beautiful expression of the sadness of lamentation in the heads1 counterfeited with great art and resemblance to nature4 ,here there are draperies in the form of friars' gowns with most beautiful folds1 which deserve infinite praise for their good design1 colouring1 and composition2 not to mention the grace and proportion that are seen in the said work1 which was executed with the greatest delicacy by the hand of ,fra ,filippo4 ,the ,wardens of ,works for the said ,pieve1 in order to have some memorial of him1 commissioned him to paint the ,chapel of the ,high-,altar in that place2 and he gave great proof of his worth in that work1 which1 besides its general excellence and masterliness1 contains most admirable draperies and heads4 ,he made the figures therein larger than life1 thus introducing to our modern craftsmen the method of giving grandeur to the manner of our own day4 ,there are certain figures with garments little used in those times1 whereby he began to incite the minds of men to depart from that simplicity which should be called rather old-fashioned than ancient4 ,in the same work are the stories of ,s4 ,stephen 7the titular ,saint of the said ,pieve71 distributed over the wall on the right hand--namely1 the ,disputation1 the ,stoning1 and the ,death of that ,protomartyr1 in whose face1 as he disputes with the ,jews1 ,filippo depicted so much zeal and so much fervour1 that it is a difficult thing to imagine it1 and much more to express it2 and in the faces and the various attitudes of the ,jews he revealed their hatred1 disdain1 and anger at seeing themselves overcome by him4 ,even more clearly did he make manifest the brutality and rage of those who are slaying him with stones1 which they have grasped1 some large1 some small1 with a horrible gnashing of teeth1 and with gestures wholly cruel and enraged4 ,none the less1 amid so terrible an onslaught1 ,s4 ,stephen1 raising his countenance with great calmness to ,heaven1 is seen making supplication to the ,eternal ,father with the warmest love and fervour for the very men who are slaying him4 ,all these conceptions are truly very beautiful1 and serve to show to others how great is the value of invention and of knowing how to express emotions in pictures2 and this he remembered so well1 that in those who are burying ,s4 ,stephen he made gestures so dolorous1 and some faces so afflicted and broken with weeping1 that it is scarcely possible to look at them without being moved4 ,on the other side he painted the ,birth of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 the ,preaching1 the ,baptism1 the ,feast of ,herod1 and the ,beheading of the ,saint4 ,here1 in his countenance as he is preaching1 there is seen the ,divine ,spirit2 with various emotions in the multitude that is listening1 joy and sorrow both in the women and in the men1 who are all hanging intently on the teaching of ,s4 ,john4 ,in the ,baptism are seen beauty and goodness2 and1 in the ,feast of ,herod1 the majesty of the banquet1 the dexterity of ,herodias1 the astonishment of the company1 and their immeasurable grief when the severed head is presented in the charger4 ,round the banqueting-table are seen innumerable figures with very beautiful attitudes1 and with good execution both in the draperies and in the expressions of the faces4 ,among these1 with a mirror1 he portrayed himself dressed in the black habit of a prelate2 and he made a portrait of his disciple ,fra ,diamante among those who are bewailing ,s4 ,stephen4 ,this work is in truth the most excellent of all his paintings1 both for the reasons mentioned above1 and because he made the figures somewhat larger than life1 which encouraged those who came after him to give grandeur to their manner4 ,so greatly was he esteemed for his excellent gifts1 that many circumstances in his life that were worthy of blame were passed over in consideration of the eminence of his great talents4 ,in this work he portrayed ,messer ,carlo1 the natural son of ,cosimo de' ,medici1 who was then ,provost of that church1 which received great benefactions from him and from his house4 ,in the year #adfc1 when he had finished this work1 he painted a panel in distemper1 containing a very beautiful ,annunciation1 for the ,church of ,s4 ,jacopo in ,pistoia1 by order of ,messer ,jacopo ,bellucci1 of whom he made therein a most vivid portrait from the life4 ,in the house of ,pulidoro ,bracciolini there is a picture by his hand of the ,birth of ,our ,lady2 and in the ,hall of the ,tribunal of ,eight in ,florence he painted in distemper a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 on a lunette4 ,in the house of ,lodovico ,capponi there is another picture with a very beautiful ,madonna2 and in the hands of ,bernardo ,vecchietti1 a gentleman of ,florence and a man of a culture and excellence beyond my power of expression1 there is a little picture by the hand of the same man1 containing a very beautiful ,s4 ,augustine engaged in his studies4 ,even better is a ,s4 ,jerome in ,penitence1 of the same size1 in the guardaroba of ,duke ,cosimo2 for if ,fra ,filippo was a rare master in all his pictures1 he surpassed himself in the small ones1 to which he gave such grace and beauty that nothing could be better1 as may be seen in the predelle of all the panels that he painted4 ,in short1 he was such that none surpassed him in his own times1 and few in our own2 and ,michelagnolo has not only always extolled him1 but has imitated him in many things4 ,for the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico ,vecchio in ,perugia1 also1 he painted a panel that was afterwards placed on the high-altar1 containing a ,madonna1 ,s4 ,peter1 ,s4 ,paul1 ,s4 ,louis1 and ,s4 ,anthony the ,abbot4 ,messer ,alessandro degli ,alessandri1 a ,chevalier of that day and a friend of ,filippo1 caused him to paint a panel for the church of his villa at ,vincigliata on the hill of ,fiesole1 containing a ,s4 ,laurence and other ,saints1 among whom he portrayed ,alessandro and two sons of his4 ,fra ,filippo was much the friend of gay spirits1 and he ever lived a joyous life4 ,he taught the art of painting to ,fra ,diamante1 who executed many pictures in the ,carmine at ,prato2 and he did himself great credit by the close imitation of his master's manner1 for he attained to the greatest perfection4 ,sandro ,botticelli1 ,pesello1 and ,jacopo del ,sellaio of ,florence worked with ,fra ,filippo in their youth 7the last-named painted two panels in ,s4 ,friano1 and one wrought in distemper in the ,carmine71 with a great number of other masters1 to whom he ever taught the art with great friendliness4 ,he lived honourably by his labours1 spending extraordinary sums on the pleasures of love1 in which he continued to take delight right up to the end of his life4 ,he was requested by the ,commune of ,spoleto1 through the mediation of ,cosimo de' ,medici1 to paint the chapel in their principal church 7dedicated to ,our ,lady71 which he brought very nearly to completion1 working in company with ,fra ,diamante1 when death intervened to prevent him from finishing it4 ,some say1 indeed1 that in consequence of his great inclination for his blissful amours some relations of the lady that he loved had him poisoned4 ,illustration3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,after the panel 7tondo7 by ,fra ,filippo ,lippi4 ,florence3 ,pitti1 #cdc7 ,anderson ,fra ,filippo finished the course of his life in #adch1 at the age of fifty-seven1 and left a will entrusting to ,fra ,diamante his son ,filippo1 a little boy of ten years of age1 who learnt the art of painting from his guardian4 ,fra ,diamante returned with him to ,florence1 carrying away three hundred ducats1 which remained to be received from the ,commune of ,spoleto for the work done2 with these he bought some property for himself1 giving but a little share to the boy4 ,filippo was placed with ,sandro ,botticelli1 who was then held a very good master2 and the old man was buried in a tomb of red and white marble1 which the people of ,spoleto caused to be erected in the church that he had been painting4 ,his death grieved many friends1 particularly ,cosimo de' ,medici1 as well as ,pope ,eugenius1 who offered in his life-time to give him a dispensation1 so that he might make ,lucrezia1 the daughter of ,francesco ,buti1 his legitimate wife2 but this he refused to do1 wishing to have complete liberty for himself and his appetites4 ,while ,sixtus ,,iv was alive1 ,lorenzo de' ,medici became ambassador to the ,florentines1 and made the journey to ,spoleto1 in order to demand from that community the body of ,fra ,filippo1 to the end that it might be laid in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore in ,florence2 but their answer to him was that they were lacking in ornaments1 and above all in distinguished men1 for which reason they demanded ,filippo from him as a favour in order to honour themselves1 adding that since there was a vast number of famous men in ,florence1 nay1 almost a superfluity1 he should consent to do without this one2 and more than this he could not obtain4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that afterwards1 having determined to do honour to him in the best way that he could1 he sent his son ,filippino to ,rome to paint a chapel for the ,cardinal of ,naples2 and ,filippino1 passing through ,spoleto1 caused a tomb of marble to be erected for him at the commission of ,lorenzo1 beneath the organ and over the sacristy1 on which he spent one hundred ducats of gold1 which were paid by ,nofri ,tornabuoni1 master of the bank of the ,medici2 and ,lorenzo also caused ,messer ,angelo ,poliziano to write the following epigram1 which is carved on the said tomb in antique lettering3 ,,conditus ,,hic ,,ego ,,sum ,,picturae ,,fama ,,philippus2 ,,nulli ,,ignota ,,meae ,,est ,,gratia ,,mira ,,manus4 ,,artifices ,,potui ,,digitis ,,animare ,,colores1 ,,sperataque ,,animos ,,fallere ,,voce ,,diu4 ,,ipsa ,,meis ,,stupuit ,,natura ,,expressa ,,figuris1 ,,meque ,,suis ,,fassa ,,est ,,artibus ,,esse ,,parem4 ,,marmoreo ,,tumulo ,,medices ,,laurentius ,,hic ,,me ,,condidit2 ,,ante ,,humili ,,pulvere ,,tectus ,,eram4 ,fra ,filippo was a very good draughtsman1 as may be seen in our book of drawings by the most famous painters1 particularly in some wherein the panel of ,s4 ,spirito is drawn1 with others showing the chapel in ,prato4 ,,footnotes3 #ab ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 ,,paolo ,,romano1 ,,maestro ,,mino1 ,,and ,,chimenti ,,camicia ,,lives ,,of ,,paolo ,,romano ,,and ,,maestro ,,mino1 ,,sculptors ,,mino ,,del ,,regno1 ,,or ,,mino ,,del ,,reame ,,and ,,chimenti ,,camicia1 ,,architect ,we have now to speak of ,paolo ,romano and ,mino del ,regno1 who were contemporaries and of the same profession1 but very different in character and in knowledge of art1 for ,paolo was modest and quite able1 and ,mino much less able1 but so presumptuous and arrogant1 that he was not only overbearing in his actions1 but also with his speech exalted his own works beyond all due measure4 ,when ,pope ,pius ,,ii gave a commission for a figure to the ,roman sculptor ,paolo1 ,mino tormented and persecuted him out of envy so greatly1 that ,paolo1 who was a good and most modest man1 was forced to show resentment4 ,whereupon ,mino1 falling into a rage with ,paolo1 offered to bet a thousand ducats that he would make a figure better than ,paolo's2 and this he said with the greatest presumption and effrontery1 knowing the nature of ,paolo1 who disliked any annoyance1 and believing that he would not accept such a challenge4 ,but ,paolo accepted the invitation1 and ,mino1 half repentant1 bet a hundred ducats merely to save his honour ,the figures finished1 the victory was given to ,paolo as a rare and excellent master1 which he was2 and ,mino was scorned as the sort of craftsman whose words were worth more than his works4 ,by the hand of ,mino are certain works in marble at ,naples1 and a tomb at ,monte ,cassino1 a seat of the ,black ,friars in the kingdom of ,naples2 the ,s4 ,peter and the ,s4 ,paul that are at the foot of the steps of ,s4 ,pietro in ,rome1 and the tomb of ,pope ,paul ,,ii in ,s4 ,pietro4 ,the figure that ,paolo made in competition with ,mino was the ,s4 ,paul that is to be seen on a marble base at the head of the ,ponte ,s4 ,angelo1 which stood unnoticed for a long time in front of the ,chapel of ,sixtus ,,iv4 ,it afterwards came to pass that one day ,pope ,clement ,,vii observed this figure1 which pleased him greatly1 for he was a man of knowledge and judgment in such matters2 wherefore he determined to have a ,s4 ,peter made of the same size1 and also1 after removing two little chapels of marble1 dedicated to those ,apostles1 which stood at the head of the ,ponte ,s4 ,angelo and obstructed the view of the ,castle1 to put these two statues in their place4 ,it may be read in the work of ,antonio ,filarete that ,paolo was not only a sculptor but also an able goldsmith1 and that he wrought part of the twelve ,apostles in silver which stood1 before the sack of ,rome1 over the altar of the ,papal ,chapel4 ,part of the work of these statues was done by ,niccolo della ,guardia and ,pietro ,paolo da ,todi1 disciples of ,paolo1 who were afterwards passing good masters in sculpture1 as is seen from the tombs of ,pope ,pius ,,ii and ,pope ,pius ,,iii1 on which the said ,pontiffs are portrayed from nature4 ,by the hand of the same men are medals of three ,emperors and other great persons4 ,the said ,paolo made a statue of an armed man on horseback1 which is now on the ground in ,s4 ,pietro1 near the ,chapel of ,s4 ,andrea4 ,a pupil of ,paolo was the ,roman ,gian ,cristoforo1 who was an able sculptor2 and there are certain works by his hand in ,s4 ,maria ,trastevere and in other places4 ,chimenti ,camicia1 of whose origin nothing is known save that he was a ,florentine1 was employed in the service of the ,king of ,hungary1 for whom he made palaces1 gardens1 fountains1 churches1 fortresses1 and many other buildings of importance1 with ornaments1 carvings1 decorated ceilings1 and other things of the kind1 which were executed with much diligence by ,baccio ,cellini4 ,after these works1 drawn by love for his country1 ,chimenti returned to ,florence1 whence he sent to ,baccio 7who remained there71 as presents for the ,king1 certain pictures by the hand of ,berto ,linaiuolo1 which were held very beautiful in ,hungary and much extolled by that ,king4 ,this ,berto 7of whom ,i will not refrain from making this record as well71 after having painted many pictures in a beautiful manner1 which are in the houses of many citizens1 died at the very height of his powers1 cutting short the great expectations that had been formed of him4 ,but to return to ,chimenti2 he had not been long in ,florence when he returned to ,hungary1 where he continued to serve the ,king2 but while he was journeying on the ,danube in order to give designs for mills1 in consequence of fatigue he was seized by a sickness1 which carried him off in a few days to the other life4 ,the works of these masters date about the year #adgj4 ,about the same time1 during the pontificate of ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv1 there lived in ,rome one ,baccio ,pintelli1 a ,florentine1 who was rewarded for the great skill that he had in architecture by being employed by that ,pope in all his building enterprises4 ,with his design1 then1 were built the ,church and ,convent of ,s4 ,maria del ,popolo1 and certain highly ornate chapels therein1 particularly that of ,domenico della ,rovere1 ,cardinal of ,san ,clemente and nephew of that ,pope4 ,the same ,pontiff erected a palace in ,borgo ,vecchio after the design of ,baccio1 which was then held to be a very beautiful and well-planned edifice4 ,the same master built the ,great ,library under the apartments of ,niccola1 and that chapel in the ,palace that is called the ,sistine1 which is adorned with beautiful paintings4 ,he also rebuilt the structure of the new ,hospital of ,s4 ,spirito in ,sassia 7which was burnt down almost to the foundations in the year #adga71 adding to it a very long loggia and all the useful conveniences that could be desired4 ,within the hospital1 along its whole length1 he caused scenes to be painted from the life of ,pope ,sixtus1 from his birth up to the completion of that building--nay1 up to the end of his life4 ,he also made the bridge that is called the ,ponte ,sisto1 from the name of that ,pontiff2 this was held to be an excellent work1 because ,baccio built it with such stout piers and with the weight so well distributed1 that it is very strong and very well founded4 ,in the year of the ,jubilee of #adge1 likewise1 he built many new little churches throughout ,rome1 which are recognized by the arms of ,pope ,sixtus--in particular1 ,s4 ,apostolo1 ,s4 ,pietro in ,vincula1 and ,s4 ,sisto4 ,for ,cardinal ,guglielmo1 ,bishop of ,ostia1 he made the model of his church1 with that of the facade and of the steps1 in the manner wherein they are seen to-day4 ,many declare that the design of the ,church of ,s4 ,pietro a ,montorio in ,rome was by the hand of ,baccio1 but ,i cannot say with truth that ,i have found this to be so4 ,this church was built at the expense of the ,king of ,portugal1 almost at the same time that the ,spanish nation had the ,church of ,s4 ,jacopo erected in ,rome4 ,the talent of ,baccio was so highly esteemed by that ,pontiff1 that he would never have done anything in the way of building without his counsel2 wherefore1 in the year #adhj1 hearing that the ,church and ,convent of ,s4 ,francesco at ,assisi were threatening to fall1 he sent ,baccio thither2 and he1 making a very stout counterfort on the side of the plain1 rendered that marvellous fabric perfectly secure4 ,on one buttress he placed a statue of that ,pontiff1 who1 not many years before1 had caused to be made in that same convent many apartments1 in the form of chambers and halls1 which are known not only by their magnificence but also by the arms of the said ,pope that are seen in them4 ,in the courtyard there is one coat of arms much larger than the others1 with some ,latin verses in praise of ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv1 who gave many proofs that he held that holy place in great veneration4 ,,andrea ,,dal ,,castagno ,,of ,,mugello ,,and ,,domenico ,,viniziano ,,lives ,,of ,,andrea ,,dal ,,castagno ,,of ,,mugello ,,and ,,domenico ,,viniziano ,,andrea ,,degl' ,,impiccati ,,and ,,domenico ,,da ,,venezia ,,painters ,how reprehensible is the vice of envy1 which should never exist in anyone1 when found in a man of excellence1 and how wicked and horrible a thing it is to seek under the guise of a feigned friendship to extinguish not only the fame and glory of another but his very life1 ,i truly believe it to be impossible to express with words1 for the wickedness of the act overcomes all power and force of speech1 however eloquent4 ,for this reason1 without enlarging further on this subject1 ,i will only say that in such men there dwells a spirit not merely inhuman and savage but wholly cruel and devilish1 and so far removed from any sort of virtue that they are no longer men or even animals1 and do not deserve to live4 ,for even as emulation and rivalry1 when men seek by honest endeavour to vanquish and surpass those greater than themselves in order to acquire glory and honour1 are things worthy to be praised and to be held in esteem as necessary and useful to the world1 so1 on the contrary1 the wickedness of envy deserves a proportionately greater meed of blame and vituperation1 when1 being unable to endure the honour and esteem of others1 it sets to work to deprive of life those whom it cannot despoil of glory2 as did that miserable ,andrea dal ,castagno1 who was truly great and excellent in painting and design1 but even more notable for the rancour and envy that he bore towards other painters1 insomuch that with the blackness of his crime he concealed and obscured the splendour of his talents4 ,this man1 having been born at a small village called ,castagno in ,mugello1 in the territory of ,florence1 took that name as his own surname when he came to live in ,florence1 which came about in the following manner4 ,having been left without a father in his earliest childhood1 he was adopted by an uncle1 who employed him for many years in watching his herds1 since he saw him to be very ready and alert1 and so masterful1 that he could look after not only his cattle but the pastures and everything else that touched his own interest4 ,now1 while he was following this calling1 it came to pass one day that he chanced to seek shelter from the rain in a place wherein one of those local painters1 who work for small prices1 was painting a shrine for a peasant4 ,whereupon ,andrea1 who had never seen anything of the kind before1 was seized by a sudden marvel and began to look most intently at the work and to study its manner2 and there came to him on the spot a very great desire and so violent a love for that art1 that without losing time he began to scratch drawings of animals and figures on walls and stones with pieces of charcoal or with the point of his knife1 in so masterly a manner that it caused no small marvel to all who saw them4 ,the fame of this new study of ,andrea's then began to spread among the peasants2 whereupon1 as his good-fortune would have it1 the matter coming to the ears of a ,florentine gentleman named ,bernardetto de' ,medici1 whose possessions were in that district1 he expressed a wish to know the boy2 and finally1 having seen him and having heard him discourse with great readiness1 he asked him whether he would like to learn the art of painting4 ,andrea answered that nothing could happen to him that would be more welcome or more pleasing than this1 and ,bernardetto took the boy with him to ,florence1 to the end that he might become perfect in that art1 and set him to work with one of those masters who were then esteemed the best4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,last ,,supper 7,after the fresco by ,andrea dal ,castagno4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,apollonia7 ,alinari ,thereupon ,andrea1 following the art of painting and devoting himself heart and soul to its studies1 displayed very great intelligence in the difficulties of that art1 above all in draughtsmanship4 ,but he was not so successful in the colouring of his works1 which he made somewhat crude and harsh1 thus impairing to a great extent their excellence and grace1 and depriving them1 above all1 of a certain quality of loveliness1 which is not found in his colouring4 ,he showed very great boldness in the movements of his figures and much vehemence in the heads both of men and of women1 making them grave in aspect and excellent in draughtsmanship4 ,there are works coloured in fresco1 painted by his hand in his early youth1 in the cloister of ,s4 ,miniato al ,monte as one descends from the church to go into the convent1 including a story of ,s4 ,miniato and ,s4 ,cresci leaving their father and mother4 ,in ,s4 ,benedetto1 a most beautiful monastery without the ,porta a ,pinti1 both in a cloister and in the church1 there were many pictures by the hand of ,andrea1 of which there is no need to make mention1 since they were thrown to the ground in the siege of ,florence4 ,within the city1 in the first cloister of the ,monastery of the ,monks of the ,angeli1 opposite to the principal door1 he painted the ,crucifix that is still there to-day1 with the ,madonna1 ,s4 ,john1 ,s4 ,benedict1 and ,s4 ,romualdo2 and at the head of the cloister1 which is above the garden1 he made another like it1 only varying the heads and a few other details4 ,in ,s4 ,trinita1 beside the ,chapel of ,maestro ,luca1 he painted a ,s4 ,andrew4 ,in a hall at ,legnaia he painted many illustrious men for ,pandolfo ,pandolfini2 and a standard to be borne in processions1 which is held very beautiful1 for the ,company of the ,evangelist4 ,in certain chapels of the ,church of the ,servi in the said city he wrought three flat niches in fresco4 ,in one of these1 that of ,s4 ,giuliano1 there are scenes from the life of that ,saint1 with a good number of figures1 and a dog in foreshortening that was much extolled4 ,above this1 in the chapel dedicated to ,s4 ,girolamo1 he painted that ,saint shaven and wasted away1 with good design and great diligence4 ,over this he painted a ,trinity1 with a ,crucifix so well foreshortened that ,andrea deserves to be greatly extolled for it1 seeing that he executed the foreshortenings with a much better and more modern manner than the others before him had shown2 but this picture1 having been afterwards covered with a panel by the family of the ,montaguti1 can no longer be seen4 ,in the third1 which is beside the one below the organ1 and which was erected by ,messer ,orlando de' ,medici1 he painted ,lazarus1 ,martha1 and the ,magdalene4 ,for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,giuliano1 over their door1 he made a ,crucifix in fresco1 with a ,madonna1 a ,s4 ,dominic1 a ,s4 ,julian1 and a ,s4 ,john2 which picture1 one of the best that ,andrea ever made1 is universally praised by all craftsmen4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,cavalcanti in ,s4 ,croce he painted a ,s4 ,john the ,baptist and a ,s4 ,francis1 which are held to be very good figures4 ,but what caused all the craftsmen to marvel was a very beautiful picture in fresco that he made at the head of the new cloister of the said convent1 opposite to the door1 of ,christ being scourged at the ,column1 wherein he painted a loggia with columns in perspective1 and groined vaulting with diminishing lines1 and walls inlaid in a pattern of mandorle1 with so much art and so much diligence1 that he showed that he had no less knowledge of the difficulties of perspective than he had of design in painting4 ,in the same scene there are beautiful and most animated attitudes in those who are scourging ,christ1 showing hatred and rage in their faces as clearly as ,jesus ,christ is showing patience and humility4 ,in the body of ,christ1 which is bound tightly with ropes to the ,column1 it appears that ,andrea tried to demonstrate the suffering of the flesh1 while the ,divinity concealed in that body maintains a certain noble splendour1 which seems to be moving ,pilate1 who is seated among his councillors1 to seek to find some means of liberating ,him4 ,in short1 this picture is such that1 if the little care that has been taken of it had not allowed it to be scratched and spoilt by children and simpletons1 who have scratched all the heads and the arms and almost the entire persons of the ,jews1 as though they would thus take vengeance on them for the wrongs of ,our ,lord1 it would certainly be the most beautiful of all the works of ,andrea4 ,and if ,nature had given grace of colouring to this craftsman1 even as she gave him invention and design1 he would have been held truly marvellous4 ,in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore he painted the image of ,niccolo da ,tolentino on horseback2 and while he was working at this a boy who was passing shook his ladder1 whereupon he flew into such a rage1 like the brutal man that he was1 that he jumped down and ran after him as far as the ,canto de' ,pazzi4 ,in the cemetery of ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 also1 below the ,ossa1 he painted a ,s4 ,andrew1 which gave so much satisfaction that he was afterwards commissioned to paint the ,last ,supper of ,christ with ,his ,apostles in the refectory1 where the nurses and other attendants have their meals4 ,having acquired favour through this work with the house of ,portinari and with the ,director of the hospital1 he was appointed to paint a part of the principal chapel1 of which another part was allotted to ,alesso ,baldovinetti1 and the third to the then greatly celebrated painter ,domenico da ,venezia1 who had been summoned to ,florence by reason of the new method that he knew of painting in oil4 ,now1 while each of them applied himself to his part of the work1 ,andrea was very envious of ,domenico1 because1 while knowing himself to be superior to the other in design1 he was much displeased that the ,venetian1 although a foreigner1 should be welcomed and entertained by the citizens2 wherefore anger and disdain moved him so strongly1 that he began to think whether he could not in one way or another remove him from his path4 ,andrea was no less crafty in dissimulation than he was excellent in painting1 being cheerful of countenance at his pleasure1 ready of speech1 fiery in spirit1 and as resolute in every bodily action as he was in mind2 he felt towards others as he did towards ,domenico1 and1 if he saw some error in the works of other craftsmen1 he was wont to mark it secretly with his nail4 ,and in his youth1 when his works were criticized in any respect1 he would give the critics to know by means of blows and insults that he was ever able and willing to take revenge in one way or another for any affront4 ,but let us say something of ,domenico1 before we come to the work of the said chapel4 ,before coming to ,florence1 ,domenico had painted some pictures with much grace in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,maria at ,loreto1 in company with ,piero della ,francesca2 which pictures1 besides what he had wrought in other places 7such as an apartment in the house of the ,baglioni in ,perugia1 which is now in ruins71 had made his fame known in ,florence4 ,being summoned to that city1 before doing anything else1 he painted a ,madonna in the midst of some saints1 in fresco1 in a shrine on the ,canto de' ,carnesecchi1 at the corner of two streets1 of which one leads to the new ,piazza di ,s4 ,maria ,novella and the other to the old4 ,this work1 being approved and greatly extolled by the citizens and by the craftsmen of those times1 caused even greater disdain and envy to blaze up in the accursed mind of ,andrea against poor ,domenico2 wherefore ,andrea1 having determined to effect by deceit and treachery what he could not carry out openly without manifest peril to himself1 pretended to be very much the friend of ,domenico1 who1 being a good and affectionate fellow1 fond of singing and devoted to playing on the lute1 received him as a friend very willingly1 thinking ,andrea to be a clever and amusing person4 ,and so1 continuing this friendship1 so true on one side and so false on the other1 they would come together every night to make merry and to serenade their mistresses2 and this gave great delight to ,domenico1 who1 loving ,andrea sincerely1 taught him the method of colouring in oil1 which as yet was not known in ,tuscany4 ,andrea1 then 7to take events in their due order71 working on his wall in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 painted an ,annunciation1 which is held very beautiful1 for in that work he painted the ,angel in the air1 which had never been done up to that time4 ,but a much more beautiful work is held to be that wherein he made the ,madonna ascending the steps of the ,temple1 on which he depicted many beggars1 and one among them hitting another on the head with a pitcher2 and not only that figure but all the others are wondrously beautiful1 for he wrought them with much care and love1 out of rivalry with ,domenico4 ,there is seen1 also1 in the middle of a square1 an octagonal temple drawn in perspective1 standing by itself and full of pilasters and niches1 with the facade very richly adorned with figures painted to look like marble4 ,round the square are various very beautiful buildings2 and on one side of these there falls the shadow of the temple1 caused by the light of the sun--a beautiful conception1 carried out with great ingenuity and art4 ,maestro ,domenico1 on his part1 painting in oil1 represented ,joachim visiting his consort ,s4 ,anna1 and below this the ,birth of ,our ,lady1 wherein he depicted a very ornate chamber1 and a boy beating very gracefully with a hammer on the door of the said chamber4 ,beneath this he painted the ,marriage of the ,virgin1 with a good number of portraits from the life1 among which are those of ,messer ,bernardetto de' ,medici1 ,constable of the ,florentines1 wearing a large red barret-cap2 ,bernardo ,guadagni1 who was ,gonfalonier2 ,folco ,portinari1 and others of that family4 ,he also painted a dwarf breaking a staff1 very life-like1 and some women wearing garments customary in those times1 lovely and graceful beyond belief4 ,but this work remained unfinished1 for reasons that will be told below4 ,illustration3 ,,andrea ,,dal ,,castagno3 ,,dante 7,florence3 ,s4 ,apollonia4 ,fresco7 ,meanwhile ,andrea had painted in oil on his wall the ,death of ,our ,lady1 in which1 both by reason of his rivalry with ,domenico and in order to make himself known for the able master that he truly was1 he wrought in foreshortening1 with incredible diligence1 a bier containing the dead ,virgin1 which appears to be three braccia in length1 although it is not more than one and a half4 ,round her are the ,apostles1 wrought in such a manner1 that1 although there is seen in their faces their joy at seeing their ,madonna borne to ,heaven by ,jesus ,christ1 there is also seen in them their bitter sorrow at being left on earth without her4 ,among the ,apostles are some angels holding burning lights1 with beautiful expressions in their faces1 and so well executed that it is seen that he was as well able to manage oil-colours as his rival ,domenico4 ,in these pictures ,andrea made portraits from life of ,messer ,rinaldo degli ,albizzi1 ,puccio ,pucci1 and ,falganaccio1 who brought about the liberation of ,cosimo de' ,medici1 together with ,federigo ,malevolti1 who held the keys of the ,alberghetto4 ,in like manner he portrayed ,messer ,bernardo di ,domenico della ,volta1 ,director of that hospital1 who is kneeling and appears to be alive2 and in a medallion at the beginning of the work he painted himself with the face of ,judas ,iscariot1 whom he resembled both in appearance and in deed4 ,now ,andrea1 having carried this work very nearly to completion1 being blinded by envy of the praises that he heard given to the talent of ,domenico1 determined to remove him from his path2 and after having thought of many expedients1 he put one of them into execution in the following manner4 ,one summer evening1 according to his custom1 ,domenico took his lute and went forth from ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 leaving ,andrea in his room drawing1 for he had refused to accept the invitation to take his recreation with ,domenico1 under the pretext of having to do certain drawings of importance4 ,domenico therefore went to take his pleasure by himself1 and ,andrea set himself to wait for him in hiding behind a street corner2 and when ,domenico1 on his way home1 came up to him1 he crushed his lute and his stomach at one and the same time with certain pieces of lead1 and then1 thinking that he had not yet finished him off1 beat him grievously on the head with the same weapons2 and finally1 leaving him on the ground1 he returned to his room in ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 where he put the door ajar and sat down to his drawing in the manner that he had been left by ,domenico4 ,meanwhile an uproar had arisen1 and the servants1 hearing of the matter1 ran to call ,andrea and to give the bad news to the murderer and traitor himself1 who1 running to where the others were standing round ,domenico1 was not to be consoled1 and kept crying out3 ,alas1 my brother6 ,alas1 my brother6 ,finally ,domenico expired in his arms2 nor could it be discovered1 for all the diligence that was used1 who had murdered him2 and if ,andrea had not revealed the truth in confession on his death-bed1 it would not be known now4 ,in ,s4 ,miniato fra le ,torri in ,florence ,andrea painted a panel containing the ,assumption of ,our ,lady1 with two figures2 and in a shrine in the ,nave a ,lanchetta1 without the ,porta alla ,croce1 he painted a ,madonna4 ,in the house of the ,carducci1 now belonging to the ,pandolfini1 the same man depicted certain famous men1 some from imagination and some portrayed from life1 among whom are ,filippo ,spano degli ,scolari1 ,dante1 ,petrarca1 ,boccaccio1 and others4 ,at ,scarperia in ,mugello1 over the door of the ,vicar's ,palace1 he painted a very beautiful nude figure of ,charity1 which has since been ruined4 ,in the year #adgh1 when ,giuliano de' ,medici was killed and his brother ,lorenzo wounded in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore by the family of the ,pazzi and their adherents and fellow-conspirators1 it was ordained by the ,signoria that all those who had shared in the plot should be painted as traitors on the wall of the ,palace of the ,podesta4 ,this work was offered to ,andrea1 and he1 as a servant and debtor of the house of ,medici1 accepted it very willingly1 and1 taking it in hand1 executed it so beautifully that it was a miracle4 ,it would not be possible to express how much art and judgment were to be seen in those figures1 which were for the most part portraits from life1 and which were hung up by the feet in strange attitudes1 all varied and very beautiful4 ,this work1 which pleased the whole city and particularly all who had understanding in the art of painting1 brought it about that from that time onwards he was called no longer ,andrea dal ,castagno but ,andrea degl' ,impiccati4#ac ,illustration3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,after the fresco by ,domenico ,viniziano4 ,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #abae7 ,mansell ,andrea lived in honourable style1 and since he spent his money freely1 particularly on dress and on maintaining a fine household1 he left little property when he passed to the other life at the age of seventy-one4 ,but since the crime that he had committed against ,domenico1 who loved him so1 became known a short time after his death1 it was with shameful obsequies that he was buried in ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 where1 at the age of fifty-six1 the unhappy ,domenico had also been buried4 ,the work begun by the latter in ,s4 ,maria ,nuova remained unfinished1 nor did he ever complete it1 as he had done the panel of the high-altar in ,s4 ,lucia de' ,bardi1 wherein he executed with much diligence a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 ,s4 ,nicholas1 ,s4 ,francis1 and ,s4 ,lucia2 which panel he had brought to perfect completion a little before he was murdered4 ,disciples of ,andrea were ,jacopo del ,corso1 who was a passing good master1 ,pisanello1 ,marchino1 ,piero del ,pollaiuolo1 and ,giovanni da ,rovezzano4 ,,footnotes3 #ac ,i4e41 hung up4 ,,gentile ,,da ,,fabriano ,,and ,,vittore ,,pisanello ,,of ,,verona ,,lives ,,of ,,gentile ,,da ,,fabriano ,,and ,,vittore ,,pisanello ,,of ,,verona#ad ,,painters ,very great is the advantage enjoyed by one who follows in the steps of a predecessor who has gained honour and fame by means of some rare talent1 for the reason that1 if only he follows to some extent the path prepared by his master1 he seldom fails to arrive without much fatigue at an honourable goal2 whereas1 if he had to reach it by himself1 he would have need of a much longer time and far greater labours4 ,the truth of this could be seen1 ready for the finger to point to1 as the saying is1 among many other examples1 in that of ,pisano1 or rather1 ,pisanello1 a painter of ,verona1 who1 having spent many years in ,florence with ,andrea dal ,castagno1 and having finished his works after his death1 acquired so much credit by means of ,andrea's name1 that ,pope ,martin ,v1 coming to ,florence1 took him in his train to ,rome1 where he caused him to paint some scenes in fresco in ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano1 which are very lovely and beautiful beyond belief1 because he used therein a great abundance of a sort of ultramarine blue given to him by the said ,pope1 which was so beautiful in colour that it has never yet been equalled4 ,in competition with ,pisanello1 below the aforesaid scenes1 certain others were painted by ,gentile da ,fabriano2 of which ,platina makes mention in his ,life of ,pope ,martin1 saying that when that ,pontiff had caused the pavement1 the ceiling1 and the roof of ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano to be reconstructed1 ,gentile da ,fabriano painted many pictures there1 and1 among other figures between the windows1 in terretta and in chiaroscuro1 certain prophets1 which are held to be the best paintings in the whole of that work4 ,the same ,gentile executed an infinite number of works in the ,march1 particularly in ,agobbio1 where some of them are still to be seen1 and likewise throughout the whole state of ,urbino4 ,he worked in ,s4 ,giovanni at ,siena2 and in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,trinita in ,florence he painted the ,story of the ,magi on a panel1 wherein he portrayed himself from the life4 ,in ,s4 ,niccolo1 near the ,porta a ,s4 ,miniato1 for the family of the ,quaratesi1 he painted the panel of the high-altar1 which appears to me without a doubt the best of all the works that ,i have seen by his hand1 for1 not to mention the ,madonna surrounded by many saints1 all well wrought1 the predella of the said panel1 full of scenes with little figures from the life of ,s4 ,nicholas1 could not be more beautiful or executed better than it is4 ,in ,s4 ,maria ,nuova in ,rome1 in a little arch over the tomb of the ,florentine ,cardinal ,adimari1 ,archbishop of ,pisa1 which is beside that of ,pope ,gregory ,,ix1 he painted the ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 between ,s4 ,benedict and ,s4 ,joseph4 ,this work was held in esteem by the divine ,michelagnolo1 who was wont to say1 speaking of ,gentile1 that his hand in painting was similar to his name4 ,the same master executed a very beautiful panel in ,s4 ,domenico in ,perugia2 and in ,s4 ,agostino at ,bari he painted a ,crucifix outlined in the wood1 with three very beautiful half-length figures1 which are over the door of the choir4 ,but to return to ,vittore ,pisano2 the account that has been given of him above was written by us1 with nothing more1 when this our book was printed for the first time1 because we had not then received that information and knowledge of the works of this excellent craftsman which we have since gained from notices supplied by that very reverend and most learned ,father1 ,fra ,marco de' ,medici of ,verona1 of the ,order of ,preaching ,friars1 and from the narrative of ,biondo da ,forli1 where he speaks of ,verona in his ,italia ,illustrata4 ,vittore was equal in excellence to any painter of his age2 and to this1 not to speak of the works enumerated above1 most ample testimony is borne by many others that are seen in his most noble native city of ,verona1 although many are almost eaten away by time4 ,and because he took particular delight in depicting animals1 he painted in the ,chapel of the ,pellegrini family1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,anastasia at ,verona1 a ,s4 ,eustace caressing a dog spotted with white and tan1 which1 with its feet raised and leaning against the leg of the said ,saint1 is turning its head backwards as though it had heard some noise2 and it is making this movement with so great vivacity1 that a live dog could not do it better4 ,beneath this figure there is seen painted the name of ,pisano1 who used to call himself sometimes ,pisano1 and sometimes ,pisanello1 as may be seen from the pictures and the medals by his hand4 ,after the said figure of ,s4 ,eustace1 which is truly very beautiful and one of the best that this craftsman ever wrought1 he painted the whole outer wall of the same chapel2 and on the other side he made a ,s4 ,george clad in white armour made of silver1 as was the custom in that age not only with him but with all the other painters4 ,this ,s4 ,george1 wishing to replace his sword in the scabbard after slaying the ,dragon1 is raising his right hand1 which holds the sword1 the point of which is already in the scabbard1 and is lowering the left hand1 to the end that the increased distance may make it easier for him to sheathe the sword1 which is long2 and this he is doing with so much grace and with so beautiful a manner1 that nothing better could be seen4 ,michele ,san ,michele of ,verona1 architect to the most illustrious ,signoria of ,venice1 and a man with a very wide knowledge of these fine arts1 was often seen during his life contemplating these works of ,vittore in a marvel1 and then heard to say that there was little to be seen that was better than the ,s4 ,eustace1 the dog1 and the ,s4 ,george described above4 ,over the arch of the said chapel is painted the scene when ,s4 ,george1 having slain the ,dragon1 is liberating the ,king's daughter1 who is seen near the ,saint1 clad in a long dress after the custom of those times4 ,marvellous1 likewise1 in this part of the work1 is the figure of the same ,s4 ,george1 who1 armed as above1 and about to remount his horse1 is standing with his face and person turned towards the spectator1 and is seen1 with one foot in the stirrup and his left hand on the saddle1 almost in the act of leaping on to the horse1 which has its hindquarters towards the spectator1 so that the whole animal1 being foreshortened1 is seen very well1 although in a small space4 ,in a word1 it is impossible to contemplate without infinite marvel--nay1 amazement--a work executed with such extraordinary design1 grace1 and judgment4 ,illustration3 ,,gentile ,,da ,,fabriano3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child1 ,,with ,,three ,,kings 7,,detail ,,from ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi7 7,florence3 ,accademia1 #afe4 ,panel7 ,the same ,pisano painted a picture in ,s4 ,fermo ,maggiore at ,verona 7a church of the ,conventual ,friars of ,s4 ,francis71 in the ,chapel of the ,brenzoni1 on the left as one enters by the principal door of the said church1 over the tomb of the ,resurrection of ,our ,lord1 wrought in sculpture and very beautiful for those times2 he painted1 ,i say1 as an ornament for that work1 the ,virgin receiving the ,annunciation from the ,angel1 which two figures1 picked out with gold according to the use of those times1 are very beautiful1 as are certain very well drawn buildings1 as well as some little animals and birds scattered throughout the work1 which are as natural and lifelike as it is possible to imagine4 ,the same ,vittore cast in medallions innumerable portraits of ,princes and other persons of his time1 from which there have since been made many portraits in painting4 ,and ,monsignor ,giovio1 speaking of ,vittore ,pisano in an ,italian letter written to the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 which may be read in print together with many others1 says the following words3 ,this man was also very excellent in the work of low-relief1 which is esteemed very difficult among craftsmen1 because it is the mean between the flat surface of painting and the roundness of statuary4 ,for this reason there are seen many highly esteemed medals of great ,princes by his hand1 made in a large form1 and in the same proportions as that reverse of the horse clad in armour that ,guidi has sent me4 ,of these ,i have that of the great ,king ,alfonso with his hair long1 with a captain's helmet on the reverse2 that of ,pope ,martin1 with the arms of the house of ,colonna as the reverse2 that of the ,sultan ,mahomet 7who took ,constantinople71 showing him on horseback in ,turkish dress1 with a scourge in his hand2 ,sigismondo ,malatesta1 with ,madonna ,isotta of ,rimini on the reverse2 and that of ,niccolo ,piccinino1 wearing a large oblong cap on his head1 with the said reverse sent to me by ,guidi1 which ,i am returning4 ,besides these1 ,i have also a very beautiful medal of ,john ,palaeologus1 ,emperor of ,constantinople1 with that bizarre ,greek cap which the ,emperors used to wear4 ,this was made by ,pisano in ,florence1 at the time of the ,council of ,eugenius1 at which the aforesaid ,emperor was present2 and it has on the reverse the ,cross of ,christ1 sustained by two hands--namely1 the ,latin and the ,greek4 ,illustration3 ,,vittore ,,pisanello3 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,s4 ,,eustace 7,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #adcf4 ,panel7 ,so far ,giovio1 and still further1 ,vittore also made medals with portraits of ,filippo de' ,medici1 ,archbishop of ,pisa1 ,braccio da ,montone1 ,giovan ,galeazzo ,visconti1 ,carlo ,malatesta1 ,lord of ,rimini1 ,giovan ,caracciolo1 ,grand ,seneschal of ,naples1 ,borso and ,ercole ,d',este1 and many other nobles and men distinguished in arms and in letters4 ,by reason of his fame and reputation in that art1 this master gained the honour of being celebrated by very great men and rare writers2 for1 besides what ,biondo wrote of him1 as has been said1 he was much extolled in a ,latin poem by the elder ,guerino1 his compatriot and a very great scholar and writer of those times2 of which poem1 called1 from the surname of its subject1 ,il ,pisano del ,guerino1 honourable mention is made by ,biondo4 ,he was also celebrated by the elder ,strozzi1 ,tito ,vespasiano1 father of the other ,strozzi1 both of whom were very rare poets in the ,latin tongue4 ,the father honoured the memory of ,vittore ,pisano with a very beautiful epigram1 which is in print with the others4 ,such are the fruits that are borne by a worthy life4 ,some say that when he was learning art in ,florence in his youth1 he painted in the old ,church of the ,temple1 which stood where the old ,citadel now is1 the stories of that pilgrim who was going to ,s4 ,jacopo di ,galizia1 when the daughter of his host put a silver cup into his wallet1 to the end that he might be punished as a robber2 but he was rescued by ,s4 ,jacopo1 who brought him back home in safety4 ,in this ,pisano gave promise of becoming1 as he did1 an excellent painter4 ,finally1 having come to a good old age1 he passed to a better life4 ,and ,gentile1 after making many works in ,citta di ,castello1 became palsied1 and was reduced to such a state that he could no longer do anything good2 and at length1 wasted away by old age1 and having lived eighty years1 he died4 ,the portrait of ,pisano ,i have not been able to find in any place whatsoever4 ,both these painters drew very well1 as may be seen in our book4 ,illustration3 ,,medals ,,of ,,sigismondo ,,pandolfo ,,malatesta ,,and ,,niccolo ,,piccinino 7,after ,vittore ,pisanello4 ,london3 ,british ,museum7 ,,footnotes3 #ad ,it has recently been shown that ,pisanello's name was not ,vittore but ,antonio2 see article by ,g4 ,f4 ,hill1 on p4 #bhh1 vol4 xiii4 of the ,burlington ,magazine4 ,in the translation1 however1 ,vittore1 the name given by ,vasari1 will be kept4 ,,pesello ,,and ,,francesco ,,peselli ,,lives ,,of ,,pesello ,,and ,,francesco ,,peselli ,,pesellino1 ,,or ,,francesco ,,di ,,pesello ,,painters ,,of ,,florence ,it is rarely wont to happen that the disciples of the best masters1 if they observe their precepts1 fail to become very excellent1 or1 if they do not actually surpass them1 at least to equal them and to make themselves in every way like them4 ,for the burning zeal of imitation1 with assiduity in studying1 has power to make them equal the talent of those who show them the true method of working2 wherefore the disciples become such that they afterwards compete with their masters1 and even find it easy to outstrip them1 because it is always but little labour to add to what has been discovered by others4 ,that this is true is proved by ,francesco di ,pesello1 who imitated the manner of ,fra ,filippo so well that he would have surpassed him by a long way1 if death had not cut him off so prematurely4 ,it is also known that ,pesello imitated the manner of ,andrea dal ,castagno2 and he took so much pleasure in counterfeiting animals1 of which he kept some of all sorts alive in his house1 and made them so lifelike and vivacious1 that there was no one in his time who equalled him in this branch of his profession4 ,he worked up to the age of thirty under the discipline of ,andrea1 learning from him1 and became a very good master4 ,wherefore1 having given good proof of his knowledge1 he was commissioned by the ,signoria of ,florence to paint a panel in distemper of the ,magi bringing offerings to ,christ1 which was placed half-way up the staircase of their ,palace1 and acquired great fame for ,pesello1 above all because he had made certain portraits therein1 including that of ,donato ,acciaiuoli4 ,in ,s4 ,croce1 also1 in the ,chapel of the ,cavalcanti1 below the ,annunciation of ,donato1 he painted a predella with little figures1 containing stories of ,s4 ,nicholas4 ,in the house of the ,medici he adorned some panelling very beautifully with animals1 and certain coffers with little scenes of jousts on horseback4 ,and in the same house there are seen to this day certain canvases by his hand1 representing lions pressing against a grating1 which appear absolutely alive2 and he made others on the outside1 together with one fighting with a serpent2 and on another canvas he painted an ox1 a fox1 and other animals1 very animated and vivacious4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,alessandri1 in ,s4 ,piero ,maggiore1 he made four little scenes with little figures of ,s4 ,peter1 of ,s4 ,paul1 of ,s4 ,zanobi restoring to life the son of the widow1 and of ,s4 ,benedict4 ,in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore in the same city of ,florence1 in the ,chapel of the ,orlandini1 he made a ,madonna and two other very beautiful figures4 ,for the children of the ,company of ,s4 ,giorgio he painted a ,crucifix1 ,s4 ,jerome1 and ,s4 ,francis2 and he made an ,annunciation on a panel in the ,church of ,s4 ,giorgio4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,jacopo at ,pistoia he painted a ,trinity1 ,s4 ,zeno1 and ,s4 ,james2 and throughout the houses of citizens in ,florence there are many pictures1 both round and square1 by the hand of the same man4 ,pesello was a temperate and gentle person2 and whenever it was in his power to assist his friends1 he would do it very lovingly and willingly4 ,he married young1 and had a son named ,francesco1 known as ,pesellino1 who became a painter1 following very closely in the steps of ,fra ,filippo4 ,from what is known of this man1 it is clear that if he had lived longer he would have done much more than he did1 for he was a zealous student of his art1 and would draw all day and night without ceasing4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,noviciate in ,s4 ,croce1 below the panel by ,fra ,filippo1 there is still seen a most marvellous predella with little figures1 which appear to be by the hand of ,fra ,filippo4 ,he made many little pictures with small figures throughout ,florence1 where1 having acquired a great name1 he died at the age of thirty-one2 to the great grief of ,pesello1 who followed him after no long time1 at the age of seventy-seven4 ,illustration3 ,,pesellino3 ,,madonna ,,enthroned ,,with ,,saints ,,and ,,angels 7,empoli3 ,gallery4 ,panel7 ,,benozzo ,,gozzoli ,illustration3 ,,the ,,procession ,,of ,,the ,,magi 7,detail1 after the fresco by ,benozzo ,gozzoli4 ,florence3 ,palazzo ,riccardi7 ,anderson ,,life ,,of ,,benozzo ,,gozzoli#ae ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,he who pursues the path of excellence in his labours1 although it is1 as men say1 both stony and full of thorns1 finds himself finally at the end of the ascent on a broad plain1 with all the blessings that he has desired4 ,and as he looks downwards and sees the difficult and perilous way that he has come1 he thanks ,god for having brought him out safely1 and with the greatest contentment he blesses those labours that he has just been finding so burdensome4 ,and so1 recompensed for his past sufferings by the gladness of the happy present1 he labours without fatigue1 in order to demonstrate to all who see him how heat1 cold1 sweat1 hunger1 thirst1 and all the other discomforts that are endured in the acquiring of excellence1 deliver men from poverty1 and bring them to that secure and tranquil state in which1 with so much contentment1 ,benozzo ,gozzoli enjoyed repose from his labours4 ,this man was a disciple of ,fra ,giovanni ,angelico1 by whom he was loved with good reason2 and by all who knew him he was held to be a practised master1 very rich in invention1 and very productive in the painting of animals1 perspectives1 landscapes1 and ornaments4 ,he wrought so many works in his day that he showed that he cared little for other delights2 and although1 in comparison with many who surpassed him in design1 he was not very excellent1 yet in this great mass of work he surpassed all the painters of his age1 for in such a multitude of pictures he succeeded in making some that were good4 ,in his youth he painted a panel for the altar of the ,company of ,s4 ,marco in ,florence1 and1 in ,s4 ,friano1 a picture of the passing of ,s4 ,jerome1 which has been spoilt in restoring the facade of the church along the street4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,palace of the ,medici he painted the ,story of the ,magi in fresco4 ,in the ,araceli at ,rome1 in the ,chapel of the ,cesarini1 he painted the stories of ,s4 ,anthony of ,padua1 wherein he made portraits from life of ,cardinal ,giuliano ,cesarini and ,antonio ,colonna4 ,in the ,conti ,tower1 likewise1 over a door under which one passes1 he made in fresco a ,madonna with many saints2 and in a chapel in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 on the right hand as one enters the church by the principal door1 he painted many figures in fresco1 which are passing good4 ,after returning from ,rome to ,florence1 ,benozzo went to ,pisa1 where he worked in the cemetery called the ,campo ,santo1 which is beside the ,duomo1 covering the surface of a wall that runs the whole length of the building with stories from the ,old ,testament1 wherein he showed very great invention4 ,and this may be said to be a truly tremendous work1 seeing that it contains all the stories of the ,creation of the world from one day to another4 ,after this come ,noah's ,ark and the inundation of the ,flood1 represented with very beautiful composition and an abundance of figures4 ,then there follow the building of the proud ,tower of ,nimrod1 the burning of ,sodom and the other neighbouring cities1 and the stories of ,abraham1 wherein there are some very beautiful effects to be observed1 for the reason that1 although ,benozzo was not remarkable for the drawing of figures1 yet he showed his art effectually in the ,sacrifice of ,isaac1 for there he painted an ass foreshortened in such a manner that it seems to turn to either side1 which is held something very beautiful4 ,after this comes the ,birth of ,moses1 together with all those signs and prodigies that were seen1 up to the time when he led his people out of ,egypt and fed them for so many years in the desert4 ,to these he added all the stories of the ,hebrews up to the time of ,david and his son ,solomon2 and in this work ,benozzo displayed a spirit truly more than bold1 for1 whereas so great an enterprise might very well have daunted a legion of painters1 he alone wrought the whole and brought it to perfection4 ,wherefore1 having thus acquired very great fame1 he won the honour of having the following epigram placed in the middle of the work3 ,illustration3 ,,benozzo ,,bozzoli3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #fj;,b4 ,panel7 ,,quid ,,spectas ,,volucres1 ,,pisces1 ,,et ,,monstra ,,ferarum1 ,,et ,,virides ,,silvas ,,aethereasque ,,domos1 ,,et ,,pueros1 ,,juvenes1 ,,matres1 ,,canosque ,,parentes1 ,,queis ,,semper ,,vivum ,,spirat ,,in ,,ore ,,decus8 ,,non ,,haec ,,tam ,,variis ,,finxit ,,simulacra ,,figuris ,,natura1 ,,ingenio ,f,,oe,,tibus ,,apta ,,suo3 ,,est ,,opus ,,artificis3 ,,pinxit ,,viva ,,ora ,,benoxus2 ,o ,,superi1 ,,vivos ,,fundite ,,in ,,ora ,,sonos4 ,throughout this whole work there are scattered innumerable portraits from the life2 but1 since we have not knowledge of them all1 ,i will mention only those that ,i have recognized as important1 and those that ,i know by means of some record4 ,in the scene of the ,queen of ,sheba going to visit ,solomon there is the portrait of ,marsilio ,ficino among certain prelates1 with those of ,argiropolo1 a very learned ,greek1 and of ,batista ,platina1 whom he had previously portrayed in ,rome2 while he himself is on horseback1 in the form of an old man shaven and wearing a black cap1 in the fold of which there is a white paper1 perchance as a sign1 or because he intended to write his own name thereon4 ,in the same city of ,pisa1 for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,benedetto a ,ripa d',arno1 he painted all the stories of the life of that ,saint2 and in the building of the ,company of the ,florentines1 which then stood where the ,monastery of ,s4 ,vito now is1 he wrought the panel and many other pictures4 ,in the ,duomo1 behind the chair of the ,archbishop1 he painted a ,s4 ,thomas ,aquinas on a little panel in distemper1 with an infinite number of learned men disputing over his works1 among whom there is a portrait of ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv1 together with a number of ,cardinals and many ,chiefs and ,generals of various ,orders4 ,this is the best and most highly finished work that ,benozzo ever made4 ,in ,s4 ,caterina1 a seat of the ,preaching ,friars in the same city1 he executed two panels in distemper1 which are known very well by the manner2 and he also painted another in the ,church of ,s4 ,niccola1 with two in ,s4 ,croce without ,pisa4 ,in his youth1 ,benozzo also painted the altar of ,s4 ,bastiano in the ,pieve of ,san ,gimignano1 opposite to the principal chapel2 and in the ,hall of the ,council there are some figures1 partly by his hand1 and partly old works restored by him4 ,for the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 in the same territory1 he painted a ,crucifix and other pictures2 but the best work that he made in that place was in the principal chapel of ,s4 ,agostino1 where he painted stories of ,s4 ,augustine in fresco1 from his conversion to his death2 of the whole of which work ,i have the design by his hand in my book1 together with many drawings of the aforesaid scenes in the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa4 ,in ,volterra1 likewise1 he executed certain works1 of which there is no need to make mention4 ,now1 while ,benozzo was working in ,rome1 there was another painter there called ,melozzo1 who came from ,forli2 and many who know no more than this1 having found the name of ,melozzo written and having compared the dates1 have believed that ,melozzo stands for ,benozzo2 but they are mistaken1 for the said painter was one who lived at the same time and was a very zealous student of the problems of art1 devoting particular diligence and study to the making of foreshortenings1 as may be seen in ,s4 ,apostolo at ,rome1 in the tribune of the high-altar1 where1 in a frieze drawn in perspective1 as an ornament for that work1 there are some figures picking grapes1 with a cask1 which show no little of the good4 ,but this is seen more clearly in the ,ascension of ,jesus ,christ1 in the midst of a choir of angels who are leading him up to ,heaven1 wherein the figure of ,christ is so well foreshortened that it seems to be piercing the ceiling1 and the same is true of the angels1 who are circling with various movements through the spacious sky4 ,the ,apostles1 likewise1 who are on the earth below1 are so well foreshortened in their various attitudes that the work brought him much praise1 as it still does1 from the craftsmen1 who have learnt much from his labours4 ,he was also a great master of perspective1 as is demonstrated by the buildings painted in this work1 which he executed at the commission of ,cardinal ,riario1 nephew of ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv1 by whom he was richly rewarded4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,s4 ,,augustine 7,after the fresco by ,benozzo ,gozzoli4 ,san ,gimigano3 ,s4 ,agostino7 ,brogi ,but to return to ,benozzo2 wasted away at last by length of years and by his labours1 he went to his true rest1 in the city of ,pisa1 at the age of seventy-eight1 while dwelling in a little house that he had bought in ,carraia di ,san ,francesco during his long sojourn there4 ,this house he left at his death to his daughter2 and1 mourned by the whole city1 he was honourably buried in the ,campo ,santo1 with the following epitaph1 which is still to be read there3 ,,hic ,,tumulus ,,est ,,benotii ,,florentini1 ,,qui ,,proxime ,,has ,,pinxit ,,historias4 ,,hunc ,,sibi ,,pisanor4 ,,donavit ,,humanitas1 ,,mcccclxxviii4 ,benozzo ever lived the well-ordered life of a true ,christian1 spending all his years in honourable labour4 ,for this and for his good manner and qualities he was long looked upon with favour in that city4 ,the disciples whom he left behind him were ,zanobi ,macchiavelli1 a ,florentine1 and others of whom there is no need to make further record4 ,,footnotes3 #ae ,in the heading to the ,life ,vasari calls him simply ,benozzo4 ,,francesco ,,di ,,giorgio ,,and ,,lorenzo ,,vecchietto ,illustration3 ,,francesco ,,di ,,giorgio3 ,s4 ,,dorothy 7,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #afhb4 ,panel7 ,,lives ,,of ,,francesco ,,di ,,giorgio ,,sculptor ,,and ,,architect ,,of ,,siena ,,and ,,lorenzo ,,vecchietto ,,sculptor ,,and ,,painter ,,of ,,siena ,francesco di ,giorgio of ,siena1 who was an excellent sculptor and architect1 made the two bronze angels that are on the high-altar of the ,duomo in that city4 ,these were truly very beautiful pieces of casting1 and he finished them afterwards by himself with the greatest diligence that it is possible to imagine4 ,this he could do very conveniently1 for he was endowed with good means as well as with a rare intelligence2 wherefore he would work when he felt inclined1 not through greed of gain1 but for his own pleasure and in order to leave some honourable memorial behind him4 ,he also gave attention to painting and executed some pictures1 but these did not equal his sculptures4 ,he had very good judgment in architecture1 and proved that he had a very good knowledge of that profession2 and to this ample testimony is borne by the palace that he built for ,duke ,federigo ,feltro at ,urbino1 which is commodiously arranged and beautifully planned1 while the bizarre staircases are well conceived and more pleasing than any others that had been made up to his time4 ,the halls are large and magnificent1 and the apartments are conveniently distributed and handsome beyond belief4 ,in a word1 the whole of that palace is as beautiful and as well built as any other that has been erected down to our own day4 ,francesco was a very able engineer1 particularly in connection with military engines1 as he showed in a frieze that he painted with his own hand in the said palace at ,urbino1 which is all full of rare things of that kind for the purposes of war4 ,he also filled some books with designs of such instruments2 and the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo de' ,medici has the best of these among his greatest treasures4 ,the same man was so zealous a student of the warlike machines and instruments of the ancients1 and spent so much time in investigating the plans of the ancient amphitheatres and other things of that kind1 that he was thereby prevented from giving equal attention to sculpture2 but these studies brought him and still bring him no less honour than sculpture could have gained for him4 ,for all these reasons he was so dear to the said ,duke ,federigo1 whose portrait he made both on medals and in painting1 that when he returned to his native city of ,siena he found his honours were equal to his profits4 ,for ,pope ,pius ,,ii he made all the designs and models of the ,palace and ,vescovado of ,pienza1 the native place of the said ,pope1 which was raised by him to the position of a city1 and called ,pienza after himself1 in place of its former name of ,corsignano4 ,these buildings were as magnificent and handsome as they could be for that place2 and he did the same for the general form and the fortifications of the said city1 together with the palace and loggia built for the same ,pontiff4 ,wherefore he ever lived in honour1 and was rewarded with the supreme magistracy of the ,signoria in his native city2 but finally1 having reached the age of forty-seven1 he died4 ,his works date about #adhj4 ,he left behind him his companion and very dear friend1 ,jacopo ,cozzerello1 who devoted himself to sculpture and architecture1 making some figures of wood in ,siena1 and a work of architecture without the ,porta a ,tufi--namely1 ,s4 ,maria ,maddalena1 which remained unfinished by reason of his death4 ,to him we are also indebted for the portrait of the aforesaid ,francesco1 which he made with his own hand2 to which ,francesco much gratitude is due for his having facilitated the art of architecture1 and for his having rendered to it greater services than any other man had done from the time of ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco to his own4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,risen ,,christ 7,after the bronze by ,lorenzo ,vecchietto4 ,siena3 ,s4 ,maria della ,scala7 ,alinari ,a ,sienese and also a much extolled sculptor was ,lorenzo1 the son of ,piero ,vecchietti who1 having first been a highly esteemed goldsmith1 finally devoted himself to sculpture and to casting in bronze2 which arts he studied so zealously that he became excellent in them1 and was commissioned to make a tabernacle in bronze for the high-altar of the ,duomo in his native city of ,siena1 together with the marble ornaments that are still seen therein4 ,this casting1 which is admirable1 acquired very great fame and repute for him by reason of the proportion and grace that it shows in all its parts2 and whosoever observes this work well can see that the design is good1 and that the craftsman was a man of judgment and of practised ability4 ,for the ,chapel of the ,painters of ,siena1 in the great ,hospital of the ,scala1 the same man made a beautiful metal casting of a nude ,christ1 of the size of life and holding the ,cross in ,his hand2 which work was finished with a love and diligence worthy of the beautiful success of the casting4 ,in the pilgrim's hall in the same place there is a scene painted in colours by ,lorenzo4 ,over the door of ,s4 ,giovanni he painted an arch with figures wrought in fresco2 and in like manner1 since the baptismal font was not finished1 he wrought for it certain little figures in bronze1 besides finishing1 also in bronze1 a scene formerly begun by ,donatello4 ,in this place two scenes in bronze had been already wrought by ,jacopo della ,fonte1 whose manner ,lorenzo ever imitated as closely as he was able4 ,this ,lorenzo brought the said baptismal font to perfect completion1 adding to it some bronze figures1 formerly cast by ,donato but entirely finished by himself1 which are held to be very beautiful4 ,for the ,loggia of the ,ufficiali#af in ,banchi ,lorenzo made two life-size figures in marble of ,s4 ,peter and ,s4 ,paul1 wrought with consummate grace and executed with fine mastery4 ,he disposed the works that he made in such a manner that he deserves as much praise for them after death as he did when alive4 ,he was a melancholic and solitary person1 ever lost in contemplation2 which was perchance the reason that he did not live longer1 for he passed to the other life at the age of fifty-eight4 ,his works date about the year #adhb4 ,,footnotes3 #af ,the officials of the ,mercanzia4 ,,galasso ,,ferrarese ,,life ,,of ,,galasso ,,ferrarese#ag ,,galasso ,,galassi ,,painter ,when strangers come to do work in a city in which there are no craftsmen of excellence1 there is always some man whose intelligence is afterwards stirred to strive to learn that same art1 and to bring it about that from that time onwards there should be no need for strangers to come and embellish his city and carry away her wealth1 which he now labours to deserve by his own ability1 seeking to acquire for himself those riches that seemed to him too splendid to be given to foreigners4 ,this was made clearly manifest by ,galasso ,ferrarese1 who1 seeing ,piero dal ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro rewarded by the ,duke of ,ferrara for the works that he executed1 and also honourably received in ,ferrara1 was incited so strongly by such an example1 after ,piero's departure1 to devote himself to painting1 that he acquired the name of a good and excellent master in ,ferrara4 ,besides this1 he was held in all the greater favour in that place for having gone to ,venice and there learnt the method of painting in oil1 which he brought to his native place1 for he afterwards made an infinity of figures in that manner1 which are scattered about in many churches throughout ,ferrara4 ,next1 having gone to ,bologna1 whither he was summoned by certain ,dominican friars1 he painted in oil a chapel in ,s4 ,domenico2 and so his fame increased1 together with his credit4 ,after this he painted many pictures in fresco in ,s4 ,maria del ,monte1 a seat of the ,black ,friars without ,bologna1 beyond the ,porta di ,s4 ,mammolo2 and the whole church of the ,casa di ,mezzo1 on the same road1 was likewise painted by his hand with works in fresco1 in which he depicted the stories of the ,old ,testament4 ,his life was ever most praiseworthy1 and he showed himself very courteous and agreeable2 which arose from his being used to live and dwell more out of his native place than in it4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that through his being somewhat irregular in his way of living1 his life did not last long2 for he left it at the age of about fifty1 to go to that life which has no end4 ,after his death he was honoured by a friend with the following epitaph3 ,,galassus ,,ferrariensis4 ,,sum ,,tanto ,,studio ,,naturam ,,imitatus ,,et ,,arte ,,dum ,,pingo ,,rerum ,,quae ,,creat ,,illa ,,parens2 ,,haec ,,ut ,,saepe ,,quidem ,,non ,,picta ,,putaverit ,a ,,me1 ,a ,,se ,,crediderit ,,sed ,,generata ,,magis4 ,in these same times lived ,cosme1 also of ,ferrara4 ,works by his hand that are to be seen are a chapel in ,s4 ,domenico in the said city1 and two folding-doors that close the organ in the ,duomo4 ,this man was better as a draughtsman than as a painter2 indeed1 from what ,i have been able to gather1 he does not seem to have painted much4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,madonna ,,enthroned 7,after the tempera panel by ,cosme ,cosimo ,tura4 ,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #hf7 ,hanfstaengl ,,footnotes3 #ag ,this ,life appears only in ,vasari's first edition4 ,,antonio ,,and ,,bernardo ,,rossellino ,,lives ,,of ,,antonio ,,rossellino1 ,,sculptor ,,of ,,florence ,,rossellino ,,dal ,,proconsolo ,,and ,,bernardo1 ,,his ,,brother ,it has ever been a truly laudable and virtuous thing to be modest and to be adorned with that gentleness and those rare qualities that are easily recognized in the honourable actions of the sculptor ,antonio ,rossellino1 who put so much grace into his art that he was esteemed by all who knew him as something much more than man1 and adored almost as a saint1 for those supreme virtues that were united to his talent4 ,antonio was called ,rossellino dal ,proconsolo1 because he ever had his shop in a part of ,florence called by that name4 ,he showed such sweetness and delicacy in his works1 with a finish and a refinement so perfect1 that his manner may be rightly called the true one and truly modern4 ,for the ,palace of the ,medici he made the marble fountain that is in the second court2 in which fountain are certain children opening the mouths of dolphins that pour out water2 and the whole is finished with consummate grace and with a most diligent manner4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,croce1 near the holy-water basin1 he made a tomb for ,francesco ,nori1 with a ,madonna in low-relief above it2 and another ,madonna in the house of the ,tornabuoni1 together with many other things sent to various foreign parts1 such as a tomb of marble for ,lyons in ,france4 ,at ,s4 ,miniato al ,monte1 a monastery of ,white ,friars without the walls of ,florence1 he was commissioned to make the tomb of the ,cardinal of ,portugal1 which was executed by him so marvellously and with such great diligence and art1 that no craftsman can ever expect to be able to see any work likely to surpass it in any respect whatsoever with regard to finish or grace4 ,and in truth1 if one examines it1 it appears not merely difficult but impossible for it to have been executed so well2 for certain angels in the work reveal such grace1 beauty1 and art in their expressions and their draperies1 that they appear not merely made of marble but absolutely alive4 ,one of these is holding the crown of chastity of that ,cardinal1 who is said to have died celibate2 the other bears the palm of victory1 which he had won from the world4 ,among the many most masterly things that are there1 one is an arch of grey-stone supporting a looped-back curtain of marble1 which is so highly-finished that1 what with the white of the marble and the grey of the stone1 it appears more like real cloth than like marble4 ,on the sarcophagus are some truly very beautiful boys and the dead man himself1 with a ,madonna1 very well wrought1 in a medallion4 ,the sarcophagus has the shape of that one made of porphyry which is in the ,piazza della ,ritonda in ,rome4 ,this tomb of the ,cardinal was erected in #adei2 and its form1 with the architecture of the chapel1 gave so much satisfaction to the ,duke of ,malfi1 nephew of ,pope ,pius ,,ii1 that he had another made in ,naples by the hand of the same master for his wife1 similar to the other in every respect save in the figure of the dead4 ,for this1 moreover1 ,antonio made a panel containing the ,nativity of ,christ and the ,manger1 with a choir of angels over the hut1 dancing and singing with open mouths1 in such a manner1 that he truly seems to have given them all possible movement and expression short of breath itself1 and that with so much grace and so high a finish1 that iron tools and man's intelligence could effect nothing more in marble4 ,wherefore his works have been much esteemed by ,michelagnolo and by all the rest of the supremely excellent craftsmen4 ,in the ,pieve of ,empoli he made a ,s4 ,sebastian of marble1 which is held to be a very beautiful work2 and of this we have a drawing by his hand in our book1 together with others of all the architecture and the figures in the said chapel in ,s4 ,miniato al ,monte1 and likewise his own portrait4 ,antonio finally died in ,florence at the age of forty-six1 leaving a brother called ,bernardo1 an architect and sculptor1 who made a marble tomb in ,s4 ,croce for ,messer ,lionardo ,bruni of ,arezzo1 who wrote the ,history of ,florence and was a very learned man as all the world knows4 ,this ,bernardo was much esteemed for his knowledge of architecture by ,pope ,nicholas ,v1 who loved him dearly and made use of him in very many works that he carried out in his pontificate1 of which he would have executed even more if death had not intervened to hinder the works that he had in mind4 ,he caused him1 therefore1 according to the account of ,giannozzo ,manetti1 to reconstruct the ,piazza of ,fabriano1 in the year when he spent some months there by reason of the plague2 and whereas it was narrow and badly designed1 he enlarged it and brought it to a good shape1 surrounding it with a row of shops1 which were useful1 very commodious1 and very beautiful4 ,after this he restored and founded anew the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco in the same district1 which was going to ruin4 ,at ,gualdo he rebuilt the ,church of ,s4 ,benedetto2 almost anew1 it may be said1 for he added to it good and beautiful buildings4 ,at ,assisi he made new and stout foundations and a new roof for the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 which was ruined in certain parts and threatened to go to ruin in certain others4 ,at ,civitavecchia he built many beautiful and magnificent edifices4 ,at ,civita ,castellana he rebuilt more than a third part of the walls in a good form4 ,at ,narni he rebuilt the fortress1 enlarging it with good and beautiful walls4 ,at ,orvieto he made a great fortress with a most beautiful palace--a work of great cost and no less magnificence4 ,at ,spoleto1 likewise1 he enlarged and strengthened the fortress1 making within it dwellings so beautiful1 so commodious1 and so well conceived1 that nothing better could be seen4 ,he restored the baths of ,viterbo at great expense and in a truly royal spirit1 making certain dwellings there that would have been worthy not merely of the invalids who went to bathe there every day1 but of the greatest of ,princes4 ,all these works were executed by the said ,pontiff without the city of ,rome1 from the designs of ,bernardo4 ,in ,rome he restored1 and in many places renewed1 the walls of the city1 which were for the greater part in ruins2 adding to them certain towers1 and enclosing within these some new fortifications that he built without the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo1 with many apartments and decorations that he made within4 ,the said ,pontiff also had a project in his mind1 of which he brought the greater part nearly to completion1 of restoring or rebuilding1 according as it might be necessary1 the forty ,churches of the ,stations formerly instituted by the ,saint1 ,pope ,gregory ,i1 who received the surname of ,great4 ,thus he restored ,s4 ,maria ,trastevere1 ,s4 ,prassedia1 ,s4 ,teodoro1 ,s4 ,pietro in ,vincula1 and many other minor churches4 ,but it was with much greater zeal1 adornment1 and diligence that he did this for six of the seven greater and principal churches--namely1 ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano1 ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 ,s4 ,stefano in ,celio ,monte1 ,s4 ,apostolo1 ,s4 ,paolo1 and ,s4 ,lorenzo extra muros4 ,i say nothing of ,s4 ,pietro1 for of this he made an undertaking by itself4 ,the same ,pope was minded to make the whole of the ,vatican into a separate city1 in the form of a fortress2 and for this he was designing three roads that should lead to ,s4 ,pietro1 situated1 ,i believe1 where the ,borgo ,vecchio and the ,borgo ,nuovo now are2 and on both sides of these roads he meant to build loggie1 with very commodious shops1 keeping the nobler and richer trades separate from the humbler1 and grouping each in a street by itself4 ,he had already built the ,great ,round ,tower1 which is still called the ,torrione di ,niccola4 ,over these shops and loggie were to be erected magnificent and commodious houses1 built in a very beautiful and very practical style of architecture1 and designed in such a manner as to be sheltered and protected from all the pestiferous winds of ,rome1 and freed from all the inconveniences of water and garbage likely to generate unhealthy exhalations4 ,all this the said ,pontiff would have finished if he had been granted a little longer life1 for he had a great and resolute spirit1 and an understanding so profound1 that he gave as much guidance and direction to the craftsmen as they gave to him4 ,when this is so1 and when the patron has knowledge of his own and capacity enough to take an immediate resolution1 great enterprises can be easily brought to completion2 whereas an irresolute and incapable man1 wavering between yes and no in a sea of conflicting designs and opinions1 very often lets time slip past unprofitably without doing anything4 ,but of this design of ,nicholas there is no need to say any more1 since it was not carried into effect4 ,illustration3 ,,tomb ,,of ,,cardinal ,,jacopo ,,of ,,portugal 7,after ,antonio ,rossellino4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,miniato7 ,brogi ,besides this1 he wished to build the ,papal ,palace with so much magnificence and grandeur1 and with so many conveniences and such loveliness1 that it might be in all respects the greatest and most beautiful edifice in ,christendom2 and he intended that it should not only serve for the person of the ,supreme ,pontiff1 the ,chief of all ,christians1 and for the sacred college of ,cardinals1 who1 being his counsellors and assistants1 had always to be about him1 but also that it should provide accommodation for the transaction of all the business1 resolutions1 and judicial affairs of the ,court2 so that the grouping together of all the offices and courts would have produced great magnificence1 and1 if such a word may be used in such a context1 an effect of incredible pomp4 ,what is infinitely more1 it was meant for the reception of all ,emperors1 ,kings1 ,dukes1 and other ,christian ,princes who might1 either on affairs of their own or out of devotion1 visit that most holy apostolic seat4 ,it is incredible1 but he proposed to make there a theatre for the crowning of the ,pontiffs1 with gardens1 loggie1 aqueducts1 fountains1 chapels1 libraries1 and a most beautiful building set apart for the ,conclave4 ,in short1 this edifice--,i know not whether ,i should call it palace1 or castle1 or city--would have been the most superb work that had ever been made1 so far as is known1 from the ,creation of the world to our own day4 ,what great glory it would have been for the ,holy ,roman ,church to see the ,supreme ,pontiff1 her ,chief1 gather together1 as into the most famous and most holy of monasteries1 all those ministers of ,god who dwell in the city of ,rome1 to live there1 as it were in a new earthly ,paradise1 a celestial1 angelic1 and most holy life1 giving an example to all ,christendom1 and awakening the minds of the infidels to the true worship of ,god and of the ,blessed ,jesus ,christ6 ,but this great work remained unfinished--nay1 scarcely begun--by reason of the death of that ,pontiff2 and the little that was carried out is known by his arms1 or the device that he used as his arms1 namely1 two keys crossed on a field of red4 ,the fifth of the five works that the same ,pope intended to execute was the ,church of ,s4 ,pietro1 which he had proposed to make so vast1 so rich1 and so ornate1 that it is better to be silent than to attempt to speak of it1 because ,i could not describe even the least part of it1 and the rather as the model was afterwards destroyed1 and others have been made by other architects4 ,if any man wishes to gain a full knowledge of the grand conception of ,pope ,nicholas ,v in this matter1 let him read what ,giannozzo ,manetti1 a noble and learned citizen of ,florence1 has written with the most minute detail in the ,life of the said ,pontiff1 who availed himself in all the aforesaid designs1 as has been said1 as well as in his others1 of the intelligence and great industry of ,bernardo ,rossellino4 ,antonio1 brother of ,bernardo 7to return at length to the point whence1 with so fair an occasion1 ,i digressed71 wrought his sculptures about the year #adij2 and since the more men's works display diligence and difficulties the more they are admired1 and these two characteristics are particularly noticeable in ,antonio's works1 he deserves fame and honour as a most illustrious example from which modern sculptors have been able to learn how those statues should be made that are to secure the greatest praise and fame by reason of their difficulties4 ,for after ,donatello he did most towards adding a certain finish and refinement to the art of sculpture1 seeking to give such depth and roundness to his figures that they appear wholly round and finished1 a quality which had not been seen to such perfection in sculpture up to that time2 and since he first introduced it1 in the ages after his and in our own it appears a marvel4 ,illustration3 ,,tomb ,,of ,,leonardo ,,bruni 7,after ,bernardo ,rossellino4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce7 ,brogi ,,desiderio ,,da ,,settignano ,,life ,,of ,,desiderio ,,da ,,settignano ,,sculptor ,very great is the obligation that is owed to ,heaven and to ,nature by those who bring their works to birth without effort and with a certain grace which others cannot give to their creations1 either by study or by imitation4 ,it is a truly celestial gift1 which pours down on these works in such a manner1 that they ever have about them a loveliness and a charm which attract not only those who are versed in that calling1 but also many others who do not belong to the profession4 ,and this springs from facility in the production of the good1 which presents no crudeness or harshness to the eye1 such as is often shown by works wrought with labour and difficulty2 and this grace and simplicity1 which give universal pleasure and are recognized by all1 are seen in all the works made by ,desiderio4 ,of this man1 some say that he came from ,settignano1 a place two miles distant from ,florence1 while certain others hold him to be a ,florentine2 but this matters nothing1 the distance between the one place and the other being so small4 ,he was an imitator of the manner of ,donato1 although he had a natural gift of imparting very great grace and loveliness to his heads2 and in the expressions of his women and children there is seen a delicate1 sweet1 and charming manner1 produced as much by nature1 which had inclined him to this1 as by the zeal with which he had practised his intelligence in the art4 ,in his youth he wrought the base of ,donato's ,david1 which is in the ,duke's ,palace in ,florence1 making on it in marble certain very beautiful harpies1 and some vine-tendrils in bronze1 very graceful and well conceived4 ,on the facade of the house of the ,gianfigliazzi he made a large and very beautiful coat of arms1 with a lion2 besides other works in stone1 which are in the same city4 ,for the ,chapel of the ,brancacci in the ,carmine he made an angel of wood2 and he finished with marble the ,chapel of the ,sacrament in ,s4 ,lorenzo1 carrying it to complete perfection with much diligence4 ,there was in it a child of marble in the round1 which was removed and is now set up on the altar at the festivals of the ,nativity of ,christ1 as an admirable work2 and in place of this ,baccio da ,montelupo made another1 also of marble1 which stands permanently over the ,tabernacle of the ,sacrament4 ,in ,s4 ,maria ,novella he made a marble tomb for the ,blessed ,villana1 with certain graceful little angels1 and portrayed her there from nature in such a manner that she appears not dead but asleep2 and for the ,nuns of the ,murate he wrought a little ,madonna with a lovely and graceful manner1 in a tabernacle standing on a column2 insomuch that both these works are very highly esteemed and very greatly prized4 ,in ,s4 ,pietro ,maggiore1 also1 he made the ,tabernacle of the ,sacrament in marble with his usual diligence2 and although there are no figures in this work1 yet it shows a beautiful manner and infinite grace1 like his other works4 ,and he portrayed from the life1 likewise in marble1 the head of ,marietta degli ,strozzi1 who was so beautiful that the work turned out very excellent4 ,in ,s4 ,croce he made a tomb for ,messer ,carlo ,marsuppini of ,arezzo1 which not only amazed the craftsmen and the people of understanding who saw it at that time1 but still fills with marvel all who see it at the present day2 for on the sarcophagus he wrought some foliage1 which1 although somewhat stiff and dry1 was held--since but few antiquities had been discovered up to that time--to be something very beautiful4 ,among other parts of the said work are seen certain wings1 acting as ornaments for a shell at the foot of the sarcophagus1 which seem to be made not of marble but of feathers--difficult things to imitate in marble1 seeing that the chisel is not able to counterfeit hair and feathers4 ,there is a large shell of marble1 more real than if it were an actual shell4 ,there are also some children and some angels1 executed with a beautiful and lively manner2 and consummate excellence and art are likewise seen in the figure of the dead1 portrayed from nature on the sarcophagus1 and in a ,madonna in low-relief on a medallion1 wrought after the manner of ,donato with judgment and most admirable grace2 as are many other works that he made in low-relief on marble1 some of which are in the guardaroba of the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 and in particular a medallion with the head of ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and with that of ,john the ,baptist as a boy4 ,at the foot of the tomb of the said ,messer ,carlo he laid a large stone in memory of ,messer ,giorgio1 a famous ,doctor1 and ,secretary to the ,signoria of ,florence1 with a very beautiful portrait in low-relief of ,messer ,giorgio1 clad in his ,doctor's robes according to the use of those times4 ,illustration3 ,,tomb ,,of ,,carlo ,,marsuppini 7,after ,desiderio da ,settignano4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce7 ,alinari ,if death had not snatched so prematurely from the world a spirit which worked so nobly1 he would have done so much later on by means of experience and study1 that he would have outstripped in art all those whom he had surpassed in grace4 ,death cut the thread of his life at the age of twenty-eight1 which caused great grief to those who were looking forward to seeing so great an intellect attain to perfection in old age2 and they were left in the deepest dismay at such a loss4 ,he was followed by his relatives and by many friends to the ,church of the ,servi2 and a vast number of epigrams and sonnets continued for a long time to be placed on his tomb1 of which ,i have contented myself with including only the following3 ,,come ,,vide ,,natura ,,dar ,,desiderio ,,ai ,,freddi ,,marmi ,,vita1 ,e ,,poter ,,la ,,scultura ,,agguagliar ,,sua ,,bellezza ,,alma ,e ,,infinita1 ,,si ,,fermo ,,sbigottita ,e ,,disse2 ,,omai ,,sara ,,mia ,,gloria ,,oscura4 ,e ,,piena ,d',,alto ,,sdegno ,,tronco ,,la ,,vita ,a ,,cosi ,,bell' ,,ingegno4 ,,ma ,,in ,,van2 ,,che ,,se ,,costui ,,die ,,vita ,,eterna ,,ai ,,marmi1 ,e ,i ,,marmi ,a ,,lui4 ,the sculptures of ,desiderio date about #adhe4 ,he left unfinished a figure of ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene in ,penitence1 which was afterwards completed by ,benedetto da ,maiano1 and is now in ,s4 ,trinita in ,florence1 on the right hand as one enters the church2 and the beauty of this figure is beyond the power of words to express4 ,in our book are certain very beautiful pen-drawings by ,desiderio2 and his portrait was obtained from some of his relatives in ,settignano4 ,,mino ,,da ,,fiesole ,,life ,,of ,,mino ,,da ,,fiesole ,,mino ,,di ,,giovanni ,,sculptor ,when our craftsmen seek to do no more in the works that they execute than to imitate the manner of their masters1 or that of some other man of excellence whose method of working pleases them1 either in the attitudes of the figures1 or in the expressions of the heads1 or in the folds of the draperies1 and when they study these things only1 they may with time and diligence come to make them exactly the same1 but they cannot by these means alone attain to perfection in their art1 seeing that it is clearly evident that one who ever walks behind rarely comes to the front1 since the imitation of nature becomes fixed in the manner of a craftsman who has developed that manner out of long practice4 ,for imitation is a definite art of copying what you represent exactly after the model of the most beautiful things of nature1 which you must take pure and free from the manner of your master or that of others1 who also reduce to a manner the things that they take from nature4 ,and although it may appear that the imitations made by excellent craftsmen are natural objects1 or absolutely similar1 it is not possible with all the diligence in the world to make them so similar that they shall be like nature herself1 or even1 by selecting the best1 to compose a body so perfect as to make art excel nature4 ,now1 if this is so1 it follows that only objects taken from nature can make pictures and sculptures perfect1 and that if a man studies closely only the manner of other craftsmen1 and not bodies and objects of nature1 it is inevitable that he should make works inferior both to nature and to those of the man whose manner he adopts4 ,wherefore it has been seen in the case of many of our craftsmen1 who have refused to study anything save the works of their masters1 leaving nature on one side1 that they have failed to gain any real knowledge of them or to surpass their masters1 but have done very great injury to their own powers2 whereas1 if they had studied the manner of their masters and the objects of nature together1 they would have produced much greater fruits in their works than they did4 ,this is seen in the works of the sculptor ,mino da ,fiesole1 who1 having an intelligence capable of achieving whatsoever he wished1 was so captivated by the manner of his master ,desiderio da ,settignano1 by reason of the beautiful grace that he gave to the heads of women1 children1 and every other kind of figure1 which appeared to ,mino's judgment to be superior to nature1 that he practised and studied it alone1 abandoning natural objects and thinking them useless2 wherefore he had more grace than solid grounding in his art4 ,it was on the hill of ,fiesole1 a very ancient city near ,florence1 that there was born the sculptor ,mino di ,giovanni1 who1 having been apprenticed to the craft of stone-cutting under ,desiderio da ,settignano1 a young man excellent in sculpture1 showed so much inclination to his master's art1 that1 while he was labouring at the hewing of stones1 he learnt to copy in clay the works that ,desiderio had made in marble2 and this he did so well that his master1 seeing that he was likely to make progress in that art1 brought him forward and set him to work on his own figures in marble1 in which he sought with very great attention to reproduce the model before him4 ,nor did he continue long at this before he became passing skilful in that calling2 at which ,desiderio was greatly pleased1 and still more pleased was ,mino by the loving-kindness of his master1 seeing that ,desiderio was ever ready to teach him how to avoid the errors that can be committed in that art4 ,now1 while he was on the way to becoming excellent in his profession1 his ill luck would have it that ,desiderio should pass to a better life1 and this loss was a very great blow to ,mino1 who departed from ,florence1 almost in despair1 and went to ,rome4 ,there1 assisting masters who were then executing works in marble1 such as tombs of ,cardinals1 which were placed in ,s4 ,pietro1 although they have since been thrown to the ground in the building of the new church1 he became known as a very experienced and capable master2 and he was commissioned by ,cardinal ,guglielmo ,destovilla1 who was pleased with his manner1 to make the marble altar where lies the body of ,s4 ,jerome1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore1 together with scenes in low-relief from his life1 which he executed to perfection1 with a portrait of that ,cardinal4 ,illustration3 ,,tomb ,,of ,,margrave ,,hugo 7,after ,mino da ,fiesole4 ,florence3 ,badia7 ,alinari ,afterwards1 when ,pope ,paul ,,ii1 the ,venetian1 was erecting his ,palace of ,s4 ,marco1 ,mino was employed thereon in making certain coats of arms4 ,after the death of that ,pope1 ,mino was commissioned to make his tomb1 which he delivered finished and erected in ,s4 ,pietro in the space of two years4 ,this tomb was then held to be the richest1 both in ornaments and in figures1 that had ever been made for any ,pontiff2 but it was thrown to the ground by ,bramante in the demolition of ,s4 ,pietro1 and remained there buried among the rubbish for some years1 until #aedg1 when certain ,venetians had it rebuilt in the old ,s4 ,pietro1 against a wall near the ,chapel of ,pope ,innocent4 ,and although some believe that this tomb is by the hand of ,mino del ,reame1 yet1 notwithstanding that these two masters lived almost at the same time1 it is without doubt by the hand of ,mino da ,fiesole4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that the said ,mino del ,reame made some little figures on the base1 which can be recognized2 if in truth his name was ,mino1 and not1 as some maintain1 ,dino4 ,but to return to our craftsman2 having acquired a good name in ,rome by the said tomb1 by the sarcophagus that he made for the ,minerva1 on which he placed a marble statue of ,francesco ,tornabuoni from nature1 which is held very beautiful1 and by other works1 it was not long before he returned to ,fiesole with a good sum of money saved1 and took a wife4 ,and no long time after this1 working for the ,nuns of the ,murate1 he made a marble tabernacle in half-relief to contain the ,sacrament1 which was brought to perfection by him with all the diligence in his power4 ,this he had not yet fixed into its place1 when the ,nuns of ,s4 ,ambrogio--who desired to have an ornament made1 similar in design but richer in adornment1 to contain that most holy relic1 the ,miracle of the ,sacrament--hearing of the ability of ,mino1 commissioned him to execute that work1 which he finished with so great diligence that those nuns1 being satisfied with him1 gave him all that he asked as the price of the work4 ,and a little after this he undertook1 at the instance of ,messer ,dietisalvi ,neroni1 to make a little panel with figures of ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 and ,s4 ,laurence on one side and ,s4 ,leonard on the other1 in half-relief1 which was intended for the priests or chapter of ,s4 ,lorenzo2 but it has remained in the ,sacristy of the ,badia of ,florence4 ,for those monks he made a marble medallion containing a ,madonna in relief with the ,child in her arms1 which they placed over the principal door of entrance into the church2 and since it gave great satisfaction to all1 he received a commission for a tomb for the ,magnificent ,chevalier1 ,messer ,bernardo de' ,giugni1 who1 having been an honourable man of high repute1 rightly received this memorial from his brothers4 ,on this tomb1 besides the sarcophagus and the portrait from nature of the dead man1 ,mino executed a figure of ,justice1 which resembles the manner of ,desiderio closely1 save only that its draperies are a little too full of detail in the carving4 ,this work induced the ,abbot and ,monks of the ,badia of ,florence1 in which place the said tomb was erected1 to entrust ,mino with the making of one for ,count ,ugo1 son of the ,marquis ,uberto of ,magdeburg1 who bequeathed great wealth and many privileges to that abbey4 ,and so1 desiring to honour him as much as they could1 they caused ,mino to make a tomb of ,carrara marble1 which was the most beautiful work that ,mino ever made2 for in it there are some boys1 upholding the arms of that ,count1 who are standing in very spirited attitudes1 with a childish grace2 and besides the figure of the dead ,count1 with his likeness1 which he made on the sarcophagus1 in the middle of the wall above the bier there is a figure of ,charity1 with certain children1 wrought with much diligence and very well in harmony with the whole4 ,the same is seen in a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 in a lunette1 which ,mino made as much like the manner of ,desiderio as he could2 and if he had assisted his methods of work by studying from the life1 there is no doubt that he would have made very great progress in his art4 ,this tomb1 with all its expenses1 cost #a1fjj lire1 and he finished it in #adha1 thereby acquiring much honour1 and obtaining a commission to make a tomb for ,lionardo ,salutati1 ,bishop of ,fiesole1 in the ,vescovado of that place1 in a chapel near the principal chapel1 on the right hand as one goes up2 on which tomb he portrayed him in his episcopal robes1 as lifelike as possible4 ,for the same ,bishop he made a head of ,christ in marble1 life-size and very well wrought1 which was left among other bequests to the ,hospital of the ,innocenti2 and at the present day the ,very ,reverend ,don ,vincenzio ,borghini1 ,prior of that hospital1 holds it among his most precious examples of these arts1 in which he takes a delight beyond my power to express in words4 ,in the ,pieve of ,prato ,mino made a pulpit entirely of marble1 in which there are stories of ,our ,lady1 executed with much diligence and put together so well1 that the work appears all of one piece4 ,this pulpit stands over one corner of the choir1 almost in the middle of the church1 above certain ornaments made under the direction of the same ,mino4 ,he also made portraits of ,piero di ,lorenzo de' ,medici and his wife1 marvellously lifelike and true to nature4 ,these two heads stood for many years over two doors in ,piero's apartment in the house of the ,medici1 each in a lunette2 afterwards they were removed1 with the portraits of many other illustrious men of that house1 to the guardaroba of the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo4 ,mino also made a ,madonna in marble1 which is now in the ,audience ,chamber of the ,guild of the ,masters in ,wood and ,stone2 and to ,perugia1 for ,messer ,baglione ,ribi1 he sent a marble panel1 which was placed in the ,chapel of the ,sacrament in ,s4 ,pietro1 the work being in the form of a tabernacle1 with ,s4 ,john on one side and ,s4 ,jerome on the other--good figures in half-relief4 ,the ,tabernacle of the ,sacrament in the ,duomo of ,volterra is likewise by his hand1 with the two angels standing one on either side of it1 so well and so diligently executed that this work is deservedly praised by all craftsmen4 ,finally1 attempting one day to move certain stones1 and not having the needful assistance at hand1 ,mino fatigued himself so greatly that he was seized by pleurisy and died of it2 and he was honourably buried by his friends and relatives in the ,canon's house at ,fiesole in the year #adhf4 ,the portrait of ,mino is in our book of drawings1 but ,i do not know by whose hand2 it was given to me together with some drawings made with blacklead by ,mino himself1 which have no little beauty4 ,,lorenzo ,,costa ,,life ,,of ,,lorenzo ,,costa ,,painter ,,of ,,ferrara ,although men have ever practised the arts of design more in ,tuscany than in any other province of ,italy1 and perhaps of ,europe1 yet it is none the less true that in every age there has arisen in the other provinces some genius who has proved himself rare and excellent in the same professions1 as has been shown up to the present in many of the ,lives1 and will be demonstrated even more in those that are to follow4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that where there are no studies1 and where men are not disposed by custom to learn1 they are not able to advance so rapidly or to become so excellent as they do in those places where craftsmen are for ever practising and studying in competition4 ,but as soon as one or two make a beginning1 it seems always to come to pass that many others--such is the force of excellence--strive to follow them1 with honour both for themselves and for their countries4 ,lorenzo ,costa of ,ferrara1 being inclined by nature to the art of painting1 and hearing that ,fra ,filippo1 ,benozzo1 and others were celebrated and highly esteemed in ,tuscany1 betook himself to ,florence in order to see their works2 and on his arrival1 finding that their manner pleased him greatly1 he stayed there many months1 striving to imitate them to the best of his power1 particularly in drawing from nature4 ,in this he succeeded so happily1 that1 after returning to his own country1 although his manner was a little dry and hard1 he made many praiseworthy works there2 as may be seen from the choir of the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico in ,ferrara1 wrought entirely by his hand1 from which it is evident that he used great diligence in his art and put much labour into his works4 ,in the guardaroba of the ,lord ,duke of ,ferrara there are seen portraits from life in many pictures by his hand1 which are very well wrought and very lifelike4 ,in the houses of noblemen1 likewise1 there are works by his hand which are held in great veneration4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico at ,ravenna1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,sebastiano1 he painted the panel in oil and certain scenes in fresco1 which were much extolled4 ,being next summoned to ,bologna1 he painted a panel in the ,chapel of the ,mariscotti in ,s4 ,petronio1 representing ,s4 ,sebastian bound to the column and pierced with arrows1 with many other figures1 which was the best work in distemper that had been made up to that time in that city4 ,by his hand1 also1 was the panel of ,s4 ,jerome in the ,chapel of the ,castelli1 and likewise that of ,s4 ,vincent1 wrought in like manner in distemper1 which is in the ,chapel of the ,griffoni2 the predella of this he caused to be painted by a pupil of his1 who acquitted himself much better than the master did in the panel1 as will be told in the proper place4 ,in the same city1 and in the same church1 ,lorenzo painted a panel for the ,chapel of the ,rossi1 with ,our ,lady1 ,s4 ,james1 ,s4 ,george1 ,s4 ,sebastian1 and ,s4 ,jerome2 which work is better and sweeter in manner than any other that he ever made4 ,afterwards1 having entered the service of ,signor ,francesco ,gonzaga1 ,marquis of ,mantua1 ,lorenzo painted many scenes for him1 partly in gouache and partly in oil1 in an apartment in the ,palace of ,s4 ,sebastiano4 ,in one is the ,marchioness ,isabella1 portrayed from life1 accompanied by many ladies who are singing various parts and making a sweet harmony4 ,in another is the ,goddess ,latona1 who is transforming certain peasants into frogs1 according to the fable4 ,in the third is the ,marquis ,francesco1 led by ,hercules along the path of virtue upon the summit of a mountain consecrated to ,eternity4 ,in another picture the same ,marquis is seen triumphant on a pedestal1 with a staff in his hand2 and round him are many nobles and retainers with standards in their hands1 all rejoicing and full of jubilation at his greatness1 among whom there is an infinite number of portraits from the life4 ,and in the great hall1 where the triumphal processions by the hand of ,mantegna now are1 he painted two pictures1 one at each end4 ,in the first1 which is in gouache1 are many naked figures lighting fires and making sacrifices to ,hercules2 and in this is a portrait from life of the ,marquis1 with his three sons1 ,federigo1 ,ercole1 and ,ferrante1 who afterwards became very great and very illustrious lords2 and there are likewise some portraits of great ladies4 ,in the other1 which was painted in oil many years after the first1 and which was one of the last works that ,lorenzo executed1 is the ,marquis ,federigo1 grown to man's estate1 with a staff in his hand1 as ,general of ,holy ,church under ,leo ,x2 and round him are many lords portrayed by ,costa from the life4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,coronation ,,of ,,the ,,virgin 7,after the panel by ,lorenzo ,costa4 ,bologna3 ,s4 ,giovanni in ,monte7 ,alinari ,in ,bologna1 in the ,palace of ,messer ,giovanni ,bentivogli1 the same man painted certain rooms in competition with many other masters2 but of these1 since they were thrown to the ground in the destruction of that palace1 no further mention will be made4 ,but ,i will not forbear to say that1 of the works that he executed for the ,bentivogli1 only one remained standing--namely1 the chapel that he painted for ,messer ,giovanni in ,s4 ,jacopo1 wherein he wrought two scenes of triumphal processions1 which are held very beautiful1 with many portraits4 ,in the year #adig1 also1 for ,jacopo ,chedini1 he painted a panel for a chapel in ,s4 ,giovanni in ,monte1 in which he wished to be buried after death2 in this he made a ,madonna1 ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 ,s4 ,augustine1 and other saints4 ,on a panel in ,s4 ,francesco he painted a ,nativity1 ,s4 ,james1 and ,s4 ,anthony of ,padua4 ,in ,s4 ,pietro he made a most beautiful beginning in a chapel for ,domenico ,garganelli1 a gentleman of ,bologna2 but1 whatever may have been the reason1 after making some figures on the ceiling1 he left it unfinished1 nay1 scarcely begun4 ,in ,mantua1 besides the works that he executed there for the ,marquis1 of which we have spoken above1 he painted a ,madonna on a panel for ,s4 ,silvestro2 and on one side1 ,s4 ,sylvester recommending the people of that city to her1 and1 on the other1 ,s4 ,sebastian1 ,s4 ,paul1 ,s4 ,elizabeth1 and ,s4 ,jerome4 ,it is reported that the said panel was placed in that church after the death of ,costa1 who1 having finished his life in ,mantua1 in which city his descendants have lived ever since1 wished to have a burial-place in that church both for himself and for his successors4 ,the same man made many other pictures1 of which nothing more will be said1 for it is enough to have recorded the best4 ,his portrait ,i received in ,mantua from ,fermo ,ghisoni1 an excellent painter1 who assured me that it was by the hand of ,costa1 who was a passing good draughtsman1 as may be seen from a pen-drawing on parchment in our book1 wherein is the ,judgment of ,solomon1 with a ,s4 ,jerome in chiaroscuro1 which are both very well wrought4 ,disciples of ,lorenzo were ,ercole da ,ferrara1 his compatriot1 whose ,life will be written below1 and ,lodovico ,malino1 likewise of ,ferrara1 by whom there are many works in his native city and in other places2 but the best that he made was a panel which is in the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco in ,bologna1 in a chapel near the principal door1 representing ,jesus ,christ at the age of twelve disputing with the ,doctors in the ,temple4 ,the elder ,dosso of ,ferrara1 of whose works mention will be made in the proper place1 also learnt his first principles from ,costa4 ,and this is as much as ,i have been able to gather about the life and works of ,lorenzo ,costa of ,ferrara4 ,,ercole ,,ferrarese ,,life ,,of ,,ercole ,,ferrarese ,,ercole ,,da ,,ferrara ,,painter ,although1 long before ,lorenzo ,costa died1 his disciple ,ercole ,ferrarese was in very good repute and was invited to work in many places1 he would never abandon his master 7a thing which is rarely wont to happen71 and was content to work with him for meagre gains and praise1 rather than labour by himself for greater profit and credit4 ,for this gratitude1 in view of its rarity among the men of to-day1 all the more praise is due to ,ercole1 who1 knowing himself to be indebted to ,lorenzo1 put aside all thought of his own interest in favour of his master's wishes1 and was like a brother or a son to him up to the end of his life4 ,ercole1 then1 who was a better draughtsman than ,costa1 painted1 below the panel executed by ,lorenzo in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,vincenzio in ,s4 ,petronio1 certain scenes in distemper with little figures1 so well and with so beautiful and good a manner1 that it is scarcely possible to see anything better1 or to imagine the labour and diligence that ,ercole put into the work3 and thus the predella is a much better painting than the panel4 ,both were wrought at one and the same time during the life of ,costa4 ,after his master's death1 ,ercole was employed by ,domenico ,garganelli to finish that chapel in ,s4 ,petronio which ,lorenzo1 as has been said above1 had begun1 completing only a small part4 ,ercole1 to whom the said ,domenico was giving four ducats a month for this1 with his own expenses and those of a boy1 and all the colours that were to be used for the painting1 set himself to work and finished the whole in such a manner1 that he surpassed his master by a long way both in drawing and colouring as well as in invention4 ,in the first part1 or rather1 wall1 is the ,crucifixion of ,christ1 wrought with much judgment3 for besides the ,christ1 who is seen there already dead1 he represented very well the tumult of the ,jews who have come to see the ,messiah on the ,cross1 among whom there is a marvellous variety of heads1 whereby it is seen that ,ercole sought with very great pains to make them so different one from another that they should not resemble each other in any respect4 ,there are also some figures bursting into tears of sorrow1 which demonstrate clearly enough how much he sought to imitate reality4 ,there is the swooning of the ,madonna1 which is most moving2 but much more so are the ,maries1 who are facing her1 for they are seen full of compassion and with an aspect so heavy with sorrow1 that it is almost impossible to imagine it1 at seeing that which mankind holds most dear dead before their eyes1 and themselves in danger of losing the second4 ,among other notable things in this work is ,longinus on horseback1 riding a lean beast1 which is foreshortened and in very strong relief2 and in him we see the impiety that made him pierce the side of ,christ1 and the penitence and conversion that followed from his enlightenment4 ,he gave strange attitudes1 likewise1 to the figures of certain soldiers who are playing for the raiment of ,christ1 with bizarre expressions of countenance and fanciful garments4 ,well wrought1 too1 with beautiful invention1 are the ,thieves on the ,cross4 ,and since ,ercole took much delight in making foreshortenings1 which1 if well conceived1 are very beautiful1 he made in that work a soldier on a horse1 which1 rearing its fore-legs on high1 stands out in such a manner that it appears to be in relief2 and as the wind is bending a banner that the soldier holds in his hand1 he is making a most beautiful effort to hold it up4 ,he also made a ,s4 ,john1 flying away wrapped in a sheet4 ,in like manner1 the soldiers that are in this work are very well wrought1 with more natural and appropriate movements than had been seen in any other figures up to that time2 and all these attitudes and gestures1 which could scarcely be better done1 show that ,ercole had a very great intelligence and took great pains with his art4 ,on the wall opposite to this one the same man painted the ,passing of ,our ,lady1 who is surrounded by the ,apostles in very beautiful attitudes1 among whom are six figures portrayed so well from life1 that those who knew them declare that these are most vivid likenesses4 ,in the same work he also made his own portrait1 and that of ,domenico ,garganelli1 the owner of the chapel1 who1 when it was finished1 moved by the love that he bore to ,ercole and by the praises that he heard given to the work1 bestowed upon him a thousand lire in ,bolognese currency4 ,it is said that ,ercole spent twelve years in labouring at this work2 seven in executing it in fresco1 and five in retouching it on the dry4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that during this time he painted some other works2 and in particular1 so far as is known1 the predella of the high-altar of ,s4 ,giovanni in ,monte1 in which he wrought three scenes of the ,passion of ,christ4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,israelites ,,gathering ,,manna 7,after the panel by ,ercole ,ferrarese4 ,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #abag7 ,mansell ,ercole was eccentric in character1 particularly in his custom of refusing to let any man1 whether painter or not1 see him at work2 wherefore he was greatly hated in ,bologna by the painters of that city1 who have ever borne an envious hatred to the strangers who have been summoned to work there2 nay1 they sometimes show the same among themselves out of rivalry with each other1 although this may be said to be the particular vice of the professors of these our arts in every place4 ,certain ,bolognese painters1 then1 having come to an agreement one day with a carpenter1 shut themselves up by his help in the church1 close to the chapel where ,ercole was working2 and when night came1 breaking into it by force1 they did not content themselves with seeing the work1 which should have sufficed them1 but carried off all his cartoons1 sketches1 and designs1 and every other thing of value that was there4 ,at this ,ercole fell into such disdain that when the work was finished he departed from ,bologna1 without stopping another day there1 taking with him ,duca ,tagliapietra1 a sculptor of much renown1 who carved the very beautiful foliage in marble which is in the parapet in front of the chapel wherein ,ercole painted the said work1 and who afterwards made all the stone windows of the ,ducal ,palace at ,ferrara1 which are most beautiful4 ,ercole1 therefore1 weary at length of living away from home1 remained ever after in company with this man in ,ferrara1 and made many works in that city4 ,ercole had an extraordinary love of wine1 and his frequent drunkenness did much to shorten his life1 which he had enjoyed without any accident up to the age of forty1 when he was smitten one day by apoplexy1 which made an end of him in a short time4 ,he left a pupil1 the painter ,guido ,bolognese1 who1 in #adia1 as may be seen from the place where he put his name1 under the portico of ,s4 ,pietro at ,bologna1 painted a ,crucifixion in fresco1 with the ,maries1 the ,thieves1 horses1 and other passing good figures4 ,and desiring very greatly to become esteemed in that city1 as his master had been1 he studied so zealously and subjected himself to so many hardships that he died at the age of thirty-five4 ,if ,guido had set himself to learn his art in his childhood1 and not1 as he did1 at the age of eighteen1 he would not only have equalled his master without difficulty1 but would even have surpassed him by a great measure4 ,in our book there are drawings by the hands of ,ercole and ,guido1 very well wrought1 and executed with grace and in a good manner4 ,,jacopo1 ,,giovanni1 ,,and ,,gentile ,,bellini ,,lives ,,of ,,jacopo1 ,,giovanni1 ,,and ,,gentile ,,bellini ,,painters ,,of ,,venice ,enterprises that are founded on excellence1 although their beginnings often appear humble and mean1 keep climbing higher step by step1 nor do they ever halt or take rest until they have reached the supreme heights of glory3 as could be clearly seen from the poor and humble beginning of the house of the ,bellini1 and from the rank to which it afterwards rose by means of painting4 ,jacopo ,bellini1 a painter of ,venice1 having been a disciple of ,gentile da ,fabriano1 worked in competition with that ,domenico who taught the method of colouring in oil to ,andrea dal ,castagno2 but1 although he laboured greatly to become excellent in that art1 he did not acquire fame therein until after the departure of ,domenico from ,venice4 ,then1 finding himself in that city without any competitor to equal him1 he kept growing in credit and fame1 and became so excellent that he was the greatest and most renowned man in his profession4 ,and to the end that the name which he had acquired in painting might not only be maintained in his house and for his descendants1 but might grow greater1 there were born to him two sons of good and beautiful intelligence1 strongly inclined to the art3 one was ,giovanni1 and the other ,gentile1 to whom he gave that name in tender memory of ,gentile da ,fabriano1 who had been his master and like a loving father to him4 ,now1 when the said two sons had grown to a certain age1 ,jacopo himself with all diligence taught them the rudiments of drawing2 but no long time passed before both one and the other surpassed his father by a great measure1 whereat he rejoiced greatly1 ever encouraging them and showing them that he desired them to do as the ,tuscans did1 who gloried among themselves in making efforts to outstrip each other1 according as one after another took up the art3 even so should ,giovanni vanquish himself1 and ,gentile should vanquish them both1 and so on in succession4 ,the first works that brought fame to ,jacopo were the portraits of ,giorgio ,cornaro and of ,caterina1 ,queen of ,cyprus2 a panel which he sent to ,verona1 containing the ,passion of ,christ1 with many figures1 among which he portrayed himself from the life2 and a picture of the ,story of the ,cross1 which is said to be in the ,scuola of ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista4 ,all these works and many others were painted by ,jacopo with the aid of his sons2 and the last-named picture was painted on canvas1 as it has been almost always the custom to do in that city1 where they rarely paint1 as is done elsewhere1 on panels of the wood of that tree that is called by many oppio#ah and by some gattice4#ai ,this wood1 which grows mostly beside rivers or other waters1 is very soft1 and admirable for painting on1 for it holds very firmly when joined together with carpenters' glue4 ,but in ,venice they make no panels1 and1 if they do make a few1 they use no other wood than that of the fir1 of which that city has a great abundance by reason of the ,river ,adige1 which brings a very great quantity of it from ,germany1 not to mention that no small amount comes from ,sclavonia4 ,it is much the custom in ,venice1 then1 to paint on canvas1 either because it does not split and does not grow worm-eaten1 or because it enables pictures to be made of any size that is desired1 or because1 as was said elsewhere1 they can be sent easily and conveniently wherever they are wanted1 with very little expense and labour4 ,be the reason what it may1 ,jacopo and ,gentile1 as was said above1 made their first works on canvas4 ,illustration3 ,,jacopo ,,bellini3 ,,the ,,madonna ,,and ,,child 7,florence3 ,uffizi1 #aefb4 ,panel7 ,to the last-named ,story of the ,cross ,gentile afterwards added by himself seven other pictures1 or rather1 eight1 in which he painted the miracle of the ,cross of ,christ1 which the said ,scuola preserves as a relic2 which miracle was as follows4 ,the said ,cross was thrown1 ,i know not by what chance1 from the ,ponte della ,paglia into the ,canal1 and1 by reason of the reverence that many bore to the piece of the ,cross of ,christ that it contained1 they threw themselves into the water to recover it2 but it was the will of ,god that no one should be worthy to succeed in grasping it save the ,prior of that ,scuola4 ,gentile1 therefore1 representing this story1 drew in perspective1 along the ,grand ,canal1 many houses1 the ,ponte della ,paglia1 the ,piazza di ,s4 ,marco1 and a long procession of men and women walking behind the clergy2 also many who have leapt into the water1 others in the act of leaping1 many half immersed1 and others in other very beautiful actions and attitudes2 and finally he painted the said ,prior recovering the ,cross4 ,truly great were the labour and diligence of ,gentile in this work1 considering the infinite number of people1 the many portraits from life1 the diminution of the figures in the distance1 and particularly the portraits of almost all the men who then belonged to that ,scuola1 or rather1 ,confraternity4 ,last comes the picture of the replacing of the said ,cross1 wrought with many beautiful conceptions4 ,all these scenes1 painted on the aforesaid canvases1 acquired a very great name for ,gentile4 ,illustration3 ,,giovanni ,,bellini3 ,,the ,,doge ,,leonardo ,,loredano 7,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #ahi4 ,panel7 ,afterwards1 ,jacopo withdrew to work entirely by himself1 as did his two sons1 each of them devoting himself to his own studies in the art4 ,of ,jacopo ,i will make no further mention1 seeing that his works were nothing out of the ordinary in comparison with those of his sons1 and because he died not long after his sons withdrew themselves from him2 and ,i judge it much better to speak at some length only of ,giovanni and ,gentile4 ,i will not1 indeed1 forbear to say that although these brothers retired to live each by himself1 nevertheless they had so much respect for each other1 and both had such reverence for their father1 that each1 extolling the other1 ever held himself inferior in merit2 and thus they sought modestly to surpass one another no less in goodness and courtesy than in the excellence of their art4 ,the first works of ,giovanni were some portraits from the life1 which gave much satisfaction1 and particularly that of ,doge ,loredano--although some say that this was a portrait of ,giovanni ,mozzenigo1 brother of that ,piero who was ,doge many years before ,loredano4 ,giovanni then painted a panel for the altar of ,s4 ,caterina da ,siena in the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni1 in which picture--a rather large one--he painted ,our ,lady seated1 with the ,child in her arms1 and ,s4 ,dominic1 ,s4 ,jerome1 ,s4 ,catherine1 ,s4 ,ursula1 and two other ,virgins2 and at the feet of the ,madonna he made three boys standing1 who are singing from a book--a very beautiful group4 ,above this he made the inner part of a vault in a building1 which is very beautiful4 ,this work was one of the best that had been made in ,venice up to that time4 ,for the altar of ,s4 ,giobbe in the ,church of that ,saint1 the same man painted a panel with good design and most beautiful colouring1 in the middle of which he made the ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 seated on a throne slightly raised from the ground1 with nude figures of ,s4 ,job and ,s4 ,sebastian1 beside whom are ,s4 ,dominic1 ,s4 ,francis1 ,s4 ,john1 and ,s4 ,augustine2 and below are three boys1 sounding instruments with much grace4 ,this picture was not only praised then1 when it was seen as new1 but it has likewise been extolled ever afterwards as a very beautiful work4 ,certain noblemen1 moved by the great praises won by these works1 began to suggest that it would be a fine thing1 in view of the presence of such rare masters1 to have the ,hall of the ,great ,council adorned with stories1 in which there should be depicted the glories and the magnificence of their marvellous city--her great deeds1 her exploits in war1 her enterprises1 and other things of that kind1 worthy to be perpetuated by painting in the memory of those who should come after--to the end that there might be added1 to the profit and pleasure drawn from the reading of history1 entertainment both for the eye and for the intellect1 from seeing the images of so many illustrious lords wrought by the most skilful hands1 and the glorious works of so many noblemen right worthy of eternal memory and fame4 ,and so ,giovanni and ,gentile1 who kept on making progress from day to day1 received the commission for this work by order of those who governed the city1 who commanded them to make a beginning as soon as possible4 ,but it must be remarked that ,antonio ,viniziano had made a beginning long before with the painting of the same ,hall1 as was said in his ,life1 and had already finished a large scene1 when he was forced by the envy of certain malignant spirits to depart and to leave that most honourable enterprise without carrying it on further4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,miracle ,,of ,,the ,,true ,,cross 7,after the panel by ,gentile ,bellini4 ,venice3 ,accademia1 #efh7 ,anderson ,now ,gentile1 either because he had more experience and greater skill in painting on canvas than in fresco1 or for some other reason1 whatever it may have been1 contrived without difficulty to obtain leave to execute that work not in fresco but on canvas4 ,and thus1 setting to work1 in the first scene he made the ,pope presenting a wax candle to the ,doge1 that he might bear it in the solemn processions which were to take place2 in which picture ,gentile painted the whole exterior of ,s4 ,marco1 and made the said ,pope standing in his pontifical robes1 with many prelates behind him1 and the ,doge likewise standing1 accompanied by many ,senators4 ,in another part he represented the ,emperor ,barbarossa2 first1 when he is receiving the ,venetian envoys in friendly fashion1 and then1 when he is preparing for war1 in great disdain2 in which scene are very beautiful perspectives1 with innumerable portraits from the life1 executed with very good grace and amid a vast number of figures4 ,in the following scene he painted the ,pope exhorting the ,doge and the ,signori of ,venice to equip thirty galleys at their common expense1 to go out to battle against ,frederick ,barbarossa4 ,this ,pope is seated in his rochet on the pontifical chair1 with the ,doge beside him and many ,senators at his feet4 ,in this part1 also1 ,gentile painted the ,piazza and the facade of ,s4 ,marco1 and the sea1 but in another manner1 with so great a multitude of men that it is truly a marvel4 ,then in another part the same ,pope1 standing in his pontifical robes1 is giving his benediction to the ,doge1 who appears to be setting out for the fray1 armed1 and with many soldiers at his back2 behind the ,doge are seen innumerable noblemen in a long procession1 and in the same part are the ,palace and ,s4 ,marco1 drawn in perspective4 ,this is one of the best works that there are to be seen by the hand of ,gentile1 although there appears to be more invention in that other which represents a naval battle1 because it contains an infinite number of galleys fighting together and an incredible multitude of men1 and because1 in short1 he showed clearly therein that he had no less knowledge of naval warfare than of his own art of painting4 ,and indeed1 all that ,gentile executed in this work--the crowd of galleys engaged in battle2 the soldiers fighting2 the boats duly diminishing in perspective2 the finely ordered combat2 the soldiers furiously striving1 defending1 and striking2 the wounded dying in various manners2 the cleaving of the water by the galleys2 the confusion of the waves2 and all the kinds of naval armament--all this vast diversity of subjects1 ,i say1 cannot but serve to prove the great spirit1 art1 invention1 and judgment of ,gentile1 each detail being most excellently wrought in itself1 as well as the composition of the whole4 ,in another scene he made the ,doge returning with the victory so much desired1 and the ,pope receiving him with open arms1 and giving him a ring of gold wherewith to espouse the sea1 as his successors have done and still do every year1 as a sign of the true and perpetual dominion that they deservedly hold over it4 ,in this part there is ,otto1 son of ,frederick ,barbarossa1 portrayed from the life1 and kneeling before the ,pope2 and as behind the ,doge there are many armed soldiers1 so behind the ,pope there are many ,cardinals and noblemen4 ,in this scene only the poops of the galleys appear2 and on the ,admiral's galley is seated a ,victory painted to look like gold1 with a crown on her head and a sceptre in her hand4 ,the scenes that were to occupy the other parts of the ,hall were entrusted to ,giovanni1 the brother of ,gentile2 but since the order of the stories that he painted there is connected with those executed in great part1 but not finished1 by ,vivarino1 it is necessary to say something of the latter4 ,that part of the ,hall which was not done by ,gentile was given partly to ,giovanni and partly to the said ,vivarino1 to the end that rivalry might induce each man to do his best4 ,vivarino1 then1 putting his hand to the part that belonged to him1 painted1 beside the last scene of ,gentile1 the aforesaid ,otto offering to the ,pope and to the ,venetians to go to conclude peace between them and his father ,frederick2 and1 having obtained this1 he is dismissed on oath and goes his way4 ,in this first part1 besides other things1 which are all worthy of consideration1 ,vivarino painted an open temple in beautiful perspective1 with steps and many figures4 ,before the ,pope1 who is seated and surrounded by many ,senators1 is the said ,otto on his knees1 binding himself by an oath4 ,beside this scene1 he painted the arrival of ,otto before his father1 who is receiving him gladly2 with buildings wrought most beautifully in perspective1 ,barbarossa on his throne1 and his son kneeling and taking his hand1 accompanied by many ,venetian noblemen1 who are portrayed from the life so finely that it is clear that he imitated nature very well4 ,poor ,vivarino would have completed the remainder of his part with great honour to himself1 but1 having died1 as it pleased ,god1 from exhaustion and through being of a weakly habit of body1 he carried it no further--nay1 even what he had done was not wholly finished1 and it was necessary for ,giovanni ,bellini to retouch it in certain places4 ,illustration3 ,,giovanni ,,bellini3 ,,la ,,fortuna 7,venice3 ,accademia1 #eie4 ,panel7 ,illustration3 ,,giovanni ,,bellini3 ,,the ,,dead ,,christ 7,milan3 ,poldi ,pezzoli1 #fbd4 ,panel7 ,meanwhile1 ,giovanni had also made a beginning with four scenes1 which follow in due order those mentioned above4 ,in the first he painted the said ,pope in ,s4 ,marco--which church he portrayed exactly as it stood--presenting his foot to ,frederick ,barbarossa to kiss2 but this first picture of ,giovanni's1 whatever may have been the reason1 was rendered much more lifelike and incomparably better by the most excellent ,tiziano4 ,however1 continuing his scenes1 ,giovanni made in the next the ,pope saying ,mass in ,s4 ,marco1 and afterwards1 between the said ,emperor and the ,doge1 granting plenary and perpetual indulgence to all who should visit the said ,church of ,s4 ,marco at certain times1 particularly at that of the ,ascension of ,our ,lord4 ,there he depicted the interior of that church1 with the said ,pope in his pontifical robes at the head of the steps that issue from the choir1 surrounded by many ,cardinals and noblemen--a vast group1 which makes this a crowded1 rich1 and beautiful scene4 ,in the one below this the ,pope is seen in his rochet1 presenting a canopy to the ,doge1 after having given another to the ,emperor and keeping two for himself4 ,in the last that ,giovanni painted are seen ,pope ,alexander1 the ,emperor1 and the ,doge arriving in ,rome1 without the gates of which the ,pope is presented by the clergy and by the people of ,rome with eight standards of various colours and eight silver trumpets1 which he gives to the ,doge1 that he and his successors may have them for insignia4 ,here ,giovanni painted ,rome in somewhat distant perspective1 a great number of horses1 and an infinity of foot-soldiers1 with many banners and other signs of rejoicing on the ,castle of ,s4 ,angelo4 ,and since these works of ,giovanni1 which are truly very beautiful1 gave infinite satisfaction1 arrangements were just being made to give him the commission to paint all the rest of that ,hall1 when1 being now old1 he died4 ,up to the present we have spoken of nothing save the ,hall1 in order not to interrupt the sequence of the scenes2 but now we must turn back a little and say that there are many other works to be seen by the hand of the same man4 ,one is a panel which is now on the high-altar of ,s4 ,domenico in ,pesaro4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,zaccheria in ,venice1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,girolamo1 there is a panel of ,our ,lady and many saints1 executed with great diligence1 with a building painted with much judgment2 and in the same city1 in the ,sacristy of the ,friars ,minor1 called the ,ca ,grande1 there is another by the same man's hand1 wrought with beautiful design and a good manner4 ,there is likewise one in ,s4 ,michele di ,murano1 a monastery of ,monks of ,camaldoli2 and in the old ,church of ,s4 ,francesco della ,vigna1 a seat of the ,frati del ,zoccolo1 there was a picture of a ,dead ,christ1 so beautiful that it was highly extolled before ,louis ,,xi1 ,king of ,france1 whereupon he demanded it from its owners with great insistence1 so that they were forced1 although very unwillingly1 to gratify his wish4 ,in its place there was put another with the name of the same ,giovanni1 but not so beautiful or so well executed as the first2 and some believe that this substitute was wrought for the most part by ,girolamo ,moretto1 a pupil of ,giovanni4 ,the ,confraternity of ,s4 ,girolamo also possesses a work with little figures by the same ,bellini1 which is much extolled4 ,and in the house of ,messer ,giorgio ,cornaro there is a picture1 likewise very beautiful1 containing ,christ1 ,cleophas1 and ,luke4 ,in the aforesaid ,hall he also painted1 though not at the same time1 a scene of the ,venetians summoning forth from the ,monastery of the ,carita a ,pope--,i know not which--who1 having fled to ,venice1 had secretly served for a long time as cook to the monks of that monastery2 in which scene there are many portraits from the life1 and other very beautiful figures4 ,illustration3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,saints 7,after the panel by ,giovanni ,bellini4 ,venice3 ,s4 ,francesco della ,vigna7 ,anderson ,no long time after1 certain portraits were taken to ,turkey by an ambassador as presents for the ,grand ,turk1 which caused such astonishment and marvel to that ,emperor1 that1 although pictures are forbidden among that people by the ,mahometan law1 nevertheless he accepted them with great good-will1 praising the art and the craftsman without ceasing2 and what is more1 he demanded that the master of the work should be sent to him4 ,whereupon the ,senate1 considering that ,giovanni had reached an age when he could ill endure hardships1 not to mention that they did not wish to deprive their own city of so great a man1 particularly because he was then engaged on the aforesaid ,hall of the ,great ,council1 determined to send his brother ,gentile1 believing that he would do as well as ,giovanni4 ,therefore1 having caused ,gentile to make his preparations1 they brought him safely in their own galleys to ,constantinople1 where1 after being presented by the ,commissioner of the ,signoria to ,mahomet1 he was received very willingly and treated with much favour as something new1 above all after he had given that ,prince a most lovely picture1 which he greatly admired1 being wellnigh unable to believe that a mortal man had within himself so much divinity1 so to speak1 as to be able to represent the objects of nature so vividly4 ,gentile had been there no long time when he portrayed the ,emperor ,mahomet from the life so well1 that it was held a miracle4 ,that ,emperor1 after having seen many specimens of his art1 asked ,gentile whether he had the courage to paint his own portrait2 and ,gentile1 having answered ,yes1 did not allow many days to pass before he had made his own portrait with a mirror1 with such resemblance that it appeared alive4 ,this he brought to the ,sultan1 who marvelled so greatly thereat1 that he could not but think that he had some divine spirit within him2 and if it had not been that the exercise of this art1 as has been said1 is forbidden by law among the ,turks1 that ,emperor would never have allowed ,gentile to go4 ,but either in fear of murmurings1 or for some other reason1 one day he summoned him to his presence1 and after first causing him to be thanked for the courtesy that he had shown1 and then praising him in marvellous fashion as a man of the greatest excellence1 he bade him demand whatever favour he wished1 for it would be granted to him without fail4 ,gentile1 like the modest and upright man that he was1 asked for nothing save a letter of recommendation to the most ,serene ,senate and the most ,illustrious ,signoria of ,venice1 his native city4 ,this was written in the warmest possible terms1 and afterwards he was dismissed with honourable gifts and with the dignity of ,chevalier4 ,among other things given to him at parting by that ,sovereign1 in addition to many privileges1 there was placed round his neck a chain wrought in the ,turkish manner1 equal in weight to #bej gold crowns1 which is still in the hands of his heirs in ,venice4 ,departing from ,constantinople1 ,gentile returned after a most prosperous voyage to ,venice1 where he was received with gladness by his brother ,giovanni and by almost the whole city1 all men rejoicing at the honours paid to his talent by ,mahomet4 ,afterwards1 on going to make his reverence to the ,doge and the ,signoria1 he was received very warmly1 and commended for having given great satisfaction to that ,emperor according to their desire4 ,and to the end that he might see in what great account they held the letters in which that ,prince had recommended him1 they decreed him a provision of #bjj crowns a year1 which was paid to him for the rest of his life4 ,gentile made but few works after his return2 finally1 having almost reached the age of eighty1 and having executed the aforesaid works and many others1 he passed to the other life1 and was given honourable burial by his brother ,giovanni in ,s4 ,giovanni e ,paolo1 in the year #aeja4 ,giovanni1 thus bereft of ,gentile1 whom he had ever loved most tenderly1 went on doing a little work1 although he was old1 to pass the time4 ,and having devoted himself to making portraits from the life1 he introduced into ,venice the fashion that everyone of a certain rank should have his portrait painted either by him or by some other master2 wherefore in all the houses of ,venice there are many portraits1 and in many gentlemen's houses one may see their fathers and grandfathers1 up to the fourth generation1 and in some of the more noble they go still farther back--a fashion which has ever been truly worthy of the greatest praise1 and existed even among the ancients4 ,who does not feel infinite pleasure and contentment1 to say nothing of the honour and adornment that they confer1 at seeing the images of his ancestors1 particularly if they have been famous and illustrious for their part in governing their republics1 for noble deeds performed in peace or in war1 or for learning or any other notable and distinguished talent8 ,and to what other end1 as has been said in another place1 did the ancients set up images of their great men in public places1 with honourable inscriptions1 than to kindle in the minds of their successors a love of excellence and of glory8 ,illustration3 ,,gentile ,,bellini3 ,s4 ,,dominic 7,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #addj4 ,canvas7 ,for ,messer ,pietro ,bembo1 then1 before he went to live with ,pope ,leo ,x1 ,giovanni made a portrait of the lady that he loved1 so lifelike that1 even as ,simone ,sanese had been celebrated in the past by the ,florentine ,petrarca1 so was ,giovanni deservedly celebrated in his verses by this ,venetian1 as in the following sonnet3 ,o imagine mia celeste e pura1 where1 at the beginning of the second quatrain1 he says1 ,credo che'l mio ,bellin con la figura1 with what follows4 ,and what greater reward can our craftsmen desire for their labours than that of being celebrated by the pens of illustrious poets1 as that most excellent ,tiziano has been by the very learned ,messer ,giovanni della ,casa1 in that sonnet which begins-- ,ben veggio1 ,tiziano1 in forme nuove1 and in that other-- ,son queste1 ,amor1 le vaghe treccie bionde4 ,was not the same ,bellini numbered among the best painters of his age by the most famous ,ariosto1 at the beginning of the thirty-third canto of the ,orlando ,furioso8 ,but to return to the works of ,giovanni--that is1 to his principal works1 for it would take too long to try to make mention of all the pictures and portraits that are in the houses of gentlemen in ,venice and in other parts of that country4 ,in ,rimini1 for ,signor ,sigismondo ,malatesti1 he made a large picture containing a ,pieta1 supported by two little boys1 which is now in ,s4 ,francesco in that city4 ,and among other portraits he made one of ,bartolommeo da ,liviano1 ,captain of the ,venetians4 ,giovanni had many disciples1 for he was ever most willing to teach anyone4 ,among them1 now sixty years ago1 was ,jacopo da ,montagna1 who imitated his manner closely1 in so far as is shown by his works1 which are to be seen in ,padua and in ,venice4 ,but the man who imitated him most faithfully and did him the greatest honour was ,rondinello da ,ravenna1 of whom ,giovanni availed himself much in all his works4 ,this master painted a panel in ,s4 ,domenico at ,ravenna1 and another in the ,duomo1 which is held a very beautiful example of that manner4 ,but the work that surpassed all his others was that which he made in the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,battista1 a seat of the ,carmelite ,friars1 in the same city2 in which picture1 besides ,our ,lady1 he made a very beautiful head in a figure of ,s4 ,alberto1 a friar of that ,order1 and the whole figure is much extolled4 ,a pupil of ,giovanni's1 also1 although he gained but little thereby1 was ,benedetto ,coda of ,ferrara1 who dwelt in ,rimini1 where he made many pictures1 leaving behind him a son named ,bartolommeo1 who did the same4 ,it is said that ,giorgione ,castelfranco also pursued his first studies of art under ,giovanni1 and likewise many others1 both from the territory of ,treviso and from ,lombardy1 of whom there is no need to make record4 ,finally1 having lived ninety years1 ,giovanni passed from this life1 overcome by old age1 leaving an eternal memorial of his name in the works that he had made both in his native city of ,venice and abroad2 and he was honourably buried in the same church and in the same tomb in which he had laid his brother ,gentile to rest4 ,nor were there wanting in ,venice men who sought to honour him when dead with sonnets and epigrams1 even as he1 when alive1 had honoured both himself and his country4 ,about the same time that these ,bellini were alive1 or a little before1 many pictures were painted in ,venice by ,giacomo ,marzone1 who1 among other things1 painted one in the ,chapel of the ,assumption in ,s4 ,lena--namely1 the ,virgin with a palm1 ,s4 ,benedict1 ,s4 ,helen1 and ,s4 ,john2 but in the old manner1 with the figures on tip-toe1 as was the custom of those painters who lived in the time of ,bartolommeo da ,bergamo4 ,,footnotes3 #ah ,poplar4 #ai ,white poplar4 ,,cosimo ,,rosselli ,,life ,,of ,,cosimo ,,rosselli ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,many men take an unholy delight in covering others with ridicule and scorn--a delight which generally turns to their own confusion1 as it came to pass in the case of ,cosimo ,rosselli1 who threw back on their own heads the ridicule of those who sought to vilify his labours4 ,this ,cosimo1 although he was not one of the rarest or most excellent painters of his time1 nevertheless made works that were passing good4 ,in his youth he painted a panel in the ,church of ,s4 ,ambrogio in ,florence1 which is on the right hand as one enters the church2 and three figures over an arch for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,jacopo delle ,murate4 ,in the ,church of the ,servi1 also in ,florence1 he painted the panel of the ,chapel of ,s4 ,barbara2 and in the first court1 before one enters into the church1 he wrought in fresco the story of the ,blessed ,filippo taking the ,habit of ,our ,lady4 ,for the ,monks of ,cestello he painted the panel of their high-altar1 with another in a chapel in the same church2 and likewise that one which is in a little church above the ,bernardino1 beside the entrance to ,cestello4 ,he painted a standard for the children of the ,company of the said ,bernardino1 and likewise that of the ,company of ,s4 ,giorgio1 on which there is an ,annunciation4 ,for the aforesaid ,nuns of ,s4 ,ambrogio he painted the ,chapel of the ,miracle of the ,sacrament1 which is a passing good work1 and is held the best of his in ,florence2 in this he counterfeited a procession on the piazza of that church1 with the ,bishop bearing the ,tabernacle of the said ,miracle1 accompanied by the clergy and by an infinity of citizens and women in costumes of those times4 ,here1 among many others1 is a portrait from life of ,pico della ,mirandola1 so excellently wrought that it appears not a portrait but a living man4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,martino in ,lucca1 by the entrance into the church through the lesser door of the principal facade1 on the right hand1 he painted a scene of ,nicodemus making the statue of the ,holy ,cross1 and then that statue being brought by sea in a boat and by land to ,lucca4 ,in this work are many portraits1 and in particular that of ,paolo ,guinigi1 which he copied from one done in clay by ,jacopo della ,fonte when the latter made the tomb of ,paolo's wife4 ,in ,s4 ,marco at ,florence1 in the ,chapel of the ,cloth ,weavers1 he painted a panel with the ,holy ,cross in the middle1 and1 at the sides1 ,s4 ,mark1 ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 ,s4 ,antonino1 ,archbishop of ,florence1 and other figures4 ,being afterwards summoned1 with the other painters1 to execute the work that ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv had undertaken in the ,chapel of the ,palace1 he laboured there in company with ,sandro ,botticelli1 ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 the ,abbot of ,s4 ,clemente1 ,luca da ,cortona1 and ,pietro ,perugino1 and painted three scenes with his own hand1 wherein he depicted the ,submersion of ,pharaoh in the ,red ,sea1 the ,preaching of ,christ to the people on the shore of the ,sea of ,tiberias1 and the ,last ,supper of the ,apostles with the ,saviour4 ,in this last scene he made an octagonal table drawn in perspective1 with the ceiling above it likewise octagonal1 the eight angles of which he foreshortened so well as to show that he had as good a knowledge of this art as any of the others4 ,it is said that the ,pope had offered a prize1 which was to be given to the man who1 in the judgment of the ,pontiff himself1 should turn out to have done the best work in these pictures4 ,the scenes finished1 therefore1 ,his ,holiness went to see them2 and each of the painters had done his utmost to merit the said prize and honour4 ,cosimo1 feeling himself weak in invention and draughtsmanship1 had sought to conceal his shortcomings by covering his work with the finest ultramarine blues and other lively colours1 and had illuminated his scenes with a plentiful amount of gold1 so that there was no tree1 or plant1 or drapery1 or cloud1 that was not thus illuminated2 for he was convinced that the ,pope1 like a man who knew little of that art1 must therefore give him the prize of victory4 ,when the day arrived on which the works of all were to be unveiled1 that of ,cosimo was seen with the rest1 and was scorned and ridiculed with much laughter and jeering by all the other craftsmen1 who all mocked him instead of having compassion on him4 ,but the scorners turned out to be the scorned1 for1 as ,cosimo had foreseen1 those colours at the first glance so dazzled the eyes of the ,pope1 who had little knowledge of such things1 although he took no little delight in them1 that he judged the work of ,cosimo to be much better than that of the others4 ,and so1 causing the prize to be given to him1 he bade all the others cover their pictures with the best blues that could be found1 and to pick them out with gold1 to the end that they might be similar to those of ,cosimo in colouring and in richness4 ,whereupon the poor painters1 in despair at having to satisfy the small intelligence of the ,holy ,father1 set themselves to spoil all the good work that they had done2 and ,cosimo laughed at the men who had just been laughing at his methods4 ,afterwards1 returning to ,florence with some money1 he set himself to work as usual1 living much at his ease1 and having as his companion that ,piero1 his disciple1 who was ever called ,piero di ,cosimo1 and who assisted him in his labours in the ,sistine ,chapel at ,rome1 and painted there1 besides other things1 a landscape in the picture of the ,preaching of ,christ1 which landscape is held to be the best thing there4 ,andrea di ,cosimo also worked with him1 occupying himself much with grotesques4 ,finally1 having reached the age of sixty-eight1 ,cosimo died in the year #adhd1 wasted away by a long infirmity2 and he was buried in ,s4 ,croce by the ,company of ,bernardino4 ,cosimo took so much delight in alchemy that he wasted therein all that he possessed1 as all do who meddle with it1 insomuch that it swallowed up all his means and finally reduced him from easy circumstances to the greatest poverty4 ,he was a very good draughtsman1 as may be seen in our book1 not only from the drawing of the aforesaid story of the ,preaching which he painted in the ,sistine ,chapel1 but also from many others made with the style and in chiaroscuro4 ,and in the said book we have his portrait by the hand of ,agnolo di ,donnino1 a painter who was much his friend4 ,this ,agnolo showed great diligence in his works1 as may be seen1 not to mention his drawings1 in the loggia of the ,hospital of ,bonifazio1 where1 upon the corbel of a vault1 there is a ,trinity in fresco by his hand2 and beside the door of the said hospital1 where the foundlings now live1 there are certain beggars painted by the same man1 with the ,director receiving them1 all very well wrought1 and likewise certain women4 ,this man spent his life labouring and wasting all his time over drawings1 without putting them into execution2 and at length he died as poor as he could well be4 ,but to return to ,cosimo2 he left only one son1 who was a builder and a passing good architect4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,healing ,,the ,,leper 7,detail from the fresco by ,cosimo ,rosselli4 ,rome3 ,sistine ,chapel7 ,anderson ,,cecca ,,cecca ,,engineer ,,of ,,florence ,if necessity had not forced men to exercise their ingenuity for their own advantage and convenience1 architecture would not have become so excellent and so marvellous in the minds and in the works of those who have practised it in order to acquire profit and fame1 gaining that great honour which is paid to them every day by all who have knowledge of the good4 ,it was necessity that first gave rise to buildings2 necessity that created ornaments for them2 necessity that led to the various ,orders1 the statues1 the gardens1 the baths1 and all those other sumptuous adjuncts which all desire but few possess2 and it was necessity that excited rivalry and competition in the minds of men with regard not only to buildings1 but also to their accessories4 ,for this reason craftsmen have been forced to display industry in inventing appliances for traction1 and in making engines of war1 waterworks1 and all those devices and contrivances which1 under the name of mechanical and architectural inventions1 confer beauty and convenience on the world1 discomfiting their enemies and assisting their friends4 ,and whenever a man has been able to make such things better than his fellows1 he has not only raised himself beyond all the anxieties of want1 but has also been consummately extolled and prized by all other men4 ,this was the case in the time of our fathers with the ,florentine ,cecca1 into whose hands there came many highly honourable works in his day2 and in these he acquitted himself so well1 toiling in the service of his country with economy and with great satisfaction to his fellow-citizens1 that his ingenious and industrious labours have made him famous and illustrious among the number of distinguished and renowned craftsmen4 ,it is said that in his youth ,cecca was a very good carpenter1 and that he had concentrated all his powers on seeking to solve the difficulties connected with engines1 and how to make machines for assaulting walls in war--scaling-ladders for climbing into cities1 battering-rams for breaching fortifications1 defences for protecting soldiers in the attack1 and everything that could injure his enemies and assist his friends--wherefore1 being a person of the greatest utility to his country1 he well deserved the permanent provision that the ,signoria of ,florence gave him4 ,for this reason1 when there was no war going on1 he would go through the whole territory inspecting the fortresses and the walls of cities and townships1 and1 if any were weak1 he would provide them with designs for ramparts and everything else that was wanting4 ,it is said that the ,clouds which were borne in procession throughout ,florence on the festival of ,s4 ,john--things truly most ingenious and beautiful--were invented by ,cecca1 who was much employed in such matters at that time1 when the city was greatly given to holding festivals4 ,in truth1 although such festivals and representations have now fallen almost entirely out of use1 they were very beautiful spectacles1 and they were celebrated not only by the ,companies1 or rather1 ,confraternities1 but also in the private houses of gentlemen1 who were wont to form certain associations and societies1 and to meet together at certain times to make merry2 and among them there were ever many courtly craftsmen1 who1 besides being fanciful and amusing1 served to make the preparations for such festivals4 ,among others1 four most solemn public spectacles took place almost every year1 one for each quarter of the city1 with the exception of that of ,s4 ,giovanni1 for the festival of which a most solemn procession was held1 as will be told4 ,the quarter of ,s4 ,maria ,novella kept the feast of ,s4 ,ignazio2 ,s4 ,croce1 that of ,s4 ,bartholomew1 called ,s4 ,baccio2 ,s4 ,spirito1 that of the ,holy ,spirit2 and the ,carmine1 those of the ,ascension of ,our ,lord and of the ,assumption of ,our ,lady4 ,this festival of the ,ascension--for of the others of importance an account has been or will be given--was very beautiful1 seeing that ,christ was uplifted on a cloud covered with angels from a ,mount very well made of wood1 and was borne upwards to a ,heaven1 leaving the ,apostles on the ,mount2 and the whole was so well contrived that it was a marvel1 above all because the said ,heaven was somewhat larger than that of ,s4 ,felice in ,piazza1 although the machinery was almost the same4 ,and since the said ,church of the ,carmine1 where this representation used to take place1 is no little broader and higher than that of ,s4 ,felice1 in addition to the part that supported ,christ another ,heaven was sometimes erected1 according as it was thought advisable1 over the chief tribune1 wherein were certain great wheels made in the shape of reels1 which1 from the centres to the edges1 moved in most beautiful order ten circles standing for the ten ,heavens1 which were all full of little lights representing the stars1 contained in little copper lamps hanging on pivots1 so that when the wheels revolved they remained upright1 in the manner of certain lanterns that are now universally used by all4 ,from this ,heaven1 which was truly a very beautiful thing1 there issued two stout ropes fastened to the staging or tramezzo#bj which is in the said church1 and over which the representation took place4 ,to these ropes were attached1 by each end of a so-called brace-fastening1 two little bronze pulleys which supported an iron upright fixed into a level platform1 on which stood two angels fastened by their girdles4 ,these angels were kept upright by a counterpoise of lead which they had under their feet1 and by another that was under the platform on which they stood2 and this also served to make them balanced one with another4 ,the whole was covered with a quantity of cotton-wool1 very well arranged in the form of a cloud1 which was full of cherubim and seraphim1 and similar kinds of angels1 varied in colour and very well contrived4 ,these angels1 when a little rope was unwound from the ,heaven above1 came down the two larger ropes on to the said tramezzo1 where the representation took place1 and announced to ,christ that ,he was to ascend into ,heaven1 and performed their other functions4 ,and since the iron to which they were bound by the girdle was fixed to the platform on which they stood1 in such a way that they could turn round and round1 they could make obeisance and turn about both when they had come forth and when they were returning1 according as was necessary2 wherefore in reascending they turned towards the ,heaven1 and were then drawn up again as they had come down4 ,these machines and inventions are said to have been ,cecca's1 for1 although ,filippo ,brunelleschi had made similar things long before1 many additions were made to them with great judgment by ,cecca2 and it was from these that the thought came to the same man to make those ,clouds which were borne in procession through the city every year on ,s4 ,john's ,eve1 and the other beautiful things that were made4 ,and this was his charge1 because1 as it has been said1 he was a servant of the public4 ,now with this occasion it will not be out of place to describe some of the features of the said festival and procession1 to the end that some memory of them may descend to posterity1 seeing that they have now for the most part fallen into disuse4 ,first1 then1 the ,piazza di ,s4 ,giovanni was all covered over with blue cloth1 on which were sewn many large lilies of yellow cloth2 and in the middle1 on certain circles also of cloth1 and ten braccia in diameter1 were the arms of the ,people and ,commune of ,florence1 with those of the ,captain of the ,guelph party and others2 and all around1 from the borders of the said canopy1 which covered the whole piazza1 vast as it is1 there hung great banners also of cloth1 painted with various devices1 with the arms of magisterial bodies and guilds1 and with many lions1 which form one of the emblems of the city4 ,this canopy1 or rather1 awning1 made thus1 was about twenty braccia off the ground1 and was supported by very strong ropes fastened to a number of irons1 which are still to be seen round the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni1 on the facade of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 and on the houses that surround the said piazza on every side4 ,between one rope and another ran cords that likewise supported the awning1 which was so well strengthened throughout1 particularly at the edges1 with ropes1 cords1 linings1 double widths of cloth1 and hems of sacking1 that it is impossible to imagine anything better4 ,what is more1 everything was arranged so well and with such great diligence1 that although the awning was often swelled out and shaken by the wind1 which is always very powerful in that place1 as everyone knows1 yet it was never disturbed or damaged in any way whatever4 ,this awning was made of five pieces1 to the end that it might be easier to handle1 but1 when set into place1 they were all joined and fastened and sewn together in such a manner that it appeared like one whole4 ,three pieces covered the piazza and the space that is between ,s4 ,giovanni and ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore2 and in the middle piece1 in a straight line between the principal doors1 were the aforesaid circles containing the arms of the ,commune4 ,and the remaining two pieces covered the sides--one towards the ,misericordia1 and the other towards the ,canon's house and the ,office of ,works of ,s4 ,giovanni4 ,the ,clouds1 which were made of various kinds and with diverse inventions by the ,companies1 were generally fashioned in the following manner4 ,a square framework was made of planks1 about two braccia in height1 with four stout legs at the corners1 contrived after the manner of the trestles of a table1 and fastened together with cross-pieces4 ,on this framework two panels were laid crosswise1 each one braccio wide1 with a hole in the middle half a braccio in diameter1 in which was fixed a high pole1 whereon there was placed a mandorla all covered with cotton-wool1 cherubim1 lights1 and other ornaments1 and within this1 on a horizontal bar of iron1 there sat or stood1 according as might be desired1 a person representing that ,saint whom the particular ,company principally honoured as their peculiar patron and protector--to be exact1 a ,christ1 or a ,madonna1 or a ,s4 ,john1 or some other--and the draperies of this figure covered the iron bar in such a manner that it could not be seen4 ,round the same pole1 lower down1 below the mandorla1 there radiated four or five iron bars in the manner of the branches of a tree1 and at the end of each1 attached likewise with irons1 stood a little boy dressed like an angel4 ,these boys could move round and round at pleasure on the iron brackets on which their feet rested1 for the brackets hung on hinges4 ,and with similar branches there were sometimes made two or three tiers of angels or of saints1 according to the nature of the subjects to be represented4 ,the whole of this structure1 with the pole and the iron bars 7which sometimes represented a lily1 sometimes a tree1 and often a cloud or some other similar thing71 was covered with cotton-wool1 and1 as has been said1 with cherubim1 seraphim1 golden stars1 and other suchlike ornaments4 ,within were porters or peasants1 who carried it on their shoulders1 placing themselves round the wooden base that we have called the framework1 in which1 below the places where the weight rested on their shoulders1 were fixed cushions of leather stuffed with down1 or cotton-wool1 or some other soft and yielding material4 ,all the machinery1 steps1 and other things were covered1 as has been said above1 with cotton-wool1 which made a beautiful effect2 and all these contrivances were called ,clouds4 ,behind them came troops of men on horseback and foot-soldiers of various sorts1 according to the nature of the story to be represented1 even as in our own day they go behind the cars or other things that are used in place of the said ,clouds4 ,of the form of the latter ,i have some designs in my book of drawings1 very well done by the hand of ,cecca1 which are truly ingenious and full of beautiful conceptions4 ,it was from the plans of the same man that those saints were made that went or were carried in processions1 either dead or tortured in various ways1 for some appeared to be transfixed by a lance or a sword1 others had a dagger in the throat1 and others had other suchlike weapons in their bodies4 ,with regard to this1 it is very well known to-day that it is done with a sword1 lance1 or dagger broken in half1 the pieces of which are held firmly opposite to one another on either side by iron rings1 after taking away the proportionate amount that has to appear to be fixed in the person of the sufferer2 wherefore ,i will say no more about them1 save that they seem for the most part to have been invented by ,cecca4 ,the giants1 likewise1 that went about in the said festival1 were made in the following manner4 ,certain men who were very skilful at walking on stilts1 or1 as they are called in other parts1 on wooden legs1 had some made five or six braccia high1 and1 having dressed and decked them with great masks and other ornaments in the way of draperies1 and imitations of armour1 so that they seemed to have the members and heads of giants1 they mounted them and walked dexterously along1 appearing truly to be giants4 ,in front of them1 however1 they had a man who carried a pike1 on which the giant leant with one hand1 but in such a fashion that the pike appeared to be his own weapon1 whether mace1 lance1 or a great bell-clapper1 such as ,morgante is said by the poets of romance to have been wont to carry4 ,and even as there were giants1 so there were also giantesses1 which produced a truly beautiful and marvellous effect4 ,different from these1 again1 were the little phantoms1 for these walked on similar stilts five or six braccia high1 without anything save their own proper form1 in such a manner that they appeared to be true spirits4 ,they likewise had a man in front of them with a pike to assist them2 but it is stated that some actually walked very well at so great a height without leaning on anything whatsoever1 and ,i am sure that he who knows what ,florentine brains are will in no way marvel at this4 ,for1 not to mention that native of ,montughi 7near ,florence7 who has surpassed all the masters that ever lived at climbing and dancing on the rope1 whoever knew a man called ,ruvidino1 who died less than ten years ago1 remembers that climbing to any height on a rope or cord1 leaping from the walls of ,florence to the earth1 and walking on stilts much higher than those described above1 were as easy to him as it is for an ordinary man to walk on the level4 ,wherefore it is no marvel if the men of those times1 who practised suchlike exercises for money or for other reasons1 did what has been related above1 and even greater things4 ,i will not speak of certain waxen candles which used to be painted with various fanciful devices1 but so rudely that they have given their name to vulgar painters1 insomuch that bad pictures are called candle puppets2 for it is not worth the trouble4 ,i will only say that at the time of ,cecca they fell for the most part into disuse1 and that in their place were made the cars that are still used to-day1 in the form of triumphal chariots4 ,the first of these was the car#ba of the ,mint1 which was brought to that perfection which is still seen every year when it is sent out for the said festival by the ,masters and ,lords of the ,mint1 with a ,s4 ,john on the highest part and with many other angels and saints around and below him1 all represented by living persons4 ,not long ago it was determined that one should be made for every borough that gave an offering of wax1 and ten were made1 in order to do magnificent honour to that festival2 but the plan was carried no further1 by reason of events that supervened no long time after4 ,that first car of the ,mint1 then1 was made under the direction of ,cecca by ,domenico1 ,marco1 and ,giuliano del ,tasso1 who were among the best master-carpenters1 both in squared-work and in carving1 who were then working in ,florence2 and in this car1 among other things1 no small praise is due to the wheels below it1 which are pivoted1 in order that the structure may be able to turn sharp corners1 and may be managed in such a manner as to shake it as little as possible1 particularly for the sake of those who stand fastened upon it4 ,the same man made a structure for the cleaning and restoration of the mosaics in the tribune of ,s4 ,giovanni1 which could be turned1 raised1 lowered1 and advanced at pleasure1 and that with such ease that two men could handle it2 which invention gave ,cecca very great repute4 ,when the ,florentine army was besieging ,piancaldoli1 ,cecca ingeniously contrived to enable the soldiers to enter it by means of mines1 without striking a blow4 ,afterwards1 continuing to follow the same army to certain other strongholds1 his evil fortune would have it that he should be killed while attempting to measure certain heights at a difficult point2 for when he had put his head out beyond the wall in order to let a plumb-line down1 a priest who was with the enemy 7who feared the genius of ,cecca more than the might of the whole camp7 discharged a catapult at him and fixed a great dart in his head1 insomuch that the poor fellow died on the spot4 ,the fate and the loss of ,cecca caused great grief to the whole army and to his fellow-citizens2 but since there was no remedy1 they sent him back in a coffin to ,florence1 where his sisters gave him honourable burial in ,s4 ,piero ,scheraggio2 and below his portrait in marble there was placed the following epitaph3 ,,fabrum ,,magister ,,cicca1 ,,natus ,,oppidis ,,vel ,,obsidendis ,,vel ,,tuendis1 ,,hic ,,jacet4 ,,vixit ,,ann4 ,,xxxxi1 ,,mens4 ,,iv1 ,,dies ,,xiv4 ,,obiit ,,pro ,,patria ,,telo ,,ictus4 ,,piae ,,sorores ,,monumentum ,,fecerunt ,,mccccxcix4 ,,footnotes3 #bj ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 #ba ,the word in the ,italian text is not carro but cero1 which is obviously an error4 ,,don ,,bartolommeo ,,della ,,gatta ,,don ,,bartolommeo ,,della ,,gatta1 ,,abbot ,,of ,s4 ,,clemente ,,illuminator ,,and ,,painter ,rarely does it happen that a man of good character and exemplary life fails to be provided by ,heaven with the best of friends and with honourable dwellings1 or to be held in veneration when alive by reason of the goodness of his ways1 and very greatly regretted when dead by all who knew him1 as was ,don ,bartolommeo della ,gatta1 ,abbot of ,s4 ,clemente in ,arezzo1 who was excellent in diverse pursuits and most praiseworthy in all his actions4 ,this man1 who was a monk of the ,angeli in ,florence1 a seat of the ,order of ,camaldoli1 was in his youth--perchance for the reasons mentioned above in the ,life of ,don ,lorenzo--a very rare illuminator1 and a very able master of design4 ,of this we have proof in the books that he illuminated for the ,monks of ,,ss4 ,fiore e ,lucilla in the ,abbey of ,arezzo1 particularly a missal that was presented to ,pope ,sixtus1 in which1 on the first page of the ,secret ,prayers1 there was a very beautiful ,passion of ,christ4 ,those are likewise by his hand which are in ,s4 ,martino1 the ,duomo of ,lucca4 ,a little while after these works the said ,abbey of ,s4 ,clemente in ,arezzo was presented to this father by ,mariotto ,maldoli of ,arezzo1 ,general of the ,order of ,camaldoli1 who belonged to the same family from which sprang that ,maldolo who gave the site and lands of ,camaldoli1 then called ,campo di ,maldolo1 to ,s4 ,romualdo1 the founder of that ,order4 ,don ,bartolommeo1 in gratitude for that benefice1 afterwards executed many works for that ,general and for his ,order4 ,after this there came the plague of #adfh1 by reason of which the ,abbot1 like many others1 stayed indoors without going about much1 and devoted himself to painting large figures2 and seeing that he was succeeding as well as he could desire1 he began to execute certain works4 ,the first was a ,s4 ,rocco that he painted on a panel for the ,rectors of the ,confraternity of ,arezzo1 which is now in the ,audience ,chamber where they assemble4 ,this figure is recommending the people of ,arezzo to ,our ,lady1 and in this picture he portrayed the ,piazza of the said city and the holy house of that ,confraternity1 with certain grave-diggers who are returning from burying the dead4 ,he also painted another ,s4 ,rocco for the ,church of ,s4 ,pietro1 likewise on a panel1 wherein he portrayed the city of ,arezzo exactly as it stood at that time1 when it was very different from what it is to-day4 ,and he made another1 which was much better than the two mentioned above1 on a panel which is in the ,chapel of the ,lippi in the ,church of the ,pieve of ,arezzo2 and this ,s4 ,rocco is a rare and beautiful figure1 almost the best that he ever made1 and the head and hands are as beautiful and natural as they could be4 ,in the same city of ,arezzo1 in ,s4 ,pietro1 a seat of the ,servite ,friars1 he painted an ,angel ,raphael on a panel2 and in the same place he made a portrait of the ,blessed ,jacopo ,filippo of ,piacenza4 ,afterwards1 being summoned to ,rome1 he painted a scene in the ,chapel of ,pope ,sixtus1 in company with ,luca da ,cortona and ,pietro ,perugino4 ,on returning to ,arezzo1 he painted a ,s4 ,jerome in ,penitence in the ,chapel of the ,gozzari in the ,vescovado2 and this figure1 lean and shaven1 with the eyes fixed most intently on the ,crucifix1 and beating his breast1 shows very clearly how greatly the passions of love can disturb the chastity even of a body so grievously wasted away4 ,in this work he made an enormous crag1 with certain cliffs of rock1 among the fissures of which he painted some stories of that ,saint1 with very graceful little figures4 ,after this1 in a chapel in ,s4 ,agostino1 for the ,nuns of the ,third ,order1 as they are called1 he wrought in fresco a ,coronation of ,our ,lady1 which is very well done and much extolled2 and below this1 in another chapel1 a large panel with an ,assumption and certain angels beautifully robed in delicate draperies4 ,this panel1 for a work made in distemper1 is much extolled1 and in truth it was wrought with good design and executed with extraordinary diligence4 ,in the lunette that is over the door of the ,church of ,s4 ,donato1 in the ,fortress of ,arezzo1 the same man painted in fresco a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 ,s4 ,donatus1 and ,s4 ,giovanni ,gualberto1 all very beautiful figures4 ,in the ,abbey of ,s4 ,fiore in the said city1 beside the principal door of entrance into the church1 there is a chapel painted by his hand1 wherein are ,s4 ,benedict and other saints1 wrought with much grace1 good handling1 and sweetness4 ,for ,gentile of ,urbino1 ,bishop of ,arezzo1 who was much his friend1 and with whom he almost always lived1 he painted a ,dead ,christ in a chapel in the ,palace of the ,vescovado2 and in a loggia he portrayed the ,bishop himself1 his vicar1 and ,ser ,matteo ,francini1 his court-notary1 who is reading a ,bull to him2 and there he also made his own portrait and those of certain canons of that city4 ,for the same ,bishop he designed a loggia which issues from the ,palace and leads to the ,vescovado1 on the same level with both4 ,in the centre of this the ,bishop had intended to make a place of burial for himself in the form of a chapel1 in which he wished to be interred after his death2 and he had carried it well on1 when he was overtaken by death1 and it remained unfinished1 for1 although he left orders that it should be completed by his successor1 nothing more was done1 as generally happens with works of this sort which are left by a man to be finished after his death4 ,for the said ,bishop the ,abbot painted a large and beautiful chapel in the ,duomo ,vecchio1 but1 as it had only a short life1 there is no need to say more about it4 ,besides this1 he made works in various places throughout the whole city1 such as three figures in the ,carmine1 and the ,chapel of the ,nuns of ,s4 ,orsina4 ,at ,castiglione ,aretino1 for the ,chapel of the ,high-,altar in the ,pieve of ,s4 ,giuliano1 he painted a panel in distemper1 containing a very beautiful ,madonna1 ,s4 ,julian1 and ,s4 ,michelagnolo--figures very well wrought and executed1 particularly ,s4 ,julian1 who1 with his eyes fixed on the ,christ lying in the arms of the ,madonna1 appears to be much afflicted at having killed his father and mother4 ,in a chapel a little below this1 likewise1 is a little door painted by his hand 7which formerly belonged to an old organ71 wherein there is a ,s4 ,michael1 which is held to be a marvellous thing1 with a child in swaddling-clothes1 which appears alive1 in the arms of a woman4 ,for the ,nuns of the ,murate at ,arezzo he painted the ,chapel of the ,high-,altar1 a work which is truly much extolled4 ,at ,monte ,san ,savino he painted a shrine opposite to the ,palace of ,cardinal di ,monte1 which was held very beautiful4 ,and at ,borgo ,san ,sepolcro1 where there is now the ,vescovado1 he decorated a chapel1 which brought him very great praise and profit4 ,don ,clemente was a man of very versatile intelligence1 and1 besides being a great musician1 he made organs of lead with his own hand4 ,in ,s4 ,domenico he made one of cardboard1 which has ever remained sweet and good2 and in ,s4 ,clemente there was another1 also by his hand1 which was placed on high1 with the keyboard below on the level of the choir--truly with very beautiful judgment1 since1 the place being such that the monks were few1 he wished that the organist should sing as well as play4 ,and since this ,abbot loved his ,order1 like a true minister and not a squanderer of the things of ,god1 he enriched that place greatly with buildings and pictures1 particularly by rebuilding the principal chapel of his church and painting the whole of it2 and in two niches1 one on either side of it1 he painted a ,s4 ,rocco and a ,s4 ,bartholomew1 which were ruined together with the church4 ,but to return to the ,abbot1 who was a good and worthy churchman4 ,he left a disciple in painting named ,maestro ,lappoli1 an ,aretine1 who was an able and practised painter1 as is shown by the works from his hand which are in ,s4 ,agostino1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,sebastiano1 where there is that ,saint wrought in relief by the same man1 with figures round him1 in painting1 of ,s4 ,biagio1 ,s4 ,rocco1 ,s4 ,anthony of ,padua1 and ,s4 ,bernardino2 while on the arch of the chapel is an ,annunciation1 and on the vaulting are the four ,evangelists1 wrought in fresco with a high finish4 ,by the hand of the same man1 in another chapel on the left hand as one enters the said church by the side-door1 is a ,nativity in fresco1 with the ,madonna receiving the ,annunciation from the ,angel1 in the figure of which ,angel he portrayed ,giuliano ,bacci1 then a young man of very beautiful aspect4 ,over the said door1 on the outer side1 he made an ,annunciation1 with ,s4 ,peter on one side and ,s4 ,paul on the other1 portraying in the face of the ,madonna the mother of ,messer ,pietro ,aretino1 a very famous poet4 ,in ,s4 ,francesco1 for the ,chapel of ,s4 ,bernardino1 he painted a panel with that ,saint1 who appears alive1 and so beautiful that this is the best figure that he ever made4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,pietramaleschi in the ,vescovado he painted a very beautiful ,s4 ,ignazio on a panel in distemper2 and in the ,pieve1 at the entrance of the upper door which opens on the piazza1 a ,s4 ,andrew and a ,s4 ,sebastian4 ,for the ,company of the ,trinita1 by order of ,buoninsegna ,buoninsegni of ,arezzo1 he made a work with beautiful invention1 which can be numbered among the best that he ever executed1 and this was a ,crucifix over an altar1 with a ,s4 ,martin on one side and a ,s4 ,rocco on the other1 and two figures kneeling at the foot1 one in the form of a poor man1 lean1 emaciated1 and wretchedly clothed1 from whom there issued certain rays that shone straight on the wounds of the ,saviour1 while the ,saint gazed on him most intently2 and the other in the form of a rich man1 clothed in purple and fine linen1 and all ruddy and cheerful in countenance1 whose rays1 as he was adoring ,christ1 although they were issuing from his heart1 like those of the poor man1 appeared not to shine directly on the wounds of the ,crucified ,christ1 but to stray and spread over certain plains and fields full of grain1 green crops1 cattle1 gardens1 and other suchlike things1 while some diverged over the sea towards certain boats laden with merchandise2 and others1 finally1 shone on certain money-changers' tables4 ,all these things were wrought by ,matteo with judgment1 great mastery1 and much diligence2 but they were thrown to the ground no long time after in the making of a chapel4 ,beneath the pulpit of the ,pieve the same man made a ,christ with the ,cross for ,messer ,leonardo ,albergotti4 ,a disciple of the ,abbot of ,s4 ,clemente1 likewise1 was a ,servite friar of ,arezzo1 who painted in colours the facade of the house of the ,belichini in ,arezzo1 and two chapels in fresco1 one beside the other1 in ,s4 ,pietro4 ,another disciple of ,don ,bartolommeo was ,domenico ,pecori of ,arezzo1 who made three figures in distemper on a panel at ,sargiano1 and painted a very beautiful banner in oil1 to be carried in processions1 for the ,company of ,s4 ,maria ,maddalena4 ,for ,messer ,presentino ,bisdomini1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,andrea in the ,pieve1 he made a picture of ,s4 ,apollonia1 similar to that mentioned above2 and he finished many works left incomplete by his master1 such as the panel of ,s4 ,sebastian and ,s4 ,fabiano with the ,madonna1 in ,s4 ,pietro1 for the family of the ,benucci4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,antonio he painted the panel of the high-altar1 wherein is a very devout ,madonna1 with some saints2 and since the said ,madonna is adoring the ,child1 whom she has in her lap1 he made it appear that a little angel1 kneeling behind her1 is supporting ,our ,lord on a cushion1 the ,madonna not being able to uphold ,him because she has her hands clasped in the act of adoration4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,giustino1 for ,messer ,antonio ,roselli1 he painted a chapel with the ,magi in fresco2 and for the ,company of the ,madonna1 in the ,pieve1 he painted a very large panel containing a ,madonna in the sky1 with the people of ,arezzo beneath1 in which he made many portraits from the life4 ,in this last work he was helped by a ,spanish painter1 who painted very well in oil and therein gave assistance to ,domenico1 who had not as much skill in painting in oil as he had in distemper4 ,with the help of the same man he executed a panel for the ,company of the ,trinita1 containing the ,circumcision of ,our ,lord1 which was held a very good work1 and a ,noli ,me ,tangere in fresco in the garden of ,s4 ,fiore4 ,finally1 he painted a panel with many figures in the ,vescovado1 for ,messer ,donato ,marinelli1 ,primicere4 ,this work1 which then brought him and still continues to bring him very great honour1 shows good invention1 good design1 and strong relief2 and in making it1 being now very old1 he called in the aid of a ,sienese painter1 ,capanna1 a passing good master1 who painted so many walls in chiaroscuro and so many panels in ,siena1 and who1 if he had lived longer1 would have done himself much credit in his art1 in so far as one may judge from the little that he executed4 ,domenico wrought for the ,confraternity of ,arezzo a baldacchino painted in oil1 a rich and costly work1 which was lent not many years ago for the holding of a representation in ,s4 ,francesco at the festival of ,s4 ,john and ,s4 ,paul1 to adorn a ,paradise near the roof of the church4 ,a fire breaking out in consequence of the great quantity of lights1 this work was burnt1 together with the man who was representing ,god the ,father1 who1 being fastened1 could not escape1 as the angels did1 and many church-hangings were destroyed1 while great harm came to the spectators1 who1 terrified by the fire1 struggled furiously to fly from the church1 everyone seeking to be the first1 so that about eighty were trampled down in the press1 which was something very pitiful4 ,this baldacchino was afterwards reconstructed with greater richness1 and painted by ,giorgio ,vasari4 ,domenico then devoted himself to the making of glass windows1 and there were three by his hand in the ,vescovado1 which were ruined by the artillery in the wars4 ,another pupil of the same master was the painter ,angelo di ,lorentino1 who was a man of passing good ability4 ,he painted the arch over the door of ,s4 ,domenico1 and if he had received assistance he would have become a very good master4 ,the ,abbot died at the age of eighty-three1 leaving unfinished the ,temple of the ,madonna delle ,lacrime1 for which he had made a model2 it was afterwards completed by various masters4 ,he deserves praise1 then1 as illuminator1 architect1 painter1 and musician4 ,he was given burial by his monks in his ,abbey of ,s4 ,clemente1 and his works have ever been so highly esteemed in the said city that the following verses may be read over his tomb3 ,,pingebat ,,docte ,,zeusis1 ,,condebat ,,et ,,aedes ,,nicon1 ,,pan ,,capripes1 ,,fistula ,,prima ,,tua ,,est4 ,,non ,,tamen ,,ex ,,vobis ,,mecum ,,certaverit ,,ullus2 ,,quae ,,tres ,,fecistis1 ,,unicus ,,haec ,,facio4 ,he died in #adfa1 having added to the art of illumination that beauty which is seen in all his works1 as some drawings by his hand can bear witness which are in our book4 ,his method of working was afterwards imitated by ,girolamo ,padovano in some books that he illuminated for ,s4 ,maria ,nuova in ,florence2 by ,gherardo1 a ,florentine illuminator2 7and by ,attavante1#bb7 who was also called ,vante1 of whom we have spoken in another place1 particularly with regard to those of his works which are in ,venice2 with respect to which ,i included word for word a note sent to me by certain gentlemen of ,venice1 contenting myself1 in order to recompense them for the great pains that they had taken to discover all that is to be read there1 with relating the whole as they wrote it1 since ,i had no personal knowledge of these works on which to form a judgment of my own4 ,,footnotes3 #bb ,the words in brackets have been added to correct an obvious omission in the text4 ,the account of ,attavante is to be found at the end of the ,life of ,fra ,giovanni ,angelico4 ,,gherardo ,,gherardo ,,illuminator ,,of ,,florence ,it is certain that among all the enduring works that are made in colours there is none that resists the assault of wind and water better than mosaic4 ,and well was this known in his day to the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici of ,florence1 who1 like a man of spirit given to investigating the memorials of the ancients1 sought to bring back into use what had been hidden for many years1 and1 since he took great delight in pictures and sculptures1 could not fail to take delight also in mosaic4 ,wherefore1 seeing that ,gherardo1 an illuminator of that time and a man of inquiring brain1 was investigating the difficulties of that calling1 he showed him great favour1 as one who ever assisted those in whom he saw some germ of spirit and intellect4 ,placing him1 therefore1 in the company of ,domenico del ,ghirlandajo1 he obtained for him from the ,wardens of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore a commission for decorating the chapels of the transepts1 beginning with that of the ,sacrament1 wherein lies the body of ,s4 ,zanobi4 ,whereupon ,gherardo1 growing ever in keenness of intelligence1 would have executed most marvellous works in company with ,domenico1 if death had not intervened1 as may be judged from the beginning of that chapel1 which remained unfinished4 ,gherardo1 in addition to his mosaics1 was a most delicate illuminator1 and he also made large figures on walls4 ,without the ,porta alla ,croce there is a shrine in fresco by his hand1 and there is another in ,florence1 much extolled1 at the head of the ,via ,larga4 ,on the facade of the ,church of ,s4 ,gilio at ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 beneath the stories painted by ,lorenzo di ,bicci1 wherein is the consecration of that church by ,pope ,martin ,v1 ,gherardo depicted the same ,pope conferring the monk's habit and many privileges on the ,director of the ,hospital4 ,in this scene there were far fewer figures than it appeared to require1 because it was cut in half by a shrine containing a ,madonna1 which has been removed recently by ,don ,isidoro ,montaguto1 the present ,director of that place1 in the reconstructing of a principal door for the building2 and ,francesco ,brini1 a young painter of ,florence1 has been commissioned to paint the rest of the scene4 ,but to return to ,gherardo2 it would scarcely have been possible for even a well-practised master to accomplish without great fatigue and diligence what he did in that work1 which is wrought most excellently in fresco4 ,for the church of the same hospital ,gherardo illuminated an infinite number of books1 with some for ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore in ,florence1 and certain others for ,matthias ,corvinus1 ,king of ,hungary4 ,these last1 on the death of the said ,king1 together with some by the hand of ,vante and of other masters who worked for that ,king in ,florence1 were purchased and taken over by the ,magnificent ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 who placed them among those so greatly celebrated which were being collected for the formation of the library afterwards built by ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 which is now being thrown open to the public by order of ,duke ,cosimo4 ,having thus developed1 as has been related1 from a master of illumination into a painter1 in addition to the said works1 he made some great figures in a large cartoon for the ,evangelists that he had to make in mosaic in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,zanobi4 ,but before the ,magnificent ,lorenzo de' ,medici had obtained for him the commission for the said chapel1 wishing to show that he understood the art of mosaic1 and that he could work without a companion1 he made a life-size head of ,s4 ,zanobi1 which remained in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 and on days of the highest solemnity it is set up on the altar of the said ,saint1 or in some other place1 as a rare thing4 ,the while that ,gherardo was labouring at these things1 there were brought to ,florence certain prints in the ,german manner wrought by ,martin and by ,albrecht ,duerer2 whereupon1 being much pleased with that sort of engraving1 he set himself to work with the graver and copied some of those plates very well1 as may be seen from certain examples that are in our book1 together with some drawings by the same man's hand4 ,gherardo painted many pictures which were sent abroad1 one of which is in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,caterina da ,siena in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico at ,bologna1 containing a very good painting of ,s4 ,catherine4 ,and in ,s4 ,marco at ,florence1 over the table of ,pardons1 he painted a lunette full of very graceful figures4 ,but the more he satisfied others the less did he satisfy himself in any of his works1 with the exception of mosaic1 in which sort of painting he was rather the rival than the companion of ,domenico ,ghirlandajo2 and if he had lived longer he would have become most excellent in that art1 for he was very willing to take pains with it1 and he had discovered the greater part of its best secrets4 ,some declare that ,attavante1 otherwise ,vante1 an illuminator of ,florence1 of whom we have spoken above in more than one place1 was a disciple of ,gherardo1 as was ,stefano1 likewise a ,florentine illuminator2 but ,i hold it as certain1 considering that both lived at the same time1 that ,attavante was rather the friend1 companion1 and contemporary of ,gherardo than his disciple4 ,gherardo died well advanced in years1 leaving everything that he used in his art to his disciple ,stefano1 who1 devoting himself no long time after to architecture1 abandoned the art of illuminating1 and handed over all his appliances in connection with that profession to the elder ,boccardino1 who illuminated the greater part of the books that are in the ,badia of ,florence4 ,gherardo died at the age of sixty-three1 and his works date about the year of our salvation #adgj4 ,,domenico ,,ghirlandajo ,,domenico ,,ghirlandajo ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,domenico di ,tommaso del ,ghirlandajo1 who1 from his talent and from the greatness and the vast number of his works1 may be called one of the most important and most excellent masters of his age1 was made by nature to be a painter2 and for this reason1 in spite of the opposition of those who had charge of him 7which often nips the finest fruits of our intellects in the bud by occupying them with work for which they are not suited1 and by diverting them from that to which nature inclines them71 he followed his natural instinct1 secured very great honour for himself and profit for his art and for his kindred1 and became the great delight of his age4 ,he was apprenticed by his father to his own art of goldsmith1 in which ,tommaso was a master more than passing good1 for it was he who made the greater part of the silver votive offerings that were formerly preserved in the press of the ,nunziata1 and the silver lamps of the chapel1 which were all destroyed in the siege of the city in the year #aebi4 ,tommaso was the first who invented and put into execution those ornaments worn on the head by the girls of ,florence1 which are called ghirlande2#bc whence he gained the name of ,ghirlandajo1 not only because he was their first inventor1 but also because he made an infinite number of them1 of a beauty so rare that none appeared to please save such as came out of his shop4 ,being thus apprenticed to the goldsmith's art1 but taking no pleasure therein1 he was ever occupied in drawing4 ,endowed by nature with a perfect spirit and with an admirable and judicious taste in painting1 although he was a goldsmith in his boyhood1 yet1 by devoting himself ever to design1 he became so quick1 so ready1 and so facile1 that many say that while he was working as a goldsmith he would draw a portrait of all who passed the shop1 producing a likeness in a second2 and of this we still have proof in an infinite number of portraits in his works1 which show a most lifelike resemblance4 ,his first pictures were in the ,chapel of the ,vespucci in ,ognissanti1 where there is a ,dead ,christ with some saints1 and a ,misericordia over an arch1 in which is the portrait of ,amerigo ,vespucci1 who made the voyages to the ,indies2 and in the refectory of that place he painted a ,last ,supper in fresco4 ,in ,s4 ,croce1 on the right hand of the entrance into the church1 he painted the ,story of ,s4 ,paulino2 wherefore1 having acquired very great fame and coming into much credit1 he painted a chapel in ,s4 ,trinita for ,francesco ,sassetti1 with stories of ,s4 ,francis4 ,this work was admirably executed by him1 and wrought with grace1 lovingness1 and a high finish2 and he counterfeited and portrayed therein the ,ponte a ,s4 ,trinita1 with the ,palace of the ,spini4 ,on the first wall he depicted the story of ,s4 ,francis appearing in the air and restoring the child to life2 and here1 in those women who see him being restored to life--after their sorrow for his death as they bear him to the grave--there are seen gladness and marvel at his resurrection4 ,he also counterfeited the friars issuing from the church behind the ,cross1 together with some grave-diggers1 to bury him1 all wrought very naturally2 and there are likewise other figures marvelling at that event which give no little pleasure to the eye1 among which are portraits of ,maso degli ,albizzi1 ,messer ,agnolo ,acciaiuoli1 and ,messer ,palla ,strozzi1 eminent citizens often cited in the history of the city4 ,on another wall he painted ,s4 ,francis1 in the presence of the vicar1 renouncing his inheritance from his father1 ,pietro ,bernardone1 and assuming the habit of sackcloth1 which he is girding round him with the cord4 ,on the middle wall he is shown going to ,rome and having his ,rule confirmed by ,pope ,honorius1 and presenting roses in ,january to that ,pontiff4 ,in this scene he depicted the ,hall of the ,consistory1 with ,cardinals seated around1 and certain steps ascending to it1 furnishing the flight of steps with a balustrade1 and painting there some half-length figures portrayed from the life1 among which is the portrait of the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 the ,magnificent2 and there he also painted ,s4 ,francis receiving the ,stigmata4 ,in the last he made the ,saint dead1 with his friars mourning for him1 among whom is one friar kissing his hands--an effect that could not be rendered better in painting2 not to mention that a ,bishop in full robes1 with spectacles on his nose1 is chanting the prayers for the dead so vividly1 that only the lack of sound shows him to be painted4 ,in one of two pictures that are on either side of the panel he portrayed ,francesco ,sassetti on his knees1 and in the other his wife1 ,monna ,nera1 with their children 7but these last are in the aforesaid scene of the child being restored to life71 and with certain beautiful maidens of the same family1 whose names ,i have not been able to discover1 all in the costumes and fashions of that age1 which gives no little pleasure4 ,besides this1 he made four ,sibyls on the vaulting1 and an ornament above the arch on the front wall without the chapel1 containing the scene of the ,tiburtine ,sibyl making the ,emperor ,octavian adore ,christ1 which is executed in a masterly manner for a work in fresco1 with much vivacity and loveliness in the colours4 ,to this work he added a panel wrought in distemper1 also by his hand1 containing a ,nativity of ,christ that should amaze any person of understanding1 wherein he portrayed himself and made certain heads of shepherds1 which are held to be something divine4 ,of this ,sibyl and of other parts of this work there are some very beautiful drawings in our book1 made in chiaroscuro1 and in particular the view in perspective of the ,ponte a ,s4 ,trinita4 ,for the ,frati ,ingesuati he painted a panel for their high-altar1 with certain ,saints kneeling--namely1 ,s4 ,giusto1 ,bishop of ,volterra1 who was the titular ,saint of that church2 ,s4 ,zanobi1 ,bishop of ,florence2 an ,angel ,raphael2 a ,s4 ,michael1 clad in most beautiful armour2 and other saints4 ,for this work ,domenico truly deserves praise1 for he was the first who began to counterfeit with colours certain trimmings and ornaments of gold1 which had not been done up to that time2 and he swept away in great measure those borders of gilding that were made with mordant or with bole1 which were more suitable for church-hangings than for the work of good masters4 ,more beautiful than all the other figures is the ,madonna1 who has the ,child in her arms and four little angels round her4 ,this panel1 which is wrought as well as any work in distemper could be1 was then placed in the church of those friars without the ,porta a ,pinti2 but since that building1 as will be told elsewhere1 was destroyed1 it is now in the ,church of ,s4 ,giovannino1 within the ,porta ,s4 ,piero ,gattolini1 where there is the ,convent of the aforesaid ,ingesuati4 ,in the ,church of ,cestello he painted a panel--afterwards finished by his brothers ,david and ,benedetto--containing the ,visitation of ,our ,lady1 with certain most charming and beautiful heads of women4 ,in the ,church of the ,innocenti he painted the ,story of the ,magi on a panel in distemper1 which is much extolled4 ,in this are heads most beautiful in expression and varied in features1 both young and old2 and in the head of ,our ,lady1 in particular1 are seen all the dignity1 beauty1 and grace that art can give to the ,mother of the ,son of ,god4 ,on the tramezzo#bd of the ,church of ,s4 ,marco there is another panel1 with a ,last ,supper in the guest-room1 both executed with diligence2 and in the house of ,giovanni ,tornabuoni there is a round picture with the ,story of the ,magi1 wrought with diligence4 ,in the ,little ,hospital1 for the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 he painted the story of ,vulcan1 in which many nude figures are at work with hammers making thunderbolts for ,jove4 ,and in the ,church of ,ognissanti in ,florence1 in competition with ,sandro di ,botticello1 he painted a ,s4 ,jerome in fresco 7which is now beside the door that leads to the choir71 surrounding him with an infinite number of instruments and books1 such as are used by the learned4 ,the friars having occasion to remove the choir from the place where it stood1 this picture1 together with that of ,sandro di ,botticello1 has been bound round with irons and transported without injury into the middle of the church1 at the very time when these ,lives are being printed for the second time4 ,he also painted the arch over the door of ,s4 ,maria ,ughi1 and a little shrine for the ,guild of ,linen-,manufacturers1 and likewise a very beautiful ,s4 ,george1 slaying the ,dragon1 in the same ,church of ,ognissanti4 ,and in truth he had a very good knowledge of the method of painting on walls1 which he did with very great facility1 although he was scrupulously careful in the composition of his works4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,s4 ,,francis 7,after the fresco by ,domenico ,ghirlandajo4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,trinita7 ,alinari ,being then summoned to ,rome by ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv to paint his chapel1 in company with other masters1 he painted there ,christ calling ,peter and ,andrew from their nets1 and the ,resurrection of ,jesus ,christ1 the greater part of which has since been spoilt in consequence of being over the door1 on which it became necessary to replace an architrave that had fallen down4 ,there was living in ,rome at this same time ,francesco ,tornabuoni1 a rich and honoured merchant1 much the friend of ,domenico4 ,this man1 whose wife had died in childbirth1 as is told in the ,life of ,andrea ,verrocchio1 desiring to honour her as became their noble station1 had caused a tomb to be made for her in the ,minerva2 and he also wished ,domenico to paint the whole wall against which this tomb stood1 and likewise to make for it a little panel in distemper4 ,on that wall1 therefore1 he painted four stories--two of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist and two of the ,madonna--which brought him truly great praise at that time4 ,and ,francesco took so much pleasure in his dealings with ,domenico1 that1 when the latter returned to ,florence rich in honour and in gains1 ,francesco recommended him by letters to his relative ,giovanni1 telling him how well the painter had served him in that work1 and how well satisfied the ,pope had been with his pictures4 ,hearing this1 ,giovanni began to contemplate employing him on some magnificent work1 such as would honour his own memory and bring fame and profit to ,domenico4 ,now it chanced that the principal chapel of ,s4 ,maria ,novella 7a convent of ,preaching ,friars71 formerly painted by ,andrea ,orcagna1 was injured in many parts by rain in consequence of the roof of the vaulting being badly covered4 ,for this reason many citizens had wished to restore it1 or rather1 to have it painted anew2 but the owners1 who belonged to the family of the ,ricci1 had never consented to this1 being unable to bear so great an expense themselves1 and unwilling to allow others to do so1 lest they should lose the rights of ownership and the distinction of the arms handed down to them by their ancestors4 ,giovanni1 then1 being desirous that ,domenico should make him his memorial there1 set to work in this matter1 trying various ways2 and finally he promised the ,ricci to bear the whole expense himself1 to give them some sort of recompense1 and to have their arms placed in the most conspicuous and honourable place in that chapel4 ,and so they came to an agreement1 making a contract in the form of a very precise instrument according to the terms described above4 ,giovanni allotted this work to ,domenico1 with the same subjects as were painted there before2 and they agreed that the price should be #a1bjj gold ducats of full weight1 with #bjj more in the event of the work giving satisfaction to ,giovanni4 ,thereupon ,domenico put his hand to the work and laboured without ceasing for four years until he had finished it--which was in #adhe--to the very great satisfaction and contentment of ,giovanni1 who1 while admitting that he had been well served1 and confessing ingenuously that ,domenico had earned the additional #bjj ducats1 said that he would be pleased if he would be satisfied with the original price4 ,and ,domenico1 who esteemed glory and honour much more than riches1 immediately let him off all the rest1 declaring that he set much greater store on having given him satisfaction than on the matter of complete payment4 ,giovanni afterwards caused two large coats of arms to be made of stone--one for the ,tornaquinci and the other for the ,tornabuoni--and placed on the pilasters without the chapel1 and in the arch he placed other arms belonging to that family1 which is divided into various names and various arms--namely1 in addition to the two already mentioned1 those of the ,ghiachinotti1 ,popoleschi1 ,marabottini1 and ,cardinali4 ,and afterwards1 when ,domenico painted the altar-panel1 he caused to be placed in the gilt ornament1 under an arch1 as a finishing touch to that panel1 a very beautiful ,tabernacle of the ,sacrament1 on the frontal of which he made a little shield a quarter of a braccio in length1 containing the arms of the said owners--that is1 the ,ricci4 ,and a fine jest it was at the opening of the chapel1 for these ,ricci looked for their arms with much ado1 and finally1 not being able to find them1 went off to the ,tribunal of ,eight1 contract in hand4 ,whereupon the ,tornabuoni showed that these arms had been placed in the most conspicuous and most honourable part of the work2 and although the others exclaimed that they were invisible1 they were told that they were in the wrong1 and that they must be content1 since the ,tornabuoni had caused them to be placed in so honourable a position as the neighbourhood of the most ,holy ,sacrament4 ,and so it was decided by that tribunal that they should be left untouched1 as they may be seen to-day4 ,now1 if this should appear to anyone to be outside the scope of the ,life that ,i have to write1 let him not be vexed1 for it all flowed naturally from the tip of my pen4 ,and it should serve1 if for nothing else1 at least to show how easily poverty falls a prey to riches1 and how riches1 if accompanied by discretion1 achieve without censure anything that a man desires4 ,illustration3 ,,domenico ,,ghirlandajo3 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,s4 ,,fina 7,san ,gimignano4 ,fresco7 ,but to return to the beautiful works of ,domenico2 in that chapel1 first of all1 are the four ,evangelists on the vaulting1 larger than life2 and1 on the window-wall1 stories of ,s4 ,dominic1 ,s4 ,peter ,martyr1 ,s4 ,john going into the ,desert1 the ,madonna receiving the ,annunciation from the ,angel1 and many patron saints of ,florence on their knees above the window2 while at the foot1 on the right hand1 is a portrait from life of ,giovanni ,tornabuoni1 with one of his wife on the left1 which are both said to be very lifelike4 ,on the right-hand wall are seven scenes--six below1 in compartments as large as the wall allows1 and the last above1 twice as broad as any of the others and bounded by the arch of the vaulting2 and on the left-hand wall are also seven scenes from the life of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,the first on the right-hand wall is the ,expulsion of ,joachim from the ,temple1 wherein patience is depicted in his countenance1 with that contempt and hatred in the faces of the others which the ,jews felt for those who came to the ,temple without having children4 ,in this scene1 in the part near the window1 are four men portrayed from life1 one of whom1 old1 shaven1 and wearing a red cap1 is ,alesso ,baldovinetti1 ,domenico's master in painting and in mosaic4 ,another1 bareheaded1 who is holding one hand on his side and is wearing a red mantle1 with a blue garment below1 is ,domenico himself1 the master of the work1 who portrayed himself in a mirror4 ,the one who has long black locks and thick lips is ,bastiano da ,san ,gimignano1 his disciple and brother-in-law2 and the last1 who has his back turned1 with a little cap on his head1 is the painter ,david ,ghirlandajo1 his brother4 ,all these are said1 by those who knew them1 to be truly vivid and lifelike portraits4 ,in the second scene is the ,nativity of ,our ,lady1 executed with great diligence1 and1 among other notable things that he painted therein1 there is in the building 7drawn in perspective7 a window that gives light to the room1 which deceives all who see it4 ,besides this1 while ,s4 ,anna is in bed1 and certain ladies are visiting her1 he painted some women washing the ,madonna with great care--one is getting ready the water1 another is preparing the swaddling-clothes1 a third is busy with some service1 a fourth with another1 and1 while each is attending to her own duty1 another woman is holding the little child in her arms and making her laugh by smiling at her1 with a womanly grace truly worthy of such a work2 besides many other expressions that are in each figure4 ,in the third1 which is above the first1 is the ,madonna ascending the steps of the ,temple1 with a building which recedes from the eye correctly enough1 in addition to a nude figure that brought him praise at that time1 when few were to be seen1 although it had not that complete perfection which is shown by those painted in our own day1 for those masters were not as excellent as ours4 ,next to this is the ,marriage of ,our ,lady1 wherein he represented the unbridled rage of those who are breaking their rods because they do not blossom like that of ,joseph2 and this scene has an abundance of figures in an appropriate building4 ,in the fifth are seen the ,magi arriving in ,bethlehem with a great number of men1 horses1 and dromedaries1 and a variety of other things--a scene truly well composed4 ,next to this is the sixth1 showing the impious cruelty practised by ,herod against the ,innocents1 wherein there is seen a most beautiful combat between women and soldiers1 with horses that are striking and driving them about2 and in truth this is the best of all the stories that are to be seen by his hand1 for it is executed with judgment1 intelligence1 and great art4 ,there may be seen therein the impious resolution of those who1 at the command of ,herod1 without regard for the mothers1 are slaying those poor infants1 among which is one1 still clinging to the breast1 that is dying from wounds received in its throat1 so that it is sucking1 not to say drinking1 as much blood as milk from that breast--an effect truly natural1 and1 being wrought in such a manner as it is1 able to kindle a spark of pity in the coldest heart4 ,there is also a soldier who has seized a child by force1 and while he runs off with it1 pressing it against his breast to kill it1 the mother is seen hanging from his hair in the utmost fury1 and forcing him to bend his back in the form of an arch1 so that three very beautiful effects are shown among them--one in the death of the child1 which is seen expiring2 the second in the impious rage of the soldier1 who1 feeling himself drawn backwards so strangely1 is shown in the act of avenging himself on the child2 and the third is that the mother1 seeing the death of her babe1 is seeking with fury1 grief1 and disdain to prevent the villain from going off scathless2 and the whole is truly more the work of a philosopher admirable in judgment than of a painter4 ,there are many other emotions depicted1 which will demonstrate to him who studies them that this man was without doubt an excellent master in his time4 ,above this1 in the seventh scene1 which embraces the space of two1 and is bounded by the arch of the vaulting1 are the ,death and the ,assumption of ,our ,lady1 with an infinite number of angels1 and innumerable figures1 landscapes1 and other ornaments1 of which he used to paint an abundance in his facile and practised manner4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,s4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist 7,after the fresco by ,domenico ,ghirlandajo4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,novella7 ,anderson ,on the other wall are stories of ,s4 ,john1 and in the first is ,zacharias sacrificing in the ,temple1 when the ,angel appears to him and makes him dumb for his unbelief4 ,in this scene1 showing how sacrifices in temples are ever attended by a throng of the most distinguished men1 and wishing to make it as honourable as he was able1 he portrayed a good number of the ,florentine citizens who then governed that ,state1 particularly all those of the house of ,tornabuoni1 both young and old4 ,besides this1 in order to show that his age was rich in every sort of talent1 above all in learning1 he made a group of four half-length figures conversing together at the foot of the scene1 representing the most learned men then to be found in ,florence4 ,the first of these1 who is wearing the dress of a ,canon1 is ,messer ,marsilio ,ficino2 the second1 in a red mantle1 with a black band round his neck1 is ,cristofano ,landino2 the figure turning towards him is ,demetrius the ,greek2 and he who is standing between them1 with one hand slightly raised1 is ,messer ,angelo ,poliziano2 and all are very lifelike and vivacious4 ,in the second scene1 next to this1 there follows the ,visitation of ,our ,lady to ,s4 ,elizabeth1 with a company of many women dressed in costumes of those times1 among whom is a portrait of ,ginevra de' ,benci1 then a most beautiful maiden4 ,in the third1 above the first1 is the birth of ,s4 ,john1 wherein there is a very beautiful scene1 for while ,s4 ,elizabeth is lying in bed1 and certain neighbours come to see her1 and the nurse is seated suckling the infant1 one woman is joyfully demanding it from her1 that she may show to the others what an unexampled feat the mistress of the house has performed in her old age4 ,finally1 there is a woman1 who is very beautiful1 bringing fruits and flasks from the country1 according to the ,florentine custom4 ,in the fourth scene1 next to this1 is ,zacharias1 still dumb1 marvelling--but with undaunted heart--that this child should have been born to him2 and while they keep asking him about the name1 he is writing on his knee1 with his eyes fixed on his son1 whom a woman who has knelt down before him is holding reverently in her arms1 and he is tracing with his pen on the paper1 ,john shall be his name1 to the no little marvel of many other figures1 who appear to be in doubt whether the thing be true or not4 ,there follows in the fifth his preaching to the multitude1 in which scene there is shown that attention which the populace ever gives when hearing new things1 particularly in the heads of the ,scribes1 who1 while listening to ,john1 appear from a certain expression of countenance to be deriding his law1 and even to hate it2 and there are seen many men and women1 variously attired1 both standing and seated4 ,in the sixth ,s4 ,john is seen baptizing ,christ1 in whose reverent expression ,domenico showed very clearly the faith that should be placed in such a ,sacrament4 ,and since this did not fail to achieve a very great effect1 he depicted many already naked and barefooted1 waiting to be baptized1 and revealing faith and willingness carved in their faces2 and one among them1 who is taking off his shoe1 personifies readiness itself4 ,in the last1 which is in the arch next to the vaulting1 are the sumptuous ,feast of ,herod and the ,dance of ,herodias1 with an infinite number of servants performing various services in that scene2 not to mention the grandeur of an edifice drawn in perspective1 which proves the talent of ,domenico no less clearly than do the other pictures4 ,the panel1 which stands by itself1 he executed in distemper1 as he did the other figures in the six pictures4 ,besides the ,madonna1 who is seated in the sky with the ,child in her arms1 and the other saints who are round her1 there are ,s4 ,laurence and ,s4 ,stephen1 who are absolutely alive1 with ,s4 ,vincent and ,s4 ,peter ,martyr1 who lack nothing save speech4 ,it is true that a part of this panel remained unfinished in consequence of his death2 but he had carried it so far on that there was nothing left to complete save certain figures on the back1 where there is the ,resurrection of ,christ1 with three figures in the other pictures1 and the whole was afterwards finished by ,benedetto and ,david ,ghirlandajo1 his brothers4 ,this chapel was held to be a very beautiful work1 grand1 ornate1 and lovely1 through the vivacity of the colours1 through the masterly finish in their application on the walls1 and because very little retouching was done on the dry1 not to mention the invention and the composition of the subjects4 ,and in truth ,domenico deserves the greatest praise on all accounts1 particularly for the liveliness of the heads1 which1 being portrayed from nature1 present to every eye most lifelike effigies of many distinguished persons4 ,for the same ,giovanni ,tornabuoni1 at his ,villa of ,casso ,maccherelli1 which stands on the ,river ,terzolle at no great distance from the city1 he painted a chapel which has since been half destroyed through being too near to the river2 but the paintings1 although they have been uncovered for many years1 continually washed by rain and scorched by the sun1 have remained so fresh that one might think they had been covered--so great is the value of working in fresco1 when the work is done with care and judgment and not retouched on the dry4 ,he also made many figures of ,florentine ,saints1 with most beautiful adornments1 in that hall of the ,palace of the ,signoria which contains the marvellous clock of ,lorenzo della ,volpaia4 ,and so great was his love of working and of giving satisfaction to all1 that he commanded his lads to accept any work that might be brought to his shop1 even hoops for women's baskets1 saying that if they would not do them he would paint them himself1 to the end that none might leave the shop unsatisfied4 ,but when household cares fell upon him he was troubled1 and he therefore laid the charge of all expenditure on his brother ,david1 saying to him1 ,leave me to work1 and do thou provide1 for now that ,i have begun to understand the methods of this art1 it grieves me that they will not commission me to paint the whole circuit of the walls of the city of ,florence with stories2 thus revealing a spirit absolutely invincible and resolute in every action4 ,for ,s4 ,martino in ,lucca he painted ,s4 ,peter and ,s4 ,paul on a panel4 ,in the ,abbey of ,settimo1 without ,florence1 he painted the wall of the principal chapel in fresco1 with two panels in distemper in the tramezzo#be of the church4 ,in ,florence1 also1 he executed many pictures1 round1 square1 and of other kinds1 which can only be seen in the houses of individual citizens4 ,in ,pisa he painted the recess behind the high-altar of the ,duomo1 and he worked in many parts of that city1 painting1 for example1 on the front wall of the ,office of ,works1 a scene of ,king ,charles1 portrayed from life1 making supplication for ,pisa2 and two panels in distemper1 that of the high-altar and another1 for the ,frati ,gesuati in ,s4 ,girolamo4 ,in that place there is also a picture of ,s4 ,rocco and ,s4 ,sebastian by the hand of the same man1 which was given by one or other of the ,medici to those fathers1 who have therefore added to it the arms of ,pope ,leo ,x4 ,he is said to have been so accurate in draughtsmanship1 that1 when making drawings of the antiquities of ,rome1 such as arches1 baths1 columns1 colossea1 obelisks1 amphitheatres1 and aqueducts1 he would work with the eye alone1 without rule1 compasses1 or measurements2 and after he had made them1 on being measured1 they were found absolutely correct1 as if he had used measurements4 ,he drew the ,colosseum by the eye1 placing at the foot of it a figure standing upright1 from the proportions of which the whole edifice could be measured2 this was tried by some masters after his death1 and found quite correct4 ,over a door of the cemetery of ,s4 ,maria ,nuova he painted a ,s4 ,michael in fresco1 clad in armour which reflects the light most beautifully--a thing seldom done before his day4 ,at the ,abbey of ,passignano1 a seat of the ,monks of ,vallombrosa1 he wrought certain works in company with his brother ,david and ,bastiano da ,san ,gimignano4 ,here the two others1 finding themselves poorly fed by the monks before the arrival of ,domenico1 complained to the ,abbot1 praying him to have them better served1 since it was not right that they should be treated like bricklayers' labourers4 ,this the ,abbot promised to do1 saying in excuse that it was due more to the ignorance of the monks who looked after strangers than to malice4 ,domenico arrived1 but everything continued just the same2 whereupon ,david1 seeking out the ,abbot once again1 declared with due apologies that he was not doing this for his own sake but on account of the merits and talents of his brother4 ,but the ,abbot1 like the ignorant man that he was1 made no other answer4 ,that evening1 then1 when they had sat down to supper1 up came the stranger's steward with a board covered with bowls and messes only fit for a hangman1 exactly the same as before4 ,thereupon ,david1 flying into a rage1 upset the soup over the friar1 and1 seizing the loaf that was on the table1 fell upon him with it and belaboured him in such a manner that he was carried away to his cell more dead than alive4 ,the ,abbot1 who was already in bed1 got up and ran to the noise1 believing that the monastery was tumbling down2 and finding the friar in a sorry plight1 he began to upbraid ,david4 ,enraged by this1 ,david bade him be gone out of his sight1 saying that the talent of ,domenico was worth more than all the pigs of ,abbots like him that had ever lived in that monastery4 ,whereupon the ,abbot1 seeing himself in the wrong1 did his utmost from that time onwards to treat them like the important men that they were4 ,this work finished1 ,domenico returned to ,florence1 where he painted a panel for ,signor di ,carpi1 sending another to ,rimini for ,signor ,carlo ,malatesta1 who had it placed in his chapel in ,s4 ,domenico4 ,the latter panel was in distemper1 with three very beautiful figures1 and with little scenes below2 and behind were figures painted to look like bronze1 with very great design and art4 ,besides these1 he painted two panels for the ,abbey of ,s4 ,giusto1 a seat of the ,order of ,camaldoli1 without ,volterra2 these panels1 which are wondrously beautiful1 he executed at the order of the ,magnificent ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 for the reason that the abbey was then held in commendam by his son ,cardinal ,giovanni de' ,medici1 who was afterwards ,pope ,leo4 ,this abbey was restored not many years ago by the ,very ,reverend ,messer ,giovan ,batista ,bava of ,volterra1 who likewise held it in commendam1 to the said ,congregation of ,camaldoli4 ,being then summoned to ,siena through the agency of the ,magnificent ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 ,domenico undertook to adorn the facade of the ,duomo with mosaics1 ,lorenzo acting as surety for him in this work to the extent of #bj1jjj ducats4 ,and he began the work with much confidence and a better manner1 but1 being overtaken by death1 he left it unfinished2 even as1 by reason of the death of the aforesaid ,magnificent ,lorenzo1 there remained unfinished at ,florence the ,chapel of ,s4 ,zanobi1 on which ,domenico had begun to work in mosaic in company with the illuminator ,gherardo4 ,by the hand of ,domenico is a very beautiful ,annunciation in mosaic that is to be seen over that side-door of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore which leads to the ,servi2 and nothing better than this has yet been seen among the works of our modern masters of mosaic4 ,domenico used to say that painting was mere drawing1 and that the true painting for eternity was mosaic4 ,a pupil of his1 who lived with him in order to learn1 was ,bastiano ,mainardi da ,san ,gimignano1 who became a very able master of his manner in fresco2 wherefore he went with ,domenico to ,san ,gimignano1 where they painted in company the ,chapel of ,s4 ,fina1 which is a beautiful work4 ,now the faithful and willing service of ,bastiano1 who acquitted himself very well1 induced ,domenico to judge him worthy to have a sister of his own for wife2 and so their friendship was changed into relationship--a proof of liberality worthy of a loving master1 who was pleased to reward the proficiency that his disciple had acquired by labouring at his art4 ,domenico caused the said ,bastiano to paint a ,madonna ascending into ,heaven in the ,chapel of the ,baroncelli and ,bandini in ,s4 ,croce 7although he made the cartoon himself71 with ,s4 ,thomas below receiving the ,girdle--a beautiful work in fresco4 ,in ,siena1 in an apartment of the ,palace of the ,spannocchi1 ,domenico and ,bastiano together painted many scenes in distemper1 with little figures2 and in ,pisa1 in addition to the aforesaid recess in the ,duomo1 they filled the whole arch of that chapel with angels1 besides painting the folding doors that close the organ1 and beginning to overlay the ceiling with gold4 ,afterwards1 just when ,domenico was about to put his hand to some very great works both in ,pisa and in ,siena1 he fell sick of a most grievous putrid fever1 which cut short his life in five days4 ,as he lay ill1 the ,tornabuoni sent him a hundred ducats of gold as a gift1 proving their regard and particular friendship for ,domenico in return for his unceasing labours in the service of ,giovanni and of his house4 ,domenico lived forty-four years1 and he was buried with beautiful obsequies in ,s4 ,maria ,novella by his brothers ,david and ,benedetto and his son ,ridolfo1 amid much weeping and sorrowful regrets4 ,the loss of so great a man was a great grief to his friends2 and many excellent foreign painters1 hearing that he was dead1 wrote to his relatives lamenting his most untimely death4 ,the disciples that he left were ,david and ,benedetto ,ghirlandajo1 ,bastiano ,mainardi da ,san ,gimignano1 the ,florentine ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 ,francesco ,granaccio1 ,niccolo ,cieco1 ,jacopo del ,tedesco1 ,jacopo dell' ,indaco1 ,baldino ,baldinelli1 and other masters1 all ,florentines4 ,he died in #adie4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,madonna ,,giving ,,the ,,girdle ,,to ,s4 ,,thomas 7,after the panel by ,bastiano ,mainardi4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,croce7 ,brogi ,domenico enriched the art of painting by working in mosaic with a manner more modern than was shown by any of the innumerable ,tuscans who essayed it1 as is proved by the works that he wrought1 few though they may be4 ,wherefore he has deserved to be held in honour and esteem for such rich and undying benefits to art1 and to be celebrated with extraordinary praises after his death4 ,,footnotes3 #bc ,garlands4 #bd ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 #be ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 ,,antonio ,,and ,,piero ,,pollaiuolo ,,lives ,,of ,,antonio ,,and ,,piero ,,pollaiuolo ,,painters ,,and ,,sculptors ,,of ,,florence ,many men begin in a humble spirit with unimportant works1 who1 gaining courage from proficiency1 grow also in power and ability1 in such a manner that they aspire to greater undertakings and almost reach ,heaven with their beautiful thoughts4 ,raised by fortune1 they very often chance upon some liberal ,prince1 who1 finding himself well served by them1 is forced to remunerate their labours so richly that their descendants derive great benefits and advantages from them4 ,wherefore such men walk through this life to the end with so much glory1 that they leave marvellous memorials of themselves to the world1 as did ,antonio and ,piero del ,pollaiuolo1 who were greatly esteemed in their day for the rare acquirements that they had made with their industry and labour4 ,these men were born in the city of ,florence1 one no long time after the other1 from a father of humble station and no great wealth1 who1 recognizing by many signs the good and acute intelligence of his sons1 but not having the means to educate them in letters1 apprenticed ,antonio to the goldsmith's art under ,bartoluccio ,ghiberti1 a very excellent master in that calling at that time2 and ,piero he placed under ,andrea dal ,castagno1 who was then the best painter in ,florence1 to learn painting4 ,antonio1 then1 being pushed on by ,bartoluccio1 not only learnt to set jewels and to fire enamels on silver1 but was also held the best master of the tools of that art4 ,wherefore ,lorenzo ,ghiberti1 who was then working on the doors of ,s4 ,giovanni1 having observed the manner of ,antonio1 called him into that work in company with many other young men1 and set him to labour on one of the festoons which he then had in hand4 ,on this ,antonio made a quail which is still in existence1 so beautiful and so perfect that it lacks nothing but the power of flight4 ,antonio1 therefore1 had not spent many weeks over this work before he was known as the best1 both in design and in patient execution1 of all those who were working there1 and as more gifted and more diligent than any other4 ,whereupon1 growing ever both in ability and in fame1 he left ,bartoluccio and ,lorenzo1 and opened a fine and magnificent goldsmith's shop for himself in the ,mercato ,nuovo in that city4 ,and for many years he followed that art1 never ceasing to make new designs1 and executing in relief wax candles and other things of fancy1 which in a short time caused him to be held--as he was--the first master of his calling4 ,there lived at the same time another goldsmith called ,maso ,finiguerra1 who had an extraordinary fame1 and deservedly1 since there had never been seen any master of engraving and of niello who could make so great a number of figures as he could1 whether in a small or in a large space2 as is still proved by certain paxes in the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni in ,florence1 wrought by him with most minutely elaborated stories from the ,passion of ,christ4 ,this man drew very well and in abundance1 and in our book are many of his drawings of figures1 both draped and nude1 and scenes done in water-colour4 ,in competition with him ,antonio executed certain scenes1 in which he equalled him in diligence and surpassed him in design2 wherefore the ,consuls of the ,guild of ,merchants1 seeing the excellence of ,antonio1 and remembering that there were certain scenes in silver to be wrought for the altar of ,s4 ,giovanni1 such as it had ever been the custom for various masters to make at different times1 determined among themselves that ,antonio also should make some4 ,this came to pass2 and his works turned out so excellent1 that they are recognized as the best among them all4 ,these were the ,feast of ,herod and the ,dance of ,herodias2 but more beautiful than anything else was the ,s4 ,john that is in the middle of the altar1 a work wrought wholly with the chasing-tool1 and much extolled4 ,for this reason he was commissioned by the said ,consuls to make the candelabra of silver1 each three braccia in height1 and the ,cross in proportion2 which work he brought to such perfection1 with such an abundance of carving1 that it has ever been esteemed a marvellous thing both by foreigners and by his countrymen4 ,illustration3 ,,ss4 ,,eustace1 ,,james1 ,,and ,,vincent 7,after the panel by ,piero ,pollaiuolo4 ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #acja7 ,alinari ,in this calling he took infinite pains1 both with the works that he executed in gold and with those in enamel and silver4 ,among these are some very beautiful paxes in ,s4 ,giovanni1 coloured by the action of fire1 which are such that they could be scarcely improved with the brush2 and some of his marvellous enamels may be seen in other churches in ,florence1 ,rome1 and other parts of ,italy4 ,he taught this art to the ,florentine ,mazzingo and to ,giuliano del ,facchino1 both passing good masters1 and to ,giovanni ,turini of ,siena1 who surpassed these his companions considerably in that profession1 in which1 from ,antonio di ,salvi--who made many good works1 such as a large silver ,cross for the ,badia of ,florence1 and other things--to our own day1 there has been nothing done than can be held in particular account4 ,but of his works and of those of the ,pollaiuoli many have been destroyed and melted down to meet the necessities of the city in times of war4 ,for this reason1 recognizing that this art gave no long life to the labours of its craftsmen1 and desiring to gain a more lasting memory1 ,antonio resolved to pursue it no longer4 ,and so1 his brother ,piero being a painter1 he associated himself with him in order to learn the methods of handling and using colours2 but it appeared to him an art so different from the goldsmith's1 that1 if he had not been so hasty in resolving to abandon his own art entirely1 it might well have been that he would never have brought himself to turn to the other4 ,however1 spurred by fear of shame rather than by hope of profit1 in a few months he acquired a practical knowledge of colouring and became an excellent master4 ,he associated himself entirely with ,piero1 and they made many pictures in company2 among others1 since they took great delight in colour1 a panel in oil in ,s4 ,miniato al ,monte without ,florence1 for the ,cardinal of ,portugal4 ,on this panel1 which was placed on the altar of his chapel1 they painted ,s4 ,james the ,apostle1 ,s4 ,eustace1 and ,s4 ,vincent1 which have been much extolled4 ,piero1 in particular1 painted certain prophets on the wall in oil 7a method that he had learnt from ,andrea dal ,castagno71 in the corners of the angles below the architrave1 where the lunettes of the arches run2 and in one of the lunettes he painted the ,virgin receiving the ,annunciation1 with three figures4 ,for the ,capitani di ,parte he painted a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms in a lunette1 with a frieze of seraphim all round1 also wrought in oil4 ,they also painted in oil1 on canvas1 on a pilaster of ,s4 ,michele in ,orto1 an ,angel ,raphael with ,tobias2 and they made certain ,virtues in the ,mercatanzia of ,florence1 in the very place where that ,tribunal holds its sittings4 ,in the ,proconsulate ,antonio made portraits from life of ,messer ,poggio1 ,secretary to the ,signoria of ,florence1 who continued the ,history of ,florence after ,messer ,leonardo d',arezzo1 and of ,messer ,giannozzo ,manetti1 a man of no small learning and repute1 in the same place where other masters some time before had made portraits of ,zanobi da ,strada1 a poet of ,florence1 ,donato ,acciaiuoli1 and others4 ,in the ,chapel of the ,pucci1 in ,s4 ,sebastiano de' ,servi1 he painted the panel of the altar1 which is a rare and excellent work1 containing marvellous horses1 nudes1 and very beautiful figures in foreshortening1 and ,s4 ,sebastian himself portrayed from life--namely1 from ,gino di ,lodovico ,capponi4 ,this work received greater praise than any other that ,antonio ever made1 since1 seeking to imitate nature to the utmost of his power1 he showed in one of the archers1 who is resting his cross-bow against his chest and bending down to the ground in order to load it1 all the force that a man of strong arm can exert in loading that weapon1 for we see his veins and muscles swelling1 and the man himself holding his breath in order to gain more strength4 ,nor is this the only figure wrought with careful consideration1 for all the others in their various attitudes also demonstrate clearly enough the thought and the intelligence that he put into this work1 which was certainly appreciated by ,antonio ,pucci1 who gave him #cjj crowns for it1 declaring that he was barely paying him for the colours4 ,it was finished in the year #adge4 ,illustration3 ,,antonio ,,pollaiuolo3 ,,david ,,victor 7,berlin3 ,kaiser ,friedrich ,museum1 #gc;,a4 ,panel7 ,gaining courage from this1 therefore1 he painted at ,s4 ,miniato fra le ,torri1 without the ,gate1 a ,s4 ,cristopher ten braccia in height1 a very beautiful work executed in a modern manner1 the figure being better proportioned than any other of that size that had been made up to that time4 ,he then made a ,crucifix with ,s4 ,antonino1 on canvas1 which was placed in the chapel of that ,saint in ,s4 ,marco4 ,in the ,palace of the ,signoria of ,florence1 at the ,porta della ,catena1 he made a ,s4 ,john the ,baptist2 and in the house of the ,medici he painted for the elder ,lorenzo three figures of ,hercules in three pictures1 each five braccia in height4 ,the first of these1 which is slaying ,antaeus1 is a very beautiful figure1 in which the strength of ,hercules as he crushes the other is seen most vividly1 for the muscles and nerves of that figure are all strained in the struggle to destroy ,antaeus4 ,the head of ,hercules shows the gnashing of the teeth so well in harmony with the other parts1 that even the toes of his feet are raised in the effort4 ,nor did he take less pains with ,antaeus1 who1 crushed in the arms of ,hercules1 is seen sinking and losing all his strength1 and giving up his breath through his open mouth4 ,the second ,hercules1 who is slaying the ,lion1 has the left knee pressed against its chest1 and1 setting his teeth and extending his arms1 and grasping the ,lion's jaws with both his hands1 he is opening them and rending them asunder by main force1 although the beast is tearing his arms grievously with its claws in self-defence4 ,the third picture1 wherein ,hercules is slaying the ,hydra1 is something truly marvellous1 particularly the serpent1 which he made so lively and so natural in colouring that nothing could be made more life-like4 ,in that beast are seen venom1 fire1 ferocity1 rage1 and such vivacity1 that he deserves to be celebrated and to be closely imitated in this by all good craftsmen4 ,for the ,company of ,s4 ,angelo in ,arezzo he executed an oil-painting on cloth1 with a ,crucifix on one side1 and on the other ,s4 ,michael in combat with the ,dragon1 as beautiful as any work that there is to be seen by his hand2 for the figure of ,s4 ,michael1 who is bravely confronting the ,dragon1 setting his teeth and knitting his brows1 truly seems to have descended from ,heaven in order to effect the vengeance of ,god against the pride of ,lucifer1 and it is indeed a marvellous work4 ,he had a more modern grasp of the nude than the masters before his day1 and he dissected many bodies in order to study their anatomy4 ,he was the first to demonstrate the method of searching out the muscles1 in order that they might have their due form and place in his figures1 and he engraved on copper a battle of nude figures all girt round with a chain2 and after this one he made other engravings1 with much better workmanship than had been shown by the other masters who had lived before him4 ,for these reasons1 then1 he became famous among craftsmen1 and after the death of ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv he was summoned by his successor1 ,pope ,innocent1 to ,rome1 where he made a tomb of metal for the said ,innocent1 wherein he portrayed him from nature1 seated in the attitude of giving the ,benediction2 and this was placed in ,s4 ,pietro4 ,that of the said ,pope ,sixtus1 which was finished at very great cost1 was placed in the chapel that is called by the name of that ,pontiff4 ,it stands quite by itself1 with very rich adornments1 and on it there lies an excellent figure of the ,pope2 and the tomb of ,innocent stands in ,s4 ,pietro1 beside the chapel that contains the ,lance of ,christ4 ,it is said that the same man designed the ,palace of the ,belvedere for the said ,pope ,innocent1 although1 since he had little experience of building1 it was erected by others4 ,finally1 after becoming rich1 these two brothers died almost at the same time in #adih1 and were buried by their relatives in ,s4 ,pietro in ,vincula2 and in memory of them1 beside the middle door1 on the left as one enters into the church1 there were placed two medallions of marble with their portraits and with the following epitaph3 ,,antonius ,,pullarius ,,patria ,,florentinus1 ,,pictor ,,insignis1 ,,qui ,,duorum ,,pontif4 ,,xisti ,,et ,,innocentii ,,aerea ,,monimenta ,,miro ,,opific4 ,,expressit1 ,,re ,,famil4 ,,composita ,,ex ,,test4 ,,hic ,,se ,,cum ,,petro ,,fratre ,,condi ,,voluit4 ,,vix4 ,,an4 ,,lxxii4 ,,obiit ,,anno ,,sal4 ,,miid4 ,the same man made a very beautiful battle of nude figures in low-relief and of metal1 which went to ,spain2 of this every craftsman in ,florence has a plaster cast4 ,and after his death there were found the design and model that he had made at the command of ,lodovico ,sforza for the equestrian statue of ,francesco ,sforza1 ,duke of ,milan1 of which design there are two forms in our book2 in one the ,duke has ,verona beneath him1 and in the other he is on a pedestal covered with battle pieces1 in full armour1 and forcing his horse to leap on a man in armour4 ,but the reason why he did not put these designs into execution ,i have not yet been able to discover4 ,the same man made some very beautiful medals2 among others1 one representing the conspiracy of the ,pazzi1 containing on one side the heads of ,lorenzo and ,giuliano de' ,medici1 and on the reverse the choir of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 with the whole event exactly as it happened4 ,he also made the medals of certain ,pontiffs1 and many other things that are known to craftsmen4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,martyrdom ,,of ,s4 ,,sebastian 7,after the panel by ,antonio ,pollaiuolo4 ,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #bib7 ,mansell ,illustration3 ,,tomb ,,of ,,pope ,,sixtus ,,iv 7,after ,antonio ,pollaiuolo4 ,rome3 ,s4 ,peter's7 ,anderson ,antonio was seventy-two years of age when he died1 and ,piero sixty-five4 ,the former left many disciples1 among whom was ,andrea ,sansovino4 ,antonio had a most fortunate life in his day1 finding rich ,pontiffs1 and his own city at the height of its greatness and delighting in talent1 wherefore he was much esteemed2 whereas1 if he had chanced to live in an unfavourable age1 he would not have produced such fruits as he did1 since troublous times are deadly enemies to the sciences in which men labour and take delight4 ,for ,s4 ,giovanni in ,florence1 after the design of this man1 there were made two dalmatics1 a chasuble1 and a cope1 of double brocade1 all woven in one piece without a single seam2 and for these1 as borders and ornaments1 there were embroidered the stories of the life of ,s4 ,john1 with most delicate workmanship and art1 by ,paolo da ,verona1 a divine master of that profession and rare in intelligence beyond all others1 who executed the figures no less well with the needle than ,antonio would have done them with his brush2 wherefore we owe no small obligation to the one for his design and to the other for his patience in embroidering it4 ,this work took twenty-six years to complete2 but of these embroideries1 which1 being made with the close stitch1 are not only more durable but also seem like a real painting done with the brush1 the good method is now all but lost1 since we now use a more open stitch1 which is less durable and less lovely to the eye4 ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,,life ,,of ,,sandro ,,botticelli ,,alessandro ,,filipepi ,,or ,,sandro ,,di ,,botticello ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,at the same time with the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 the ,magnificent1 which was truly a golden age for men of intellect1 there also flourished one ,alessandro1 called ,sandro after our custom1 and surnamed ,di ,botticello for a reason that we shall see below4 ,this man was the son of ,mariano ,filipepi1 a citizen of ,florence1 who brought him up with care1 and had him instructed in all those things that are usually taught to children before they are old enough to be apprenticed to some calling4 ,but although he found it easy to learn whatever he wished1 nevertheless he was ever restless1 nor was he contented with any form of learning1 whether reading1 writing1 or arithmetic1 insomuch that his father1 weary of the vagaries of his son's brain1 in despair apprenticed him as a goldsmith with a boon-companion of his own1 called ,botticello1 no mean master of that art in his day4 ,now in that age there was a very close connection--nay1 almost a constant intercourse--between the goldsmiths and the painters2 wherefore ,sandro1 who was a ready fellow and had devoted himself wholly to design1 became enamoured of painting1 and determined to devote himself to that4 ,for this reason he spoke out his mind freely to his father1 who1 recognizing the inclination of his brain1 took him to ,fra ,filippo of the ,carmine1 a most excellent painter of that time1 with whom he placed him to learn the art1 according to ,sandro's own desire4 ,thereupon1 devoting himself heart and soul to that art1 ,sandro followed and imitated his master so well that ,fra ,filippo1 growing to love him1 taught him very thoroughly1 so that he soon rose to such a rank as none would have expected for him4 ,while still quite young1 he painted a figure of ,fortitude in the ,mercatanzia of ,florence1 among the pictures of ,virtues that were wrought by ,antonio and ,piero del ,pollaiuolo4 ,for the ,chapel of the ,bardi in ,s4 ,spirito at ,florence he painted a panel1 wrought with diligence and brought to a fine completion1 which contains certain olive-trees and palms executed with consummate lovingness4 ,he painted a panel for the ,convertite ,nuns1 and another for those of ,s4 ,barnaba4 ,in the tramezzo#bf of the ,ognissanti1 by the door that leads into the choir1 he painted for the ,vespucci a ,s4 ,augustine in fresco1 with which he took very great pains1 seeking to surpass all the painters of his time1 and particularly ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 who had made a ,s4 ,jerome on the other side2 and this work won very great praise1 for in the head of that ,saint he depicted the profound meditation and acute subtlety that are found in men of wisdom who are ever concentrated on the investigation of the highest and most difficult matters4 ,this picture1 as was said in the ,life of ,ghirlandajo1 has this year 7#aefd7 been removed safe and sound from its original position4 ,having thus come into credit and reputation1 he was commissioned by the ,guild of ,porta ,santa ,maria to paint in ,s4 ,marco a panel with the ,coronation of ,our ,lady and a choir of angels1 which he designed and executed very well4 ,he made many works in the house of the ,medici for the elder ,lorenzo1 particularly a ,pallas on a device of great branches1 which spouted forth fire3 this he painted of the size of life1 as he did a ,s4 ,sebastian4 ,in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore in ,florence1 beside the ,chapel of the ,panciatichi1 there is a very beautiful ,pieta with little figures4 ,for various houses throughout the city he painted round pictures1 and many female nudes1 of which there are still two at ,castello1 a villa of ,duke ,cosimo's2 one representing the birth of ,venus1 with those ,winds and ,zephyrs that bring her to the earth1 with the ,cupids2 and likewise another ,venus1 whom the ,graces are covering with flowers1 as a symbol of spring2 and all this he is seen to have expressed very gracefully4 ,round an apartment of the house of ,giovanni ,vespucci1 now belonging to ,piero ,salviati1 in the ,via de' ,servi1 he made many pictures which were enclosed by frames of walnut-wood1 by way of ornament and panelling1 with many most lively and beautiful figures4 ,in the house of the ,pucci1 likewise1 he painted with little figures ,boccaccio's tale of ,nastagio degli ,onesti in four square pictures of most charming and beautiful workmanship1 and the ,epiphany in a round picture4 ,for a chapel in the ,monastery of ,cestello he painted an ,annunciation on a panel4 ,near the side-door of ,s4 ,pietro ,maggiore1 for ,matteo ,palmieri1 he painted a panel with an infinite number of figures--namely1 the ,assumption of ,our ,lady1 with the zones of ,heaven as they are represented1 and the ,patriarchs1 the ,prophets1 the ,apostles1 the ,evangelists1 the ,martyrs1 the ,confessors1 the ,doctors1 the ,virgins1 and the ,hierarchies2 all from the design given to him by ,matteo1 who was a learned and able man4 ,this work he painted with mastery and consummate diligence2 and at the foot is a portrait of ,matteo on his knees1 with that of his wife4 ,but for all that the work is most beautiful1 and should have silenced envy1 nevertheless there were certain malignant slanderers who1 not being able to do it any other damage1 said that both ,matteo and ,sandro had committed therein the grievous sin of heresy4 ,as to whether this be true or false1 ,i cannot be expected to judge2 it is enough that the figures painted therein by ,sandro are truly worthy of praise1 by reason of the pains that he took in drawing the zones of ,heaven and in the distribution of figures1 angels1 foreshortenings1 and views1 all varied in diverse ways1 the whole being executed with good design4 ,illustration3 ,,sandro ,,botticelli3 ,,pallas ,,and ,,the ,,centaur 7,florence3 ,pitti ,palace1 ,panel7 ,illustration3 ,,sandro ,,botticelli3 ,,giovanna ,,tornabuoni ,,and ,,the ,,graces 7,paris3 ,louvre1 #abig4 ,fresco7 ,at this time ,sandro was commissioned to paint a little panel with figures three-quarters of a braccio in length1 which was placed between two doors in the principal facade of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 on the left as one enters the church by the door in the centre4 ,it contains the ,adoration of the ,magi1 and wonderful feeling is seen in the first old man1 who1 kissing the foot of ,our ,lord1 and melting with tenderness1 shows very clearly that he has achieved the end of his long journey4 ,the figure of this ,king is an actual portrait of the elder ,cosimo de' ,medici1 the most lifelike and most natural that is to be found of him in our own day4 ,the second1 who is ,giuliano de' ,medici1 father of ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 is seen devoutly doing reverence to the ,child with a most intent expression1 and presenting ,him with his offering4 ,the third1 also on his knees1 appears to be adoring ,him and giving ,him thanks1 while confessing that ,he is the true ,messiah2 this is ,giovanni1 son of ,cosimo4 ,it is not possible to describe the beauty that ,sandro depicted in the heads that are therein seen1 which are drawn in various attitudes1 some in full face1 some in profile1 some in three-quarter face1 others bending down1 and others1 again1 in various manners2 with different expressions for the young and the old1 and with all the bizarre effects that reveal to us the perfection of his skill2 and he distinguished the ,courts of the three ,kings one from another1 insomuch that one can see which are the retainers of each4 ,this is truly a most admirable work1 and executed so beautifully1 whether in colouring1 drawing1 or composition1 that every craftsman at the present day stands in a marvel thereat4 ,and at that time it brought him such great fame1 both in ,florence and abroad1 that ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv1 having accomplished the building of the chapel of his palace in ,rome1 and wishing to have it painted1 ordained that he should be made head of that work2 whereupon he painted therein with his own hand the following scenes--namely1 the ,temptation of ,christ by the ,devil1 ,moses slaying the ,egyptian1 ,moses receiving drink from the daughters of ,jethro the ,midianite1 and likewise fire descending from ,heaven on the sacrifice of the sons of ,aaron1 with certain ,sanctified ,popes in the niches above the scenes4 ,having therefore acquired still greater fame and reputation among the great number of competitors who worked with him1 both ,florentines and men of other cities1 he received from the ,pope a good sum of money1 the whole of which he consumed and squandered in a moment during his residence in ,rome1 where he lived in haphazard fashion1 as was his wont4 ,having at the same time finished and unveiled the part that had been assigned to him1 he returned immediately to ,florence1 where1 being a man of inquiring mind1 he made a commentary on part of ,dante1 illustrated the ,inferno1 and printed it2 on which he wasted much of his time1 bringing infinite disorder into his life by neglecting his work4 ,he also printed many of the drawings that he had made1 but in a bad manner1 for the engraving was poorly done4 ,the best of these that is to be seen by his hand is the ,triumph of the ,faith effected by ,fra ,girolamo ,savonarola of ,ferrara1 of whose sect he was so ardent a partisan that he was thereby induced to desert his painting1 and1 having no income to live on1 fell into very great distress4 ,for this reason1 persisting in his attachment to that party1 and becoming a ,piagnone#bg 7as the members of the sect were then called71 he abandoned his work2 wherefore he ended in his old age by finding himself so poor1 that1 if ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 for whom1 besides many other things1 he had done some work at the little hospital in the district of ,volterra1 had not succoured him the while that he lived1 as did afterwards his friends and many excellent men who loved him for his talent1 he would have almost died of hunger4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi 7,after the panel by ,sandro ,botticelli4 ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abhf7 ,m4 ,s4 ,in ,s4 ,francesco1 without the ,porta a ,san ,miniato1 there is a ,madonna in a round picture by the hand of ,sandro1 with some angels of the size of life1 which was held a very beautiful work4 ,sandro was a man of very pleasant humour1 often playing tricks on his disciples and his friends2 wherefore it is related that once1 when a pupil of his who was called ,biagio had made a round picture exactly like the one mentioned above1 in order to sell it1 ,sandro sold it for six florins of gold to a citizen2 then1 finding ,biagio1 he said to him1 ,at last ,i have sold this thy picture2 so this evening it must be hung on high1 where it will be seen better1 and in the morning thou must go to the house of the citizen who has bought it1 and bring him here1 that he may see it in a good light in its proper place2 and then he will pay thee the money4 ,o1 my master1 said ,biagio1 how well you have done4 ,then1 going into the shop1 he hung the picture at a good height1 and went off4 ,meanwhile ,sandro and ,jacopo1 who was another of his disciples1 made eight caps of paper1 like those worn by citizens1 and fixed them with white wax on the heads of the eight angels that surrounded the ,madonna in the said picture4 ,now1 in the morning1 up comes ,biagio with his citizen1 who had bought the picture and was in the secret4 ,they entered the shop1 and ,biagio1 looking up1 saw his ,madonna seated1 not among his angels1 but among the ,signoria of ,florence1 with all those caps4 ,thereupon he was just about to begin to make an outcry and to excuse himself to the man who had bought it1 when1 seeing that the other1 instead of complaining1 was actually praising the picture1 he kept silent himself4 ,finally1 going with the citizen to his house1 ,biagio received his payment of six florins1 the price for which his master had sold the picture2 and then1 returning to the shop just as ,sandro and ,jacopo had removed the paper caps1 he saw his angels as true angels1 and not as citizens in their caps4 ,all in a maze1 and not knowing what to say1 he turned at last to ,sandro and said3 ,master1 ,i know not whether ,i am dreaming1 or whether this is true4 ,when ,i came here before1 these angels had red caps on their heads1 and now they have not2 what does it mean8 ,thou art out of thy wits1 ,biagio1 said ,sandro2 this money has turned thy head4 ,if it were so1 thinkest thou that the citizen would have bought the picture8 ,it is true1 replied ,biagio1 that he said nothing to me about it1 but for all that it seemed to me strange4 ,finally1 all the other lads gathered round him and wrought on him to believe that it had been a fit of giddiness4 ,another time a cloth-weaver came to live in a house next to ,sandro's1 and erected no less than eight looms1 which1 when at work1 not only deafened poor ,sandro with the noise of the treadles and the movement of the frames1 but shook his whole house1 the walls of which were no stronger than they should be1 so that what with the one thing and the other he could not work or even stay at home4 ,time after time he besought his neighbour to put an end to this annoyance1 but the other said that he both would and could do what he pleased in his own house2 whereupon ,sandro1 in disdain1 balanced on the top of his own wall1 which was higher than his neighbour's and not very strong1 an enormous stone1 more than enough to fill a wagon1 which threatened to fall at the slightest shaking of the wall and to shatter the roof1 ceilings1 webs1 and looms of his neighbour1 who1 terrified by this danger1 ran to ,sandro1 but was answered in his very own words--namely1 that he both could and would do whatever he pleased in his own house4 ,nor could he get any other answer out of him1 so that he was forced to come to a reasonable agreement and to be a good neighbour to ,sandro4 ,illustration3 ,,sandro ,,botticelli3 ,,the ,,madonna ,,of ,,the ,,pomegranate 7,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abhi4 ,panel7 ,it is also related that ,sandro1 for a jest1 accused a friend of his own of heresy before his vicar1 and the friend1 on appearing1 asked who the accuser was and what the accusation2 and having been told that it was ,sandro1 who had charged him with holding the opinion of the ,epicureans1 and believing that the soul dies with the body1 he insisted on being confronted with the accuser before the judge4 ,sandro therefore appeared1 and the other said3 ,it is true that ,i hold this opinion with regard to this man's soul1 for he is an animal4 ,nay1 does it not seem to you that he is the heretic1 since without a scrap of learning1 and scarcely knowing how to read1 he plays the commentator to ,dante and takes his name in vain8 ,it is also said that he had a surpassing love for all whom he saw to be zealous students of art2 and that he earned much1 but wasted everything through negligence and lack of management4 ,finally1 having grown old and useless1 and being forced to walk with crutches1 without which he could not stand upright1 he died1 infirm and decrepit1 at the age of seventy-eight1 and was buried in ,ognissanti at ,florence in the year #aeae4 ,in the guardaroba of the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo there are two very beautiful heads of women in profile by his hand1 one of which is said to be the mistress of ,giuliano de' ,medici1 brother of ,lorenzo1 and the other ,madonna ,lucrezia de' ,tornabuoni1 wife of the said ,lorenzo4 ,in the same place1 likewise by the hand of ,sandro1 is a ,bacchus who is raising a cask with both his hands1 and putting it to his mouth--a very graceful figure4 ,and in the ,duomo of ,pisa he began an ,assumption1 with a choir of angels1 in the ,chapel of the ,impagliata2 but afterwards1 being displeased with it1 he left it unfinished4 ,in ,s4 ,francesco at ,montevarchi he painted the panel of the high-altar2 and in the ,pieve of ,empoli1 on the same side as the ,s4 ,sebastian of ,rossellino1 he made two angels4 ,he was among the first to discover the method of decorating standards and other sorts of hangings with the so-called inlaid work1 to the end that the colours might not fade and might show the tint of the cloth on either side4 ,by his hand1 and made thus1 is the baldacchino of ,orsanmichele1 covered with beautiful and varied figures of ,our ,lady2 which proves how much better such a method preserves the cloth than does the use of mordants1 which eat it away and make its life but short1 although1 being less costly1 mordants are now used more than anything else4 ,sandro's drawings were extraordinarily good1 and so many1 that for some time after his death all the craftsmen strove to obtain some of them2 and we have some in our book1 made with great mastery and judgment4 ,his scenes abounded with figures1 as may be seen from the embroidered border of the ,cross that the ,friars of ,s4 ,maria ,novella carry in processions1 all made from his design4 ,great was the praise1 then1 that ,sandro deserved for all the pictures that he chose to make with diligence and love1 as he did the aforesaid panel of the ,magi in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 which is marvellous4 ,very beautiful1 too1 is a little round picture by his hand that is seen in the apartment of the ,prior of the ,angeli in ,florence1 in which the figures are small but very graceful and wrought with beautiful consideration4 ,of the same size as the aforesaid panel of the ,magi1 and by the same man's hand1 is a picture in the possession of ,messer ,fabio ,segni1 a gentlemen of ,florence1 in which there is painted the ,calumny of ,apelles1 as beautiful as any picture could be4 ,under this panel1 which ,sandro himself presented to ,antonio ,segni1 who was much his friend1 there may now be read the following verses1 written by the said ,messer ,fabio3 ,,indicio ,,quemquam ,,ne ,,falso ,,laedere ,,tentent ,,terrarum ,,reges1 ,,parva ,,tabella ,,monet4 ,,huic ,,similem ,,aegypti ,,regi ,,donavit ,,apelles2 ,,rex ,,fuit ,,et ,,dignus ,,munere1 ,,munus ,,eo4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,calumny ,,of ,,apelles 7,after the panel by ,sandro ,botticelli4 ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #aahb7 ,m4 ,s4 ,,footnotes3 #bf ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 #a4 #bg ,mourner1 or ,weeper4 ,,benedetto ,,da ,,maiano ,,life ,,of ,,benedetto ,,da ,,maiano ,,sculptor ,,and ,,architect ,benedetto da ,maiano1 a sculptor of ,florence1 who was in his earliest years a wood-carver1 was held the most able master of all who were then handling the tools of that profession2 and he was particularly excellent as a craftsman in that form of work which1 as has been said elsewhere1 was introduced at the time of ,filippo ,brunelleschi and ,paolo ,uccello--namely1 the inlaying of pieces of wood tinted with various colours1 in order to make views in perspective1 foliage1 and many other diverse things of fancy4 ,in this craft1 then1 ,benedetto da ,maiano was in his youth the best master that there was to be found1 as is clearly demonstrated by many works of his that are to be seen in various parts of ,florence1 particularly by all the presses in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 the greater part of which he finished after the death of his uncle ,giuliano2 these are full of figures executed in inlaid work1 foliage1 and other devices1 all wrought with great expense and craftsmanship4 ,having gained a very great name through the novelty of this art1 he made many works1 which were sent to diverse places and to various ,princes2 and among others ,king ,alfonso of ,naples had the furniture for a study1 made under the direction of ,giuliano1 uncle of ,benedetto1 who was serving that ,king as architect4 ,benedetto himself went to join him there2 but1 being displeased with the position1 he returned to ,florence1 where1 no long time after1 he made for ,matthias ,corvinus1 ,king of ,hungary1 who had many ,florentines in his ,court and took delight in all rare works1 a pair of coffers inlaid in wood with difficult and most beautiful craftsmanship4 ,he then determined1 being invited with great favour by that ,king1 to consent to go thither at all costs2 and so1 having packed up his coffers and embarked with them on board ship1 he set off for ,hungary4 ,there1 after doing obeisance to that ,king1 by whom he was received most graciously1 he sent for the said coffers and had them unpacked in the presence of the monarch1 who was very eager to see them2 whereupon he saw that the damp from the water and the exhalations from the sea had so softened the glue1 that1 on the opening of the waxed cloths1 almost all the pieces which had been attached to the coffers fell to the ground4 ,whether ,benedetto1 therefore1 in the presence of so many nobles1 stood in dumb amazement1 everyone may judge for himself4 ,however1 putting the work together as well as he was able1 he contrived to leave the ,king well enough satisfied2 but in spite of this he took an aversion to that craft and could no longer endure it1 through the shame that it had brought upon him4 ,and so1 casting off all timidity1 he devoted himself to sculpture1 in which art he had already worked at ,loreto while living with his uncle ,giuliano1 making a lavatory with certain angels of marble for the sacristy4 ,labouring at this art1 before he left ,hungary he gave that ,king to know that if he had been put to shame at the beginning1 the fault had lain with that craft1 which was a mean one1 and not with his intellect1 which was rare and exalted4 ,having therefore made in those parts certain works both in clay and in marble1 which gave great pleasure to that ,king1 he returned to ,florence2 and he had no sooner arrived there than he was commissioned by the ,signori to make the marble ornament for the door of their ,audience ,chamber4 ,for this he made some boys supporting with their arms certain festoons1 all very beautiful2 but the most beautiful part of the work was the figure in the middle1 two braccia in height1 of a young ,s4 ,john1 which is held to be a thing of rare excellence4 ,and to the end that the whole work might be by his own hand1 he made by himself the wood-work that closes the said door1 and executed a figure with inlaid woods on either part of it1 that is1 ,dante on one and ,petrarca on the other2 which two figures are enough to show to any man who may have seen no other work of that kind by the hand of ,benedetto1 how rare and excellent a master he was of that craft4 ,this ,audience ,chamber has been painted in our own day by ,francesco ,salviati at the command of the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 as will be told in the proper place4 ,illustration3 ,,pulpit ,,in ,s4 ,,croce1 ,,florence 7,after ,benedetto da ,maiano4 ,florence7 ,alinari ,in ,s4 ,maria ,novella at ,florence1 where ,filippino painted the chapel1 ,benedetto afterwards made a tomb of black marble1 with a ,madonna and certain angels in a medallion1 with much diligence1 for the elder ,filippo ,strozzi1 whose portrait1 which he made there in marble1 is now in the ,strozzi ,palace4 ,the same ,benedetto was commissioned by the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici to make in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore a portrait of the ,florentine painter ,giotto1 which he placed over the epitaph1 of which enough has been said above in the ,life of ,giotto himself4 ,this piece of marble sculpture is held to be passing good4 ,having afterwards gone to ,naples by reason of the death of his uncle ,giuliano1 whose heir he was1 ,benedetto1 besides certain works that he executed for that ,king1 made a marble panel for the ,count of ,terranuova in the ,monastery of the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 containing an ,annunciation with certain saints1 and surrounded by very beautiful boys1 who are supporting some festoons2 and in the predella of the said work he made many low-reliefs in a good manner4 ,in ,faenza he made a very beautiful tomb of marble for the body of ,s4 ,savino1 and on this he wrought six scenes in low-relief from the life of that ,saint1 with much invention and design both in the buildings and in the figures2 insomuch that both from this work and from others by his hand he was recognized as a man excellent in sculpture4 ,wherefore1 before he left ,romagna1 he was commissioned to make a portrait of ,galeotto ,malatesta4 ,he also made one1 ,i know not whether before this or after1 of ,henry ,,vii1 ,king of ,england1 after a drawing on paper that he had received from some ,florentine merchants4 ,the studies for these two portraits1 together with many other things1 were found in his house after his death4 ,having finally returned to ,florence1 he made in ,s4 ,croce1 for ,pietro ,mellini1 a citizen of ,florence and a very rich merchant at that time1 the marble pulpit that is seen there1 which is held to be a very rare thing and more beautiful than any other that has ever been executed in that manner1 since the marble figures that are to be seen therein1 in the stories of ,s4 ,francis1 are wrought with so great excellence and diligence that nothing more could be looked for in marble4 ,for with great art ,benedetto carved there trees1 rocks1 houses1 views in perspective1 and certain things in marvellously bold relief2 not to mention a projection on the ground below the said pulpit1 which serves as a tombstone1 wrought with so much design that it is not possible to praise it enough4 ,it is said that in making this work he had some difficulty with the ,wardens of ,works of ,s4 ,croce1 because1 while he wished to erect the said pulpit against a column that sustains some of the arches which support the roof1 and to perforate that column in order to accommodate the steps and the entrance to the pulpit1 they would not consent1 fearing lest it might be so weakened by the hollow required for the steps as to collapse under the weight above1 with great damage to a part of that church4 ,but ,mellini having guaranteed that the work would be finished without any injury to the church1 they finally consented4 ,having1 therefore1 bound the outer side of the column with bands of bronze 7the part1 namely1 from the pulpit downwards1 which is covered with hard stone71 ,benedetto made within it the steps for ascending to the pulpit1 and in proportion as he hollowed it out within1 so did he strengthen the outer side with the said hard stone1 in the manner that is still to be seen4 ,and he brought this work to perfection to the amazement of all who see it1 showing in each part and in the whole together the utmost excellence that could be desired in such a work4 ,many declare that the elder ,filippo ,strozzi1 when intending to build his palace1 sought the advice of ,benedetto1 who made him a model1 according to which it was begun1 although it was afterwards carried on and finished by ,cronaca on the death of ,benedetto4 ,the latter1 having acquired enough to live upon1 would do no more works in marble after those described above1 save that he finished in ,s4 ,trinita the ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene begun by ,desiderio da ,settignano1 and made the ,crucifix that is over the altar of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 with certain others like it4 ,as for architecture1 although he put his hand to but few works1 yet in these he showed no less judgment than in sculpture2 particularly in three ceilings which were made at very great expense1 under his guidance and direction1 in the ,palace of the ,signoria at ,florence4 ,the first of these was the ceiling of the hall that is now called the ,sala de' ,dugento1 over which it was proposed to make1 not a similar hall1 but two apartments1 that is1 a hall and an audience chamber1 so that it was necessary to make a wall1 and no light one either1 containing a marble door of reasonable thickness2 wherefore1 for the execution of such a work1 there was need of intelligence and judgment no less than those possessed by ,benedetto4 ,benedetto1 then1 in order not to diminish the said hall and yet divide the space above into two1 went to work in the following manner4 ,on a beam one braccio in thickness1 and as long as the whole breadth of the hall1 he laid another consisting of two pieces1 in such a manner that it projected with its thickness to the height of two-thirds of a braccio4 ,at the ends1 these two beams1 bound and secured together very firmly1 gave a height of two braccia at the edge of the wall on each side2 and the said two ends were grooved with a claw-shaped cut1 in such a way that there could be laid upon them an arch of half a braccio in thickness1 made of two layers of bricks1 with its flanks resting on the principal walls4 ,these two beams1 then1 were dove-tailed together with tenon and mortise1 and so firmly bound and united with good bands of iron1 that out of two there was made one single beam4 ,besides this1 having made the said arch1 and wishing that these timbers of the ceiling should have nothing more to sustain than the wall under the arch1 and that the arch itself should sustain the rest1 he also attached to this arch two great supports of iron1 which1 being firmly bolted to the said beams below1 upheld and still uphold them2 while1 even if they were not to suffice by themselves1 the arch would be able--by means of the said supports which encircle the beams1 one on one side of the marble door and one on the other--to support a weight much greater than that of the partition wall1 which is made of bricks and half a braccio in thickness4 ,what is more1 he had the bricks in the said wall laid on edge and in the manner of an arch1 so that the pressure came against the solid part1 at the corners1 and the whole was thus more stable4 ,in this manner1 by means of the good judgment of ,benedetto1 the said ,sala de' ,dugento remained as large as before1 and over the same space1 with a partition wall between1 were made the hall that is called the ,sala dell' ,orivolo#bh and the ,audience ,chamber wherein is the ,triumph of ,camillus1 painted by the hand of ,salviati4 ,the soffit of this ceiling was richly wrought and carved by ,marco del ,tasso and his brothers1 ,domenico and ,giuliano1 who likewise executed that of the ,sala dell' ,orivolo and that of the ,audience ,chamber4 ,and since the said marble door had been made double by ,benedetto1 on the arch of the inner door--we have already spoken of the outer one--he wrought a seated figure of ,justice in marble1 with the globe of the world in one hand and a sword in the other2 and round the arch run the following words3 ,,diligite ,,justitiam ,,qui ,,judicatis ,,terram4 ,the whole of this work was executed with marvellous diligence and art4 ,for the ,church of the ,madonna delle ,grazie1 which is a little distance without the city of ,arezzo1 the same man made a portico with a flight of steps in front of the door4 ,in making the portico he placed the arches on the columns1 and right round alongside the roof he made an architrave1 frieze1 and great cornice2 and in the latter1 by way of drip1 he placed a garland of rosettes carved in grey-stone1 which jut out to the extent of one braccio and a third1 insomuch that between the projection of the front of the cyma above to the dentils and ovoli below the drip there is a space of two braccia and a half1 which1 with the half braccio added by the tiles1 makes a projecting roof all round of three braccia in width1 beautiful1 rich1 useful1 and ingenious4 ,in this work there is a contrivance worthy to be well considered by craftsmen1 for1 wishing to give this roof all that projection without modillions or corbels to support it1 he made the slabs1 on which the rosettes are carved1 so large that only the half of their length projected1 and the other half was built into the solid wall2 wherefore1 being thus counterpoised1 they were able to support the rest and all that was laid upon them1 as they have done up to the present day1 without any danger to that building4 ,and since he did not wish this roof to appear to be made1 as it was1 of pieces1 he surrounded it all1 piece by piece1 with a moulding made of sections well dove-tailed and let into one another1 which served as a ground to the garland of rosettes2 and this united the whole work together in such a manner that all who see it judge it to be of one piece4 ,in the same place he had a flat ceiling made of gilded rosettes1 which is much extolled4 ,now ,benedetto had bought a farm without ,prato1 on the road from the ,porta ,fiorentina in the direction of ,florence1 and no more than half a mile from that place4 ,on the main road1 beside the gate1 he built a most beautiful little chapel1 with a niche wherein he placed a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 so well wrought in terra-cotta1 that even as it is1 with no other colour1 it is as beautiful as if it were of marble4 ,so are two angels that are above by way of ornament1 each with a candelabrum in his hand4 ,on the predella of the altar there is a ,pieta with ,our ,lady and ,s4 ,john1 made of marble and very beautiful4 ,at his death he left in his house many things begun both in clay and in marble4 ,benedetto was a very good draughtsman1 as may be seen in certain drawings in our book4 ,finally he died in #adih1 at the age of fifty-four1 and was honourably buried in ,s4 ,lorenzo2 and he left directions that all his property1 after the death of certain of his relatives1 should go to the ,company of the ,bigallo4 ,while ,benedetto in his youth was working as a joiner and at the inlaying of wood1 he had among his rivals ,baccio ,cellini1 piper to the ,signoria of ,florence1 who made many very beautiful inlaid works in ivory1 and among others an octagon of figures in ivory1 outlined in black and marvellously beautiful1 which is in the guardaroba of the ,duke4 ,in like manner1 ,girolamo della ,cecca1 a pupil of ,baccio and likewise piper to the ,signoria1 also executed many inlaid works at that same time4 ,a contemporary of these was ,david ,pistoiese1 who made a ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist of inlaid work at the entrance to the choir of ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista in ,pistoia--a work more notable for great diligence in execution than for any great design4 ,there was also ,geri ,aretino1 who wrought the choir and the pulpit of ,s4 ,agostino at ,arezzo with figures and views in perspective1 likewise of inlaid wood4 ,this ,geri was a very fanciful man1 and he made with wooden pipes an organ most perfect in sweetness and softness1 which is still at the present day over the door of the ,sacristy of the ,vescovado at ,arezzo1 with its original goodness as sound as ever--a work worthy of marvel1 and first put into execution by him4 ,but not one of these men1 nor any other1 was as excellent by a great measure as was ,benedetto2 wherefore he deserves to be ever numbered with praise among the best craftsmen of his professions4 ,,footnotes3 #bh ,i4e41 clock4 ,,andrea ,,verrocchio ,illustration3 ,,david 7,after the bronze by ,andrea ,verrocchio4 ,florence3 ,bargello7 ,anderson ,,life ,,of ,,andrea ,,verrocchio ,,painter1 ,,sculptor1 ,,and ,,architect ,,of ,,florence ,andrea del ,verrocchio1 a ,florentine1 was in his day a goldsmith1 a master of perspective1 a sculptor1 a wood-carver1 a painter1 and a musician2 but in the arts of sculpture and painting1 to tell the truth1 he had a manner somewhat hard and crude1 as one who acquired it rather by infinite study than by the facility of a natural gift4 ,even if he had been as poor in this facility as he was rich in the study and diligence that exalted him1 he would have been most excellent in those arts1 which1 for their highest perfection1 require a union of study and natural power4 ,if either of these is wanting1 a man rarely attains to the first rank2 but study will do a great deal1 and thus ,andrea1 who had it in greater abundance than any other craftsman whatsoever1 is counted among the rare and excellent masters of our arts4 ,in his youth he applied himself to the sciences1 particularly to geometry4 ,among many other things that he made while working at the goldsmith's art were certain buttons for copes1 which are in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore at ,florence2 and he also made larger works1 particularly a cup1 full of animals1 foliage1 and other bizarre fancies1 which is known to all goldsmiths1 and casts are taken of it2 and likewise another1 on which there is a very beautiful dance of little children4 ,having given a proof of his powers in these two works1 he was commissioned by the ,guild of ,merchants to make two scenes in silver for the ends of the altar of ,s4 ,giovanni1 from which1 when put into execution1 he acquired very great praise and fame4 ,there were wanting at this time in ,rome some of those large figures of the ,apostles which generally stood on the altar of the ,chapel of the ,pope1 as well as certain other works in silver that had been destroyed2 wherefore ,pope ,sixtus sent for ,andrea and with great favour commissioned him to do all that was necessary in this matter1 and he brought the whole to perfection with much diligence and judgment4 ,meanwhile1 perceiving that the many antique statues and other things that were being found in ,rome were held in very great esteem1 insomuch that the famous bronze horse was set up by the ,pope at ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano1 and that even the fragments--not to speak of complete works--which were being discovered every day1 were prized1 ,andrea determined to devote himself to sculpture4 ,and so1 completely abandoning the goldsmith's art1 he set himself to cast some little figures in bronze1 which were greatly extolled4 ,thereupon1 growing in courage1 he began to work in marble4 ,now in those days the wife of ,francesco ,tornabuoni had died in childbirth1 and her husband1 who had loved her much1 and wished to honour her in death to the utmost of his power1 entrusted the making of a tomb for her to ,andrea1 who carved on a slab over a sarcophagus of marble the lady herself1 her delivery1 and her passing to the other life2 and beside this he made three figures of ,virtues1 which were held very beautiful1 for the first work that he had executed in marble2 and this tomb was set up in the ,minerva4 ,having then returned to ,florence with money1 fame1 and honour1 he was commissioned to make a ,david of bronze1 two braccia and a half in height1 which1 when finished1 was placed in the ,palace1 with great credit to himself1 at the head of the staircase1 where the ,catena was4 ,the while that he was executing the said statue1 he also made that ,madonna of marble which is over the tomb of ,messer ,lionardo ,bruni of ,arezzo in ,s4 ,croce2 this he wrought1 when still quite young1 for ,bernardo ,rossellino1 architect and sculptor1 who executed the whole of that work in marble1 as has been said4 ,the same ,andrea made a half-length ,madonna in half-relief1 with the ,child in her arms1 in a marble panel1 which was formerly in the house of the ,medici1 and is now placed1 as a very beautiful thing1 over a door in the apartment of the ,duchess of ,florence4 ,he also made two heads of metal1 likewise in half-relief2 one of ,alexander the ,great1 in profile1 and the other a fanciful portrait of ,darius2 each being a separate work by itself1 with variety in the crests1 armour1 and everything else4 ,both these heads were sent to ,hungary by the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 the ,magnificent1 to ,king ,matthias ,corvinus1 together with many other things1 as will be told in the proper place4 ,having acquired the name of an excellent master by means of these works1 above all through many works in metal1 in which he took much delight1 he made a tomb of bronze in ,s4 ,lorenzo1 wholly in the round1 for ,giovanni and ,pietro di ,cosimo de' ,medici1 with a sarcophagus of porphyry supported by four corner-pieces of bronze1 with twisted foliage very well wrought and finished with the greatest diligence4 ,this tomb stands between the ,chapel of the ,sacrament and the ,sacristy1 and no work could be better done1 whether wrought in bronze or cast2 above all since at the same time he showed therein his talent in architecture1 for he placed the said tomb within the embrasure of a window which is about five braccia in breadth and ten in height1 and set it on a base that divides the said ,chapel of the ,sacrament from the old ,sacristy4 ,and over the sarcophagus1 to fill up the embrasure right up to the vaulting1 he made a grating of bronze ropes in a pattern of mandorle1 most natural1 and adorned in certain places with festoons and other beautiful things of fancy1 all remarkable and executed with much mastery1 judgment1 and invention4 ,now ,donatello had made for the ,tribunal of ,six of the ,mercanzia that marble shrine which is now opposite to ,s4 ,michael1 in the ,oratory of ,orsanmichele1 and for this there was to have been made a ,s4 ,thomas in bronze1 feeling for the wound in the side of ,christ2 but at that time nothing more was done1 for some of the men who had the charge of this wished to have it made by ,donatello1 and others favoured ,lorenzo ,ghiberti4 ,matters stood thus as long as ,donatello and ,ghiberti were alive2 but finally the said two statues were entrusted to ,andrea1 who1 having made the models and moulds1 cast them2 and they came out so solid1 complete1 and well made1 that it was a most beautiful casting4 ,thereupon1 setting himself to polish and finish them1 he brought them to that perfection which is seen at the present day1 which could not be greater than it is1 for in ,s4 ,thomas we see incredulity and a too great anxiety to assure himself of the truth1 and at the same time the love that makes him lay his hand in a most beautiful manner on the side of ,christ2 and in ,christ ,himself1 who is raising one arm and opening ,his raiment with a most spontaneous gesture1 and dispelling the doubts of ,his incredulous disciple1 there are all the grace and divinity1 so to speak1 that art can give to any figure4 ,andrea clothed both these figures in most beautiful and well-arranged draperies1 which give us to know that he understood that art no less than did ,donato1 ,lorenzo1 and the others who had lived before him2 wherefore this work well deserved to be set up in a shrine made by ,donatello1 and to be ever afterwards held in the greatest price and esteem4 ,now the fame of ,andrea could not go further or grow greater in that profession1 and he1 as a man who was not content with being excellent in one thing only1 but desired to become the same in others as well by means of study1 turned his mind to painting1 and so made the cartoons for a battle of nude figures1 very well drawn with the pen1 to be afterwards painted in colours on a wall4 ,he also made the cartoons for some historical pictures1 and afterwards began to put them into execution in colours2 but for some reason1 whatever it may have been1 they remained unfinished4 ,there are some drawings by his hand in our book1 made with much patience and very great judgment1 among which are certain heads of women1 beautiful in expression and in the adornment of the hair1 which ,leonardo da ,vinci was ever imitating for their beauty4 ,in our book1 also1 are two horses with the due measures and protractors for reproducing them on a larger scale from a smaller1 so that there may be no errors in their proportions2 and there is in my possession a horse's head of terra-cotta in relief1 copied from the antique1 which is a rare work4 ,the ,very ,reverend ,don ,vincenzio ,borghini has some of his drawings in his book1 of which we have spoken above2 among others1 a design for a tomb made by him in ,venice for a ,doge1 a scene of the ,adoration of ,christ by the ,magi1 and the head of a woman painted on paper with the utmost delicacy4 ,he also made for ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 for the fountain of his ,villa at ,careggi1 a boy of bronze squeezing a fish1 which the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo has caused to be placed1 as may be seen at the present day1 on the fountain that is in the courtyard of his ,palace2 which boy is truly marvellous4 ,illustration3 ,,corner ,,and ,,foot ,,of ,,the ,,medici ,,sarcophagus 7,detail1 after ,andrea ,verrocchio4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,lorenzo7 ,alinari ,afterwards1 the building of the ,cupola of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore having been finished1 it was resolved1 after much discussion1 that there should be made the copper ball which1 according to the instructions left by ,filippo ,brunelleschi1 was to be placed on the summit of that edifice4 ,whereupon the task was given to ,andrea1 who made the ball four braccia high1 and1 placing it on a knob1 secured it in such a manner that afterwards the cross could be safely erected upon it2 and the whole work1 when finished1 was put into position with very great rejoicing and delight among the people4 ,truly great were the ingenuity and diligence that had to be used in making it1 to the end that it might be possible1 as it is1 to enter it from below1 and also in securing it with good fastenings1 lest the winds might do it damage4 ,andrea was never at rest1 but was ever labouring at some work either in painting or in sculpture2 and sometimes he would change from one to another1 in order to avoid growing weary of working always at the same thing1 as many do4 ,wherefore1 although he did not put the aforesaid cartoons into execution1 yet he did paint certain pictures2 among others1 a panel for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,domenico in ,florence1 wherein it appeared to him that he had acquitted himself very well2 whence1 no long time after1 he painted another in ,s4 ,salvi for the ,monks of ,vallombrosa1 containing the ,baptism of ,christ by ,s4 ,john4 ,in this work he was assisted by ,leonardo da ,vinci1 his disciple1 then quite young1 who painted therein an angel with his own hand1 which was much better than the other parts of the work2 and for that reason ,andrea resolved never again to touch a brush1 since ,leonardo1 young as he was1 had acquitted himself in that art much better than he had done4 ,now ,cosimo de' ,medici1 having received many antiquities from ,rome1 had caused to be set up within the door of his garden1 or rather1 courtyard1 which opens on the ,via de' ,ginori1 a very beautiful ,marsyas of white marble1 bound to a tree-trunk and ready to be flayed2 and his grandson ,lorenzo1 into whose hands there had come the torso and head of another ,marsyas1 made of red stone1 very ancient1 and much more beautiful than the first1 wished to set it beside the other1 but could not1 because it was so imperfect4 ,thereupon he gave it to ,andrea to be restored and completed1 and he made the legs1 thighs1 and arms that were lacking in this figure out of pieces of red marble1 so well that ,lorenzo was highly satisfied and had it placed opposite to the other1 on the other side of the door4 ,this ancient torso1 made to represent a flayed ,marsyas1 was wrought with such care and judgment that certain delicate white veins1 which were in the red stone1 were carved by the craftsman exactly in the right places1 so as to appear to be little nerves1 such as are seen in real bodies when they have been flayed2 which must have given to that work1 when it had its original finish1 a most life-like appearance4 ,the ,venetians1 meanwhile1 wishing to honour the great valour of ,bartolommeo da ,bergamo1 thanks to whom they had gained many victories1 in order to encourage others1 and having heard the fame of ,andrea1 summoned him to ,venice1 where he was commissioned to make an equestrian statue of that captain in bronze1 to be placed on the ,piazza di ,,ss4 ,giovanni e ,polo4 ,andrea1 then1 having made the model of the horse1 had already begun to get it ready for casting in bronze1 when1 thanks to the favour of certain gentlemen1 it was determined that ,vellano da ,padova should make the figure and ,andrea the horse4 ,having heard this1 ,andrea broke the legs and head of his model and returned in great disdain to ,florence1 without saying a word4 ,the ,signoria1 receiving news of this1 gave him to understand that he should never be bold enough to return to ,venice1 for they would cut his head off2 to which he wrote in answer that he would take good care not to1 because1 once they had cut a man's head off1 it was not in their power to put it on again1 and certainly not one like his own1 whereas he could have replaced the head that he had knocked off his horse with one even more beautiful4 ,after this answer1 which did not displease those ,signori1 his payment was doubled and he was persuaded to return to ,venice1 where he restored his first model and cast it in bronze2 but even then he did not finish it entirely1 for he caught a chill by overheating himself during the casting1 and died in that city within a few days2 leaving unfinished not only that work 7although there was only a little polishing to be done71 which was set up in the place for which it was destined1 but also another which he was making in ,pistoia1 that is1 the tomb of ,cardinal ,forteguerra1 with the three ,theological ,virtues1 and a ,god the ,father above2 which work was afterwards finished by ,lorenzetto1 a sculptor of ,florence4 ,illustration3 ,,statue ,,of ,,bartolommeo ,,colleoni 7,after the bronze by ,andrea ,verrocchio4 ,venice3 ,campo ,,ss4 ,giovanni e ,paolo7 ,anderson ,andrea was fifty-six years of age when he died4 ,his death caused infinite grief to his friends and to his disciples1 who were not few2 above all to the sculptor ,nanni ,grosso1 a most eccentric person both in his art and in his life4 ,this man1 it is said1 would not have worked outside his shop1 particularly for monks or friars1 if he had not had free access to the door of the vault1 or rather1 wine-cellar1 so that he might go and drink whenever he pleased1 without having to ask leave4 ,it is also told of him that once1 having returned from ,s4 ,maria ,nuova completely cured of some sickness1 ,i know not what1 he was visited by his friends1 who asked him how it went with him4 ,ill1 he answered4 ,but thou art cured1 they replied4 ,that is why it goes ill with me1 said he1 for ,i would dearly love a little fever1 so that ,i might lie there in the hospital1 well attended and at my ease4 ,as he lay dying1 again in the hospital1 there was placed before him a wooden ,crucifix1 very rude and clumsily wrought2 whereupon he prayed them to take it out of his sight and to bring him one by the hand of ,donato1 declaring that if they did not take it away he would die in misery1 so greatly did he detest badly wrought works in his own art4 ,disciples of the same ,andrea were ,pietro ,perugino and ,leonardo da ,vinci1 of whom we will speak in the proper place1 and ,francesco di ,simone of ,florence1 who made a tomb of marble in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico in ,bologna1 with many little figures1 which appear from the manner to be by the hand of ,andrea1 for ,messer ,alessandro ,tartaglia1 a doctor of ,imola1 and another in ,s4 ,pancrazio at ,florence1 facing the sacristy and one of the chapels of the church1 for the ,chevalier ,messer ,pietro ,minerbetti4 ,another pupil of ,andrea was ,agnolo di ,polo1 who worked with great mastery in clay1 filling the city with works by his hand2 and if he had deigned to apply himself properly to his art1 he would have made very beautiful things4 ,but the one whom he loved more than all the others was ,lorenzo di ,credi1 who brought his remains from ,venice and laid them in the ,church of ,s4 ,ambrogio1 in the tomb of ,ser ,michele di ,cione1 on the stone of which there are carved the following words3 ,,ser ,,michaelis ,,de ,,cionis1 ,,et ,,suorum4 ,and beside them3 ,,hic ,,ossa ,,jacent ,,andreae ,,verrochii1 ,,qui ,,obiit ,,venetiis1 ,,mcccclxxxviii4 ,andrea took much delight in casting in a kind of plaster which would set hard--that is1 the kind that is made of a soft stone which is quarried in the districts of ,volterra and of ,siena and in many other parts of ,italy4 ,this stone1 when burnt in the fire1 and then pounded and mixed with tepid water1 becomes so soft that men can make whatever they please with it2 but afterwards it solidifies and becomes so hard1 that it can be used for moulds for casting whole figures4 ,andrea1 then1 was wont to cast in moulds of this material such natural objects as hands1 feet1 knees1 legs1 arms1 and torsi1 in order to have them before him and imitate them with greater convenience4 ,afterwards1 in his time1 men began to cast the heads of those who died--a cheap method2 wherefore there are seen in every house in ,florence1 over the chimney-pieces1 doors1 windows1 and cornices1 infinite numbers of such portraits1 so well made and so natural that they appear alive4 ,and from that time up to the present the said custom has been continued1 and it still continues1 with great convenience to ourselves1 for it has given us portraits of many who have been included in the stories in the ,palace of ,duke ,cosimo4 ,and for this we should certainly acknowledge a very great obligation to the talent of ,andrea1 who was one of the first to begin to bring the custom into use4 ,from this men came to make more perfect images1 not only in ,florence1 but in all the places in which there is devoutness1 and to which people flock to offer votive images1 or1 as they are called1 miracoli1 in return for some favour received4 ,for whereas they were previously made small and of silver1 or only in the form of little panels1 or rather of wax1 and very clumsy1 in the time of ,andrea they began to be made in a much better manner1 since ,andrea1 having a very strait friendship with ,orsino1 a ,florentine worker in wax1 who had no little judgment in that art1 began to show him how he could become excellent therein4 ,now the due occasion arrived in the form of the death of ,giuliano de' ,medici and the danger incurred by his brother ,lorenzo1 who was wounded in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 when it was ordained by the friends and relatives of ,lorenzo that images of him should be set up in many places1 to render thanks to ,god for his deliverance4 ,wherefore ,orsino1 among others that he made1 executed three life-size figures of wax with the aid and direction of ,andrea1 making the skeleton within of wood1 after the method described elsewhere1 interwoven with split reeds1 which were then covered with waxed cloths folded and arranged so beautifully that nothing better or more true to nature could be seen4 ,then he made the heads1 hands1 and feet with wax of greater thickness1 but hollow within1 portrayed from life1 and painted in oils with all the ornaments of hair and everything else that was necessary1 so lifelike and so well wrought that they seemed no mere images of wax1 but actual living men1 as may be seen in each of the said three1 one of which is in the ,church of the ,nuns of ,chiarito in the ,via di ,s4 ,gallo1 opposite to the ,crucifix that works miracles4 ,this figure is clothed exactly as ,lorenzo was1 when1 with his wounded throat bandaged1 he showed himself at the window of his house before the eyes of the people1 who had flocked thither to see whether he were alive1 as they hoped1 or to avenge him if he were dead4 ,the second figure of the same man is in the lucco1 the gown peculiar to the citizens of ,florence2 and it stands in the ,servite ,church of the ,nunziata1 over the lesser door1 which is beside the counter where candles are sold4 ,the third was sent to ,s4 ,maria degli ,angeli at ,assisi1 and set up before the ,madonna of that place1 where the same ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 as has been already related1 caused the road to be paved with bricks all the way from ,s4 ,maria to that gate of ,assisi which leads to ,s4 ,francesco1 besides restoring the fountains that his grandfather ,cosimo had caused to be made in that place4 ,but to return to the images of wax3 all those in the said ,servite ,church are by the hand of ,orsino1 which have a large ,o in the base as a mark1 with an ,r within it and a cross above2 and they are all so beautiful that there are few since his day who have equalled him4 ,this art1 although it has remained alive up to our own time1 is nevertheless rather on the decline than otherwise1 either because men's devoutness has diminished1 or for some other reason1 whatever it may be4 ,and to return to ,verrocchio2 besides the aforesaid works1 he made ,crucifixes of wood1 with certain things of clay1 in which he was excellent1 as may be seen from the models for the scenes that he executed for the altar of ,s4 ,giovanni1 from certain very beautiful boys1 and from a head of ,s4 ,jerome1 which is held to be marvellous4 ,by the hand of the same man is the boy on the clock of the ,mercato ,nuovo1 who has his arms working free1 in such a manner that he can raise them to strike the hours with a hammer that he holds in his hands2 which was held in those times to be something very beautiful and fanciful4 ,and let this be the end of the ,life of that most excellent sculptor1 ,andrea ,verrocchio4 ,there lived in the time of ,andrea one ,benedetto ,buglioni1 who received the secret of glazed terra-cotta work from a woman related to the house of ,andrea della ,robbia2 wherefore he made many works in that manner both in ,florence and abroad1 particularly a ,christ rising from the dead1 with certain angels1 which1 for a work in glazed terra-cotta1 is beautiful enough1 in the ,church of the ,servi1 near the ,chapel of ,s4 ,barbara4 ,he made a ,dead ,christ in a chapel in ,s4 ,pancrazio1 and the lunette that is seen over the principal door of the ,church of ,s4 ,pietro ,maggiore4 ,from ,benedetto the secret descended to ,santi ,buglioni1 the only man who now knows how to work at this sort of sculpture4 ,,andrea ,,mantegna ,illustration3 ,,the ,,martyrdom ,,of ,s4 ,,james 7,after the fresco by ,andrea ,mantegna4 ,padua3 ,eremitani7 ,anderson ,,life ,,of ,,andrea ,,mantegna ,,painter ,,of ,,mantua ,how great is the effect of reward on talent is known to him who labours valiantly and receives a certain measure of recompense1 for he feels neither discomfort1 nor hardship1 nor fatigue1 when he expects honour and reward for them2 nay1 what is more1 they render his talent every day more renowned and illustrious4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that there is not always found one to recognize1 esteem1 and remunerate it as that of ,andrea ,mantegna was recognized4 ,this man was born from very humble stock in the district of ,mantua2 and1 although as a boy he was occupied in grazing herds1 he was so greatly exalted by destiny and by his merit that he attained to the honourable rank of ,chevalier1 as will be told in the proper place4 ,when almost full grown he was taken to the city1 where he applied himself to painting under ,jacopo ,squarcione1 a painter of ,padua1 who--as it is written in a ,latin letter from ,messer ,girolamo ,campagnola to ,messer ,leonico ,timeo1 a ,greek philosopher1 wherein he gives him information about certain old painters who served the family of ,carrara1 ,lords of ,padua--took him into his house1 and a little time afterwards1 having recognized the beauty of his intelligence1 adopted him as his son4 ,now this ,squarcione knew that he himself was not the most able painter in the world2 wherefore1 to the end that ,andrea might learn more than he himself knew1 he made him practise much on casts taken from ancient statues and on pictures painted upon canvas which he caused to be brought from diverse places1 particularly from ,tuscany and from ,rome4 ,by these and other methods1 therefore1 ,andrea learnt not a little in his youth2 and the competition of ,marco ,zoppo of ,bologna1 ,darlo da ,treviso1 and ,niccolo ,pizzolo of ,padua1 disciples of his master and adoptive father1 was of no small assistance to him1 and a stimulus to his studies4 ,now after ,andrea1 who was then no more than seventeen years of age1 had painted the panel of the high-altar of ,s4 ,sofia in ,padua1 which appears wrought by a mature and well-practised master1 and not by a youth1 ,squarcione was commissioned to paint the ,chapel of ,s4 ,cristofano1 which is in the ,church of the ,eremite ,friars of ,s4 ,agostino in ,padua2 and he gave the work to the said ,niccolo ,pizzolo and to ,andrea4 ,niccolo made therein a ,god the ,father seated in ,majesty between the ,doctors of the ,church1 and these paintings were afterwards held to be in no way inferior to those that ,andrea executed there4 ,and in truth1 if ,niccolo1 whose works were few1 but all good1 had taken as much delight in painting as he did in arms1 he would have become excellent1 and might perchance have lived much longer than he did2 for he was ever under arms and had many enemies1 and one day1 when returning from work1 he was attacked and slain by treachery4 ,niccolo left no other works that ,i know of1 save another ,god the ,father in the ,chapel of ,urbano ,perfetto4#bi ,illustration3 ,,andrea ,,mantegna3 ,,the ,,madonna ,,of ,,the ,,rocks 7,florence3 ,uffizi1 #ajbe4 ,panel7 ,andrea1 thus left alone in the said chapel1 painted the four ,evangelists1 which were held very beautiful4 ,by reason of this and other works ,andrea began to be watched with great expectation1 and with hopes that he would attain to that success to which he actually did attain2 wherefore ,jacopo ,bellini1 the ,venetian painter1 father of ,gentile and ,giovanni1 and rival of ,squarcione1 contrived to get him to marry his daughter1 the sister of ,gentile4 ,hearing this1 ,squarcione fell into such disdain against ,andrea that they were enemies ever afterwards2 and in proportion as ,squarcione had formerly been ever praising the works of ,andrea1 so from that day onward did he ever decry them in public4 ,above all did he censure without reserve the pictures that ,andrea had made in the said ,chapel of ,s4 ,cristofano1 saying that they were worthless1 because in making them he had imitated the ancient works in marble1 from which it is not possible to learn painting perfectly1 for the reason that stone is ever from its very essence hard1 and never has that tender softness that is found in flesh and in things of nature1 which are pliant and move in various ways2 adding that ,andrea would have made those figures much better1 and that they would have been more perfect1 if he had given them the colour of marble and not such a quantity of colours1 because his pictures resembled not living figures but ancient statues of marble or other suchlike things4 ,this censure piqued the mind of ,andrea2 but1 on the other hand1 it was of great service to him1 for1 recognizing that ,squarcione was in great measure speaking the truth1 he set himself to portray living people1 and made so much progress in this art1 that1 in a scene which still remained to be painted in the said chapel1 he showed that he could wrest the good from living and natural objects no less than from those wrought by art4 ,but for all this ,andrea was ever of the opinion that the good ancient statues were more perfect and had greater beauty in their various parts than is shown by nature1 since1 as he judged and seemed to see from those statues1 the excellent masters of old had wrested from living people all the perfection of nature1 which rarely assembles and unites all possible beauty into one single body1 so that it is necessary to take one part from one body and another part from another4 ,in addition to this1 it appeared to him that the statues were more complete and more thorough in the muscles1 veins1 nerves1 and other particulars1 which nature1 covering their sharpness somewhat with the tenderness and softness of flesh1 sometimes makes less evident1 save perchance in the body of an old man or in one greatly emaciated2 but such bodies1 for other reasons1 are avoided by craftsmen4 ,and that he was greatly enamoured of this opinion is recognized from his works1 in which1 in truth1 the manner is seen to be somewhat hard and sometimes suggesting stone rather than living flesh4 ,be this as it may1 in this last scene1 which gave infinite satisfaction1 ,andrea portrayed ,squarcione in an ugly and corpulent figure1 lance and sword in hand4 ,in the same work he portrayed the ,florentine ,noferi1 son of ,messer ,palla ,strozzi1 ,messer ,girolamo della ,valle1 a most excellent physician1 ,messer ,bonifazio ,fuzimeliga1 ,doctor of ,laws1 ,niccolo1 goldsmith to ,pope ,innocent ,,viii1 and ,baldassarre da ,leccio1 all very much his friends1 whom he represented clad in white armour1 burnished and resplendent1 as real armour is1 and truly with a beautiful manner4 ,he also portrayed there the ,chevalier ,messer ,bonramino1 and a certain ,bishop of ,hungary1 a man wholly witless1 who would wander about ,rome all day1 and then at night would lie down to sleep like a beast in a stable2 and he made a portrait of ,marsilio ,pazzo in the person of the executioner who is cutting off the head of ,s4 ,james1 together with one of himself4 ,this work1 in short1 by reason of its excellence1 brought him a very great name4 ,the while that he was working on this chapel1 he also painted a panel1 which was placed on the altar of ,s4 ,luca in ,s4 ,justina1 and afterwards he wrought in fresco the arch that is over the door of ,s4 ,antonino1 on which he wrote his name4 ,in ,verona he painted a panel for the altar of ,s4 ,cristofano and ,s4 ,antonio1 and he made some figures at the corner of the ,piazza della ,paglia4 ,in ,s4 ,maria in ,organo1 for the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 he painted the panel of the high-altar1 which is most beautiful1 and likewise that of ,s4 ,zeno4 ,and among other things that he wrought while living in ,verona and sent to various places1 one1 which came into the hands of an ,abbot of the ,abbey of ,fiesole1 his friend and relative1 was a picture containing a half-length ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 and certain heads of angels singing1 wrought with admirable grace2 which picture1 now to be seen in the library of that place1 has been held from that time to our own to be a rare thing4 ,now1 the while that he lived in ,mantua1 he had laboured much in the service of the ,marquis ,lodovico ,gonzaga1 and that lord1 who always showed no little esteem and favour towards the talent of ,andrea1 caused him to paint a little panel for the ,chapel of the ,castle of ,mantua2 in which panel there are scenes with figures not very large but most beautiful4 ,in the same place are many figures foreshortened from below upwards1 which are greatly extolled1 for although his treatment of the draperies was somewhat hard and precise1 and his manner rather dry1 yet everything there is seen to have been wrought with much art and diligence4 ,for the same ,marquis1 in a hall of the ,palace of ,s4 ,sebastiano in ,mantua1 he painted the ,triumph of ,caesar1 which is the best thing that he ever executed4 ,in this work we see1 grouped with most beautiful design in the triumph1 the ornate and lovely car1 the man who is vituperating the triumphant ,caesar1 and the relatives1 the perfumes1 the incense1 the sacrifices1 the priests1 the bulls crowned for the sacrifice1 the prisoners1 the booty won by the soldiers1 the ranks of the squadrons1 the elephants1 the spoils1 the victories1 the cities and fortresses counterfeited in various cars1 with an infinity of trophies borne on spears1 and a variety of helmets and body-armour1 head-dresses1 and ornaments and vases innumerable2 and in the multitude of spectators is a woman holding the hand of a boy1 who1 having pierced his foot with a thorn1 is showing it1 weeping1 to his mother1 in a graceful and very lifelike manner4 ,andrea1 as ,i may have pointed out elsewhere1 had a good and beautiful idea in this scene1 for1 having set the plane on which the figures stood higher than the level of the eye1 he placed the feet of the foremost on the outer edge and outline of that plane1 making the others recede inwards little by little1 so that their feet and legs were lost to sight in the proportion required by the point of view2 and so1 too1 with the spoils1 vases1 and other instruments and ornaments1 of which he showed only the lower part1 concealing the upper1 as was required by the rules of perspective2 which same consideration was also observed with much diligence by ,andrea degli ,impiccati#cj in the ,last ,supper1 which is in the ,refectory of ,s4 ,maria ,nuova4 ,wherefore it is seen that in that age these able masters set about investigating with much subtlety1 and imitating with great labour1 the true properties of natural objects4 ,and this whole work1 to put it briefly1 is as beautiful and as well wrought as it could be2 so that if the ,marquis loved ,andrea before1 he loved and honoured him much more ever afterwards4 ,illustration3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,angels 7,after the panel by ,andrea ,mantegna4 ,milan3 ,brera1 #aih7 ,alinari ,what is more1 he became so famous thereby that ,pope ,innocent ,,viii1 hearing of his excellence in painting and of the other good qualities wherewith he was so marvellously endowed1 sent for him1 even as he was sending for many others1 to the end that he might adorn with his pictures the walls of the ,belvedere1 the building of which had just been finished4 ,having gone to ,rome1 then1 greatly favoured and recommended by the ,marquis1 who made him a ,chevalier in order to honour him the more1 he was received lovingly by that ,pontiff and straightway commissioned to paint a little chapel that is in the said place4 ,this he executed with diligence and love1 and with such minuteness that the vaulting and the walls appear rather illuminated than painted2 and the largest figures that are therein1 which he painted in fresco like the others1 are over the altar1 representing the ,baptism of ,christ by ,s4 ,john1 with many people around1 who are showing by taking off their clothes that they wish to be baptized4 ,among these is one who1 seeking to draw off a stocking that has stuck to his leg through sweat1 has crossed that leg over the other and is drawing the stocking off inside out1 with such great effort and difficulty1 that both are seen clearly in his face2 which bizarre fancy caused marvel to all who saw it in those times4 ,it is said that this ,pope1 by reason of his many affairs1 did not pay ,mantegna as often as he would have liked1 and that therefore1 while painting certain ,virtues in terretta in that work1 he made a figure of ,discretion among the rest1 whereupon the ,pope1 having gone one day to see the work1 asked ,andrea what figure that was2 to which ,andrea answered that it was ,discretion2 and the ,pope added3 ,if thou wouldst have her suitably accompanied1 put ,patience beside her4 ,the painter understood what the meaning of the ,holy ,father was1 and he never said another word4 ,the work finished1 the ,pope sent him back to the ,duke with much favour and honourable rewards4 ,the while that ,andrea was working in ,rome1 he painted1 besides the said chapel1 a little picture of the ,madonna with the ,child sleeping in her arms2 and within certain caverns in the landscape1 which is a mountain1 he made some stone-cutters quarrying stone for various purposes1 all wrought with such delicacy and such great patience1 that it does not seem possible for such good work to be done with the thin point of a brush4 ,this picture is now in the possession of the most ,illustrious ,lord1 ,don ,francesco ,medici1 ,prince of ,florence1 who holds it among his dearest treasures4 ,in our book is a drawing by the hand of ,andrea on a half-sheet of royal folio1 finished in chiaroscuro1 wherein is a ,judith who is putting the head of ,holofernes into the wallet of her ,moorish slave-girl2 which chiaroscuro is executed in a manner no longer used1 for he left the paper white to serve for the light in place of white lead1 and that so delicately that the separate hairs and other minute details are seen therein1 no less than if they had been wrought with much diligence by the brush2 wherefore in a certain sense this may be called rather a work in colour than a drawing4 ,the same man1 like ,pollaiuolo1 delighted in engraving on copper2 and1 among other things1 he made engravings of his own ,triumphs1 which were then held in great account1 since nothing better had been seen4 ,one of the last works that he executed was a panel-picture for ,s4 ,maria della ,vittoria1 a church built after the direction and design of ,andrea by the ,marquis ,francesco1 in memory of the victory that he gained on the ,river ,taro1 when he was ,general of the ,venetian forces against the ,french4 ,in this panel1 which was wrought in distemper and placed on the high-altar1 there is painted the ,madonna with the ,child seated on a pedestal2 and below are ,s4 ,michelagnolo1 ,s4 ,anna1 and ,joachim1 who are presenting the ,marquis--who is portrayed from life so well that he appears alive--to the ,madonna1 who is offering him her hand4 ,which picture1 even as it gave and still continues to give universal pleasure1 also satisfied the ,marquis so well that he rewarded most liberally the talent and labour of ,andrea1 who1 having been remunerated by ,princes for all his works1 was able to maintain his rank of ,chevalier most honourably up to the end of his life4 ,andrea had competitors in ,lorenzo da ,lendinara--who was held in ,padua to be an excellent painter1 and who also wrought some things in terra-cotta for the ,church of ,s4 ,antonio--and in certain others of no great worth4 ,he was ever the friend of ,dario da ,treviso and ,marco ,zoppo of ,bologna1 since he had been brought up with them under the discipline of ,squarcione4 ,for the ,friars ,minor of ,padua this ,marco painted a loggia which serves as their chapter-house2 and at ,pesaro he painted a panel that is now in the new ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,evangelista2 besides portraying in a picture ,guidobaldo da ,montefeltro1 at the time when he was ,captain of the ,florentines4 ,a friend of ,mantegna's1 likewise1 was ,stefano1 a painter of ,ferrara1 whose works were few but passing good2 and by his hand is the adornment of the sarcophagus of ,s4 ,anthony to be seen in ,padua1 with the ,virgin ,mary1 that is called the ,vergine del ,pilastro4 ,but to return to ,andrea himself2 he built a very beautiful house in ,mantua for his own use1 which he adorned with paintings and enjoyed while he lived4 ,finally he died in #aeag1 at the age of sixty-six1 and was buried with honourable obsequies in ,s4 ,andrea2 and on his tomb1 over which stands his portrait in bronze1 there was placed the following epitaph3 ,,esse ,,parem ,,hunc ,,noris1 ,,si ,,non ,,praeponis1 ,,apelli2 ,,aenea ,,mantineae ,,qui ,,simulacra ,,vides4 ,andrea was so kindly and praiseworthy in all his actions1 that his memory will ever live1 not only in his own country1 but in the whole world2 wherefore he well deserved1 no less for the sweetness of his ways than for his excellence in painting1 to be celebrated by ,ariosto at the beginning of his thirty-third canto1 where he numbers him among the most illustrious painters of his time1 saying3 ,leonardo1 ,andrea ,mantegna1 ,gian ,bellino4 ,this master showed painters a much better method of foreshortening figures from below upwards1 which was truly a difficult and ingenious invention2 and he also took delight1 as has been said1 in engraving figures on copper for printing1 a method of truly rare value1 by means of which the world has been able to see not only the ,bacchanalia1 the ,battle of ,marine ,monsters1 the ,deposition from the ,cross1 the ,burial of ,christ1 and ,his ,resurrection1 with ,longinus and ,s4 ,andrew1 works by ,mantegna himself1 but also the manners of all the craftsmen who have ever lived4 ,illustration3 ,,judith ,,with ,,the ,,head ,,of ,,holofernes 7,after the painting by ,andrea ,mantegna4 ,dublin3 ,national ,gallery7 ,mansell ,,footnotes3 #bi ,this seems to be a printer's or copyist's error for ,prefetto4 #cj ,andrea dal ,castagno4 ,,index ,,of ,,names ,,of ,,the ,,craftsmen ,,mentioned ,,in ,,volume ,,iii ,abbot of ,s4 ,clemente 7,don ,bartolommeo della ,gatta71 ,life1 #bjc-bji4 #ahh ,agnolo1 ,baccio d'1 #ab ,agnolo di ,donnino1 #ahi1 #aij ,agnolo di ,lorenzo 7,angelo di ,lorentino71 #bji ,agnolo di ,polo1 #bgc1 #bgd ,alberti1 ,leon ,batista1 ,life1 #dc-dh ,albrecht ,duerer1 #bad ,alessandro ,filipepi 7,sandro ,botticelli1 or ,sandro di ,botticello71 ,life1 #bdg-bed4 #hf1 #hg1 #ahh1 #bbb1 #bdg-bed ,alesso ,baldovinetti1 ,life1 #fg-gj4 #ei1 #fg-gj1 #aja1 #bbe ,andrea ,contucci 7,andrea ,sansovino1 or ,andrea dal ,monte ,sansovino71 #bdc ,andrea dal ,castagno 7,andrea degli' ,impiccati71 ,life1 #ig-aje4 #aji1 #aag1 #agc1 #bcg1 #bci1 #bhc ,andrea della ,robbia1 #bgf ,andrea di ,cione ,orcagna1 #bbc ,andrea di ,cosimo1 #ahi ,andrea ,mantegna1 ,life1 #bgi-bhf4 #afb ,andrea ,riccio1 #fd ,andrea ,sansovino 7,andrea ,contucci1 or ,andrea dal ,monte ,sansovino71 #bdc ,andrea ,tafi1 #fi ,andrea ,verrocchio1 ,life1 #bfg-bgf4 #ge1 #bbc ,angelico1 ,fra 7,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole71 ,life1 #bg-ci4 #aba ,angelo1 ,lorentino d'4 #bb1 #bc ,angelo di ,lorentino 7,agnolo di ,lorenzo71 #bji ,antonello da ,messina1 ,life1 #ei-fd ,antonio di ,salvi1 #bci ,antonio ,filarete1 ,life1 #c-g4 #dg1 #ib ,antonio 7or ,vittore7 ,pisanello1 ,life1 #aji-aac4 #aje ,antonio ,pollaiuolo1 ,life1 #bcg-bdc4 #bdh1 #bhe ,antonio ,rossellino 7,rossellino dal ,proconsolo71 ,life1 #aci-add4 #dd1 #bec ,antonio ,viniziano1 #agf ,apelles1 #cf1 #bed1 #bhf ,aretino1 ,geri1 #bfc1 #bfd ,attavante 7or ,vante71 #cf-ci1 #bji1 #bad1 #bae ,ausse 7,hans ,memling71 #fa ,baccio ,cellini1 #ib1 #bfc ,baccio d' ,agnolo1 #ab ,baccio da ,montelupo1 #adh ,baccio ,pintelli1 #ic-id ,baldinelli1 ,baldino1 #bcc ,baldovinetti1 ,alesso1 ,life1 #fg-gj4 #ei1 #fg-gj1 #aja1 #bbe ,banco1 ,nanni d' ,antonio di1 #bh ,bartolommeo ,coda1 #ahd ,bartolommeo della ,gatta1 ,don 7,abbot of ,s4 ,clemente71 ,life1 #bjc-bji4 #ahh ,bartoluccio ,ghiberti1 #bcg1 #bch ,bastiano ,mainardi 7,bastiano da ,san ,gimignano71 #bbe1 #bcj-bcc ,batista del ,cervelliera1 #ab ,bellini1 ,gentile1 ,life1 #agc-ahd4 #bhj ,bellini1 ,giovanni1 ,life1 #agc-ahd4 #bhj1 #bhf ,bellini1 ,jacopo1 ,life1 #agc-age4 #bhj ,benedetto ,buglioni1 #bgf ,benedetto ,coda1 #ahd ,benedetto da ,maiano1 ,life1 #beg-bfd4 #ac1 #ad1 #adi4 #beg-bfd ,benedetto ,ghirlandajo1 #bbb1 #bbi1 #bcc ,benozzo ,gozzoli1 ,life1 #aba-abe4 #ce1 #afa ,bernardo ,ciuffagni1 #g ,bernardo ,rossellino1 ,life1 #aci-add4 #dd1 #bfh ,bernardo ,vasari1 #ee ,berto ,linaiuolo1 #ib ,biagio 7pupil of ,botticelli71 #bea1 #beb ,bicci1 ,lorenzo di1 #bj1 #bac ,boccardino1 the elder1 #bae ,bolognese1 ,guido1 #agj ,borghese1 ,piero 7,piero della ,francesca1 or ,piero dal ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro71 ,life1 #ag-bc4 #ea1 #eb1 #aja1 #ace ,botticelli1 ,sandro 7,sandro di ,botticello1 or ,alessandro ,filipepi71 ,life1 #bdg-bed4 #hf1 #hg1 #ahh1 #bbb1 #bdg-bed ,botticello1 #bdg ,bramante da ,milano1 #ah ,bramante da ,urbino1 #aee ,bramantino1 #ah1 #ai ,brini1 ,francesco1 #bad ,bruges1 ,johann of 7,jan van ,eyck71 #fj-fb1 #fd ,bruges1 ,roger of 7,roger van der ,weyden71 #fa ,brunelleschi1 ,filippo 7,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco71 #c1 #ab1 #acj1 #aif1 #beg1 #bga ,buglioni1 ,benedetto1 #bgf ,buglioni1 ,santi1 #bgf ,buonarroti1 ,michelagnolo1 #hf1 #aaj1 #adj1 #bcc ,cadore1 ,tiziano da 7,tiziano ,vecelli71 #agi1 #ahc ,callicrates1 #ee ,camicia1 ,chimenti1 ,life1 #ib-ic ,campagnola1 ,girolamo1 #bgi ,capanna 7of ,siena71 #bjh ,castagno1 ,andrea dal 7,andrea degl' ,impiccati71 ,life1 #ig-aje4 #aji1 #aag1 #agc1 #bcg1 #bci1 #bhc ,castel della ,pieve1 ,pietro da 7,pietro ,perugino1 or ,pietro ,vannucci71 #bc1 #ahh1 #bjd1 #bgc ,castelfranco1 ,giorgione da1 #ahd ,cecca1 ,life1 #aic-bjj4 #fi ,cecca1 ,girolamo della1 #bfc ,cellini1 ,baccio1 #ib1 #bfc ,cervelliera1 ,batista del1 #ab ,chimenti ,camicia1 ,life1 #ib-ic ,cieco1 ,niccolo1 #bcc ,cimabue1 ,giovanni1 #ei ,ciuffagni1 ,bernardo1 #g ,coda1 ,bartolommeo1 #ahd ,coda1 ,benedetto1 #ahd ,contucci1 ,andrea 7,andrea ,sansovino1 or ,andrea dal ,monte ,sansovino71 #bdc ,corso1 ,jacopo del1 #aje ,cortona1 ,luca da 7,luca ,signorelli71 #bj1 #bc1 #ca1 #eb1 #ahh1 #bjd ,cosimo1 ,andrea di1 #ahi ,cosimo1 ,piero di1 #ahi ,cosimo ,rosselli1 ,life1 #ahg-aij ,cosme1 #acf ,costa1 ,lorenzo1 ,life1 #afa-afd4 #afg ,cozzerello1 ,jacopo1 #acj ,credi1 ,lorenzo di1 #bgd ,cronaca1 ,il1 #bfj ,dario da ,treviso1 #bhj1 #bhe ,david ,ghirlandajo1 #bbb1 #bbe1 #bbi-bca1 #bcc ,david ,pistoiese1 #bfc ,desiderio da ,settignano1 ,life1 #adg-adi4 #aed1 #aef1 #bfj ,diamante1 ,fra1 #hc1 #he-hg ,domenico del ,tasso1 #bjj1 #bfb ,domenico di ,mariotto1 #ab ,domenico di ,michelino1 #ce ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 ,life1 #bai-bcc4 #fi1 #gj1 #ahh1 #bac1 #bae1 #bai-bcc1 #bdh ,domenico ,pecori1 #bjg-bji ,domenico ,viniziano 7,domenico da ,venezia71 ,life1 #ig-aje4 #ai1 #fc1 #ig-aje1 #agc ,don ,bartolommeo della ,gatta 7,abbot of ,s4 ,clemente71 ,life1 #bjc-bji4 #ahh ,don ,lorenzo ,monaco1 #bjc ,donato 7,donatello71 #c1 #f1 #gc1 #gd1 #aag1 #aca1 #add1 #adg1 #adh1 #bfi1 #bgj1 #bgc ,donnino1 ,agnolo di1 #ahi1 #aij ,donzello1 ,piero del1 #ac ,donzello1 ,polito del1 #ac1 #ad ,dosso1 the elder 7,dosso ,dossi71 #afd ,duca ,tagliapietra1 #afi ,duccio1 #f ,duerer1 ,albrecht1 #bad ,ercole ,ferrarese 7,ercole da ,ferrara71 ,life1 #afg-agj4 #afd ,eyck1 ,jan van 7,johann of ,bruges71 #fj-fb1 #fd ,fabiano ,sassoli1 #ed ,fabriano1 ,gentile da1 ,life1 #aji-aac4 #ce1 #agc ,facchino1 ,giuliano del1 #bci ,fancelli1 ,luca1 #dg ,fancelli1 ,salvestro1 #dg ,fermo ,ghisoni1 #afd ,ferrara1 ,ercole da 7,ercole ,ferrarese71 ,life1 #afg-agj4 #afd ,ferrara1 ,stefano da1 #bhe1 #bhf ,ferrarese1 ,ercole 7,ercole da ,ferrara71 ,life1 #afg-agj4 #afd ,ferrarese1 ,galasso 7,galasse ,galassi71 ,life #ace-acf ,fiesole1 ,fra ,giovanni da 7,fra ,angelico71 ,life1 #bg-ci4 #aba ,fiesole1 ,mino da 7,mino di ,giovanni71 ,life1 #aec-aeg ,filarete1 ,antonio1 ,life1 #c-g4 #dg1 #ib ,filipepi1 ,alessandro 7,sandro ,botticelli1 or ,sandro di ,botticello71 ,life1 #bdg-bed4 #hf1 #hg1 #ahh1 #bbb1 #bdg-bed ,filippino ,lippi 7,filippo ,lippi71 #hc1 #hg1 #bei ,filippo ,brunelleschi 7,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco71 #c1 #ab1 #acj1 #aif1 #beg1 #bga ,filippo ,lippi 7,filippino ,lippi71 #hc1 #hg1 #bei ,filippo ,lippi1 ,fra1 ,life1 #gi-hh4 #aag1 #aah1 #afa1 #bdg ,finiguerra1 ,maso1 #bch ,foccora1 ,giovanni1 #g ,fonte1 ,jacopo della 7,jacopo della ,quercia71 #aca1 #ahh ,forli1 ,melozzo da1 #abd ,fra ,angelico 7,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole71 ,life1 #bg-ci4 #aba ,fra ,diamante1 #hc1 #he-hg ,fra ,filippo ,lippi1 ,life1 #gi-hh4 #aag1 #aah1 #afa1 #bdg ,fra ,giovanni da ,fiesole 7,fra ,angelico71 ,life1 #bg-ci4 #aba ,francesca1 ,piero della 7,piero ,borghese1 or ,piero dal ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro71 ,life1 #ag-bc4 #ea1 #eb1 #aja1 #ace ,francesco ,brini1 #bad ,francesco di ,giorgio1 ,life1 #abi-aca ,francesco di ,monsignore1 #fc ,francesco di ,simone1 #bgc ,francesco ,granacci 7,il ,granaccio71 #bcc ,francesco ,peselli 7,francesco di ,pesello1 or ,pesellino71 ,life1 #aag-aah4 #hf ,francesco ,salviati1 #beh1 #bfb ,galasso ,ferrarese 7,galasso ,galassi71 ,life1 #ace-acf ,gatta1 ,don ,bartolommeo della 7,abbot of ,s4 ,clemente71 ,life1 #bjc-bji4 #ahh ,gentile ,bellini1 ,life1 #agc-ahd4 #bhj ,gentile da ,fabriano1 ,life1 #aji-aac4 #ce1 #agc ,geri ,aretino1 #bfc1 #bfd ,gherardo1 ,life1 #bac-bae4 #bji1 #bcb ,ghiberti1 ,bartoluccio1 #bcg1 #bch ,ghiberti1 ,lorenzo 7,lorenzo di ,cione ,ghiberti1 or ,lorenzo di ,bartoluccio ,ghiberti71 #c1 #bcg1 #bch1 #bfi1 #bgj ,ghirlandajo1 ,benedetto1 #bbb1 #bbi1 #bcc ,ghirlandajo1 ,david1 #bbb1 #bbe1 #bbi-bca1 #bcc ,ghirlandajo1 ,domenico1 ,life1 #bai-bcc4 #fi1 #gj1 #ahh1 #bac1 #bae1 #bai-bcc1 #bdh ,ghirlandajo1 ,ridolfo1 #bcc ,ghirlandajo1 ,tommaso1 #bai ,ghisoni1 ,fermo1 #afd ,giacomo ,marzone1 #ahd ,gian ,cristoforo1 #ib ,giorgio1 ,francesco di1 ,life1 #abi-aca ,giorgio ,vasari1 see ,vasari 7,giorgio7 ,giorgio ,vasari 7son of ,lazzaro ,vasari1 the elder71 #eb1 #ed-ef ,giorgione da ,castelfranco1 #ahd ,giotto1 #ei1 #bei ,giovanni1 ,mino di 7,mino da ,fiesole71 ,life1 #aec-aeg ,giovanni ,bellini1 ,life1 #agc-ahd4 #bhj1 #bhf ,giovanni ,cimabue1 #ei ,giovanni da ,rovezzano1 #aje ,giovanni ,foccora1 #g ,giovanni ,turini1 #bci ,girolamo ,campagnola1 #bgi ,girolamo della ,cecca1 #bfc ,girolamo ,moretto 7or ,mocetto71 #ahj ,girolamo ,padovano1 #bji ,giuliano da ,maiano1 ,life1 #aa-ad4 #gd1 #beg-bei ,giuliano del ,facchino1 #bci ,giuliano del ,tasso1 #bjj1 #bfb ,giulio ,romano1 #ai ,giusto1 #aa ,gozzoli1 ,benozzo1 ,life1 #aba-abe4 #ce1 #afa ,graffione1 #gj ,granacci1 ,francesco 7,il ,granaccio71 #bcc ,grosso1 ,nanni1 #bgc ,guardia1 ,niccolo della1 #ib ,guglielmo da ,marcilla 7,guillaume de ,marcillac1 or the ,french ,prior71 #ec ,guido ,bolognese1 #agj ,guido del ,servellino1 #ab ,hans ,memling 7,ausse71 #fa ,il ,cronaca1 #bfj ,il ,granaccio 7,francesco ,granacci71 #bcc ,impiccati1 ,andrea degl' 7,andrea dal ,castagno71 ,life1 #ig-aje4 #aji1 #aag1 #agc1 #bcg1 #bci1 #bhc ,indaco1 ,jacopo dell'1 #bcc ,jacopo 7pupil of ,botticelli71 #bea1 #beb ,jacopo ,bellini1 ,life1 #agc-age4 #bhj ,jacopo ,cozzerello1 #acj ,jacopo da ,montagna1 #ahc ,jacopo del ,corso1 #aje ,jacopo del ,sellaio1 #hf ,jacopo del ,tedesco1 #bcc ,jacopo della ,quercia 7,jacopo della ,fonte71 #aca1 #ahh ,jacopo dell' ,indaco1 #bcc ,jacopo ,squarcione1 #bgi-bha1 #bhe ,johann of ,bruges 7,jan van ,eyck71 #fj-fb1 #fd ,lappoli1 ,matteo1 #bjf1 #bjg ,laurati1 ,pietro 7,pietro ,lorenzetti71 #ee ,lazzaro ,vasari 7the elder71 ,life1 #ea-ef ,lazzaro ,vasari 7the younger71 #ee ,lendinara1 ,lorenzo da1 #bhe ,leon ,batista ,alberti1 ,life1 #dc-dh ,leonardo da ,vinci1 #bgj1 #bga1 #bgc1 #bhf ,linaiuolo1 ,berto1 #ib ,lippi1 ,filippo 7,filippino ,lippi71 #hc1 #hg1 #bei ,lippi1 ,fra ,filippo1 ,life1 #gi-hh4 #aag1 #aah1 #afa1 #bdg ,lodovico ,malino 7,lodovico ,mazzolini71 #afd ,lorentino1 ,angelo di 7,agnolo di ,lorenzo71 #bji ,lorentino d',angelo1 #bb1 #bc ,lorenzetti1 ,pietro 7,pietro ,laurati71 #ee ,lorenzetto1 #bgc ,lorenzo1 ,agnolo di 7,angelo di ,lorentino71 #bji ,lorenzo ,costa1 ,life1 #afa-afd4 #afg ,lorenzo da ,lendinara1 #bhe ,lorenzo di ,bicci1 #bj1 #bac ,lorenzo di ,credi1 #bgd ,lorenzo ,ghiberti 7,lorenzo di ,cione ,ghiberti1 or ,lorenzo di ,bartoluccio ,ghiberti71 #c1 #bcg1 #bch1 #bfi1 #bgj ,lorenzo ,monaco1 ,don1 #bjc ,lorenzo ,vecchietto1 ,life1 #abi-aca ,luca ,fancelli1 #dg ,luca ,signorelli 7,luca da ,cortona71 #bj1 #bc1 #ca1 #eb1 #ahh1 #bjd ,luigi ,vivarino1 #agh1 #agi ,macchiavelli1 ,zanobi1 #abe ,maestro ,mino 7,mino del ,regno1 or ,mino del ,reame74 ,life1 #ia-ib4 #aee ,maiano1 ,benedetto da1 ,life1 #beg-bfd4 #ac1 #ad1 #adi1 #beg-bfd ,maiano1 ,giuliano da1 ,life1 #aa-ad4 #gd1 #beg-bei ,mainardi1 ,bastiano 7,bastiano da ,san ,gimignano71 #bbe1 #bcj-bcc ,malino1 ,lodovico 7,lodovico ,mazzolini71 #afd ,mantegna1 ,andrea1 ,life1 #bgi-bhf4 #afb ,marchino1 #aje ,marcilla1 ,guglielmo da 7,guillaume de ,marcillac1 or the ,french ,prior71 #ec ,marco del ,tasso1 #bjj1 #bfb ,marco ,zoppo1 #bgi1 #bhj1 #bhe ,mariotto1 ,domenico di1 #ab ,martin ,schongauer1 #bad ,martini1 ,simone 7,simone ,sanese or ,memmi71 #ahc ,marzone1 ,giacomo1 #ahd ,masaccio1 #gi1 #hj ,maso ,finiguerra1 #bch ,matteo ,lappoli1 #bjf1 #bjg ,mazzingo1 #bci ,mazzolini1 ,lodovico 7,lodovico ,malino71 #afd ,melozzo da ,forli1 #abd ,memling1 ,hans 7,ausse71 #fa ,memmi1 ,simone 7,simone ,sanese or ,martini71 #ahc ,messina1 ,antonello da1 ,life1 #ei-fd ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 #hf1 #aaj1 #adj1 #bcc ,michele ,san ,michele1 #aaa ,michelino1 ,domenico di1 #ce ,milano1 ,bramante da1 #ah ,mino1 ,maestro 7,mino del ,regno1 or ,mino del ,reame71 ,life1 #ia-ib4 #aee ,mino da ,fiesole 7,mino di ,giovanni71 ,life1 #aec-aeg ,minore1 #aa ,modanino da ,modena1 #ad ,monaco1 ,don ,lorenzo1 #bjc ,monsignore1 ,francesco di1 #fc ,montagna1 ,jacopo da1 #ahc ,montelupo1 ,baccio da1 #adh ,montepulciano1 ,pasquino da1 #g ,moretto 7or ,mocetto71 ,girolamo1 #ahj ,myrmecides1 #ee ,nanni d' ,antonio di ,banco1 #bh ,nanni ,grosso1 #bgc ,niccolo 7goldsmith to ,pope ,innocent ,,viii71 #bha ,niccolo 7of ,florence71 #g ,niccolo ,cieco1 #bcc ,niccolo della ,guardia1 #ib ,niccolo ,pizzolo1 #bhj ,nicon1 #bji ,orcagna1 ,andrea di ,cione1 #bbc ,orsino1 #bge1 #bgf ,padova1 ,vellano da1 ,life1 #gc-ge4 #bgb ,padovano1 ,girolamo1 #bji ,paolo da ,verona1 #bdc ,paolo ,romano1 ,life1 #ia-ib ,paolo ,uccello1 #beg ,parri ,spinelli1 #ed ,pasquino da ,montepulciano1 #g ,pecori1 ,domenico1 #bjg-bji ,perugino1 ,pietro 7,pietro ,vannucci1 or ,pietro da ,castel della ,pieve71 #bc1 #ahh1 #bjd1 #bgc ,pesellino 7,francesco ,peselli1 or ,francesco di ,pesello71 ,life1 #aag-aah4 #hf ,pesello1 ,life1 #aag-aah4 #ei ,piero del ,donzello1 #ac ,piero della ,francesca 7,piero ,borghese1 or ,piero dal ,borgo a ,san ,sepolcro71 ,life1 #ag-bc4 #ea1 #eb1 #aja1 #ace ,piero di ,cosimo1 #ahi ,piero ,pollaiuolo1 ,life1 #bcg-bdc4 #aje1 #bdh ,pietro ,laurati 7,pietro ,lorenzetti71 #ee ,pietro ,paolo da ,todi1 #ib ,pietro ,perugino 7,pietro ,vannucci1 or ,pietro da ,castel della 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