,,the    ,,history ,,of ,,painting      
,,in    ,,italy4    ,,vol4 ,i4          
,,the    ,,history ,,of ,,painting      
,,in    ,,italy1    ,,from ,,the        
,,period ,,of ,,the ,,revival ,,of      
,,the ,,fine ,,arts    ,,to ,,the ,,end 
,,of ,,the ,,eighteenth ,,century3      
,,translated    ,from the ,original     
,italian    ,,of ,,the    ,,abate       
,,luigi ,,lanzi4    ,,by ,,thomas       
,,roscoe4    ,,in ,,six ,,volumes4      
,,vol4 ,i4    ,,containing ,,the        
,,schools ,,of ,,florence ,,and ,,siena4
     ,,london3    ,,printed ,,for    ,w4
 ,,simpkin ,,and ,r4 ,,marshall1        
,,stationers'-,,hall ,,court1 ,,ludgate 
,,street4    #ahbh4    ,j4 ,m',creery1  
,tooks ,court1   ,chancery ,lane1       
,london4       ,,advertisement4   ,after
 the very copious and excellent remarks 
upon the objects of the present history 
contained in the ,author's ,preface1 the
 ,translator feels that it would be     
useless on his part to add any further  
explanation4  ,it would not be right1   

however1 to close these volumes without 
some acknowledgment of the valuable     
assistance he has received4 ,amongst    
others1 he is particularly indebted to  
,dr4 ,traill1 of ,liverpool1 who after  
proceeding to some length with a        
translation of this work1 kindly placed 
what he had completed in the hands of   
the ,translator1 with liberty to make   
such use of it as might be deemed       
advantageous to the present undertaking4
 ,to ,mr4 ,w4 ,y4 ,ottley1 who also     
contemplated1 and in part executed1 a   
version of the same author1 the         
,translator has to express his          
obligations for several explanations of 
terms of art1 which the intimacy of that
 gentleman with the fine arts1 in all   
their branches1 peculiarly qualifies him
 to impart4#a ,similar acknowledgments  
are due to an enlightened and learned   
foreigner1 ,mr4 ,panizzi1 of ,liverpool1
 for his kind explanation of various    
obscure phrases and doubtful passages4  
,notwithstanding the anxious desire and 

unremitting endeavours of the           
,translator to render this work1 in all 
instances1 as accurate as the nature of 
the subject1 and the numerous           
difficulties he had to surmount would   
allow1 yet1 in dismissing it from his   
hands1 he cannot repress the feeling    
that he must throw himself upon the     
indulgence of the public to excuse such 
errors as may be discoverable in the    
text4 ,he trusts1 however1 that where it
 may be found incorrect1 it will for the
 most part be in those passages where   
doubtful terms of art lay in his way1   
intelligible only to the initiated1 and 
which perhaps many of the countrymen of 
,lanzi themselves might not be able very
 readily to explain4   ,footnote #a3    
,the following are among the valuable   
works which have been given to the      
public by ,mr4 ,ottley3--,the ,italian  
,school of ,design1 being a series of   
,fac-similes of ,original ,drawings1    
c4--,an ,inquiry into the ,history of   
,engraving4--,the ,stafford             

,gallery4--,a ,series of ,plates        
engraved after the ,paintings and       
,sculptures of the most eminent masters 
of the early ,florentine ,school1 during
 the #acth1 #adth1 and #aeth centuries4 
,this work forms a complete illustration
 of the first volume of ,lanzi4--,a     
,catalogue of the ,national             
,gallery4--,fac-similes of ,specimens of
 ,early ,masters1 c4                    
,,contents             ,,of      ,,the  
,,first ,,volume4                       
,page    ,advertisement                 
iii    ,preface by the ,author          
i    ,biographical ,notice by the       
,translator                        xli  
,,history ,,of ,,painting ,,in ,,lower  
,,italy4    ,,book ,i4    ,,florentine  
,,school4     ,,epoch ,i4 ,origin of the
 revival of painting--,association      
and methods of the old painters--,series
            of ,tuscan artists before   
the time of            ,cimabue and     
,giotto4 ,,sect4 ,i4                    
#a             ,florentine painters who 

lived after ,giotto            to the   
end of the fifteenth century4 ,,sect4   
,,ii4        #ea             ,origin and
 progress of engraving on copper        
and wood4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4                
#aje     ,,epoch ,,ii4 ,vinci1          
,bonarruoti1 and other celebrated       
artists1 form the most flourishing era  
of this            school               
#adg     ,,epoch ,,iii4 ,the imitators  
of ,michelangiolo                       
#bbi     ,,epoch ,,iv4 ,cigoli and his  
,associates improve the            style
 of painting                            
#bhj     ,,epoch ,v4 ,pietro da ,cortona
 and his followers                 #cce 
,,book ,,ii4    ,,sienese ,,school4     
,,epoch ,i4 ,the old masters            
#cgb     ,,epoch ,,ii4 ,foreign painters
 at ,siena--,origin and                 
progress of the modern style in that    
city            #djf     ,,epoch ,,iii4 
,the art having declined through the    
disasters of the state1 is revived by   
the labours            of ,salimbeni and

 his sons                               
#dcc       ,,preface4   ,when detached  
or individual histories become so       
numerous that they can neither be easily
 collected nor perused1 the public      
interest requires a writer capable of   
arranging and embodying them in the form
 of a general historical narrative2 not1
 indeed1 by a minute detail of their    
whole contents1 but by selecting from   
each that which appears most interesting
 and instructive4 ,hence it mostly      
happens1 that the diffuse compositions  
of earlier ages are found to give place 
to compendiums1 and to succinct history4
 ,if this desire has prevailed in former
 times1 it has been1 and now is1 more   
especially the characteristic of our    
own4 ,we live in an age highly          
favourable1 in one sense at least1 to   
the cultivation of intellect3 the       
boundaries of science are now extended  
beyond what our forefathers could have  
hoped1 much less foreseen2 and we become
 anxious only to discover the readiest  

methods of obtaining a competent        
knowledge1 at least1 of several         
sciences1 since it is impossible to     
acquire them all4 ,on the other hand1   
the ages preceding ours1 since the      
revival of learning1 being more occupied
 about words than things1 and admiring  
certain objects that now seem trivial to
 the generality of readers1 have        
produced historical compositions1 the   
separate nature of which demands        
combination1 no less than their         
prolixity requires abridgment4  ,if     
these observations are applicable to    
other branches of history1 they are     
especially so to the history of         
painting4 ,its materials are found ready
 prepared1 scattered through numerous   
memoirs of artists of every school      
which1 from time to time1 have been     
given to the public3 and additional     
articles are supplied by dictionaries of
 art1 letters on painting1 guides to    
several cities1 catalogues of various   
collections1 and by many tracts relating

 to different artists1 which have been  
published in ,italy4 ,but these         
accounts1 independent of want of        
connexion1 are not useful to the        
generality of readers4 ,who1 indeed1    
could form a just idea of painting in   
,italy by perusing the works of certain 
historians of latter ages1 and some even
 of our own time1 which abound in       
invectives1 and in attempts to exalt    
favourite masters above the artists of  
all other schools2 and which confer     
eulogies indiscriminately upon          
professors of first1 second1 or         
third-rate merit8#b ,how few are there  
who feel interested in knowing all that 
is said of artists with so much         
verbosity by ,vasari1 ,pascoli1 or      
,baldinucci2 their low jests1 their     
amours1 their private affairs1 and their
 eccentricities8 ,what do we learn by   
being informed of the jealousies of the 
,florentine artists1 the quarrels of the
 ,roman1 or the boasts of the ,bolognian
 schools8 ,who can endure the verbal    

accuracy with which their wills and     
testaments are recorded1 even to the    
subscription of the notary1 as if the   
author had been drawing up a legal      
document2 or the descriptions of their  
stature and physiognomy1 more minute    
than the ancients afford us of          
,alexander or ,augustus8#c ,not that ,i 
object to the introduction of such      
particulars in the lives of the great   
luminaries of art3 in a ,raffaello or a 
,caracci minute circumstances derive    
interest from the subject2 but how      
intolerable do they become in the life  
of an ordinary individual1 where the    
principal incidents are but little      
interesting8 ,suetonius has not written 
the lives of his ,caesars and his       
grammarians in the same manner3 the     
former he has rendered familiar to the  
reader2 the latter are merely noticed   
and passed over4  ,the tastes of        
individuals1 however1 are different1 and
 some people delight in minutiae1 as it 
regards both the present and the past2  

and since it may be of utility to those 
who may hereafter be inclined to give a 
very full and perfect history of every  
thing relating to ,italian painting1 let
 us view with indulgence those who have 
employed themselves in compiling lives  
so copious1 and let those who have time 
to spare1 beguile it with their perusal4
 ,at the same time1 due regard should be
 paid to that very respectable class of 
readers1 who1 in a history of painting1 
would rather contemplate the artist than
 the man2 and who are less solicitous to
 become acquainted with the character of
 a single painter1 whose solitary and   
insulated history cannot prove          
instructive1 than with the genius1 the  
method1 the invention1 and the style of 
a great number of artists1 with their   
characteristics1 their merits1 and their
 rank1 the result of which is a history 
of the whole art4  ,to this object there
 is no one whom ,i know who has hitherto
 dedicated his pen1 although it seems to
 be recommended no less by the passion  

indulged by princes for the fine arts1  
than by the general diffusion of a      
knowledge of them among all ranks4 ,the 
habit of travelling1 rendered more      
familiar to private persons by the      
example of many great sovereigns1 the   
traffic in pictures1 now become a branch
 of commerce important to ,italy1 and   
the philosophic genius of this age1     
which shuns prolixity in every study1   
and requires systematic arrangement1 are
 additional incentives to the task4 ,it 
is true that very pleasing and          
instructive biographical sketches of the
 most celebrated painters have been     
published by ,m4 d',argenville1 in      
,france2 and various epitomes have since
 appeared1 in which the style of        
painting alone is discussed4#d ,but     
without taking into account the         
corruptions of the names of our         
countrymen in which their authors have  
indulged1 or their omission of          
celebrated ,italians1 while they record 
less eminent artists of other countries1

 no work of this sort1 and still less   
any dictionary1 can afford us a         
systematic history of painting3 none of 
these exhibit those pictures1 if we may 
be allowed the expression1 in which we  
may1 at a glance1 trace the progress and
 series of events2 none of them exhibit 
the principal masters of the art in a   
sufficiently conspicuous point of view1 
while inferior artists are reduced to   
their proper size and station3 far less 
can we discover in them those epochs and
 revolutions of the art1 which the      
judicious reader most anxiously desires 
to know1 as the source from which he may
 trace the causes that have contributed 
to its revival or its decline2 or from  
which he may be enabled to recollect the
 series1 and the arrangement of the     
facts narrated4 ,the history of painting
 has a strong analogy to literary1 to   
civil1 and to sacred history2 it too    
requires1 from time to time1 the aid of 
certain beacons1 some particular        
distinction in regard to places1 times1 

or events1 that may serve to divide it  
into epochs1 and mark its successive    
stages4 ,deprive it of these1 and it    
degenerates1 like other history1 into a 
chaos of names more calculated to load  
the memory than to inform the           
understanding4  ,to supply this hitherto
 neglected branch of ,italian history1  
to contribute to the advancement of the 
art1 and to facilitate the study of the 
different styles in painting1 were the  
three objects ,i proposed to myself when
 ,i began the work which ,i am now about
 to lay before the indulgent reader4 ,my
 intention was to form a compendious    
history of all our schools1 in two      
volumes2 adopting1 with little          
variation1 ,pliny's division of the     
country into ,upper and ,lower ,italy4  
,it was my design to comprehend in the  
first volume the schools of ,lower      
,italy2 because in it the reviving arts 
came earlier to maturity2 and in the    
second to include the schools of ,upper 
,italy1 which were more tardy in        

attaining to celebrity4 ,the first part 
of my work appeared at ,florence in     
#agib3 the second ,i was obliged to     
defer to another opportunity1 and the   
succeeding years have so shaken my      
constitution1 that ,i have scarcely been
 able to bring it to a conclusion1 even 
with the assistance of many amanuenses  
and correctors of the press4#e ,one     
advantage1 however1 has been derived    
from this delay2 and that is1 a         
knowledge of the opinion of the public1 
a tribunal from which no writer can     
appeal2 and ,i have been thus enabled to
 prepare a new edition conformable to   
its decision4#f ,i have understood      
through various channels1 that an       
additional number of names and of       
notices were necessary to afford        
satisfaction to the public2 and this ,i 
have accomplished1 without abandoning my
 plan of a compendious history4 ,nor    
does the ,florentine edition on this    
account become useless3 it will even be 
preferred by many to that published at  

,bassano2 the inhabitants1 for instance1
 of ,lower ,italy will be pleased to    
possess a work on their most illustrious
 painters1 without concerning themselves
 about accounts of other places4  ,to a 
new work1 then1 so much more extensive  
than the former1 ,i prefix a preface    
almost entirely new4 ,the plan is not   
wholly my own1 nor altogether that of   
others4 ,richardson#g suggested that    
some historian should collect the       
scattered remarks on art1 especially on 
painting1 and should point out its      
progress and decline through successive 
ages4 ,he has not even omitted to give  
us a sketch1 which he brought down to   
the time of ,giordano4 ,mengs#h         
accomplished the task more perfectly in 
the form of a letter1 where he          
judiciously distinguished all the       
periods of the art1 and has thus laid   
the foundations of a more enlarged      
history4 ,were ,i to follow their       
example1 the chief masters of every     
school would be considered together1 and

 we should be under the necessity of    
passing from one country to another1    
according as painting acquired a new    
lustre from their talents1 or was       
debased by a wrong use of the great     
example of those artists4 ,this method  
might be easily pursued1 if the subject 
were to be treated in a general point of
 view1 such as ,pliny has considered and
 transmitted it to posterity2 but it is 
not equally adapted to the arrangement  
of a history so fully particular as     
,italy seems to require4 ,besides the   
styles introduced by the most celebrated
 painters1 such infinite diversities of 
a mixed character1 often united with    
originality of manner1 have arisen in   
every school1 that we cannot easily     
reduce them to any particular standard3 
and the same artists at different       
periods1 and in different pictures1 have
 adopted styles so various1 that at one 
time they appear imitators of ,titian1  
at another of ,raffaello1 or of         
,correggio4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 adopt

 the method of the naturalist1 who      
having arranged the vegetable kingdom1  
for example1 in classes more or less    
numerous1 according to the systems of   
,tournefort or of ,linnaeus1 can easily 
reduce a plant1 wherever it may happen  
to grow1 to a particular class1 adding a
 name and description1 at once precise1 
characteristic1 and permanent4 ,in a    
complete history it is necessary to     
distinguish each style from every other3
 nor do ,i know any more eligible method
 of performing this task1 than by       
composing a separate history of each    
school4 ,in this ,i follow ,winckelmann1
 the best historian of ancient art in   
design1 who specified as many different 
schools as the nations that produced    
them4 ,a similar plan seems to me to    
have been pursued by ,rollin1 in his    
,history of ,nations1 who has thus been 
enabled to record a prodigious mass of  
names and events within the compass of a
 few volumes1 in the clearest order4    
,the method ,i follow in treating of    

each school is analogous to that        
prescribed to himself by ,sig4 ,antonio 
,maria ,zanetti1#i in his ,pittura      
,veneziana1 a work of its kind highly   
instructive1 and well arranged4 ,what he
 has done1 in speaking of his own1 ,i   
have attempted in the other schools of  
,italy4 ,i accordingly omit the names of
 living painters1 and do not notice     
every picture of deceased artists1 as it
 would interrupt the connexion of the   
narrative1 and would render the work too
 voluminous1 but content myself with    
commending some of their best           
productions4 ,i first give a general    
character of each school2 ,i then       
distinguish it into three1 four1 or more
 epochs1 according as its style         
underwent changes with the change of    
taste1 in the same way that the eras of 
civil history are deduced from          
revolutions in governments1 or other    
remarkable events4 ,a few celebrated    
painters1 who have swayed the public    
taste1 and given a new tone to the art1 

are placed at the head of each epoch2   
and their style is particularly         
described1 because the general and      
characteristic taste of the age has been
 formed upon their models4 ,their       
immediate pupils1 and other disciples of
 the school1 follow their great masters2
 and without a repetition of the general
 character1 reference is made to what   
each has borrowed1 altered1 or added to 
the style of the founder of the school1 
or at most such character is cursorily  
noticed4 ,this method1 though not       
susceptible of a strict chronological   
order1 is1 on account of the connexion  
of ideas1 much better adapted to a      
history of art than an alphabetic       
arrangement1 which too frequently       
interrupts the notices of schools and   
eras2 or than the method pursued in     
annals1 by which we are often compelled 
to make mention of the scholar before   
the master1 should he survive the       
former2 or that of separate lives1 which
 introduces much repetition1 by obliging

 the writer to bestow praises on the    
pupil for the same style which he also  
commends in the master1 and to notice in
 each individual that which was the     
general character of the age in which he
 lived4  ,for the sake of perspicuity1  
,i have generally separated from        
historical painters artists in inferior 
branches1 such as painters of portraits1
 of landscape1 of animals1 of flowers   
and of fruit1 of sea-pieces1 of         
perspectives1 of drolls1 and all who    
merit a place in such classes4 ,i have  
also taken notice of some arts which are
 analogous to painting1 and though they 
differ from it in the materials         
employed1 or the manner of using them1  
may still be included in the art2 for   
example1 engraving of prints1 inlaid and
 mosaic work1 and embroidering tapestry4
 ,vasari1 ,lomazzo1 and several other   
writers on the fine arts1 have mentioned
 them2 and ,i have followed their       
example2 contenting myself with         
noticing1 in each of those arts1 only   

what has appeared most worthy of being  
recorded4 ,each might be the subject of 
a separate work2 and some of them have  
long had their own peculiar historians1 
and in particular the art of engraving4 
,by this method1 in which ,i may boast  
such great examples1 ,i am not without  
hopes of affording satisfaction to my   
readers4 ,i am1 however1 more           
apprehensive in regard to my selection  
of artists2 the number of whom1         
whatsoever method is adopted1 may to    
some appear by far too limited1 and to  
others too greatly extended4 ,but       
criticism will not so readily apply to  
the names of the most illustrious       
artists1 whom ,i have included1 nor to  
those of very inferior character1 whom  
,i trust ,i have omitted2 except a few  
that have some claim to be mentioned1   
from their connexion with celebrated    
masters4#aj ,the accusation then of     
having noticed some1 and omitted others1
 will apply to me only on account of    
artists of a middle class1 that can be  

neither well reckoned among the senate1 
the equestrian order1 nor vulgar herd of
 painters2 they constitute the class of 
mediocrity4 ,the adjustment of limits is
 a frequent cause of legal contention2  
and the subject of art now under        
discussion1 may be considered like a    
dispute concerning boundaries4 ,it may  
often admit of doubt whether a          
particular artist approaches more nearly
 to the class of merit or of            
insignificance2 which is1 in other      
words1 whether he should or should not  
obtain a place in a history of the art4 
,under such uncertainty1 which ,i have  
several times encountered1 ,i have more 
usually inclined to the side of lenity  
than of severity2 especially when the   
artist has been noticed with a degree of
 commendation by former authors4 ,we    
ought to bow to public opinion1 which   
rarely blames us for noticing           
mediocrity1 but frequently for passing  
it over in silence4 ,books on painting  
abound with complaints against ,orlandi 

and ,guarienti1 for their omissions of  
certain artists4 ,still more frequently 
are authors censured1 when the ,guide to
 a city points out some altar-piece by a
 native artist1 who is not named in our 
,dictionaries of ,painting4 ,the        
describers of collections repeat similar
 complaints in regard to every painting 
bearing the signature of an artist whose
 name appears in no work of art4        
,collectors of prints do the same when  
they discover the name of some designer1
 of whom history is silent1 affixed to  
an engraving4 ,thus1 were we to consult 
the opinion of the public1 the majority 
would be inclined to recommend          
copiousness1 rather than to express     
satisfaction at a more discriminating   
selection of names4 ,almost all artists 
and amateurs belonging to every city1   
would be desirous that ,i should        
commemorate as many of their second rate
 painters as possible2 and our          
selection1 therefore1 in this respect1  
nearly resembles the exercise of        

justice1 which is generally applauded as
 long as it visits only the dwellings of
 others1 but is cried down by each      
individual when it knocks at his own    
door4 ,thus a writer who is bound to    
observe impartiality towards every city1
 can scarcely shew great severity to    
artists of mediocrity in any4 ,this too 
is not without reason2 for to pass      
mediocrity in silence may be the study  
of a good orator1 but not the office of 
a good historian4 ,cicero himself1 in   
his treatise ,de claris ,oratoribus1 has
 given a place to less eloquent orators1
 and it may be observed that1 after this
 example1 the literary history of every 
people does not merely include its most 
classic writers1 and those who          
approached nearest to them2 but it adds 
short and concise accounts of authors   
less celebrated2 and in the ,iliad1     
which is a history of the heroic age1   
there are a few eminent leaders1 many   
valiant soldiers1 and a prodigious crowd
 of others1 whom the poet has           

transiently noticed4 ,in our case1 it is
 still more incumbent on the historian  
to give mediocrity a place along with   
the eminent and most excellent4 ,many   
books describe that class in terms so   
vague1 and sometimes so discordant1 that
 to form a proper estimate of their     
claims1 we must introduce them among    
superior artists1 as a sort of          
performers in third-rate parts4 ,such1  
however1 ,i am not solicitous to exhibit
 very minutely1 more especially when    
treating of painters in fresco1 and     
generally of other artists1 whose works 
are now unknown in collections1 or add  
more to the bulk than the ornament of a 
gallery4 ,thus also in point of number1 
my work has maintained the character of 
a compendium3 but if any of my readers1 
adopting the rigid maxim of ,bellori1   
that1 in the fine arts1 as in poetry1   
mediocrity is not to be tolerated1#aa   
should disdain the middle class of      
artists1 he must look for the heads of  
schools1 and for the most eminent       

painters3 to these he may dedicate his  
attention1 and turn his regard from the 
others like one1    ,cui altra cura     
stringa e morda   ,che quella di colui  
che gli e davante4#ab  ,having described
 my plan1 let us next consider the three
 objects originally proposed1 of which  
the first was to present ,italy with a  
history that may prove important to her 
fame4 ,this delightful country is       
already indebted to ,tiraboschi for a   
history of her literature1 but she is   
still in want of a history of her arts4 
,the history of painting1 an art in     
which she is confessedly without a      
rival1 ,i propose to supply1 or at least
 to facilitate the attempt4 ,in some    
departments of literature1 and of the   
fine arts1 we are equalled1 or even     
surpassed by foreigners2 and in others  
the palm is yet doubtful3 but in        
painting1 universal consent now yields  
the triumph to ,italian genius1 and     
foreigners are the more esteemed in     
proportion to their approach towards us4

 ,it is time then1 for the honour of    
,italy1 to collect in one point of view1
 those observations on her painting1    
scattered through upwards of a hundred  
volumes1 and to embody them in what     
,horace terms series et junctura2       
without which the work cannot be        
pronounced a history4 ,i will not       
conceal1 that the author of the ,history
 of ,italian ,literature above          
mentioned1 frequently animated me to    
this undertaking1 as a sequel to his own
 work4 ,he also wished me to subjoin    
other anecdotes to those already        
published1 and to substitute more       
authentic documents for the inaccuracies
 abounding in our ,dictionaries of      
painting4 ,i have attended to both these
 objects4 ,the reader will here find    
various schools never hitherto          
illustrated1 and an entire school1 that 
of ,ferrara1 now first described from   
the manuscripts of ,baruffaldi and of   
,crespi2 and in other schools he will   
often observe names of fresh artists1   

which ,i have either collected from     
ancient ,,mss4#ac and the correspondence
 of my learned friends1 or deciphered on
 old paintings4 ,although such pictures 
are confined to cabinets1 it cannot     
prove useless to extend a more intimate 
acquaintance with their authors4 ,the   
reader will also meet with many new     
observations on the origin of painting1 
and on its diffusion in ,italy1 formerly
 a fruitful subject of debate and       
contention2 and likewise here and there 
with some original reflections on the   
masters1 to whom various disciples may  
be traced2 a branch of history1 the most
 uncertain of any4 ,old writers of      
respectability often mention ,raffaello1
 ,correggio1 or some other celebrated   
artist1 as the master of a painter1     
without any better foundation than a    
similarity of style2 just as the        
credulous heathens imagined one hero to 
be the son of ,hercules1 because he was 
strong2 another of ,mercury1 because he 
was ingenious2 a third of ,neptune1     

because he had performed several long   
voyages4 ,errors like these are easily  
corrected when they are accompanied by  
some inadvertency in the writer2 as for 
instance1 where he has not been aware   
that the age of the disciple does not   
correspond with that of his supposed    
master4 ,occasionally1 however1 their   
detection is attended with more         
difficulty2 and in particular when the  
artist1 whose reputation is wholly      
founded upon that of his master1        
represented himself in foreign parts1 as
 the disciple of men of celebrity1 whom 
he scarcely knew by sight4 ,of this we  
have an example in ,agostino ,tassi1 and
 more recently in certain soidisant     
disciples of ,mengs2 to whom it scarcely
 appears that he ever so much as said1  
,gentlemen1 how do you do8  ,finally1   
the reader will find some less obvious  
notices relating to the name1 the       
country1 and the age of different       
artists4 ,the deficiency of our         
,dictionaries in interesting names1     

together with their inaccuracy1 are     
common subjects of complaint4 ,i can    
excuse the compilers of these works2 ,i 
know how easily we may be misled in     
regard to names which have been often   
gathered from vulgar report1 or even    
from authors who differ in point of     
orthography1 some giving opposite       
readings of the same name4 ,but it is   
quite necessary that such mistakes      
should once for all be cleared up4 ,the 
index of this work will form a new      
,dictionary of ,painters1 certainly more
 copious1 and perhaps more accurate than
 usual1 although it might be still      
further improved1 especially by         
consulting archives and manuscripts4#ad 
,the second object which ,i had in view 
was to advance the interests of the art 
as much as lay in my power4 ,it was of  
old observed that examples have a more  
powerful influence on the arts than any 
precepts can possess2 and this is       
particularly true in respect to         
painting4 ,whoever writes history upon  

the model of the learned ancients1 ought
 not only to narrate events1 but to     
investigate their secret sources and    
their causes4 ,now these will be here   
developed1 tracing the progress of      
painting as it advanced or declined in  
each school2 and these causes being     
invariable1 point out the means of its  
improvement1 by shewing what ought to be
 pursued and what avoided4 ,such        
observations are not of importance to   
the artist alone1 but have a reference  
also to other individuals4 ,in the      
,roman school1 during its second epoch1 
,i perceive that the progress of the    
arts invariably depends on certain      
principles universally adopted in that  
age1 according to which artists worked1 
and the public decided4 ,a general      
history1 by pointing out the best maxims
 of art1 may contribute considerably to 
make them known and regarded2 and hence 
artists can execute1 and others approve 
or direct1 on principles no longer      
uncertain and questionable1 nor deduced 

from the manner of a particular school1 
but founded on maxims unerring and      
established1 and strengthened by the    
uniform practice of all schools and all 
ages4 ,we may add1 that in a history so 
diversified1 numerous examples occur    
suited to the genius of different       
students1 who have often to lament their
 want of success from this circumstance 
alone1 that they had neglected to follow
 the path in which nature had destined  
them to tread4 ,on the influence of     
examples ,i shall add no more3 should   
any one be desirous also of precepts    
under every school1 he will find them   
given1 not indeed by me1 but by those   
who have written more ably on the art1  
and whom ,i have diligently consulted   
with regard to different masters1 as ,i 
shall hereafter mention4  ,my third     
object was to facilitate an acquaintance
 with the various styles of painting4   
,the artist or amateur indeed1 who has  
studied the manner of all ages and of   
every school1 on meeting with a picture 

can very readily assign it1 if not to a 
particular master1 at least to a certain
 style1 much as antiquarians1 from a    
consideration of the paper and the      
characters1 are enabled to assign a     
manuscript to a particular era2 or as   
critics conjecture the age and place in 
which an anonymous author flourished1   
from his phraseology4 ,with similar     
lights we proceed to investigate the    
school and era of artists2 and by a     
diligent examination of prints1         
drawings1 and other relics belonging to 
the period1 we at length determine the  
real author4 ,much of the uncertainty1  
with regard to pictures1 arises from a  
similitude between the style of         
different masters3 these ,i collect     
together under one head1 and remark in  
what one differs from the other4        
,ambiguity often arises from comparing  
different works of the same painter1    
when the style of some of them does not 
seem to accord with his general manner1 
nor with the great reputation he may    

have acquired4 ,on account of such      
uncertainty1 ,i usually point out the   
master of each artist1 because all at   
the outset imitate the example offered  
by their teachers2 and ,i1 moreover1    
note the style formed1 and adhered to by
 each1 or abandoned for another manner2 
,i sometimes mark the age in which he   
lived1 and his greater or less assiduity
 in his profession4 ,by an attentive    
consideration of such circumstances1 we 
may avoid pronouncing a picture         
spurious1 which may have been painted in
 old age1 or negligently executed4 ,who1
 for instance1 would receive as genuine 
all the pictures of ,guido1 were it not 
known that he sometimes affected the    
style of ,caracci1 of ,calvart1 or of   
,caravaggio2 and at other times pursued 
a manner of his own1 in which1 however1 
he was often very unequal1 as he is     
known to have painted three or four     
different pieces in a single day8 ,who  
would suppose that the works of         
,giordano were the production of the    

same artist1 if it were not known that  
he aspired to diversify his style1 by   
adopting the manner of various ancient  
artists8 ,these are indeed well known   
facts1 but how many are there yet       
unnoted that are not unworthy of being  
related1 if we wish to avoid falling    
into error8 ,such will be found noticed 
in my work1 among other anecdotes of the
 various masters1 and the different     
styles4  ,i am aware that to become     
critically acquainted with the diversity
 of styles is not the ultimate object to
 which the travels and the eager        
solicitude of the connoisseur aspire4   
,his object is to make himself familiar 
with the handling of the most celebrated
 masters1 and to distinguish copies from
 originals4 ,happy should ,i be1 could  
,i promise to accomplish so much6 ,even 
they might consider themselves          
fortunate1 who dedicate their lives to  
such pursuits1 were they enabled to     
discover any short1 general1 and certain
 rules for infallibly determining this  

delicate point6 ,many rely much upon    
history for the truth4 ,but how         
frequently does it happen that the      
authority of an historian is cited in   
favour of a family picture1 or an       
altar-piece1 the original of which      
having been disposed of by some of the  
predecessors1 and a copy substituted in 
its place1 the latter is supposed to be 
a genuine painting6 ,others seem to lay 
great stress on the importance of       
places1 and hesitate to raise doubts    
respecting any specimen they find       
contained in royal and select galleries1
 assuming that they really belong to the
 artists referred to in the gallery     
descriptions and catalogues4 ,but here  
too they are liable to mistake2 inasmuch
 as many private individuals1 as well as
 princes1 unable to purchase ancient    
pictures at any price1 contented        
themselves with such copies of their    
imitators as approached nearest to the  
old masters4 ,some indeed were made by  
professors purposely despatched by      

princes in search of them2 as in the    
instance of ,rodolph ,i41 who employed  
,giuseppe ,enzo1 a celebrated copyist4  
7,see ,boschini1 p4 #fb1 and ,orlandi1  
on ,gioseffo ,ains di ,berna47 ,external
 proofs1 therefore1 are insufficient1   
without adding a knowledge of different 
manners4 ,the acquisition of such       
discrimination is the fruit only of long
 experience1 and deep reflection on the 
style of each master3 and ,i shall      
endeavour to point out the manner in    
which it may be obtained4#ae  ,to judge 
of a master we must attend to his       
design1 and this is to be acquired from 
his drawings1 from his pictures1 or1 at 
least1 from accurate engravings after   
them4 ,a good connoisseur in prints is  
more than half way advanced in the art  
of judging pictures2 and he who aims at 
this must study engravings with         
unremitting assiduity4 ,it is thus his  
eye becomes familiarized to the artist's
 method of delineating and              
foreshortening the figure1 to the air of

 his heads and the casting of his       
draperies2 to that action1 that         
peculiarity of conception1 of disposing1
 and of contrasting1 which are habitual 
to his character4 ,thus is he1 as it    
were1 introduced to the different       
families of youths1 of children1 of     
women1 of old men1 and of individuals in
 the vigour of life1 which each artist  
has adopted as his own1 and has usually 
exhibited in his pictures4 ,we cannot be
 too well versed in such matters1 so    
minute or almost insensible are the     
distinctions between the imitators of   
one master1 7such as ,michelangiolo1 for
 example17 who have perhaps studied the 
same cartoon1 or the same statues1 and1 
as it were1 learned to write after the  
same model4  ,more originality is       
generally to be discovered in colouring1
 a branch of the art formed by a painter
 rather on his own judgment1 than by    
instruction4 ,the amateur can never     
attain experience in this branch who has
 not studied many pictures by the same  

master2 who has not observed his        
selection of colours1 his method of     
separating1 of uniting1 and of subduing 
them2 what are his local tints1 and what
 the general tone that harmonizes the   
colours he employs4 ,this tint1 however 
clear and silvery in ,guido and his     
followers1 bright and golden in ,titiano
 and his school1 and thus of the rest1  
has still as many modifications as there
 are masters in the art4 ,the same      
remark extends to middle tints and to   
chiaroscuro1 in which each artist       
employs a peculiar method4  ,these are  
qualities which catch the eye at a      
distance1 yet they will not always      
enable the critic to decide with        
certainty2 whether1 for instance1 a     
certain picture is the production of    
,vinci1 or ,luini1 who imitated him     
closely2 whether another be an original 
picture by ,barocci1 or an exact copy   
from the hand of ,vanni4 ,in such cases 
judges of art approach closer to the    
picture with a determination to examine 

it with the same care and accuracy as   
are employed in a judicial question1    
upon the recognition of hand-writing4   
,fortunately for society1 nature has    
granted to every individual a peculiar  
character in this respect1 which it is  
not easy to counterfeit1 nor to mistake 
for any other person's writing4 ,the    
hand1 habituated to move in a peculiar  
manner1 always retains it3 in old age   
the characters may be more slowly       
traced1 may become more negligent or    
more heavy2 but the form of the letters 
remains the same4 ,so it is in painting4
 ,every artist not only retains this    
peculiarity1 but one is distinguished by
 a full charged pencil2 another by a dry
 but neat finish2 the work of one       
exhibits blended tints1 that of another 
distinct touches2 and each has his own  
manner of laying on the colours3#af but 
even in regard to what is common to so  
many1 each has a peculiar handling and  
direction of the pencil1 a marking of   
his lines more or less waved1 more or   

less free1 and more or less studied1 by 
which those truly skilled from long     
experience are enabled1 after a due     
consideration of all circumstances1 to  
decide who was the real author4 ,such   
judges do not fear a copyist1 however   
excellent4 ,he will1 perhaps1 keep pace 
with his model for a certain time1 but  
not always2 he may sometimes shew a     
free1 but commonly a timid1 servile1 and
 meagre pencil2 he will not be long     
able1 with a free hand1 to keep his own 
style concealed under the manner of     
another1 more especially in regard to   
less important points1 such as the      
penciling of the hair1 and in the fore- 
and back-grounds of the picture4#ag     
,certain observations on the canvas and 
the priming ground may sometimes assist 
inquiry2 and hence some have endeavoured
 to attain greater certainty by a       
chemical analysis of the colours4       
,diligence is ever laudable when exerted
 on a point so nice as ascertaining the 
hand-work of a celebrated master4 ,it   

may prevent our paying ten guineas for  
what may not be worth two2 or placing in
 a choice collection pictures that will 
not do it credit2 while to the curious  
it affords scientific views1 instead of 
creating prejudices that often engender 
errors4 ,that mistakes should happen is 
not surprising4 ,a true connoisseur is  
still more rare than a good artist4 ,his
 skill is the result of only indirect   
application2 it is acquired amidst other
 pursuits1 and divides the attention    
with other objects2 the means of        
attaining it fall to the lot of few2 and
 still fewer practise it successfully4  
,among the number of the last ,i do not 
reckon myself4 ,by this work ,i pretend 
not1 ,i repeat it1 to form an           
accomplished connoisseur in painting3 my
 object is to facilitate and expedite   
the acquisition of such knowledge4 ,the 
history of painting is the basis of     
connoisseurship2 by combining it1 ,i    
supersede the necessity of referring to 
many books2 by abbreviating it ,i save  

the time and labour of the student2 and 
by arranging it in a proper manner on   
every occasion1 ,i present him with the 
subject ready prepared and developed    
before him4  ,it remains1 in the last   
place1 that ,i should give some account 
of myself2 of the criticisms that ,i1   
who am not an artist1 have ventured to  
pass upon each painter3 and1 indeed1 if 
the professors of the art had as much   
leisure and experience in writing as    
they have ability1 every author might   
resign to them the field4 ,the propriety
 of technical terms1 the abilities of   
artists1 and the selection of specimens 
of art1 are usually better understood1  
even by an indifferent artist1 than by  
the learned connoisseur3 but since those
 occupied in painting have not          
sufficient leisure to write1 others1    
assisted by them1 may be permitted to   
undertake the office4#ah  ,by the mutual
 assistance which the painter has       
afforded to the man of letters1 and the 
man of letters to the artist1 the       

history of painting has been greatly    
advanced4 ,the merits of the best       
painters are already so ably discussed  
that a modern historian can treat the   
subject advantageously4 ,the criticisms 
,i most regard are those that come      
directly from professors of the art4 ,we
 meet with few from the pen of ,raphael1
 of ,titian1 of ,poussin1 and of other  
great masters2 such as exist1 however1  
,i regard as most precious1 and         
deserving the most careful preservation2
 for1 in general1 those who can best    
perform can likewise judge the best4    
,vasari1 ,lomazzo1 ,passeri1 ,ridolfi1  
,boschini1 ,zanotti1 and ,crespi1       
require1 perhaps1 to be narrowly watched
 in some passages where they allowed    
themselves to be surprised by a spirit  
of party3 but1 on the whole1 they have  
an undoubted right to dictate to us1    
because they were themselves painters4  
,bellori1 ,baldinucci1 ,count ,malvasia1
 ,count ,tassi1 and similar writers1    
hold an inferior rank2 but are not      

wholly destitute of authority3 for      
though mere dilettanti1 they have       
collected both the opinions of          
professors and of the public4 ,this will
 at present suffice1 with regard to the 
historians of the art3 we shall notice  
each of them particularly under the     
school which he has described4  ,in     
pronouncing a criticism upon each artist
 ,i have adopted the plan of ,baillet1  
the author of a voluminous history of   
works on taste1 where he does not so    
frequently give his own opinion as that 
of others4 ,accordingly1 ,i have        
collected the various remarks of        
connoisseurs1 which were scattered      
through the pages of history2 but ,i    
have not always cited my authorities1   
lest ,i should add too much to the      
dimensions of my book2#ai nor have ,i   
regarded their opinion when they seemed 
to me to have been influenced by        
prejudice4 ,i have availed myself of the
 observations of some approved critics1 
like ,borghini1 ,fresnoy1 ,richardson1  

,bottari1 ,algarotti1 ,lazzarini1 and   
,mengs2 with others who have rather     
criticised our painters than written    
their lives4 ,i have also respected the 
opinions of living critics1 by          
consulting different professors in      
,italy3 to them ,i have submitted my    
manuscript2 ,i have followed their      
advice1 especially when it related to   
design1 or any other department of      
painting1 in which artists are almost   
the only adequate judges4 ,i have       
conversed with many connoisseurs1 who1  
in some points1 are not less skilful    
than the professors of the art1 and are 
even consulted by artists with          
advantage2 as1 for instance1 on the     
suitableness of the subject1 on the     
propriety of the invention and the      
expression1 on the imitation of the     
antique1 on the truth of the colouring4 
,nor have ,i failed to study the        
greatest part of the best productions of
 the schools of ,italy2 and to inform   
myself in the different cities what rank

 their least known painters hold among  
their connoisseurs2 persuaded1 as ,i am1
 that the most accurate opinion of any  
artist is formed where the greatest     
number of his works are to be seen1 and 
where he is most frequently spoken of by
 his fellow citizens and by strangers4  
,in this way1 also1 ,i have been enabled
 to do justice to the merits of several 
artists who had been passed over1 either
 because the historian of their school  
had never beheld their productions1 or  
had merely met with some early and      
trivial specimens in one city1 being    
unacquainted with the more perfect and  
mature specimens they had produced      
elsewhere4  ,notwithstanding my         
diligence ,i do not presume to offer    
this as a work to which much might not  
be added4 ,it has never happened that a 
history1 embracing so many objects1 is  
at once produced perfect2 though it may 
gradually be rendered so4 ,the history  
earliest in point of time1 becomes1 in  
the end1 the least in authority2 and its

 greatest merit is in having paved the  
way to more finished performances4      
,perfection is still less to be expected
 in a compendium4 ,the reader is here   
presented with the names of many artists
 and authors2 but many others might have
 been admitted1 whom want of leisure or 
opportunity1 but not of respect1 has    
obliged us to omit4 ,here he will find a
 variety of opinions2 but to these many 
others might have been added4 ,there is 
no man1 of whom all think alike4        
,baillet1 just before mentioned1 is a   
proof of this1 with regard to writers on
 literary subjects2 and he who thinks   
the task worthy of his pains might      
demonstrate it much more fully with     
respect to different painters4 ,each    
judges by principles peculiar to        
himself3 ,bonarruoti stigmatized as     
drivelling1 ,pietro ,perugino and       
,francia1 both luminaries of the art2   
,guido1 if we may credit history1 was   
disapproved of by ,cortona2 ,caravaggio 
by ,zucchero2 ,guercino by ,guido2 and1 

what seems more extraordinary1          
,domenichino by most of the artists who 
flourished at ,rome1 when he painted his
 finest pictures4#bj ,had these artists 
written of their rivals they either     
would have condemned them1 or spoken    
less favourably of them than            
unprejudiced individuals4 ,hence it is  
that connoisseurs will frequently be    
found to approach nearer the truth1 in  
forming their estimate1 than artists2   
the former adopt the impartial feelings 
of the public1 while the latter allow   
themselves to be influenced by motives  
of envy or of prejudice4 ,innumerable   
similar disputes are still maintained   
concerning several artists1 who1 like   
different kinds of aliment1 are found to
 be disagreeable or grateful to         
different palates4 ,to hold the happy   
mean1 exempted from all party spirit1 is
 as impossible as to reconcile the      
opinions of mankind1 which are as       
multifarious as are the individuals of  
the species4  ,amid such discrepancy of 

opinion ,i have judged it expedient to  
avoid the most controverted points2 in  
others1 to subscribe to the decision of 
the majority2 to allow to each his      
particular opinion2#ba but not1 if      
possible1 to disappoint the reader1     
desirous of learning what is most       
authentic and generally received4       
,ancient writers appear to have pursued 
this plan when treating of the          
professors of any art1 in which they    
themselves were mere amateurs2 nor could
 it arise from any other circumstance   
that ,cicero1 ,pliny1 and ,quintilian1  
express themselves upon the ,greek      
artists in the same manner4 ,their      
opinions coincide1 because that of the  
public was unanimous4 ,i am aware that  
it is difficult to obtain the opinion of
 the public concerning the more modern  
artists1 but it is not difficult with   
regard to those on whom much has been   
already written4 ,i am also aware that  
public opinion accords not at all times 
with truth1 because it often happens to 

incline to the wrong side of the        
question4 ,this1 however1 is a rare     
occurrence in the fine arts1#bb nor does
 it militate against an historian who   
aims more at fidelity of narrative1 and 
impartiality of public opinion1 than the
 discussion of the relative merit or    
correctness of tastes4  ,my work is     
divided into six volumes2 and ,i        
commence by treating in the two first   
volumes of that part of ,italy1 which1  
through the genius of ,da ,vinci1       
,michelangiolo1 and ,raffaello1 became  
first conspicuous1 and first exhibited a
 decided character in painting4 ,those  
artists were the ornaments of the       
,florentine and ,roman schools1 from    
which ,i proceed to two others1 the     
,sienese and ,neapolitan4 ,about the    
same time ,giorgione1 ,tiziano1 and     
,coreggio1 began to flourish in ,italy2 
three artists1 who as much advanced the 
art of colouring1 as the former improved
 design2 and of these luminaries of     
,upper ,italy ,i treat in the third and 

fourth volumes2 since the number of the 
names of artists1 and the many additions
 to this new impression1 have induced me
 to devote two volumes to their merits4 
,then follows the school of ,bologna1 in
 which the attempt was made to unite the
 excellences of all the other schools3  
this commences the fifth volume2 and on 
account of proximity it is succeeded by 
that of ,ferrara1 and ,upper and ,lower 
,romagna4 ,the school of ,genoa1 which  
was late in acquiring celebrity1        
succeeds1 and we conclude with that of  
,piedmont1 which1 though it cannot boast
 so long a succession of artists as     
those of the other states1 has merits   
sufficient to entitle it to a place in a
 history of painting4 ,thus the five    
most celebrated schools will be treated 
of in the order in which they arose2 in 
like manner as the ancient writers on   
painting began with the ,asiatic school1
 which was followed by the ,grecian1 and
 this last was subdivided into the      
,attic and ,sicyonian2 to which in      

process of time succeeded the ,roman    
school4#bc ,the sixth and last volume   
contains an ample index to the whole1   
quite indispensable to render the work  
more extensively useful1 and to give it 
its full advantage4 ,in assigning       
artists to any school ,i have paid more 
regard to other circumstances than the  
place of their nativity2 to their       
education1 their style1 their place of  
residence in particular1 and the        
instruction of their pupils3            
circumstances1 indeed1 which are        
sometimes found so blended and confused1
 that several cities may contend for one
 painter1 as they are said to have done 
for ,homer4 ,in such cases ,i do not    
pretend to decide2 the object of my     
labours being only to trace the         
vicissitudes of the art in various      
places1 and to point out those artists  
who have exercised an influence over    
them2 not to determine disputes1        
unpleasant in themselves1 and wholly    
foreign to my undertaking4   ,footnote  

#b3 ,see ,algarotti1 ,saggio sopra la   
,pittura1 in the chapter ,della critica 
necessaria al ,pittore4  ,footnote #c3  
,for this fault1 which the ,greeks used 
to call ,acribia1 ,pascoli has been     
sharply reproved4 ,he has1 in fact1     
informed us which among the several     
artists could boast a becoming and      
proportionate nose1 which had it short  
or long1 aquiline or snubbed1 very sharp
 or very hollow4 ,he most generally     
observes that such an artist was neither
 tall nor large of stature1 neither     
handsome nor plain in his physiognomy2  
and who would have thought it worth his 
while to inquire about it8 ,the sole    
utility that can possibly attend such   
inquiries is1 the chance of detecting   
some impostor1 who might attempt to palm
 upon us for a genuine portrait the     
likeness of some other individual4      
,engravings1 however1 are the best      
security against similar impositions4   
,footnote #d3 ,in the ,magasin          
,encyclopedique of ,paris1 7,an4 viii4  

tom4 iv4 p4 #fc71 there is a work in two
 volumes1 edited in the ,german language
 at ,gottingen1 announced as well as    
commended4 ,the first volume is dated   
#agih1 the second #ahja1 from the pen of
 note the learned ,sig4 ,florillo1 the  
title of which we insert in the second  
index4 ,it consists of a history of     
painting upon the plan of the present   
one2 but there is some variation in the 
order of the schools4  ,footnote #e3 ,it
 was finished in the year #agif1 and it 
is now given1 with various additions and
 corrections throughout4 ,many churches1
 galleries1 and pictures1 are here      
mentioned which are no longer in        
existence2 but this does not interfere  
with its truth1 inasmuch as the title of
 the work is confined to the before     
mentioned year4 ,numerous friends have  
lent me their assistance in the         
completion of this edition1 and in      
particular the cavalier ,gio4 de'       
,lazara1 a gentleman of ,padua1 who     
possesses a rich collection1 both in    

books and ,,mss41 and displays the      
utmost liberality in affording others   
the use of them4 ,to this merit1 in     
regard to the present work1 he has      
likewise added that of revising and     
correcting it through the press1 a      
favour which ,i could not have more     
highly estimated from any other hand1   
deeply versed as he is in the history of
 the fine arts4  ,footnote #f3 ,ut enim 
pictores1 et qui signa faciunt1 et vero 
etiam poetae suum quisque opus a vulgo  
considerari vult1 ut si quid reprehensum
 sit a pluribus id corrigatur 444 sic   
aliorum judicio permulta nobis et       
facienda et non facienda1 et mutanda et 
corrigenda sunt4 ,cicero ,de ,officiis1 
ii4 c4 #da4  ,footnote #g3 ,treatise on 
,painting1 tom4 ii4 p4 #aff4  ,footnote 
#h3 ,opere1 tom4 ii4 p4 #ajh4  ,footnote
 #i3 ,a learned ,venetian1 skilled in   
the practice of design and of painting4 
,he must not be confounded with ,antonio
 ,maria ,zanetti1 an eminent engraver1  
who revived the art of taking prints    

from wooden blocks with more than one   
colour1 which was invented by ,ugo da   
,carpi1 but afterwards lost4 ,he also   
wrote works1 serviceable to the fine    
arts2 and several of his letters may be 
seen in the second volume of ,lettere   
,pittoriche4 ,they are subscribed       
,antonio ,maria ,zanetti1 q4 ,erasmo2   
but this is an error of the editor3 it  
ought to be q4 ,girolamo1 to distinguish
 him from the other1 who was called del 
q4 ,alessandro4 ,this mistake was       
detected by the accurate ,vianelli1 in  
his ,diario della ,carriera1 p4 #di4    
,footnote #aj3 ,an amateur1 who happens 
to be unacquainted with the fact1 that  
there were various artists of the same  
name1 as the ,vecelli1 ,bassani1 and    
,caracci1 will never become properly    
acquainted with these families of       
painters2 neither will he be competent  
to judge of certain pictures1 which only
 attract the regard of the vulgar1      
because they truly boast the reputation 
of a great name4  ,footnote #aa3 ,i do  

not admit this principle4 ,horace laid  
it down for the art of poetry alone1    
because it is a faculty that perishes   
when it ceases to give delight4         
,architecture1 on the other hand1       
confers vast utility when it does not   
please1 by presenting us with           
habitations2 and painting1 and          
sculpture1 by preserving the features of
 men1 and illustrious actions4 ,besides1
 let us recollect1 that ,horace         
denounces the production of inferior    
verses1 because there is not space      
enough for them2 ,non concessere        
columnae1 but it is not so with         
paintings of mediocrity4 ,in any country
 ,petrarch1 ,ariosto1 and ,tasso1 may be
 read1 and he who has never read a poor 
poet1 will write better than if he had  
read a hundred4 ,but it is not every one
 who can boast either in the houses or  
temples of his country1 of possessing   
the works of good artists2 and for      
purposes of worship or of ornament1 the 
less excellent ones may suffice2        

wherefore these also produce some       
advantage4  ,footnote #ab3 ,like one who
 thinks of some other person than he    
that is before him4  ,footnote #ac3 ,for
 the improvement of my latest edition1  
,i am greatly indebted to the ,prince   
,filippo ,ercolani1 who1 having         
purchased from the heirs of ,signor     
,marcello ,oretti fifty-two manuscript  
volumes1 which that indefatigable       
amateur1 in the course of his studies1  
journeys1 and observations1 had compiled
 respecting the professors of the fine  
arts1 their eras1 and their labours1    
allowed materials to be drawn from them 
for various notes1 by the ,sig4 ,lazara1
 who superintended the edition4 ,to the 
devoted attachment of these gentlemen to
 the fine arts1 the public are indebted 
for much information1 either wholly new1
 or hitherto little known4  ,footnote   
#ad3 ,vasari1 from whom several epochs  
are taken1 is full of errors in dates1  
as may be every where perceived4 ,see   
,bottari's note on tom4 ii4 p4 #gi4 ,the

 same observation applies generally to  
other authors1 as ,bottari remarks in a 
note on ,lettere ,pittoriche1 tom4 iv4  
p4 #cff4 ,a similar objection is made to
 the ,dictionary of ,p4 ,orlandi in     
another letter1 tom4 ii4 p4 #cah1 where 
it is termed a useful work1 but so full 
of errors1 that one can derive no       
benefit from it without possessing the  
books there quoted4 ,after three        
editions of this work1 a fourth was     
printed in ,venice1 in #agec1 corrected 
and enlarged by ,guarienti1 but enough  
still remains to be done after his      
additions1 even to increase it twofold4 
,bottari1 ,lett4 ,pitt4 tom4 iii4 p4    
#cec4 ,see also ,crespi ,vite de'       
,pittori ,bolognesi1 p4 #ej4 ,no one1   
who has not perused this book1 would    
believe how often he defaces ,orlandi in
 presuming to correct him2 multiplying  
artists for every little difference with
 which authors wrote the name of the    
same man4 ,thus ,pier ,antonio ,torre1  
and ,antonio ,torri1 are with him two   

different men4 ,many of the articles1   
however1 added by him1 relating to      
artists unknown to ,p4 ,orlandi1 are    
useful2 so that this second ,dictionary 
ought to be consulted with caution1 not 
altogether rejected4 ,the last edition1 
printed at ,florence1 in two volumes1   
contains the names of many painters1    
either lately dead1 or still living1 and
 often of very inferior merit1 and on   
this account is little noticed in my    
history4 ,this ,dictionary1 moreover1   
affords little satisfaction to the      
reader concerning the old masters1      
unless he possess a work printed at     
,florence in twelve volumes1 entitled   
,serie degli ,uomini piu illustri in    
,pittura1 to which the articles in it   
often refer4 ,the ,dizionario           
,portatile1 by ,mr4 ,la ,combe1 is also 
a book of reference1 not very valuable  
to those who look for exact information4
 ,we give a single instance of his      
inaccuracy in regard to the elder       
,palma2 but our emendations have been   

chiefly directed towards the writers of 
,italy1 from whom foreigners have1 or   
ought to have borrowed1 in writing      
respecting our artists4  ,footnote #ae3 
,see ,mr4 ,richardson's ,treatise on    
,painting1 tom4 ii4 p4 #eh2 and ,m4     
,d',argenville's ,abrege de la ,vie des 
plus fameux ,peintres1 tom4 i4 p4 #fe4  
,footnote #af3 ,some made use of pure   
colours1 without blending one with the  
other2 a practice well understood in the
 age of ,titiano3 others1 as ,coreggio1 
adopted a method totally opposite3 he   
laid on his admirable colours in such a 
manner1 that they appear as if they had 
been breathed without effort on the     
canvas2 so soft and so clear1 without   
harshness of outline1 and so relieved1  
that he seems the rival of nature4 ,the 
elder ,palma and ,lorenzo ,lotto        
coloured freshly1 and finished their    
pictures as highly as ,giovanni         
,bellini2 but they have loaded and      
overwhelmed them with outline and       
softness in the style of ,titiano and   

,giorgione4 ,some others1 as            
,tintoretto1 to a purity of colour not  
inferior to the artists above mentioned1
 have added a boldness as grand as it is
 astonishing2 c4 ,baldinucci1 ,lett4    
,pittor4 tom4 ii4 lett4 #abf4  ,footnote
 #ag3 ,see ,baldinucci in ,lett4        
,pittor4 tom4 ii4 lett4 #abf1 and one by
 ,crespi1 tom4 iv4 lett4 #afb4          
,footnote #ah3 ,we must recollect that  
de pictore1 sculptore1 fusore1 judicare 
nisi artifex non potest1 7,plin4 ,jun4  
i4 epist4 #aj72 which must be understood
 of certain refinements of the art that 
may escape the eye of the most learned  
connoisseur4 ,but have we any need of a 
painter to whisper in our ear whether   
the features of a figure are handsome or
 ugly1 its colouring false or natural1  
whether it has harmony and expression1  
or whether its composition be in the    
,roman or ,venetian taste8 ,and where it
 is really expedient to have the opinion
 of an artist1 which we therefore report
 as we have either read it or heard it1 

will that opinion have less authority in
 my pages than on his own tongue8       
,footnote #ai3 ,abundance of quotations1
 and descriptions of the minutest       
particulars from rarer works is a       
characteristic of the present day1 to   
which ,i think ,i have sufficiently     
conformed in my second ,index4 ,but in a
 history expressly composed to instruct 
and please1 ,i have judged it right not 
to interrupt the thread of the narrative
 too frequently with different          
authorities4 ,the works from which ,i   
draw my account of each artist are      
indicated in the body of the history and
 in the first index3 to make continual  
allusion to them might please a few1 but
 would prove very disagreeable to many4 
,footnote #bj3 ,pietro da ,cortona told 
,falconieri that when the celebrated    
picture of ,s4 ,girolamo della ,carita  
was exhibited1 it was so abused by all  
the eminent painters1 of whom many then 
flourished1 that he himself joined in   
its condemnation1 in order to save his  

credit4 ,see ,falconieri1 ,lett4        
,pittor4 tom4 ii4 lett4 #ag4 ,he        
continues3 ,is not the tribune of the   
church of ,s4 ,andrea della ,valle1     
ornamented by ,domenichino1 among the   
finest specimens of painting in fresco8 
and yet they talked of sending masons   
with hammers to knock it down after he  
had displayed it4 ,when ,domenichino    
afterwards passed through the church1 he
 stopped with his scholars to view it2  
and1 shrugging up his shoulders1        
observed1 ',after all1 ,i do not think  
the picture so badly executed4'         
,footnote #ba3 ,the most singular and   
novel opinions concerning our painters  
are contained in the volumes published  
by ,m4 ,cochin1 who is confuted in the  
,guides to the cities of ,padua and     
,parma1 and is often convicted of       
erroneous statements in matter of fact4 
,he is reproved1 with regard to         
,bologna1 by ,crespi1 in ,lett4 ,pittor4
 tom4 vii42 and for what he has said of 
,genoa1 by ,ratti1 in the lives of the  

painters of that city4 ,commencing with 
his preface1 they point out the grossest
 errors in ,cochin4 ,it is there also   
observed that his work was disapproved  
of by ,watellet1 by ,clerisseau1 and    
other ,french connoisseurs then living3 
nor do ,i believe it would have pleased 
,filibien1 ,de ,piles1 and such masters 
of the critical art4 ,italy also1 at a  
later period1 has produced a book1 which
 aims at overturning the received       
opinions on subjects connected with the 
fine arts4 ,it is entitled ,arte di     
vedere secondo i principii di ,sulzer e 
di ,mengs4 ,the author1 who in certain  
periodical works at ,rome1 was called   
the modern ,diogenes1 has been honoured 
with various confutations4 7,see        
,lettera in ,difesa del ,cav4 ,ratti1 p4
 #aa47 ,authors like these launch their 
extravagant opinions1 for the purpose of
 attracting the gaze of the world2 but  
men of letters1 if they cannot pass them
 over in silence1 ought not to be very  
anxious to gratify their                

wishes--,opinionum commenta delet dies4 
,cicero4  ,footnote #bb3 ,of ,apelles   
himself ,pliny observes1 ,vulgum        
diligentiorem judicem quam se           
praeferens4 ,examine also ,carlo ,dati  
in ,vite de' ,pittori ,antichi1 p4 #ii1 
where he proves1 by authority and       
examples1 that judgment1 in the         
imitative arts1 is not confined to the  
learned4 ,see also ,junius1 ,de ,pictura
 ,veterum1 lib4 i4 cap4 #e4  ,footnote  
#bc3 ,see ,mons4 ,agucchi1 in a fragment
 preserved by ,bellori1 in ,vite de'    
,pittori1 ,scultori1 e ,architetti      
moderni1 p4 #aij4       ,,biographical  
,,notice4#bd   ,luigi ,lanzi was born in
 the year #agcb1 at ,monte dell' ,olmo1 
in the diocese of ,fermo1 of an ancient 
family1 which is said to have enjoyed   
some of the chief honours of the        
municipality to which it belonged4 ,his 
father was a physician1 and also a man  
of letters3 his mother1 a truly         
excellent and pious woman1 was allied to
 the family of the ,firmani4 ,how deeply

 sensible the subject of this memoir was
 of the advantages he derived1 in common
 with many illustrious characters1 from 
early maternal precepts and direction1  
he has shewn in a beautiful ,latin elegy
 to her memory1 which appeared in his   
work1 entitled ,inscriptionum et        
,carminum4  ,possessed of a naturally   
lively and penetrating turn of mind1 he 
began early to investigate the merits of
 the great writers of his own country2  
alike in poetry1 in history1 and in art4
 ,his poetical taste was formed on the  
models of ,petrarch and of ,dante1 and  
he was accustomed1 while yet a child1 to
 repeat their finest passages to his    
father1 an enthusiastic admirer of      
,italy's old poets1 who took pride in   
cultivating the same fervour in the mind
 of his son1 a fervour of which in more 
northern climates1 we can form little   
idea4 ,his imitations of these early    
poets1 whose spirit he first imbibed at 
the fountain head1 before he grew       
familiar with the corrupt and tasteless 

compositions of succeeding eras1 are    
said to have frequently been so bold and
 striking1 as to deceive the paternal   
eye4 ,to these1 too1 he was perhaps     
mainly indebted for that energy of      
feeling1 and solidity of judgment1 as   
well as that richness of illustration   
and allusion1 which confer attractions  
upon his most serious and elaborate     
works4 ,he was no less intimate with the
 best political and literary historians 
at an early age2 with ,machiavelli1     
,davila1 and ,guicciardini2 with        
,muratori and ,tiraboschi2 whose        
respective compositions he was destined 
to rival in the world of art4  ,lanzi's 
first studies were pursued in the       
,jesuits' ,college at ,fermo1 where an  
,italian ,canzone1 written in praise of 
the ,beata ,vergine1 is said to have    
acquired for him1 as a youth of great   
promise1 the highest degree of regard4  
,under the care of his spiritual        
instructor1 father ,raimondo ,cunich1   
,lanzi likewise became deeply versed in 

all the excellences of classical        
literature1 not as a vain parade of     
words and syllables2 for along with the 
technical skill of the scholar1 he      
imbibed the spirit of the ancient       
writers4 ,in his succeeding             
philosophical and mathematical studies  
he was assisted by ,father ,boscovich1  
one of the first mathematicians of his  
day4 ,thus to a keen and fertile        
intellect1 animated by enthusiasm for   
true poetry and the beauties of art1 was
 added that regular classical and       
scientific learning1 inducing a love of 
order and of truth1 capable of applying 
the clear logic derived from ,euclid to 
advantage1 in subjects of a less        
tangible and demonstrative nature4 ,the 
value of such preliminary acquirements  
to the examination of antiquarian and   
scientific remains1 which can only be   
conducted on uncertain data and a       
calculation of possibilities1 as in     
ancient specimens of art1 can bear no   
question2 and of this truth ,lanzi was  

fully aware4 ,to feel rightly1 to reason
 clearly1 to decide upon probabilities1 
to distinguish degrees1 resemblances1   
and differences1 comparing and weighing 
the whole with persevering accuracy2    
these were among the essentials which   
,lanzi conceived requisite to prepare a 
writer upon works of art4  ,these       
qualities1 too1 will be found finely    
relieved and elevated by frequent and   
appropriate passages of eloquent        
feeling2 flowing from that sincere      
veneration for his subject1 and that    
love which may be termed the religion of
 the art to which he became so early    
attached4 ,how intimately such a spirit 
is connected with the best triumphs of  
the art of painting1 is seen in the     
angelic faces of ,da ,vinci1 of         
,raffaello1 and ,coreggio2 and the same 
enthusiasm must have been felt by a true
 critic1 such as ,lanzi4 ,far1 however1 
from impeding him in the acquisition of 
his stores of antiquarian knowledge1 and
 in his scientific arrangements1 his    

enthusiasm conferred upon him only an   
incredible degree of diligence and      
despatch4 ,he was at once enabled to    
decipher the age and character1 to      
arrange in its proper class1 and to give
 the most exact description of every    
object of art which passed under his    
review4  ,lanzi thus came admirably     
prepared to his great task1 one of the  
most complete models of sound historical
 composition1 of which the modern age   
can boast4 ,it was written in the full  
maturity of his powers2 no hasty or     
isolated undertaking1 it followed a     
series of other excellent treatises1 all
 connected with some branches of the    
subject1 and furnishing materials for   
his grand design4 ,circumstances further
 contributed to promote his views4      
,shortly after the dissolution of the   
order of ,jesuits1 to which he belonged1
 he was recommended by his friend       
,fabroni1 prior of the church of ,s4    
,lorenzo1 to the grand duke ,leopold of 
,florence1 who1 in #agge1 appointed him 

to the care of his cabinet of medals and
 gems1 in the gallery of ,florence4     
,this gave rise to one of his first     
publications1 entitled1 ,a ,description 
of the ,florentine ,gallery1 which he   
sent in #aghb to the same friend1       
,angiolo ,fabroni1 then ,general        
,provveditore of the ,studio at ,pisa1  
and who conducted the celebrated        
,literary ,journal of that place1 in    
which ,lanzi's ,,description appeared4  
,his next dissertation1 still more      
enriched with antiquarian illustration  
and research1 was his ,essay on the     
,ancient ,italian dialects1 which       
contains a curious account of old       
,etruscan monuments1 and the ducal      
collection of classical vases and urns4 
,this was followed by his ,preliminary  
,notices respecting the ,sculpture of   
the ,ancients1 and their various        
,styles1 put forth in the year #aghi1 in
 which he pursues the same plan which he
 subsequently perfected in the history  
before us1 of allotting to each style   

its respective epochs1 to each epoch its
 peculiar characters1 these last being  
exemplified by their leading professors1
 most celebrated in history4 ,he farther
 adduces examples of his system as he   
proceeds1 from the various cabinets of  
the ,royal ,museum1 which he explains to
 the reader as a part of his chief      
design in illustrating them4 ,he enters 
largely into the origin and character of
 the ,etruscan ,school1 and examines    
very fully the criticisms1 both on      
ancient and ,italian art1 by            
,winckelmann and ,mengs4  ,from the     
period of these publications1 the ,grand
 ,duke1 entertaining a high opinion of  
,lanzi's judgment1 was in the habit of  
consulting him before he ventured to add
 any new specimens to his cabinet of    
antiquities4 ,he was also entrusted with
 a fresh arrangement of some new        
cabinets belonging to the gallery1 which
 together with the latter1 he finally   
completed1 on a system which it is said 
never fails to awaken the admiration of 

all scientific visitors at ,florence4   
,during this task1 his attention had    
been particularly directed to the       
interpretation of the monuments and     
,etruscan inscriptions contained in the 
ducal gallery1 which1 together with the 
ancient ,tuscan1 the ,umbrian1 and other
 obsolete dialects1 soon grew familiar  
to him1 and led to the composition of   
his celebrated ,essay upon the ,tuscan  
,tongue4 ,for the purpose of more       
complete research and illustration1 he  
obtained permission from the duke to    
visit ,rome1 in order to consult the    
museums1 and prepare the way for his    
essay1 which he published there in      
#aghi2 a work of immense erudition and  
research4  ,it was here ,lanzi first    
appeared as the most profound           
antiquarian of modern ,italy1 by his    
successful explanation of some ancient  
,etruscan inscriptions and remains of   
art1 which had baffled the skill of a   
number of his most distinguished        
countrymen4 ,upon presenting it to the  

grand duke1 after his return from ,rome1
 ,lanzi was immediately appointed his   
head antiquary and director of the      
,florentine gallery2 while the city of  
,gubbio raised him to the rank of their 
first patrician order1 on account of his
 successful elucidation of the famous   
,eugubine ,tables4 ,in one of his       
,dissertations upon a small ,tuscan     
,urn1 he triumphantly refuted some      
charges which had been invidiously      
advanced against him1 and defended his  
principles of antiquarian illustration  
by retorting the charge of fallacy upon 
his adversaries4  ,in the year #agij1   
,lanzi1 at the request of the           
,gonfaloniere and priors of ,monte      
dell',olino1 published an inquiry into  
the ,condition and ,site of ,pausula1 an
 ancient ,city of ,piceno2 said to be   
written with surprising ingenuity1 yet  
with equal fairness2 uninfluenced by any
 prejudices arising from national       
partiality1 or from the nature of the   
commission with which he had been       

honoured4 ,this was speedily followed by
 a much more important undertaking1     
connected with the prosecution of his   
great design1 which it would appear he  
had already for some time entertained4  
,during the period of his travels       
through ,italy in pursuit of            
antiquities1 he had carefully collected 
materials for a general ,history of     
,painting1 which was meant to comprize1 
in a compendious form1 whatever should  
be found scattered throughout the       
numerous authors who had written upon   
the art4 ,these materials1 as well as   
the work itself1 had gradually grown    
upon his hands1 as might be expected    
from a man so long accustomed to method1
 to criticism1 to perspicuity2 in short1
 to every quality requisite in the      
philosophical treatment of a great      
subject4 ,the artists and literati of   
,italy1 then1 were not a little         
surprised at the appearance of the first
 portion of the ,storia ,pittorica1     
comprehending ,lower ,italy2 or the     

,florentine1 ,sienese1 ,roman1 and      
,neapolitan ,schools1 reduced to a      
compendious and methodical form1 adapted
 to facilitate a knowledge of           
,professors and of their ,styles1 for   
the lovers of the art4 ,it was dedicated
 to the grand duchess ,louisa ,maria of 
,bourbon1 in a style1 observes the ,cav4
 ,bossi1 which recalls to mind the      
letters of ,pliny to ,trajan1 composed  
with mingled dignity and respect2 with  
genuine feeling1 and with true1 not     
imaginary1 commendations4 ,elogio1 p4   
#abg4  ,but the unfeigned pleasure and  
admiration expressed in the world of    
literature and art1 on being presented  
with the ,pictorial ,history of ,lower  
,italy1 was almost equalled by its      
disappointment at the delay experienced 
with regard to the appearance of the    
second part2 and which it was feared    
would never see the light4 ,lanzi's     
state of health had1 some time          
subsequent to #agij1 been very          
precarious2 and he suffered severely    

from a distressing complaint1#be which  
frequently interrupted his travels in   
which he was then engaged1 collecting   
further materials for his ,history of   
,painting in ,upper ,italy4 ,while thus 
employed1 on his return from ,genoa in  
,december1 #agic1 he experienced a first
 attack of apoplexy1 as he was passing  
the mountains of ,massa and ,carrara4   
,after his recovery1 and return to      
,florence1 he was advised in the ensuing
 spring to visit the baths of ,albano1  
which being situated near ,bassano1     
afforded him an opportunity of          
superintending the publication of his   
history1 in the ,remondini ,press1 and  
on a more extensive scale than he had at
 first contemplated4 ,he likewise       
obtained permission from the grand duke 
,leopold to absent himself1 during some 
time1 from his charge at ,florence1 in  
,september1 #agic4 ,the first portion of
 his labours he conceived to be too     
scanty in point of names and notices to 
satisfy public taste1 so that upon      

completing the latter part upon a more  
full and extensive scale1 he gave a new 
edition of that already published1 very 
considerably altered and augmented4  ,to
 these improvements he invariably       
contributed1 both in notes and text1 at 
every subsequent edition1 a number of   
which appeared in the course of a few   
years1 until the work attained a degree 
of completeness and correctness seldom  
bestowed upon labours of such incredible
 difficulty and extent4 ,the last which 
received the correction and additions of
 the author was published at ,bassano1  
in the year #ahji4  ,that a work upon   
such a scale was a great desideratum1 no
 less to ,italy than to the general     
world of art1 would appear evident from 
the character of the various histories  
and accounts of painting which had      
preceded it4 ,they are rather valuable  
as records1 than as real criticism or   
history2 as annals of particular        
characters and productions derived from 
contemporary observation1 than as sound 

and enlightened views1 and a            
dispassionate estimate of individual    
merits4 ,full of errors1 idle           
prejudices1 and discussions foreign to  
the subject1 a large portion of their   
pages is taken up in vapid conceits1    
personal accusations1 and puerile       
reasoning1 destitute of method4  ,the   
work of ,lanzi1 on the other hand1 as it
 is well remarked by the ,cav4 ,boni1   
observes throughout the precept of the  
serie et junctura of ,horace4 ,it brings
 into full light the leading professors 
of the art1 exhibits at due distance    
those of the second class1 and only     
glances at mediocrity and inferiority of
 character1 insomuch as to fill up the  
great pictoric canvas with its just     
lights and shades4 ,the true causes of  
the decline and revival of the art at   
certain epochs are pointed out1 with    
those that contribute to preserve the   
fine arts in their happiest lustre2 in  
which1 recourse to examples more than to
 precepts is strongly recommended4 ,the 

best rules are unfolded for facilitating
 the study of different manners1 some of
 which are known to bear a resemblance1 
though by different hands1 and others   
are opposed to each other1 although     
adopted by the same artist2 a species of
 knowledge highly useful at a period    
when the best productions are eagerly   
sought after at a high rate4 ,it is a   
history1 in short1 worthy of being      
placed at the side of that on the       
,literature of ,italy by ,tiraboschi1   
who having touched upon the fine arts at
 the outset of his labours1 often urged 
his ancient friend and colleague to     
dilate upon a subject in every way so   
flattering to the genius of ,italy2 to  
,italy which1 however rivalled by other 
nations in science and in literature1   
stands triumphant and alone in its      
creative mind of art4  ,it is1 however1 
difficult to convey a just idea of a    
work composed upon so enlarged and      
complete a scale2 which embraces a      
period of about six centuries1 and      

fourteen ,italian schools1 but treated  
with such rapidity and precision1 as to 
form in itself a compendium of whatever 
we meet with in so many volumes of      
guides1 catalogues1 descriptions of     
churches and palaces1 and in so many    
lives of artists throughout the whole of
 ,italy4 7pp4 #acj-a47  ,it is known    
that ,richardson expressed a wish that  
some historian would collect these      
scattered accounts relating to the art  
of painting1 at the same time noting    
down its progress and decline in every  
age1 a desideratum which ,mengs in part 
supplied in one of his letters1 briefly 
marking down all the respective eras4   
,upon this plan1 as far as regarded     
,venetian painting1 ,zanetti had        
partially proceeded2 but the general    
survey1 in its perfect form1 of the     
whole of the other schools1 was destined
 to be completed by the genius of       
,lanzi4 ,here he first gives the general
 character of each1 distinguishing its  
particular epochs1 according to the     

alterations in taste which it underwent4
 ,a few artists of distinguished        
reputation1 whose influence gave a new  
impulse and new laws to the art1 stand  
at the head of each era1 which they may 
be said to have produced1 with a full   
description of their style4 ,to these   
great masters1 their respective pupils  
are annexed1 with the progress of their 
school1 referring to such as may have   
more or less added to1 or altered the   
manner of their prototype4 ,for the sake
 of greater perspicuity1 the painters of
 history are kept distinct from the     
artists in inferior branches2 among whom
 are classed portrait and landscape     
painters1 those of animals1 of flowers1 
of fruits1 c4 ,nor are such as bear an  
affinity to the art1 like engraving1    
inlaying1 mosaic work1 and embroidery1  
wholly excluded4 ,being doubtful whether
 he should make mention of those artists
 who belong neither to the senatorial1  
the equestrian1 nor the popular order of
 the pictorial republic1 and have no    

public representation1 such as the names
 of mediocrity2 ,lanzi finally decided  
to introduce them among their superiors1
 like third-rate actors1 whose figures  
may just be seen1 in order to preserve  
the entireness of the story4 ,to this he
 was farther induced by the general     
appearance of their names in the various
 dictionaries1 guides1 and descriptions 
of cities and of galleries2 and by the  
example of ,homer1 ,cicero1 and most    
great writers2 ,homer himself           
commemorating1 along with the wise and  
brave also the less valiant--the fools  
and the cowards4 7,elogio1 pp4 #abi1    
#acj1 #aca47  ,after having resided     
during a considerable period at         
,bassano1 occupied in the               
superintendence of the first edition of 
his great work1 ,lanzi found himself    
compelled to retire to ,udine1 in #agif1
 from the more immediate scene of war2 a
 war which subsequently involved other  
cities of ,italy in its career4 ,from   
,udine he shortly returned to ,florence1

 where he again resumed his former      
avocations in the ducal gallery1 about  
the period of the commencement of the   
,bourbon government4  ,lanzi's next     
literary undertaking was three          
,dissertations upon ,ancient painted    
,vases1 commonly called ,etruscan2 and  
he subsequently published a very        
excellent and pleasing work1 entitled1  
,aloisii ,lanzii ,inscriptionum et      
,carminum ,libri ,tres3 works which     
obtained for him the favourable notice  
of the ,bourbon court4 ,nor was he less 
distinguished by that of the new ,french
 dynasty1 which shortly obtained the    
ascendancy throughout all ,italy1 as    
well as at ,florence1 and by which      
,lanzi was appointed ,president of the  
,cruscan ,academy4  ,among ,lanzi's     
latest productions may be classed his   
edition and translations of ,hesiod2    
entitled ,i ,lavori1 e le ,giornate di  
,esiodo ,ascreo opera con ,l4 ,codici   
riscontrata1 emendata la versione       
latina1 aggiuntavi l',italiana in ,terze

 ,rime con annotazioni4 ,in this he had 
been engaged as far back as the year    
#aghe1 and it had been then announced in
 a beautiful edition of ,hesiod1        
translated into ,latin by ,count        
,zamagua4  ,the list will here close    
with his ,opere ,sacre1 sacred          
treatises1 produced on a variety of     
occasions1 and on a variety of spiritual
 subjects4 ,one of these was upon the   
,holy ,sacrament1 entitled1 ,il divoto  
del ,,ss4 ,sacramento istruito nella    
pratica di tal devozione4 ,in truth1    
,lanzi was a good ,christian1 and may be
 ranked in the number of that great and 
honoured band of ,christian             
philosophers1 who like ,newton1 ,locke1 
and ,paley1 have triumphantly opposed   
the whole strength of their mighty      
intellect1 and vast reach of their      
reasoning powers to the specious and    
witty1 but less powerful and            
argumentative genius of ,gibbon1 of     
,hume1 and of ,voltaire4 ,nor was the   
conviction of these great truths in the 

mind of ,lanzi the result of sickness   
and misfortunes1 or sombre reflections  
in the decline of life4 ,great as was   
the reputation he had acquired by his   
valuable labours1 he was often known    
sincerely to declare1 among his private 
friends1 that he would willingly        
renounce all kind of literary honours   
for the pleasure of being assured1 that 
his sacred works had in any degree      
promoted the cause of ,christianity4    
,shortly after the last edition of the  
,history now before us1 which he had    
personally superintended1 though at a   
very advanced age1 in the year #ahji1 at
 ,bassano1 ,lanzi's health began rapidly
 to decline1 and he prepared with       
perfect composure to meet the           
termination of his earthly career4 ,he  
had already attained his seventy-eighth 
year2 but his mind preserved its usual  
tone and vigour1 though he could with   
difficulty pace his apartment4 ,he wrote
 letters1 and even pursued his beloved  
studies on the day of his decease1 which

 took place on ,sunday1 the #cjth of    
,march1 #ahaj1 occasioned by a fresh    
attack of apoplexy4 ,for this he had    
long been prepared1 and only the        
preceding evening had taken an          
affectionate leave of his friends and   
domestics1 thanking the ,cav4 ,boni for 
his kindness in continuing so long to   
mount his staircase to visit an old man4
   ,footnote #bd3 ,it may be proper to  
observe1 that the materials of the      
biographical sketch here offered to the 
public1 are extracted from an extremely 
pleasing and popular tribute to the     
memory of ,lanzi1 of very general repute
 in ,italy1 from the pen of his intimate
 friend and associate1 the ,cavalier    
,bossi1 himself a man of singular merit 
and acquirements1 whose ,elogio upon his
 distinguished countryman has deservedly
 been added to the recent editions of   
his invaluable history4  ,footnote #be3 
,repeated attacks of strangury which    
often threatened his life1 unless he    
obtained instant relief4       ,,history

 ,,of ,,painting    ,,in    ,,lower     
,,italy4       ,,book ,i4               
,,florentine ,,school4     ,,epoch ,i4  
,origin of the revival of               
,painting--,association and   methods of
 the old ,painters--,series of ,tuscan  
,artists   before the time of ,cimabue  
and ,giotto4    ,,sect4 ,i4   ,that     
there were painters in ,italy1 even     
during the rude ages1 is attested not   
only by historians1#bf but by several   
pictures which have escaped the ravages 
of time2 ,rome retains several ancient  
specimens4#bg ,passing over her         
cemeteries1 which have handed down to us
 a number of ,christian monuments1 part 
in specimens of painted glass1 scattered
 through our museums1 and part in those 
of parietal histories1 or walled mosaic1
 it will be sufficient to adduce two    
vast works1 unrivalled by any others1   
that ,i know of1 in ,italy4 ,the first  
is the series of the ,popes1 which in   
order to prove the succession of the    
papal chair1 from the prince of the     

,apostles down to the time of ,st4 ,leo1
 this last holy pontiff caused to be    
painted2 a work of the fifth century1   
which was subsequently continued until  
our own times4 ,the second is the       
decoration of the whole church of ,san  
,urbano1 where there are several        
evangelical acts represented on the     
walls1 along with some histories of the 
,titular ,saint and ,st4 ,cecilia1 a    
production which1 partaking in nothing  
either of the ,greek lineaments or style
 of drapery1 may be attributed more     
justly to an ,italian pencil1 which has 
subscribed the date of #ajaa4bh ,many   
more might be pointed out1 existing in  
different cities2 as for instance the   
picture at ,pesara1 of the patron saints
 of the city1 illustrated by the        
celebrated ,annibale ,olivieri1 which is
 earlier than the year #ajjj2 those in  
the vaults of the cathedral at          
,aquileja1#bi the picture at ,santa     
,maria ,primerana at ,fiesole1 which    
seems the work of that or the succeeding

 age2#cj and the picture at ,orvieto    
which was formerly known by the name of 
,s4 ,maria ,prisca1 but is now generally
 called ,s4 ,brizio4#ca ,i say nothing  
of the figures of the virgin formerly   
ascribed to ,st4 ,luke1 and now supposed
 to be the production of the eleventh or
 twelfth century1 as ,i shall have to   
treat of them at the opening of the     
third book4 ,the painters of those times
 were1 however1 of little repute2 they  
produced no illustrious scholars1 no    
work worthy of marking an era4 ,the art 
had gradually degenerated into a kind of
 mechanism1 which1 after the models     
afforded by the ,greek workers in mosaic
 employed in the church of ,st4 ,mark1  
at ,venice1#cb invariably exhibited the 
same legends1 in which nature appeared  
distorted rather than represented4 ,it  
was not till after the middle of the    
thirteenth century that any thing better
 was attempted2 and the improvement of  
sculpture was the first step towards the
 formation of a new style4  ,the honour 

of this is due to the ,tuscans2 a nation
 that from very remote antiquity        
disseminated the benign light of art and
 learning throughout ,italy2 but it more
 especially belongs to the people of    
,pisa4 ,they taught artists how to shake
 off the trammels of the modern ,greeks1
 and to adopt the ancients for their    
models4 ,barbarism had not only         
overwhelmed the arts1 but even the      
maxims necessary for their              
re-establishment4 ,italy was not        
destitute of fine specimens of ,grecian 
and ,roman sculpture2 but she had long  
been without an artist who could        
appreciate their value1 much less       
attempt to imitate them4 ,little else   
was executed in those dark ages but some
 rude pieces of sculpture1 such as what 
remains in the cathedral of ,modena1 in 
,san ,donato at ,arezzo1 in the         
,primaziale at ,pisa1#cc and in some    
other churches where specimens are      
preserved on the doors or in the        
interior4 ,niccola ,pisano was the first

 who discovered and pursued the true    
path4 ,there were1 and still are1 some  
ancient sarcophagi in ,pisa1 especially 
that which inclosed the body of         
,beatrice1 mother of the ,countess      
,matilda1 who died in the eleventh      
century4 ,a chase1 supposed to represent
 that of ,hippolytus1 is sculptured on  
it in basso relievo1 which must be the  
production of a good school2 being a    
subject which has been often delineated 
by the ancients on many urns still      
extant at ,rome4#cd ,this was the model 
which ,niccola selected1 from this he   
formed a style which participated of the
 antique1 especially in the heads and   
the casting of the drapery2 and when    
exhibited in different ,italian cities  
it inspired artists with a laudable     
emulation to apply to sculpture more    
assiduously than they had before done1  
as we are informed by ,vasari4 ,niccola 
did not attain to what he aspired4 ,the 
compositions are sometimes crowded1 the 
figures are often badly designed1 and   

shew more diligence than expression4    
,his name1 however1 will always mark an 
era in the history of design1 because he
 first led artists into the true path by
 the introduction of a better standard4 
,reform in any branch of study          
invariably depends on some rule1 which1 
promulgated and adopted by the schools1 
gradually produces a general revolution 
in opinion1 and opens a new field to the
 exertions of a succeeding age4  ,about 
#abca1 he sculptured at ,bologna the urn
 of ,san ,domenico1 and from this1 as a 
remarkable event1 he was named ,niccola 
of the ,urn4 ,he afterwards executed in 
a much superior style1 the ,last        
,judgment1 for the cathedral of         
,orvieto1 and the pulpit in the church  
of ,san ,giovanni1 at ,pisa2 works that 
demonstrate to the world that design1   
invention1 and composition1 received    
from him a new existence4 ,he was       
succeeded by ,arnolfo ,florentino1 his  
scholar1 the sculptor of the tomb of    
,boniface ,,viii4 in ,san ,pietro at    

,rome2 and by his son ,giovanni1 who    
executed the monuments of ,urban ,,iv4  
and of ,benedict ,,ix4 in ,perugia4 ,he 
afterwards completed the great altar of 
,san ,donato1 at ,arezzo1 the cost of   
which was thirty thousand gold florins2 
besides many other works which remain in
 ,naples and in several cities of       
,tuscany4 ,andrea ,pisano was his       
associate1 and probably also his        
disciple in ,perugia1 who1 after        
establishing himself in ,florence1      
ornamented with statues the cathedral   
and the church of ,san ,giovanni in that
 city2 and in twenty-two years finished 
the great gate of bronze to which we are
 indebted for all that is excellent1    
difficult1 or beautiful in the other    
two1 which are the workmanship of       
succeeding artists4 ,he was1 in fact1   
the founder of that great school that   
successively produced ,orcagna1         
,donatello1 and the celebrated          
,ghiberti1 who fabricated those gates   
for the same church1 which ,michelagnolo

 pronounced worthy to form the entrance 
of ,paradise4 ,after ,andrea1 we may    
notice ,giovanni ,balducci1 of ,pisa1   
whose era1 country1 and style1 all lead 
us to suppose him one of the same       
school4 ,he was an excellent artist1 and
 was employed by ,castruccio1 ,lord of  
,lucca1 and by ,azzone ,visconti1       
,prince of ,milan2 where he flourished1 
and left1 among other monuments of his  
art1 the tomb of ,san ,pietro ,martire1 
at ,s4 ,eustorgio1 which is so highly   
praised by ,torre1 by ,lattuada1 and by 
various other learned illustrators of   
,milanese antiquities4#ce ,two eminent  
artists1 natives of ,siena1 proceeded   
from the school of ,gio4 ,pisano1       
namely1 the two brothers1 ,agnolo and   
,agostino1 who are greatly commended by 
,vasari as improvers of the art4        
,whoever has seen the sepulchre of      
,guido1 bishop of ,arezzo1 which is     
decorated with an infinity of statues   
and basso-relievos1 representing        
passages of his life1 will not only find

 reason to admire in them the design1   
which was the work of ,giotto1 but the  
execution of the sculpture4 ,the        
brothers also executed many of their own
 designs in ,orvieto1 in ,siena1 and in 
,lombardy1 where they brought up several
 pupils1 who for a long period pursued  
their manner1 and diffused it over      
,italy4  ,to the improvement of         
sculpture succeeded that of mosaic1     
through the efforts of another ,tuscan1 
belonging to the order of minor friars1 
named ,fra ,jacopo1 or ,fra ,mino da    
,turrita1 from a place in the territory 
of ,siena4 ,it is not known whether he  
was instructed in his art by the ,romans
 or by the ,greek workers in mosaic1#cf 
but it is well ascertained that he very 
far surpassed them4 ,on examining what  
remains of his works in ,santa ,maria   
,maggiore at ,rome1 one can hardly be   
persuaded that it is the production of  
so rude an age1 did not history         
constrain us to believe it4 ,it appears 
probable that he took the ancients for  

his models1 and deduced his rules from  
the more chaste specimens of mosaic1    
still remaining in several of the ,roman
 churches1 the design of which is less  
crude1 the attitudes less forced1 and   
the composition more skilful1 than were 
exhibited by the ,greeks who ornamented 
the church of ,san ,marco1 at ,venice4  
,mino surpassed them in every thing4    
,from #abbe1 when he executed1 however  
feebly1 the mosaic of the tribune of the
 church of ,san ,giovanni1 at ,florence1
 he was considered at the head of the   
living artists in mosaic4#cg ,he merited
 this praise much more by his works at  
,rome1 and it appears that he long      
maintained his reputation4 ,vasari has  
not been sufficiently just to the fame  
of ,turrita1 in noticing him only       
casually in the life of ,tafi1 but the  
verses he recites1 and the commissions  
he mentions1 demonstrate how greatly    
,turrita was esteemed by his            
contemporaries4 ,it is maintained that  
he was also a painter1 but this is a    

mistake which will be cleared up in the 
,sienese school1 and both there and     
elsewhere ,i shall question the         
authority of any author who either      
greatly commends or underrates him4     
,from a deficiency of specimens1 like   
those above recorded1 painting long     
remained in a more rude state than      
mosaic1 and was very far behind         
sculpture4 ,but we must not imagine1    
that at the birth of ,cimabue1 in #abdj1
 the race of artists was entirely       
extinct1 as erroneously asserted by     
,vasari3 this must be deemed an         
exaggeration1 for he himself has        
recounted several sculptors1 architects1
 and painters then living2 and the      
general scope of his less cautious      
expressions1 against which so many      
writers have inveighed1 and still       
continue to declaim1 favours this       
opinion4 ,i shall be constrained to     
advert1 in almost every book1 to their  
accusations1 and to produce the names of
 the artists who then lived4 ,i shall   

commence with those who then flourished 
in ,tuscany4 ,the city of ,pisa1 at this
 time1 had not only painters1 but a     
school for each of the fine arts#ch4    
,the distinguished ,signor ,morrona1 who
 has illustrated the ,pisan antiquities1
 deduces its origin immediately from    
,greece4 ,the ,pisans1 already very     
powerful by sea and land1 having        
resolved in #ajfc to erect the vast     
fabric of their cathedral1 had drawn    
thither artists in miniature1 and other 
painters1 at the same time with         
,buschetto the architect1 and these men 
educated pupils for the city4 ,the      
,greeks at that time were but ill       
qualified to instruct1 for they knew    
little4 ,their first pupils in ,pisa    
seem to have been a few anonymous       
artists1 some of whose miniatures and   
rude paintings are still in existence4  
,a parchment1 containing the exultet1 as
 usually sung on ,sabbato ,santo1 is in 
the cathedral1 and we may here and there
 observe1 painted on it1 figures in     

miniature1 with plants and animals3 it  
is a relique of the early part of the   
twelfth century1 yet a specimen of art  
not altogether barbarous4 ,there are    
likewise some other paintings of that   
century in the same cathedral1          
containing figures of our ,lady1 with   
the holy infant on her right arm3 they  
are rude1 but the progress of the same  
school may be traced from them to the   
time of ,giunta4 ,this artist lately    
received a fine eulogium1 among other   
illustrious ,pisans1 from ,signor       
,tempesta1 and he was fully entitled to 
it from the more early historians4 ,his 
country possesses none of his undoubted 
pictures1 except a crucifixion with his 
name1 which is believed to be among his 
earliest productions1 a print from which
 may be found in the third volume of    
,pisa ,illustrata4 ,he executed better  
pictures in ,assisi1 where he was       
invited to paint by ,frat' ,elia di     
,cortona1 superior of the ,minori1 about
 the year #abcj4 ,from thence we are    

furnished with notices of his education1
 which is thus described by ,p4 ,angeli1
 the ,historian of that cathedral3      
,juncta ,pisanus ruditer a ,graecis     
instructus1 primus ex ,italis1 artem    
apprehendit circa ,an4 ,sal4 #abaj4 ,in 
the church of the ,angioli there is a   
better preserved work of the same       
master2 it is a crucifixion1 painted on 
a wooden cross2 on the lateral edges and
 upper surface of which our ,lady is    
represented1 with two other half-length 
figures1 and underneath the remains of  
an inscription are legible1 which having
 copied on the spot1 ,i do not hesitate 
to publish with its deficiencies now    
supplied3    ,ivn,t,a ,p,i,s,an,u,s     
,ivn,,tini ,,me ,fecit4  ,i supply      
,juntini1 because ,signor da ,morrona   
asserts1#ci that about this time1 a     
,giunta da ,giuntino is mentioned in the
 records of ,pisa1 whom by the aid of   
the ,assisi inscription1 ,i conjecture  
to be the painter we have now under     
notice4 ,the figures are considerably   

less than life2 the design is dry1 the  
fingers excessively long1 but these are 
vitia non hominum sed temporum2 in      
short1 this piece shews a knowledge of  
the naked figure1 an expression of pain 
in the heads1 and a disposition of the  
drapery1 greatly superior to the efforts
 of the ,greeks1 his contemporaries4    
,the handling of his colours is strong1 
although the flesh inclines to that of  
bronze2 the local tints are judiciously 
varied1 the chiaroscuro even shews some 
art1 and the whole is not inferior1     
except in the proportions1 to           
crucifixions with similar half figures  
usually ascribed to ,cimabue4 ,he       
painted at ,assisi another crucifixion1 
which is now lost1 to which may be      
added1 a portrait of ,frat' ,elia1 with 
this inscription1 ,f4 ,helias fecit     
fieri4 ,jesu ,christe pie miserere      
precantis ,heliae4 ,juncta ,pisanus me  
pinxit1 ,an4 ,d4 #abcf4 ,indit4 ,,ix4   
,the inscription has been preserved by  
,p4 ,wadingo in his annals of the       

,franciscan order for that year1 and the
 historian describes the crucifixion as 
affabre pictum4 ,the fresco works of    
,giunta were executed in the great      
church of the ,franciscans1 and         
according to ,vasari he was there       
assisted by certain ,greeks4 ,some busts
 and history pieces still remain in the 
gallery and the contiguous chapels1     
among which is the crucifixion of ,san  
,pietro1 noticed in the ,etruria        
,pittrice4 ,some believe that those     
paintings have been here and there      
injudiciously retouched1 and this may   
serve to excuse the drawing1 which may  
have been altered in many places1 but   
the feebleness of the colouring cannot  
be denied4 ,when they are compared with 
what ,cimabue executed there about forty
 years afterwards1 it seems that ,giunta
 was not sufficiently forcible in this  
species of painting2 perhaps he might   
have improved1 but he is not mentioned  
after #abce2 and it is conjectured that 
he died while yet a young man1 at a     

distance from his native country4 ,i am 
induced to believe so from observing1   
that ,giunta di ,giuntino is noticed in 
the records of ,pisa1 in the early part 
of that century1 but not afterwards2 and
 that ,cimabue was sent for to paint the
 altar-piece and portrait of ,san       
,francesco of ,pisa1 about the year     
#abfe1 before he went to ,assisi4 ,it is
 more likely that ,giunta would have    
executed this1 had he returned home from
 that city1 where he had seen and       
perhaps painted the portrait of the     
,holy ,father4#dj  ,from this school the
 art is believed to have spread in these
 early times over all ,tuscany1 although
 it must not be forgotten that there    
were miniature painters there as well as
 in the other parts of ,italy1 who1     
transferring their art from small to    
large works1 like ,franco of ,bologna1  
betook themselves1 and incited others to
 painting on walls and on panel4        
,whatever we may choose to believe1     
,siena1 at this period1 could boast her 

,guido1 who painted from the year #abba1
 but not entirely in the manner of the  
,greeks1 as we shall find under the     
,sienese school4 ,lucca possessed in    
#abce one ,bonaventura ,berlingieri4 ,a 
,san ,francesco painted by him still    
exists in the castle of ,guiglia1 not   
far from ,modena1 which is described as 
a work of great merit for that age4#da  
,there lived another artist about the   
year #abhh1 known by his production of a
 crucifixion which he left at ,san      
,cerbone1 a short distance from the city
 with this inscription2 ,deodatus filius
 ,orlandi de ,luca me pinxit1 ,a4 ,d4   
#abhh4 ,margaritone of ,arezzo was a    
disciple and imitator of the ,greeks1   
and by all accounts he must have been   
born several years before ,cimabue4 ,he 
painted on canvas1 and if we may credit 
,vasari1 made the first discovery of a  
method of rendering his pictures more   
durable1 and less liable to cracking4   
,he extended canvas on the panel1 laying
 it down with a strong glue1 made of    

shreds of parchment1 and covered the    
whole with a ground of gypsum1 before he
 began to paint4 ,he formed diadems and 
other ornaments of plaster1 giving them 
relief from gilding and burnishing them4
 ,some of his crucifixions remain in    
,arezzo1 and one of them is in the      
church of the ,holy ,cross at ,florence1
 near another by ,cimabue2 both are in  
the old manner1 and not so different in 
point of merit1 but that ,margaritone1  
however rude1 may be pronounced as well 
entitled as ,cimabue to the name of     
painter4  ,while the neighbouring cities
 had made approaches towards the new    
style1 ,florence1 if we are to credit   
,vasari and his followers1 was without a
 painter2 but subsequent to the year    
#abej some ,greek painters were invited 
to ,florence by the rulers of the city1 
for the express purpose of restoring the
 art of painting in ,florence1 where it 
was rather wholly lost than degenerated4
 ,to this assertion ,i have to oppose   
the learned dissertation of ,doctor     

,lami1 which ,i have just commended4    
,lami observes1 that mention is made in 
the archives of the chapters of one     
,bartolommeo who painted in #abcf1 and  
that the picture of the ,annunciation of
 our ,lady1 which is held in the highest
 veneration in the church of the ,servi1
 was painted about that period4 ,it is  
retouched in some parts of the drapery2 
it possesses1 however1 much originality1
 and for that age is respectably        
executed4 ,when ,i prepared my first    
edition ,i had no knowledge of the work 
of ,lami1 which was not then published1 
and hence was unable to proceed further 
than to refute the opinion of those who 
ascribed this sacred figure to          
,cavallini1 a pupil of ,giotto4 ,i      
reflected that the style of ,cavallini  
appeared considerably more modern in his
 other works which ,i had examined at   
,assisi1 and at ,florence2 yet1 various 
artists whom ,i consulted1 and among    
others ,signor ,pacini1 who had copied  
the ,annunciation1 disputed with me this

 diversity of style4 ,i further adduced 
the form of the characters written there
 in a book1 ,ecce ,virgo concipiet1 c4  
which resemble those of the thirteenth  
century2 nor have they that profusion of
 lines which distinguishes the ,german1 
commonly denominated the ,gothic        
character1 which ,cavallini and other   
pupils of ,giotto always employed4 ,i   
rejoice that the opinion of ,lami       
confirms my conjecture1 and stamps its  
authenticity2 and it seems to me highly 
probable that the ,bartolommeo1 whom he 
indicates1 is the individual to whom the
 memorandums of the ,servi ascribe the  
production of their ,annunciation about 
the year #abej4 ,the same religious     
fraternity preserve1 among their ancient
 paintings1 a ,magdalen1 which appears  
from the design and inscription1 a work 
of the thirteenth century2 and we might 
instance several coeval pictures that   
still exist in their chapter house1 and 
in other parts of the city4#db  ,having 
inserted these notices of ancient       

painters1 and some others1 which will be
 found scattered throughout the work1 ,i
 turn to ,vasari1 and to the accusations
 laid to his charge4 ,he is defended by 
,monsignor ,bottari in a note at the    
conclusion of the life of ,margaritone1 
taken from ,baldinucci4 ,he affirms1    
from his own observation1 ,that though  
each city had some painters1 they were  
all as contemptible and barbarous as    
,margaritone1 who1 if compared to       
,cimabue1 is unworthy of the name of    
painter4 ,the examples already cited do 
not permit me to assent to this         
proposition2 even ,bottari himself will 
scarcely allow me to do so1 as he       
observes1 in another note on the life of
 ,cimabue1 ,that he was the first who   
abandoned the manner of the ,greeks1 or 
at least who avoided it more completely 
than any other artist4 ,but if others1  
such as ,guido1 ,bonaventura1 and       
,giunta1 had freed themselves from it   
before his time1 why are they not       
recorded as the first1 in point of time1

 by ,vasari8 ,did not their example open
 the new path to ,cimabue8 ,did they not
 afford a ray of light to reviving art8 
,were they not in painting what the two 
,guidos were in poetry1 who1 however    
much surpassed by ,dante1 are entitled  
to the first place in a history of our  
poets8 ,vasari would therefore have     
acted better had he followed the example
 of ,pliny1 who commences with the rude 
designers1 ,ardices of ,corinth1 and    
,telephanes of ,sicyon2 he then minutely
 narrates the invention of ,cleophantes 
the ,corinthian1 who coloured his       
designs with burnt earth2 next1 that of 
,eumarus the ,athenian1 who first       
represented the distinction of age and  
sex4 ,then comes that of ,cimon of      
,cleonae1 who first expressed the       
various attitudes of the head1 and aimed
 at representing the truth1 even in the 
joints of the fingers and the folds of  
the garments4 ,thus1 the merits of each 
city1 and every artist1 appear in       
ancient history2 and it seems to me     

just1 that the same should be done1 as  
far as possible1 in modern history4     
,these observations may1 at present1    
suffice in regard to a subject that has 
been made a source of complaint and     
dispute among many writers4             
,nevertheless it cannot be denied that  
there is no city to which painting is   
more indebted than to ,florence1 nor any
 name more proper to mark an epoch1     
whatever may be the opinion of ,padre   
della ,valle1#dc than that of ,cimabue4 
,the artists whom ,i have before        
mentioned had few followers2 their      
schools1 with the exception of that of  
,siena1 languished1 and were either     
gradually dispersed1 or united          
themselves to that of ,florence4 ,this  
school in a short time eclipsed every   
other1 and has continued to flourish in 
a proud succession of artists1          
uninterrupted even down to our own days4
 ,let us then trace it from its         
commencement4  ,giovanni ,cimabue1      
descended from illustrious ancestors1#dd

 was both an architect and a painter4   
,that he was the pupil of ,giunta is    
conjectured in our times1 only because  
the ,greeks were less skilful than the  
,italians4 ,it ought to be a previous   
question1 whether the supposed scholar  
and master ever resided in the same     
place1 which it would seem1 after the   
observations before adduced1 can        
scarcely be admitted4#de ,it appears    
from history1 that he learnt the art    
from some ,greeks who were invited to   
,florence1 and painted in ,s4 ,maria    
,novella1 according to ,vasari4 ,it is  
an error to assert that they painted in 
the chapel of the ,gondi1 which was     
built a century after1 together with the
 church2 it was certainly in another    
chapel1 under the church1 where those   
,greek paintings were covered with      
plaister1 and their place supplied by   
others1 the work of a painter of the    
thirteenth century4#df  ,not long since 
a part of the new plaister fell down1   
and some of the very rude figures of    

those ,greek painters became again      
visible4 ,it is probable that ,cimabue  
imitated them in early life1 and perhaps
 at that time painted the ,s4 ,francesco
 and the little legends which surround  
it in the church of ,s4 ,croce4 ,but1 if
 ,i mistake not1 it is doubtful who     
painted this picture2 at least it       
neither has the manner nor the colouring
 of the works of ,cimabue1 even when    
young4 ,i may refer to the ,s4 ,cecilia1
 with the implements of her martyrdom1  
in the church dedicated to that ,saint1 
and which was afterwards removed to that
 of ,san ,stefano1 a picture greatly    
superior to that of ,s4 ,francesco4     
,however this may be1 like other        
,italians of his age1 ,giovanni got the 
better of his ,greek education1 which   
seems to have consisted in one artist   
copying another without ever adding any 
thing to the practice of his master4 ,he
 consulted nature1 he corrected in part 
the rectilinear forms of his design1 he 
gave expression to the heads1 he folded 

the drapery1 and he grouped the figures 
with much greater art than the ,greeks4 
,his talent did not consist in the      
graceful4 ,his ,madonnas have no beauty1
 his angels in the same piece have all  
the same forms4 ,wild as the age in     
which he lived1 he succeeded admirably  
in heads full of character1 especially  
in those of old men1 impressing an      
indescribable degree of bold sublimity1 
which the moderns have not been able    
greatly to surpass4 ,vast and inventive 
in conception1 he executed large        
compositions1 and expressed them in     
grand proportions4 ,his two great       
altar-pieces of the ,madonna1 at        
,florence1 the one in the church of the 
,dominicans1 the other in that of the   
,trinity1 with the grand figures of the 
prophets1 do not give so good an idea of
 his style as his fresco paintings in   
the church of ,assisi1 where he appears 
truly magnificent for the age in which  
he lived4 ,in these histories of the    
,old and ,new ,testament1 such as       

remain1 he appears an ,ennius1 who1 amid
 the rudeness of ,roman epic poetry1    
gave flashes of genius not displeasing  
to a ,virgil4 ,vasari speaks of him with
 admiration for the vigour of his       
colouring1 and justly so of the pictures
 in the ceiling4 ,they are still in a   
good state of preservation1 and although
 some of the figures of ,christ1 and of 
the ,virgin in particular1 retain much  
of the ,greek manner1 others            
representing the ,evangelists1 and      
,doctors instructing the ,monks of the  
,franciscan ,order1 from their chairs1  
exhibit an originality of conception and
 arrangement that does not appear in    
contemporary works4 ,the colouring is   
bold1 the proportions are gigantic even 
in the distance1 and not badly          
preserved2 in short1 painting may there 
be said to have almost advanced beyond  
what the mosaic worker at first         
attempted to do4 ,the whole of these1   
indeed1 are steps in the progress of the
 human intellect not to be recounted in 

one history1 and form beyond question   
the distinguishing excellence of the    
,florentine artist1 when put into       
competition with either the ,pisans or  
the ,sienese4 ,nor do ,i perceive how1  
after the authority of ,vasari1 who     
assigns the work of the ceiling to      
,cimabue1 confirmed by the tradition of 
five centuries1 ,p4 della ,valle is     
justified at this day1 in ascribing that
 painting to ,giotto1 a painter of a    
milder genius4 ,if he was induced to    
prefer other artists to ,cimabue1       
because they gave the eyes less         
fierceness1 and the nose a finer shape1 
these circumstances appear to me too    
insignificant to degrade ,cimabue from  
that rank which he enjoys in impartial  
history4#dg ,he has moreover asserted1  
that ,cimabue neither promoted nor      
injured the ,florentine school by his   
productions1 a harsh judgment1 in the   
opinion of those who have perused so    
many old writers belonging to the city  
who have celebrated his merits1 and of  

those who have studied the works of the 
,florentine artists before his time1 and
 seen how greatly ,cimabue surpasses    
them4  ,if ,cimabue was the             
,michelangiolo of that age1 ,giotto was 
the ,raffaello4 ,painting1 in his hands1
 became so elegant1 that none of his    
school1 nor of any other1 till the time 
of ,masaccio1 surpassed1 or even        
equalled him1 at least in gracefulness  
of manner4 ,giotto was born in the      
country1 and was bred a shepherd2 but he
 was likewise born a painter2 and       
continually exercised his genius in     
delineating some object or other around 
him4 ,a sheep which he had drawn on a   
flat stone1 after nature1 attracted the 
notice of ,cimabue1 who by chance passed
 that way3 he demanded leave of his     
father to take him to ,florence1 that he
 might afford him instruction2          
confident1 that in him1 he was about to 
raise up a new ornament to the art4     
,giotto commenced by imitating his      
master1 but quickly surpassed him4 ,an  

,annunciation1 in the possession of the 
,fathers of ,badia1 is one of his       
earliest works4 ,the style is somewhat  
dry1 but shews a grace and diligence1   
that announced the improvement we       
afterwards discern4 ,through him        
symmetry became more chaste1 design more
 pleasing1 and colouring softer than    
before4 ,the meagre hands1 the sharp    
pointed feet1 and staring eyes1 remnants
 of the ,grecian manner1 all acquired   
more correctness under him4  ,it is not 
possible to assign the cause of this    
transition1 as we are able to do in the 
case of later painters2 but it is       
reasonable to conclude that it was not  
wholly produced1 even by the almost     
divine genius of this artist1 unaided by
 adventitious circumstances4 ,there is  
no necessity for sending him1 as some   
have done1 to be instructed at ,pisa2   
his history does not warrant it1 and an 
historian is not a diviner4 ,much less  
ought we to refer him to the school of  
,f4 ,jacopo da ,turrita1 and give him   

,memmi and ,lorenzetti for fellow       
pupils1 who are not known to have been  
in ,rome when ,f4 ,jacopo was           
distinguished for his best manner4 ,but 
,p4 della ,valle thinks he discovers in 
,giotto's first painting1 the style and 
composition of ,giunta1 7,preface to    
,vasari1 p4 #ag17 and in the pictures of
 ,giotto at ,s4 ,croce1 in ,florence1   
which he has meditated upon a hundred   
times1 he recognizes ,f4 ,jacopo1 and   
finds reason for opining that he was the
 master of ,giotto4 7,vide tom4 ii4 p4  
#gh47 ,when a person becomes attached to
 a system1 he often sees and opines what
 no one else can possibly see or opine4 
,in the same manner ,baldinucci wished  
to refer to the school of ,giotto1 one  
,duccio da ,siena1 ,vital di ,bologna1  
and many others1 as will be noticed2 and
 he too argues upon a resemblance of    
style1 which1 to say truth1 neither ,i  
nor any one ,i know can perceive4 ,if ,i
 cannot then agree with ,baldinucci1 can
 ,i value his imitator8 and more        

particularly as it is no question here  
of ,vitale1 or any other artist of      
mediocrity1 almost unknown to history1  
but of ,giotto himself4 ,is it likely1  
with a genius such as his1 and born in  
an age not wholly barbarous1 with the   
advantages enjoyed under ,cimabue1      
especially in point of colouring1 that  
he would take ,giunta for his model1 or 
listen to the instruction of ,fra ,mino1
 in order to excel his master4 ,besides1
 what advantage can be obtained from    
thus disturbing the order of chronology1
 violating history1 and rejecting the   
tradition of ,giotto's native school1 in
 order to account for his new style8    
,it is most probable that1 as the great 
,michelangiolo1 by modelling and        
studying the antique1 quickly surpassed 
in painting his master1 ,ghirlandaio1   
the same occurred with regard to        
,giotto4 ,it is at least known that he  
was also a sculptor1 and that his models
 were preserved till the time of        
,lorenzo ,ghiberti4 ,nor was he without 

good examples4 ,there were specimens of 
antique sculpture at ,florence1 which   
may be yet seen near the cathedral1 7not
 to mention those which he afterwards   
saw at ,rome72 and their merit1 then    
already established by the practice of  
,niccola and ,giovanni of ,pisa1 could  
not be unknown to ,giotto1 to whom      
nature had granted such a taste for the 
exquisite and the beautiful4 ,when one  
contemplates some of his heads of men2  
some of his forms1 proportioned far     
beyond the littleness of his            
contemporaries2 his taste in flowing1   
natural1 and becoming drapery2 some of  
his attitudes after the manner of the   
antique1 breathing grace and            
tranquillity1 it is scarce possible to  
doubt that he derived no small advantage
 from ancient sculpture4 ,his very      
defects discover this4 ,a good writer   
7the author of the ,guide of ,bologna7  
remarks in him a style which partakes of
 statuary1 contrary to the practice of  
contemporary foreign artists2 a         

circumstance very common1 as we shall   
observe1 under the ,roman school1 to    
those painters who designed from        
statues4 ,i shall be told that he       
probably derived assistance from the    
sculpture of the two ,pisani2 especially
 as ,baldinucci has discovered a strong 
resemblance between his style and that  
of ,giovanni1 and some others also have 
noticed the circular compositions1 the  
proportions and casting of the drapery  
which one perceives in the              
basso-relievos of the early ,pisan      
school4 ,i would not deny that he also  
availed himself of them2 but it was     
perhaps in the manner that ,raffaello   
profited by ,michelangiolo1 whose       
example taught him to imitate the       
antique4 ,nor let it be objected to me  
that the dryness of the design1 the     
artifice of concealing the feet by long 
garments1 the inaccuracy of the         
extremities1 and similar defects1 betray
 rather a ,pisan than an ,attic origin4 
,this only proves1 that when he became  

the founder of a style1 he did not aim  
at giving it the perfection of which it 
was susceptible1 and which it could     
hardly be expected to obtain amid the   
numerous avocations in which he appears 
to have been engaged2 in short1 ,i      
cannot persuade myself1 that without the
 imitation of the antique1 he could in  
so short a time have made such a        
progress1 as to have been admired even  
by ,bonarruoti himself4#dh  ,the first  
histories of the patriarch ,s4          
,francesco1 at ,assisi1 near the        
paintings of his master1 shew how       
greatly he excelled him4 ,as his work   
advanced he became more correct2 and    
towards the conclusion1 he already      
manifested a design more varied in the  
countenances1 and improved in the       
extremities2 the features are more      
animated1 the attitudes more ingenious1 
and the landscape more natural4 ,to one 
who examines them with attention1 the   
composition appears the most surprising2
 a branch of the art1 in which he seems 

not only to surpass himself1 but even   
sometimes appears unrivalled4 ,in many  
historical pictures1 he often aimed at  
ornamenting with buildings1 which he    
painted of a red1 or azure1 or a yellow1
 the colours employed in staining       
houses1 or of a dazzling white1 in      
imitation of ,parian marble4 ,one of his
 best pictures in this work is that of a
 thirsty person1 to the expression of   
which scarcely any thing could be added 
by the animating pencil of ,raffaello   
d',urbino himself4 ,with similar skill  
he painted in the inferior church1 and  
this is perhaps the best performance    
which has reached our times1 though     
specimens remain in ,ravenna1 in ,padua1
 in ,rome1 in ,florence1 and in ,pisa4  
,it is assuredly the most spirited of   
all1 for he has there1 with the most    
poetical images1 depicted the saint     
shunning vice1 and a follower of virtue2
 it is my opinion that he here gave the 
first example of symbolical painting1 so
 familiar to his best followers4  ,his  

inventions1 which1 according to the     
custom of the age1 were employed in     
scripture history1 are repeated by him  
in nearly the same style in several     
places2 and are generally most pleasing 
when the proportions of the figures are 
the least4 ,his small pictures of the   
,acts of ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1    
with some representations of our        
,saviour1 and of various saints1 in the 
sacristy of the ,vatican1 appear most   
elegant and highly finished miniatures2 
as likewise are some others in the      
church of the ,holy ,cross at ,florence1
 taken from scriptural history1 or from 
the life of ,st4 ,francis4 ,the real art
 of portrait painting commenced with    
him2 to whom we are indebted for correct
 likenesses of ,dante1 of ,brunetto     
,latini1 and of ,corso ,donati4 ,it was 
indeed before attempted1 but1 according 
to ,vasari1 no one had succeeded4 ,he   
also improved the art of working in     
mosaic2 a piece wrought by him in the   
,navicella1 or ship of ,st4 ,peter1 may 

be seen in the portico of that          
cathedral2 but it has been so much      
repaired1 that now the design is wholly 
different1 and appears the work of      
another artist4 ,it is believed that the
 art of miniature painting1 so much     
prized in that age for the ornamenting  
of missals1 received great improvement  
from him4#di ,architecture undoubtedly  
did2 the admirable belfry of the        
cathedral of ,florence is the work of   
,giotto4  ,after collecting all the     
notices he could of the scholars of     
,cimabue and ,giotto1 ,baldinucci       
endeavours to make us believe that all  
the benefits which accrued to painting1 
sculpture1 and architecture in ,italy1  
and even throughout the world1 came     
directly or indirectly from ,florence4  
,the following is the manner in which he
 expresses himself in his first pages1  
with the proofs which he adduces4       
,during my researches1 ,i have          
ascertained beyond all doubt the truth  
of an opinion ,i always considered as   

indisputable1 and which is not          
controverted by respectable ancient     
historians2 that these arts in the first
 place were restored by ,cimabue and    
,giotto1 and afterwards diffused over   
the world by their disciples2 and ,i    
conceived the idea of making it evident 
by the help of a tree1 which at a glance
 might shew their progress from the     
earliest to the present times4 ,he      
published the first small part of this  
tree1 just as ,i exhibit it to the      
reader2 and promised in each succeeding 
volume to give another part1 that would 
establish the connexion with the        
principal root 7,cimabue71 or with the  
branches derived from it2 a promise from
 which he adroitly delivered himself2   
therefore we are without any more than  
these few branches that follow3         
,,cimabue4                              
,arnolfo1                               
,oderigi1                ,gaddo4        
,tafi1   ,giotto1  ,ugolino4            
,franco   ,f4 ,ristoro1                 

,bolognese1   ,f4 ,sisto1               
,fra ,mino1 ,gio4 ,pisano       a       
miniature   and                  a      
worker   a sculptor        painter4     
,f4 ,giovanni1            in         and
   architects4           mosaic4        
architect4  ,but with all his pains he  
has not satisfied the public            
expectation1 as is observed by ,signor  
,piacenza1 who published the splendid   
,turin edition of ,baldinucci as far as 
the life of ,franciabigio1 accompanied  
with very useful notes and              
dissertations4#ej ,it is alleged1 that  
to make this tree fair and flourishing1 
he has inserted in it branches          
dexterously stolen from his neighbours1 
who have not failed to reclaim their    
property4 ,i rejoice to write in an age 
when the opinions of ,baldinucci have   
few followers even in ,florence4 ,the   
excellent work entitled ,etruria        
,pittrice1 composed and applauded in    
that city in proportion as it is free   
from the prejudice of former times1     

proves this sufficiently4 ,following in 
like manner the light of history and of 
reason1 unswayed by party spirit1 ,i    
shall in the first place observe1 that  
among all the scholars of ,cimabue1 ,i  
do not find any named by ,vasari1 but   
,giotto and ,arnolfo di ,lapo1          
concerning whom it is certain that the  
historian was in error4 ,lapo and       
,arnolfo are the names of two different 
sculptors1 disciples of ,niccolo        
,pisano1 who1 being already versed in   
the art1 assisted him in #abff to adorn 
with history pieces the pulpit of the   
cathedral at ,siena1 an authentic       
document of which remains in the        
archives of the work4#ea ,thus this     
branch of the tree belongs to ,pisa1    
unless ,cimabue have a claim to it1 by  
contributing in some degree to the      
instruction of ,arnolfo in the          
principles of architecture4 ,andrea     
,tafi was the pupil of ,apollonius1 a   
,greek artist1 and assisted him in the  
church of ,st4 ,john1 in some pieces of 

mosaic1 from scriptural history1 which1 
according to ,vasari1 are without       
invention and without design2 but he    
improved as he proceeded1 for the last  
part of the work was less despicable    
than the beginning4 ,cimabue is not     
named in these works1 nor in what ,tafi 
afterwards executed without assistance2 
and as he was old when ,cimabue began to
 teach1 ,i cannot conceive how he can be
 reckoned the scholar of the latter1 or 
a branch from that root4 ,gaddo ,gaddi1 
says ,vasari1 was contemporary with     
,cimabue1 and was his intimate friend1  
as well as that of ,tafi2 through their 
friendship he received hints for his    
improvement in mosaic4 ,at first he     
followed the manner of the ,greeks1     
mingled with that of ,cimabue4 ,after   
long working in this manner1 he went to 
,rome1 and there improved his style1    
while employed on the facade of ,s4     
,maria ,maggiore1 by his own genius1    
assisted in my opinion by imitating the 
ancient workers in mosaic4 ,he also     

painted some altar-pieces1 and ,i saw at
 ,florence one of his crucifixions1 of a
 square figure1 and very respectable    
workmanship4 ,this circumstance induces 
me to consider ,gaddo1 in some measure1 
among the imitators of ,cimabue1 but not
 one of his pupils2 for it appears to me
 unjust1 should a contemporary          
communicate with an artist either as a  
friend1 or for the sake of advice on the
 art1 to set him immediately down as a  
branch from that stock4 ,vasari relates 
of ,ugolino ,senese1 that he was a      
tenacious follower of the ,greek style1 
and inclined more to imitate ,cimabue   
than ,giotto4 ,he does not on this      
account1 indeed1 expressly say1 that he 
had been his scholar2 he rather hints   
that he had other instructors at ,siena1
 for which reason it will be better to  
consider him under that school1 there   
being no reason to doubt that he        
belonged to it4 ,in that of ,bologna we 
should also class ,oderigo1 who1 as a   
miniature painter1 was more likely to   

employ some other master than a painter 
in fresco like ,cimabue4 ,in the mean   
time it is useful to reflect1 that were 
the method of ,baldinucci to be pursued1
 nothing authentic would remain in a    
history of painting2 and the schools of 
the early masters would increase beyond 
all limits1 were the scholars of each   
master to be confounded with his        
friends1 acquaintances1 and             
contemporaries1 who paid attention to   
his maxims4  ,it is still more strange  
to peruse the account of the connexion  
between the first and secondary branches
 of the tree1 or if one may use the     
expression1 between the children and    
grandchildren of ,cimabue4 ,there is    
nothing natural in their succession1 and
 the labour is wholly useless which     
derives the professors of every fine    
art1 of whatever country1 past1 present1
 and to come1 from one individual4 ,f4  
,ristoro and ,f4 ,sisto were eminent    
architects1 who rebuilt the grand       
bridges of the ,carraja and the ,holy   

,trinity1 about #abfd1 when ,cimabue was
 twenty-four years of age4 ,baldinucci  
writes of both1 that they were1 perhaps1
 disciples or imitators of ,arnolfo1    
from the state of their works4 ,but how 
comes he to found on a perhaps1 what he1
 a little before1 had vaunted as a clear
 demonstration8 ,and then1 on what does 
this perhaps rest8 ,is it not more      
probable that ,arnolfo1 and ,cimabue    
himself1 imitated them8 ,that ,fra ,mino
 da ,turrita should appear in his tree  
as a scholar of ,tafi1 and as posterior 
to ,cimabue1 is no less absurd4 ,in     
#abbe1 a date omitted by ,baldinucci1   
,mino wrought in mosaic at ,florence1   
fifteen years before ,cimabue was born4 
,in his old age he commenced a similar  
work in the cathedral of ,pisa1 in the  
same style in which he had executed his 
other labours1 says ,vasari1 who adds1  
that ,tafi and ,gaddi 7both his         
inferiors in age and reputation7        
assisted him4 ,the work was little more 
than begun1 from which we may infer that

 they were not long associated4 ,it     
seems to me extraordinary how           
,baldinucci could assert1 it appears    
that ,vasari imagined that ,mino was the
 pupil of ,andrea ,tafi1 which is       
contrary to fact3 instead of the clear  
demonstration1 which he promised1 he has
 amused us with it appears1 which is    
evident only to himself4 ,at length1    
wishing to make us believe that         
,giovanni ,pisano the sculptor is a     
pupil of ,giotto the painter1 he again  
turns to ,vasari1 from whom he brings   
evidence that ,giovanni1 having         
completed his work in the cathedral of  
,arezzo1 and being then established at  
,orvieto1 came to ,florence to examine  
the architecture of ,s4 ,maria del      
,fiore1 and to become acquainted with   
,giotto3 he further notices two pieces  
which he executed at ,florence1 the one 
a ,madonna between two little angels1   
over the gate of the cathedral2 the     
other a small baptism of ,st4 ,john2    
this happened in #abig4 ,here           

,baldinucci hazards a reflection1 that  
if one compares the other works of this 
artist with the above mentioned figure  
of the ,virgin ,mary 444 we may         
recognize in it such improvement 444 and
 so much of the manner of ,giotto1 that 
there cannot remain a doubt but he is to
 be reckoned a disciple of this master1 
both in respect of his imitation of him1
 and his observance of his precepts1    
which he followed during so many years  
in the exercise of the profession4      
,every attentive reader will discover   
here not a clear demonstration of the   
assumption1 but a mass of difficulties4 
,he compares this to the other figures  
made by ,pisano at ,florence1 before he 
was acquainted with ,giotto2 and yet    
this was the first which he there       
executed4 ,he wishes to make ,giovanni1 
already sixty years of age1 an imitator 
of ,giotto1 then twenty-one1 when it is 
much more probable that ,giotto would   
follow him1 the best sculptor of the    
age4 ,there is no foundation for the    

supposed instruction which ,giovanni    
received from ,giotto1 who1 shortly     
after1 departed for ,rome2 where1 after 
some other works1 he executed the mosaic
 of the boat in #abih4 ,in short1 the   
whole question of preceptorship rests on
 no better authority than a single      
figure4 ,how great are the              
inconsistencies in this account1 and how
 absurd the explanations and repetitions
 which are offered6 ,what further shall 
we say8 ,is it not lamentable thus to   
see so many old and honoured artists    
compelled1 in spite of history1 to      
become pupils to masters so much younger
 and less celebrated than themselves8 ,i
 know that various writers have censured
 ,baldinucci as an historian of doubtful
 fidelity1 artful in concealing or      
misrepresenting facts1 captious in      
expounding the opinions of ,vasari1 and 
more intent on captivating than         
instructing his readers4 ,i am not      
ignorant that his system was            
controverted even in his own country1 as

 appears from his work published there1 
entitled ,delle ,veglie2 and that       
,signor ,marmi1 a learned ,florentine1  
strongly suspected his fair dealing1 of 
which we shall adduce a proof under the 
,sienese school4 ,nevertheless ,i take  
into account that he wrote in an age    
less informed in regard to the history  
of painting1 and that he defended an    
opinion then much more common in ,italy 
than at present4 ,he had promised       
,cardinal ,leopoldo de' ,medici to      
demonstrate it incontrovertibly for the 
honour of his country1 and of the house 
of ,medici1 and had received advice and 
assistance from him in order to         
encourage him to defend it1 and to      
refute the contrary opinion4 ,under the 
necessity of answering ,malvasia1#eb a  
severe writer against ,vasari1 and of   
proving his assertion1 that the people  
of ,bologna1 no less than those of      
,siena1 of ,pisa1 and other places1 had 
learned the art from the ,florentines1  
he formed a false system1 the absurdity 

of which he did not immediately         
perceive2 but he at last discovered it1 
as ,signor ,piacenza observes1 and      
succeeded in escaping from its trammels4
 ,the most ingenious builders of systems
 have subjected themselves very         
frequently to the same disadvantage1 and
 the history of literature abounds with 
similar instances4  ,having examined    
this sophism1 ,i cannot subscribe to the
 opinion of ,baldinucci2 but shall      
comprise my own opinion in two          
propositions3--,the first is1 ,that the 
improvement of painting is not due to   
,florence alone4 ,it has been remarked1 
that the career of human genius1 in the 
progress of the fine arts1 is the same  
in every country4 ,when the man is      
dissatisfied with what the child        
learned1 he gradually passes from the   
ruder elements to what is less so1 and  
from thence1 to diligence and precision2
 he afterwards advances to the grand1   
and the select1 and at length attains   
facility of execution4  ,such was the   

progress of sculpture among the         
,grecians1 and such has been that of    
painting in our own country4 ,when      
,correggio advanced from laborious      
minuteness to grandeur1 it was not      
necessary for him to know that such was 
the progress of ,raffaello1 or1 at any  
rate1 to have witnessed it3 in like     
manner1 nothing more was wanting to the 
painters of the thirteenth and          
fourteenth centuries1 than to learn that
 hitherto they had pursued a wrong path2
 this was sufficient to guide them into 
a better path1 and it was not then      
untried2 for sculpture had already      
improved design4 ,we have1 in fact1 seen
 the ,pisani1 and their scholars1       
preceding the ,florentines2 and1 as     
their precursors1 diffusing a new system
 of design over ,italy4 ,it would be    
injustice to overlook them in the       
improvement of painting1 in which design
 is of such importance2 or to suppose   
that they did not signally contribute to
 its improvement4 ,but if ,italy be     

indebted solely to ,cimabue and ,giotto 
for its progress1 all the good artists  
should have come from ,florence4 ,and   
yet1 in the cathedral of ,orvieto 7to   
instance the finest work1 perhaps1 of   
that age71 we find1 from the beginning  
of the fourteenth century1 many artists 
from various other places1 who would not
 have been called to ornament such a    
building1 had they not previously       
enjoyed the reputation of able          
masters4#ec ,add to this1 if we are to  
derive all painters from those two      
masters1 every style of painting should 
resemble that of their ,florentine      
disciples4 ,but on examining the old    
paintings of ,siena1 of ,venice1 of     
,bologna1 and of ,parma1 they are found 
to be dissimilar in idea1 in choice of  
colouring1 and in taste of composition4 
,all1 then1 are not derived from        
,florence4  ,my second proposition is1  
,that no people then excelled in1 nor   
contributed1 by example1 so much to the 
progress of art as the ,florentines4    

,rival cities may boast artists of      
merit1 even in the first era of         
painting2 their writers may deny the    
fame of ,giotto and his disciples2 but  
truth is more powerful than declamation4
 ,giotto was the father of the new      
method of painting1 as ,boccaccio was   
called the father of the new species of 
prose composition4 ,after the time of   
the latter1 any subject could be        
elegantly treated of in prose2 after the
 former1 painting could express all     
subjects with propriety4 ,a ,simon da   
,siena1 a ,stefano da ,firenze1 a       
,pietro ,laurati1 added charms to the   
art2 but they and others owe to ,giotto 
the transition from the old to a new    
manner4 ,he essayed it in ,tuscany1 and 
while yet a young man1 greatly improved 
it1 to the general admiration of all    
classes4 ,he did not leave ,assisi until
 called to ,rome by ,boniface ,,viii41  
nor did he take up his residence at     
,avignon1 until invited to ,france by   
,clement ,v4 ,before going there1 he was

 induced to stop at ,padua1 and on      
returning some years after1 he again    
resided at the same place4 ,at that time
 many parts of ,italy were under a      
republican form of government2 but      
abounded in potent families1 that bore  
sway in various quarters1 and which1    
while adorning their country1 aimed at  
its subjugation4 ,giotto1 beyond every  
other1 was in universal request1 both at
 home and abroad4 ,the ,polentani of    
,ravenna1 the ,malatesti of ,rimino1 the
 ,estensi of ,ferrara1 the ,visconti of 
,milan1 the ,scala of ,verona1          
,castruccio of ,lucca1 and also ,robert1
 king of ,naples1 sought to engage him  
with eagerness1 and for some period     
retained him in their service4 ,milan1  
,urbino1 ,arezzo1 and ,bologna1 were    
desirous to possess his works2 and      
,pisa1 that1 in her ,campo ,santo1      
afforded an opportunity for the choicest
 artists of ,tuscany to vie with one    
another1#ed as of old they contended at 
,corinth1 and in ,delphi1#ee obtained   

from him those historic paintings from  
the life of ,job1 which are greatly     
admired1 though they are amongst his    
early productions4 ,when ,giotto was no 
more1 similar applause was bestowed on  
his disciples3 cities contended for the 
honour of inviting them1 and they were  
even more highly estimated than the     
native artists themselves4 ,we shall    
find ,cavallini and ,capanna in the     
,roman ,school2 in that of ,bologna the 
two ,faentini1 ,pace1 and ,ottaviano1   
with ,guglielmo da ,forli2 ,menabuoi at 
,padua2 ,memmi1 who was either a scholar
 or assistant of ,giotto1 at ,avignon2  
and we shall find traces of the         
successors of the same school throughout
 all ,italy4 ,this work will indicate   
the names of some of them2 it will point
 out the style of others2 without       
including the great number who1 in every
 province1 have been withdrawn from our 
view1 for the purpose of replacing old  
pictures with others in the new manner4 
,giotto thus became the model for       

students during the whole of the        
fourteenth century1 as was ,raffaello in
 the sixteenth1 and the ,caracci in the 
subsequent century3 nor can ,i find a   
fourth manner that has been so generally
 received in ,italy as that of those    
three schools4 ,there have been some    
who1 from the inspiration of their own  
genius1 had adopted a new manner1 but   
they were little known or admired beyond
 the precincts of their own country4 ,of
 the ,florentines alone can it be       
asserted1 that they diffused the modern 
style from one extremity of ,italy to   
the other3 in the restoration of        
painting1 though not all1 yet the chief 
praise belongs to them2 and this forms  
my second proposition4  ,i proceed more 
willingly to the sequel of my work1     
having escaped from that part of it in  
which1 amid the contradictory sentiments
 of authors1 ,i have often suspended my 
pen1 mindful of the maxim1 ,historia    
nihil falsi audeat dicere1 nihil veri   
non audeat4 ,resuming the subject of    

,florence1 after the death of her great 
artist in #accf1 ,i find painters had   
there prodigiously multiplied1 as ,i    
shall presently1 from undoubted         
testimony1 proceed to prove4 ,not long  
afterwards1 that is1 in #acdi1 the      
painters associated themselves into a   
religious fraternity1 which they        
denominated the ,society of ,st4 ,luke1 
first established in ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 
but afterwards in ,s4 ,maria ,novella4  
,this was not the first that had arisen 
in ,italy1 as ,baldinucci affirms3 in   
#abij there was a company of painters   
previously established at ,venice1 of   
which ,st4 ,luke was the patron1 the    
laws of which1 it is believed1 are still
 preserved in the church of ,st4        
,sophia4#ef ,but neither this1 the      
,florentine1 nor that of ,bologna1 can  
be called academies for design2 they    
were only the results of ,christian     
devotion1 a sort of school1 such as     
formerly existed1 and still exist in    
many of the arts4 ,they did not consist 

of painters alone2 these always         
possessed the most elevated rank2 but in
 the same place were assembled artists  
in metal and in wood1 whose works       
partook1 more or less1 of design2 as is 
related by ,baldinucci1 in describing   
the ,florentine association4 ,in that of
 ,venice were comprehended              
basket-makers1 gilders1 and the lowest  
daubers2 in that of ,bologna were       
included even saddlers1 and             
scabbard-makers2 who were only divided  
from the painters by means of lawsuits  
and decisions4 ,that unrefined age did  
not as yet acknowledge the dignity of   
painting2 it denominated those artists  
master workmen1 whom we now call        
professors of the art1 and it called    
shops what we name studies4 ,i have     
often doubted1 whether the progress of  
the arts was so rapid among us as in    
,greece1 because1 there1 painting1      
either from the beginning or a very     
early era1 was considered as a liberal  
art3 with us its dignity was much longer

 in being acknowledged4  ,he who desires
 to discover the origin of those        
associations1 will find it in the works 
composed of different arts then most in 
use1 of which ,i shall treat somewhat   
fully1 for the sake of illustrating the 
history4 ,a little above ,i mentioned   
basket-makers3 at that time1 all kinds  
of furniture1 such as cupboards1        
benches1 and chests1 were wrought by    
mechanics1 and then painted1 especially 
when intended as the furniture of new   
married women4 ,many ancient cabinet    
pictures have been cut out of such      
pieces of furniture1 and1 by this means1
 preserved to later ages4 ,as for images
 on altars1 through the whole of the    
fourteenth century1 they were not       
formed1 as at present1 on a separate    
piece from the surrounding ornaments4   
,there were made little altars1 or      
dittici1#eg in many parts of ,italy1    
called ,ancone2 they first shaped the   
wood1 and laboriously ornamented it with
 carving4 ,the design was conformed to  

the ,teutonic1 or1 as it is called1 the 
,gothic architecture1 seen in the       
facades of churches built in that age4  
,the whole work was a load of           
minuteness1 consisting of little        
tabernacles1 pyramids1 and niches2 and  
various doors and windows1 with         
semi-circular and pointed arches1 were  
represented on the surface of the panel2
 a style very characteristic of that    
period4 ,i have sometimes there         
observed1 in the middle1 little statues 
in mezzo-relievo4#eh ,most frequently   
the painter designed these figures or   
busts of saints3 sometimes there were   
also prepared various sorts of little   
forms1 or moulds--formelle--in which to 
represent histories4 ,often there was a 
step added to the little altar1 where1  
in several compartments1 were likewise  
exhibited histories of our ,saviour1 of 
the ,virgin1 and of the martyrs1 either 
real or feigned4#ei ,sometimes various  
compartments were prepared1 in which    
their lives were represented4 ,the      

carvers in wood were so vain of their   
craft1 that they often inscribed their  
own names before that of the painter4#fj
  ,even pictures for rooms were         
fashioned by the carvers into triangular
 and square forms1 which they surrounded
 with heavy borders1 with rude foliage1 
lace1 or ,arabesque ornaments around    
them4 ,in that age1 pictures were rarely
 committed to canvass alone1 though some
 such are to be seen at ,florence1 and  
more among the ,venetians and people of 
,bologna2 but panels were most          
frequently employed4 ,the borders often 
inclosed portions of canvass1 not       
unfrequently of parchment1 and sometimes
 of leather1 which1 in all probability1 
were prepared by those who usually      
wrought in such materials2 and this is  
the reason why such artists1 and even in
 some instances saddlers1 were sometimes
 associated with painters4  ,history    
informs us that shields for war1 or the 
tournament1 and also various equestrian 
accoutrements1 as the saddles and       

trappings of horses1 were ornamented    
with painting1 a custom which was       
retained till the time of ,francia1 as  
,vasari mentions in his life2 hence1    
armourers and saddlers became associated
 with painters4 ,among them in like     
manner might be included those who      
prepared walls for painting in fresco1  
and who covered them with a reddish     
ground1 which not unfrequently is still 
discovered in the flaws4 ,on this colour
 the figures were designed1 and such    
walls were the cartoons of the old      
masters4 ,the stucco workers also       
assisted them in those relieved         
ornaments we see in fresco paintings4 ,i
 believe they used moulds in those      
works1 which seem nothing else than     
globules1 flowerets1 and little stars1  
formed with a stamp1 such as we see on  
gilt plaister1 on leather1 on board1 and
 on playing-cards4 ,on whatever         
substance they painted1 some gold was   
usually added2 with it they ornamented  
the ground of their pictures1 the       

glories of their saints1 their garments1
 and fringes4 ,although painters        
themselves were skilled in such labours1
 it appears that they sought the        
assistance of gilders1 and therefore    
gilders were classed with painters1 and 
like them inscribed works with their    
names4  ,this was the practice of ,cini 
and ,saracini1 just before recorded1 and
 particularly of a native of ,ferrara1  
who1 in the pictures of the ,vivarini1  
at ,venice1 subscribes his name before  
theirs4 7,see ,zanetti1 ,pittura ,ven4  
p4 #ae47 ,and in the cathedral of       
,ceneda1 below an ,incoronation of the  
,virgin1 in which the artist did not    
care to exhibit himself to posterity1   
the engraver1 already noticed1 left the 
following inscription1 which ,signor    
,lorenzo ,giustiniani1 a ,venetian      
patrician of great taste and cultivation
 of mind1 has very politely communicated
 to me2 #adch1 ,a ,,di #aj4 ,,frever    
,,christofalo ,,da ,,ferara ,,intajo4   
,towards the end of the fourteenth      

century1 when the gothic style was      
disappearing from architecture1 the     
design of the carvers improved1 and they
 began to erect over altars oblong      
panels1 divided by partitions1 which    
were fashioned into pilasters1 or small 
columns1 and often between these last   
feigned gates or windows1 so that the   
ancona or altar bore some resemblance to
 the facade of a palace or a church2    
over them was placed a frieze1 and above
 the frieze was a place like a stage    
with some figures4 ,the saints were     
placed below1 and their histories were  
painted in the compartments2 and often  
there appeared their histories painted  
upon some little form1 or upon the      
steps4 ,the partitions were gradually   
removed1 the proportions of the figures 
enlarged1 and the saints were disposed  
in a single piece around the throne of  
our ,lord1 not so erect as formerly1    
after the manner of statues1 but in     
different actions and positions1 a      
custom which prevailed even in the      

sixteenth century4 ,the practice of     
gilding grounds declined towards the end
 of the fifteenth century1 but it was   
increased on the garments1 and fringes  
were never so deep as at that period4   
,about the close of that century gold   
was more sparingly employed1 and it was 
almost wholly abandoned in the          
following4 ,no little benefit would be  
conferred upon the art by any one who   
would undertake to point out with       
accuracy what were the colours1 gums1   
and other mixtures employed by the      
,greeks4 ,they were undoubtedly in      
possession of the best methods          
transmitted to them by a tradition1     
which though in some measure corrupted1 
was confessedly derived from their      
ancestors4 ,even subsequent to the      
invention of oils1 their colouring is in
 some degree deserving of our           
admiration4 ,in the ,medicean ,museum   
there is a ,madonna1 subscribed with the
 following ,latin inscription1 ,andreas 
,rico de ,candia pinxit1 the forms of   

which are stupid1 the folds inelegant1  
and the composition coarse2 but with all
 this1 the colour is so fresh1 vivid1   
and brilliant1 that there is no modern  
work that would not lose by a           
comparison2 indeed1 the colouring is so 
extremely strong and firm1 that when    
tried with the iron1 it does not        
liquefy1 but rather scales off1 and     
breaks in minute portions4 ,the frescos1
 likewise1 of the earliest ,greek and   
,italian painters1 are surprisingly     
strong1 and more particularly in upper  
than in lower ,italy4 ,there are some   
figures of saints upon the pilasters of 
the church of ,san ,niccolo1 at         
,trevigi1 quite remarkable for their    
durability1 an account of which is given
 in the first volume of ,padre          
,federici1 7p4 #ahh74 ,i have understood
 from professors that such a degree of  
consistency must have been produced by a
 certain portion of wax1 which was      
employed at that period1 as will be     
explained in the subsequent chapter1 on 

the subject of painting in oil4 ,it     
must1 however1 be admitted1 that we are 
very little advanced in these inquiries 
into the ancient methods of preparing   
colour4 ,were they once satisfactorily  
explored1 it would prove highly useful  
in the restoration of ancient pictures1 
nor superfluous in regard to the        
adoption of that firm1 fused1 and lucid 
colouring1 which we shall have occasion 
to commend in various ,lombard and      
,venetian pictures1 and more especially 
in those of ,coreggio4  ,these          
observations will not be useless to the 
connoisseur1 who doubts the age of a    
picture on which there are no           
characters4 ,where there are letters he 
may proceed with still greater          
certainty4 ,the letters vulgarly called 
gothic1 began to be used after the year 
#abjj1 in some places more early than in
 others2 and characters were loaded with
 a superfluity of lines1 through the    
whole of the fourteenth1 until about the
 middle of the fifteenth century1 when  

the use of the ,roman alphabet was      
revived4 ,what forms were adopted by    
artists in subscribing their names1 will
 be more conveniently explained in the  
course of a few pages further4 ,i have  
judged it proper to give here a sort of 
paleology of painting2 because          
inattention to this has been1 and still 
is1 a fruitful source of error4 ,the    
reader1 however1 may observe1 that      
though the rules here proposed1 afford  
some light to resolve doubtful points1  
they are not to be considered as        
infallible and universal1 and he may    
further recollect1 that in matters of   
antiquity nothing is more dangerous and 
ridiculous1 than to form general rules1 
which a single example may be sufficient
 to overthrow4   ,footnote #bf3 ,see    
,tiraboschi1 ,storia della ,litterat4   
,italiana1 towards the end of tom4 iv4  
,see also the ,dissertation of ,lami on 
the ,italian painters and sculptors who 
flourished from the year #ajjj to #acjj2
 in the ,supplement to ,vinci's         

,trattato della ,pittura1 printed at    
,florence in #agib2 and see ,moreni1 ,p4
 iv4 p4 #ajh4  ,footnote #bg3 ,see the  
,oration of ,mon4 ,francesco ,carrara   
,delle ,lodi delle belle ,arti1 ,roma1  
#ageh1 #dto4 with the accompanying      
,notes1 in which the two ,bianchini1    
,marangoni1 and ,bottari1 their         
illustrators1 are cited4  ,footnote #bh3
 ,pointed out to me by ,sig4            
,d',agincourt1 a gentleman deeply versed
 in antiquities of this sort4  ,footnote
 #bi3 ,there were similar remains in the
 choir1 the design of which ,i have     
seen4 ,they were covered over in #agcc4 
,among other curiosities was the        
portrait of the patriarch ,popone1 of   
the ,emperor ,conrad1 and his son       
,henry2 the design1 action1 and         
characters1 like the mosaics at ,rome2  
executed about the year #ajcj4 ,see     
,bartoli1 ,antichita di ,aquileja1 p4   
#cfi2 and ,altan1 ,del vario ,stato1 c4 
p4 #e4  ,footnote #cj3 ,the figure of   
our ,lady is retouched2 but two         

miniatures attached to it1 are better   
preserved2 the one represents a man1 the
 other a woman3 and their drapery is in 
the costume of that period4 ,the figures
 are reversed in the engraving of them1 
which is published4  ,footnote #ca3 ,see
 ,p4 della ,valle in the ,preface to    
,vasari1 p4 #ea4  ,footnote #cb3 ,a few 
pictures by superior ,greek artists1    
remain1 which are very good4 ,of this   
number is a ,madonna1 with a ,greek     
inscription1 at the church of ,s4 ,maria
 in ,cosmedin at ,rome4 ,there is also  
one at ,camerino said to have come from 
,smyrna2 and ,i know of no ,greek       
picture in ,italy better executed or    
better preserved4  ,footnote #cc3 ,the  
lateral gate of bronze is of very rude  
workmanship1 as described by the ,canon 
,martini1 in his account of that temple1
 p4 #he2 and by ,sig4 da ,morrona1 it is
 with much probability ascribed to the  
hand of ,bonanno ,pisano4 ,from         
,vasari's life of ,arnalfo1 we learn    
that the same sculptor also executed the

 great gate of the ,primaziale at ,pisa1
 in bronze1 about the year #aahj1       
subsequently destroyed by fire4 ,that of
 ,santa ,maria ,nuova at ,monreale1 is  
likewise his4 ,it is described by ,p4   
del ,giudice1 in his account of that    
church1 and bears the name of ,bonanno  
,pisano1 with the date #aahf4 ,it is as 
rudely executed as the preceding one at 
,pisa1 as ,i am assured by the ,cavalier
 ,puccini1 accurately versed in every   
branch of the fine arts4 ,if we wish to 
estimate the merit of ,niccola ,pisano1 
we have only to compare these two gates 
with the specimens which he gave us only
 a few years afterwards4  ,footnote #cd3
 ,several specimens of similar          
productions also remain in ,sicily1     
particularly at ,mazzerra and ,girganti4
 ,at ,palermo1 the tomb of the ,empress 
,constance ,,ii4 who died in the year   
#abbb1 is decorated with an antique     
sculpture in basso relievo1 representing
 a chase1 which is conjectured to       
represent that of ,a,eneas and ,dido1   

and which is well engraved4 ,see the    
work entitled1 ,i ,regali ,sepolchri del
 ,duomo di ,palermo riconosciuti e      
illustrati4 ,nap4 #aghd4  ,another      
specimen of this sort is said to be in  
the collection of ,mr4 ,blundell1 at    
,ince4  ,footnote #ce3 ,in the new      
,guide to ,milan1 ,sig4 ,abate ,bianconi
 observes1 that these are beautiful     
works1 and that nothing superior is to  
be seen in any work of that age4        
,vasari1 by omitting this very eminent  
,pisan1 and not mentioning these works1 
although he was according to his own    
account at ,milan1 has given reason to  
believe1 that he was not over anxious in
 his researches4 p4 #bae4  ,see also    
,giulini and ,verri1 as quoted by ,sig4 
da ,morrona in tom4 i4 pp4 #aii1 #bjj4  
,footnote #cf3 ,the mosaic school       
subsisted at ,rome as early as the      
eleventh and twelfth centuries4 7,see   
,musant4 ,fax ,chronol4 pp4 #cai1 #cch47
 ,in this the family of the ,cosmati    
acquired great excellence4 ,adeodato di 

,cosimo ,cosmati employed himself in the
 church of ,st4 ,maria ,maggiore1 in    
#abij1 7,guide to ,rome72 and several of
 the same name exercised their talents  
in the cathedral of ,orvieto4 7,see     
,valle ,catalogo47 ,the whole of these  
are preferred to the ,greek mosaic      
workers1 who were at the same period    
engaged in decorating ,st4 ,mark's at   
,venice4 7,see ,valle's ,preface to     
,vasari1 p4 #fa47  ,footnote #cg3       
,sancti ,francisci ,frater fuit hoc     
operatus   ,jacobus in tali prae cunctis
 arte probatus1  is the inscription on  
the mosaic4  ,footnote #ch3 ,see ,pisa  
,illustrata of ,signor da ,morrona1 tom4
 i4 p4 #bbd4  ,footnote #ci3 ,tom4 ii4  
p4 #abg4  ,footnote #dj3 ,in the        
sacristy of the ,angioli is preserved   
the most ancient portrait of ,san       
,francesco that is extant4 ,it is       
painted on the panel which served as the
 saint's couch until the period of his  
decease1 as we learn from the           
inscription4 ,it is there supposed to be

 the work of some ,greek artist anterior
 to ,giunta4  ,footnote #da3 ,see       
,signor ,ab4 ,bettinelli1 ,risorgimento 
d' ,italia negli studii1 nelle arti1 ne'
 costumi dopo il mille1 p4 #aib4        
,footnote #db3 ,to this list of early   
painters might perhaps be added the name
 of ,francesco ,benani1 by whom there is
 a whole length figure of ,st4 ,jerome  
holding a crucifix in his hand4 ,it     
possesses all the characteristics       
attributed by ,lanzi to this early age4 
,near the bottom of the picture is a    
label1 inscribed1 ,franciscus ,benanus1 
,filius ,petri ,ablada4 ,the size of the
 picture is #b feet #h by #b feet #b1 on
 panel1 covered with gypsum4 ,the       
vehicle of the colours is probably      
prepared from eggs1 which were usually  
employed for that purpose before the    
invention of painting in oil1 and to    
which an absorbent ground of lime or    
gypsum seems to have been indispensable4
 ,it is surprising how well the early   
pictures executed in this style have    

preserved their colouring to the present
 day4  ,footnote #dc3 ,this writer has  
thrown much light upon the history of   
our early painters1 from which ,i have  
derived and shall continue to derive1   
much benefit2 but in the heat of        
dispute1 he has frequently depreciated  
,cimabue in a way which ,i cannot       
approve4 ,for instance1 ,vasari having  
said1 that he contributed greatly to the
 perfection of the art1 della ,valle    
asserts1 that he did it neither good nor
 harm2 and that having closely examined 
the pictures of ,cimabue1 he has found  
in them a ruder style than appears in   
those of ,giunta ,pisano1 of ,guido da  
,siena1 of ,jacopo da ,turrita1 c4 7tom4
 i4 p4 #bce47 ,of the two last ,i shall 
speak elsewhere4 ,with respect to the   
first1 the writer contradicts himself   
four pages after2 when1 commenting on   
another passage of the historian        
relating to certain pictures of         
,cimabue1 executed in ,assisi in the    
inferior church of ,s4 ,francesco1 he   

says1 that he there1 in his opinion1    
surpassed ,giunta ,pisano4 ,it is to be 
remembered that this was his first work1
 or amongst the first that ,cimabue     
painted in ,assisi4 ,when he went       
thither1 therefore1 he was a better     
artist than ,giunta4 ,how1 then1 when he
 worked in the superior church1 in      
,assisi1 and in so many other places1   
did he become so bad a painter1 and more
 uncouth than ,giunta himself8          
,footnote #dd3 ,see ,baldinucci1 tom4 i4
 p4 #ag1 ,florentine ,edition1 #agfg1   
where it is said that the ,cimabuoi were
 also called ,gualtieri4  ,footnote #de3
 ,but see ,baldinucci in ,veglia1 p4    
#hg4  ,footnote #df3 ,we read1 in the   
preface to the ,sienese edition of      
,vasari's ,lives1 7p4 #ag7 as follows3  
,to ,giunta and to the other artists of 
,pisa1 as heads of the school1 was given
 the principal direction of adorning the
 ,franciscan church2 and ,cimabue and   
,giotto are known to have been either   
disciples or assistants in their school1

 in which they produced several         
important works4 ,giunta had the        
direction of his assistant as long as he
 resided there1 which may have been even
 subsequent to #abcf4 ,but how are we to
 suppose that he could have been at     
,assisi so long as to permit ,cimabue   
7who was born in #abdj1 and went to     
,assisi about #abfe7 to assist1 to      
receive instructions from1 and to       
succeed him8 ,such a supposition is     
still more untenable as regards ,giotto1
 who was invited to ,assisi many years  
afterwards4 7,vasari47  ,footnote #dg3  
,to the testimonies in favor of         
,cimabue1 may be added one of no little 
weight1 from the manuscript given to the
 public a few years since1 by the       
,abbate ,morelli4 ,we there find that   
,cimabue painted in ,padua1 in the      
church del ,carmine1 which was          
afterwards burnt2 but that a head of ,s4
 ,giovanni1 by him1 being rescued from  
the flames1 was inserted in a frame1 and
 preserved in the house of ,alessandro  

,capella4 ,would a painter1 who had done
 neither good nor harm to the           
,florentine school1 and to the art1 have
 been invited to ,padua8 ,would the     
remains of his works have been held in  
such esteem8 ,would he have been so     
highly valued1 after so great a lapse of
 time1 by ,vasari1 to whose arts he     
seems to wish to ascribe the reputation 
of ,cimabue4 ,other proofs of this      
reputation may be seen in the defence of
 ,vasari1 in the present ,book1 third   
,epoch4 ,the writer of history ought    
completely to divest himself of the love
 of system and party spirit4  ,footnote 
#dh3 ,vasari1 tom4 i4 p4 #cbb4          
,footnote #di3 ,a book is mentioned by  
,baldinucci ornamented by ,giotto with  
miniatures1 with histories from the ,old
 ,testament1 and presented to the vestry
 of ,st4 ,peter1 by ,cardinal           
,stefaneschi2 of this he neither adduces
 any proof1 nor can ,i find any record4 
,from the evidence1 rather1 of an       
existing necrology1 where1 among the    

presents made by ,stefaneschi to the    
cathedral1 the pictures and the mosaic  
by ,giotto are noticed without any other
 work of this artist1 the gift of the   
book is very doubtful4 ,see ,sig4 ,ab1  
,cancellieri ,de ,secretariis ,veteris  
,basilicae ,vaticanae1 p4 #hei1 and     
#bdfd4 ,some miniatures of the martyrdom
 and miracles of ,st4 ,george1 in       
another book1 are ascribed to him2 but  
,i am uncertain whether there is any    
ancient document for this2 and they     
might1 possibly1 be the work of ,simone 
da ,siena1 who is often confounded with 
him4  ,footnote #ej3 ,see his first     
volume1 pp4 #aca and #bjb2 and also ,p4 
della ,valle in the preface to ,vasari1 
p4 #bg2 also ,signor da ,morrona in his 
,pisa ,illustrata1 p4 #aed2 besides many
 other authors4  ,footnote #ea3 ,d4     
,valle's preface to ,vasari1 p4 #cf4    
,footnote #eb3 ,we may observe1 that    
,malvasia is the champion1 not only of  
,bologna1 but of ,italy1 and of all     
,europe4 ,at page #aa1 volume first1 he 

has quoted a passage from ,filibien1    
which proves that design always         
maintained itself in ,france1 even in   
rude ages1 and that at the time of      
,cimabue it was there equally           
respectable as in ,italy4  ,footnote    
#ec3 ,a catalogue of them is given in   
,p4 della ,valle1 in his history of that
 ,church1 and is republished in the     
,sienese edition of ,vasari1 at the end 
of the second volume4  ,footnote #ed3   
,this place1 which will ever do high    
honour to the magnificence of the       
,pisans1 would be an inestimable museum1
 if the pictures there1 executed by     
,giotto1 by ,memmi1 by ,stefano         
,florentino1 by ,buffalmacco1 by        
,antonio ,veneziano1 by the two         
,orcagni1 by ,spinello ,aretino1 and by 
,laurati1 had been carefully preserved2 
but the greatest number having been     
injured by dampness1 were repaired1 but 
with considerable judgment1 within the  
century4  ,footnote #ee3 ,plin4 xxxv4   
#i4  ,footnote #ef3 ,zanet4 p4 #c4      

,footnote #eg3 ,it was a very ancient   
practice of ,christian worship to place 
the silver1 or ivory dittici1 upon the  
altars during the service of the mass1  
and when the sacred ceremony was over1  
they were folded up in the manner of a  
book1 and taken elsewhere4 ,the same    
figure was retained1 even in the        
introduction of the largest altar       
pieces1 which likewise consisted of two 
wings1 and were portable4 ,this custom1 
of which ,i have seen few remnants in   
,italy1 has been long preserved in the  
,greek church4 ,at length1 by degrees1  
artists began to paint upon one whole   
panel4 7,see ,buonarroti ,vetri         
,antichi1 p4 #beh1 c47  ,footnote #eh3  
,in ,torrello1 one of the ,venetian     
isles1 there is an ancient image of ,st4
 ,hadrian1 which is tolerably carved1   
and around it the history of the saint  
is depicted3 the style is feeble1 but   
not ,grecian4  ,footnote #ei3 ,i notice 
this peculiarity1 because the histories1
 either painted or engraved1 belonging  

to those early times1 are apt to perplex
 us2 nor can they be cleared up without 
having recourse to books of fiction1    
which were1 in those less civilized     
periods1 believed4 ,in the acts of our  
,saviour1 and of the ,virgin1 it may be 
useful to consult ,gio4 ,alberto        
,fabrizio1 in the collection entitled   
,codex ,apocr4 ,novi ,testamenti2 in the
 acts of the apostles and martyrs1 it is
 not so much their real history1 as the 
legends1 either manifestly false or     
suspected1 as recounted by the          
,bollandisti1 that will throw light upon
 the subject4  ,footnote #fj3 ,see      
,vasari in the life of ,spinello        
,aretino3 ,simone ,cini1 a ,florentine1 
carved it1 it was gilt by ,gabriello    
,saracini1 and ,spinello di ,luca of    
,arezzo1 painted it in the year #ache4  
,a similar signature may be seen in     
,pittura ,veneziana1 page #ae4          
,,florentine ,,school4     ,,epoch ,i4  
,florentine ,painters who lived after   
,giotto to the end of   the fifteenth   

century4    ,,sect4 ,,ii4   ,it is      
worthy of remark1 that ,vasari1 in the  
life of ,jacopo di ,casentino1 quotes   
the manuscript records of the society of
 ,st4 ,luke1 afterwards printed by      
,baldinucci1 and mentions fourteen      
painters who were formerly its captains1
 counsellors1 or chamberlains2 yet he   
takes no notice of them in his ,lives1  
and of but very few of the great number 
named in that manuscript4 ,the same     
selection was employed by ,baldinucci1  
in whose ,,veglia we are informed that  
many painters flourished about #acjj1   
the names of whom he has refused to     
insert in his anecdotes4 ,it clearly    
appears from his writings that he       
omitted about a hundred1 all belonging  
to that age4#fa ,it is therefore        
incorrect to say1 that those two        
historians have commemorated many       
artists of mediocrity1 merely because   
they were natives of ,florence1 an      
accusation alleged against them by      
foreigners4 ,the artists of their       

country whom they have transmitted to   
posterity1 are not less worthy of record
 than those ancient ones of ,venice1 of 
,bologna1 and of ,lombardy1 whom we are 
accustomed to praise in their respective
 schools4 ,among this number ,i include 
,buffalmacco1 the wit whose jests1 as   
recorded in ,boccaccio and ,sacchetti1  
render him more celebrated than his     
pictures4 ,his real name was ,buonamico 
di ,cristofano4 ,he had been the scholar
 of ,tafi1 but by living long in the    
time of ,giotto1 he had an opportunity  
of correcting his own style4 ,he        
displayed a most lively fancy1 and when 
he chose to exert himself 7which rarely 
happened7 was not inferior to any of his
 contemporaries4#fb ,it is unfortunate  
that his best works1 which were in the  
,abbey and in ,ognisanti1 have perished1
 and there only remain some less        
carefully executed at ,arezzo and at    
,pisa4 ,the best preserved are in the   
,campo ,santo2 viz4 the ,creation of the
 ,world1 in which there is a figure of  

the ,deity1 five cubits high1 sustaining
 the mighty frame of the heavens and the
 elements1 and three other historical   
pictures of ,adam1 of his children1 and 
of ,noah4 ,a crucifixion1 resurrection1 
and ascension of the ,redeemer1 may be  
seen at the same place4 ,good symmetry  
is not to be looked for in them2 he knew
 but little of design1 and he drew his  
figures by other rules than the         
roundness and facility seen in the      
disciples of ,giotto4 ,his heads are    
deficient in beauty and variety4 ,the   
pious women near the cross all have the 
same mean and vulgar features1 in which 
the mouths are opened even to deformity4
 ,some of the heads of the men1         
especially that of ,cain1 possess1      
however1 a physiognomical expression    
which arrests the eye of the spectator4 
,the air of nature too in the action1 as
 in the man1 who1 full of horror1 flies 
from ,mount ,calvary1 is highly         
praiseworthy4 ,his draperies are greatly
 varied1 are distinguished by the       

difference of stuffs and linings1 and   
are laboriously ornamented with flowers 
and with fringes4 ,before he was        
employed in the ,campo ,santo1 he       
painted in the church of ,st4 ,paul1    
,ripa d',arno1 where he was associated  
with one ,bruno di ,giovanni1 formerly  
his fellow student1 and believed to be  
the painter of a ,st4 ,ursula in a piece
 which still exists in the ,commenda4   
,unable to attain the expression of     
,buffalmacco1 he tried to atone for the 
defect by the aid of sentences          
proceeding from the mouths of his       
figures1 which expressed what their     
features and attitudes were incapable of
 explaining1 a practice in which he was 
preceded by ,cimabue1 and followed by   
the eccentric ,orcagna and several      
others4 ,this ,bruno1 together with     
,nello di ,dino1 was associated with    
,buffalmacco in the jests contrived for 
the simple ,calandrino4 ,they all owe   
their fame to ,boccaccio1 who introduces
 them in the eighth day of his          

,decamerone2 and a similar favour was   
conferred by ,sacchetti on a ,bartolo   
,gioggi1 a house-painter1 whom he       
introduced into his one hundred and     
seventieth tale4 ,giovanni da ,ponte1   
the scholar of ,buffalmacco1 had some   
merit1 but he was not at all solicitous 
to increase it by his diligence4 ,some  
remains of his pictures exist on the    
walls of the church of ,st4 ,francis1 at
 ,arezzo4  ,i believe that ,bernardo    
,orcagna1 who rivalled the fame of      
,buffalmacco1 proceeded from some old   
school4 ,he was the son of one ,cione1 a
 sculptor1 and his brother ,jacopo was  
of the same profession3 but the other   
brother1 ,andrea1 surpassed them all2   
and in himself so far united the        
attainments of the three sister arts1   
that he was by some reckoned second only
 to ,giotto4 ,he is known among         
architects for having introduced the    
circular arch instead of the acute1 as  
may be seen in the gallery of the       
,lanzi1 which he built and ornamented   

with sculpture4 ,bernardo taught him the
 principles of painting4 ,they who have 
represented him as the pupil of ,angiol 
,gaddi1 do not appear attentive to      
dates4 ,in the ,strozzi chapel in the   
church of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 he and   
,bernardo painted ,paradise1 and over   
against it the ,infernal ,regions2 and  
in the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa1 ,death   
and the ,judgment were executed by      
,andrea1 and ,hell by ,bernardo4 ,the   
two brothers imitated ,dante in the     
novel representations which they        
executed at those places2 and that style
 was more happily repeated by ,andrea in
 the church of ,santa ,croce1 where he  
inserted portraits of his enemies among 
the damned1 and of his friends among the
 blessed spirits4 ,these pictures are   
the prototypes of similar pictures      
preserved in ,s4 ,petronio1 at ,bologna1
 in the cathedral of ,tolentino1 in the 
,badia del ,sesto1 at ,friuli1#fc and   
some other places1 in which hell is     
distinguished by abysses and a variety  

of torments1 after the manner of ,dante4
 ,several pictures by ,andrea remain1   
and his name is still on that in the    
,strozzi chapel1 which is full of       
figures and of episodes4 ,on the whole1 
he discovers fertility of imagination1  
diligence1 and spirit1 equal to any of  
his contemporaries4 ,in composition he  
was less judicious1 in attitudes less   
exact1 than the followers of ,giotto2   
and he yields to them in drawing and in 
colouring4  ,the same school produced   
,marinotto1 a nephew of ,andrea1 and a  
,tommaso di ,marco1 whom ,i pass over1  
as well as others of little note1 no    
longer known by existing works4         
,bernardo ,nello di ,gio4 ,falconi of   
,pisa merits consideration4 ,he executed
 many pictures in that cathedral1 and is
 supposed to be the same with that      
,nello di ,vanni1 who1 with other ,pisan
 artists1 painted in the ,campo ,santo  
in the fourteenth century4 ,francesco   
,traini1 a ,florentine1 is known as much
 superior to his master1 by a large     

picture which is in the church of ,s4   
,catherine of ,pisa1 in which he has    
represented ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas in his
 own form1 and also in his              
beatification4 ,he stands in the middle 
of the picture1 under the ,redeemer1 who
 sheds a glory on the ,evangelists and  
him2 and from them the rays are         
scattered on a crowd of listeners1      
composed of clergy1 doctors1 bishops1   
cardinals1 and popes4 ,arius and other  
innovators are at the feet of the saint1
 as if vanquished by his doctrine2 and  
near him appear ,plato and ,aristotle1  
with their volumes open1 a circumstance 
not to be commended in such a subject4  
,this work exhibits no skill in         
grouping1 no knowledge of relief1 and it
 abounds in attitudes which are either  
too tame1 or too constrained2 and yet it
 pleases by a marked expression in the  
countenances1 an air of the antique in  
the draperies1 and a certain novelty in 
the composition4 ,let us now pass on to 
the followers of ,giotto4  ,the scholars

 of ,giotto have fallen into an error   
common to the followers of all          
illustrious men2 in despairing to       
surpass1 they have only aspired to      
imitate him with facility4 ,on this     
account the art did not advance so      
quickly as it might otherwise have done1
 among the ,florentine and other artists
 of the fourteenth century1 who         
flourished after ,giotto4 ,in the       
several cities above mentioned1 ,giotto 
invariably appears superior when seen in
 the vicinity of such painters as       
,cavallini1 or ,gaddi2 and whoever is   
acquainted with his style1 stands in no 
need of a prolix account of that of his 
followers1 which1 with a general        
resemblance to him1 is less grand and   
less agreeable4 ,stefano ,fiorentino    
alone is a superior genius in the       
opinion of ,vasari1 according to whose  
account he greatly excelled ,giotto in  
every department of painting4 ,he was   
the son of ,catherine1 a daughter of    
,giotto1 and possessed a genius for     

penetrating into the difficulties of the
 art1 and an insuperable desire of      
conquering them4 ,he first introduced   
foreshortenings into painting1 and if in
 this he did not attain his object1 he  
greatly improved the perspective of     
buildings1 the attitudes1 and the       
variety and expression of the heads4    
,according to ,landino he was called the
 ,ape of ,nature1 an eulogy of a rude   
age2 since such animals1 in imitating   
the works of man1 always debase them3   
but ,stefano endeavoured to equal and to
 embellish those of nature4 ,the most   
celebrated of his pictures which were in
 the ,ara ,coeli at ,rome1 in the church
 of ,s4 ,spirito at ,florence1 and in   
other places1 have all perished4 ,as far
 as ,i know1 his country does not       
possess one of his undoubted pictures2  
unless we mention as such1 that of the  
,saviour in the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa1 
which1 indeed1 is in a greater manner   
than the works of this master1 but it   
has been retouched4 ,a ,pieta1 by his   

son and disciple ,tommaso1 as is        
believed by some1 exists in ,s4 ,remigi 
at ,florence1 which strongly partakes of
 the manner of ,giotto2 like his frescos
 at ,assisi4 ,he deserved the name of   
,giottino1 given him by his fellow      
citizens1 who used to say that the soul 
of ,giotto had transmigrated1 and       
animated him4 ,baldinucci alleges that  
there was another of the same name1 who 
should not be confounded with him1 and  
quotes the following inscription from a 
picture in the ,villa ,tolomei1 ,dipinse
 ,tommaso di ,stefano ,fortunatino de'  
,gucci ,tolomei4 ,but ,cinelli1 the     
strenuous opponent of ,baldinucci1      
attributes it1 perhaps justly1 to       
,giottino4 ,this artist left behind him 
one ,lippo1 sufficiently commended by   
,vasari1 but who rather seems to have   
been an imitator than a scholar4        
,giovanni ,tossicani of ,arezzo1 was a  
disciple of ,giottino1 employed in ,pisa
 and over all ,tuscany4 ,he painted the 
,st4 ,philip and ,st4 ,james1 which     

still remain on the baptismal font in   
,arezzo1 and were repaired by ,vasari   
while a young man1 who acknowledges that
 he learned much from this work1 injured
 as it was4 ,with him perished the best 
branch of the stock of ,giotto4  ,taddeo
 ,gaddi may be considered as the ,giulio
 ,romano of ,giotto1 his most intimate  
and highly favoured pupil4 ,vasari1 who 
saw his frescos and easel pictures at   
,florence1 in good preservation1 prefers
 him to his master1 in colouring and in 
delicacy2 but the lapse of time at this 
day forbids our deciding this point1    
although several of his pictures remain1
 especially in the church of ,santa     
,croce1 which are scriptural histories1 
much in the manner of ,giotto4 ,he      
discovered more originality in the      
chapter house of the ,spagnuoli1 where  
he worked in competition with ,memmi4#fd
 ,he painted some of the acts of the    
,redeemer on the ceiling1 and the       
descent of the ,holy ,spirit in the     
refectory1 which is among the finest    

specimens of art in the fourteenth      
century4 ,on one of the walls he painted
 the ,sciences1 and under each some one 
of its celebrated professors2 and       
demonstrated his excellence in this     
species of allegorical painting1 which  
approaches so nearly to poetry4 ,the    
brilliance and clearness of his tints   
are chiefly conspicuous in that chapter 
house4 ,the royal gallery contains the  
taking down of ,christ1 the work of his 
hands1 which was formerly at            
,orsanmichele1 and by some ascribed to  
,buffalmacco1 merely because it was     
unascertained4 ,taddeo flourished beyond
 the term assigned him by ,vasari1 and  
outlived most of those already named4   
,this may be collected from ,franco     
,sacchetti1 a contemporary writer1 who  
relates in his #acfth ,tale1 that       
,andrea ,orcagna proposed as a question1
 who was the greatest master1 setting   
,giotto out of the question8 ,some      
answered ,cimabue1 others ,stefano1 some
 ,bernardo1 and some ,buffalmacco4      

,taddeo ,gaddi1 who was in the company1 
said1 truly these were very able        
painters1 but the art is decaying every 
day1 c4 ,he is mentioned up to #aceb1   
and he might possibly survive several   
years4  ,he left at his death several   
disciples1 who became eminent teachers  
of painting in ,florence1 and other     
places4 ,d4 ,lorenzo ,camaldolese is    
mentioned with honour4 ,he instructed   
pupils in the art2 and several old      
pictures by him and his scholars are in 
the monastery of the ,angeli4 ,at that  
time the fraternity of ,camaldulites    
furnished some miniature painters1 one  
of whom1 named ,d4 ,silvestro1          
ornamented missals1 which still exist1  
and are amongst the best that ,italy    
possesses4 ,the most favoured pupils of 
,taddeo were ,giovanni da ,milano1 whom 
,i shall notice in the school of        
,lombardy1 and ,jacopo di ,casentino1   
who also will find a place there1       
together with his imitators4 ,to these  
two he recommended on his death-bed his 

two sons and disciples3 ,giovanni1 who  
died prematurely1 with a reputation for 
genius2 and ,angiolo1 who being then    
very young1 most needed a protector4    
,the latter died1 according to ,vasari1 
at #fc years of age2 in #aehi1 according
 to the date of ,baldinucci4 ,he did not
 improve the art in proportion to his   
abilities1 but contented himself with   
imitating ,giotto and his father1 in    
which he was astonishingly successful4  
,the church of ,s4 ,pancrazio possessed 
one picture by him1 containing several  
saints1 and some histories from the     
,gospel1 which may still be seen in the 
monastery1 divided into several pieces1 
and coloured in a taste superior to what
 was then usual4 ,there is another in   
the same style in the sacristy of the   
,conventual friars1 by whom he was      
employed in the choir of the church1 to 
paint in fresco the story of the        
recovery of the ,cross1 and its         
transportation in the time of           
,heraclius2 a work inferior to the      

others1 because much larger1 and to him 
somewhat new4 ,he afterwards lived at   
,venice1 as a merchant rather than as a 
painter2 and ,baldinucci1 who seizes    
every opportunity of supporting his     
hypothesis1 says1 that if he was not the
 founder of that school1 he1 at least1  
improved it4 ,but ,i shall demonstrate1 
in the proper place1 that the ,venetian 
school was advancing to a modern style1 
before ,angiolo could have taught in    
that place2 and in the many old pictures
 ,i saw at ,venice1 ,i was unable to    
recal to mind the delicate style of     
,angiolo4 ,the ,venetians owe to him the
 education of ,stefano da ,verona1 whom 
,i shall consider in the second volume2 
and he gave the ,florentines ,cennino   
,cennini1 praised by ,vasari as a       
colourist1 of whom as a writer ,i shall 
soon make mention4  ,in the school of   
,angiolo ,gaddi we may reckon ,antonio  
,veneziano1 concerning whom ,vasari and 
,baldinucci disagree4 ,the former makes 
him a ,venetian1 who came to ,florence  

to learn painting of ,agnolo ,gaddi3 the
 latter1 a systematic writer1 as we have
 seen1 asserts that he was born in      
,florence1 and that he obtained the     
surname of ,veneziano1 from his         
residence and many labours in ,venice1  
on the authority of certain memoirs in  
the ,strozzi library1 which were1       
perhaps1 doubted by himself2 for had    
they been of high authority1 he would   
not have omitted to proclaim their      
antiquity4 ,however this may be1 each of
 them is a little inconsistent with     
himself4 ,as they assert that ,antonio  
died of the plague in #achd1 or1        
according to the correction of their    
annotators1 in #achc1 at the age of #gd1
 it follows that he was born many years 
before ,gaddi1 whose disciple1          
therefore1 we cannot easily suppose him4
 ,it is likewise rendered doubtful by   
his design in the legends of ,s4        
,ranieri1#fe which remain in the ,campo 
,santo of ,pisa1 where there is a       
certain facility1 care1 and caprice in  

the composition1 that savour of another 
school4 ,vasari1 moreover1 notices a    
method of painting in fresco1 without   
ever re-touching it when dry1 that would
 seem to have been introduced from other
 parts1 different from what was employed
 by the ,tuscan artists1 his            
competitors1 whose paintings1 in the    
time of the historian1 were not in as   
good a state of preservation as those of
 ,antonio4 ,in the same place he        
deposited his portrait1 which the       
describers of the ducal gallery at      
,florence pretend still to find in the  
chamber of celebrated artists4 ,this    
portrait is1 however1 painted in a      
manner so modern1 that ,i cannot believe
 it the work of a painter so ancient4   
,on this occasion ,i must observe that  
there was another ,antonio ,veneziano1  
whom this picture probably represents1  
and who1 about the year #aejj1 painted1 
at ,osimo1 a picture of ,st4 ,francis1  
in the manner of that age1 and inscribed
 it with his name4 ,i learned this from 

the accomplished ,sig4 ,cav4 ,aqua1 who 
added1 that this name had been erased1  
and that of ,pietro ,perugino inserted1 
who certainly gains no very great honour
 by such substitution4  ,we learn from  
history#ff that ,antonio educated in    
,paolo ,uccello1 a great artist in      
perspective2 and in ,gherardo ,starnina1
 a master in the gay style1 of whom     
there are yet some remnants1 in a chapel
 of the church of ,santa ,croce4 ,they  
are among the last efforts of the school
 of ,giotto1 which succeeding artists   
abandoned1 to adopt a better manner4    
,one exception occurs in ,antonio ,vite1
 who executed some works in the old     
style1 in ,pistoia1 his native city1 and
 in ,pisa4 ,i may here observe1 that    
,starnina and ,dello ,fiorentino shortly
 after introduced the new ,italian      
manner in the court of ,spain1 and      
returned to ,florence with honour and   
with affluence4 ,the first remained to  
enjoy them in his native country1 until 
the time of his death3 the latter       

returned back to increase them2 and1    
according to ,vasari1 he left no public 
work in ,florence1 except an historic   
design of ,isaac1 in green earth1 in a  
cloister of the church of ,s4 ,maria    
,novella3 perhaps he ought to have said1
 that he left various works1 for several
 are there visible1 all in the same     
taste1 and so rude1 as to induce us to  
reckon him rather a follower of         
,buffalmacco than of ,giotto4 ,but he   
excelled in small pieces2 and there was 
none then living who could more         
elegantly ornament cabinets1 coffers1   
the backs of couches1 or other household
 furniture1 with subjects from history  
and fable4  ,among the disciples of     
,taddeo ,gaddi ,i have named ,jacopo del
 ,casentino1 of whom there are some     
remains in the church of ,orsanmichele4 
,jacopo taught ,spinello ,aretino1 a man
 of a most lively fancy1 as may be      
gathered from some of his pictures in   
,arezzo1 no less than from his life4 ,he
 painted also at ,florence1 and was one 

of those who had the honour of          
ornamenting the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa  
with historical paintings4 ,his pictures
 of the martyrs ,s4 ,petito and ,s4     
,epiro1 are noticed by ,vasari as his   
best performances4 ,he was1 however1    
inferior to his competitors by the      
meanness of his design1 and the style of
 his colouring1 in which green and black
 are predominant1 without being         
sufficiently relieved by other colours4 
,the fall of the angels still remains in
 ,s4 ,angelo at ,arezzo1 in which       
,lucifer is represented so terrible1    
that it afterwards haunted the dreams of
 the artist1 and1 deranging both his    
mind and body1 hastened his death4      
,bernardo ,daddi was his scholar2 a man 
less known in his own country than at   
,florence1 where he executed a picture1 
seen on the gate of ,san ,giorgio 7,see 
,moreni1 lib4 v4 p4 #e472 as was also   
,parri1 the son of ,spinello1 who       
modernised his style somewhat on the    
manner of ,masolino4 ,the latter        

excelled in the art of colouring1 but he
 was barbarous in the drawing of his    
figures1 which he made extravagantly    
long and bending1 in order1 as he was   
used to say1 to give them greater       
spirit4 ,one may see some remains of    
them at ,arezzo in ,s4 ,domenico1 and   
other places4 ,lorenzo di ,bicci of     
,florence1 another scholar of ,spinello1
 was the ,vasari of his time1 for the   
multiplicity1 celerity1 and easy        
self-complacency1 shewn in his labours4 
,the first cloister of the church of ,s4
 ,croce retains several specimens1      
consisting of the legends of ,s4        
,francis2 and there is an ,assumption on
 the front1 in which he was assisted by 
,donatello1 while still a young man4    
,perhaps his best work is the fresco1   
ornamenting the sanctuary of ,s4 ,maria 
,nuova1 built by ,martin ,v4 about the  
year #adah4 ,his son ,neri is reckoned  
among the last followers of ,giotto4 ,he
 lived but a short time2 he left1 in ,s4
 ,romolo1 a picture which would not have

 disgraced his father1 and which is     
certainly more carefully executed than  
was usual with the latter4  ,during the 
fourteenth century1 sculpture was       
cultivated at ,pisa by as many artists  
as painting was at ,florence2 but ,pisa 
was not on that account destitute of    
painters worthy of being recorded4      
,vasari mentions one ,vicino1 who       
finished the mosaic begun by ,turrita1  
assisted by ,tafi and ,gaddi1 and adds1 
that he was also a painter4 ,sig4 da    
,morrona says1 that he retained the old 
style of his school2 which was the case 
with many others1 as appears from       
several old ,madonnas upon panels1 both 
of anonymous and of ascertained         
painters4 ,of this sort is that in the  
old church of ,tripalle1 and that at ,s4
 ,matthew's in ,pisa4 ,on the first is  
this inscription1 ,nerus ,nellus de     
,pisa me pinxit1 #abii3 on the second we
 read1 ,jacopo di ,nicola dipintore     
detto ,gera mi dipinse4 ,the mode of    
expression is derived from the m'epoiese

 of the ,greeks2 to which the old       
,pisans closely adhered in their        
paintings1 their sculptures1 and their  
bronzes4#fg ,like the other ,italians   
they at length reformed their style1 and
 there1 as well as at ,florence and     
,siena1 families of painters arose1 in  
which the fathers were excelled by their
 sons1 and they by their children4      
,thus1 from ,vanni1 who flourished in   
#acjj1 sprung ,turino di ,vanni1 who    
flourished about #acdc1 and ,nello di   
,vanni1 who painted in the ,campo       
,santo1 whose son ,bernardo was the     
disciple of ,orcagna1 and furnished many
 pictures for the palace of the primate4
 ,there was also in that city one       
,andrea di ,lippo1 who is noticed in the
 ,academical ,discourse on the literary 
history of ,pisa1 in the year #accf2 the
 same1 ,i believe1 with that ,andrea da 
,pisa1 mentioned among the artists that 
ornamented the cathedral of ,orvieto in 
#acdf4 ,a work by one ,giovanni di      
,niccolo remains in the monastery of ,s4

 ,martha1 and1 perhaps1 he painted the  
fine trittico of the ,zelada museum at  
,rome1 which represents our ,saviour    
with ,s4 ,stephen1 ,s4 ,agatha1 and     
other saints1 and which has this        
inscription1 ,jo4 de ,pisis pinxit4     
,this is a picture of great labour1 by  
some ascribed to ,gio4 ,balducci2 which1
 if it was ascertained1 would confer    
honour on that great man1 as a professor
 of the three sister arts4 ,towards the 
end of the century the power of the     
,pisans declined1 rather from civil     
discord than from other misfortunes2    
till at length the city fell into the   
hands of the ,florentines in #adjf1 and 
lay for a long time prostrate and       
humbled1 deprived1 not only of her      
artists1 but almost of her citizens2 and
 fully glutted the ancient hatred of her
 hostile neighbours4 ,she at length rose
 again1 not1 indeed1 to command1 but to 
more dignified subjection4  ,the spirit 
of the ,florentines in the mean time    
increasing with their power1 they became

 chiefly solicitous to suit the         
magnificence of their capital to the    
grandeur of the state4 ,cosmo1 at once  
the father of his country and of men of 
genius1 gave stability to public        
affairs4 ,lorenzo the ,magnificent1 and 
others of the house of ,medici1         
followed1 whose hereditary taste for    
literature and the fine arts is         
celebrated in a multitude of books1 and 
most copiously in the histories written 
by three eminent authors1 ,monsignor    
,fabroni1 the ,signor ,ab4 ,galluzzi1   
and ,mr4 ,roscoe4 ,their house was at   
once a lyceum for philosophers1 an      
arcadia for poets1 and an academy for   
artists4 ,dello1 ,paolo1 ,masaccio1 the 
two ,peselli1 both the ,lippi1 ,benozzo1
 ,sandro1 the ,ghirlandai1 enjoyed the  
perpetual patronage of this family1 and 
as constantly rendered it whatever      
honour they could bestow4 ,their        
pictures are full of portraits1         
according to the custom of the times1   
and continually presented to the people 

the likenesses of the ,medici1 and often
 represented them with regal ornaments  
in their pictures of the ,epiphany1 as  
if gradually to prepare the people to   
behold the sceptre and royal robe       
securely established in that house4 ,the
 good taste of the ,medici was seconded 
by that of other citizens1 who were then
 distributed into various corporations1 
according to their place of residence   
and profession1 each of which strove    
with reciprocal emulation to decorate   
their houses and their churches4        
,besides the desire of public ornament1 
they were animated by religion1 which1  
in what relates to divine worship1 is so
 widely spread1 not only among the      
great1 but also among the lower orders  
of people1 that those have a difficulty 
in believing who have not beheld it4    
,their cathedral1 a vast fabric1 was    
already reared for the ceremonies of    
religion1 and here and there some other 
churches arose2 these and the more      
ancient1 in emulation of each other1    

they adorned with paintings1 a luxury   
unknown to their ancestors1 and less    
common in the other cities of ,italy4   
,this disposition gave rise1 after the  
conclusion of the century1 to that      
prodigious number of painters already   
mentioned2 and hence sprang1 in the     
century we now treat of1 that crowd of  
artists in marble1 bronze1 and silver1  
who transferred pre-eminence in         
sculpture1 the ancient inheritance of   
the ,pisans1 to the people of ,florence4
 ,the ,florentines were desirous of     
ornamenting the new cathedral and       
baptistery1 the church of ,orsanmichele1
 and other sacred places1 with statues  
and basso-relievos4 ,these brought      
forward ,donatello1 ,brunelleschi1      
,ghiberti1 ,filarete1 ,rossellini1      
,pollajuoli1 and ,verrocchio1 and       
produced those noble works in marble1 in
 bronze1 and in silver1 which sometimes 
appear to have attained the perfection  
of the art1 and to have rivalled the    
ancients4 ,the rising generation was    

instructed in design by those celebrated
 men1 and the universality of the       
principles they taught1 made the        
transition from one art to another easy4
 ,the same individuals were often       
statuaries1 founders in bronze1 in gold1
 lapidaries1 painters1 or architects1   
talents that appear enviable to this    
age1 in which an artist with difficulty 
acquires a competent knowledge in a     
single art4 ,such was the course of     
instruction at ,florence in the         
,studies1 and such the subsequent       
encouragement without1 from which it    
will not appear wonderful to the reader 
that this city was the foremost to      
attain the perfection of the art4 ,but  
let us trace the steps by which it      
advanced in ,florence1 and in the rest  
of ,italy4  ,the followers of ,giotto   
had now carried painting beyond the     
period of its infancy1 but it continued 
to give proofs of its infant faculties1 
especially in chiaroscuro1 and still    
more in perspective4 ,figures sometimes 

appeared as if falling or slipping from 
the canvass2 buildings had not a true   
point of view2 and the art of           
foreshortening was yet very rude4       
,stefano ,fiorentino perceived rather   
than removed the difficulty2 others for 
the most part sought either to avoid or 
to compensate for the deficiency4       
,pietro della ,francesca1 whom we have  
elsewhere noticed1 appears to have been 
the first who revived the ,grecian      
practice of rendering geometry          
subservient to the painter4 ,he is      
celebrated by ,pascoli1#fh and by       
authors of greater note1 as the father  
of perspective4 ,brunelleschi was the   
first ,florentine who saw the method of 
bringing it to perfection1 which        
consisted in drawing it in outline by   
the help of intersections2#fi and in    
this manner he drew the square of ,st4  
,john1 and other places1 with true      
diminution and with receding points4 ,he
 was imitated in mosaic by ,benedetto da
 ,maiano1 and in painting by ,masaccio1 

to both of whom he was master4 ,about   
the same period ,paolo ,uccello1 having 
studied under ,gio4 ,manetti1 a         
celebrated mathematician1 applied to it 
with assiduity2 and even so dedicated   
himself to the pursuit1 that in         
labouring to excel in this1 he never    
acquired celebrity in the other branches
 of painting4 ,he delighted in it far   
beyond his other studies1 and used to   
say that perspective was the most       
pleasant of all2 so true is it that     
novelty is a great source of enjoyment4 
,he executed no work that did not       
reflect some new light on that art1     
whether it consisted of edifices and    
colonnades1 in which a great space was  
represented in a small compass1 or of   
figures foreshortened with a skill      
unknown to the followers of ,giotto4    
,some of his historic pictures of ,adam1
 and of ,noah1 in which he indulged in  
his favourite taste for the novel and   
whimsical1 remain in the cloisters of   
,s4 ,maria ,novella2 and there are also 

landscapes with trees and animals so    
well executed1 that he might be called  
the ,bassano of the first age4 ,he      
particularly delighted to have birds in 
his house1 from which he drew1 and from 
thence he obtained his surname of       
,uccello4 ,in the cathedral there is a  
gigantic portrait of ,gio4 ,aguto on    
horseback1 painted by ,paolo in green   
earth4 ,this was1 perhaps1 the first    
attempt made in painting1 which achieved
 a great deal without appearing too     
daring4 ,he produced other specimens at 
,padua1 where he delineated some figures
 of giants with green earth in the house
 of the ,vitali4 ,he was chiefly        
employed in ornamenting furniture for   
private individuals2 the triumphs of    
,petrarch in the royal gallery1 painted 
on small cabinets are supposed by some  
good judges to be his4  ,masolino da    
,panicale cultivated the art of         
chiaroscuro4 ,i believe he derived      
advantage from having long dedicated his
 attention to modelling and sculpture1 a

 practice which renders relief easy to  
the painter1 beyond what is generally   
conceived4 ,ghiberti had been his master
 in this branch1 who at this time was   
unrivalled in design1 in composition1   
and in giving animation to his figures4 
,colouring1 which he yet wanted1 was    
taught him by ,starnina1 and in this    
also he became a very celebrated master4
 ,thus uniting in himself the           
excellences of two schools1 he produced 
a new style1 not indeed exempt from     
dryness1 nor wholly faultless2 but      
grand1 determined1 and harmonious1      
beyond any former example4 ,the chapel  
of ,st4 ,peter al ,carmine1 is a        
remaining monument of this artist4 ,he  
there painted the ,evangelists1 and some
 acts of the ,saint1 as his vocation to 
the apostleship1 the tempest1 the       
denying of ,christ1 the miracle         
performed at ,porta ,speciosa1 and the  
,preaching4 ,he was prevented by death  
from representing other acts of ,st4    
,peter1 as for instance1 the tribute    

paid to ,caesar1 baptism conferred on   
the multitude1 the healing of the sick1 
which several years afterwards were     
painted by his scholar ,maso di ,s4     
,giovanni1 a youth who obtained the     
surname of ,masaccio1 from trusting to a
 precarious subsistence1 and living1 as 
it was said1 by chance1 while deeply    
engrossed with the studies of his       
profession4 ,this artist was a genius   
calculated to mark an era in painting2  
and ,mengs has assigned him the highest 
place among those who explored its      
untried recesses4 ,vasari informs us    
that what was executed before his time  
might be called paintings1 but that his 
pictures seem to live1 they are so true 
and natural2 and in another place adds1 
that no master of that age so nearly    
approached the moderns4 ,he had formed  
the principles of his art on the works  
of ,ghiberti and ,donatello2 perspective
 he acquired from ,brunelleschi1 and on 
going to ,rome it cannot be doubted that
 he improved by the study of ancient    

sculpture4 ,he there met with two senior
 artists1 ,gentile da ,fabriano1 and    
,vittore ,pisanello1 upon whom high     
encomiums1 as the first painter of his  
time1 may be seen in ,maffei and        
elsewhere4#gj ,they who write thus had  
either not seen any of the paintings of 
,masaccio1 or at most only his early    
productions2 such as the ,s4 ,anna in   
the church of ,s4 ,ambrose in ,florence1
 or the chapel of ,s4 ,catherine in ,s4 
,clement's at ,rome1 in which1 while    
still young1 he executed some pictures  
of the passion of ,christ1 and legends  
of ,s4 ,anna1 to which may be added a   
ceiling containing the ,evangelists1    
which are all that now remain free from 
retouching4 ,this work is excellent for 
that time1 but some doubt whether it    
ought to be ascribed to him2 and it is  
inferior to his painting in the         
,carmine1 of which we may say with      
,pliny1 jam perfecta sunt omnia4 ,the   
positions and foreshortenings of the    
figures are diversified and complete    

beyond those practised by ,paolo        
,uccello4 ,the air of the heads1 says   
,mengs1 is in the style of ,raffaello2  
the expression is so managed that the   
mind seems no less forcibly depicted    
than the body4 ,the anatomy of the      
figure is marked with truth and         
judgment4 ,that figure1 so highly       
extolled in the baptism of ,s4 ,peter1  
which appears shivering with cold1      
marks1 as it were1 an era in the art4   
,the garments1 divested of minuteness1  
present a few easy folds4 ,the colouring
 is true1 properly varied1 delicate1 and
 surprisingly harmonious2 the relief is 
in the grandest style4 ,this chapel was 
not finished by him4 ,he died in #addc1 
not without suspicion of poison1 and    
left it still deficient in several      
pictures1 which1 after many years were  
supplied by the younger ,lippi4 ,it     
became the school of all the best       
,florentine artists whom we shall have  
occasion to notice in this and the      
succeeding epoch1 of ,pietro ,perugino1 

and even of ,raffaello2 and it is a     
curious circumstance1 that in the course
 of many years1 in a city fruitful in   
genius1 ever bent on the promotion of   
the art1 no one in following the        
footsteps of ,masaccio attained that    
eminence which he acquired without a    
director4 ,time has defaced other works 
of his hand at ,florence1 equally       
commended1 and especially the sanctuary 
of the church del ,carmine1 of which    
there is a drawing in the possession of 
the learned ,p4 ,lettor ,fontana        
,barnabita in ,pavia4 ,the royal gallery
 has very few of his works4 ,the        
portrait of a young man1 that seems to  
breathe1 and is estimated at a high     
price1 is in the ,pitti collection4     
,after ,masaccio1 two monks             
distinguished themselves in the         
,florentine school4 ,the first was a    
,dominican friar named ,f4 ,giovanni da 
,fiesole1 or ,b4 ,giovanni ,angelico4   
,his first employment was that of       
ornamenting books with miniatures1 an   

art he learned from an elder brother1   
who executed miniatures and other       
paintings4 ,it is said that he studied  
in the chapel of ,masaccio1 but it is   
not easy to credit this when we consider
 their ages4 ,their style too betrays a 
different origin4 ,the works of the     
friar discover some traces of the manner
 of ,giotto1 in the posture of the      
figures and the compensation for        
deficiencies in the art1 not to mention 
the drapery which is often folded in    
long tube-like forms1 and the exquisite 
diligence in minute particulars common  
to miniature painters4 ,nor did he      
depart much from this method in the     
greatest part of his works1 which       
chiefly consist of scripture pieces of  
our ,saviour1 or the ,virgin1 in cabinet
 pictures not unfrequently to be met    
with in ,florence4 ,the royal gallery   
possesses several2 the most brilliant   
and highly finished of which1 is the    
birth of ,john the ,baptist4 ,the       
,glory1#ga which is in the church of ,s4

 ,mary ,magdalen de' ,pazzi1 from its   
great size1 is among his rarest         
productions2 and it also ranks with the 
most beautiful4 ,his chief excellence   
consists in the beauty that adorns the  
countenances of his saints and angels2  
and he is truly the ,guido of the age1  
for the sweetness of his colours1 which1
 though in water1 he diluted and blended
 in a manner which almost reaches       
perfection4 ,he was also esteemed one of
 the best of his age in works executed  
in fresco2 and he was employed in the   
decoration of the cathedral of ,orvieto1
 as well as the palace of the ,vatican  
itself1 where he painted a chapel--a    
work much commended by a number of      
writers4 ,vasari enumerates ,gentile da 
,fabriano among his disciples1 but the  
dates render this impossible2 and says  
the same of ,zanobi ,strozzi1 a man of  
noble origin1 of whom ,i do not know    
that any certain picture exists in a    
public collection3 ,i only know that1   
treading in the steps of his master1 he 

surpassed the reputation of a mere      
amateur4 ,benozzo ,gozzoli1 another of  
his disciples1 and an imitator of       
,masaccio1 raised himself far above the 
majority of his contemporaries4  ,in a  
few points he even surpassed his model1 
as in the stupendous size of his        
edifices1 in the amenity of his         
landscapes1 and in the brilliancy of his
 fancy1 truly lively1 agreeable1 and    
picturesque4 ,in the ,riccardi palace1  
once a royal residence1 there is a      
chapel in good preservation1 where he   
executed a ,glory1 a ,nativity1 and an  
,epiphany4 ,he there painted with a     
profusion of gold and of drapery1       
unexampled1 perhaps1 in fresco2 and with
 an adherence to nature that exhibits an
 image of that age in the portraits1 the
 garments1 the accoutrements of the     
horses1 and in the most minute          
particulars4 ,he long resided at ,pisa1 
and died there1 where he ought to be    
studied2 for his compositions in that   
place are better than those at          

,florence1 and he was there also more   
sparing in the use of gold4 ,the        
portrait of ,s4 ,thomas ,aquinas is     
highly spoken of by ,vasari and         
,richardson2 but they especially notice 
the pictures from scripture history1    
with which he ornamented a whole wing of
 the ,campo ,santo1 a most prodigious   
work1 sufficient to appal a legion of   
painters2#gb and he finished it within  
two years4 ,here he displayed a talent  
for composition1 an imitation of nature1
 a variety in the countenances and      
attitudes1 a colouring juicy1 lively1   
and clear1 and an expression of the     
passions that places him next to        
,masaccio4 ,i can scarcely believe that 
he painted the whole4 ,in the ,ebriety  
of ,noah1 in the ,tower of ,babel1 and  
in some other pictures1 we discern an   
attempt at surprising1 not to be seen in
 some others1 where figures sometimes   
occur that seem dry and laboured2       
defects which ,i am disposed rather to  
attribute to his coadjutors4 ,near this 

great work a monument is erected to his 
memory by a grateful city1 in the public
 name1 with an epitaph that commends him
 as a painter4 ,time itself1 as if      
conscious of his merit1 has respected   
this work beyond any other in the ,campo
 ,santo4  ,the other monk was ,filippo  
,lippi1 a ,carmelite1 a genius of a     
different stamp from ,b4 ,giovanni4 ,he 
received his instruction1 not from      
,masaccio1 as ,vasari would have it1 but
 from his works4 ,his assiduity in      
copying him1 makes him sometimes appear 
a second ,masaccio1 especially in small 
histories4 ,some of his choicest are in 
the sacristy of the church of ,s4       
,spirito4 ,in that place1 in the ,church
 of ,s4 ,ambrose1 and elsewhere1 his    
pictures represent the ,virgin          
surrounded by angels1 with full and     
handsome countenances1 distinguished by 
a colouring and a gracefulness          
peculiarly his own4 ,he delighted in    
drapery like the neat folds of a        
surplice2 his tints were very clear but 

delicate1 and often subdued by a purple 
hue not common to other painters4 ,he   
introduced gigantic proportions in his  
large frescos in the parish church of   
,prato2 where his pictures of ,s4       
,stephen and the ,baptist were1 in the  
opinion of ,vasari1 his capital         
performances4 ,his forsaking the        
convent1 his slavery in ,barbary1 his   
works at ,naples1 at ,padua1 and        
elsewhere1 his death1 hastened by       
poison1 administered by the relations of
 a young lady who had borne him a       
natural child1 likewise named ,filippo  
,lippi1 are recorded by ,vasari4 ,p4    
della ,valle is of opinion that he never
 professed any order1 but in the        
register of ,carmine1 his death is      
noticed in the year #adfi1 and he is    
there denominated ,fra ,filippo4 ,he    
died at ,spoleti when he had nearly     
completed his large picture for the     
cathedral4 ,lorenzo the ,magnificent    
requested his ashes from the townsmen1  
but was refused2 on which he caused a   

handsome monument to be erected for him1
 with an inscription by ,angelo         
,poliziano2 a circumstance ,i mention1  
to demonstrate the respect paid to the  
art at that period4 ,f4 ,diamante da    
,prato1 the scholar of ,lippi1 and his  
assistant in his last work1 imitated him
 well2 as likewise did ,francesco       
,pesello1 a ,florentine of the same     
school2 his son ,pesellino1 a short     
lived artist1 followed him with still   
greater success4 ,the ,epiphany of      
,francesco1 described by ,vasari1 in    
which there is a portrait of ,donato    
,acciaiuoli1 is in the royal gallery4   
,the grado1 painted by his son for the  
apartments of the novices of ,s4 ,croce1
 is there still3 on this last are the   
histories of ,s4 ,cosma and ,s4 ,damian1
 of ,s4 ,anthony1 and ,s4 ,francis1     
denominated by the historian most       
wonderful productions1 and1 perhaps1    
this is not too much to say when we     
recollect the period4  ,about this time 
other able artists flourished at        

,florence1 who were obscured by greater 
names4 ,of this number was ,berto       
,linaiuolo1 whose pictures in private   
houses were1 for a long time1 held in   
great repute4 ,they were even ordered by
 the ,king of ,hungary1 and procured him
 great fame in that kingdom4 ,alessio   
,baldovinetti1 of noble extraction1 was 
a painter particularly diligent and     
minute1 a good worker in mosaic1 and the
 master of ,ghirlandaio4 ,in his picture
 of the ,nativity in the porch of the   
,nunziata1 and in his other works1 the  
design1 rather than the colouring1 may  
now be said to remain2 for the tints    
have vanished1 from a defect in their   
composition4 ,to them we may add        
,verrocchio1 a celebrated statuary1 a   
good designer1 and a painter for        
amusement rather than by profession4    
,while he painted the ,baptism of       
,christ at ,s4 ,salvi1 his scholar1 ,l4 
da ,vinci1 then a youth1 finished an    
angel1 in a manner superior to the      
figures of his master1 who1 indignant at

 his own inferiority to a boy1 never    
more handled the pencil4  ,baldinucci   
imagines that ,andrea del ,castagno1 a  
name infamous in history1 was a scholar 
of ,masaccio3 he was rather his         
imitator1 in attitude1 relief1 and      
casting of the drapery1 than in grace   
and colouring4 ,he lived at the time    
that the secret of painting in oil      
7discovered by ,john ,van ,eych1 or     
,john of ,bruges1 about #adaj71gc was   
known in ,italy1 not only by report1 but
 by experience of the advantages of this
 method4 ,our artists1 admiring the     
harmony1 delicacy1 and brilliance1 which
 colours received from this discovery1  
sighed to possess the secret4 ,for this 
purpose1 one ,antonello da ,messina1 who
 had studied at ,rome1 travelled to     
,flanders1 and having learned the       
secret1 according to ,vasari1 from the  
inventor1 went to ,venice1 where he     
communicated it to a friend named       
,domenico4 ,after having practised much 
in his own country1 at ,loreto1#gd and  

other parts of the ecclesiastical       
states1 ,domenico came to ,florence4    
,there he became the general favourite1 
and on that account was envied by       
,castagna1 whose dissembled friendship  
won him to impart the secret1 and       
rewarded him by an atrocious            
assassination1 which he perpetrated1 in 
order that there might be none living to
 rival him in the art4 ,the assassin was
 sufficiently skilful to conceal his    
crime1 owing to which a number of       
innocent persons soon fell under        
suspicion1 which did not induce the real
 criminal to avow the atrocious deed1   
until he lay upon his death-bed1 when he
 disclosed his guilt and did justice to 
the innocence of others4 ,he had the    
reputation of being the first artist of 
his time1 for vigour1 for design1 and   
for perspective1 having perfected the   
art of foreshortening4 ,his finest works
 have perished3 one of his pictures     
remains at ,s4 ,lucia de' ,magnuoli1 and
 also some of his historic pieces1      

executed with great diligence4 ,there is
 also a ,crucifixion1 painted on a wall 
in the monastery of the ,angeli4  ,many 
writers have appeared who deny the above
 mentioned statement of ,vasari1 and    
maintain that the art of painting in oil
 was known long before4 ,it is pretended
 that it existed in the time of the     
,romans1 an opinion that is adopted by  
,sig4 ,ranza1 in regard to a picture    
said to be of ,s4 ,helena1 consisting of
 a quilting of different pieces of silk 
stitched together1 exhibiting a picture 
of the ,virgin ,saint with the ,infant4 
,the heads and hands are coloured in    
oils2 the drapery is shaded with the    
needle1 and in a great measure with the 
pencil4 ,it is preserved in ,vercelli1  
and from the tradition of its citizens  
reported by ,mabillon 7,diar4 ,ital4    
,cap4 #bh71 it is said to be the work of
 ,s4 ,helena1 mother of ,constantine2   
that is1 the patches of silk were sewed 
by her1 and the gilding and painting    
added to it by her painter1 as is       

conjectured by ,ranza4 ,he was not aware
 that the practice of drawing the       
,infant ,christ in the lap of the       
,virgin 7as we notice in the preface to 
the ,roman school71 was posterior to the
 fourth century2 and that other         
particulars related by him of the       
picture cannot belong to the age of     
,constantine2 for instance1 the hooded  
mantle of our ,lady4 ,from such signs we
 ought rather to conclude that it is    
either not an oil painting1 or that the 
figure1 at whatever period executed1 has
 been retouched in the same way as that 
of the ,nunziata at ,florence1 or of the
 ,santa ,maria ,primerana at ,fiesole2  
the former of which in the drapery1 and 
the latter in the lineaments1 are not   
the same now as in their ancient state4 
,others1 without ascending to the first 
ages of the church1 have asserted that  
oil painting was known out of ,italy1 at
 least as early as the eleventh century4
 ,as a proof of this1 they adduce a     
manuscript of the ,monk ,teofilo or     

,ruggiero1 no later back than that      
period1 which bears title1 ,de omni     
scientia artis pingendi1 where there is 
a receipt for the preparation and use of
 oil from flax4#ge ,lessing gave an     
account of this manuscript in the year  
#aggd1 in a treatise published at       
,brunswick1 where he filled the office  
of librarian to the ,prince4 ,morelli1  
also1 in the ,codici ,naniani 7cod4     
#ci72 and more at length ,raspe1 in his 
critical ,dissertation on ,oil          
,painting1 published in the ,english    
language at ,london1 in which he        
enumerated the existing copies in       
various libraries1 and gave a great part
 of the manuscript1 entered into an     
examination of the subject4 ,lastly1    
,teofilo's treatise is inserted by      
,christiano ,leist1 in ,lessing's       
collection1 ,zur ,geschichte unde       
,litteratur4 ,brusw4 #agha4 ,the        
,dottore ,aglietti1 in his ,giornale    
,veneto1 ,december1 #agic1 likewise adds
 his opinion2 while the learned ,abbate 

,morelli1 in his ,notizia1 which is     
often cited by me in the emendation and 
illustration of this edition1 throws the
 greatest light upon the present        
question1 agitated by so many1 and1 we  
may add1 rem acu tetigit4 ,he1 then1    
will be found to concede to ,giovanni1  
whom he calls ,gianes da ,brugia1 the   
boast of this great discovery1 agreeing 
with ,vasari1 though in a different     
sense from that in which the latter     
writer views it4 ,for he does not reply 
to his opponents1 that the art of       
painting1 as taught by ,teofilo1 might  
have gone into disuse1 and was only     
revived by ,giovanni2 whence ,vasari    
ventured to commend him as an original  
inventor2 in the same manner as         
,tiraboschi replied1 who followed the   
,roman anthologists 7,st4 ,lett4 t4 vi4 
p4 #abjb74 ,neither does he bring       
forward the defence advanced by the     
,baron de ,budberg in the apology of    
,gio4 da ,bruges1#gf to the purport that
 ,teofilo taught the art of painting in 

oil1 only upon a ground1 without        
figures1 and without ornaments3 because 
,teofilo1 in chap4 #bb1 whose words we  
have given in the note1 likewise taught 
this art4 ,into what1 then1 does the    
long-boasted invention of ,giovanni     
resolve itself8 ,nothing more than this3
 according to the ancient practice1 a   
fresh colour was never added to the     
panel until the first covering had been 
dried in the sun3 a mode1 as ,teofilo   
confesses1 infinitely tedious3 quod in  
imaginibus diuturnum et taediosum nimis 
est2 7cap4 #bc72 to which ,i may add1   
that the colours in this way could never
 perfectly harmonize4 ,van ,eych saw    
this difficulty1 and he became more     
truly sensible of it1 from the          
circumstance of having exposed one of   
his paintings to the sun1 in order to   
harden1 when the excess of heat split   
the panel4 ,being at that period        
sufficiently skilled both in            
philosophical and philological          
inquiries1 he began to speculate on the 

manner of applying oils1 and of their   
acquiring a proper consistency without  
the aid of the sun4 ,by uniting it with 
other mixtures he next produced a       
varnish1 which1 dried1 was water proof1 
and gave a clearness and brilliancy1    
while it added to the harmony of his    
colours4 ,such are the words of ,vasari2
 and thus1 in a very few words1 we may  
arrive at a satisfactory solution of the
 question4 ,before the time of ,van     
,eych1 some sort of method of painting  
in oil was known1 but so extremely      
tedious and imperfect1 as to be scarcely
 applicable to the production of figure 
pieces4 ,it was practised beyond the    
,alps1 but is not known to have been in 
use in ,italy4 ,giovanni carried the    
first discovery to its completion2 he   
perfected the art1 which was afterwards 
diffused over all ,europe1 and          
introduced into ,italy1 by means of     
,antonio1 or ,antonello da ,messina4    
,here again we are met by another class 
of objectors1 who enter the lists       

against ,van ,eych1 against ,antonello1 
and more decidedly against ,vasari1 not 
with arguments from books1 but in the   
strength of pictorial skill1 and        
chemical experiments4  ,malvasia1 upon  
the authority of ,tiarini1 maintains1   
that ,lippo ,dalmasio painted in oil2   
the ,neapolitans1 relying upon ,marco da
 ,siena1 and other men of skill1 assert 
the same of their artists in the        
thirteenth century2 while a few have    
pretended that some of the pictures#gg  
produced in the fourteenth century1 to  
be seen at ,siena and ,modena1 in       
particular that from the hand of        
,tommaso da ,modena1 belonging to the   
,imperial cabinet1 and described by me  
in the native school of that artist1 are
 also coloured in oil2 because1 after   
being exposed to water1 and analyzed1   
the colours discovered their elements1  
and were pronounced oil4 ,in spite1     
however1 of so much skill1 and so many  
experiments1 ,i cannot see that ,vasari 
has yet been detected in an error4 ,it  

would not be difficult to oppose other  
experiments and opinions1 that might    
throw light upon the question4 ,to begin
 with ,tuscany3--an analysis of several 
,tuscan paintings was made at ,pisa by  
the very able chemist ,bianchi2 and     
though apparently coloured in oil1 the  
most lucid parts were found to give out 
particles of wax2 a material employed in
 the encausti1 and not forgotten by the 
,greeks1 who instructed ,giunta and his 
contemporaries4 ,it would appear that   
they applied it as a varnish1 to act as 
a covering and protection from humidity1
 as well as to give a lucid hue and     
polish to the colours4 ,it has been     
observed1 that the proportion of wax    
employed greatly decreased during the   
fourteenth century2 and after the year  
#acfj fell into disuse1 and was         
succeeded by a vehicle1 that carries no 
gloss4 ,but in these experiments oil was
 never elicited1 if we except a few     
drops of essential oil1 which the       
learned professor conjectures was       

employed at that early period to        
dissolve the wax made use of in         
painting4  ,besides this material1      
certain gums1 and yolks of eggs1 which  
easily deceive the eye of the less      
skilful1 were also used1 and very nearly
 resemble those pictures that display a 
scanty portion of oil1 as is observed by
 ,zanetti1 in his account of ,venetian  
painting 7p4 #bj72 and the analysis of  
,tommaso da ,modena's picture has tended
 to confirm his opinion4 ,this          
information ,i owe to the late ,count   
,durazzo1 who1 in #agic1 assured me1    
when at ,venice1 that he had himself    
beheld1 at ,vienna1 the process of      
analyzing such pictures1 by very skilful
 hands1 at the command1 and in the      
presence of ,prince ,kaunitz2 and that  
it was the unanimous opinion of those   
professors1 that no traces of oil were  
to be found4 ,the colours consisted of  
the finest gums1 mixed with the yolk and
 white of eggs1 a fact that afforded    
just ground for a like conclusion in    

regard to similar works by the ancients4
 ,i fully appreciate1 likewise1 the     
opinion of ,piacenza upon the celebrated
 picture of ,colantonio2 this ,i        
reserve1 however1 together with some    
further reflections of my own1 for the  
school of ,naples4  ,i shall here merely
 inform the reader1 that1 in regard to  
the chemical experiments employed on    
these paintings1 ,sig4 da ,morrona#gh   
observes1 that old pictures are often   
believed to be in a state of purity1    
when they have been retouched with oil  
colours at a subsequent period3 the use 
of wax1 and of essential oils1 or of    
some such old methods1 may frequently   
give rise to doubt1 as ,i shall soon    
shew4  ,having removed the objections   
brought against the opinion of ,vasari1 
,i must add a few words in regard to a  
passage where he seems to have forgotten
 what he had said in the life of ,angiol
 ,gaddi1 but which will in fact throw   
further light upon the question4 ,he is 
giving an account of the paintings and  

writings of ,andrea ,cennini1 a scholar 
of ,angelo4 ,this person1 in #adcg1 that
 is1 long before the arrival of         
,domenico1 composed a work on painting1 
which is preserved in ,,ms4 in the      
library of ,s4 ,lorenzo4 ,he there      
treated1 says ,vasari1 of grinding      
colours with oil1 for making red1 blue1 
and green grounds2 and various new      
methods and sizes for gilding1 but not  
figures4 ,baldinucci examined the same  
manuscript1 and found these words in the
 #hith chapter3--,i wish to teach thee  
how to paint in oil on walls1 or on     
panel1 as practised by many ,germans2   
and on consulting the manuscript1 ,i    
find1 after that passage1 and by the    
same method on iron and on marble2 but  
,i shall first treat of painting on     
walls4 ,in the succeeding chapters he   
says1 that this must be accomplished by 
boiling linseed oil4 ,this appears not  
to accord with the assertion of ,vasari1
 that ,john of ,bruges1 after many      
experiments1 discovered that linseed oil

 and nut oil were the most drying4 ,when
 boiled with his other ingredients they 
formed the varnish so long sought after 
by him and all other painters4 ,on      
weighing the evidence1 we should1 in my 
opinion1 take three circumstances into  
consideration3 ,the first is1 that      
,vasari does not deny that oil was      
employed in painting2 since he affirms  
that it was long a desideratum1 and     
consequently had been often attempted2  
but that alone is perfect which1 when   
dry1 resists water2 which brightens the 
colours1 makes them clear1 and perfectly
 unites them4 #b4 ,the oil of ,cennini  
might not be of this sort1 either       
because it was not boiled with the      
ingredients of ,van ,eych1 or because it
 was intended only for coarse work2 a   
circumstance rendered probable by the   
fact1 that though he painted the        
,virgin1 with several ,saints1 in the   
hospital of ,bonifazio1 at ,florence1 in
 a good style of colouring1 yet he never
 excited the admiration nor the envy of 

artists4 #c4 ,the above remarks forbid  
us to give implicit confidence to every 
relation that is given of ancient oil   
pictures2 but we are not blindly to     
reject all accounts of imperfect        
attempts of that nature4 ,after this    
digression we return to our narrative4  
,the painters that remain to be noticed1
 approach the golden age of the art1 of 
which their works in some degree        
participate1 notwithstanding the dryness
 of their design1 and the general want  
of harmony in their colouring4 ,the     
vehicle of their colours was commonly   
water1 very rarely oil4 ,they flourished
 in the time of ,sixtus ,,iv41 who1     
having erected the magnificent chapel   
that retains his name1 invited them from
 ,florence4 ,their names are            
,botticelli1 ,ghirlandaio1 ,rosselli1   
,luca da ,cortona1 and ,d4 ,bartolommeo 
d',arezzo2 whom ,i shall here introduce1
 together with their followers4 ,manni1 
the historian of some of these          
artists1#gi conjectures that this work  

was executed about the year #adgd4 ,they
 were desired to pourtray the history of
 ,moses on one part of the chapel1 and  
that of ,christ on the other3 thus the  
old law was confronted by the new1 the  
shade by the light1 and the type by the 
person typified4 ,the pontiff was       
unskilled in the fine arts1 but covetous
 of the glory they confer on the name   
and actions of princes4 ,to superintend 
the work1 he made choice of ,sandro     
,filipepi1 from his first master1 a     
goldsmith1 surnamed ,botticelli1 and the
 pupil of ,f4 ,filippo2 a celebrated    
artist at that time1 and distinguished  
by his pictures containing a great      
number of small figures in which he     
strongly resembled ,andrea ,mantegna2   
though his heads were less beautiful4   
,vasari says1 that his little picture of
 the ,calumny of ,apelles1 is as fine a 
production as possible1 and he          
pronounces the ,assumption1 painted for 
the church of ,s4 ,pier ,maggiore1 to be
 so excellent1 that it ought to silence 

envy4 ,the former is in the royal       
gallery1 the latter in a private house4 
,what he painted in the ,sistine        
,chapel1 however1 surpasses all his     
other works4 ,here we scarcely recognize
 ,sandro of ,florence4 ,the ,temptation 
of ,christ1 embellished with a          
magnificent temple1 and a crowd of      
devotees in the vestibule2 ,moses       
assisting the daughters of ,jethro      
against the ,midianite shepherds1 in    
which there is great richness of        
drapery1 coloured in a new manner2 and  
other subjects1 treated with vigour and 
originality1 exhibit him in this place  
greatly superior to his usual manner4   
,the same observation applies to the    
painters we are about to notice3 such   
were the effects produced by their      
emulation2 by the sight of a city that  
is calculated to enlarge the ideas of   
those who visit it1 and by the judgment 
of a public that is scarcely to be      
satisfied by what is above mediocrity1  
because its eye is habituated to what is

 wonderful4  ,history does not point out
 the portion of this work that was      
performed by ,filippino ,lippi2 the son1
 as we have already observed1 of ,f4    
,filippo4 ,it is however highly probable
 that he assisted2 because he was his   
father's pupil from a very early age1   
and because the taste of ,lippi1 that   
delighted in portraying the usages of   
antiquity in his pictures1 appears to   
have been formed while he was still     
young1 and engaged in his studies at    
,rome4 ,in the life which ,cellini has  
written of himself1 he tells us that he 
had seen several books of antiquities   
drawn by ,lippi2 and ,vasari gives him  
credit for being the first who decorated
 modern paintings by the introduction of
 grotesques1 trophies1 armour1 vases1   
edifices and drapery1 copied from the   
models of antiquity2 but this ,i cannot 
confirm1 because it was before attempted
 by ,squarcione4 ,it is true that he    
excelled in those ornaments1 in his     
landscape and in minute particulars4    

,the ,s4 ,bernard of the ,abbey1 the    
,magi of the royal museum1 and the two  
frescos in ,s4 ,maria ,novella2 the one 
the history of ,s4 ,john1 the other of  
,s4 ,philip1 the apostles1 please more  
perhaps by these accessaries of the art 
than by the countenances1 which1 indeed1
 have not the beauty and grace of the   
elder ,lippi4 ,they are faithful        
portraits1 but shew no discrimination4  
,he was invited to ,rome to ornament a  
chapel of the ,minerva1 in which there  
is an ,assumption by his hand1 and some 
histories of ,thomas ,aquinas1 amongst  
which the ,disputation is the best4 ,in 
this chapel he shews great improvement  
in his heads1 but was nevertheless      
surpassed in this respect by his pupil  
,raffaellino del ,garbo1 who painted a  
choir of angels on the ceiling1 that    
would alone suffice to justify the name 
by which he was distinguished4 ,in      
,monte ,oliveto at ,florence1 there is a
 ,resurrection by ,raffaellino1 where   
the figures are small1 but so graceful  

withal1 so correct in attitude1 and so  
finely coloured1 that we can scarcely   
rank him inferior to any master of that 
age4 ,there is mention made by the      
learned ,moreni1 in the concluding part 
of his ,memorie ,istoriche1 7p4 #afh7 of
 another of his beautiful altar-pieces1 
still in existence at ,s4 ,salvi1 with  
the grado entire4 ,some early pictures  
are in a similar state2 but becoming the
 father of a numerous family1 he        
gradually degenerated in his style1 and 
died in poverty and obscurity4  ,the    
second whom ,i have mentioned among the 
artists in the ,sistine ,chapel1 is     
,domenico ,corradi1 surnamed ,del       
,ghirlandaio1 from the profession of his
 father4#hj ,he was a painter1 an       
excellent worker in mosaic1 and even    
contributed to the improvement of these 
arts4 ,he painted in the ,sistine       
,chapel the ,resurrection of ,christ1   
which has perished2 and the ,call of ,s4
 ,peter and ,s4 ,andrew1 which still    
remains4 ,he is that ,ghirlandaio1 in   

whose school1 or on whose manner1 not   
only ,ridolfo del ,ghirlandaio1 his son1
 but also ,bonarruoti1 and the best     
artists of the succeeding era1 formed   
their style4 ,he possessed clearness and
 purity of outline1 correctness of form1
 and variety of ideas1 together with    
facility and uncommon diligence2 he was 
the first ,florentine1 who1 by means of 
true perspective1 attained a happy      
method of grouping1 and depth of        
composition4#ha ,he was among the first 
to reject the deep golden fringes to the
 drapery1 that the old masters          
introduced2 who1 unable to render their 
figures beautiful1 endeavoured1 at      
least1 to make them gaudy4 ,some of his 
pictures1 however1 yet remain1          
moderately illuminated with gold2 as for
 instance1 the ,epiphany in the church  
of the ,innocents at ,florence4 ,it is a
 fine work1 as is also his chapel in the
 ,holy ,trinity1 with the actions of ,s4
 ,francis1 and his ,nativity1 in the    
sacristy of that church4 ,his most      

celebrated work is the choir of ,s4     
,maria ,novella1 on one side of which he
 designed the history of ,john the      
,baptist1 on the other that of our      
,lady1 and on another part the murder of
 the ,innocents1 so much commended by   
,vasari4 ,it contains a vast many       
portraits of literary men1 and noble    
citizens1 and almost every head is from 
the life2 but they are dignified1 and   
judiciously selected4 ,the hands and    
feet of the figures1 however1 do not    
correspond1 and attention to this       
circumstance is the peculiar merit of   
,andrea del ,sarto1 who seems to have   
carried the manner of ,ghirlandaio to   
perfection4 ,many works of the latter   
are scattered over ,italy1 in ,rome1 in 
,rimini1 and at ,pisa1 at the ,eremitani
 di ,pietra ,santa1 and the ,camaldolesi
 of ,volterra2 where besides the        
paintings in the refectory1 there is in 
the church a figure of ,s4 ,romualdo1   
carved by ,diana of ,mantua4 ,the       
pictures of this master should not be   

confounded with those of his scholars1  
as happens in many instances4 ,thus the 
holy families painted by his brothers or
 his scholars1 frequently pass for his2 
but they are very far from meriting the 
praise we have justly bestowed on him4  
,davide1 one of his brothers1 became    
very eminent in mosaic2 another1        
,benedetto1 painted more in ,france than
 in ,italy2 ,bastiano ,mainardi1 their  
brother-in-law1 was rather the assistant
 of ,domenico1 than a painter of        
originality4 ,baldino ,bandinelli1      
,niccolo ,cieco1 ,jacopo del ,tedesco1  
and ,jacopo ,indaco1 are little known2  
except that the last is recorded as     
having assisted with ,pinturicchio1 at  
,rome1 and was the brother of           
,francesco1 better known as a painter at
 ,montepulciano than in ,florence4      
,cosimo ,rosselli1 whose noble family   
has produced several other artists1 also
 wrought in the ,sistine ,chapel4 ,few  
of his works remain in public places in 
his own country1 besides the miracle of 

the sacrament in the church of ,s4      
,ambrose1 a fresco picture1 full of     
portraits2 in which we discover variety1
 character1 and truth4 ,vasari praises  
his labours at ,rome1 less than those of
 his fellow artists4 ,being unable to   
rival his competitors in design1 he     
loaded his pictures with brilliant      
colours and gilded ornaments1 which1    
though it was at that time condemned by 
an improving taste1 yet pleased the     
pontiff1 who commended and rewarded him 
beyond all the other artists4 ,perhaps  
his best work there1 is ,christ         
preaching on the mount1 in which the    
landscape is said to be the work of     
,pier di ,cosimo1 a painter likewise    
more remarkable for his colouring than  
his design2 as is evident from a picture
 in the church of the ,innocents1 and   
his ,perseus in the royal gallery4 ,they
 are both1 however1 celebrated in       
history2 the one as the master of del   
,porta1 the other of ,andrea del ,sarto4
  ,no other ,florentine was employed to 

paint in the ,sistine ,chapel2 but      
,piero and ,antonio ,pollaiuoli1 who    
were both statuaries and painters1 came 
there not long afterwards and wrought in
 bronze the tomb of ,sixtus ,,iv4 ,some 
of their paintings may yet be seen in   
the church of ,s4 ,miniato1 without the 
walls of ,florence1 and the altar-piece 
was transferred to the royal museum4 ,we
 may there trace the school of          
,castagno1 the master of ,piero1 in the 
harsh features1 coloured in a strong and
 juicy manner4 ,antonio1 the scholar of 
,piero1 became one of the best painters 
of that age4 ,in the chapel of the      
,marchesi ,pucci1 at the church of ,st4 
,sebastiano de' ,servi1 there is a      
martyrdom of the saint by him1 which is 
one of the best pictures of the         
fifteenth century ,i have ever seen4    
,the colouring is not in the best style2
 but the composition rises above the age
 in which he lived1 and the drawing of  
the naked figure shews what attention he
 had bestowed on anatomy4 ,he was the   

first ,italian painter who dissected    
bodies in order to learn the true       
situations of the tendons and muscles4  
,both the ,pollaiuoli died at ,rome1    
where their tomb is to be seen in ,s4   
,piero in ,vincoli1 ornamented with a   
picture1 which1 according to some1      
typifies a soul in purgatory1 and the   
efficacy of indulgences to deliver it2  
but whether it is by them1 or of their  
school1 ,i am unable to determine4  ,the
 two following artists were brought to  
the ,sistine ,chapel from the           
,florentine territory1 the painters of  
which ,i shall now consider after those 
of the capital4 ,luca ,signorelli1 the  
kinsman of ,vasari of ,arezzo1 and the  
disciple of ,piero della ,francesca1 was
 a spirited and expressive painter1 and 
one of the first ,tuscan artists who    
designed figures with a true knowledge  
of anatomy1 though somewhat dryly4 ,the 
cathedral of ,orvieto evinces this2 and 
those naked figures which even          
,michelangiolo has not disdained to     

imitate4 ,although in most of his works 
we do not discover a proper choice of   
form1 nor a sufficient harmony of       
colouring in some of them1 especially in
 the communion of the ,apostles1 painted
 for the ,jesuits in his native city1   
there is beauty1 grace1 and tints       
approaching to modern excellence4 ,he   
painted in ,urbino1 at ,volterra1       
,florence1 and many other cities4 ,in   
the ,sistine ,chapel he painted the     
,journey of ,moses with ,sefora1 and the
 ,promulgation of the ,old ,law1        
paintings full of incident1 and superior
 in composition to the confused style of
 that age4 ,vasari and ,taia have       
assigned him the first place in this    
great assemblage of artists2 to me he   
seems at least to have equalled the best
 of them1 and to have improved on his   
usual style4 ,he had two countrymen of  
noble families for pupils2 ,tommaso     
,bernabei1 who followed him closely1 and
 has left some works in ,s4 ,m4 del     
,calcinaio1 and ,turpino ,zaccagna1     

whose style was different1 as appears   
from a picture painted for the ,church  
of ,s4 ,agatha in ,cantalena near       
,cortona1 in #aecg4  ,don ,bartolommeo  
della ,gatta executed none of his own   
designs in the ,sistine ,chapel2 he lent
 assistance to ,signorelli and to       
,perugino4 ,he had been educated in the 
monastery of the ,angeli1 at ,florence1 
rather as a painter of miniatures than  
of history4 ,on being appointed ,abbot  
of ,s4 ,clement1 in ,arezzo1 he         
exercised both2 and was also skilled in 
music and in architecture4 ,there is of 
his works only a ,s4 ,jerome1 executed  
in the chapel of the cathedral1 as we   
find from a ,,ms4 guide to the city1 and
 which was transferred into the sacristy
 in #agid4 ,the abbot instructed        
,domenico ,pecori and ,matteo ,lappoli1 
two gentlemen of ,arezzo1 who improved  
themselves in the art on other models1  
especially the first1 as is evident from
 a picture in the parish church1 in     
which the ,virgin receives under her    

mantle the people of ,arezzo1 who are   
recommended to her protection by their  
patron saints4 ,in it are heads in the  
style of ,francia1 good architecture1   
judicious composition1 and a moderate   
use of gold4  ,two miniature painters1  
according to ,vasari1 learned much from 
the precepts1 or rather from the example
 of the abbot4 ,these were ,girolamo1   
also named by ,ridolfi1 as a pupil of   
the ,paduan school1 at the same time    
with ,lancilao2 and ,vante1 or as he    
subscribed himself1 ,attavante          
,fiorentino4 ,two of his letters are    
inserted in the third volume of the     
,lettere ,pittoriche2 and it may be     
collected from ,vasari and              
,tiraboschi1#hb that ,vante ornamented  
with miniatures many books for          
,matthias1 king of ,hungary1 which      
afterwards remained in the ,medicean and
 ,estensean libraries4 ,the learned     
,sig4 ,ab4 ,morelli1 who has the        
direction of the library of ,s4 ,mark at
 ,venice1 shewed me one in that place4  

,it is a work of ,marziano ,capella1    
where the subject is poetically         
expressed by the painter4 ,the assembly 
of the ,gods1 the emblems of the arts   
and sciences1 the grotesque ornaments   
here and there set off with little      
portraits1 discover in ,vante a genius  
that admirably seconded the ideas of the
 author4 ,the design resembles the best 
works of ,botticelli2 the colouring is  
gay1 lively1 and brilliant2 the         
excellence of the work ought to confer  
on the artist greater celebrity than he 
enjoys4 ,in the life of ,d4             
,bartolommeo1 ,vasari1 or his printers1 
have confounded ,attavante with         
,gherardo1 the miniature painter1 who at
 the same time was a worker in mosaic1  
an engraver in the style of ,albert     
,durer1 and a painter2 of him there are 
some remains in each of these arts2 but 
they were certainly different           
individuals1 as is demonstrated by ,sig4
 ,piacenza4  ,having a little before    
named ,pietro ,perugino1 who long taught

 in ,tuscany1 we may here mention the   
pupils who retained his manner4 ,these  
were ,rocco ,zoppo1 whose ,madonnas     
remain in many private houses in        
,florence1 ,i believe1 to this day1 and 
are in the manner of ,pietro2 ,baccio   
,ubertini1 a great colourist1 and on    
that account willingly adopted as an    
assistant of his master2 ,francesco1 the
 brother of ,baccio1 surnamed           
,bacchiacca1 known at ,s4 ,lorenzo by   
the martyrdom of ,s4 ,arcadius1 executed
 in small figures1 in which1 as well as 
in the grotesque1 he was very eminent1  
and nearly approached the modern style4 
,to these artists who lived in          
,florence1 their native country1 we may 
add ,niccolo ,soggi1 likewise a         
,florentine1 but who1 to shun the       
concourse of more able painters1 fixed  
his residence in ,arezzo1 where he had  
sufficient employment4 ,his accuracy1   
his studious habits1 and his high       
finish1 may be there contemplated in the
 ,christ in the ,manger1 in the church  

of ,madonna delle ,lagrime1 and in many 
other places in the city and its        
environs4 ,it would have been fortunate 
had he possessed more genius1 but this  
gift of nature1 which1 to use the words 
of a poet1#hc confers immortality on    
books1 and ,i would add pictures1 was   
not granted to ,soggi4 ,vasari has given
 this character of a diligent1 but      
meagre1 and frigid painter1 also to     
,gerino da ,pistoia1 in which place one 
of his pictures1 now in the royal       
gallery1 was painted for the monks of   
,s4 ,pier ,maggiore2 several others are 
in the city of ,s4 ,sepulcro1 and some  
even in ,rome1 where he assisted        
,pinturicchio4 ,with the two preceding1 
,i class ,montevarchi1 a painter so     
named from his own country1 beyond which
 he is almost unknown4 ,among these     
artists1 though they were scholars of   
,pietro1 we find imitators of the       
,florentines of the fourteenth century4 
,i omit the name of ,bastiano da ,s4    
,gallo1 who continued with him only a   

short time1 and left him on account of  
the aversion he had conceived to the    
dryness of his style4 ,in the           
,florentine history1 by ,varchi 7book   
#aj71 we find mention of a ,vittorio di 
,buonaccorso ,ghiberti1 who on occasion 
of the siege of ,florence by the family 
of the ,medici1 in #aebi1 painted the   
figure of the ,pontiff1 ,clement ,,vii4 
on the facade of the principal chamber  
of the ,medici1 in the last act of      
hanging from the gallows4 ,but neither  
of this1 nor of any other production    
from so infamous a hand1 do there remain
 any traces in ,florence1 at least that 
,i have been able to discover1 from     
which to judge either of the manner or  
the master of ,vittorio4  ,i close the  
catalogue of old ,tuscan painters with  
an illustrious native of ,lucca1 named  
the elder ,zacchia1 who was educated at 
,florence1 though not invariably        
adhering to the taste of that ancient   
school1 either in design1 which was his 
chief excellence1 or in an outline      

somewhat harsh and cutting1 which was   
his greatest defect4 ,he obtained the   
name of the elder1 to distinguish him   
from another ,zacchia1 who1 on the other
 hand1 shewed more softness of contour1 
and more strength of colouring1 but in  
design1 and in every other respect1 was 
held in less estimation4 ,i know only of
 one picture by the latter artist1 which
 is in the chapel of the ,magistrates2  
but several altar-pieces by the former1 
are to be seen in the churches of       
,lucca1 and among them an ,assumption in
 that of ,s4 ,augustine2 a picture      
displaying much study and elegance1 and 
among his last works1 as ,i am led to   
believe by its bearing the date #aebg4  
,one of his ,madonnas1 surrounded by    
saints1 formerly in the parish church of
 ,s4 ,stefano1 is now in the house of   
,sig4 ,march4 ,jacopo ,sardini1 which is
 enriched by other paintings1 by a      
valuable collection of drawings1 and    
still more by the presence of its       
learned possessor1 to whom ,i am        

indebted for many notices interspersed  
throughout this work4  ,such was the    
state of the art in ,tuscany1 about the 
beginning of the sixteenth century4     
,much was then attained1 because nature 
began to be imitated1 especially in the 
heads1 to which the artists imparted a  
vivacity1 that even at this day is      
surprising4 ,on viewing the figures and 
portraits of those times1 they actually 
appear to look at1 and to desire to     
enter into conversation with the        
beholder4 ,it still remained1 however1  
to give ideal beauty to the figure1     
fulness to design1 and harmony to       
colouring1 a true method to aerial      
perspective1 variety to composition1 and
 freedom to the pencil1 which on the    
whole was still timid4 ,every           
circumstance conspired to this          
melioration of the art in ,florence as  
well as in other places4 ,the taste for 
magnificent edifices had revived        
throughout ,italy4 ,many of the finest  
churches1 many public edifices1 and     

ducal palaces1 which still remain at    
,milan1 ,mantua1 and ,venice1 in        
,urbino1 ,rimini1 ,pesaro1 and ,ferrara1
 were executed about this period2 not to
 mention those buildings in ,florence   
and in ,rome1 where magnificence        
contended with elegance4 ,it became     
necessary to ornament them1 and this    
produced that noble emulation among     
artists1 that grand fermentation of     
ideas1 which invariably advances the    
progress of art4 ,the study of poetry1  
so analogous to that of painting1 had   
increased to a degree which conferred on
 the whole age the epithet of ,golden2 a
 name which it certainly did not merit  
on the score of more severe studies4    
,the design of the artists of that      
period1 though something dry1 was yet   
pure and correct1 and afforded the best 
instruction to the succeeding age4 ,it  
is very justly observed1 that scholars  
can more easily give a certain fulness  
to the meagre outline of their models1  
than curtail the superfluity of a heavy 

contour4 ,on this account1 some         
professors of the art are inclined to   
believe1 that it would be much more     
advantageous to habituate students in   
the beginning1 to the precision         
characteristic of the fifteenth century1
 than to the exuberance introduced in   
after-times4 ,such circumstances        
produced the happiest era that          
distinguishes the annals of painting4   
,the schools of ,italy1 owing to mutual 
imitation1 before that period strongly  
resembled each other2 but having then   
attained maturity1 each began to display
 a marked and peculiar character4  ,that
 of the ,florentine school ,i shall     
describe in the next ,epoch2 but ,i     
first propose to treat of several other 
arts analogous to that of painting1 and 
in particular of engraving upon copper1 
the discovery of which is ascribed to   
,florence4 ,to this the art is indebted 
for an accession of new aids2 the work  
of an artist1 before confined to a      
single spot1 was diffused through the   

world1 and gratified the eyes of        
thousands4   ,footnote #fa3 ,the number 
of artists of whom1 by consulting old   
authors1 ,i can collect nothing more    
than the time they lived1 their name and
 occupation1 and their death1 7,i speak 
of those who lived about the year       
#acjj17 amounts in the city of ,florence
 alone to nearly a hundred1 without     
including those who have been discovered
 and noticed by some of our             
antiquarians2 and exclusive of those we 
find mentioned in the old book of the   
,society of ,painters4 7,see ,baldinucci
 in ,notizie del ,gioggi47 ,the         
,florentine painters of this age1 whose 
names have been produced by the ,canon  
,moreni from the records of the         
diplomatic archive1 may be seen in part 
the fourth of his ,notizie ,istoriche1  
p4 #ajb4 ,others have been collected and
 communicated to me by the ,abbate      
,vincenzo ,follini1 ,librarian to the   
,magliabecchi collection1 extracted from
 various ,,mss4 of the same1 besides    

those from the ,novelle ,litterarie of  
,florence1 from the ,delizie de'        
,letter4 of the ,p4 ,ildefonso1 ,c4 ,s4 
and from the ,viaggi of ,targioni2 works
 which will always be found to supply   
the brevity of the present history4     
,footnote #fb3 ,vasari4  ,footnote #fc3 
,they are believed to be anterior to the
 year #acjj by the historian of the art 
of ,painting at ,friuli2 but to this ,i 
cannot agree4 ,the pictures bear a very 
great resemblance to the designs of     
,orcagna2 or rather to the poetry of    
,dante1 who1 in the year above          
mentioned1 feigns to have had his       
vision1 and described it in the years   
immediately succeeding4 ,in confirmation
 of this opinion1 it must be remarked   
that the style is ,florentine1 and      
induces us to suppose that a painter of 
that school must have been there4 ,see  
,lettera postuma del ,p4 ,cortinovis    
sopra le ,antichita di ,sesto1 published
 in the ,giornale ,veneto1 7or ,memorie 
per servire all' ,istoria ,letter4 e    

,civile7 ,semestre ii4 p4 #a4 of the    
year #ahjj4 ,it was reprinted at ,udine 
in #ahja1 in octavo1 with some excellent
 notes by the ,cav4 ,antonio ,bartolini1
 who has distinguished himself by other 
productions connected with bibliography 
and the fine arts4  ,footnote #fd3 ,vide
 ,giuseppe ,maria ,mecatti1 who has     
given an exact description of it4       
,footnote #fe3 ,vasari is by no means so
 bitter against the ,venetian school as 
it is wished to make him appear4 ,in    
regard to these pictures he declares1   
that they are universally admitted1 with
 justice1 to be the best which were     
produced among many excellent masters1  
at different times1 in that place4 ,they
 are1 therefore1 preferred by him to the
 whole of the ,florentine and ,siennese 
paintings there exhibited2 and his      
opinion is authorized by that of ,p4    
della ,valle1 who frequently differs    
from him4 ,if it could be proved from   
history1 as it may be reasonably        
conjectured1 that ,antonio was a painter

 when he came from ,venice1 and did not 
commence his art at ,florence1 he would 
merit the reputation of being the       
greatest artist of that school known to 
us2 as well as of having conferred some 
benefit upon that of ,florence1 from the
 ,venetian school4 ,but this point is   
very doubtful4  ,footnote #ff3 ,we      
cannot reconcile it to dates that ,paolo
 ,uccello was one of his scholars1      
having been born after the death of     
,antonio1 if1 indeed1 there be not some 
error in regard to the chronology either
 of the master or of his pupil4         
,starnina might have been his pupil1 as 
he is said to have been born in #aced2  
and1 therefore1 in #acgj1 he might      
possibly be one of his school4 ,yet it  
appears that ,antonio had then renounced
 the easel4 ,in his epitaph we find     
written3    ,annis qui fueram pictor    
,,juvenilibus1 artis   ,me ,medicae     
reliquo tempore coepit amor1 c4  7,see  
,vasari ed4 ,senese1 tom4 ii4 p4 #big47 
,footnote #fg3 ,the old painters varied 

the manner of their superscriptions1    
even in the following ages1 according to
 the taste of the ,greeks4 ,sebastianus 
,venetus pingebat a4 #aebj2 is written  
upon a ,st4 ,agatha in the ,palazzo     
,pitti2 and this corresponds to the     
,,epoiei1 faciebat2 by which the ,greek 
sculptors wished to convey1 that such   
work was not intended to exhibit their  
last effort2 so that they were at       
liberty to improve it when they pleased4
 ,the subscription of ,opus ,belli is   
obvious1 and similar ones1 drawn from   
the ,,ergon1 7for example17 ,,lusippou  
which we see in ,maffei4 ,i recount in  
my fifth book as singular1 the epigraph 
,sumus ,rogerii manus2 it is1 however1  
derived from the ,greeks1 who1 for      
instance1 sometimes wrote ,,cheir4      
,,ambrosiou4 ,,monachou1 as ,i read in a
 ,fabrianese church called ,della       
,carita1 where there is a picture of the
 ,general ,judgment2 the figures very   
small1 and highly finished1 upon a large
 tablet2 with1 ,i think1 more figures   

than are seen in the ,paradise of       
,tintoretto4 ,,cheir ,,bitore1 was      
written by ,vittor ,carpaccio1 under his
 portrait cited in the index4 ,i omit   
other forms better known4 ,that adopted 
at ,trevigi1 ,hieronymus ,tarvisio1 is  
very erudite2 and it is imitated from   
the military latercoli1 in which1 with  
the same view1 the soldier and his      
country are named4 ,in short1 where the 
words fecit or pinxit are not used1 the 
best plan was that of giving the proper 
name in the genitive case at the foot of
 the picture1 as the engravers of ,greek
 gems were wont to do in inscriptions1  
as ,,aulou ,,dioskoridou1 c4  ,footnote 
#fh3 ,pascoli1 tom4 i4 p4 #aii4         
,footnote #fi3 ,vasari4  ,footnote #gj3 
,verona ,illustrata1 tom4 iii4 p4 #bgg4 
,footnote #ga3 ,gloria is a name given  
in ,italy to a representation of the    
celestial regions4  ,footnote #gb3      
,vasari4  ,footnote #gc3 ,in the        
dictionary of ,guarienti1 in the        
article1 ,gio4 ,abeyk1 appears an       

account of a picture of this artist1    
existing in the gallery at ,dresden1    
bearing date #adaf2 a time1 says the    
writer1 when he enjoyed his highest     
reputation1 by painting in his second   
manner1 in oil4 ,it represents the      
,virgin in a majestic seat with the     
divine infant1 who is seen very         
gracefully receiving an apple from ,st4 
,anne1 seated on a couch of straw4 ,the 
young ,st4 ,john is seen assisting1 and 
also ,st4 ,joseph1 whose countenance    
represents the portrait of the painter  
himself4 ,the introduction of arms shews
 that the picture must have been        
executed for some distinguished person4 
,it is in high preservation1 and is     
pronounced by ,guarienti the miracle of 
painting1 from its display of extreme   
diligence1 even in the minute furniture1
 and particularly because the chamber in
 which the scene is represented1 the    
couch1 the window1 the pavement1        
executed a punto alto1 together with the
 whole action1 are conducted with the   

most exact rules of perspective4        
,footnote #gd3 ,in #aded he was in great
 credit at ,perugia4 7,see ,mariotti1   
,lett4 ,perug4 p4 #acc47  ,footnote #ge3
 ,lib4 i4 c4 #ah4 ,accipe semen lini1 et
 exsicca illud in sartagine super ignem 
sine aqua1 c4 ,brustolato says1 it      
should be pounded1 and again subjected  
to the fire in water1 then put into a   
press between cloths1 and the oil       
extracted4 ,he continues3 ,cum hoc oleo 
tere minium sive cenobrium super lapidem
 sine aqua1 et cum pincello linies super
 ostia vel tabulas quas rubricare       
volueris1 et ad solem siccabis1 deinde  
iterum linies et siccabis4 ,and in chap4
 #bb1 he says1--,accipe colores quos    
imponere volueris1 terens eos           
diligenter1 oleo lini sine aqua2 et fac 
mixturas vultuum ac vestimentorum sicut 
superius aqua feceras1 et bestias1 sive 
aves1 aut folia1 variabis suis coloribus
 prout libuerit4  ,footnote #gf3        
,gottingen1 #agib4 ,see ,esprit des     
,journaux1 ,ottobre1 #agib4  ,footnote  

#gg3 ,raspe 7,lib4 ,cit474 ,della ,valle
 7,ann4 al ,vasari1 tom4 iii4 p4 #cac74 
,tiraboschi 7,st4 ,lett4 tom4 vi4 p4    
#djg74 ,vernazza 7,giorn4 ,pisano1 tom4 
xciv4 p4 #bbj71 cited by ,morelli       
7,notizia1 p4 #aad74 ,more recently is  
added the authority of ,p4 ,federici    
,domenicano4 ,it is absurd to suppose   
that ,tommaso da ,modena1 or1 according 
to him1 da ,trevigi1 carried the        
discovery from this city into ,germany1 
from whence it was subsequently         
communicated to ,flanders4  ,footnote   
#gh3 ,pisa ,illustrata1 p4 #afj1 et seq4
  ,footnote #gi3 ,see ,opuscoli del     
,calogera1 tom4 xlv4  ,footnote #hj3    
,this person invented and fabricated an 
ornament called ghirlanda or garland1   
worn on the heads of the ,florentine    
children4  ,footnote #ha3 ,mengs1 tom4  
ii4 p4 #aji4  ,footnote #hb3 ,tom4 vi4  
p4 #abjd4  ,footnote #hc3 ,victurus     
genium debet habere liber4 ,martial4    
,,florentine ,,school4     ,,epoch ,i4  
,origin and progress of ,engraving on   

,copper and ,wood4    ,,section ,,iii4  
,the subject of which ,i propose here to
 treat1 ought to be more carefully      
examined than any other portion of this 
work4 ,the age in which ,i write is1 we 
know1 by many called the age of brass1  
inasmuch as it has been less productive 
of great names and great pictoric works1
 than the preceding2 yet ,i believe we  
might better denominate it such from the
 number of engravings1 which have       
recently been carried to a high degree  
of excellence4 ,the number of their     
connoisseurs has increased beyond       
calculation2 new collections every where
 appear1 and the prices have            
proportionably advanced1 while treatises
 upon the art are rapidly multiplied4   
,it has become a part of liberal        
knowledge to discern the name and hand  
of a master1 as well as to specify the  
most beautiful works of each engraver4  
,thus1 during the decline of painting1  
the art of engraving on copper has risen
 in estimation2 modern artists in some  

points equal or surpass the more        
ancient2 their reputation1 their        
remuneration1 and the quick process of  
their labours1 attract the regard of    
many men of genius born to adorn the    
arts1 who to the loss of painting1      
devote their attention to the graver4   
,the origin of this art is to be sought 
for in that of cutting on wood1 just as 
in printing1 the use of wooden types led
 to the adoption of metal4 ,the period  
of the first invention of wood engraving
 is unknown2 the ,french and the        
,germans tracing it to that of          
playing-cards1 which the former affirm  
were first used in ,france in the time  
of ,charles ,v42 while the latter       
maintain they were in use much earlier  
in ,germany1 or before the year #acjj4hd
 ,both these opinions were first        
attacked by ,papillon1 in his ,treatise 
upon cutting in ,wood1 where he claims  
the merit of the discovery for ,italy1  
and finds the most ancient traces of the
 art about the year #abhe1 at ,ravenna4 

,his account of it is republished in the
 preface to the fifth volume of ,vasari1
 printed at ,siena2 but it is mixed up  
with so many assertions1 to which it is 
difficult to give credit1 that ,i must  
decline considering it at all4 ,the     
,cav4 ,tiraboschi is a far more         
plausible and judicious advocate in     
favour of ,italy4#he ,on the subject of 
cards1 he brings forward a ,,ms4 by     
,sandro di ,pippozzo di ,sandro1        
entitled ,trattato del ,governo della   
,famiglia4 ,it was written in #abii1 and
 has been cited by the authors of the   
,della ,cruscan dictionary1 who quote1  
among other passages1 the following     
words3 if you will play for money1 or   
thus1 or at cards1 you shall provide    
them1 c4 ,we may hence infer1 that      
playing-cards were known with us earlier
 than elsewhere1 so that if the         
invention of stamping upon wood was     
derived from them1 we have a just title 
to the discovery4 ,in all probability1  
however1 it does not date its origin so 

early2 the oldest playing-cards were    
doubtless the work of the pen1 and      
coloured by the old illuminators1 first 
practised in ,france1 and not wholly    
extinct in ,italy at the time of        
,filippo ,maria ,visconti1 duke of      
,milan4#hf  ,the first indication we    
meet with of printed play-cards1 is in a
 public decree issued at ,venice in     
#adda2 where it says that the art and   
trade of cards and printed figures1 that
 is carried on at ,venice1 was on the   
decline1 owing to the great increase of 
playing-cards with coloured figures     
stamped1 which were introduced from     
abroad2 and that such importation should
 be prohibited for the future4 ,sig4    
,zanetti1 to whom we are indebted for   
this information1#hg is of opinion1 that
 they were in use long before #adda2    
because the art is seen to have first   
flourished there1 afterwards to have    
fallen into disuse1 and again revived1  
owing to the protection afforded it by  
the ,state4 ,these vicissitudes1 that   

suppose the lapse of many years1 will   
carry us back at least to the           
commencement of the fifteenth century4  
,to this period1 it appears1 we ought to
 refer those ancient specimens of       
play-cards1 which were collected for the
 cabinet of ,count ,giacomo ,durazzo1   
formerly imperial ambassador at ,venice1
 and are now to be seen in that of the  
,marquis ,girolamo1 his nephew4 ,they   
are of larger dimensions than those now 
in use1 and are of a very strong        
texture1 not unlike that of the paper   
made of cotton1 found in the ancient    
manuscripts4 ,the figures are exhibited 
on a gold ground in the manner before   
described2#hh there are three kings1 two
 queens1 and two knaves1 one on         
horseback2 and each has a club1 or      
sword1 or money4 ,i could perceive no   
trace of suits1 either because they had 
not then come into use1 or more probably
 because so limited a number of cards   
can convey no complete idea of the whole
 game4 ,the design approaches very      

nearly to that of ,jacobello del ,fiore2
 to the best judges the workmanship     
appears the effect of printing1 the     
colours being given by perforations in  
the die4 ,i know of no other more       
ancient specimen of its kind4  ,in the  
meanwhile printing of books being       
introduced into ,italy1 it was quickly  
followed by the practice of ornamenting 
them with figures in wood4 ,the ,germans
 had afforded examples of cutting sacred
 images in this material1#hi and the    
same was done in regard to some of the  
initial letters during the early        
progress of typography1 a discovery     
which was extended at ,rome1 in a book  
published in #adfg1 and at ,verona in   
another1 with the date of #adgb4 ,the   
former contains the ,meditations of     
,card4 ,turrecremata1 with figures also 
cut in wood1 and afterwards coloured3   
the latter bears the title of ,roberti  
,valturii opus de re militari1 and it is
 adorned with a number of figures1 or   
drawings of machines1 fortifications1   

and assaults2 a very rare work1 in the  
possession of ,count ,giuseppe          
,remondini1 along with many other       
specimens of the earliest period1       
collected for his private library1 where
 ,i saw it4 ,it is worth remarking1 that
 the book of ,turrecremata was printed  
by ,ulderico ,han1 that of ,valturio by 
,gio4 da ,verona1 and that in this last 
the wood-cuts are ascribed to ,matteo   
,pasti1 the friend of ,valturio1 and a  
good painter for those times4#ij ,after 
this first progress the art of wood     
engraving continued gradually to        
advance1 and was cultivated by many     
distinguished men1 such as ,albert      
,durer in ,germany2 in ,italy by        
,mecherino di ,siena1 by ,domenico delle
 ,greche1 by ,domenico ,campagnola1 and 
by others down to ,ugo da ,carpi1 who   
marks a new epoch in this art1 by an    
invention1 of which we shall speak in   
the school of ,modena4  ,if it be the   
progress of the human mind to advance   
from the more easy to more difficult    

discoveries1 we may venture to suppose  
that the art of engraving on wood led to
 that of engraving on copper2 and so1 to
 a certain extent1 it probably did4     
,vasari1 however1 who wrote the history 
of ,tuscan professors1 rather than of   
painting itself1 refers its origin to   
works in niello1 or inlaid modelling    
work1 a very ancient art1 much in use1  
more especially at ,florence1 during the
 fifteenth century2 though it was quite 
neglected in the following1 in spite of 
the efforts of ,cellini to support it4  
,it was applied to household furniture1 
silver ornaments1 and sacred vessels1   
such as holy cups and vases1 to missals 
and other devotional books1 and to      
reliquaries2 as well as to profane      
purposes1 as adorning the hilts of      
swords1 table utensils1 and many kinds  
of female ornaments4 ,in some kinds of  
ebony desks and escrutoires it was held 
in great request1 for its little silver 
statues1 and modelled plates1           
representing figures1 histories1 and    

flowers4 ,in the cathedral of ,pistoia  
there still remains a large silver      
palliotto1 adorned in places with       
plates1 on which are figured images in  
niello1 and little scripture histories4 
,the method was to cut with the chisel  
upon the silver whatever history1       
portrait1 or flowers1 was required1#ia  
and afterwards to fill up the hollow    
part of the engraving with a mixture of 
silver and lead1 which1 from its dark   
colour1 was called1 by the ancients1    
nigellum1 which our countrymen curtailed
 into niello2 a substance which1 being  
incorporated with the silver1 produced  
the effect of shadow1 contrasted with   
its clearness1 and gave to the entire   
work the appearance of a chiaroscuro in 
silver4 ,there were many excellent      
niellatori1 or inlayers1 who cast models
 with this substance1 such as ,forzore1 
brother to ,parri ,spinelli of ,arezzo1 
,caradosso and ,arcioni of ,milan2#ib   
and three ,florentines1 who rivalled    
each other at ,s4 ,giovanni1 ,matteo    

,dei1 ,antonio del ,pollaiuolo1 and     
,maso ,finiguerra2 specimens of whose   
paci1 cut with wonderful accuracy1      
acquired for them the highest           
reputation4  ,we are to attribute to    
,maso1 says ,vasari1 the beginning of   
engraving upon copper1 an art1 which for
 the sake of greater perspicuity1 ,i    
shall distinguish into three different  
states2 the first of which will be found
 as follows4 ,finiguerra was in the     
habit of never filling the little       
hollows or cuts prepared in the silver  
plate until he had first made proof of  
his work4 ,for this purpose1 as in      
taking a cast1 he impressed them with   
earth1 upon the top of which having     
thrown a quantity of liquid sulphur1    
they became imprinted1 and filled with  
smoke2 which1 with the aid of oil1 gave 
him the effect of the work in silver4   
,he also produced the same with         
moistened paper1 and with the same tint 
or ink1 pressing it sufficiently hard   
with a round roller1 with a smooth      

surface throughout4 ,this gave them not 
only the effect of being printed1 but   
that of having been designed with       
ink4#ic ,so far we quote ,vasari in the 
preface to his ,life of ,marc ,antonio4 
,he adds1 that in this plan ,finiguerra 
was followed by ,baldini1 a ,florentine 
goldsmith2 next to whom he mentions     
,botticelli2 and he might have added the
 name of ,pollaiuolo4 ,finally1 he      
concludes that the invention was        
communicated from ,florence to ,mantegna
 at ,rome1 and to ,martino1 called ,de  
,clef1 in ,flanders4  ,these proofs1 the
 first of their kind1 made by           
,finiguerra1 have1 for the most part1   
perished4 ,some1 which are attributed to
 him1 in possession of the fathers of   
,camaldoli1 are not ascertained to be   
his4#id ,we are assured1 however1 that  
the sulphur of the pace#ie cut for ,s4  
,giovanni in #adeb1 upon which he       
represented the ,assumption of our      
,lady1 in a variety of minute figures1  
is from his hand4 ,it was formerly in   

the museum of the ,proposto ,gori1 who  
gave a description of it in his ,dittici
 7a treatise upon a peculiar kind of    
altar-pieces1 tom4 iii4 p4 #cae71 and it
 is now in the ,durazzo cabinet1 with a 
memorandum in ,gori's own hand1 in which
 he declares that he had compared it    
with the original4#if ,of the proofs    
made on paper none are ascertained to   
exist1 with the exception of that of the
 ,assumption recognized by the ,ab4     
,zani1 in the national collection at    
,paris4 ,it was made known by him in the
 year #ahjc2 and to this ,i may add the 
,epiphany1 in an inferior style1 but    
more exactly finished1 which ,i found in
 the possession of the ,senator         
,martelli1 besides a duplicate belonging
 to ,s4 ,e4 ,seratti4 ,it appears from  
its style1 the work of ,finiguerra1 and 
to have been executed before the        
,assumption4 ,it is doubtful whether    
specimens exist in the ducal gallery1 a 
question which ,i leave to the solution 
of abler pens than mine4 ,we have in the

 ,durazzo collection1 the proofs or     
models of many silversmiths1 whose names
 are unknown2 and for many more we are  
indebted to ,sig4 ,antonio ,armanno1 an 
excellent connoisseur in prints1 to whom
 ,i shall have occasion to recur more   
than once4 ,following the ideas thrown  
out by ,vasari in the passage cited1 he 
concluded that these impressions might  
happen to have been confounded with pen 
designs1 owing to the resemblance       
between them2 he therefore sought for   
them in collections of designs1 and1    
having recognized them1 purchased them  
for ,count ,giacomo1 his patron4  ,many 
of these were met with in the ancient   
,gadi gallery at ,florence2 the work of 
artificers much inferior to ,finiguerra1
 at least if we except two specimens not
 unworthy even of his hand4 ,to these a 
number of others were afterwards added  
from different schools of ,italy4       
,sometimes we may gather their origin   
from the design2 sometimes with more    
certainty from inscriptions1 and other  

unequivocal signs of the period4 ,for   
instance1 we read the following words in
 a ,presepio1#ig engraved in reversed   
characters3 ,dominus ,philippus         
,stancharius fieri fecit2 where the     
family which is named1 along with other 
circumstances1 shew it to have been     
executed at ,bologna4 ,one small print  
represents a woman turning towards a    
cat2 and on it is written1 also in      
reverse1 ,va in la ,caneva2 in another  
we read ,mantengave ,dio2 both which are
 either ,lombard or ,venetian1 if we may
 judge from the dialect4 ,from all this 
we have a right to conclude that        
,vasari's words1 which ascribe to       
,finiguerra the practice of proving his 
works before he inserted the niello1 are
 not to be limited to him only1 or to   
his school4 ,on the contrary1 it appears
 that ,caradosso1 as well as all the    
best ,italian artificers1 considered it 
as no small portion of their art1 and   
that they only attained correctness in  
the process of inlaying and modelling by

 dint of such proofs1 and not by mere   
chance4 ,nor does ,vasari's silence     
militate against this4 ,he repeatedly   
complains1 in different parts of his    
work1 that he could not obtain          
sufficiently full and satisfactory      
information regarding the ,venetian and 
,lombard schools2 and if he confesses   
his ignorance of so many things         
pertaining to their schools of painting1
 it is not surprising that he should    
know less of their engraving4  ,the     
proofs1 therefore1 of the niellatori on 
paper are to be found in all parts of   
,italy1 and they may be particularly    
known from the position of the letters1 
which being written on the original     
models in the ordinary way1 appear in   
the impression like the eastern         
characters1 from right to left2 and in  
like manner the other part of the       
impression is seen in reverse2 as for   
instance1 a saint is seen standing on   
the left hand1 who1 from his dignity1   
ought to have occupied the right1 and   

the actors all write1 play music1 and do
 every thing with the left hand4 ,there 
are other signs which serve to          
distinguish them2 because1 having been  
pressed by hand1 or with a roller1 they 
leave no mark or furrows in the         
outlines2 nor are we to look for that   
delicacy and precision in the lines that
 appear in impressions from under the   
press4 ,they are moreover characterized 
by their colour1 which merely consisted 
of lamp black and of oil1 or of some    
other very slight tint2 though both this
 and the preceding are dubious signs1 as
 we shall shew4 ,it is conjectured that 
proofs of a similar#ih nature were made 
by silver carvers1 in regard to their   
graphic labours1 and to others in which 
the niello was not employed4 ,at all    
events they preserved them in their     
studies1 and in those of their pupils1  
to whom they afforded a model2 and in   
this way several have been handed down  
to our own times4  ,from these early    
efforts1 the art gradually advanced1 as 

it appears to me1 until it attained what
 ,i call the second state of the        
impression4 ,when the pleasing effect of
 these proofs was seen1 the idea was    
struck out1 of forming works in the same
 delicate and finished taste1 and for   
this purpose to make use of the same    
means as had been until then adopted for
 impressions in wood4 ,we might thus    
observe1 that in the workshop of the    
goldsmith was prepared the art of       
chalcography1 and the first labours were
 executed upon silver1 upon tin1 or1 as 
,heineken observes1 upon some           
composition less hard than copper4 ,we  
may remark1 that such was the practice  
of the ,italians1 before they cut their 
subjects in copper2 but whatever        
material the first goldsmiths might     
adopt1 it was not difficult for them to 
substitute for the shadow they produced 
by the niello1 the shadow of the cut    
itself1 and to execute the subject on   
the reverse1 in order to receive the    
impression right4 ,from that time1 they 

proceeded gradually to refine the art4  
,both the roller and the press which    
they had then in use were very          
imperfect1 and1 to improve the          
impression1 they first enclosed the     
plate in a frame of wood1 with four     
small nails to prevent its slipping2    
upon this they placed the paper1 and    
over it a small moist linen cloth1 which
 was then pressed down with force4      
,hence1 in the first old impressions1 we
 may plainly trace on the reverse the   
marks of the linen1 for which felt was  
next substituted1 which leaves no trace 
behind it4#ii ,they next made trial of  
various tints2 and gave the preference  
to a light azure or blue1 with which the
 chief part of the old prints are       
coloured4#ajj ,the same method was      
adopted in forming the fifty cards1     
which are commonly called the game of   
,mantegna4 ,i saw them1 for the first   
time1 in possession of his excellency   
the ,marchese ,manfredini1 major-domo to
 the ,duke of ,tuscany1 whose cabinet is

 filled with many of the choicest       
prints4 ,another copy ,i found in       
possession of the ,ab4 ,boni1 and a     
third formerly belonging to the ,duke of
 ,cassano1 was afterwards transferred to
 the very valuable collection made by   
the ,senator ,prior ,seratti4 ,there is 
also a copy of this game on a large     
scale1 with some alterations 7as1 for   
instance1 ,la ,fede bears a large       
instead of a small cross1 as in the     
original71 and is of a much later date4 
,a second copy1 not so very rare1 with a
 number of variations1 is in existence2 
and in this the first card bears the    
,venetian lion as ensign1 with the two  
letters ,c4 and ,e4 united4 ,the card of
 the ,doge is inscribed the ,doxe2 and  
elsewhere we read in the same way1      
,artixan1 ,famejo1 and other words in   
the ,venetian idiom1 which proves that  
the author of so large and fine a work  
must have belonged to the city of       
,venice or to the state4 ,the design    
displays much of ,mantegna1 and of the  

,paduan school2 though the cut is not   
ascertained to be that of ,andrea1 or of
 any other known master of that age4 ,a 
careful but timid hand is discernible1  
betraying traces of a copyist of        
another's designs1 rather than of an    
original invention4 ,time only may      
possibly clear up this doubt4           
,proceeding from cards to books1 we are 
made acquainted with the first attempts 
at ornamenting them with cuts in metal4 
,the most celebrated of these consist of
 the ,monte ,santo di ,dio1 and the     
,commedia of ,dante1 both printed at    
,florence1 and the two editions of      
,ptolemy's ,geography1 at ,rome and     
,bologna2 to which we may add the       
,geography of ,berlinghieri1 printed at 
,florence2 all the three accompanied    
with tables4 ,the authors of these      
engravings are not well known2 except so
 far as we learn from ,vasari1 that     
,botticelli was one who acquired the    
most reputation4 ,he represented the    
,inferno1 and took the impression2 and  

the two histories1 executed by ,gio4 de 
,lamagna in his ,dante1 display all the 
design and composition of ,sandro1 so as
 to leave no doubt of their being       
his4#aja ,other prints are likewise     
found pasted in a few of the copies of  
the same edition1 amounting1 more or    
less1 to the number of nineteen2 and    
their manner is more coarse and         
mean1#ajb as we are informed by the     
,cav4 ,gaburri1 who collected them for  
his cabinet4 ,they must have been       
executed by some inferior hand1 and with
 the knowledge of the printer1 who had  
left blank spaces in parts of the work  
intended to receive the engravings1 not 
yet completed on the publication of the 
work4 ,of a similar cast were other     
anonymous engravers of that period1 nor 
is there any name1 except those of      
,sandro and of ,pollaiuolo1 truly       
distinguished in the art among the      
,florentines4 ,in ,upper ,italy1 besides
 ,mantegna1 ,bartolommeo ,montagna1 his 
pupil1 from ,vicenza1 7to whom some add 

,montagna his brother17 and ,marcello   
,figolino1 their fellow citizen1 were   
both well known4 ,figolino is asserted  
to have been the same artist as one     
,robetta1 or rather one who subscribes  
himself so1 or ,r4 ,b4 ,t4 ,a42 yet he  
ought not to be separated from the      
,florentine school1 to which ,vasari    
refers him1 which the character of his  
design confirms4 ,the names of          
,nicoletto da ,modena1 ,f4 ,gio4 ,maria 
da ,brescia1 a ,carmelite monk1 and of  
his brother ,gio4 ,antonio1 have also   
survived2 as well as ,giulio and        
,domenico ,campagnola of ,padua4 ,there 
are not a few anonymous productions     
which only announce that they were      
executed in the ,venetian or ,lombard   
manner4 ,for such artificers as were in 
the habit of taking impressions from the
 roller1 either wholly omitted names1 or
 only affixed that of the designer1 or  
merely gave their own initials1 which   
are now either doubtful1 or no longer   
understood4 ,for instance1 they would   

write ,m4 ,f41 which ,vasari interprets 
into ,marc-antonio ,francia1 while      
others read ,marcello ,figolino1 and a  
third party1 ,maso ,finiguerra2 this    
last quite erroneously1 as1 after the   
most minute researches1 made by the very
 able ,cavaliere ,gaburri1 throughout   
,florence1 there is no engraving of that
 artist to be found4#ajc ,in the        
,durazzo collection1 after twelve       
plates1 which are supposed to be proofs 
of the silver engravers1 printed in     
reverse1 we find several others of the  
first impressions taken with the roller1
 and appearing to the right2 but not    
unlike the proofs in the mechanical part
 of the impression1 and in regard to the
 uncertainty of their artists4 ,for     
this1 and other information on the      
subject1 ,i am indebted to the kindness 
of the ,ab4 ,boni1 who having enjoyed   
the familiar acquaintance of ,count     
,giacomo1 is now engaged in preparing a 
full account of his fine collection4    
,the last state of engraving on copper  

,i consider to be that in which the     
press and the printing ink being now    
discovered1 the art began to approach   
nearer perfection2 and it was then it   
became first separated from the         
goldsmith's art1 like the full grown    
offspring1 received pupils1 and opened  
its studio apart4 ,it is difficult to   
fix the precise epoch when it attained  
this degree of perfection in ,italy4    
,the same artificers who had employed   
the roller1 were some of them living1 to
 avail themselves of the press1 such as 
,nicoletto da ,modena1 ,gio4 ,antonio da
 ,brescia1 and ,mantegna himself1 of    
whose prints there exist1 as it were1   
two editions2 the one with the roller1  
exhibiting faint tints1 the other in    
good ink1 and from the press4 ,then the 
engravers first becoming jealous lest   
others should appropriate their         
reputation1 affixed their own names more
 frequently to their works2 beginning   
with their initials1 and finally        
attaching the full name4 ,the ,germans  

held out the earliest examples1 which   
our countrymen imitated2 with one who   
surpassed all his predecessors1 the     
celebrated ,marc ,antonio ,raimondi1 or 
del ,francia4 ,he was a native of       
,bologna1 and was instructed in the art 
of working in niello by ,francesco      
,francia1 in which he acquired singular 
skill4 ,proceeding next to engravings   
upon metal1 he began with engraving some
 of the productions of his master4 ,at  
first he imitated ,mantegna1 then       
,albert ,durer1 and subsequently        
perfected himself in design under       
,raffaello d',urbino4 ,this last        
afforded him further assistance2 he even
 permitted his own grinder of colours1  
,baviera1 to manage the press1 in order 
that ,marc ,antonio might devote himself
 wholly to engraving ,raffaello's       
designs1 to which we owe the number we  
meet with in different collections4 ,he 
pursued the same plan with the works of 
antiquity1 as well as those of a few    
moderns1 of ,bonarruoti1 of ,giulio     

,romano1 and of ,bandinelli1 besides    
several others1 of which he was both the
 designer and engraver4 ,sometimes he   
omitted every kind of mark1 and every   
letter2 sometimes he adopted the little 
tablet of ,mantegna1 either with letters
 or without4 ,in some engravings of the 
,passion he counterfeited both the hand 
and the mark of ,albert ,durer3 and not 
unfrequently he gave the initial letters
 of his own and of ,raffaello's name1   
and that of ,michel ,angiolo ,fiorentino
 upon those he engraved after           
,bonarruoti4 ,he was assisted by his two
 pupils1 ,agostin ,veneziano and ,marco 
,ravignano1 who succeeded him in the    
series of engravings from ,raffaello2   
which led ,vasari to observe1 in his    
,life of ,marc ,antonio1 that1 between  
,agostino and ,marco nearly all         
,raffaello's designs and paintings had  
been engraved4 ,these two executed works
 conjointly2 till at length they parted1
 and each affixed to his productions the
 two initial letters of his name and    

country4  ,it was thus the art of       
engraving in the studio of ,raffaello1  
and by means of ,marc ,antonio1 and of  
his school1 rose to a high degree of    
perfection1 not many years after its    
first commencement4 ,since that period  
no artist has appeared capable of       
treating it with more knowledge of      
design1 and with more precision of lines
 and contour2 though in other points it 
has acquired much from the hand of      
,parmigianino1 who engraved in          
aqua-fortis1#ajd from ,agostino         
,caracci1 and from different foreigners 
of the last century1 among whom we may  
notice ,edelink1 ,masson1 ,audran1      
,drevet1 and1 in the present age1       
several1 both ,italians and strangers1  
of whom1 in this place1 we must refrain 
from speaking4  ,i may be permitted1 in 
this place1 to enter into a brief       
investigation of the long contested     
question of engraving upon copper1      
whether its discovery is to be          
attributed to ,germany or to ,italy2 and

 if to ,italy1 whether to ,florence or  
to some other place4 ,much has been     
written upon the subject1 both by       
natives and foreigners1 but1 if ,i      
mistake not1 it has scarcely been       
treated with that accuracy which is     
necessary for the attainment of truth4  
,that it is quite requisite to divide   
this branch of art into three several   
states or stages1 ,i trust ,i have      
already sufficiently shewn4 ,in         
following up this division we shall have
 a better chance of ascertaining what   
portion of merit ought to be awarded to 
each country4 ,vasari1 together with    
,cellini1 in his ,treatise upon the     
,goldsmith's art1 as well as most other 
writers1 are inclined to refer its      
commencement to ,florence1 and to the   
artist ,finiguerra4 ,doubts have since  
arisen2 while so recent an author as    
,bottari1 himself a ,florentine1        
mentions it as a circumstance not yet   
ascertained4 ,the epoch of ,maso was    
altered through mistake1 by ,manni1 who 

speaks of his decease as happening      
previous to #adbd4aje ,this has been    
corrected by reference to the authentic 
books of the ,arte de' ,mercanti1 in    
which the pace already cited is         
mentioned as being paid for in the year 
#adeb4 ,about the same time1 ,antonio   
,pollaiuolo1 still a youth1 as we learn 
from ,vasari1 in his life1 was the rival
 of ,finiguerra in the church of ,s4    
,giovanni2 and as ,maso had at that     
period already acquired great celebrity1
 we may conclude that he was of a mature
 age1 and experienced in the art4 ,we   
have further a right to suppose1 with   
,gaburri and ,tiraboschi1 that having   
then taken proofs of all the subjects   
which he had engraved on silver1 he had 
observed this custom from the year      
#addj1 and perhaps earlier2 and we thus 
discover the elements of chalcography in
 ,florence1 satisfactorily deduced from 
history4#ajf ,for neither with the aid  
of history1 monuments1 nor reasoning1 am
 ,i enabled to discover an epoch equally

 remote belonging to any other country2 
as we shall shew1 in the first place1 in
 regard to ,germany4 ,it possesses no   
annals so far back as that period4 ,the 
credulity of ,sandrart#ajg led him to   
question the truth of this1 by referring
 to a small print of uncertain origin1  
on which he believed he could read the  
date #adaa1 and upon another that of    
#adee4 ,at this period1 however1 when   
the authority of ,sandrart is of small  
account1 no less from his frequent      
contradictions than his partiality1     
which has rendered him suspected even by
 his own countrymen1 we may receive his 
two engravings as false coin1 not       
valuable enough to purchase the credit  
of the discovery from us4 ,those two    
distinguished writers1 ,meerman1#ajh and
 the ,baron ,heineken1#aji were equally 
bent upon refuting him4 ,they do not    
pretend to trace any earlier engraver in
 ,germany than ,martin ,schoen1 called  
by others ,bonmartino1 and by ,vasari1  
,martino di ,anversa1#aaj who died in   

#adhf4 ,some are of opinion that he had 
two brothers1 who assisted him1 but who 
are unknown2 and not long after appear  
the names of ,israel ,meckeln1#aaa ,van 
,bockold1 ,michael ,wolgemuth1 master to
 ,albert ,durer1 with many others who   
approached the sixteenth century4 ,it is
 contended1 however1 that engraving on  
copper was known in ,germany anterior to
 these2 as there exist specimens by     
doubtful hands1 which have the          
appearance of being much earlier4       
,meerman1 on the authority of           
,christ1#aab adduces one with the       
initials ,c4 ,e4 and the date #adfe1    
besides two described by ,bar4          
,heineken1 dated #adff1 the first of    
which is signed f4 #d s1 the second b x 
s1 and both the artists unknown4 ,he    
declares that he had never seen older   
engravings that bore a name1 7p4 #bca17 
and observes that their manner resembles
 that of ,schoen1 only coarser1 which   
leads him to suspect that the authors   
must have been his masters1 7p4 #bbj74  

,but whoever was ,schoen's master1      
,heineken concludes he must have        
flourished more than ten years earlier  
than his time1 so as to bring it back to
 #adej1 when the art of engraving by the
 burin was undoubtedly practised in     
,germany1 7p4 #bbj74 ,and as if this    
appeared too little to be granted1 he   
adds1 about four pages further on1 that 
he was tempted to place the epoch of its
 discovery at least towards the year    
#addj4  ,the cause is well pleaded1 but 
it is not carried4 ,let us try to       
confront reasons with reasons4 ,the     
,italians have the testimony of history 
in their favour2 the ,germans have it   
against them4 ,the former1 without any  
attempt at exaggeration1 proceed as far 
back as #addj1 and even farther2#aac the
 latter1 by dint of conjecture1 reach as
 far as #adej1 and are only tempted to  
anticipate it by ten years date4 ,the   
,italians commence the art with ,maso1  
not from his master2 the ,germans are   
not content to date from ,schoen1 but   

from his master1 an advantage they      
either deny to ,italy1 and thus fail to 
draw an equal comparison2 or if they    
concede the master1 we still anticipate 
by ten years their origin of            
chalcography4 ,the ,italians1 again1    
confirm the truth of their history by a 
number of authentic documents1 proofs in
 niello1 first impressions1 and the     
progress of the art from its earliest   
stages to maturity4 ,the ,germans supply
 their historic deficiency by monuments1
 in part proved to be false1 in part    
doubtful1 and which are easily convicted
 of insufficiency for the proposed      
object4 ,because who can assure us that 
the prints of #adfe or #ff1 are not the 
production of the brothers or the       
disciples of ,schoen1 since ,heineken   
himself confesses that they were        
possibly the work of some contemporary  
artists1 his inferiors8 ,do we not find 
in ,italy that the followers of         
,botticelli are inferior to him1 and    
appear to be of earlier date8 ,moreover1

 who can assure us that ,schoen was     
instructed by a master of his own       
nation2 when all his engravings that    
have been hitherto produced1 appear     
already perfect in their kind2#aad nor  
do we find mentioned in ,germany either 
proofs in niello1 or first essays in    
metals of a softer temper8 ,the fact    
therefore1 most probably is1 what has   
invariably obtained credit1--that the   
invention was communicated from ,italy  
to ,germany1 and as a matter not at all 
difficult to the goldsmiths1 was        
speedily practised there with success2  
,i might even add1 was greatly improved4
 ,for both the press and printer's ink  
being well known there1 artists were    
enabled to add to the mechanic part of  
the art1 improvements with which ,italy 
was unacquainted2 ,i will produce an    
example of what ,i mean1 that cannot    
fail to convince4 ,printing of books was
 discovered in ,germany3 history and    
monuments alike confirm it1 which are to
 be traced gradually from tabular prints

 to moveable types1 still of wood1 and  
from these to characters of metal4 ,in  
such state was the invention brought to 
,italy1 where1 without passing through  
these intermediate degrees1 books were  
printed not only in moveable characters 
of metal1 but with tables cut in copper1
 thus adding to the art a degree of     
perfection which it wanted4 ,heineken   
objects that the ,germans at that period
 had very little correspondence with the
 cities of ,italy1 with the exception of
 ,venice1 7p4 #aci74 ,to this ,i answer 
that our universities of ,pisa and      
,bologna1 besides several others1 were  
much frequented by young men from       
,germany1 at that period2 and that for  
the convenience both of strangers and of
 natives1 a ,dictionary of the ,german  
language was printed at ,venice1 in     
#adge1 and in #adgi1 at ,bologna2 a     
circumstance sufficient of itself to    
prove that there was no little          
communication between the two nations4  
,there are1 besides1 so many other      

reasons to believe that a great degree  
of intercourse subsisted1 more          
particularly between ,germany and       
,florence1#aae during the period we     
treat of2 that we ought not to be at all
 surprised at the arts belonging to the 
one being communicated to the other4    
,hitherto ,i have pleaded1 as far as lay
 in my power1 the cause of my country2  
though without having been able1 ,i     
fear1 to bring the question to a close4 
,some time1 it is possible1 that those  
earliest essays and proofs of the art1  
which have hitherto eluded research1 may
 be discovered3 it is possible that some
 one of their writers1 who are at once  
so truly learned and so numerous1 may   
improve upon the hint thrown out by     
,heineken 7p4 #aci71 that the ,germans  
and the ,italians1 without any kind of  
corresponding knowledge on the subject1 
struck out simultaneous discoveries of  
the modern art4 ,however this may chance
 to be1 it is my part to write from the 
information and authorities which ,i    

have before me4  ,it remains to be seen 
whether1 on the exclusion of ,germany1  
there is any other part of ,italy that  
may have anticipated the discovery of   
,finiguerra at ,florence4 ,some of his  
opponents have ventured to question his 
title on the strength of metallic       
impressions of seals1 which are met with
 on ,italian parchments from the        
earliest periods4 ,this shews only that 
the art advanced during several ages on 
the verge of this invention2 but it does
 not prove that the very origin of the  
discovery is to be sought for in seals2 
otherwise we should be bound to commence
 the history of modern typography from  
the seals of earthen-ware1 with which   
our museums abound4 ,no one will contend
 that certain immemorial and undigested 
elements that lay for many ages         
neglected and unformed1 ought to have a 
place in the history of art2 and this we
 are now treating on1 ought not to date 
its commencement beyond the period when 
silversmiths' shops had been            

established1 where1 in fact1 it took its
 origin and grew to maturity4 ,we must  
then compare the proofs remaining to us 
of their labours1 and see whether such  
proofs were in use at any other place1  
before the time of ,finiguerra4 ,i might
 observe that there are two threads1 as 
it were1 which may serve as a clue to   
this labyrinth1 until we may somewhere  
or by some means ascertain the actual   
date2 and these two are the character   
and the design4 ,the character in all   
the proofs ,i have examined1 is not at  
all 7as we commonly call it7 of a gothic
 description2 it is round and roman1    
according to the observation before made
 7at p4 #di71 and does not lead us      
farther back than the year #addj4 ,the  
design is more suspicious3 in the       
,durazzo collection ,i have seen proofs 
of nielli with more coarse designs than 
are displayed in the works of ,maso1 but
 they are perhaps not the offspring of  
the ,florentine school4 ,i shall not    
here attempt to anticipate the judgment 

of those who may engage to illustrate   
these ancient remains2 nor that of the  
public1 in regard to the engravings     
correctly taken from them1 which must   
pronounce their definitive sentence4 ,if
 ,i mistake not1 however1 true          
connoisseurs will be cautious how they  
pass a final opinion4 ,it will not be   
difficult for them to discern a         
,bolognese from a ,florentine artist1 in
 modern painting1 after it is seen that 
each school formed its own peculiar     
character both in colouring and in      
design2 but in regard to proofs of      
nielli1#aaf to distinguish school from  
school1 will not be so easy a task4 ,for
 though it may be ascertained1 for      
instance1 that such a proof came from   
,bologna2 can we pronounce from the fact
 of its being coarser and rawer than the
 designs of ,finiguerra1 that it is so  
far more ancient8 ,maso and the         
,florentines1 after the time of         
,masaccio1 had already softened their   
style towards the year #addj2 but can we

 assert the same of the other schools of
 ,italy8 ,besides1 is it certain that   
the silversmiths1 from whose hands      
proceeded the proofs1 sought out the    
best designers2#aag and did not copy1   
for instance1 the ,bolognese1 the design
 of a ,pieta by ,jacopo ,avanzi1 or the 
,venetians1 a ,madonna by ,jacobello del
 ,fiore8 ,the more dry1 coarse1 and     
clumsy specimens therefore1 cannot      
easily be adduced against ,finiguerra as
 a proof of greater antiquity2 otherwise
 we should run into the whimsical       
sophistry of ,scalza1 who affirmed that 
the ,baronci were the most ancient men  
in ,florence1 and in the whole world1   
because they were the ugliest4#aah ,we  
must therefore permit ,maso to rest     
quietly in possession of the discovery1 
until further and more ancient proofs   
are adduced1 than are to be found in his
 cards and his zolfi4  ,in my account of
 the second state of engraving1 ,i shall
 not make mention of the ,german        
masters1 in regard to whom ,i have not  

dates that may be thought sufficient2 ,i
 shall confine my attention to those of 
,italy4 ,i shall compare the testimony  
of ,vasari and ,lomazzo2 one of whom    
supposes the art to have originated in  
,upper1 the other in ,lower ,italy4 ,in 
his ,life of ,marc ,antonio1 ,vasari    
observes1 that ,finiguerra was followed 
by ,baccio ,baldini1 a ,florentine      
goldsmith1 who being little skilled in  
design1 every thing he executed was     
after designs and inventions of ,sandro 
,botticello4 ,as soon as ,andrea        
,mantegna learned this circumstance at  
,rome1 he first began to turn his       
attention to the engraving of his own   
works4 ,now in the life of ,sandro he   
makes particular mention of the time    
when he applied himself to the art1     
which was at the period he had completed
 his labours in the ,sistine chapel4    
,returning directly after to ,florence1 
he began to comment upon ,dante1 he drew
 the ,inferno1 and engraved it1 which   
occupying a large portion of his time1  

was the occasion of much trouble and    
inconvenience in his future life4       
,botticelli is here considered an       
engraver from about #adgd1 at the age of
 thirty-seven years2 and ,baldini1 who  
executed every thing from the designs of
 ,sandro1 also practised the art4 ,at   
the same period flourished ,antonio     
,pollaiuolo1 who acquired a higher      
reputation than either of the last4 ,few
 of his impressions remain1 but among   
these is the celebrated battle of the   
naked soldiers1 approaching nearest in  
point of power to the bold style of     
,michelangiolo4 ,the epoch of these     
productions is to be placed about #adhj1
 because having acquired great celebrity
 by them1 he was invited to ,rome       
towards the close of #adhc1 to raise the
 monument of ,sixtus ,,iv41 who died in 
that year4  ,according to ,vasari1      
,mantegna having decorated the chapel of
 ,innocent ,,viii4 at ,rome1 about      
#adij1aai from that or the preceding    
year is intitled to the name of         

engraver1 computing it from about his   
sixtieth year4 ,he flourished more than 
sixteen years after this period2 during 
which is it to be believed that he      
produced that amazing number of         
engravings1#abj amounting to more than  
fifty1 of which about thirty appear to  
be genuine specimens1 on so grand a     
scale1 so rich in figures1 so finely    
studied and ,mantegnesque in every part2
 that he executed these when he was     
already old1 new to the art1 an art     
fatiguing to the eye and the chest even 
of young artists2 that he pursued it    
amidst his latest occupations in        
,mantua1 which we shall1 in their place1
 describe1 and that he produced such    
grand results within sixteen or         
seventeen years4 ,either ,vasari must   
have mistaken the dates1 or wished to   
impose upon our credulity by his        
authority4 ,lomazzo leads us to draw a  
very different conclusion1 when in his  
,treatise 7p4 #fhb7 he adds this short  
eulogy to the name and merits of        

,mantegna1 a skilful painter1 and the   
first engraver of prints in ,italy2 but 
wherein he does not mention him as an   
inventor1 meaning only to ascribe to him
 the merit of introducing the second    
state of the art at least in ,italy2    
because he believed that it had already 
arisen in ,germany4 ,such authority as  
this is worth our attention4 ,i shall   
have occasion in the course of my       
narrative to combat some of ,lomazzo's  
assertions2 but ,i shall also feel bound
 to concur with him frequently in the   
epochs illustrated by him4 ,he was born 
about twenty-five years subsequent to   
,vasari2 he had more erudition1 was a   
better critic1 and on the affairs of    
,lombardy in particular1 was enabled to 
correct him1 and to supply his          
deficiencies4 ,i am not surprised1 then1
 that ,meerman 7p4 #bei7 should suppose 
,andrea to have been already an engraver
 before the time of ,baldini and        
,botticelli2 ,i could have wished only  
that he had better observed the order of

 the epochs1 and not postponed the      
praise due to him until the pontificate 
of ,innocent ,,viii4 ,in fact1 it is not
 easy to ascertain the exact time when  
,mantegna first directed his attention  
to the art of engraving4 ,it decidedly  
appears that he commenced at ,padua2 for
 the very confidence he displays in     
every plate1 shews that he could be no  
novice2 nor is it credible that his     
noviciate began only in old age4 ,i     
suspect he received the rudiments of the
 art from ,niccolo1 a distinguished     
goldsmith1 as he gave his portrait1     
together with that of ,squarcione1 in a 
history piece of ,s4 ,cristoforo1 at the
 ,eremitani in ,padua2 each most        
probably being a tribute of respect to  
his former master4 ,it is true that we  
meet with no specimens of his hand at   
that1 or even a later period of his     
early life2 though we ought to recollect
 that he never affixed any dates to his 
works4 ,so that it is impossible to say 
that none of them were the production of

 his earlier years1 however equal and   
beautiful they appear in regard to their
 style2 inasmuch as in his paintings we 
are enabled to detect little difference 
between his history of ,s4 ,cristoforo1 
painted in the flower of youth1 and his 
altar-piece at ,s4 ,andrea of ,mantua1  
which is considered one of his last     
labours4 ,a specimen of his engraving   
with a date1 is believed1 however1 by   
some1 to be contained in a book of      
,pietro d',abano2 intitled ,tractatus de
 ,venenis1 published in ,mantua1 #adgb1 
in cujus pagina prima littera initialis 
aeri incisa exhibetur1 quae integram    
columnae latitudinem occupat4 ,patet    
hinc artem chalcographicam jam anno     
#adgb extitisse4 ,thus far writes the   
learned ,panzer1#aba but whether he ever
 saw the work that exists in folio1 and 
of seven pages1 ,i am not certain4#abb  
,a quarto edition was likewise edited in
 ,mantua1 #adgc1 and a copy is there    
preserved in the public library1 but    
without any plates4  ,it is certain1    

however1 that about this period copper  
engraving was practised1 not only in    
,mantua1 where ,mantegna resided1 but   
also in ,bologna4 ,the geography of     
,ptolemy1 printed in ,bologna by        
,domenico de ,lapis1 with the apparently
 incorrect date of #adfb1 is in the     
possession of the ,corsini at ,rome1 and
 of the ,foscarini at ,venice4#abc ,it  
contains twenty-six geographical tables1
 engraved very coarsely1 yet so greatly 
admired by the printer1 that he applauds
 this new discovery1 and compares it to 
the invention of printing1 which not    
long before had appeared in ,germany4   
,we give his words as they are quoted   
from the ,latin without being refuted1  
by ,meerman1 at p4 #bea3 ,accedit       
mirifica imprimendi tales tabulas ratio1
 cujus inventoris laus nihil illorum    
laude inferior1 qui primi litterarum    
imprimendarum artem pepererunt1 in      
admirationem sui studiosissimum quemque 
facillime convertere potest4 ,the same  
writer1 however1 along with other       

learned men1 contends that the date     
ought to be corrected1 chiefly on the   
authority of the catalogue of the       
correctors of the work1 among whom we   
find ,filippo ,beroaldo1 who1 in #adfb1 
was no more than nine years of age4     
,hence ,meerman infers1 that we ought to
 read #adhb2 ,audifredi and others1     
#adia2 neither of which opinions ,i can 
agree with4 ,for the work of ,ptolemy   
being published at ,rome1 accompanied by
 twenty-seven elegant charts in #adgh1  
what presumption1 or rather folly1 in   
the publisher of the ,bolognese edition1
 to think of applauding its beauty1     
after the appearance of one so          
incomparably superior6 ,i am therefore  
compelled to refer the former to an     
earlier period than the last mentioned  
year4 ,besides1 ,i ought to inform the  
reader1 that the engraving of twenty-six
 geographical plates1 full of lines1    
distances1 and references1 must have    
been a long and difficult task1         
particularly during the infancy of the  

art1 sufficient to occupy several years2
 as we are certain that three or four   
were devoted to the same purpose at     
,rome by more modern engravers1 far more
 expert4 ,we are therefore bound to     
antedate the epoch of the ,bolognese    
engraving several years before the      
publication of the book1 which belongs  
perhaps to the year #adgb4abd ,i shall  
not1 however1 set myself up as an umpire
 in this dispute2 anxiously expecting1  
as ,i do1 an excellent treatise from the
 pen of ,sig4 ,bartolommeo ,gamba2 which
 ,i feel assured will not fail to       
gratify the public4#abe ,in regard to   
,bologna1 therefore1 ,i shall only seek 
to prove that the progress of the       
goldsmith's art to that of engraving    
upon metal1 was more rapid than it has  
been supposed4 ,heineken himself        
observes1 in describing the ,ptolemy1   
that it is evident1 from the traces of  
the zigzag1 which the goldsmiths are in 
the habit of putting on the silver      
plates1 the work is the production of   

one belonging to that art4 ,the earliest
 works that can be pointed out with     
certainty at ,florence1 are the three   
elegant engravings of the ,monte ,santo 
di ,dio1 published in #adgg2 and the two
 in the two cantos of ,dante1 #adha2 one
 of which1 as if a third engraving1 was 
repeated in the same book2 while all of 
them seem to have been drawn from the   
roller1 the art of inserting the plates 
in the letter-press being then unknown4 
,we have yet to notice the thirty-seven 
geographical charts1 in whatever way    
executed1 affixed to the book of        
,berlinghieri1 which was printed about  
the same period1 without any date4      
,these also contain several heads with  
the names ,aquilo1 ,africus1 c41 but    
they are all of youthful appearance1 and
 tolerable in point of design2 whereas  
the same heads in ,bologna are of       
different ages1 with long beards and    
caps1 and in a coarser manner4 ,the     
three before mentioned works appeared   
from the press of ,niccolo ,tedesco1 or 

,niccolo di ,lorenzo de ,lamagna1 the   
first who printed books at ,florence    
with copper plates4  ,the last and most 
complete state of engraving upon copper1
 comes next under our notice4 ,for this 
improvement1 it appears to me1 we are as
 much indebted to ,germany as for the   
art of printing books4 ,the press there 
first discovered for typography1 opened 
the way for that applied to copper      
plates4 ,the mechanical construction to 
be sure was different1 in the former the
 impression being drawn from cast       
letters which rise outwards2 in the     
latter from plates cut hollow within by 
the artist's graver4 ,a kind of ink was 
at the same time adopted1 of a stronger 
and less fuliginous colour1 than had    
been used for engravings in wood2 but as
 it is termed by ,meerman 7p4 #ab71     
singulare ac tenuius4 ,the same author  
fixes the date of this improvement in   
the art at about #adgj2 and most        
probably he meant to deduce it from the 
earliest copper engravings which        

appeared in ,germany4 ,of this ,i cannot
 venture to speak1 not having seen the  
two specimens cited by ,heineken1 and   
the others that bear a date2 nor is it  
at all connected with our present       
history of ,italian art1 as far as      
regards engraving4 ,we gather from it1  
that such improvement was brought to us 
from ,germany by the same ,corrado      
,sweyneym1 who prepared the beautiful   
edition of ,ptolemy at ,rome4 ,we learn 
from the anonymous preface prefixed1    
that ,corrado devoted three years to the
 task1 and left it incomplete2 and it   
was continued by ,arnold ,buckinck1 and 
published by him1 as ,i already         
observed1 in #adgh4 ,the tables are     
engraved with a surprising degree of    
elegance1 and are taken from the press1 
as ,meerman1 adopting the opinion of    
,raidelio1 and of such bibliographers as
 have described it1 has clearly shewn1  
7p4 #beh74 ,it is conjectured that      
,corrado commenced his labours about    
#adgb1 a fact ascertained no less from  

the testimony of ,calderino1 the        
corrector of the work1 than from the    
tables1 impressions of which were taken 
in #adge4abf ,some are of opinion that  
the engraving was from the hand of      
,corrado1 although the author of the    
preface simply observes1 animum ad hanc 
doctrinam capessendam applicuit 7that   
is1 to geography7 subinde matematicis   
adhibitis viris quemadmodum tabulis     
aeneis imprimerentur edocuit1#abg       
triennioque in hac cura consumpto diem  
obiit4 ,and it seems very probable1 that
 as he employed ,italians in the        
correction of the text1 he was also     
assisted by some one of the same nation 
in the engravings4 ,it strikes me1      
likewise1 that ,botticelli was attracted
 by this novel art at ,rome1 since on   
his return about the year #adgd1 he     
began to engrave copper plates with all 
the ardour that ,vasari has described1  
and was in fact the first who           
represented full figures and histories  
in the new art4 ,perhaps the cause of   

his impressions being less perfect than 
others1 arose from his ignorance of the 
method of printing upon a single page1  
both the plates and the characters2 as  
well as from the want of the press1 and 
that improved plan derived from the     
office of the ,german printers4 ,but    
from whatever cause1 it is certain1 that
 our engravers long continued to labour 
under this imperfection in the art1 as  
,i have already recounted4 ,in the time 
of ,marc ,antonio1 who rose into notice 
soon after the year #aejj1 the art1 in  
its perfect state1 had been introduced  
into ,italy1 insomuch that he was       
enabled to rival ,albert ,durer and     
,luca d',ollanda1 equalling them in the 
mechanism of the art1 and surpassing    
them in point of design4 ,it is from    
this triumvirate of genius that the more
 finished age of engraving takes its    
date2 and nearly at the same period we  
behold the most improved era in the art 
of painting4 ,the completion of the new 
art soon diffused good models of design 

through every school1 which led the way 
to the new epoch4 ,following the steps  
of ,durer1 the imitators of nature      
learned to design more correctly2 while 
they composed1 if not with much taste1  
at least with great variety and         
fertility1 examples of which appear in  
the ,venetian artists of the time4      
,others of a more studied character1    
formed upon the model of ,raffaello and 
of the best ,italian masters1 exhibited 
by ,marc ,antonio1 applied with more    
diligence to compose with order1 and to 
attain elegance of design2 as we shall  
further see in the progress of this     
,history of ,painting1 which after such 
necessary interruption1 we prepare once 
more to resume4   ,footnote #hd3 ,see   
,baron d',heineken's ,idee generale     
d'une ,collection1 c4 p4 #bci4 ,see     
likewise the same work1 p4 #aej1 in     
order to give us a proper distrust of   
the work of ,papillon4 ,sig4 ,huber     
agrees with ,heineken3 see his ,manuel1 
c4 p4 #ce4  ,footnote #he3 ,storia      

,letter1 tom4 vi4 p1 #aaid4  ,footnote  
#hf3 ,muratori1 ,rerum ,ital4           
,scriptores1 vol4 xx4 ,vita ,phil4 ,m4  
,visconti1 chap4 lxi4  ,footnote #hg3   
,lettere ,pittoriche1 tom4 v4 p4 #cba4  
,footnote #hh3 ,vide ante1 p4 #df4      
,footnote #hi3 ,in the ancient monastery
 of ,certosa1 at ,buxheim1 there remains
 a figure of ,s4 ,cristoforo in the act 
of passing the river1 with ,jesus upon  
his shoulders2 and there is added that  
of a hermit lighting the way with a     
lantern in his hand4 ,it bears the date 
#adbc4 ,a number of other devout images 
are seen in the celebrated library at   
,wolfenbuttel1 and others in ,germany1  
stamped upon wood in a manner similar to
 that of playing-cards4 ,huber1 ,manuel1
 tom4 i4 p4 #hf4  ,footnote #ij3 ,see   
,maffei1 ,verona ,illustrata1 ,part iii4
 col4 #aie1 and ,part ii4 col4 #fh1 #gf4
  ,footnote #ia3 ,there was collected   
for the ducal gallery in #ahja1 a silver
 pace that had been made for the company
 of ,s4 ,paolo1 and sold upon the       

suppression of that pious foundation4   
,it represents the saint's conversion1  
with many tolerably executed figures1   
from an unknown hand1 though less old   
and valuable than that of ,maso4 ,he had
 ornamented it with niello2 but in order
 to ascertain the workmanship1 it was   
taken to pieces some years since1 and   
the plate examined in the state it came 
from under the tools of the silversmith4
 ,the cuts were found not at all deep1  
resembling those of our engravers upon  
sheets of copper1 upon the model of     
which the silver plate1 being provided  
with the ink1 was put into the press1   
and from it were taken as many1 perhaps1
 as twenty fine proofs4 ,one of these is
 in the collection of the ,senator ,bali
 ,martelli2 and upon this a foreign     
connoisseur wrote that it was the work  
of ,doni1 ,i know not on what authority1
 unless1 from an error of memory1 the   
name ,doni was inserted instead of ,dei4
  ,footnote #ib3 ,ambrogio ,leone       
mentions both1 ,de ,nobilitate rerum1   

cap4 #da1 and he particularly praises1  
for his skill in working niello1 the    
second1 who is so little known in the   
history of the arts4 ,see ,morelli1     
,notizia1 p4 #bjd4  ,footnote #ic3      
,vasari1 who is difficult to understand1
 at least by many1 on account of his    
brevity1 touches upon the different     
processes used by ,maso1 which are      
these3 ,when he had cut the plate1 he   
next proceeded to take a print of it1   
before he inlaid it with niello1 upon   
very fine earth2 and from the cut being 
to the right hand1 and hollow1 the proof
 consequently came out on the left1     
shewing the little earthen cast in      
relief4 ,upon this last he threw the    
liquid sulphur1 from which he obtained a
 second proof1 which1 of course1        
appeared to the right1 and took from the
 relief a hollow form4 ,he then laid the
 ink 7lamp black or printer's ink7 upon 
the sulphur1 in such a way as to fill up
 the hollows on the more indented cuts1 
intended to produce the shadow2 and     

next1 by degrees1 he scraped away from  
the ground 7of the sulphur7 what was    
meant to produce the light4 ,and this is
 also the plan pursued in engraving on  
copper4 ,the final work was to polish it
 with oil1 in order to give the sulphur 
the bright appearance of silver4        
,footnote #id3 ,they are to be seen in a
 little portable altar2 and are most    
probably the proofs of some niello      
worker of the time2 who had executed    
those histories in silver to ornament   
some similar little altar1 or the place 
in which sacred relics were laid4       
,before introducing the niello1 he had  
cast proofs of his work in these zolfi  
7sulphurs71 which were subsequently     
inlaid with great symmetry and taste in 
the altar-piece4 ,they consist of       
various forms and sizes1 and are adapted
 to the architecture of the little      
altar1 and to its various parts4 ,many  
of them have now perished1 though       
several are yet in existence1 the       
smallest of which chiefly represent     

histories from scripture1 and the       
largest of them the acts of the         
,evangelists1 to the number of fourteen1
 and about one-sixth of a braccio 7an   
arm1 two-thirds of a yard7 in height4   
,footnote #ie3 ,pace1 a sort of sacred  
vessel borne in procession by the       
priests2 literally1 it means peace4     
,footnote #if3 ,in this edition ,i ought
 to mention another zolfo 7a sulphur    
cast7 of the same pace of ,s4 ,giovanni1
 in possession of his excellency the    
,senator ,prior ,seratti4 ,this1 when   
compared with the model1 corresponds    
line for line2 there is a full display  
of the very difficult character of      
,maso's heads1 and what is still more   
decisive1 is1 that it is cut1 or        
indented1 an effect that must have been 
produced according to the manner already
 described4 ,the zolfo ,durazzo1 as     
appears from the impression1 does not   
correspond so well2 some of the flowers 
and ornaments of drapery are wanting2 it
 is not equally finished1 and it seems  

smooth on the surface4 ,this does not   
derogate from its genuineness1 for as   
several proofs were taken of the same   
pace1 which was cut by degrees1 if we   
find less completeness in the ,durazzo  
proof1 it is only an indication of its  
having been taken before the rest4 ,and 
if the impressions of the cuts are not  
so plainly traced as in the other1 ,i do
 not1 therefore1 conjecture that they do
 not exist4 ,the zolfi of the fathers of
 ,camaldoli already cited1 seem as if   
they were printed1 and smooth4 ,a       
fragment breaking off1 highly polished  
on the surface1 the cuts were then      
discovered1 even to the minutest lines1 
as many professors1 even the most       
experienced in the art of printing1 to  
their surprise1 have witnessed2 and they
 conjectured that the ocular illusion   
might arise1 #ast1 from the fineness of 
cut made with the style1 or possibly    
with the graver1 which was diminished in
 proportion as it passed from the sheet 
to the earthen mould1 and from this to  

the zolfo2 #b;d1 from the density of the
 ink1 when hardened between the cuts or 
hollows of the zolfo2 #c;d1 from a coat 
of bluish colour laid on the work1 of   
which there remain traces1 and from that
 which time produces both in paintings  
and on cards4 ,i have not a doubt1 that1
 if the experiment were tried on the    
,durazzo zolfo1 the result would appear 
exactly the same4 ,the extrinsic proofs 
of its origin1 also adduced by ,gori1   
together with the aspect of the         
monument1 which is fresh in my memory1  
do not authorize me to suspect the      
existence of a fraud4  ,footnote #ig3   
,christ in the manger4  ,footnote #ih3  
,heineken gives a general nomenclature  
of the works of these silver carvers4   
,idee1 c4 p4 #bag4  ,footnote #ii3 ,i   
must remark1 that some copper of the    
earliest age may have been preserved and
 made use of after the introduction of  
felt and of the press4 ,in this case    
there will remain no impression of the  
linen cloth1 but the print will be poor 

and faint4  ,footnote #ajj3 ,in the     
prints of ,dante1 and other ,florentine 
books1 a yellowish colour prevails2 and 
we may observe stains of oil and blots  
at the extremities4 ,a pale ash colour  
was also used for wood prints by the    
,germans1 and ,meerman remarks that it  
was employed to counterfeit the colour  
of designs4  ,footnote #aja3 ,see       
,lettere ,pittoriche1 tom4 ii4 p4 #bfh4 
,footnote #ajb3 ,ibid4 p4 #bfi4 ,i      
should add1 that the twenty others are  
now known1 obtained for the ,riccardi   
library at ,florence4  ,footnote #ajc3  
,lettere ,pittoriche1 tom4 ii4 p4 #bfg4 
,it is ascertained that ,maso flourished
 less recently2 and the ,dante prints1  
inferior to those of ,botticelli1 were  
ascribed to him only on account of their
 coarseness1 as we gather from ,gaburri4
  ,footnote #ajd3 ,it is denied that he 
was the inventor of this mode of        
engraving by many learned ,germans1 who 
give the merit of it to ,wolgemuth4     
,meerman1 ,l4 ,c4 p4 #bef4  ,footnote   

#aje3 ,notes to ,baldinucci1 tom4 iv4 p4
 #b4  ,footnote #ajf3 ,it was observed1 
at p4 #aae1 that the ,epiphany of ,maso 
is anterior to the work of the          
,assumption4 ,the progress from the     
minute and careful1 to the free and     
great style1 is very gradual4 ,the      
present work contains many examples of  
this1 even in the loftiest geniuses1 in 
,coreggio1 and in ,raffaello himself4   
,footnote #ajg3 ,a sample of his        
ignorance appears in what he wrote of   
,demone2 not well understanding ,pliny1 
he did not believe ,demone to be the    
fabulous genius of ,athens2 but set him 
down as a painter of mortal flesh and   
blood1 and gave his portrait with those 
of ,zeuxis1 ,apelles1 and other ancient 
painters4  ,footnote #ajh3 ,origines    
,typographicae1 tom4 i4 p4 #bed4        
,footnote #aji3 ,idee ,generale d'une   
,collection ,complete d',estampes1 pp4  
#bbd1 #aaf1 where he gives his opinion  
on ,sandrart's work4 ,see also          
,dictionnaire des ,artistes1 vol4 ii4 p4

 #cca4  ,footnote #aaj3 ,he says that   
his cipher was ,m4 ,c4 which ,p4        
,orlandi reads ,martinus de ,clef1 or   
,clivensis ,augustanus4 ,but he was not 
from ,anversa2 but was1 according to    
,meerman1 ,calembaco-,suevus ,colmariae1
 whence we may explain the cipher to    
mean ,martinus ,colmariensis4 ,in many  
of his prints it is ,m4 ,s4  ,footnote  
#aaa3 ,called by ,lomazzo ,israel ,metro
 ,tedesco1 painter and inventor of the  
art of engraving cards in copper1 master
 of ,bonmartino1 in which ,i think we   
ought rather to follow the learned      
natives already cited1 than our own     
countryman4  ,footnote #aab3 ,diction4  
des ,monogram4 p4 #fg4  ,footnote #aac3 
,see ,tiraboschi1 #ast4 ,lett4 tom4 vi4 
p4 #aai4  ,footnote #aad3 ,the prints of
 ,schoen1 even such as represent works  
in gold and silver1 are executed with   
admirable knowledge and delicacy4       
,huber1 tom4 i4 p4 #ia4  ,footnote #aae3
 ,the ,florentine merchants1 during the 
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries1     

especially such as advanced money upon  
interest1 abounded in ,germany2 insomuch
 that part of a town was called ,borgo  
,fiorentino4 ,this ,i learn from        
,dottore ,gennari1 a ,paduan gentleman1 
not long since lost to the republic of  
letters4 ,the number of ,german ,princes
 who coined money in ,florence1 may be  
gathered from the work of ,orsini1 and  
other writers1 upon our modern coinage4 
,footnote #aaf3 ,the direction given by 
the ,ab4 ,zani for similar specimens is 
this3 ,the engravings of the ,venetian  
school1 generally speaking1 are of a    
delicate1 soft1 and full design2 the    
figures are large1 few1 and very        
beautiful in the extremities4 ,those of 
the ,florentines are engraved in a      
stronger manner1 and are less soft and  
round2 sometimes even harsh2 the figures
 are small1 pretty numerous1 with the   
extremities less highly finished4       
,materiali1 p4 #eg4  ,footnote #aag3    
,cellini1 in his preface to his         
,treatise upon the art of working in    

gold1 asserts that ,maso himself copied 
from the designs of ,pollaiuolo1 which  
has been completely refuted by the ,ab4 
,zani4 ,materiali1 p4 #dj4  ,footnote   
#aah3 ,boccaccio1 ,decamerone1 ,giorn4  
vi4 ,nov4 #f4  ,footnote #aai3 ,see     
,taia1 ,description of the ,vatican     
,palace1 p4 #djd4  ,footnote #abj3      
,forty of these ,i find cited1 and ,i am
 informed of some others not yet edited4
 ,the ,ab4 ,zani 7p4 #adb7 assures us   
that the genuine impressions which are  
now acknowledged to be from the hand of 
,mantegna1 do not amount to twenty2 and 
nearly all of them are executed with few
 figures4 ,such an assertion appears no 
less singular to me than to others on   
whose judgment ,i could rely1 whom ,i   
have consulted4 ,how can we admit its   
accuracy1 when confronted with the      
account of ,mantegna's fellow citizen   
and contemporary ,scardeone1 who        
collected his works1 and who expressly  
declares1 as cited by the ,ab4 ,zani1   
that ,mantegna engraved ,roman triumphs1

 ,bacchanalian festivals1 and marine    
deities3 also the descent of ,christ    
from the cross1 and the burial1         
engravings exhibiting a variety of      
figures1 and in number more than a      
dozen4 ,after this enumeration the      
historian adds1 et alia permulta1 and   
many others4 ,to confute this excellent 
testimony1 the ,ab4 ,zani refers only to
 the words of the same ,scardeone1 who  
thus continues3 ,those plates are       
possessed by few1 and held in the       
highest esteem2 nine of them1 however1  
belong to me1 all of them different4    
,this writer therefore1 in spite of his 
expression et alia permulta1 confesses  
that he had only nine specimens from the
 hand of his fellow citizen4 ,yes1 ,i   
reply1 he confesses his scanty portion1 
but admits the superior number that     
exists in various cabinets1 and what    
reason have we for believing the first  
assertion and not the second8 ,for my   
part1 ,i give credit to the historian2  
and if any one doubt1 from a diversity  

of style between the plates1 that there 
is any exaggeration in his statement1 ,i
 should not hence conclude that they are
 from different hands1 but executed by  
the same hand1 the works of the artist's
 early life being inferior to his last4 
,for what artist ever devoted himself to
 a new branch1 and did not contrive to  
cultivate and improve it8 ,it is        
sufficient that the taste be not wholly 
opposite4  ,footnote #aba3 ,panzer1     
,ann4 ,typogr4 tom4 ii4 p4 #d4          
,footnote #abb3 ,the ,catalogue of the  
,libreria ,heideggeriana is cited as the
 first source2 but after fresh research1
 nothing certain has been discovered4   
,volta conjectures that this edition de 
,venenis was not a separate book1 but a 
part of the ,conciliatore of ,pietro    
d',abano1 printed in folio at ,mantua1  
#adgb4  ,footnote #abc3 ,this splendid  
copy has been transferred from the      
,biblioteca ,foscarini1 into the choice 
selection of old prints and books       
illustrated by the ,ab4 ,mauro ,boni4   

,footnote #abd3 ,see de ,bure1          
,bibliographie ,instructive1 ,histoire1 
tom4 i4 p4 #cb4 ,from the tenor of this 
opinion1 which ,i shall not examine1 we 
are authorized in adding to the         
inscription1 ,,anno ,,mcccclxii another 
,x1 omitted by inadvertency1 if not     
purposely2 instances of which are to be 
found in the dates of books belonging to
 the fifteenth century4 ,in #adgb1      
,beroaldo was already a great scholar1  
and in #gc he opened his academy4       
,footnote #abe3 ,this little work1 whose
 title will be found in the second      
,index1 is now published1 and has been  
well received by scholars on account of 
its learning and bibliographical        
research4 ,the author approves the      
supposition that we ought to read #adgb4
 ,we wish him leisure to produce more   
such works as this1 which1 like those of
 ,manuzi1 at once combine the character 
of the elegant typographer and the      
erudite scholar4  ,footnote #abf3       
,maffei1 ,verona ,illustrata1 p4 ii4    

col4 #aah4  ,footnote #abg3 ,that is1 in
 ,rome1 where he also taught the art of 
printing books1 as we are informed in   
the same preface4 ,this last is wholly  
devoted to ,roman matters1 and it would 
be vain to look in it for the general   
history of typography and engraving in  
,italy4 ,it appears then1 that ,sweyneym
 instructed the artists of ,rome in the 
best manner of printing from copper     
plates with the press2 though others may
 have taught the art of printing them   
more rudely and in softer metal at      
,bologna4       ,,florentine ,,school4  
,,epoch ,,ii4    ,vinci1 ,bonarruoti1   
and other celebrated artists1 form the  
most flourishing era of this ,school4   
,nations have their virtues and their   
vices2 and it is the duty of the        
historian to give them credit for the   
one1 and to confess the other4 ,thus it 
is with the ,schools of ,painting2 no   
one of which is so perfect as to leave  
us nothing more to desire2 no one so    
faulty that it has not much in it to    

commend4 ,the ,florentine school 7,i do 
not speak of its greatest masters1 but  
of the general practice of the others7  
had no great merit in colouring1 from   
which ,mengs was induced to denominate  
it a melancholy school2 nor did it excel
 in its drapery1 from which arose the   
saying1 that the drapery of figures     
appeared to be fashioned with economy in
 ,florence4  ,it did not shine in power 
of relief1 a study not generally        
cultivated till the last century1 nor   
did it exhibit much beauty1 because1    
long destitute of fine ,grecian statues1
 ,florence was late in possessing the   
,venus3 and only through the attention  
of the ,grand ,duke ,leopold1 has been  
enriched by the ,apollo1 the group of   
,niobe1 and other choice specimens4     
,from these circumstances this school   
aimed only at a fidelity of             
representation that resembles the works 
of those who copied exactly from nature1
 and in general made a judicious        
selection of its objects4 ,it could not 

boast of superior grouping in the       
composition of a picture1 and it was    
more inclined to erase a superfluous    
figure1 than to add one unnecessarily to
 the rest4 ,in grace1 in design1 and in 
historic accuracy1 it excels most other 
schools2 chiefly resulting from the     
great learning that always adorned this 
city1 and invariably gave a bias to the 
erudition of her artists4  ,design forms
 the peculiar excellence of this school1
 and its hereditary patrimony1 to which 
the national characteristic of minute   
correctness has greatly contributed2 and
 it may justly be observed1 that this   
people has excelled others no less in   
the symmetrical delineation of the      
figure1 than in purity of idiom4 ,it may
 also boast of having produced a great  
many excellent painters in fresco2 an   
art so superior to that of painting in  
oil1 that ,bonarruoti looked on the     
latter as mere sport1 when compared with
 the former1 as it necessarily requires 
great dexterity1 and the talent of      

executing well and with rapidity1 very  
difficult attainments in any profession4
 ,this school had but few engravers on  
copper1 from which circumstance1 though 
abounding in historians1#abh and rich in
 paintings1 it has not a sufficient     
number of prints to make it known in    
proportion to its merit2 a defect which 
the ,etruria ,pittrice has in some      
measure supplied4 ,finally1 the reader  
may indulge in this very just           
reflection1 that the ,florentine school 
first taught the method of proceeding   
scientifically1 and according to general
 rules4 ,some other schools have        
originated in an attentive consideration
 of natural effects2 by mechanically    
imitating1 if we may be allowed the     
expression1 the external appearances of 
objects4 ,but ,vinci and ,bonarruoti1   
the two great luminaries of this school1
 like true philosophers pointed out the 
immutable objects and established laws  
of nature1 thence deducing rules which  
their successors1 both at home and      

abroad1 have followed with great benefit
 to the art4 ,the former has left a     
,treatise on ,painting1 and the public  
were induced to look for the publication
 of the precepts of the latter1 which   
have however never yet been             
produced2#abi and we obtain some idea of
 his maxims only from ,vasari1 and other
 writers4 ,about this time also         
flourished ,fra ,bartolommeo1 ,andrea   
del ,sarto1 ,rosso1 the young           
,ghirlandaio1 and other artists1 whom we
 shall name in the sequel of this grand 
epoch1 which unfortunately was of short 
duration4 ,towards the middle of the    
sixteenth century1 when ,michelangiolo1 
who survived the other great artists1   
was still living1 a less auspicious era 
began2 but we must proceed with this    
epoch4  ,lionardo da ,vinci1 so called  
from a castle in lower ,valdarno1 was   
the natural son of one ,pietro1 notary  
to the ,florentine republic1 and was    
born in #adeb4acj ,he was endowed by    
nature with a genius uncommonly elevated

 and penetrating1 eager after discovery1
 and diligent in the pursuit2 not only  
in what related to the three arts       
dependant on design1 but in mathematics1
 in mechanics1 in hydrostatics1 in      
music1 in poetry1 and also in the       
accomplishments of horsemanship1        
fencing1 and dancing4 ,he was so perfect
 in all these1 that when he performed   
any one1 the beholder was ready to      
imagine that it must have been his sole 
study4 ,to such vigour of intellect he  
joined an elegance of features and of   
manners1 that graced the virtues of his 
mind4 ,he was affable with strangers1   
with citizens1 with private individuals1
 and with princes1 among whom he long   
lived on a footing of familiarity and   
friendship4 ,on this account1 says      
,vasari1 it cost him no effort always to
 behave and to live like a man of high  
birth4  ,verrocchio taught him painting2
 and as we have said1 while still a     
youth1 he surpassed his master4 ,he     
retained traces of his early education  

through his whole life4 ,like           
,verrocchio1 he designed more readily   
than he painted2 he assiduously         
cultivated mathematics2 in his design   
and in his countenances1 he prized      
elegance and vivacity of expression1    
more than dignity and fulness of        
contour2 he was very careful in drawing 
his horses1 and in representing the     
skirmishes of soldiers2 and was more    
solicitous to improve the art than to   
multiply his pictures4 ,he was an       
excellent statuary1 as is demonstrated  
by his ,s4 ,tommaso in ,orsanmichele at 
,florence1 and by the horse in the      
church of ,s4 ,john and ,s4 ,paul at    
,venice4 ,vinci not only modelled in a  
superior manner the three statues cast  
in bronze by ,rustici1 for the church of
 ,s4 ,john at ,florence1 and the        
colossal horse at ,milan1 but assisted  
by this art1 he gave that perfect relief
 and roundness1 in which painting was   
then wanting4 ,he likewise imparted to  
it symmetry1 grace1 and spirit2 and     

these and his other merits gave him the 
title of the father of modern           
painting1#aca though some of his works1 
as was observed by ,mariette1           
participate1 in some degree1 in the     
meanness of the old school4  ,he had two
 styles1 the one abounded in shadow1    
which gives admirable brilliancy to the 
contrasting lights2 the other was more  
quiet1 and managed by means of middle   
tints4 ,in each style1 the grace of his 
design1 the expression of the mental    
affections1 and the delicacy of his     
pencil1 are unrivalled4 ,every thing is 
lively in his paintings1 the foreground1
 the landscape1 the adventitious        
ornaments of necklaces1 flowers1 and    
architecture2 but this gaiety is more   
apparent in the heads4 ,in these he     
purposely repeats the same idea1 and    
gives them a smile which delights the   
mind of a spectator4 ,he did not1       
however1 consider his pictures as       
complete1 but from a singular           
timidity1#acb often left them imperfect1

 as ,i shall more fully state under the 
,milanese school4 ,there he will appear 
with the dignity of a consummate master1
 and a portion of his fame must at      
present suffice for his native school4  
,the life of ,lionardo may be divided   
into four periods1 the first of which   
includes the time he remained at        
,florence1 while still a young man4 ,to 
this era may be referred1 not only the  
,medusa of the royal gallery1 and the   
few pieces mentioned by ,vasari2 but    
some others also1 less powerful in the  
shadows1 and less diversified in the    
folds of the drapery1 and which present 
some heads more delicate than select1   
and apparently derived from the school  
of ,verrocchio4 ,such is the ,magdalen  
of the ,pitti palace at ,florence1 and  
that of the ,aldobrandini palace at     
,rome2 some ,madonnas and ,holy         
,families which are in several          
collections1 as in the ,giustiniani and 
,borghese galleries2 and some heads of  
the ,redeemer and of the ,baptist1 which

 are to be seen in various places2      
although it is often reasonable to      
suspend our judgment in regard to the   
genuineness of such pieces1 on account  
of the great number of ,lionardo's      
imitators4 ,the child1 laid in a bed    
richly ornamented1 enveloped in its     
clothes1 and adorned with a necklace1   
which is in the house of his excellency 
the ,gonfaloniere of ,bologna1 is of a  
different class1 and of undoubted       
originality4  ,after this first period1 
,lionardo was brought to ,milan by      
,lodovico ,sforza1 whom he highly       
gratified by his performance on the     
lyre2 a curious and new instrument1     
almost entirely of silver1 which        
,lionardo carried with him1 and had     
constructed with his own hands4 ,all the
 musicians there assembled were         
vanquished1 and the whole city being    
struck with admiration of his           
extemporaneous poetry1 and his          
eloquence1 he was retained by the       
prince1 and remained there till #adii1  

engaged in abstruse studies1 and in     
mechanical and hydrostatical labours for
 the service of the state4 ,during this 
time he painted little1 except the      
celebrated ,last ,supper2 but by        
superintending an academy of the fine   
arts1 he left a degree of refinement in 
,milan1 which was so productive of      
illustrious pupils1 that this period may
 be reckoned the most glorious era of   
his life4  ,after the misfortunes of    
,lodovico ,sforza1 he returned to       
,florence1 where having remained        
thirteen years1 he went to ,rome at the 
time his patron ,leo ,x4 ascended the   
papal chair2 but his stay there was     
short4 ,some of his best works at       
,florence may be referred to this       
period2 among which number we may reckon
 the celebrated portrait of ,mona ,lisa1
 which was the labour of four years1 and
 yet was left unfinished2 the ,cartoon  
of ,s4 ,anna1 prepared for a picture in 
the church of the ,servi1 which was     
never executed in colours2 the cartoon  

of the battle of ,niccolo ,piccinino1   
intended to dispute the palm of         
excellence with ,michelangiolo in the   
council chamber at ,florence1#acc but   
like the other1 never executed by       
,vinci1 after failing in an attempt to  
paint it in a new method in oil on the  
wall4 ,he probably employed another     
method in painting the ,madonna with the
 child in her arms1 in the monastery of 
,s4 ,onofrio1 of ,rome1 a picture in the
 style of ,raffaello1 but which is now  
peeling off the walls in many places4   
,there are some other fine pieces1 which
 if we may be allowed to hazard a       
conjecture1 might be with propriety     
assigned to this period1 in which       
,lionardo1 having attained his highest  
skill1 and unoccupied by other pursuits1
 painted in his best manner4 ,such is   
the specimen that was preserved at      
,mantua1 but which was stolen1 and      
concealed during the sack of the city2  
after many vicissitudes1 however1 it was
 sold for a high price to the imperial  

court of ,russia4 ,the subject is a     
,holy ,family2 in the back-ground is    
seen a woman of a very beautiful and    
majestic countenance standing in an     
upright position4 ,it bears the cipher  
of ,lionardo1 consisting of a ,d        
interlaced with an ,l and a ,v1 as it is
 seen in the picture of the ,signori    
,sanvitali1 at ,parma4 ,the ,consigliere
 ,pagave1 who left a memorandum of it in
 his ,,mss4 was the first to observe and
 to recognise it1 upon its being brought
 to ,milan in #agge1 where it was also  
kept concealed4 ,the same judicious     
critic in painting has conjectured that 
this production was executed in ,rome1  
for one of the princesses of ,mantua1 or
 rather for the sister-in-law of ,leo   
,x42 inasmuch as it displayed a decided 
emulation of ,raphael's manner1 at that 
time highly extolled in ,rome4 ,such a  
conjecture might receive support from   
his picture of a ,madonna1 which        
ornaments ,san ,onofrio1 also in the    
,raphael manner2 and in order that this 

picture1 and that of ,mantua just       
mentioned1 might not be confounded by   
posterity with the works of ,raffaello1 
,lionardo1 according to ,signor ,pagave1
 took care to affix the cipher of his   
name4 ,indeed1 this is not at all       
improbable3 both writers and painters   
are impelled by their natural genius to 
adopt a peculiar style2 and whoever will
 compare the portraits that remain1     
expressive of the elevated1 touching1   
penetrating1 and beautiful spirit1      
incessantly bent upon acquiring         
something still more exquisite in art1  
which inspired these two prodigies1 will
 find little difficulty in believing    
that both produced works1 which owing to
 a similarity of natural taste1         
selection and admiration of the same    
object1 might be mistaken for specimens 
of the same hand4 ,of this number is his
 own portrait1 at an age which          
corresponds with this period1 in the    
ducal gallery1 a head that surpasses    
every other in that room for energy of  

expression2 also another head1 which is 
in a different cabinet1 and is called a 
portrait of ,raffaello2 together with   
the half-length figure of a young nun so
 much commended by ,bottari1 and which  
he points out as one of the greatest    
treasures in the splendid mansion of the
 ,marchese ,niccolini4 ,in the same rank
 we may include the much admired        
specimens in the possession of some of  
the noble families at ,rome2 as the     
picture of ,christ disputing in the     
,temple1 and the supposed portrait of   
queen ,giovanna1 ornamented with fine   
architecture1 in the ,doria palace2 the 
,vanity and ,modesty in the ,barberini  
palace1 the tints of which no pencil has
 been able to imitate2 the ,madonna of  
the ,albani ,palace1 that appears to be 
requesting the lily which the infant    
,jesus holds in his hand1 while he draws
 back1 as if unwilling to part with it2 
a picture of exquisite grace1 and       
preferred by ,mengs to every other      
painting contained in that fine         

collection4 ,it would1 however1 be      
presumptuous to assign a date to every  
picture of an artist who became early a 
distinguished painter1 and who          
frequently discontinued a work before it
 was completed4  ,when this celebrated  
artist had attained his sixty-third     
year1 he appears to have renounced the  
art for ever4 ,francis ,i4 who saw his  
,last ,supper at ,milan1 about the year 
#aeae1 attempted to saw it from the     
wall1 that it might be transported to   
,france2 and not succeeding in his      
project1 was desirous of possessing the 
artist1 though now an old man4 ,he      
invited ,vinci to his court1 and the    
artist felt little regret at leaving    
,florence1 where1 since his return1 he  
found in the young ,bonarruoti a rival  
that had already contended with him1 and
 was even employed in preference to     
,vinci both in ,florence and in ,rome2  
because the former gave them works1 if  
we may credit ,vasari1 while the latter 
amused them with words4#acd ,it is known

 that they had a quarrel2 and ,lionardo 
consulting his repose1 which their      
emulation embittered1 passed over into  
,france1 where1 before he had employed  
his pencil1 he expired in the arms of   
,francis ,i41 in the year #aeai4        
,though his style is highly worthy of   
imitation1 it was less followed in      
,florence than in ,milan2 nor is this   
surprising4 ,vinci left at ,florence no 
picture in public2 he there taught no   
pupil2 and it appears that he retained  
,salai1 whom ,i shall notice among the  
,milanese artists1 in the station of a  
dependant1 during his residence at      
,florence4 ,in ,florence we meet with   
pictures in the possession of private   
individuals1 that seem the work of      
,vinci2 and sometimes the dealers extol 
them as his1 gravely adding that they   
cost a large sum4 ,such pieces are      
probably the productions of ,salai1 or  
of other imitators of ,lionardo1 who    
availed themselves of his cartoons1 his 
drawings1 or his few paintings4 ,we are 

informed that ,lorenzo di ,credi1 whose 
family name was ,sciarpelloni1 made use 
of them more than any other ,florentine4
 ,educated1 as well as ,vinci1 in the   
school of ,verrocchio1 he followed rules
 nearly similar2 he was patient1 and    
aimed at the same object2 but he        
approached less closely to the softness 
of the moderns4 ,he copied1 with such   
precision1 a picture by ,lionardo1 which
 was sent to ,spain1 that the copy was  
not distinguishable from the original4  
,private houses contain many of his     
circular ,holy ,families1 of which the  
invention and gracefulness remind us of 
,lionardo4 ,i possess one which         
represents the ,virgin sitting with     
,christ in her arms1 and at her side the
 young ,s4 ,john1 to whom she turns as  
if to lay hold of him1 at which the     
child seems timid1 and draws back3 it is
 in a lovely manner2 but the style is   
not well suited to such a subject4 ,some
 of ,credi's pictures1 which ,bottari   
did not meet with in public places1 are 

now exhibited2 as the ,magdalen with ,s4
 ,nicholas and ,s4 ,julian1 adduced by  
,vasari as an example of a picturesque  
and highly finished style4 ,his ,christ 
in the manger may be also seen at ,s4   
,chiara2 and it is one of his finest    
pictures1 for the beauty of the faces1  
the vigour of expression1 the finish of 
the back-ground1 and the good colouring 
of the whole4 ,both in this1 and in his 
other original pictures1 we may discern 
some imitation of ,vinci1 and of ,pietro
 ,perugino1 another friend of ,credi3 he
 possesses1 however1 some originality1  
which his scholar1 ,giovanni ,antonio   
,sogliani1 successfully imitated and    
improved4  ,this artist lived           
twenty-four years with ,lorenzo2 and in 
imitation of his model was contented to 
paint less than his contemporaries1 that
 he might do it better4 ,he likewise    
attempted to imitate ,porta2 but his    
natural disposition led him rather to   
follow the simple grace of his          
instructor1 than the sublimity of this  

master4 ,few of this school can compare 
with him for the natural appearance he  
gave the naked as well as the clothed   
figure1 or for the conception of        
handsome1 good-natured1 sweet1 and      
graceful features4#ace ,like ,lionardo1 
he possessed the rare talent of         
representing images of virtue by the    
faces of his saints1 and of vice by     
those of his wicked characters4 ,this is
 exemplified in his ,cain and ,abel1 in 
the cathedral of ,pisa1 where he has    
introduced a landscape1 that of itself  
would do honour to any painter4 ,with   
equal felicity in the figure and the    
back-ground1 he painted the crucifixion 
of ,s4 ,arcadius1 which was brought from
 another church to that of ,s4 ,lorenzo 
at ,florence1 where it still remains4   
,he entered into competition with       
,perino del ,vaga1 with ,mecherino1 and 
,andrea del ,sarto1 at ,pisa1 where he  
was noted for his dilatoriness1 but     
admired for that happy simplicity and   
elegance which he always preserved4     

,some have praised a few of his pictures
 as inclining to the manner of          
,raffaello1 a commendation also bestowed
 on ,luini1 and other followers of      
,lionardo4 ,he had pupils who afterwards
 followed other masters3 but a ,zanobi  
di ,poggino1 who painted many pictures  
for ,florence1 which are now unknown1   
appears to have had no other master4    
,one of the best imitators of ,vinci1   
almost equal to ,luini himself1 may be  
recognized in the sacristy of ,s4       
,stephen1 at ,bologna1 in which there is
 a ,s4 ,john in the ,desert1 with the   
inscription ,jul4 ,flor4 ,if this be    
read ,julius ,florentinus1 the artist is
 unknown2 but perhaps we should read    
,julianus1 and ascribe it to            
,bugiardini4 ,we are informed by ,vasari
 that he was at ,bologna1 and that he   
painted a ,madonna between two ,saints1 
for the church of ,s4 ,francis2 where it
 still is1 and approaches the style of  
,lionardo fully as much as any other    
manner4 ,both pictures1 on comparing the

 style1 seem the work of the same       
artist2 and to this artist also belongs 
a ,nativity1 in the cloister of the     
canons of ,s4 ,salvatore2 and various   
pictures that may be found in some      
private houses with a similar epigraph4 
,if we embrace the opinion of ,vasari1  
we must consider ,giuliano as a feeble  
painter1 but uncommonly careful1 and    
consequently slow4 ,we should rather    
suppose him the imitator of any other   
artist than of ,vinci2 for he is        
described as the fellow student of      
,bonarruoti1 the assistant of           
,albertinelli1 and the colourist of some
 works of ,fra ,bartolommeo4 ,one can   
readily perceive that ,vasari was wrong1
 as in many other instances1 in his     
slight estimation of this artist1 on    
which account he has not paid a due     
attention to his works or to his style4 
,he has represented this man as amiable 
in disposition1 as a picture of         
contented poverty1 as also an unbounded 
admirer of his ,madonnas1 and very      

profuse in his own commendations2       
qualities which rendered him highly     
amusing even to ,michelangiolo4 ,intent 
on amusing his reader with the character
 of the man1 he has not perhaps         
sufficiently rated the merits of the    
artist4 ,this is proved by the little   
respect with which he mentions the      
martyrdom of ,s4 ,catherine in ,s4      
,maria ,novella1 which ,bottari has     
called a work worthy of admiration1 not 
only for the figures of the soldiers1   
which1 as ,giuliano found himself       
unequal to the performance1 were        
outlined with charcoal by               
,michelangiolo1 and afterwards painted  
by ,giuliano2 but for the other parts of
 the story4 ,the truth seems to be1 that
 he had not much invention1 and did not 
adhere to one style2 but now and then   
borrowed a thought2 as in the ,nativity 
already noticed1 where one may recognize
 the style of ,fra ,bartolommeo4 ,on    
considering each figure separately1 he  
appears on the whole happy in his       

imitations1 especially in ,bologna1     
where the ,s4 ,john is held in the      
highest esteem4 ,in ,florence he painted
 many ,madonnas and ,holy ,families1    
which1 with the aid of the ,bolognese   
pictures1 may perhaps be recognized as  
his by their clearness1 the masculine   
and somewhat heavy proportions1 and the 
mouths sometimes expressive of          
melancholy2 although the subject did not
 properly call for it4 ,one of these is 
to be seen in the collection of the     
noble family ,orlandini4  ,michelangiolo
 ,bonarruoti1 of whom memoirs were      
published by two of his disciples while 
he was still living1#acf was born       
twenty-three years after ,lionardo da   
,vinci4 ,like him he was endowed with a 
ready wit1 and consummate eloquence4    
,his bon mots rival those of the        
,grecian painters1 which are recorded by
 ,dati1 and he is even esteemed the most
 witty and lively of his race4 ,he      
possessed not the polish and elegance of
 ,vinci1 but his genius was more vast   

and daring4 ,hence he attained the three
 sister arts in an eminent degree1 and  
has left specimens in painting1         
sculpture1 and architecture1 sufficient 
to immortalize three different artists4 
,like ,vinci he gave proofs of talent in
 his boyish years1 that compelled his   
master to confess his own inferiority4  
,this master was ,domenico ,ghirlandaio1
 who sent his own brother ,benedetto to 
paint in ,france1 from jealousy of his  
preeminence2 and1 perhaps1 fearing the  
wonderful powers of ,bonarruoti1 turned 
his attention to sculpture4 ,lorenzo the
 ,magnificent1 desirous of encouraging  
the statuary art1 which was on the      
decline in his country1 had collected in
 his gardens1 adjacent to the monastery 
of ,s4 ,mark1 many antique marbles2 and 
committing the care of them to          
,bertoldo1 a scholar of ,donatello1 he  
requested of ,ghirlandaio some young man
 to be there educated as a sculptor2 and
 this artist sent him ,michelangiolo4   
,this transaction was disliked by his   

father1 ,lodovico1 in whose mind the art
 appeared degrading to his high birth2  
but he had no reason to repent it4 ,on  
obtaining his object1 ,lorenzo not only 
added to the fortune of ,lodovico1 but  
retained ,michelangiolo in his house1   
rather as a relation than a dependant1  
placing him at the same table with his  
own sons1 with ,poliziano1 and other    
learned men who then graced his         
residence4 ,during the four years that  
he remained there he laid the foundation
 of all his acquirements2 he especially 
studied poetry1 and thus was enabled to 
rival ,vinci in his ,sonnets1 and to    
relish ,dante1 a bard of a sublimity    
beyond the reach of vulgar souls4#acg   
,bonarruoti studied design in the chapel
 of ,masaccio1 he copied the antiques in
 the garden of ,lorenzo1 and attended to
 anatomy1 a science1 to which he is said
 to have dedicated twelve years1 with   
great injury to his health1 and which   
determined his style1 his practice1 and 
his glory4#ach ,to this study he owed   

that style from which he obtained the   
name of the ,dante of the art4 ,as this 
poet made choice of materials very      
difficult to be reduced to verse1 and   
from an abstruse subject extracted the  
praise of sublimity and grandeur1 in    
like manner ,michelangiolo explored the 
untrodden path of design1 and in        
pursuing it1 displayed powers of        
execution at once scientific and        
magnificent4 ,in his works1 man assumes 
that form which1 according to           
,quintilian1#aci ,zeuxis delighted to   
represent2 nervous1 muscular1 and       
robust3 his foreshortenings1 and his    
attitudes are most daring2 his          
expression full of vivacity and energy4 
,the poet and the painter have other    
points of resemblance2 a display of     
knowledge1 from which ,dante appears    
sometimes to critics1 a declaimer rather
 than a poet1 ,bonarruoti1 an anatomist 
rather than a painter2 a neglect of     
elegance1 from which the first often1   
and1 if we subscribe to the opinions of 

the ,caracci and of ,mengs1 the second  
sometimes1 degenerated into             
harshness4#adj ,on points like these1   
which depend wholly on taste1 ,i shall  
not decide1 but content myself with     
warning the reader that such comparisons
 should not be pushed too far3 for this 
poet1 from his desire of surmounting    
difficulties in conception and          
versification1 has sometimes so deviated
 from the usual path1 that he cannot    
always be proposed as a model for       
imitation3 but every design of          
,michelangiolo1 every sketch1 as well as
 his more finished works1 may be        
regarded as a model in art2 if in ,dante
 we trace marks of labour1 in           
,michelangiolo every thing exhibits     
nature and facility4#ada ,it was one of 
his observations1 that the compasses    
ought to lie in the eyes2 a principle   
apparently drawn from ,diodorus         
,siculus1 where he asserts that the     
,egyptians had the rules of measurement 
in their hands2 the ,greeks in their    

eyes4#adb ,nor is such eulogy           
inapplicable to our artist2 who1 whether
 he handled his pen1 his chisel1 or a   
piece of charcoal1 even in sport1 still 
displayed infallible skill in every part
 of his design4  ,bonarruoti was        
extolled to the skies by ,ariosto for   
his painting1 as well as for his        
sculpture2#adc but ,condivi and others  
prefer his chisel to his pencil2 and he 
undoubtedly exercised it more           
professedly and with greater reputation4
 ,his ,moses on the tomb of ,julius     
,,ii4 in the church of ,s4 ,pietro in   
,vincoli1 his ,christ in the ,minerva1  
his ,piety in ,s4 ,pietro ,vaticano1 and
 the statues in the church of ,s4       
,lorenzo at ,florence1 and in the ducal 
palaces1 must be acknowledged to be the 
finest specimens of sculpture1 in       
themselves forming schools of the       
revived art4 ,i will not extol them so  
highly as ,vasari does the colossal     
,david1 placed near the ,palazzo        
,vecchio1 when he says that it bore away

 the palm from every statue1 modern or  
ancient1 either ,grecian or ,roman2 nor 
shall ,i follow his annotator1 ,bottari1
 in whose judgment ,bonarruoti has      
greatly surpassed the ,greeks1 who are  
not so successful in statues larger than
 the life4 ,i have heard competent      
judges remark1 that we do an injury to  
the ,grecian masters1 not only by       
preferring any modern to them1 but even 
by comparing them2 but my pen ought not 
to wander too far from the canvass and  
from colouring4  ,the few remaining     
drawings of ,michelangiolo demonstrate  
how little he painted4 ,conscious of his
 superiority in sculpture1 he seems to  
have dreaded appearing as a second or a 
third-rate painter4 ,the majority of his
 compositions that have reached our     
time1 like those of ,vinci1 are mere    
outlines2 and therefore1 though many    
cabinets are rich in his drawings1 none 
can boast the possession of his         
paintings4 ,the cartoon of the battle of
 ,pisa1 prepared for a competition with 

,vinci in the saloon of the public      
palace at ,florence1 is said to have    
been a wonderful production in this     
species of art4 ,mariette supposes1 in  
the letter above quoted1 that the       
example of ,vinci paved the way for this
 great undertaking1 which he confesses  
surpassed the original4 ,michelangiolo  
did not rest satisfied with representing
 the ,florentines cased in armour1 and  
mingling with their enemies2 but        
choosing the moment of the attack upon  
their van1 while bathing in the river   
,arno1 he seized the opportunity of     
representing many naked figures1 as they
 rushed to arms from the water2 by which
 he was enabled to introduce a          
prodigious variety of foreshortenings1  
attitudes the most energetic1 in a word1
 the highest perfection of his peculiar 
excellences4 ,cellini observes in the   
thirteenth chapter of his life1 that    
when ,michelangiolo painted the chapel  
of ,pope ,julius1 he reached not half   
that dignity2 and ,vasari adds1 that all

 the artists who studied and designed   
after this cartoon1 became eminent2     
among these he reckons the best         
,florentine artists of the second epoch1
 from the time of ,frate1 and to them he
 joined ,raffaello d',urbino4 ,this is a
 point of critical disquisition not yet 
sufficiently cleared up1 though much has
 been written both for and against the  
opinion of ,vasari4 ,i am not of the    
number of those who suppose that the    
labours of ,bonarruoti had no influence 
on the style of ,raffaello1 because it  
appears dissimilar4 ,it would seem to me
 an act of injustice to this divine     
genius1 to imagine that profiting as he 
did by the finest productions of the    
art1 he neglected those sources of      
information4 ,i therefore firmly        
believe1 that ,raffaello likewise       
studied ,michelangiolo1 which he himself
 appears to acknowledge1 as ,i shall    
afterwards relate4 ,i cannot1 however1  
grant to ,vasari that he saw this       
cartoon on his first short visit to     

,florence4#add  ,this cartoon has       
perished1 and report accuses ,baccio    
,bandinelli of tearing it in pieces1    
either that others might not derive     
advantage from viewing it1 or because   
from partiality to ,vinci1 and hatred to
 ,bonarruoti1 he wished to remove a     
subject of comparison1 that might exalt 
the reputation of the latter above that 
of ,lionardo4 ,this circumstance is not 
authenticated1 nor are we much          
interested in the supposed criminal1 who
 though eminent as a designer and a     
sculptor1 painted a very few pieces1    
that may almost all be reduced to an    
,ebriety of ,noah1 and the ,imprisonment
 of the ,fathers of the ,church4 ,baccio
 soon renounced the pencil1 and         
,michelangiolo appears to have done the 
same1 for he was called to ,rome by     
,julius ,,ii4 as a sculptor1 and when   
the ,pope1 about #aejh1 asked him to    
paint the ceiling of the chapel1 he     
declined it1 and wished to transfer the 
commission to ,raffaello4  ,he was1     

however1 constrained to undertake it1   
and1 unaccustomed to work in fresco1 he 
invited some of the best painters in    
this branch from ,florence1#ade that    
they might assist1 or rather that they  
might instruct him4 ,when he had        
acquired what he deemed necessary1 he   
effaced their labours entirely1 and set 
about the work without an assistant4    
,when the task was about half finished1 
he exhibited it for a little time to the
 public4 ,he then applied himself to the
 other part1 but proceeding more slowly 
than the impatience of the pontiff could
 endure1 he was compelled by threats to 
use quicker despatch1 and without       
assistance finished the greater part1   
then incomplete1 in twenty months4 ,i   
have said that he was unaided1 for such 
was the delicacy of his taste1 that no  
artist could please him2 and as in      
sculpture1 every piercer1 file1 and     
chisel1 which he used1 was the work of  
his own hands1 so in painting1 he       
prepared his own colours1 and did not   

commit the mixing and other necessary   
manipulations to mechanics or to        
boys4#adf ,here may be seen those grand 
and finely varied figures of the        
,prophets and the ,sybils1 the style of 
which is pronounced by ,lomazzo1 an     
impartial judge1 because an artist of a 
different school1 to be the finest in   
the world4#adg ,there1 indeed1 the      
dignity of the aspects1 the solemn      
majesty of the eyes1 a certain wild and 
uncommon casting of the drapery1 and the
 attitudes1 whether representing rest or
 motion1 announce an order of beings who
 hold converse with the ,deity1 and     
whose mouths utter what he inspires4    
,amid this display of genius1 the figure
 most admired by ,vasari is that of     
,isaiah1 who1 absorbed in meditation1   
places his right hand in a book1 to     
denote where he had been reading2 and   
with his left elbow on the book1 and his
 cheek resting on that hand1 he turns   
round his head1 without moving the rest 
of his body1 on being called by one of  

the children that are behind him2 a     
figure which1 if attentively studied1   
might fully teach the precepts of a     
master4 ,no less science is displayed in
 his pictures of the ,creation of the   
,world1 of the ,deluge1 of ,judith1 and 
in the other compartments of that vast  
ceiling4 ,all is varied and fanciful in 
the garments1 the foreshortenings1 and  
the attitudes3 all is novel in the      
composition and the designs4 ,he that   
contemplates the pictures of ,sandro and
 his associates on the walls1 and then1 
raising his eyes to the ceiling1 beholds
 ,michelangiolo soaring like an eagle   
above them all1 can hardly believe that 
a man1 not exercised in painting1 in    
what may be considered as his first     
essay1 should so nearly approach the    
greatest masters of antiquity1 and thus 
open a new career to modern artists4    
,in the succeeding pontificates1        
,michelangiolo1 always occupied in      
sculpture and architecture1 almost      
wholly abandoned painting1 till he was  

induced by ,paul ,,iii4 to resume the   
pencil4 ,clement ,,vii4 had conceived   
the design of employing him in the      
,sistine ,chapel on two other grand     
historical pictures2 the ,fall of the   
,angels1 over the gate1 and the ,last   
,judgment1 in the opposite facade1 over 
the altar4 ,michelangiolo had composed  
designs for the ,last ,judgment1 and    
,paul ,,iii4 being aware of this1       
commanded1 or rather entreated him1 to  
commence the work2 for he went to the   
house of ,michelangiolo1 accompanied by 
ten ,cardinals1 an honour1 except in    
this instance1 unknown in the annals of 
the art4 ,on the suggestion of ,f4      
,sebastiano del ,piombo1 he was desirous
 that the picture should be painted in  
oil2 but this he could not procure1 for 
,michelangiolo replied1 that he would   
not undertake it except in fresco1 and  
that oil painting was employment only   
fit for women1 or idlers of mean        
capacity4 ,he caused the plaister       
prepared by ,frate to be thrown down1   

and substituting a rough-cast suited to 
his purpose1 he completed the work in   
eight years1 and exhibited it in #aeda4 
,if in the ceiling of the chapel he     
could not fully satisfy himself1 and was
 unable to retouch it as he wished to do
 after it was dry1 in this immense      
painting he had an opportunity of       
fulfilling his intentions1 and of       
demonstrating to the full the powers of 
his genius4 ,he peopled this space1 and 
disposed innumerable figures awakened by
 the sound of the last trumpet2 bands of
 angels and of devils1 of elected and   
condemned souls3 some of them rising    
from the tomb1 others standing on the   
earth2 some flying to the regions of    
bliss1 while others are dragged down to 
punishment4  ,bottari observes#adh that 
there have been some who affected to    
depreciate this picture1 on comparing it
 with the works of other artists1 by    
remarking how much he might have added  
to the expression1 to the colouring1 or 
to the beauty of the contours3 but      

,lomazzo1 ,felibien1#adi and several    
others1 have not failed on that account 
to acknowledge him supreme in that      
peculiar branch of the profession1 at   
which he aimed in all his works1 and    
especially in this of his ,last         
,judgment4 ,the subject itself appeared 
rather created than selected by him4 ,to
 a genius so comprehensive1 and so      
skilled in drawing the human figure1 no 
subject could be better adapted than the
 ,resurrection2 to an artist who        
delighted in the awful1 no story more   
suitable than the day of supernal       
terrors4 ,he saw ,raffaello pre-eminent 
in every other department of the art3 he
 foresaw that in this alone could he    
expect to be triumphant2 and1 perhaps1  
he indulged the hope also that posterity
 would adjudge the palm to him who      
excelled all others in the most arduous 
walk of art4 ,vasari1 his confidant1 and
 the participator of his thoughts1 seems
 to hint at something of this sort in   
two passages in his ,life of            

,michelangiolo4#aej ,he informs us1 that
 applying himself to the human figure1  
the great object of art1 he neglected   
the attractions of colouring1 all       
sporting of the pencil1 and fantastic   
novelty3 and again1 neither landscapes1 
trees1 nor houses1 are to be seen in it1
 and we even look in vain for some      
degree of variety and ornament1 which   
are never attempted1 probably because he
 disdained to submit his towering genius
 to such objects4 ,i cannot suppose in  
,michelangiolo such arrogance1 nor such 
negligence of his own improvement in an 
art which embraces every object in      
nature1 that he would limit himself to  
the naked figure1 which is a single     
branch1 and to one only character1 his  
own sublime and awful manner4 ,i rather 
imagine1 that discovering his strength  
in this style1 he did not attempt any   
other4 ,there he proceeded as in his    
peculiar province1 and1 what one cannot 
wholly commend1 he observed no limits1  
and wished for no control4 ,this ,last  

,judgment was filled with such a        
profusion of nudity1 that it was in     
great danger of being destroyed3 from a 
regard to the decency of the sanctuary1 
,paul ,,iv4 proposed to white-wash it1  
and was hardly appeased with the        
correction of its most glaring          
indelicacies1 by some drapery introduced
 here and there by ,daniel da ,volterra1
 on whom the facetious ,romans1 from    
this circumstance1 conferred the        
nick-name of the ,breeches-maker4#aea   
,other corrections have been proposed in
 it by different critics1 both with     
regard to the costume and the           
conception4 ,the artist has been        
censured for confounding sacred with    
profane history2 for introducing the    
angels of ,revelation with the ,stygian 
ferryman2 ,christ sitting in judgment1  
and ,minos1 who assigns his proper      
station to each of the damned4 ,to this 
profanity he added satire1 by           
pourtraying in ,minos the features of a 
master of the ceremonies1 who1 in the   

hearing of the ,pope1 had pronounced    
this picture more suitable for a bagnio 
than a church2#aeb but ,bonarruoti did  
not set the example in such composition4
 ,scannelli has expressed a wish that   
there had been greater variety in the   
proportion1 and muscularity according to
 the diversity of age2#aec although1 by 
an evident anachronism1 this criticism  
is attributed to ,vinci1 who died in    
#aeai4 ,albani1 as quoted by            
,malvasia1#aed says1 that had           
,michelangiolo contemplated ,raffaello1 
he might have learned to dispose the    
crowd that surround the judgment-seat of
 ,christ in a superior manner2 but here 
,i am uncertain whether he blames the   
composition or the perspective4#aee ,i  
can discover1 however1 an anachronism in
 his imagining the ,last ,judgment an   
earlier work than it really is by many  
years2 as if it had been executed before
 ,raffaello came to ,rome4  ,i find that
 ,albani rendered justice to the merit  
of ,michelangiolo2 he reckoned not three

 great masters in painting only1 as is  
now commonly done2 but he added a       
fourth1 and thought that ,bonarruoti    
surpassed ,raffaello1 ,tiziano1 and     
,coreggio1 in form and in grandeur4#aef 
,we may here observe1 that when         
,michelangiolo was so inclined1 he could
 obtain distinction for those endowments
 in which the others excelled4 ,it is a 
vulgar error to suppose that he had no  
idea of grace and beauty2 the ,eve of   
the ,sistine ,chapel turns to thank her 
maker1 on her creation1 with an attitude
 so fine and lovely1 that it would do   
honour to the school of ,raffaello4     
,annibale ,caracci admired this1 and    
many other naked figures in this grand  
ceiling1 so highly1 that he proposed    
them to himself as models in the art1   
and according to ,bellori1#aeg preferred
 them to those of the ,last ,judgment1  
that appeared to him too anatomical4 ,in
 chiaroscuro ,michelangiolo had not the 
skill and delicacy of ,coreggio2 but the
 paintings of the ,vatican have a force 

and relief much commended by            
,renfesthein1 an eminent connoisseur1   
who1 on passing from the ,sistine       
,chapel to the ,farnesian gallery1      
remarked how greatly in this respect the
 ,caracci themselves were eclipsed by   
,bonarruoti4 ,dolce speaks less         
favourably of his colouring1#aeh for    
this author was captivated by ,tiziano  
and the ,venetian school3 no one1       
however1 can deny that the colouring of 
,michelangiolo in this chapel is        
admirably adapted to the design1#aei and
 the same1 also1 would have been the    
case with his two pictures in the       
,pauline ,chapel1 the ,crucifixion of   
,s4 ,peter and the ,conversion of ,s4   
,paul1 but they have sustained great    
injury from time4  ,none of his         
paintings are to be seen in public1     
except in those two chapels2 and those  
described as his in collections1 are    
almost all the works of other hands4    
,during his residence at ,florence he   
painted an exquisite ,leda for          

,alphonso1 ,duke of ,ferrara1 to whom   
however it was not sold4 ,michelangiolo1
 offended at the manner in which it was 
demanded by one of the courtiers of that
 prince1 refused to let him have it3 but
 made a present of it to his pupil1     
,antonio ,mini1 who carried it to       
,france4 ,vasari describes it as a grand
 picture1 painted in distemper1 that    
seemed as if breathed on the canvass2   
and ,mariette affirms1 in his notes on  
,condivi1 that he saw the picture in a  
damaged state1 and that it appeared as  
if ,michelangiolo had there forgot his  
usual style1 and approached the tone of 
,tiziano4 ,this expression inclines one 
to suspect that he is describing a copy 
taken in oil by some able painter2      
especially as ,d',argenville informs us 
that this painting was burnt in the     
reign of ,louis ,,xiii4 ,it is said     
there is also one of his pictures1      
representing the ,virgin and the ,divine
 ,infant1 in an upright position1       
standing near the cradle upon a rock1 a 

figure drawn of the size of nature1     
formerly in possession of the noble     
house of ,mocci 7,mozzi7 at ,florence2  
and afterwards transferred to the       
cathedral of ,burgos1 where it still    
remains4#afj ,michelangiolo executed    
likewise a circular ,holy ,family1 with 
some naked figures in the distance1 for 
,agnol ,doni4 ,it is now in the tribune 
of the ,florentine gallery1 in a high   
state of preservation4 ,it is praised by
 ,richardson and some others for the    
vigour of its tints1 and is painted in  
distemper4 ,placed among the works of   
the greatest masters of every school    
that vie with each other in this theatre
 of art1 it appears the most scientific1
 but the least pleasing picture3 its    
author seems the most powerful designer1
 but the feeblest colourist among them  
all4 ,in it aerial perspective is       
neglected1 inasmuch as the figures are  
not indistinct in proportion to their   
diminution1 a fault not uncommon in that
 age4 ,i cannot so readily decide       

whether his style appears in certain    
pictures that are described as his in   
several collections in ,florence1 ,rome1
 and ,bologna1 as well as in the        
catalogue of the imperial gallery at    
,vienna1 and in the royal collections in
 ,spain1 that represent the subjects of 
the ,crucifixion1#afa the ,pieta1#afb   
the ,infant ,jesus asleep1 and the      
,prayer in the ,garden4 ,they resemble  
the design of ,michelangiolo1 but their 
execution betrays another pencil4 ,this 
is rendered probable by the silence of  
,vasari2 their high finish seems        
incredible in an artist1 who1 even in   
sculpture1 very rarely attempted it2 and
 our scepticism is confirmed by the     
opinion of ,mengs1 and other competent  
judges1 whom ,i have consulted to       
elucidate this point4 ,some of them1 in 
which the distribution of the tints was 
perhaps originally made under his       
inspection1 resemble his style4 ,these  
may have been copied by ,fiamminghi1 as 
the tints of some of them indicate1 or  

by other ,italian artists of the various
 schools1 since they differ so much in  
their mode of colouring4 ,some copies   
may be the work of the scholars of      
,michelangiolo1 though ,vasari informs  
us they were all but feeble artists4 ,he
 gives us the names of those who dwelt  
in his house2 ,pietro ,urbano of        
,pistoia1 a man of genius1 but very     
indolent2 ,antonio ,mini of ,florence1  
and ,ascanio ,condivi da ,ripatransone1 
both eager in their profession1 but of  
little talent1 and therefore the authors
 of no work worthy of record4 ,the      
people of ,ferrara include their        
countryman ,filippi in this school1 an  
artist unknown to ,vasari1 but worthy of
 notice4 ,lomazzi mentions ,marco da    
,pino as one of the number4 ,to these   
,palomino adds ,castelli of ,bergamo1   
7whose master1 while he was in ,rome1 is
 not noticed by any of our writers7 and 
,gaspar ,bacerra1 of ,andalusia1 a      
celebrated ,spanish painter4 ,we may    
likewise add ,alonzo ,berrugese1 who is 

reckoned by ,vasari only among those    
that studied the cartoon of             
,michelangiolo1 at ,florence1 with      
,francia1 and other strangers1 who were 
not among his disciples4 ,in the history
 of ,spanish painting1 there is         
mentioned by all the writers a ,roman1  
of the name of ,matteo ,perez           
d',alessio1 or d',alessi4 ,they recount 
that he lived many years at ,seville1   
and produced many works there1 among    
which his ,s4 ,cristoforo1 in the       
cathedral1 which cost #d1jjj crowns1 is 
by far the grandest4 ,they add1 that    
,luigi ,vargas1 a very able disciple of 
,perino del ,vaga1 having returned from 
,rome1 ,alessi was glad to leave the    
field open to him1 and to return into   
,italy2 where ,preziado finds him4      
,indeed he rather finds him at ,rome1   
and at the ,sistine ,chapel1 where two  
histories1 painted opposite to the ,last
 ,judgment of his master1 are ascribed  
to him2 these however are the production
 of ,matteo da ,leccio1 who aimed at    

imitating ,michelangiolo and ,salviati2 
but he is only despised by ,taia1 and by
 every one who has a grain of sense4 ,he
 executed this work in the time of      
,gregory ,,xiii42 and neither he nor the
 supposititious ,alessio1#afc an        
imaginary name1 had any connexion with  
,michelangiolo4 ,the rest we refer to   
the note1 in order to proceed without   
delay to names which may boast a better 
title to such a connexion4  ,many other 
figures and historic compositions were  
designed by ,michelangiolo1 and painted 
at ,rome by ,f4 ,sebastiano del ,piombo1
 an excellent colourist of the ,venetian
 school4 ,the ,pieta in the church of   
,s4 ,francis of ,viterbo1#afd the       
,flagellation1 and ,transfiguration1    
with some other pieces at ,s4 ,pietro in
 ,montorio1 are of this number4 ,two    
,annunciations1 designed by ,bonarruoti1
 were coloured for altar-pieces by      
,marcello ,venusti of ,mantua1 a scholar
 of ,perino1 who adopted the style of   
,michelangiolo1 without apparent        

affectation4 ,the one was put up in the 
church of ,s4 ,giovanni ,laterano1 the  
other in the ,della ,pace4 ,he is said  
to have painted also some cabinet       
pictures after designs of ,bonarruoti2  
as the ,limbo1#afe in the ,colonna      
palace2 the ,christ going to ,mount     
,calvary1 and some other pieces in the  
,borghese2 also the celebrated copy of  
the ,last ,judgment1 which he painted   
for ,cardinal ,farnese1 that still      
exists in ,naples4 ,although a good     
designer1 and the author of many pieces 
described by ,baglione1 he obtained     
greater celebrity by clothing the       
inventions of ,michelangiolo in         
exquisite beauty1 especially in small   
pictures1 of which1 ,vasari says1 he    
executed a great many4 ,this writer1 and
 ,orlandi following him1 have           
erroneously named him ,raffaello1 not   
,marcello4 ,batista ,franco coloured the
 ,rape of ,ganymede1 after a design of  
,bonarruoti1 which was also done by the 
artist who painted the small picture    

which ,d',argenville describes in       
,france2 and another on a larger scale1 
to be seen at ,rome in the possession of
 the ,colonna family3 it was also       
painted in oil by ,giulio ,clovio4      
,pontormo employed himself in a similar 
manner at ,florence1 on the design of   
,venus and ,cupid2 and on the cartoon of
 ,christ appearing to ,mary ,magdalen1 a
 work which was re-executed by him for  
,citta di ,castello1 ,bonarruoti having 
said1 that none could perform it better4
 ,francesco ,salviati painted another of
 his designs1 and ,bugiardini1 as we    
have already noticed1 executed some     
figures designed by him4 ,such is the   
information transmitted to us by        
,vasari2 and he would have been justly  
reprehensible if he had written with    
such minuteness on the drawings of      
,michelangiolo1 and of those employed to
 finish them1 and had neglected to      
inform us as to those pieces which      
,michelangiolo himself executed4 ,hence 
it is not easy to avoid scepticism on   

the genuineness of the ,annunciation1   
the ,flagellation1 or any other oil     
painting ascribed to ,bonarruoti by     
,bottari1 ,d',argenville1 or the        
describers of collections4 ,we have     
noticed his aversion to this method of  
painting4 ,we are informed that during  
his lifetime he employed others in this 
branch2 and we know that after his death
 artists availed themselves of his      
designs2 as ,sabbatini did in a ,pieta  
for the sacristy of the ,church of ,s4  
,peter1 a work copied by some other     
artist for the ,madonna de' ,monti1 and 
some others made known to us by         
,baglione4 ,can we then hesitate as to  
the originality of any picture1 if we   
give credit to the oil paintings of     
,michelangiolo8 ,the portraits of       
,bonarruoti ascribed to his own hand1   
are also1 in my opinion1 supposititious4
 ,vasari knew of no likeness of him     
except the figure cast in bronze by     
,ricciarelli1 and two portraits1 the one
 painted by ,bugiardini1 the other by   

,jacopo del ,conte4 ,from these are     
derived the very old and well known     
portraits1 preserved in the ducal       
gallery1 in the collection of the       
,capitol1 in the ,caprara palace at     
,bologna1 and that in the possession of 
,cardinal ,zelada at ,rome4  ,franco1   
,marco da ,siena1 ,tibaldi1 and other   
foreign artists1 who have imitated      
,michelangiolo1 shall be noticed under  
their respective schools4 ,the          
,florentine school abounded in them1 and
 these we shall consider all together in
 the succeeding epoch4 ,i shall here    
only notice two1 who lived on intimate  
habits with him1 who executed works     
under his own eye1 and for a long time  
received directions from his own lips2  
circumstances which cannot be said of   
,vasari1 of ,salviati1 nor of any other 
able artist of his school4 ,one of these
 was ,francesco ,granacci of ,florence1 
characterized by ,vasari as an excellent
 artist1 who derived much of his merit  
from his early intimacy with            

,michelangiolo4 ,he was the fellow      
student of the latter1 under ,domenico  
,ghirlandaio1 and also in the garden of 
,lorenzo2 and from his precepts1 and by 
studying his cartoon1 he enlarged his   
own manner1 and approached near the     
modern style4 ,after the death of his   
master1 he remained with the brothers of
 that artist1 to complete some of the   
works of the deceased1 and was employed 
in painting some ,holy ,families1 and   
cabinet pictures1 in distemper1 which   
might easily pass under another name1 as
 they resemble the best productions of  
that school4 ,in his new style he never 
entirely abandoned the simplicity of the
 old manner2 but there is a specimen in 
the church of ,s4 ,jacopo               
without-the-walls1 more studied in      
design1 and more determined in the      
colouring4 ,in this picture ,s4 ,zanobi 
and ,s4 ,francis appear near our ,lady  
under a lofty canopy2 a subject then    
familiar in every school4 ,his style    
seems more matured in an ,assumption    

which was in ,s4 ,pier ,maggiore1 a     
church now suppressed3 here he inserted1
 between two other figures1 a ,s4       
,thomas1 wholly in the manner of        
,michelangiolo4 ,few other considerable 
paintings can be ascribed to this       
artist1 who was left in easy            
circumstances by his father1 and painted
 rather as a commendable amusement than 
from necessity4  ,ricciarelli1 usually  
known in history by the name of ,daniele
 di ,volterra1 enjoys a greater name1   
and is generally described as the most  
successful follower of ,michelangiolo4  
,educated in ,siena1 according to       
report1 by ,peruzzi and ,razzi1 he      
became the assistant of ,perino del     
,vaga1 and acquired an astonishing      
talent for imitating ,bonarruoti1 who   
greatly esteemed him1 appointed him his 
substitute in the labours of the        
,vatican1 brought him into notice1 and  
assisted and enriched him with designs4 
,it is known that ,michelangiolo was    
often with ,daniele when he painted in  

the ,farnese palace1 and it is said that
 ,bonarruoti1 during his absence1 ,o    
vero o falso che la fama suoni1 mounted 
the scaffold1 and sketched with charcoal
 a colossal head that is still seen     
there4 ,volterra let it remain1 that    
posterity might judge of the powers of  
,bonarruoti1 who without pre-meditation 
and in mere jest1 had finished a work in
 such proportion1 and so perfect4 ,nor  
did ,daniele execute1 without the       
assistance of ,michelangiolo1 the       
wonderful ,descent from the ,cross in   
the ,trinita de' ,monti1 which1 together
 with the ,transfiguration by           
,raffaello1 and the ,s4 ,girolamo of    
,domenichino1 may be reckoned among the 
finest paintings in ,rome4#aff ,we seem 
to behold the mournful spectacle1 and   
the ,redeemer sinking with the natural  
relaxation of a dead body in descending3
 the pious men engaged in various       
offices1 and thrown in different and    
contrasted attitudes1 appear assiduously
 occupied with the sacred remains which 

they seem to venerate2 the mother of    
,jesus having fainted between the       
sorrowing women1 the beloved disciple   
extends his arms and bends over her4    
,there is a truth in the naked figures  
that seems perfect nature2 a colouring  
in the faces and the whole piece that   
suits the subject1 and is more          
determined than delicate2 a relief1 a   
harmony1 and1 in a word1 a skill that   
might do honour to the hand of          
,michelangiolo himself1 had the picture 
been inscribed with his name4 ,to this  
the artist1 ,i believe1 alluded1 when he
 painted ,bonarruoti with a mirror near 
it2 as if in this picture he might      
behold a reflection of himself4         
,volterra painted some other            
,crucifixions in the ,orsini ,chapel1   
where he was employed for seven years2  
but they are inferior to that described 
above4 ,he employed his pupils in       
another chapel of that church1 7,michele
 ,alberti1 according to the ,guide to   
,rome1 and ,gio4 ,paolo ,rossetti17 and 

supplied them with designs2 one of which
 he himself executed in a picture1 with 
figures of a moderate size4 ,the subject
 is the ,murder of the ,innocents1 and  
it is now deposited in the ,tribune of  
the ,royal ,gallery of ,florence2 an    
honour that speaks more for it than my  
eulogy4 ,the ,grand ,duke ,leopold      
purchased it at a high price from a     
church in ,volterra1 where there is now 
no other public specimen of this master4
 ,the ,ricciarelli family possess a fine
 ,elijah1 as an inheritance and memorial
 of this great man2 and a beautiful     
fresco remains in a study in the house  
of the ,dottor ,mazzoni1 relating to    
which we may refer the reader to the    
excellent historiographer of ,volterra1 
7tom4 i4 p4 #agg74  ,there was a youth  
of ,florence1 named ,baccio della       
,porta1 because his study was near a    
gate of that city2 but having become a  
,dominican1 he obtained that of ,fra    
,bartolommeo di ,s4 ,marco1 from the    
convent where he resided1 or1 more      

shortly1 that of ,frate4 ,whilst he     
studied under ,rosselli1 he became      
enamoured of the grand chiaro-scuro of  
,vinci1 and emulated him assiduously4   
,we read that his friend ,albertinelli  
studied modelling1 and copied ancient   
basso-relievos1 from a desire of        
obtaining correctness in his shadows2   
and we may conjecture the same of       
,baccio1 although ,vasari is silent on  
this head4 ,the ,prince has a ,nativity 
and ,circumcision of ,christ in his     
early manner2 most graceful little      
pictures1 resembling miniatures4 ,about 
this period he also painted his own     
portrait in the lay habit1 a full-length
 figure1 most skilfully inclosed in a   
small space1 and now in the splendid    
collection of the ,signori ,montecatini 
at ,lucca4 ,he entered the cloister in  
#aejj1 at the age of thirty-one1 and for
 four years never handled the pencil4   
,the execution of ,savonarola1 whom he  
knew and respected1 preyed upon his     
mind2 and1 like ,botticelli and ,credi1 

he gave up the art4 ,when he again      
resumed it1 he seems to have advanced   
daily in improvement1 during the last   
thirteen or fourteen years of his life2 
so that his earlier productions1 though 
very beautiful1 are inferior to his     
last4 ,his improvement was accelerated  
by ,raffaello1 who came to ,florence to 
pursue his studies in #aejd1 contracted 
a friendship for him1 and was at the    
same time his scholar in colouring1 and 
his master in perspective4#afg ,having  
gone to ,rome some years after1 to see  
the works of ,bonarruoti and ,raffaello1
 if ,i am not deceived1 he greatly      
elevated his style2 but his manner was  
at all times more conformable to that of
 his friend than of his fellow citizen1 
uniting dignity with grace in his heads 
and in his general design4 ,the picture 
in the ,pitti palace is a proof of this1
 which ,pietro da ,cortona imagined to  
be the work of ,raffaello1 though ,frate
 had painted it before he went to ,rome4
 ,in that place he appeared with        

diminished lustre1 says the historian1  
in the presence of those two great      
luminaries of the art1 and speedily     
returned to ,florence2 a circumstance   
which also happened to ,andrea del      
,sarto1 to ,rosso1 and to other truly   
eminent masters1 whose modesty was equal
 to the confidence of innumerable       
artists of mediocrity1 who frequently   
enjoyed at ,rome much ill placed        
patronage4 ,frate left there two figures
 of the ,chief ,apostles1 that are      
preserved in the ,quirinal palace2 the  
,s4 ,peter1 which was not finished1 had 
its last touches from the hand of       
,raffaello4 ,one of his pictures is also
 in the ,vatican palace1 where it was   
deposited by ,pius ,,vi41 with many     
other choice paintings4 ,a ,holy ,family
 exists in the ,corsini collection by   
the same hand1 and is perhaps his finest
 and most graceful performance4  ,his   
most finished productions are in        
,tuscany1 which boasts various          
altar-pieces1 and all of them very      

valuable4 ,their composition is in the  
usual style of the age1 which may be    
observed in the production of every     
school1 not even excepting ,raffaello1  
and which continued in the ,florentine  
until the time of ,pontormo2 viz4 a     
,madonna seated1 with an infant ,jesus1 
and accompanied by saints4 ,but in this 
hackneyed subject1 ,frate distinguished 
himself by grand architecture1 by       
magnificent flights of steps1 and by the
 skilful grouping of his saints and     
cherubims4 ,he introduces them1 one     
while seated in concert1 another time   
poised on their wings to minister to    
their king and queen2 of whom some      
support the drapery1 others have charge 
of the pavilion1 a rich and happily     
conceived ornament1 which he readily    
connected with such thrones1 even in    
cabinet pictures4 ,he departed from this
 mode of composition in a picture that  
he left at ,s4 ,romano of ,lucca1 called
 ,madonna della ,misericordia1 who sits 
in an attitude full of grace1 amid a    

crowd of devotees1 shielding them with  
her mantle from the wrath of heaven4    
,his rivals occasioned the production of
 two more altar-pieces3 according to the
 example of other eminent men1 he       
answered their sneers by his classic    
performances2 a retort the most galling 
to the invidious4 ,they had stigmatized 
him as unequal to large proportions2 and
 he filled a large piece with a single  
figure of ,s4 ,mark1 which is admired as
 a prodigy of art in the ducal gallery1 
and is described by a learned foreigner 
as a ,grecian statue transformed into a 
picture4 ,he was accused of being       
ignorant of the anatomy of the human    
figure2 and to refute this calumny he   
introduced a naked ,s4 ,sebastian in    
another picture1 which was so perfect in
 drawing and in colouring1 that it      
received the unbounded applause of      
artists2 but becoming too much the      
admiration of the female devotees of    
that church1 it was first removed by the
 fathers into a private room1 and was   

afterwards sold1 and sent into ,france4 
,to sum up all1 he knew how to excel at 
pleasure1 in every department of        
painting4 ,his design is most chaste1   
and his youthful faces are more full and
 fleshy than was usual with ,raffaello2 
and according to ,algarotti1 they are   
but little elevated above the standard  
of ordinary men1 and approach to        
vulgarity4 ,his tints at one period     
abounded with shadows produced by lamp  
black or ivory black1 which impairs the 
value of some of his pictures2 but he   
gradually acquired a better manner1 and1
 as we have related1 was able to        
instruct ,raffaello4 ,in firmness and   
clearness he yields not to the best of  
the school of ,lombardy4 ,he was the    
inventor of a new method of casting     
draperies2 having taught the use of the 
wooden figure1 with moveable joints1    
that serves admirably for the study of  
the folds of drapery4 ,none of his      
school painted them more varied and     
natural1 with more breadth1 or better   

adapted to the limbs4 ,his works are to 
be seen in several private collections  
in ,florence2 but they are rare beyond  
the precincts of that city3 they are    
there eagerly sought after by           
foreigners1 but are very rarely to be   
sold4 ,one of his ,madonnas was procured
 within these few years by his          
,excellency the ,major-,domo of the     
ducal household1 whose collection may be
 reckoned another ,florentine ,gallery  
in miniature1 consisting of about thirty
 pictures of the best masters of        
different schools4 ,the ,fathers of ,s4 
,mark have a considerable number of his 
paintings in their private chapel1 and  
among these is a ,s4 ,vincenzo1 said by 
,bottari to resemble a work of ,tiziano 
or ,giorgione4 ,his best and rarest     
performances are in the possession of   
the ,prince1 in whose collection the    
last work of ,fra ,bartolommeo remains1 
a large picture in chiaroscuro1         
representing the patron saints of the   
city surrounding the ,virgin ,mary4 ,the

 ,gonfalonier ,soderini intended this   
piece for the ,hall of the ,council of  
,state2 but it was left only as a design
 at the death of its author1 in #aeag1  
like the projected works of ,vinci and  
,bonarruoti4 ,it would seem as if some  
fatality attended the decoration of this
 building1 which ought to have employed 
the pencil of the greatest native       
artists4 ,among this number ,frate must 
undoubtedly be included2 and ,richardson
 remarks1 that had he possessed the     
happy combinations of ,raffaello1 he1   
perhaps1 would not have been second to  
that master4#afh ,the last mentioned    
production1 though imperfect1 is looked 
upon as a model in the art4 ,the method 
of this artist was first to draw the    
figure naked1 then to drape it1 and to  
form a chiaroscuro1 sometimes in oils1  
that marked the distribution of the     
light and shadow1 which constituted his 
great study1 and the soul of his        
pictures4 ,this large picture           
demonstrates such preparatives2 and it  

has as high a value in painting1 as the 
antique plaster models have in          
sculpture1 in which ,winckelmann        
discovers the stamp of genius and       
compass of design better than in        
sculptured marbles4  ,mariotto          
,albertinelli1 the fellow student and   
friend of ,baccio1 the sharer of his    
labours and his concerns1 emulated his  
first style1 and approaches to his      
second in some of his works2 but they   
may be compared to two streams springing
 from the same source2 the one to become
 a brook1 the other a mighty river4     
,some pictures in ,florence are supposed
 to be their joint performances2 and the
 ,marquis ,acciaiuoli possesses a       
picture of the ,assumption1 in the upper
 part of which are the ,apostles1 by    
,baccio1 and the lower is deemed the    
work of ,mariotto4 ,he is somewhat dry  
in several of his pictures1 as in the   
,s4 ,silvestro1 in ,monte ,cavallo at   
,rome2 where he also painted a ,s4      
,domenick1 and a ,s4 ,catharine of      

,siena1 near the throne of the ,virgin  
,mary4 ,he should likewise be known at  
,florence4 ,he executed two pictures for
 the church of ,s4 ,giuliano1 remarkable
 for the force of colouring1 and the    
many imitations of the style of ,frate4 
,the best of all and the nearest to his 
model is the ,visitation1 transferred   
from the ,congregazione de' ,preti to   
the ,ducal gallery1 and even to its most
 honoured place1 the ,tribune4          
,albertinelli obtained great credit by  
his two pupils1 ,franciabigio and       
,innocenzio da ,imola1 of whom ,i shall 
speak in the proper place as ornaments  
of their school4 ,i find ,visino praised
 beyond them both3 he painted but little
 in ,florence1 and that in private2 but 
he was much employed in ,hungary4       
,benedetto ,cianfanini1 ,gabriele       
,rustici1 and ,cecchin del ,frate1 who  
inherited his master's name1 were the   
scholars of ,fra ,bartolommeo in his    
best time2 but they are no longer known 
by any undoubted works4 ,fra ,paolo da  

,pistoia1 his colleague1 who was        
honoured in his own country with a      
medal1 which ,i have seen1 with those of
 many eminent men of ,pistoia1 in the   
possession of the ,sign4 ,dottor        
,visoni1 obtained the richest           
inheritance in all the studies of       
,baccio2 and from his designs this      
artist painted many pictures at         
,pistoia1 one of which may be seen in   
the parochial church of ,s4 ,paul1 over 
the great altar4 ,those designs were    
afterwards carried to ,florence1 and in 
the time of ,vasari there was a         
collection of them at the ,dominican    
convent of ,s4 ,catharine1 in the hands 
of ,sister ,plautella ,nelli4 ,the noble
 family of this lady possesses a        
,crucifixion painted by her1 in which   
there is a multitude of small figures   
most highly finished4 ,she seems on the 
whole a good imitation of ,frate2 but   
she also followed other styles1 as may  
be seen in her convent4 ,a ,descent from
 the ,cross is there shewn1 said to be  

the design of ,andrea del ,sarto1 but   
the execution is by her2 and likewise an
 ,epiphany1 entirely her own1 in which  
the landscape would do honour to the    
modern1 but the figures savour of the   
old school4  ,andrea ,vannucchi1 called 
,andrea del ,sarto1 from the occupation 
of his father1 is commended by ,vasari  
as the first artist of this school1 for 
being the most faultless painter of the 
,florentines1 for perfectly             
understanding the principles of         
chiaroscuro1 for representing the       
indistinctness of objects in shadow1 and
 for painting with a sweetness truly    
natural3 he1 moreover1 taught how to    
give a perfect union to frescos1 and in 
a great measure obviated the necessity  
of retouching them when dry1 a          
circumstance which gives all his works  
the appearance of having been finished  
in one day4 ,he is censured by          
,baldinucci1 as barren in invention2 and
 undoubtedly he wanted that elevation of
 conception1 which constitutes the epic 

in painting as well as in poetry4       
,deficient in this talent1 ,andrea is   
said to have been modest1 elegant1 and  
endued with sensibility2 and it appears 
that he impressed this character on     
nature wherever he employed his pencil4 
,the portico of the ,nunziata1          
transformed by him into a gallery of    
inestimable value1 is the fittest place 
to judge of this4 ,those chaste outlines
 that procured him the surname of       
,andrea the ,faultless1 those           
conceptions of graceful countenances1   
whose smiles remind us of the simplicity
 and grace of ,correggio1#afi that      
appropriate architecture1 those         
draperies1 adapted to every condition1  
and cast with ease1 those popular       
expressions of curiosity1 of            
astonishment1 of confidence1 of         
compassion1 and of joy1 that never      
transgress the bounds of decorum1 which 
are understood at first sight1 and      
gently affect the mind without agitating
 it1 are charms that are more readily   

felt than expressed4 ,he who feels what 
,tubules is in poetry1 may conceive what
 ,andrea is in painting4  ,this artist  
demonstrates the ascendancy of native   
genius over precept4 ,when a boy he was 
put under the tuition of ,giovanni      
,barile1 a good carver in wood1 employed
 on the ceilings and doors of the       
,vatican1 after the designs of          
,raffaello1 but a painter of no         
celebrity4 ,while still a youth1 he was 
consigned to ,pier di ,cosimo1 a        
practical colourist1 but by no means    
skilled in drawing or in composition3   
hence the taste of ,andrea in these arts
 was formed on the cartoons of ,vinci   
and ,bonarruoti2 and1 as many           
circumstances indicate1 on the frescos  
of ,masaccio and of ,ghirlandaio1 in    
which the subjects were more suited to  
his mild disposition4 ,he went to ,rome1
 but ,i know not in what year2 that he  
was there1 appears not to me to admit of
 dispute1 as in the case of ,correggio4 
,i do not argue this from his style     

approaching near to that of ,raffaello1 
as it appeared also to ,lomazzo and     
other writers1 though with less of ideal
 beauty4 ,raffaello and ,andrea had     
studied the same originals at ,florence2
 and nature might have given them       
corresponding ideas for the selection of
 the beautiful4 ,i ground my opinion    
entirely on ,vasari4 ,he informs us1    
that ,andrea was at ,rome1 that seeing  
the works of the scholars of ,raffaello1
 timidity induced him to despair of     
equalling them1 and to return speedily  
to ,florence4 ,if we credit so many     
other stories of the pusillanimity of   
,andrea1 why should we reject this8 or  
what faith shall we give to ,vasari1 if 
he was erroneous in a circumstance      
relating to one who was his master1 and 
which was written in ,florence soon     
after the death of ,andrea1 while his   
scholars1 his friends1 and even his     
wife1 were still living1 an assertion1  
too1 uncontradicted in the second       
edition1 in which ,vasari retracted so  

much of what he had affirmed in the     
first8  ,his improvement and his        
progress from one perfection in art to  
another was thus not sudden1 as has     
happened to some other artists2 but was 
gradually acquired during many years    
residence at ,florence4 ,there1 by      
reflecting on what he had seen1 he      
attained such eminence that his works   
have been esteemed1 and admired1 and    
even more imitated after his death1 than
 in his lifetime3 so says the historian4
 ,this implies that he improved at      
,rome2 chiefly1 however1 by his own     
genius1 which led him1 as it were1 by   
the hand1 from one step to another1 as  
may be observed in the ,compagnia dello 
,scalzo1 and in the convent of the      
,servi1 where some of his pictures1     
executed at different periods1 are to be
 seen4 ,at the ,scalzo1 he painted some 
stories from the life of ,s4 ,john in   
chiaroscuro1 the cartoons for which are 
in the ,rinuccini palace3 in this work  
we may notice some palpable imitations1 

and even some figures borrowed from     
,albert ,durer4 ,we may trace his early 
style in the ,baptism of ,christ2 his   
subsequent progress1 in some other      
pictures1 as in the ,visitation1 painted
 some years after2 and his greatest     
excellence and broadest manner in       
others1 especially in the ,birth of the 
,baptist4 ,in like manner1 the pictures 
from the life of ,s4 ,filippo ,benizi1  
in the lesser cloister of the ,servi1   
are very beautiful productions1 though  
they are among the first efforts of     
,andrea's genius4 ,the ,epiphany of our 
,saviour1 and the ,birth of the ,virgin 
in the same place1 are more finished    
works2 but his finest piece is that     
,holy ,family in ,repose1 which is      
usually called ,madonna del ,sacco1 from
 the sack of grain on which ,s4 ,joseph 
leans1 than which few pictures are more 
celebrated in the history of the art4   
,it has frequently been engraved2 but   
after two centuries and a half1 it has  
at length employed an engraver worthy of

 it in ,morghen1 who has recently       
executed it1 and also a similar         
composition after ,raffaello4 ,both     
prints are in the best collections2 and 
to those who have not seen either ,rome 
or ,florence1 ,andrea appears rather a  
rival than an inferior to the prince of 
painters4 ,on examining this picture    
narrowly1 it affords endless scope for  
observation3 it is finished as if       
intended for a cabinet2 every hair is   
distinguished1 every middle tint is     
lowered with consummate art1 every      
outline marked with admirable variety   
and grace3 and amid all this diligence a
 facility is conspicuous1 that makes the
 whole appear natural and unconstrained4
  ,in the ducal palace at ,poggio a     
,caiano1 there is a fresco picture of   
,caesar1 seated in a hall1 ornamented   
with statues1 on a lofty seat1 to whom a
 great variety of exotic birds and wild 
animals are presented as the tribute of 
his victories2 a work of itself         
sufficient to mark ,andrea as a painter 

eminent in perspective1 in a knowledge  
of the antique1 and in every excellence 
of painting4 ,the order for ornamenting 
that palace came from ,leo ,x42 and     
,andrea1 who had there to contend with  
,franciabigio and ,pontormo1 exerted all
 his energy to please that encourager of
 art1 and to surpass his competitors4   
,the other artists seem to have been    
discouraged1 and did not proceed3 some  
years after ,alessandro ,allori put a   
finishing hand to the hall4 ,the royal  
palace possesses a treasure in the oil  
pictures of ,andrea4 ,independent of the
 ,s4 ,francis1 the ,assumption1 and     
other pictures1 collected by the family 
of the ,medici1 the ,grand ,duke        
,leopold purchased a very fine ,pieta   
from the nuns of ,lugo1 and placed it in
 the ,tribune as an honour to the       
school4 ,the introduction of ,s4 ,peter 
and ,s4 ,paul in that piece1 contrary to
 historical facts1 is not the error of  
the painter who represented them so     
admirably1 but of those who commissioned

 the picture4 ,critics have remarked a  
slight defect in the dead ,christ1 which
 they think sustains itself more1 and   
has a greater fulness of the veins1 than
 is suitable to a dead body3 but this is
 immaterial in a picture the other parts
 of which are designed1 coloured1 and   
composed1 so as to excite astonishment4 
,a ,last ,supper1 if it were not        
confined to the cloisters of the        
monastery of ,s4 ,salvi1 would1 perhaps1
 be equally admired4 ,the soldiers who  
besieged ,florence in #aebi1 and        
destroyed the suburbs of the city1      
undoubtedly admired it3 after           
demolishing the belfry1 the church1 and 
part of the monastery1 they were        
astonished on beholding this ,last      
,supper1 and had not resolution to      
destroy it2 imitating that ,demetrius   
who1 at the siege of ,rhodes1 is said to
 have respected nothing but a picture by
 ,protegenes4#agj  ,andrea painted a    
great deal2 and on this account is well 
known beyond the limits of his own      

country4 ,perhaps his best performance  
in the hands of strangers is a picture  
translated to a palace in ,genoa from   
the church of the ,domenicans of        
,sarzana1 who possess several others1   
very beautiful4 ,it is composed in the  
manner of ,f4 ,bartolommeo2 and besides 
the ,saints distributed around the      
,virgin1 or on the steps1 four of whom  
are standing and two on their knees1    
there are two large figures in the      
foreground that seem to start from the  
lower part of the picture1 and are seen 
as high as the knee4 ,i am aware that   
this disposition of the figures         
displeases the critics2 yet it gives    
variety in the position of so many      
figures1 and introduces a great distance
 between the nearest and most remote1 by
 which the space seems augmented1 and   
every figure produces effect4 ,the best 
collections are not deficient in his    
,holy ,families4 ,the ,marquis          
,rinuccini1 at ,florence1 possesses two2
 and some of the illustrious ,romans    

have even a greater number2 but all     
different1 except that the features of  
the ,virgin1 which ,andrea usually      
copied from his wife1 have always some  
resemblance4 ,many others may be seen in
 ,rome and in ,florence1 and not a few  
in ,lombardy1 besides those noticed in  
the catalogues of foreign nations4  ,so 
much genius merited success3 and yet if 
one was to write a book on the          
misfortunes of painters1 as has already 
been done on those of authors1 nothing  
would awaken more compassion than the   
lot of ,andrea4 ,the poverty of         
,correggio is exaggerated1 or perhaps   
untrue2 the misery of ,domenichino had a
 termination2 the ,caracci were ill     
rewarded1 but lived in easy             
circumstances4 ,andrea1 from his        
marriage with ,lucrezia del ,fede until 
his death1 was almost always pressed    
with griefs4 ,in his first edition1     
,vasari says1 that he was despised by   
his friends1 and abandoned by his       
employers1 from the time of his marriage

 with this woman2 that1 the slave of her
 will1 he left his father and mother to 
starve2 that through her arrogance and  
violence none of the scholars of ,andrea
 could continue long with him2 and this 
must have happened to ,vasari himself4  
,in the second edition he omitted this  
censure1 either because he repented of  
it1 or was appeased2 but did not1       
however1 conceal that she was a         
perpetual source of misfortune to her   
husband4 ,he there repeated that ,andrea
 was invited to the ,french court by    
,francis ,i4 where1 caressed and        
rewarded1 he might have excited the envy
 of every artist2 but influenced by the 
womanish complaints of ,lucrezia1 he    
returned to ,florence2 and remained in  
his own country1 in violation of his    
faith solemnly pledged to that monarch4 
,he afterwards repented and was anxious 
to regain his former situation2 but his 
efforts were ineffectual4 ,he dragged   
out a miserable existence1 amid jealousy
 and domestic wretchedness1 until1      

infected with the plague1 and abandoned 
by his wife and every other individual1 
he died1 in #aecj1 in the forty-second  
year of his age1 and had a very mean    
funeral4  ,the two who approximated most
 nearly to the style of ,andrea were    
,marco ,antonio ,francia ,bigi1 as he is
 named by ,baldinucci1 called also      
,franciabigio1 or ,francia1 as ,vasari  
denominates him1 and ,pontormo4 ,francia
 was the scholar of ,albertinelli for a 
few months1 and then appears to have    
formed himself on the best models of the
 school2 and few are commended so highly
 by ,vasari for a knowledge of anatomy1 
for perspective1 for the daily habit of 
drawing the naked figure1 and the       
exquisite finish of all his             
performances4 ,one of his ,annunciations
 was formerly in ,s4 ,pier ,maggiore2   
the figures were small and highly       
finished1 accompanied by good           
architecture1 but not without a certain 
degree of dryness4 ,andrea1 his friend1 
and the associate of his studies1 helped

 him to a more elevated style4 ,from a  
companion ,francia became his           
enthusiastic follower2 but1 inferior in 
talents1 he never attained the art of   
representing such sweetness of          
disposition1 affection so true1 and     
grace so natural4 ,a semicircular piece 
of his1 representing the ,marriage of   
the ,virgin1 may be seen near the works 
of ,andrea1 in the cloister of the      
,nunziata1 where we recognize him as a  
painter who sought to attain by labour  
what the other accomplished by genius4  
,this work was never completed4 ,some of
 the monks having uncovered it before it
 was finished1 the artist was so        
offended that he struck the work some   
blows with a hammer1 in order to deface 
it2 and though they prevented his       
accomplishing this1 he never after could
 be prevailed on to complete it1 and no 
other dared to undertake the task4 ,he  
was a competitor with ,andrea also in   
the ,scalzo1 where he executed two      
histories that are not much eclipsed by 

the pictures in their vicinity4 ,he     
imitated his friend likewise at ,poggio 
a ,caiano1 in a picture of the return of
 ,cicero from exile3 a work of merit1   
though never finished4 ,it is the great 
glory of his pencil1 that it was so     
often employed in contending with       
,andrea1 in whom it awakened emulation  
and industry1 from the fear of being    
surpassed4  ,jacopo ,carrucci1 called   
,pontormo1 from the place of his        
nativity1 was a man of rare genius1     
whose early productions obtained the    
admiration of ,raffaello and            
,michelangiolo4 ,he got a few lessons   
from ,vinci1 and was afterwards under   
the care of ,albertinelli1 and ,pier di 
,cosimo1 but he finally became the pupil
 of ,andrea4 ,he excited the jealousy of
 this master1 was induced by unhandsome 
treatment to withdraw from his school1  
and afterwards became not only the      
imitator of ,andrea1 but his rival in   
many undertakings4 ,the ,visitation in  
the cloister of the ,servi1 the picture 

of several saints at ,s4 ,michelino1 the
 two pictures of the ,history of        
,joseph1 represented in minute figures1 
in an apartment of the ducal gallery1   
shew that he trod without difficulty in 
the footsteps of his master1 and that   
congeniality of talent led him into a   
similar path4 ,i use the term similar2  
for he is not a copyist1 like those who 
borrow heads or whole figures1 but      
invariably retains a peculiar           
originality4 ,i saw one of his ,holy    
,families in the possession of the      
,marquis ,cerbone ,pucci1 along with    
others by ,baccio1 by ,rosso1 and       
,andrea3 the picture by ,pontormo vied  
with them all2 but yet was sufficiently 
characteristic4  ,he had a certain      
singularity of disposition1 and readily 
abandoned one style to try a better2 but
 he was often unsuccessful2 as likewise 
happened to ,nappi1 of ,milan2 to       
,sacchi1 of ,rome2 and to every other   
artist who has made this attempt1 at an 
age too far advanced for a change of    

manner4 ,the ,carthusian ,monastery at  
,florence has some of his works1 from   
which connoisseurs have inferred the    
three styles attributed to him4 ,the    
first is correct in design1 vigorous in 
colouring1 and approaches the manner of 
,andrea4 ,in the second the drawing is  
good1 but the colouring somewhat        
languid2 and this style became the model
 for ,bronzino and the artists of the   
succeeding epoch4 ,the third is a close 
imitation of ,albert ,durer1 not only in
 the composition but in the heads and   
draperies2 a manner certainly unworthy  
of so promising an outset4 ,it is       
difficult to find specimens of ,pontormo
 in this style1 except some histories of
 the ,passion1 which he servilely copied
 from the prints of ,albert ,durer1 for 
the cloister of that monastery1 where he
 trifled away several years4 ,we might  
perhaps notice a fourth manner1 if the  
,deluge and ,last ,judgment1 on which he
 spent eleven years at ,s4 ,lorenzo1 had
 still existed3 but this his last       

performance1 with the tacit consent of  
every artist1 was whitewashed4 ,here he 
attempted to imitate ,michelangiolo1 and
 like him to afford a model of the      
anatomical style1 which at this time    
began to be extolled at ,florence above 
every other3 but he taught us a         
different lesson1 and only succeeded in 
demonstrating that an old man ought not 
to become the votary of fashion4        
,andrea pursued the custom of ,raffaello
 and other artists of that age1 in      
conducting his works with the assistance
 of painters experienced in his style1  
whether they were friends or scholars2 a
 remark not useless to those who may    
trace in his pictures the labours of    
another pencil4 ,it is known that he    
gave ,pontormo some pieces to finish1   
and that he retained one ,jacone1 and a 
,domenico ,puligo2 two individuals who  
possessed a natural turn for painting1  
ready and willing to try every species  
of imitation1 and more desirous of      
recreation than of fame4 ,the facade of 

the ,buondelmonte ,palace1 at ,s4       
,trinita1 by the former1 was highly     
extolled4 ,it was in chiaroscuro2 the   
drawing1 in which department he         
excelled1 was very beautiful1 and the   
whole conducted in the manner of        
,andrea4 ,he also executed some oil     
pictures at ,cortona1 which are much    
commended by ,vasari4 ,domenico ,puligo 
was less skilled in design than in      
colouring3 his tints were sweet1        
harmonious1 and clear1 but he apparently
 aimed at covering the outline1 to      
relieve him from the necessity of       
perfect accuracy4 ,by this mark he is   
sometimes recognized in ,madonnas and in
 cabinet pictures1 7his usual           
occupation7 which having been perhaps   
designed by ,andrea1 at first sight pass
 for the work of that master4 ,domenico 
,conti was likewise very intimate with  
,andrea1 was his scholar and the heir to
 his drawings2 and that great artist was
 honoured with a tomb and epitaph       
designed by ,conti1 in the vicinity of  

his own immortal works in the ,nunziata4
 ,excepting this circumstance1 ,vasari  
notices nothing praiseworthy in ,conti1 
and therefore ,i shall take no more     
notice of him4 ,he gives a more         
favourable opinion of ,pierfrancesco di 
,jacopo di ,sandro1 on account of his   
three pictures in the church of ,s4     
,spirito4 ,he makes honourable mention  
of two other artists1 who lived long in 
,france1 viz4 ,nannoccio and ,andrea    
,squazzella1 who always retained a      
similarity to the style of ,andrea del  
,sarto4 ,it is not our present business 
to notice those who abandoned it2 for in
 this work it is my wish to keep sight  
rather of the different styles than of  
the masters4  ,the fine copies that so  
often pass for originals1 in ,florence  
and other places1 are chiefly the work  
of the above mentioned artists2 nor does
 it seem credible that ,andrea copied so
 closely his own inventions1 and reduced
 them with his own hand from the great  
scale to small dimensions4 ,i have seen 

one of his ,holy ,families1 in which ,s4
 ,elizabeth appears1 in ten or twelve   
collections2 and other pictures in three
 or four private houses4 ,i found the   
,s4 ,lorenzo surrounded by other saints1
 at the ,pitti ,palace1 in the ,albani  
gallery2 the ,visitation1 in the        
,giustiniani palace2 the ,birth of our  
,lady1 in the convent of the ,servi1 in 
the possession of ,sig4 ,pirri1 at      
,rome3 all these are beautiful little   
pictures1 all on small panels1 all of   
the old school1 and all believed the    
work of ,andrea4 ,it seems to me not    
improbable that the best of these were  
at least painted in his studio1 and     
retouched by him1 a practice adopted by 
,tiziano1 and even by ,raffaello4       
,rosso1 who contended in the cloisters  
of the ,nunziata1 with the best masters1
 and who appears in his ,assumption to  
have aimed at a work not so much        
superior in beauty as in size to the    
productions of the other artists1 is    
among the greatest painters of his      

school4 ,endowed with a creative fancy1 
he disdained to follow any of his       
countrymen or strangers2 and indeed one 
recognizes much originality in his      
style3 his heads are more spirited1 his 
head dresses and ornaments are more     
tasteful1 his colouring more lively1 his
 distribution of light and shade        
broader1 and his pencilling more firm   
and free1 than had been hitherto seen in
 ,florence4 ,he appears in short to have
 introduced into that school a peculiar 
spirit1 that would have been            
unexceptionable1 had it not been mingled
 with something of extravagance4 ,thus1 
in the ,transfiguration at ,citta di    
,castello1 instead of the ,apostles he  
introduced a band of gypsies at the     
bottom of the picture4 ,his picture in  
the ,pitti palace1 however1 is far      
removed from any such fault4 ,it        
exhibits various saints1 grouped in so  
excellent a manner1 that the chiaroscuro
 of one figure contributes to the relief
 of another2 and it has such beautiful  

contrasts of colour and of light1 such  
energy of drawing and of attitude1 that 
it arrests attention by its originality4
 ,he likewise painted for the ,state3 an
 unfinished ,descent from the ,cross may
 be seen in the oratory of ,s4 ,carlo1  
in ,volterra2 and another in the church 
of ,s4 ,chiara at ,citta ,s4 ,sepolcro2 
in the cathedral of which there are many
 old pictures4 ,its great merit consists
 in the principal group1 and that       
twilight1 or almost nocturnal tint1 that
 gives a tone to the whole piece1       
sombre1 true1 and worthy of any ,flemish
 artist4 ,the works of this painter are 
very scarce in ,italy2 for he went to   
,france into the employment of ,francis 
,i4 during his best time1 and           
superintended the ornamental painting   
and plaster work then going on at       
,fontainebleau4 ,whilst engaged in this 
work1 he unhappily put an end to his    
existence by poison2 and in the         
enlargement of the building many of his 
works were defaced by ,primaticcio1 who 

was a rival1 but not a follower1 as is  
pretended by ,cellini4#aga ,thirteen    
pictures1 dedicated to the fame and     
actions of ,francis ,i4 have escaped1   
and are described by ,abbe ,guget1 in   
his ,memoir on the ,royal ,academy of   
,france4#agb ,among these is the        
remarkable one of ,ignorance ,banished  
by that monarch2 a picture that has been
 three different times engraved4 ,he was
 assisted in those works by several     
artists1 amongst whom were three        
,florentine painters1 ,domenico del     
,barbieri1 ,bartolommeo ,miniati1 and   
,luca ,penni1 the brother of that       
,gianfrancesco1 called ,il ,fattore in  
the school of ,raffaello4  ,ridolfo di  
,domenico ,ghirlandaio lost his father  
in his infancy2 but was so well         
initiated in the art1 first by his      
paternal uncle ,davide1 and afterwards  
by ,frate1 that when ,raffaello         
d',urbino came to ,florence1 he became  
his admirer and his friend4 ,on his     
departure from that city he left with   

him a ,madonna1 intended for ,siena1    
that it might be completed by him2 and  
having soon after gone to ,rome1 he     
invited him to assist in the decorations
 of the ,vatican4 ,ridolfo declined     
this1 unfortunately for his own name1   
which might thus have rivalled that of  
,giulio ,romano4 ,he undoubtedly        
possessed a facility1 elegance1 and     
vivacity of manner1 to enable him to    
follow closely the style of his friend4 
,that he was ambitious of imitating him1
 may be inferred from the pictures in   
his early manner1 preserved in the      
church of ,s4 ,jacopo di ,ripoli1 and   
,s4 ,girolamo1 that bear some           
resemblance to the manner of ,perugino1 
like the early productions of           
,raffaello4 ,his taste is displayed to  
more advantage in two pictures1 filled  
with many moderate sized figures1 which 
were transferred from the ,academy of   
,design to the ,royal ,gallery4 ,they   
represent two stories of ,s4 ,zenobi1   
and perhaps approach nearer to the two  

pictures by ,pinturicchio1 in the       
cathedral of ,siena1 that were painted  
under the direction1 and partly by the  
assistance of ,raffaello1 than to any   
other model2 with this exception1 that  
they retain more traces of the old      
school4 ,we may remark1 in the pictures 
of ,ridolfo1 some figures strikingly    
like those of ,raffaello2 and in the    
whole there appears a composition1 an   
expression1 and skill in improving      
nature to the standard of ideal beauty1 
apparently proceeding from principles   
conformable to the maxims of that great 
master4 ,that he did not afterwards     
perfect them1 is to be attributed to his
 not having seen the best productions of
 his friend1 and to his study of the art
 having been retarded by his commercial 
pursuits4  ,on modernizing his manner1  
and by this means obtaining reputation1 
he aimed at nothing further2 and        
continued to study painting rather as an
 amusement1 than as a profession4 ,he   
assembled round him artists of every    

description1 and disdained not to impart
 advice to painters of ensigns1 of      
furniture1 or of scenes2 still less to  
those who executed pictures for cabinets
 or churches4 ,many such who flourished 
about the middle of the sixteenth       
century1 are mentioned in history either
 as his pupils1 or his companions4 ,the 
following is a brief catalogue of them4 
,michele di ,ridolfo assumed his name2  
because1 on passing from the schools of 
,credi and ,sogliani into that of       
,ridolfo1 he was treated not so much as 
a companion as a son1 till the death of 
,ghirlandaio4 ,they painted many        
pictures conjointly1 which always pass  
under their name2 and of this number is 
the ,s4 ,anne of ,citta di ,castello2 an
 exquisite picture1 both for elegance of
 design1 and a peculiar fulness of      
colouring4 ,michele was particularly    
eminent in this department1 which he    
diligently studied in his own works1 and
 employed in his fresco pictures over   
several of the gates of the city2 and he

 was selected by ,vasari as the         
companion of his labours4 ,mariano da   
,pescia must have been much esteemed by 
,ridolfo2 for when this master painted  
the frescos in the ,state ,chapel of the
 ,old ,palace1 a work which gained him  
high honour1 he wished the smaller      
pieces to be painted by ,mariano4 ,there
 is a ,holy ,family in that place1 in a 
firm but agreeable style3 it is the only
 remaining production of this artist1   
who died young4 ,he was of the          
,gratiadei family2 a piece of           
information for which1 with various     
others1 ,i am indebted to the politeness
 of his fellow citizen ,sig4 ,innocenzio
 ,ansaldi1 an able writer1 both in      
poetry and prose1 in whatever relates to
 the art4 ,carlo ,portelli da ,loro in  
,valdarno1 proceeded from the same      
school4 ,he painted much in the ,city1  
and sometimes with little harmony3 yet  
the testimony of ,vasari1 and the       
picture of ,s4 ,romulus1 which remains  
at the ,santa1 demonstrate his ability  

as an artist4 ,of ,antonio del          
,ceraiuolo1 little remains to           
commemorate the painter but the name4   
,mirabello da ,salincorno1 who was      
employed on the funeral obsequies of    
,bonarruoti1 devoted himself to cabinet 
pictures2 and an ,annunciation1 with his
 name1 and the date of #aefe1 is said to
 be in the hands of the ,baldovinetti   
family4 ,it would be tiresome to follow 
,vasari1 who1 in several passages of his
 history1 mentions artists now sunk into
 oblivion1 that might have found a place
 here4 ,i close the list with two       
illustrious names1 ,perino del ,vaga1   
already noticed1 but afterwards to be   
more frequently mentioned2 and ,toto del
 ,nunziata1 reckoned by the ,english the
 best of the ,italian artists1 who1 in  
that century visited their island2      
though almost unknown among us4#agc ,he 
was the son of an obscure artist1 but   
obtained celebrity2 and ,perino himself 
had not a more formidable rival in the  
school of ,ridolfo4  ,this glorious     

epoch was not deficient in good         
landscape painters2 although the art of 
landscape painting without figures was  
not yet in great repute4 ,vasari highly 
praises in this line one ,antonio di    
,donnino ,mazzieri1 a scholar of        
,franciabigio1 a bold designer1 and a   
man of great invention in representing  
horses1 and in landscape4  ,the         
grotesque came into fashion through the 
efforts of ,morto da ,feltro1 and       
,giovanni da ,udine4 ,both artists were 
settled at ,florence1 and there painted2
 especially the second1 who decorated   
the palace of the ,medicean family1 and 
the chapel in the church of ,s4         
,lorenzo4 ,andrea1 called di ,cosimo1   
because he was the scholar of ,rosselli1
 learnt this art from ,morto1#agd and he
 obtained the surname of ,feltrini1 or  
perhaps ,feltrino1 from his best known  
master4 ,he exercised the invention not 
only on walls but on furniture1 on      
banners and festive decorations3        
abounding in fancy1 he was the leader of

 a taste originating with him1 and much 
imitated in ,florence4 ,his ornaments   
were more copious and rich than those of
 the ancients2 were united in a         
different manner1 and his figures were  
admirably adapted to them4 ,mariotto and
 ,raffaello ,mettidoro were his         
associates2 but no artist was more      
employed than he in designing foliage   
for brocades on cloth1 or in ornamental 
painting4 ,pier di ,cosimo1 and         
,bachiacca1 or ,bachicca1 were very     
eminent in the grotesque2 of whom1 with 
others who began the study about the end
 of the first ,epoch1 ,i have already   
treated1 among the old masters3 but none
 of them modernized more than the       
latter1 who was usually employed on     
small subjects1 particularly on the     
furniture of private houses1 and on     
small pictures1 many of which were sent 
to ,england4 ,about the time of his     
decease he was employed by the ,duke    
,cosmo4 ,he drew most elegant small     
historical designs for tapestry and     

beds1 which were executed by his brother
 ,antonio1 an embroiderer whom ,varchi  
commends2 and by ,gio4 ,rossi1 and      
,niccolo ,fiamminghi1 who introduced the
 art of tapestry weaving into           
,florence4#age ,his best work was a     
cabinet1 which he ornamented divinely1  
says ,vasari1 with flowers and birds in 
oil colours4  ,perspective was not      
cultivated in ,italy during the #aeth   
century1 except so far as subservient to
 historical painting1 and in this       
department the ,venetian and ,lombard   
masters were no less eminent than those 
of ,florence or of ,rome4 ,after this   
period1 artists began to represent      
arches1 colonnades1 porticos1 and every 
other kind of architecture1 in pictures 
appropriated to such subjects1 to the   
great ornament of the theatres1 and of  
religious and convivial festivities4    
,one of the first who devoted himself to
 this study was ,bastiano di ,sangallo1 
the nephew of ,giuliano1 and of         
,antonio1 and the brother of another    

,antonio1 all of whom were eminent in   
architecture4 ,he got the surname of    
,aristotile1 from his disquisitions on  
anatomy1 or on perspective1 accompanied 
by a certain philosophic authority and  
ingenuity4 ,he acquired the principles  
of his art from ,pietro ,perugino1 but  
he soon abandoned his school1 to adopt a
 more modern style4 ,he exercised       
himself for several years in painting   
figures2 he copied some subjects after  
his friends ,michelangiolo and          
,raffaello2 and aided by the advice of  
,andrea and ,ridolfo1 he produced not a 
few ,madonnas and other pictures of his 
own composition3 but not possessing     
invention in an eminent degree he       
latterly dedicated his attention wholly 
to perspective1 in which he was         
initiated by ,bramante2 and exercised it
 during this epoch1 when ,florence      
abounded with grand funeral obsequies1  
and public festivities4 ,of these1 the  
most memorable were those instituted on 
the election of ,leo ,x4 in #aeac1 and  

on his visit to ,florence in #aeae4 ,he 
had in his train ,michelangiolo1        
,raffaello1 and other professors of the 
art1 to deliberate concerning the facade
 of the church of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 and     
other works which he meditated4 ,his    
court added pomp to every spectacle2 and
 ,florence became1 as it were1 a new    
city4 ,arches were erected in the       
streets by ,granacci and ,rosso2 temples
 or new facades were designed by        
,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 and ,jacopo    
,sansovino2 chiaroscuros were prepared  
by ,andrea del ,sarto2 grotesques by    
,feltrino2 basso-relievos1 statues1 and 
colossal figures1 by ,sansovino above   
mentioned1 by ,rustici1 and ,bandinelli2
 ,ghirlandaio1 ,pontormo1 ,franciabigio1
 and ,ubertini1 adorned with exquisite  
taste the residence of the pontiff4 ,i  
say nothing of the meaner artists1      
although in another age even these would
 not have been classed with the vulgar  
herd1 but have obtained distinction3 ,i 
shall content myself with observing that

 this emulation of genius1 this display 
of the fine arts1 in short this         
auspicious period1 sufficed to confer on
 ,florence the lasting appellation of   
another ,athens2 on ,leo the name of    
another ,pericles or ,augustus4         
,spectacles of this sort became         
afterwards more common to the citizens2 
for the ,medici1 on commencing their    
domination over a people whom they      
feared1 affected popularity1 like the   
,roman ,caesars1 by promoting public    
hilarity4 ,hence1 not only on           
extraordinary occasions1 such as the    
elevation of ,clement ,,vii4 to the     
papal chair1 of ,alexander1 and of      
,cosmo to the chief magistracy of their 
country1 on the marriage of the latter1 
on that of ,giuliano and of ,lorenzo de'
 ,medici1 and on the arrival of ,charles
 ,v42 not only on such occasions1 but   
frequently at other times1 they         
instituted tournaments1 masquerades1 and
 representations1 of which the          
decorations were magnificent1 such as   

cars1 robes1 and scenery4 ,in this      
improved state of every thing conducive 
to exquisite embellishment1 industry    
became excited1 and the number of       
painters and ornamental artists         
increased4 ,aristotile1 to return to    
him1 was always much employed2 his      
perspectives were in great request in   
public places2 his scenes in the        
theatre3 the populace1 unaccustomed to  
those ocular deceptions1 were           
astonished2 and it seemed to them as if 
they could ascend the steps1 enter the  
edifices1 and approach the balconies and
 windows in the pictures4 ,the long life
 of ,aristotile1 coeval with the best   
epoch of painting1 permitted him to     
serve the ruling family and his country1
 until his old age1 when ,salviati and  
,bronzino began to be preferred to him4 
,he died in #aeea4  ,while the city of  
,florence acquired so much glory by the 
genius of her artists1 the other parts  
of the state afforded materials for     
future history1 chiefly through the     

assistance of the ,roman school4 ,this  
happened more especially after #aebg1   
when the sack of ,rome dispersed the    
school of ,raffaello and its young      
branches4 ,giulio ,romano trained       
,benedetto ,pagni at ,pescia1 who ought 
to be noticed among the assistants of   
his master at ,mantua4 ,if we credit    
some late writers1 his native place     
possesses many of his works3 but ,i     
acquiesce in the opinion of ,sig4       
,ansaldi1 in refusing to admit any of   
them as genuine1 except the facade of   
the habitation of the ,pagni family1 now
 injured by time1 and the picture of the
 ,marriage of ,cana in the ,collegiate  
church1 which is not his best           
production4 ,pistoia is indebted to     
,gio4 ,francesco ,penni1 or perhaps to  
,fattore1 for a respectable scholar3    
this was ,lionardo1 an artist much      
employed in ,naples and in ,rome1 where 
he was named ,il ,pistoia4 ,i find him  
surnamed ,malatesta by some1 ,guelfo by 
others2 but ,i suspect that his true    

family name is to be collected from an  
inscription on an ,annunciation in the  
little chapel of the canons of ,lucca1  
which runs thus1 ,leonardus ,gratia     
,pistoriensis4 ,i am indebted to ,sig4  
,t4 ,f4 ,bernardi above mentioned for   
this fact3 and the picture is worthy of 
a descendant of ,raffaello4 ,i do not   
know that there is a single trace of    
,lionardo remaining in his native place3
 at the village of ,guidi1 in the       
diocese of ,pistoia1 one of his pictures
 is to be seen in the church of ,s4     
,peter1 where the titular1 and three    
other saints1 stand around the throne of
 the ,virgin4#agf ,sebastiano ,vini came
 from ,verona1 in ,i know not what year 
of the #afth century1 and was enrolled  
among the citizens of ,pistoia4 ,his    
reputation and his pictures did honour  
to the country that adopted him4 ,he    
left many works both in oil and fresco2 
but his most extraordinary production   
was in the suppressed church of ,s4     
,desiderio4 ,the facade over the great  

altar was storied with the crucifixion  
of the ten thousand martyrs1 a work     
abounding in figures and invention4 ,i  
have noticed the younger ,zacchia of    
,lucca1 who belongs to this epoch1 in   
the preceding one1 that ,i might not    
separate the father and the son4 ,i am  
unable to find any other artists        
sufficiently worthy of record in this   
district of ,tuscany4  ,on the opposite 
side of it we may turn our eyes to      
,cortona1 and notice two good artists4  
,the one was ,francesco ,signorelli1 the
 nephew of ,luca1 who1 though unnoticed 
by ,vasari1 shows himself a painter     
worthy of praise1 by a circular picture 
of the patron saints of the city1 which 
was executed for the council hall1 in   
#acbj2 after which period he lived at   
least forty years4 ,the other was       
,tommaso ,paparello1 or ,papacello1 both
 which names are given him by ,vasari1  
when writing of his two masters1        
,caporali and ,giulio ,romano4 ,he      
assisted them both1 but ,i can discover 

no trace of any work wholly his own4    
,borgo1 afterwards named ,citta ,san    
,sepolcro1 could then boast its         
,raffaello1 commonly called ,raffaellino
 dal ,colle1 born at a small place a few
 miles from ,borgo4 ,he is reckoned     
among the disciples of ,raffaello2 but  
rather belongs to the school of ,giulio1
 whose pupil1 dependant1 or assistant in
 his labours at ,rome1 and in the ,te at
 ,mantua1 he is considered by ,vasari4  
,it is singular that he did not write a 
separate life of this artist2 but       
assigns him scanty praise in a few      
scattered anecdotes4 ,his merit is but  
little known to the public1 as he       
painted for the most part in his native 
place1 or the neighbouring cities2 and  
,i am able to add to the catalogue of   
his pictures from having seen them4 ,he 
has two pictures at ,citta ,san         
,sepolcro1 his only works specified by  
,vasari4 ,one represents the            
resurrection of our ,saviour1 who1 full 
of majesty1 regards the soldiers around 

the sepulchre with an air of            
displeasure1 which fills them with      
terror4 ,this very spirited picture is  
in the ,church of ,s4 ,rocco1 and is    
repeated in the cathedral4 ,the other1  
which is in the ,osservanti of ,s4      
,francis1 represents the ,assumption of 
the ,virgin2 a piece agreeable both in  
colouring and design1 but its value is  
diminished by a figure ,i am unable to  
explain1 drawn at one side of it by     
another hand4 ,the same subject is      
treated in the church of the ,conventual
 friars1 at ,citta di ,castello1 where  
great beauty is joined to the highest   
possible finish1 but it loses something 
of its effect by standing opposite to a 
fine picture by ,vasari1 which throws it
 strongly into the shade4 ,an entombing 
of ,christ by ,raffaellino1 is in the   
,servi2 a very beautiful picture1 but   
the colouring is less firm2 and there is
 another of his works at ,s4 ,angelo    
with ,s4 ,michael1 and ,s4 ,sebastian1  
who humbly presents an arrow1 a type of 

his martyrdom1 to the infant ,jesus and 
the ,virgin4 ,in this the composition is
 simple but graceful in every part4 ,a  
picture of our ,lady1 with ,s4          
,sebastian1 ,s4 ,rocco1 and a canonized 
bishop1 painted in a similar style1 is  
to be seen in the church of ,s4 ,francis
 of ,cagli2 in it the figures and the   
landscape much resemble the manner of   
,raffaello4 ,his ,apostles in the       
sacristy of the cathedral of ,urbino are
 noble figures1 draped in a grand style1
 in small oblong pictures1 firmly       
coloured4 ,the ,olivet monks of ,gubbio 
have in one of their chapels a ,nativity
 by ,raffaellino1 and two pieces from   
the history of ,s4 ,benedict1 painted in
 fresco1 in which he was1 ,i believe1   
assisted by his scholars4 ,the former is
 certainly superior to the two last1    
although he has introduced in them real 
portraits1 finely conceived             
architecture1 and added a figure of     
,virtue in the upper part1 that seems a 
sister of the ,sybils of ,raffaello4 ,he

 also painted1 in the castle of         
,perugia1 and in the ,imperiale of      
,pesaro1 a villa of the duke of ,urbino1
 to whom he afforded more satisfaction  
than the two ,dossi4 ,after having      
assisted ,raffaello and ,giulio1 he     
disdained not to paint after the designs
 of less eminent artists4 ,on the       
arrival of ,charles ,v4 at ,florence1 in
 #aecf1 he assisted ,vasari1 who was one
 of the decorators2 and he painted      
cartoons after the designs of ,bronzino1
 for the tapestry of ,cosmo ,i42 after  
which period ,i do not find him         
mentioned4 ,another instance of his     
diffidence is the following3 on the     
arrival of ,rosso at ,san ,sepolcro1    
,raffaellino1 out of respect to that    
artist1 gave up to him an order for a   
picture which he was to have executed2 a
 rare instance among painters1 who are  
in the habit of using kindly those      
artists only1 who come merely to see a  
city1 and immediately leave it4 ,he kept
 a school at ,san ,sepolcro1 whence     

proceeded ,gherardi1 ,vecchi1 and other 
artists1 some of whom1 perhaps1         
surpassed him in genius2 but they did   
not equal him in grace1 nor in high     
finish4  ,about this time many artists  
flourished in ,arezzo1 but of these two 
only are praised by ,vasari1 who is not 
sparing in his commendations of the     
,florentines1 as ,i have remarked1 but  
deals them scantily to his own townsmen4
 ,giovanni ,antonio1 the son of ,matteo 
,lappoli1 was the scholar of ,pontormo1 
and the friend of ,perino and of ,rosso1
 with whom he lived in ,tuscany1 and    
whose style he emulated in ,rome4 ,he   
was more employed in painting for       
private houses than for churches4       
,guglielmo1 surnamed ,da ,marcilla1 by  
,vasari1 a foreigner by birth1 became a 
citizen of ,arezzo from inclination and 
long residence2 he was dear to the      
citizens1 who afforded him the means of 
enjoying life1 and grateful to the city1
 where he left most beautiful monuments 
of his genius4 ,he had been a ,dominican

 in his own country2 he became a secular
 priest on arriving in ,italy1 and at   
,arezzo he was called the ,prior4 ,he   
was an excellent painter on glass1 and  
on this account1 was brought to ,rome by
 one ,claude1 a ,frenchman1 to execute  
windows for ,julius ,,ii42 but he also  
employed himself in fresco4 ,he studied 
design in ,italy1 and so improved in    
that art1 that his works at ,rome seem  
designs of the fourteenth century1 while
 the ,aretine ones appear the work of a 
modern4 ,he painted some ceilings and   
arches in the cathedral1 with scriptural
 subjects in fresco4 ,in design he      
followed ,michelangiolo1 as nearly as he
 could2 but his colouring was not firm4 
,his paintings on glass are quite in a  
different style2 there1 to very good    
drawing1 and uncommon expression1 he    
joined tints that partake of the        
emerald1 the ruby1 and of oriental      
sapphire1 and which1 when illuminated by
 the sun1 exhibit all the brilliance of 
the rainbow4 ,in ,arezzo1 there are so  

many windows of this glass at the       
cathedral1 at ,s4 ,francis1 and at many 
other churches1 that they might excite  
the envy of much larger cities4 ,they   
are so finely wrought with subjects from
 the ,new ,testament1 and other         
scriptural histories1 that they seem to 
have reached the perfection of the art4 
,the ,vocation of ,s4 ,matthew1 in a    
window of the cathedral1 is highly      
praised by ,vasari2 it exhibits         
perspectives of temples and flights of  
steps1 figures so finely composed1      
landscapes so well executed1 that one   
can hardly imagine they were glass1 but 
something sent down from ,heaven for the
 delight of mankind4  ,this place and   
period remind me1 that before ,i pass on
 to another epoch1 ,i ought to say a few
 words concerning the invention of      
painting on glass1 which was anciently  
likewise styled ,mosaic1 because it was 
composed of pieces of different coloured
 glass1 connected by lead1 which        
represented the shadows4 ,we may observe

 glass windows that emulate well        
composed pictures on canvass or on      
panel2 and this art is treated of by    
,vasari in the thirty-second chapter of 
the introduction to his work4 ,from the 
preface to the treatise ,de omni        
scientia artis pingendi1 by ,theophilus 
the ,monk1 ,i find that ,france was     
celebrated for this art beyond any other
 country2#agg and there the art seems to
 have been invariably cultivated1 and   
brought by degrees to perfection4 ,from 
the earliest ages of the revival of     
painting1 the ,italians wrought windows 
with different coloured glasses1 as is  
remarked by ,p4 ,angeli in his          
description of the churches of ,assisi1 
where the most ancient specimens are to 
be seen4 ,in the church likewise of the 
,franciscan friars at ,venice1 we find  
that one ,frater ,theotonius1 a ,german1
 worked in tapestry and glass windows1  
and was imitated by one ,marco1 a       
painter1 who lived in the year #acce4agh
 ,it may also be observed1 that such    

windows over the altars supplied the    
place of sacred paintings in churches2  
,christian congregations1 in lifting up 
their eyes1 there sought the resemblance
 of what they hoped some time to behold 
in the celestial paradise3 che ancor    
lassu nel ciel vedere spera1 and they   
often addressed their supplications to  
those images4 ,in the fifteenth century 
,lorenzo ,ghiberti1 a man eminent in    
various arts1 still further improved    
this1 and ornamented the oval windows of
 the facade of the church of ,s4        
,francis1 and of the cathedral of       
,florence with coloured glass4 ,in a    
similar manner he finished all the oval 
apertures in the cupola of the          
cathedral1 except that of the           
,assumption1 executed by ,donatello4    
,the glass was manufactured at          
,florence1 for which purpose one        
,domenico ,livi1 a native of ,gambassi1 
in the principality of ,volterra1 who   
had learnt and practised the art at     
,lubec1 was invited to that place1 as is

 proved by ,baldinucci in his correction
 of ,vasari4#agi ,from this school      
apparently came ,goro1 and ,bernardo di 
,francesco1 with that train of          
,ingesuati1 whose workmanship1 exhibited
 at ,s4 ,lorenzo and elsewhere1 has been
 much commended by the ,florentine      
historians4 7,see ,moreni1 part vi4 p4  
#da47 ,this art afterwards flourished at
 ,arezzo1 where it was introduced by    
,parri ,spinelli1 a scholar of          
,ghiberti4 ,about the same time         
flourished in ,perugia ,p4 ,d4          
,francesco1 a monk of ,cassino1 not     
merely a painter in glass1 but a master 
in that city2 and some conjecture that  
,vannucci profited by his school1 though
 a comparison of dates does not much    
favour such a supposition4 ,this art    
also flourished in ,venice1 about #adgc1
 where one window was executed after the
 design of ,bartolommeo ,vivarini1 in   
the church of ,s4 ,john and ,s4 ,paul1  
and another was erected at ,murano2 but 
the art of painting glass could not be  

unknown at this last place1 where it    
originated4  ,it is true1 that in       
process of time the ,florentine and     
,venetian glass appeared to be not      
sufficiently transparent for such       
purposes2 and that a preference was     
given to that of ,france and of         
,england1 the clearness and transparency
 of which was better adapted for        
receiving the colours1 without too much 
obscuring the light4 ,it had this other 
advantage1 that the colours were burnt  
in the glass1 in the manner described by
 ,vasari1 instead of being laid on with 
gums or other vehicles2 hence they had  
greater brilliancy1 and were more       
capable of resisting the injuries of    
time4 ,this was a ,flemish1 or rather a 
,french invention1 and the ,italians    
unquestionably received it from ,france4
 ,bramante invited from that country the
 two artists above mentioned1 who1      
besides the windows of the ,vatican     
palace1 that were wrought with colours  
burnt into the glass1 and destroyed in  

the sack of ,rome1 in the time of       
,clement ,,vii4 ornamented two in the   
church of ,s4 ,maria del ,popolo1 with  
those scriptural histories that yet     
remain perfectly brilliant in colour1   
after the lapse of three centuries4     
,soon after this ,claude died at ,rome4 
,william survived him many years1 and   
from that time continued to reside in   
,arezzo4 ,he there was engaged in the   
service of the capital1 where one of his
 painted glass windows is preserved in  
the ,capponi chapel1 at the church of   
,s4 ,felicita2 and he taught the art to 
,pastorino of ,siena1 who exercised it  
very skilfully in the state saloon of   
the ,vatican1 after the designs of      
,vaga1 and in the cathedral of ,siena4  
,this artist is reckoned the best       
scholar of his master4 ,maso ,porro1    
,michelagnolo ,urbani1 both natives of  
,cortona1 and ,batista ,borro of        
,arezzo1 were trained in the same       
school1 and were afterwards employed in 
,tuscany and elsewhere4 ,in ornamenting 

the old palace1 ,vasari availed himself 
of the assistance of two ,flemish       
artists1 ,walter and ,george1 who       
wrought after his designs4 ,celebrated  
equal to any artist is ,valerio         
,profondavalle of ,louvain1 who settled 
at ,milan after the middle of the       
sixteenth century1 a man of fertile     
invention1 and a pleasing colourist in  
fresco painting1 but chiefly eminent in 
painting on glass1 as we are informed by
 ,lomazzo4 ,orlandi celebrates ,gerardo 
,ornerio ,frisio1 and his windows       
executed about #aege1 in the church of  
,s4 ,peter at ,bologna4 ,this art       
afterwards declined1 when custom1 the   
arbiter of arts1 by excluding it from   
palaces and churches1 caused it         
gradually to be forgotten4  ,another    
method of painting on glass1 or rather  
on crystal1 was much in fashion in the  
last century1 and was employed for      
ornamenting mirrors1 caskets1 and other 
furniture of the chambers of the great4 
,maratta and his contemporaries on      

crystal for such works in the same style
 that they employed in painting on      
canvass2 and above all ,giordano1 who   
taught it to several pupils4 ,among     
these1 the best was ,carlo ,garofalo1   
who was invited to the court of ,charles
 ,,ii4 of ,spain1 to practise this      
species of painting1#ahj the era of     
which does not embrace a great number of
 years4   ,footnote #abh3 ,although     
,vasari1 ,borghini1 and ,baldinucci1    
have also treated of other schools1 they
 have chiefly illustrated that of       
,florence1 with which they were best    
acquainted4 ,to them succeeded the      
respectable authors of the ,florentine  
,museum1 and of the ,series of the most 
celebrated ,painters1 containing choice 
anecdotes of those masters1 which are   
now republished1 and accompanied by a   
print from the work of each painter1 in 
the ,etruria ,pittrice of the learned   
,sig4 ,ab4 ,lastri4 ,other anecdotes are
 to be found in the work of ,p4 ,richa  
,on the ,churches of ,florence1 and in  

,sig4 ,cambiagi's ,guide to that ,city4 
,pisa too1 has its ,guide by the ,cav4  
,titi2 to which has succeeded the much  
larger work of ,sig4 da ,morrona1 above 
noticed4 ,siena has one by ,sig4 ,pecci1
 ,volterra another by ,ab4 ,giachi1 and 
,pescia and ,valdinievole by the ,ab4   
,ansaldi4 ,sig4 ,francesco ,bernardi1 an
 excellent connoisseur in the fine arts1
 prepared a guide to ,lucca after       
,marchio2 it remains inedited since his 
death1 together with his anecdotes of   
the painters1 sculptors1 and architects 
of his native country4 ,meanwhile the   
,diario of ,mons4 ,mansi affords        
considerable information4  ,footnote    
#abi3 ,condivi promised to publish them1
 but this was never performed4 ,see     
,bottari's notes on the life of         
,michelangiolo1 p4 #aeb1 in ,florent4   
edit4 #aggb4  ,footnote #acj3 ,see the  
fine eulogy on him by ,sig4 ,durazzini1 
among his ,panegyrics on illustrious    
,tuscans1 where he corrects ,vasari1 his
 annotators and others1 who have fixed  

the birth of ,lionardo before this year4
 ,tom4 iii4 n4 #be4  ,footnote #aca3    
,see ,sig4 ,piacenza1 in his edition of 
,baldinucci1 t4 ii4 p4 #beb4 ,he has    
dedicated a long appendix to ,vinci1 in 
which he has collected all the anecdotes
 scattered through ,vasari1 ,lomazzo1   
,borghini1 ,mariette1 and other modern  
authors4  ,footnote #acb3 ,leonardo     
seems to have trembled whenever he sat  
down to paint1 and therefore never      
finished any of the pictures he began2  
for by meditation on the perfection of  
art1 he perceived faults in what to     
others appeared admirable4 ,lomazzo1    
,idea del ,tempio della pittura1 page   
#aad4  ,footnote #acc3 ,both have       
perished1 after serving as models to the
 best painters of that age1 and even to 
,andrea del ,sarto4 ,see what has been  
written by ,vasari1 and by ,m4          
,mariette1 in the long letter concerning
 ,vinci1 which is inserted in tom4 ii4  
of ,lett4 ,pittoriche4  ,footnote #acd3 
,it was on account of the same          

procrastinating disposition that ,leo   
,x4 withdrew the patronage he had       
conferred on him1 and which he was      
accustomed to bestow upon all men of    
genius4  ,footnote #ace3 ,vasari4       
,footnote #acf3 ,vasari1 who published a
 life of him in #aeej1 and enlarged it  
in another edition2 and ,ascanio        
,condivi da ,ripatransone1 who printed  
one in #aeec1 ten years before the death
 of ,bonarruoti4  ,footnote #acg3 ,he   
was very partial to this poet2 whose    
flights of fancy he embodied in         
pen-drawings in a book1 which1          
unfortunately for the art1 has perished2
 and to whose memory he wished to       
sculpture a magnificent monument1 as    
appears from a petition to ,leo ,x4 ,in 
it the ,medicean ,academy requests the  
bones of the divine poet2 and among the 
subscribers we read the name of         
,michelangiolo1 and also his offer4     
,gori ,illustraz4 alla vita del         
,condivi1 p4 #aab4  ,footnote #ach3 ,he 
projected a tract on ,all the movements 

of the human body1 on its external      
appearances1 and on the bones1 with an  
ingenious theory1 the fruit of his long 
study4 ,condivi1 p4 #aag4  ,footnote    
#aci3 ,zeuxis plus membris corporis     
dedit1 id amplius et augustius ratus2   
atque ut existimant ,homerum secutus1   
cui validissima quaeque forma etiam in  
foeminis placet4 ,inst4 ,orat4 lib4 xii4
 c4 #aj4  ,footnote #adj3 ,none however 
of these great men presumed to despise  
,michelangiolo so much1 as to compare   
the picture of ,christ1 in the ,minerva1
 to an executioner2 like the author of  
the ,arte di ,vedere4 ,mengs1 whom he   
rather flatters than follows1 would have
 disdained to use this and similar      
expressions2 but it is the office of    
adulators not merely to approve the     
opinion of the object flattered1 but    
greatly to exaggerate it4 ,juvenal1 with
 his peculiar penetration into the vices
 of mankind1 thus describes one of the  
race4 7,see ,satire iii4 v4 #ajj47      
----rides8 majore cachinno              

,concutitur2 flet si lacrymam conspexit 
amici1   ,nee dolet3 igniculum brumae si
 tempore poscas   ,accipit endromidem2  
si dixeris3 aestuo1 sudat4   ,footnote  
#ada3 ,bottari confesses that he shews  
somewhat of mannerism1 but concealed    
with such skill that it is not          
perceptible2 an art which very few of   
his imitators possess4  ,footnote #adb3 
,see ,winckelmann in his ,gems of ,baron
 ,stochs1 where he records and comments 
upon the text of the historian1 p4 #caf4
  ,footnote #adc3    ,duo ,dossi e quel 
che a par sculpe e colora   ,michel piu 
che mortal ,angiol divino4              
,orl4 ,fur4 ,cant4 xxxiii4 #b4          
,footnote #add3 ,raffaello came to      
,florence towards the end of #aejd4     
7,lett4 ,pitt4 tom4 i4 p4 #b47 ,in this 
year ,michelangiolo was called to ,rome1
 and left his cartoon imperfect4 ,having
 afterwards fled from ,rome1 through    
dread of ,julius ,,ii41 he completed it 
in three months1 in the year #aejf4     
,compare the ,brief of ,julius1 in which

 he recals ,michelangiolo 7,lett4 ,pitt4
 tom4 iii4 p4 #cbj71 with the relation  
of ,vasari 7tom4 vi4 ,ed4 ,fiorent4 p4  
#aia74 ,during the time that            
,michelangiolo laboured at this work1 he
 was unwilling to shew it to any person 
7p4 #ahb72 and when it was finished it  
was carried to the hall of the ,pope1   
and was there studied 7p4 #ahd74        
,raffaello had then returned to         
,florence1 and this work might open the 
way to his new style1 which1 as a       
learned ,englishman expresses it1 is    
intermediate between that of            
,michelangiolo and of ,perugino4        
,footnote #ade3 ,he chose the companions
 of those who had painted in the        
,sistine1 ,jacopo di ,sandro            
7,botticelli71 ,agnolo di ,donnino1 a   
great friend of ,rosselli1 and the elder
 ,indaco1 a pupil of ,ghirlandaio1 who  
were but feeble artists4 ,bugiardini1   
,gianacci and ,aristotile di ,s4 ,gallo1
 of whom we shall take further notice in
 the proper place1 were there also4     

,footnote #adf3 ,varchio1 in his        
,funeral ,oration1 p4 #ae4  ,footnote   
#adg3 ,idea del ,tempio della ,pittura1 
p4 #dg4 ,ed4 ,bologn4  ,footnote #adh3  
,tom4 vi4 p4 #cih4  ,footnote #adi3 ,see
 ,entretiens sur les ,vies et sur les   
,ouvrages des plus excellens ,peintres1 
tom4 i4 p4 #ejb4  ,footnote #aej3 ,see  
pp4 #bde1 #bec4  ,footnote #aea3 ,lett4 
,pitt4 tom4 iii4 lett4 #bbg4 ,rosa1     
,sat4 iii4 p4 #he4  ,footnote #aeb3     
,salvator ,rosa in his third satire1 p4 
#hd1 narrates the rebuke which the      
,prelate gave ,michelangiolo for his    
indecency in painting the ,saints       
themselves without garments4  ,footnote 
#aec3 ,microscosmo1 p4 #f4  ,footnote   
#aed3 ,tom4 ii4 p4 #bed4  ,footnote     
#aee3 ,he is also blamed for this part  
of the perspective by others4 7,see ,p4 
,m4 della ,valle in the ,prosa recitata 
in ,arcadia1 #aghd1 p4 #bfj1 of the     
,giorn4 ,pis4 tom1 liii47  ,footnote    
#aef3 ,malv4 tom4 ii4 p4 #bed4          
,footnote #aeg3 ,vite de' ,pittori1 c4  

p4 #dd4  ,footnote #aeh3 ,dialogo sopra 
la ,pittura4  ,footnote #aei3 ,idea del 
,tempio della ,pittura1 p4 #da4         
,footnote #afj3 ,conca1 ,descriz4       
,odeporica della ,spagna1 tom4 i4 page  
#bd4  ,footnote #afa3 ,the ignorant     
believe that ,michelangiolo nailed a man
 to a cross and left him there to       
expire1 in order to paint from the life 
a figure of our ,saviour on the cross4  
,see ,dati1 in his notes of the ,life of
 ,parrhasius1 who is said to have       
committed a similar homicide4 ,this     
story of the latter is probably a fable1
 and undoubtedly it is so of            
,michelangiolo4 ,the crucifixions of    
this artist are often repeated1         
sometimes with a single figure1         
sometimes with our ,lady and ,s4 ,john2 
at other times with two ,angels1 who    
collect the blood4 ,bottari mentions    
several of these pictures in different  
galleries4 ,to these we may add the     
picture of the ,caprara palace1 and     
those in the possession of ,monsignor   

,bonfigliuoli and of ,sigg4 ,biancani in
 ,bologna4 ,sig4 ,co4 ,chiappini of     
,piacenza has a very good one1 and there
 is another in the church of the college
 of ,ravenna4  ,footnote #afb3 ,a name  
given by the ,italians to pictures of a 
dead ,christ on the knees of his mother4
  ,footnote #afc3 ,bottari1 in his      
,notes to the ,letter of ,preziado1     
doubts whether this supposed scholar of 
,michelangiolo be ,galeazzo ,alessi1    
remarking at the same time that this    
last was rather an architect than a     
painter4 ,i am inclined to think that   
the ,matteo in question may have been   
the foregoing ,matteo da ,lecce1 or da  
,leccio1 and that owing to one of those 
errors1 which ,clerche in his ,arte     
,critica1 calls ex auditu1 his name in  
,spain became ,d',alessi1 or            
,d',alessio1 the letters c and s in many
 countries being made use of            
reciprocally4 ,besides1 this ,leccese1  
of whom we write in the fourth volume1  
flourished in the time of ,vargas1 went 

to ,spain1 affected the style of        
,michelangiolo1 and never settled       
himself in any place from his desire of 
seeing the world4 ,memoirs of him appear
 to have been collected in ,spain1 by   
,pacheco1 who lived in #afce 7,conca1   
iii4 #beb71 who in his account1 at this 
distance of time1 must have been guided 
by vulgar report2 a bad authority for   
names1 particularly those of foreigners1
 as was noticed in the ,preface4 ,that  
he should further be called ,roman      
instead of ,italian1 in a foreign       
country1 and that he should there adopt 
the name of ,perez1 not having assumed  
any surname in ,rome1 can scarcely      
appear strange to the reader1 and the   
more so as he is described as an        
adventurer--a species of persons who    
subsist upon tricks and frauds4         
,footnote #afd3 ,sebastiano painted it  
again for the ,osservanti of ,viterbo2  
and there is a similar one described in 
the ,carthusian ,monastery1 at ,naples1 
which is painted in oil1 and is supposed

 to be the work of ,bonarruoti4         
,footnote #afe3 ,limbo1 among           
theologians of the ,roman ,church1 is   
the place where the souls of just men1  
who died before the coming of our       
,saviour1 and of unbaptized children1   
are supposed to reside4  ,footnote #aff3
 ,this noble fresco was ruined during   
the revolutionary tumults at            
,rome4--,tr4  ,footnote #afg3 ,that     
,raffaello was at this time well versed 
in perspective it is unreasonable to    
doubt1 as ,bottari has done3 he         
proceeded from the school of ,perugino1 
who was very eminent in that science2   
and he left a good specimen at ,siena1  
where he remained some time before he   
came to ,florence4  ,footnote #afh3     
,vol4 iii4 p4 #abf4  ,footnote #afi3    
,this is conspicuous in a ,s4 ,raffaello
 with ,tobias1 which was transferred    
from the royal gallery of ,florence to  
the imperial gallery of ,vienna4--,see  
,rosa ,scuola ,italiana1 p4 #ada4       
,footnote #agj3 ,plin4 ,hist4 ,nat4 lib4

 xxxv4 cap #aj4  ,footnote #aga3 ,any   
excellence he possessed was stolen from 
the admirable manner of our ,florentine 
painter1 ,rosso2 a man truly of         
wonderful genius4 ,cellini1 in his life1
 as quoted by ,baldinucci1 tom4 v4 p4   
#gb4 ,he who writes thus of the ablest  
pupil of ,giulio ,romano1 either was    
unacquainted with his works in ,bologna1
 and in ,mantua1 executed before he knew
 ,rosso1 or blinded by party rage1 was  
incapable of appreciating them4         
,footnote #agb3 ,page #ha4  ,footnote   
#agc3 ,about the time when ,michele     
taught1 there resided in ,spain one     
,tommaso ,fiorentino2 one of whose      
portraits is mentioned by the ,sig4 ,ab4
 ,conca1 7tom4 i4 p4 #ij17 belonging to 
the ,royal ,palace at ,madrid4 ,in the  
,ducal ,palace of ,alva1 there are also 
galleries of grotesques1 where we read  
the name of ,tommaso ,fiorentino1 the   
author1 to which is added 7tom4 ii4 p4  
#cfb7 ,the name of this professor of the
 art is quite new to me2 in his         

grotesques we meet with the exact style 
of the sons of ,bergamasco1 c4 ,i hardly
 know how the name can appear new to the
 ,ab4 ,conca1 when he had already       
mentioned it elsewhere2 nor how the     
composition of an artist1 who painted in
 #aeba1 could resemble that of others   
who were still young in the year #aegj1 
in which their father died4  ,footnote  
#agd3 ,vasari1 in his ,life of ,morto1  
says1 that he came to ,florence in order
 to improve his skill in figures1 in    
which he was deficient1 by studying the 
models of ,vinci and of ,michelangiolo4 
,in despair1 however1 he returned to his
 grotesques4 ,now ,i shall elsewhere    
produce an unedited document shewing his
 ability in figure painting1 which ,i   
should not have occasion to do if the   
beautiful portrait of ,morto1 in the    
,royal ,gallery at ,florence1 was1 as is
 conjectured1 by his hand4 ,but ,i am   
inclined to think that it is the        
likeness of an unknown person1 who1 as  
,i have seen in other portraits1 caused 

himself to be drawn with a finger       
pointing to a death's head1 in order to 
remind him of his mortality1 but in this
 picture the head has been capriciously 
interpreted as a symbol of the name of  
,morto1 and the painting given as the   
portrait and work of ,feltrese2 of whom 
,vasari gives a very different one4     
,footnote #age3 ,they wrought from the  
designs of ,pontormo1 and still more    
those of ,bronzino4 ,they also wrought  
for the ,duke of ,ferrara after the     
designs of ,giulio ,romano1 published by
 ,gio4 ,battista ,mantuano1 among his   
prints4  ,footnote #agf3 ,a similar     
composition is to be seen in an         
altar-piece in the cathedral of         
,volterra4 ,it is inscribed1 ,opus      
,leonardi ,pistoriens4 an4 #aeaf4 ,this1
 however1 ought not to be passed over on
 account of an historical doubt started 
by the ,cavalier ,tolomei1 whether there
 flourished1 at the same period1 two    
,lionardi da ,pistoja2 thus insinuating 
they were of different families4 ,and   

this would appear to be the case4 ,the  
painter of the piece in ,volterra was   
not ,grazia1 at ,naples1 probably1      
surnamed ,guelfo2 since his master      
,penni1 if we are to believe ,vasari1   
was in that year1 #aeaf1 still the      
scholar and assistant of ,raffaello2 nor
 does it seem probable that he educated 
a pupil of so much merit4 ,the          
,leonardo1 therefore1 who painted in    
,volterra1 must have been some other of 
more proficiency4  ,footnote #agg3 ,hic 
invenies quidquid diversorum colorum    
generibus et mixturis habet ,graecia 444
 quidquid in fenestrarum varietate      
pretiosa diligit ,francia4  ,footnote   
#agh3 ,zanetti1 ,nuova ,raccolta delle  
,monete e ,zecche d',italia1 7tom4 iv4  
p4 #aeh74 ,in this work we meet with a  
long ,latin document1 which makes       
mention of a brother of ,marco1 named   
,paolo1 also a painter2 qui habet in    
carta designatam mortem ,s4 ,francisci1 
et ,virginis gloriose1 sicut picte sunt 
ad modum theutonicum in pano 7i4 e4     

panno7 ad locum minorum in ,tarvisio4   
,footnote #agi3 ,tom4 iii4 p4 #be4      
,footnote #ahj3 ,bellori vite de'       
,pittori1 c4 page #cib4                 
,,florentine ,,school4     ,,epoch      
,,iii4    ,the ,imitators of            
,michelangiolo ,bonarruoti4   ,after the
 time of the five great masters above   
mentioned1 the ,florentines were so rich
 in fine specimens of art that they had 
no occasion to apply to foreign schools 
for improvement4 ,they had only to      
select the best specimens from the works
 of native artists2 as1 for instance1   
grandeur from ,michelangiolo1 grace from
 ,andrea1 and spirit from ,rossi2 they  
could learn colouring and casting of    
draperies from ,porta1 and chiaroscuro  
from ,vinci4 ,they appear1 however1 to  
have assiduously applied to design1 but 
to have paid little attention to the    
other branches of painting4 ,even in    
that branch they imagined that every    
thing was to be found in ,bonarruoti2   
and imitated him alone4 ,their choice   

was influenced by the celebrity1#aha the
 success1 and very long life of this    
artist1 who1 having survived all his    
eminent fellow citizens1 naturally      
recommended to employment the followers 
of his maxims1 and the adherents of his 
manner2 hence it has been observed by   
some1 that ,raffaello lived too short a 
time for the progress of the fine arts1 
,michelangiolo too long4 ,but artists   
ought to keep in mind the opinion1 or   
rather prophecy of ,bonarruoti--that his
 style would be productive of inept     
artists1 which has invariably been the  
character of those who have imitated him
 without judgment4  ,their study and    
constant practice has been to design    
from his statues3 for the cartoon on    
which so many eminent men formed their  
style1 had already perished2 and his    
paintings were not to be seen in        
,florence but in ,rome4 ,they           
transferred into their compositions that
 statue-like rigidity1 that strength of 
limb1 and those markings of the origin  

and insertion of muscles1 that severity 
of countenance1 and those positions of  
the hands and figures1 which            
characterized his sublimely awful style2
 but without comprehending the          
principles of this extraordinary man1   
without thoroughly understanding the    
play of the softer parts of the human   
figure1 either by inserting them in     
wrong situations1 or by representing1 in
 the same manner1 those in action and at
 rest2 those of a slender stripling1 and
 of the full-grown man4 ,contented with 
what they imagined grandeur of style1   
they neglected all the rest4 ,in some of
 their pictures we may observe a        
multitude of figures arranged one above 
the other1 with a total disregard of    
their relative situations2 features that
 express no passion1 and half naked     
figures that do nothing1 except         
pompously exhibit1 like the ,entellus of
 ,virgil1 magna ossa lacertosque4       
,instead of the beautiful azure and     
green formerly employed1 they           

substituted a languid yellowish hue2 the
 full body of colour gave place to      
superficial tints2 and1 above all1 the  
bold relief1 so much studied till the   
time of ,andrea1 went wholly into       
disuse4  ,in several passages           
,baldinucci confesses this decline1     
which1 however1 scarcely extended to two
 or three generations1 and seems to have
 commenced about #aedj4 ,during this    
unfortunate era the ,florentines did not
 degenerate as much as some other       
schools4 ,the churches are full of      
pictures of this era1 which1 if they are
 not to be admired like those of the    
preceding1 are1 at least1 respectable4  
,whoever sees the church of ,s4 ,croce1 
,s4 ,maria ,novella1 and other places1  
where the best artists of this era      
painted1 will undoubtedly find more to  
praise than to condemn4 ,few of them    
were eminent as colourists1 but many in 
design2 few were entirely free from the 
mannerism above noticed2 many1 however1 
by progressive improvement1 at length   

attained gracefulness4 ,we shall proceed
 to consider them1 chiefly following the
 steps of ,vincenzio ,borghini1 their   
contemporary2 the author of ,il ,reposo1
 a dialogue worthy of perusal1 both for 
the matter and the style4 ,we shall     
commence with ,vasari1 who not only     
belongs to this epoch1 but has ever been
 charged with being one of the chief    
authors of the decline of the art4#ahb  
,giorgio ,vasari1 of ,arezzo1 was       
descended from a family attached to the 
fine arts2 being the great grandson of  
,lazzaro1 who was the intimate friend of
 ,pietro della ,francesca1 and the      
imitator of his paintings2 the nephew of
 another ,giorgio1 who1 in modelling    
vases in plaster1 revived the forms of  
the antique1 in their basso-relievos1   
and their brilliant colours2 specimens  
of whose art exist in the royal gallery 
at ,florence4 ,michelangiolo1 ,andrea1  
and some other masters1 instructed him  
in design2 ,guglielmo da ,marcilla1     
called the ,prior1 and ,rosso1 initiated

 him in painting3 but he chiefly studied
 at ,rome1 whither he was brought by    
,ippolito1 ,cardinal de' ,medici1 the   
person to whom he owed his success2 for 
by his means ,giorgio was introduced to 
this family that loaded him with riches 
and with honour4 ,after having designed 
all the works of his first master1 and  
of ,raffaello1 at ,rome1 and likewise   
much after other schools and antique    
marbles1 he formed a style in which we  
may recognise traces of his studies2 but
 his predilection for ,bonarruoti is    
apparent4 ,after acquiring skill in     
painting figures1 he became one of the  
most excellent architects of the age2   
and united in himself the various       
branches which were known to ,perino1   
,giulio1 and their scholars1 who        
followed the example of ,raffaello4 ,he 
could unaided direct the construction of
 a grand fabric1 adorn it with figures1 
with grotesques1 with landscapes1 with  
stuccos1 with gilding1 and whatever else
 was required to ornament it in a       

princely style4 ,by this means he began 
to be known in ,italy2 and was employed 
as a painter in several places1 and even
 in ,rome4 ,he was much employed in the 
hermitage of the ,camaldules1 and in    
several monasteries of the ,olivets4 ,in
 their monastery at ,rimino he executed 
a picture of the ,magi1 and various     
frescos for the church2 in that at      
,bologna three pieces from sacred       
history1 with some ornaments in the     
refectory2 but still more in that at    
,naples1 where he not only reduced the  
refectory to the rules of true          
architecture1 but splendidly adorned it 
with stuccos and pictures of every      
description4 ,assisted by many young men
 he spent a year in this work2 and1 as  
he himself says1 was the first who gave 
an idea of the modern style to that     
city4 ,some of his pictures are to be   
seen in the ,classe di ,ravenna1 in the 
church of ,s4 ,peter at ,perugia1 at    
,bosco1 near ,alessandria1 in ,venice1  
at ,pisa1 in ,florence1 and at ,rome1   

where the largest part of them are in   
various places of the ,vatican1 and in  
the hall of the ,chancery4 ,these       
pictures are historical frescos of the  
life of ,paul ,,iii4 undertaken at the  
desire of ,cardinal ,farnese2 with whom 
originated the idea of writing the lives
 of the painters1 afterwards published  
at ,florence4 ,brought into notice by   
these works1 honoured by the esteem and 
friendship of ,bonarruoti1 and          
recommended by his multifarious         
abilities1 he was invited to the court  
of ,cosmo ,i4 ,he went there with his   
family in #aeec2 at which time the      
artists above alluded to were either    
dead or very old1 and1 therefore1 he had
 little to fear from competitors4 ,he   
superintended the magnificent works     
executed by that prince2 among which it 
would be wrong not to distinguish the   
edifice for the public offices1 which is
 esteemed among the finest in ,italy2   
and the old palace1 with its several    
sub-divisions1 which were all painted   

and decorated by ,vasari and his pupils 
for the use of government4 ,in one part 
of it1 each chamber bears the name of   
some distinguished member of the family1
 and represents his exploits4 ,this is  
one of his best works2 and here the     
chamber of ,clement ,,vii4 is chiefly   
conspicuous1 on the ceiling of which he 
represented the ,pontiff in the act of  
crowning ,charles ,v41 and all around   
disposed the emblems of his virtues1 his
 victories1 and his most remarkable     
exploits4 ,in this work the magnificence
 of the prince is rivalled by the       
judgment and taste of the artist4 ,the  
reader may find notices of his other    
works1 which are either in churches or  
in private houses1 and of his temporary 
decorations for funerals or festivals1  
by consulting his life written by       
himself down to #aefg1 and the          
continuation of it to #aegd1 the year of
 ,giorgio's decease4  ,it remains for us
 to discuss the merits of this artist1  
who has been praised by some and        

condemned by other authors that have    
treated of the fine arts1 especially in 
,italy4 ,i shall consider him first as a
 painter1 and next as a writer4 ,had all
 his works perished but some of those in
 the old palace1 the ,conception1 in ,s4
 ,apostolo at ,florence1 which ,borghini
 commends as his finest production1 the 
,decollation of ,s4 ,john1 in the church
 of the ,baptist at ,rome1 which is     
adorned by exquisite perspective1 the   
,feast of ,ahasuerus1 in the possession 
of the ,benedictines at ,arezzo1 some of
 his portraits1 which ,bottari scruples 
not to compare with those of ,giorgione1
 and some of his other pictures that    
demonstrate his ability1 his reputation 
would have been much greater than it is4
 ,but he aimed at too much2 and for the 
most part preferred expedition to       
accuracy4 ,hence1 though a good         
designer1 his figures are not always    
correct2 and his painting often appears 
languid1 from his meagre and superficial
 colouring4#ahc ,the habit of careless  

execution is usually the companion of   
some maxim that may serve to excuse it  
to others1 as well as to our own        
self-love3 ,vasari has recommended in   
his writings the acquirement of         
compendious methods1#ahd and the        
expedition of practice2 in other words1 
to make use of former exercises and     
studies in painting4 ,this method is    
highly advantageous to the artist1      
because it increases his profits2 but is
 prejudicial to the art1 which thus     
degenerates into mannerism1 or1 in other
 words1 departs from nature3 ,vasari    
fell into this error in many of his     
works1 especially in his hasty          
productions1 or where he borrowed the   
hand of others2 apologies which he      
frequently offers to the readers of his 
,lives4 ,he was principally induced1 ,i 
believe1 to offer such apologies for his
 practice1 from the strictures on his   
paintings contained in the hall of the  
,chancery1 which were finished in a     
hundred days1 according to their author1

 in order to please the cardinal3 but he
 ought then rather to have excused      
himself to ,farnese1 and to have        
requested him to employ some other      
artist1 than to make his apology to     
posterity1 and to intreat us to excuse  
his faults4 ,he ought to have listened  
to the admonitions of his friends2 among
 whom ,caro did not fail to remind him  
of the injury his reputation might      
sustain by such hasty productions4#ahe  
,as he long superintended the           
decorations of the capital1 ordered by  
,cosmo ,i4 and ,prince ,d4 ,francesco1  
and was assisted in them by many young  
men1 ,baldinucci affirms that he chiefly
 contributed to that dry manner which   
prevailed in ,florence4#ahf  ,this      
opinion is probably not erroneous2 for  
the example of a painter employed by the
 court was sufficient to seduce the     
rising generation from pristine         
diligence1 to a more careless manner4   
,after all1 the ,florentines who        
assisted him were chiefly the scholars  

of ,bronzino1 and1 except two or three1 
they did not adopt the style of ,vasari3
 some others also may have done so for a
 little time4 ,francesco ,morandini1    
called ,poppi1 from his native place1   
was his disciple and imitator2 and in   
his picture of the ,conception1 at ,s4  
,michelino1 in the superior one of the  
,visitation1 at ,s4 ,nicholas1 and in   
his many other works1 he appears a      
follower of ,giorgio2 except that he was
 more minute1 and attended more to gay  
and cheerful composition4 ,giovanni     
,stradano ,fiammingo1 for ten years a   
dependant of ,vasari1 adopted his       
colouring1 but imitated the design of   
,salviati2 with whom and also with      
,daniele di ,volterra he had lived in   
,rome4 ,there is a ,christ on the       
,cross1 by him1 at the ,serviti1 which  
is preferred to any other he painted at 
,florence1 where he executed many       
designs for tapestry1 and many prints4  
,he had a fertile invention2 he is      
praised by ,vasari as highly as any     

other artist then in the service of the 
court1 and is considered by ,borghini   
among the eminent masters4 ,vasari after
 him retained ,jacopo ,zucchi1 whose    
works exhibit none of the carelessness  
of ,giorgio4 ,he sometimes imitated him2
 but his style is better and more       
refined4 ,he lived long at ,rome1 under 
the protection of ,ferdinando1 ,cardinal
 de' ,medici1 in whose house1 and more  
especially in the ,rucellai palace1 he  
painted in fresco with incredible       
diligence4 ,his picture of the ,birth of
 the ,baptist1 in ,s4 ,giovanni         
,decollato1 is esteemed the best in that
 church2 and in this piece he appears   
more a follower of ,andrea1 than of any 
other master4 ,he usually introduced    
real portraits of distinguished         
characters and men of letters in his    
compositions1 and he shewed a peculiar  
grace in the figures of children and of 
young people4 ,baglioni praises both    
this artist and his brother ,francesco1 
who was a good artist in mosaic1 and an 

excellent painter of fruit and flowers4 
,in considering ,giorgio as a writer1 ,i
 shall not consume much time2 having so 
frequently to notice him in the course  
of my work4 ,he wrote precepts of art   
and lives of the painters1 as is well   
known2 and he added to them some        
dissertations on his own                
occupations1#ahg and his pictures4#ahh  
,he entered on this work at the         
instigation of ,cardinal ,farnese1 as   
well as of ,monsig4 ,giovio2 and he was 
encouraged in it by ,caro1 ,molza1      
,tolomei1 and other literary men        
belonging to that court4 ,his first     
intention was to collect anecdotes of   
artists1 to be extended by ,giovio4     
,they wished him to commence with       
,cimabue2 with which1 perhaps1 he ought 
not to have complied2 but this          
circumstance diminishes the fault of    
,vasari in passing over the older       
masters in silence1 and raises the glory
 of ,cimabue far above all his          
contemporaries4 ,when it was discovered 

that ,vasari could write well1#ahi and  
was capable of extending the anecdotes  
in even more appropriate language than  
,giovio himself1 the whole task devolved
 on him2 but in order to render the work
 more worthy of the public1 he had the  
assistance afforded him of men of       
letters4 ,in #aedg1 on finishing the    
book1 he went to ,rimino2 and whilst he 
was employed in painting for the        
fraternity of ,olivets1 ,father ,d4     
,gio4 ,matteo ,faetani1 abbot of the    
monastery1 corrected his work and caused
 it to be wholly transcribed2 about the 
end of that year it was sent to ,caro   
for perusal4 ,he signified his          
approbation of it1 as written in a fine 
style1 and with great care2#aij except  
that in some passages a less artificial 
style was desirable4 ,after being       
corrected in this respect1 it was       
printed in two volumes by ,torrentino1  
at ,florence1 in the year #aeej2 in this
 edition he received considerable aid   
from ,father ,d4 ,miniato ,pitti1 then  

an ,olivetine friar4#aia ,vasari        
complained that many things were there  
inserted he knew not how1 and were      
altered without his knowledge or        
consent2#aib but ,i cannot agree with   
,bottari1#aic that these alterations    
were made by ,pitti or any other monk4  
,if ,vasari could not discover their    
author1 we are much less likely to find 
him out2 and there is some ground for   
believing that ,vasari had offended many
 persons by certain invidious anecdotes1
 and thus endeavoured to excuse himself 
as well as he could4 ,who can believe   
that the many things cancelled in the   
second edition1 which seems almost a new
 work1 were all liberties taken by other
 persons1 he did not know how and not   
mistakes1 at least for the most part1   
made by himself8  ,in whatever way it   
happened1 he had an opportunity of      
correcting his lives1 of augmenting     
them1 and again printing them1          
accompanied by portraits of the artists4
 ,after publication of the first edition

 he had availed himself of the          
manuscripts of ,ghiberti1 of ,domenico  
,ghirlandaio1 of ,raffaello d',urbino2  
and had himself collected a number of   
anecdotes in his different journeys     
through ,italy4 ,he undertook a new tour
 in #aeff1 to prepare for the new       
edition1 as he informs us in the life of
 ,benvenuto ,garofolo2 he again examined
 the works of different masters1 and    
obtained new information from his       
friends1 some of whom he mentions by    
name1 when treating of the artists of   
,forli and ,verona4 ,he would have been 
still more full of anecdote in his      
,lives1 had his success corresponded    
with his diligence4 ,on this account1 in
 the beginning and at the end of the    
,life of ,carpaccio1 he laments that he 
was not able to obtain every particular 
of many artists2 nor to possess their   
portraits2 and he entreats us to accept 
what he is able to offer1 although he   
cannot give all he might desire4 ,he    
republished his ,lives in #aefh1 and    

affirmed in the ,dedication to ,cosmo   
,i4 that as for himself he wished for   
nothing more in them4 ,the new edition  
issued from the press of the ,giunti2 of
 the additions1 consisting of fine      
observations upon philosophy and        
,christian morality1 which cannot be    
ascribed to ,giorgio1 part was supplied 
by ,borghini1 and still more by ,father 
,d4 ,silvano ,razzi1 a ,camalduline     
monk1 as ,bottari conjectures in his    
,preface1#aid but it does not follow    
that they assisted in correcting the    
work4 ,it is full of errors2 sometimes  
in the grammatical construction1 often  
in the names1 and frequently in the     
dates2 and though it was reprinted at   
,bologna1 in #afdh2 at ,rome1 with the  
notes and corrections of ,bottari1 in   
#agei2 in ,leghorn and ,florence1 in    
#agfg1 with fresh notes and additions by
 the same2 and lastly1 in ,siena1 with  
those of ,p4 della ,valle2 it still     
remains not so much a judicious         
selection of facts1 as a mass of        

chronological emendations1 some of which
 shall be noticed in the sequel4#aie    
,this1 if ,i am not deceived1 is the    
objection that can be most frequently1  
and almost continually urged against the
 work4 ,the other strictures to be met  
with in authors are1 for the most part1 
exaggerations of writers1 offended at   
,vasari for his silence or his          
criticisms1 on the works of the artists 
of their country4 ,there is nothing so  
flattering to the vanity of an author1  
as defending the character of his native
 place1 and of those citizens who have  
rendered her illustrious4 ,in whatever  
manner he writes1 all his countrymen1   
who are all the world to him1 think him 
in the right2 and in the coffeehouses he
 frequents1 in the shops of the         
booksellers1 and in all public places1  
they hail him as the public advocate4   
,hence we need not be surprised that    
such an author writes as if his country 
had appointed him her champion1 assumes 
a spirit of hostility1 and then the     

transition is easy from a just defence  
to an injurious attack4 ,from such      
causes some writers appear to me        
actuated by unbecoming enmity to        
,vasari4 ,the passages of the first     
edition1 cancelled in the second1 have  
been quoted against him2 he has incurred
 odium for some deformed portraits1 as  
if he was accountable for the defects of
 nature2 his most innocent expressions  
have been tortured into a sinister      
meaning2 his enemies would have us      
believe that1 intending to exalt his    
darling ,florentines1 he neglected the  
other ,italian artists1 as if1 in order 
to do justice to these1 he had not      
travelled and sought for information1   
although often in vain1 as ,i before    
mentioned4 ,the historians of all the   
other schools have used him as the      
commentators of ,virgil treated         
,servius2 all have abused him1 and all  
have availed themselves of his labours4 
,for if all the information collected by
 ,vasari concerning the old masters of  

the ,venetian1 ,bolognese1 and ,lombard 
schools be taken away1 how imperfect    
does their history remain8 ,in my       
opinion1 therefore1 he deserves our best
 thanks for what he has done1 and much  
forbearance for what he has omitted4    
,if his judgment appears less accurate  
on some artists of a different school1  
he ought not1 on that account1 to be    
taxed with malignity and envy1 as is    
well observed by ,lomazzo4 ,he has      
protested that he has done his best to  
adhere to truth1 or to what he believed 
to be true1#aif and it is sufficient to 
read him without prejudice to give him  
credit for such justification4 ,he seems
 a man who writes as he thinks4 ,thus1  
he bestows commendations upon           
,baldinelli and upon ,zuccaro1 his      
enemies1#aig as well as upon his        
friends3 he distributes censure and     
praise with an equal hand to ,tuscan and
 other artists4 ,if he discovers        
painters of little merit in other       
schools1 he finds them also in that of  

,florence2 if he relates the jealousies 
of foreign artists1 he does not conceal 
those of the ,florentines1 of which he  
speaks with a playful freedom in the    
,life of ,donatello1 in his own1 and    
more especially in that of ,pietro      
,perugino4 ,his partial criticisms      
therefore on certain artists arose less 
from his nationality1 than from other   
causes4 ,it is certain that he saw but  
little of some masters2 his opinion of  
others was formed upon incorrect        
information2 and he could not attain the
 same certainty that we now boast1 on   
what related to a number of artists then
 living1 who1 as usually happens1 were  
then more censured than admired4 ,some  
allowance too should be made for his    
other avocations2 by the multiplicity of
 which he doubtless wrote as he painted1
 with the expedition of his mode of     
practice4 ,a proof of this is afforded  
by the repetitions that occur1 as we    
have before observed1 in successive     
passages1 and the contradictory         

characters he sometimes gives of the    
same picture1 pronouncing it good in one
 sentence1 and in another allowing it   
scarcely the praise of mediocrity4 ,this
 was particularly the case in regard to 
,razzi1 towards whom he seems to have   
entertained ill will2 arising1 however1 
more from the bad reputation of the man 
than from prejudice against the school  
of the artist4 ,for the incorrectness of
 such censures1 in which he1 however1   
was sincere1 ,i blame his maxims of art1
 and the age in which he lived4 ,he     
reckoned ,bonarruoti the greatest       
painter that had ever existed2#aih and  
exalted him above the ancient           
,greeks1#aii and1 from his practice1    
held a bold and vigorous design as the  
summit of perfection in painting2       
compared to which1 beauty and colouring 
were nothing4#bjj ,from such fundamental
 principles proceeded some of his       
obnoxious criticisms on ,bassano1       
,tiziano1 and on ,raffaello himself4    
,but is this the effect of his          

malignity1 or of his education8 ,does it
 not happen in philosophy as in         
painting1 that every one gives a decided
 preference to those of his own sect4   
,has not ,petrarca generalized the      
observation1 when he asks1              
----,or che e questo   ,che ognun del   
suo saper par che si appaghi8  ,we may1 
then1 forgive in ,vasari what appeared  
to this philosophic poet a weakness of  
human nature2 and may observe on a few  
passages in his work what was applied to
 ,tacitus2 that we condemn his          
principles1 but admire his history4     
,such1 ,i believe1 was the opinion of   
,lomazzo1 who though not wholly         
satisfied with the opinions of ,vasari1 
not only excused but defended him2#bja  
and in this he acted properly4  ,vasari 
is1 moreover1 the father of the history 
of painting1 and has transmitted to us  
its most precious materials4 ,educated  
in the most auspicious era of the art1  
he has in some measure perpetuated the  
influence of the golden age4 ,in        

perusing his ,lives1 ,i fancy myself    
listening to the individuals of whom he 
has collected the traditions and the    
precepts4 ,it was thus1 think ,i1 that  
,raffaello and ,andrea imparted these   
facts to their scholars2 thus spoke     
,bonarruoti2 the friends of ,giorgio    
heard this from ,vinci and ,porta1 and  
in this manner must have related it to  
him4 ,i am delighted with the facts1 and
 also with the luminous1 simple1 and    
natural manner in which they are        
expressed1 interwoven with the technical
 terms that originated in ,florence1 and
 worthy of every writer whose subject is
 the fine arts4 ,finally1 should ,i     
discover in him any prejudice of        
education1 or1 if you will1 arising from
 self-love1 it seems to me unjust on    
account of such a fault1 to forget his  
many services1 and to declare           
hostilities against him for such        
blemishes4  ,another service ,vasari    
conferred on the fine arts yet remains  
to be noticed1 and that is the          

establishment of the ,academy of ,design
 in ,florence1 about the year #aefa1    
principally through his exertions4 ,the 
society of ,s4 ,luke there existed from 
the fourteenth century1 but it had      
fallen into decay1 and was almost       
extinct1 when ,f4 ,gio4 ,angiolo        
,montorsoli ,servita1 a celebrated      
statuary1 conceived the design of       
reviving it4 ,he communicated his idea  
to ,giorgio1 who so effectually         
recommended it to ,cosmo ,i41 that1     
shortly after1 it arose with new vigour1
 and became at the same time a          
charitable institution and an academy of
 the fine arts4 ,the prince wished to be
 considered its head1 and ,d4 ,vincenzio
 ,borghini was appointed his            
representative in transacting his       
ordinary business1 which situation was  
afterwards filled by ,cav4 ,gaddi1 by   
,baccio ,valori1 and successively by    
some of the most accomplished gentlemen 
of the city2 an arrangement maintained  
by the sovereigns down to the present   

day4 ,the chapter house of the          
,nunziata1 decorated with the sculpture 
and pictures of the best masters of the 
age1 was granted to this college of     
artists for a hall1 as we are informed  
by ,valori4#bjb ,another place was      
assigned for their meetings1 and they   
have frequently experienced the         
liberality of succeeding princes4 ,their
 rules were drawn up by the restorers of
 this institution1 of whom ,vasari was  
one4 ,he wrote concerning it to         
,michelangiolo1#bjc and asserted that   
every member of this academy was        
indebted to him for what he knew2 and   
indeed this academy in all its branches 
partakes strongly of his style4 ,a      
similar doctrine1 as we have observed1  
already prevailed at ,florence2 but it  
would have been better that every one   
followed the master whom his genius     
pointed out4 ,in the choice of a style  
nature ought to direct1 not to follow2  
every one should make his election      
according to his talents4 ,it is true   

that the error of the ,florentines is   
common to other nations2 and has given  
rise to an opinion1 that academies have 
had a baneful influence on the arts2    
since they have only tended to constrain
 all to follow the same path2 and hence 
,italy is found fruitful in adherents to
 systems1 but barren in true painters4  
,to me the institution of academies has 
always appeared highly useful1 when     
conducted on the plan of that of the    
,caracci1 of which we shall treat under 
their school4 ,in the mean time ,i      
return to the ,florentine school4  ,the 
contemporaries of ,vasari were ,salviati
 and ,jacopo del ,conte1 both of whom   
lived also with ,andrea del ,sarto1 and 
,bronzino1 the scholar of ,pontormo4    
,like ,giorgio1 their genius led them to
 an imitation of ,michelangiolo4        
,francesco de' ,rossi1 called ,salviati1
 from the surname of his patron1 was the
 fellow student of ,vasari1 under       
,andrea del ,sarto and ,baccio          
,bandinelli4 ,the last mentioned artist 

was an excellent sculptor1 who usually  
taught design to students in painting1  
an art which1 like ,verrocchio1 he      
sometimes practised for amusement4      
,while at ,rome1 ,salviati1 contracting 
an intimate friendship with ,giorgio1   
pursued the same studies1 and adopted   
the same fundamental principles of the  
art4 ,he finally became a painter more  
correct1 more elevated1 and more        
spirited than his companion1 and ,vasari
 classes him among the best artists then
 in ,rome4 ,there he was employed in the
 palace of his patron1 in the ,farnese  
and ,riccio palaces1 in the ,chancery1  
in the church of ,s4 ,gio4 ,decollato1  
and in various other places1 where he   
filled extensive walls with historical  
frescos1 an employment which was his    
chief delight4 ,his invention was very  
fertile1 his compositions varied1 his   
architecture grand2 he is one of the few
 who have united celerity of execution  
with scientific design1 in which he was 
deeply versed1 although occasionally    

somewhat extravagant4 ,his best         
production now in ,florence is the      
battle and triumph of ,furius ,camillus1
 in the saloon of the old palace1 a work
 full of spirit1 that appears from the  
representations of armour1 draperies1   
and ,roman customs1 conducted by an able
 antiquary4 ,there is also in the church
 of ,santa ,croce1 a ,descent from the  
,cross2 to him a familiar subject1 which
 he repeated at the ,panfili palace at  
,rome1 and in the ,corpus ,domini at    
,venice2 and it may be seen in some     
private collections1 in which his ,holy 
,families and portraits are not rare4   
,the octagonal picture of ,psyche1 in   
the possession of the ,grimani family1  
is highly celebrated1 and ,giorgio      
pronounces it the finest picture in all 
,venice4 ,his remark would have been    
less invidious1 had he said it was the  
most scientific in design2 but who can  
concede to him that it appeared a       
paragon in that city8 ,the features of  
,psyche have nothing uncommon2 and the  

whole1 though well composed1 and adorned
 with a beautiful landscape1 and an     
elegant little temple1 cannot be        
compared to the charming compositions of
 ,tiziano1 or of ,paolo ,veronese1 in   
which we sometimes behold1 as ,dante    
would express it1 the whole creation    
smile4 ,the design of ,salviati was     
better than his colouring2 and on this  
account he did not meet with success at 
,venice2 on his going to ,france he was 
but little employed1 and is now less    
sought after and esteemed than ,tiziano 
or ,paolo4 ,in ornamental arts such as  
poetry and painting1 it would seem that 
mankind are more easily contented with a
 mediocrity in knowledge1 than with     
mediocrity in the art of pleasing4 ,it  
was very correctly observed by ,salvator
 ,rosa1 when requested to give his      
opinion upon the relative merits of     
design and colouring1 that he had been  
able to meet with many ,santi di ,tito  
in the shops of the suburbs1 at a very  
low price1 but that he had never seen   

there a single specimen of ,bassano4    
,salviati was the best artist of this   
epoch1 and if he was little employed at 
,florence1 according to ,vasari1 it     
arose partly from the envy of malevolent
 persons1 partly from his own turbulent1
 restless1 and haughty demeanour4 ,he   
trained up1 however1 some artists who   
belong to this school4 ,francesco del   
,prato1 an eminent goldsmith1 and an    
excellent artist in the inlaying of     
metals1 when advanced in life1 imbibed  
the love of painting from ,salviati1 and
 became his pupil4 ,having a good idea  
of design1 he was soon able to execute  
cabinet pictures2 two of which1 the     
,plague of ,serpents and the ,limbo1 are
 pronounced most beautiful by ,vasari4  
,it is not improbable that some of the  
minor pictures ascribed to ,salviati may
 be the work of this artist1 who is as  
little named as if he had never existed4
 ,bernardo ,buontalenti1 a man of rare  
and universal genius1 was instructed in 
miniature painting by ,clovio1 and had  

,salviati1 ,vasari1 and ,bronzino1 for  
his masters in the other branches of    
painting4 ,he was so successful that his
 works were in request by ,francis ,i41 
by the emperor1 and the king of ,spain4 
,his portrait is in the royal gallery1  
besides which little in ,florence can be
 ascribed to him with certainty1 for he 
dedicated his time chiefly to           
architecture and to hydrostatics4       
,ruviale ,spagnuolo1 ,domenico ,romano1 
and ,porta della ,garfagnana1 belong to 
the school of ,salviati4 ,we shall      
notice the last among the ,venetians1   
among whom he lived4 ,in the treatise of
 ,lomazzo1 ,romolo ,fiorentino is       
assigned to the same school2 the        
individual conjectured by ,p4 ,orlandi  
to be the ,romolo ,cincinnato1 a        
,florentine painter1 employed by ,philip
 ,,ii4 of ,spain4 ,he is very honourably
 mentioned by ,palomino1 together with  
his sons and pupils1 ,diego and         
,francesco1 both eminent artists        
favoured by ,philip ,,iv4 and ,pope     

,urban ,,viii4 by whom they were        
knighted4  ,jacopino del ,conte1 who is 
also noticed in the ,abecedario         
,pittorico1 under the name of ,jacopo   
del ,conte1 and considered not as the   
same individual1 but as two distinct    
artists1 was little employed in         
,florence1 but in great request in      
,rome4 ,he was eminent as a portrait    
painter to all the ,popes and the       
principal nobility of ,rome1 from the   
time of ,paul ,,iii4 to that of ,clement
 ,,viii41 in whose pontificate he died4 
,his ability in composition may be      
discovered in the frescos in ,s4 ,gio4  
,decollato1 and especially in the       
picture of the ,deposition in that      
place1 a work which is reckoned among   
his finest productions4 ,there the      
competition of his most distinguished   
countrymen stimulated his exertions for 
distinction4 ,he was an imitator of     
,michelangiolo1 but in a manner so free1
 and a colouring so different1 that it  
seems the production of another school4 

,scipione ,gaetano1 whom we shall       
consider in the third book of our       
history1 was his scholar4 ,of ,domenico 
,beceri1 a respectable pupil of ,puligo1
 and of some others of little note1 ,i  
have nothing further to add4  ,angiolo  
,bronzino was another friend of ,vasari1
 nearly of the same age1 and was        
enumerated among the more eminent       
artists1 from the grace of his          
countenances1 and the agreeableness of  
his compositions4 ,he is likewise       
esteemed as a poet4 ,his poems were     
printed along with those of ,berni2 and 
some of his letters on painting are     
preserved in the collection of          
,bottari4#bjd ,although the scholar and 
follower of ,pontormo1 he also recals   
,michelangiolo to our recollection4 ,his
 frescos in the old palace are praised1 
adorning a chapel1 on the walls of which
 he represented the ,fall of ,manna1 and
 the ,scourge of the ,serpents1         
histories full of power and spirit2     
although the paintings on the ceiling do

 not correspond with them1 being        
deficient in the line of perspective4   
,some of his altar-pieces are to be seen
 in the churches of ,florence1 several  
of them feebly executed1 with figures of
 angels1 whose beauty appears too soft  
and effeminate4 ,there are many1 on the 
other hand1 extremely beautiful1 such as
 his ,pieta at ,s4 ,maria ,nuova1 and   
likewise his ,limbo at ,santa ,croce1 in
 an altar belonging to the noble family 
of ,riccasoli4 ,this picture is better  
suited for an academy of design1 from   
the naked figure1 than for a church2 but
 the painter was too much attached to   
,michelangiolo to avoid imitating him   
even in this error4 ,this picture has   
been lately very well repaired4 ,many of
 his portraits are in ,italian          
collections of paintings1 which are     
praiseworthy for their truth and spirit2
 but their character is frequently      
diminished by the colour of the flesh1  
which sometimes partakes of a leaden    
hue1 at other times appears of a dead   

white1 on which the red appears like    
rouge4 ,but a yellowish tint is the     
predominant colour in his pictures1 and 
his greatest fault is a want of relief4 
,the succeeding artists1 who are chiefly
 ,florentines1 are named by ,vasari in  
the ,obsequies of ,bonarruoti1 in the   
memoirs of the academicians1 written    
about the year #aefg1 and in several    
other places4 ,their works are scattered
 over the city1 and many of them are to 
be found in the cloister of ,s4 ,maria  
,novella4 ,if these semicircular        
pictures had not been retouched and     
altered1 this place would be1 with      
regard to this epoch1 what the cloister 
of the ,olivetines in ,bologna is to    
that of the ,caracci2 an era1 indeed1   
more auspicious for the art1 but not    
more interesting in an historical point 
of view4 ,another collection1 of which  
,i have spoken in my description of the 
tenth cabinet of the royal gallery1 is  
better preserved1 and indeed is quite   
perfect4 ,it now occupies another       

apartment4 ,it consists of thirty-four  
fabulous and historical pictures1       
painted on the panels of a writing desk 
for ,prince ,francesco1#bje by various  
artists of this epoch4 ,vasari1 to whom 
the work was entrusted1 there           
represented ,andromeda delivered by     
,perseus1 and procured the assistance of
 the academicians1 who thus emulated    
each other1 and strove to recommend     
themselves to the court4 ,most of them  
have put their names to their work2#bjf 
and1 if the defects common to that age1 
or peculiar to the individual1 are here 
and there visible in the work1 it       
demonstrates that the light of painting 
was not yet extinguished in ,florence4  
,nevertheless1 ,i advise him who        
examines this collection1 to suspend his
 judgment on the merits of those artists
 until he has considered their other    
productions in their own country or at  
,rome1 where some of them have a place  
in the choicest collections4 ,they may  
be divided in several schools3 we shall 

begin with that of ,angiolo4            
,alessandro ,allori1 the nephew and     
pupil of ,bronzino1 whose surname he    
sometimes inscribed on his pictures1 is 
reckoned inferior to his uncle4 ,wholly 
intent upon anatomy1 of which he gave   
fine examples in the ,tribune of the    
,servi1 and on which he composed a      
treatise for the use of painters1 he did
 not sufficiently attend to the other   
branches of the art4 ,some of his       
pictures in ,rome1 representing horses1 
are beautiful2 and his sacrifice of     
,isaac1 in the royal museum1 is coloured
 almost in the ,flemish style4 ,his     
power of expression is manifested by his
 picture of the ,woman taken in         
,adultery in the church of the ,holy    
,spirit4 ,he was expert in portrait     
painting2 but he abused this talent by  
introducing portraits in the modern     
costume in ancient histories1 a fault   
not uncommon in that age4 ,on the whole 
his genius appears to have been equal to
 every branch of painting2 but it was   

unequally exercised1 and consequently   
unequally expanded4 ,he painted much for
 foreigners1 and enjoyed the esteem of  
the ducal family1 who employed him to   
finish the pictures at ,poggio a        
,caiano1 begun by ,andrea del ,sarto1   
,franciabigio1 and ,pontormo1 and by    
them left more or less imperfect4       
,opposite to these pictures he painted1 
from his own invention1 the ,gardens of 
the ,hesperides1 the ,feast of ,syphax1 
and ,titus ,flaminius dissuading the    
,etolians from the ,achaean league2 all 
which historical subjects1 as well as   
those of ,caesar and ,cicero1 were      
chosen as symbols of similar events in  
the lives of ,cosmo and ,lorenzo de'    
,medici4 ,such was the manner of        
thinking in that age2 and moderns       
personified in ancient heroes obtained a
 less direct1 but higher honour from the
 art4 ,giovanni ,bizzelli1 a disciple of
 ,alessandro1 of middling talents1      
painted in ,s4 ,gio4 ,decollato1 at     
,rome1 and in some ,florentine churches4

 ,cristofano1 a son of ,alessandro1     
became eminent2 but he is to be         
considered hereafter4  ,santi ,titi1 of 
,citta ,san ,sepolcro1 a scholar of     
,bronzino and ,cellini1 studied long at 
,rome1 whence he returned1 with a style 
full of science and of grace4 ,his      
beautiful is without much of the ideal2 
but his countenances exhibit a certain  
fulness1 an appearance of freshness and 
of health1 that is surpassed by none of 
those who took nature for their model4  
,design was his characteristic          
excellence2 and for this he was         
commended by his imitator1 ,salvator    
,rosa4 ,in expression he has few        
superiors in other schools1 and none in 
his own4 ,his ornaments are judicious2  
and having practised architecture with  
applause1 he introduced perspectives1   
that gave a dignity and charm to his    
compositions4 ,he is esteemed the best  
painter of this epoch1 and belongs to it
 rather from the time in which he lived 
than his style2 if we except his        

colouring1 which was too feeble1 and    
without much relief4 ,borghini1 at once 
his critic and apologist1 remarks that  
even in this department he was not      
deficient1 when he chose to exert       
himself2 and he seems to have studied it
 in the ,feast of ,emmaus1 in the church
 of the ,holy ,cross at ,florence1 in   
the ,resurrection of ,lazarus1 in the   
cathedral of ,volterra1 and in a picture
 at ,citta di ,castello1 in which he    
represents the faithful receiving the   
,holy ,spirit from the hands of the     
,apostles2 a painting that may be viewed
 with pleasure1 even after the three by 
,raffaello which adorn that city4       
,among his numerous pupils in design1 we
 may reckon his son ,tiberio2 but this  
artist attended less to the pursuits of 
his father1 than to painting small      
portraits in vermilion1 in which he had 
singular merit2 these were readily      
received into the collection formed by  
,cardinal ,leopold1 which now forms a   
single cabinet in the royal museum4 ,two

 other ,florentines are worthy of       
notice1 viz4 ,agostino ,ciampelli1 who  
flourished in ,rome under ,clement      
,,viii42 and ,lodovico ,buti1 who       
remained at ,florence4 ,they resemble   
twins by the similarity between them2   
less scientific1 less inventive1 and    
less able in composition1 than ,titi1   
they possessed fine ideas1 were correct 
in design1 and cheerful in their        
colouring1 beyond the usage of the      
,florentine school2 but they were       
somewhat crude1 and at times profuse in 
the use of red tints not sufficiently   
harmonized4 ,frescos by the first may be
 seen in the ,sacristy at ,rome1 and the
 chapel of ,s4 ,andrea al ,gesu1 and an 
oil painting of the ,crucifixion at ,s4 
,prassede1 in his best manner4 ,a       
,visitation1 with its two companions1 at
 ,s4 ,stephen of ,pescia1 may be        
reckoned among his choicest works2 to   
which the vicinity of ,tiarini does     
little injury4 ,the second may be       
recognised by a picture of the miracle  

of the loaves and fishes1 abounding in  
figures1 which is in the royal gallery4 
,baccio ,ciarpi1 a pupil of the same    
school1 is celebrated as the master of  
,berrettini1 and deserves to be         
commended for his diligence and         
correctness4 ,he was thought worthy of  
being employed at ,la ,concezione at    
,rome1 a most splendid gallery1 painted 
by the greatest artists of that age4 ,a 
portrait of one ,andrea ,boscoli1 his   
pupil and imitator1 remains in the royal
 museum of ,florence1 and many of his   
paintings with horses are dispersed     
through the city4 ,he travelled into    
different parts1 leaving various        
specimens of his art in different       
countries1 at ,s4 ,ginesio1 at          
,fabriano1 and other places in the      
district of ,piceno4 ,his largest work  
is a ,s4 ,john the ,baptist in the      
attitude of prayer1 at the ,teresiani of
 ,rimino2 a picture that shews          
invention1 but it was unknown to        
,baldinucci1 who compiled anecdotes of  

this artist4 ,constantino de' ,servi is 
conjectured by ,baldinucci to be a      
scholar of ,titi4 ,he is well known to  
have been originally his imitator1 and  
having gone into ,germany1 there adopted
 the style of ,pourbus4 ,in foreign     
countries he seems to have painted few  
portraits1 a branch in which he had     
greater merit than employment4 ,his     
celebrity was greater as a master       
architect and engraver of gems1 as we   
shall notice in a subsequent epoch4 ,in 
closing the account of the school of    
,santi1 it may be proper to observe1    
that his example reclaimed a great      
proportion of the succeeding generation1
 and inclined artists to mitigate the   
severity of the style of ,michelangiolo1
 by introducing more grace in the       
contours1 and a better taste in the     
heads4  ,batista ,naldini holds the     
third rank among the scholars of        
,bronzino4 ,he was first the pupil of   
,pontormo1 afterwards of ,bronzino1 and 
having resided some time at ,rome1 he   

was chosen by ,vasari as the companion  
of his labours in the old palace1 and   
retained by him about fourteen years4   
,the historian makes honourable mention 
of ,naldini1 even when a young man1 and 
denominates him a painter skilful and   
vigorous1 expeditious and indefatigable4
 ,naldini obtained similar praise in    
,rome from ,baglione1 especially for the
 chapel of ,john the ,baptist1 at       
,trinita de' ,monti1 which he painted   
with the history of the saint4 ,he      
painted many pictures in his native     
city1 some of which1 as the taking down 
from the ,cross1 and the ,purification  
of the ,virgin1 are commended by        
,borghini for the colouring and the     
design1 for the disposition1 the        
perspective1 and the attitudes4 ,the    
defects observable in most of his       
pictures are1 that the knees are rather 
too much swollen1 the eyes too open1 and
 marked with a certain fierceness1 by   
which he may be generally recognized2   
his colouring is also characteristic1   

and those changeable hues in which he   
delighted more than any other artist of 
the age4  ,he taught according to the   
method then pursued by most masters1    
which was to employ his scholars in     
designing after the chalk drawings of   
,michelangiolo1 and to give them his own
 finished pictures to copy2 for1 like   
bees1 artists were exceedingly anxious  
to work in secret1 and ready to wound   
all who overlooked them4 ,baldinucci has
 recorded several instances of this     
peculiarity4 ,from these circumstances  
the fault of the scholars of ,naldini   
was stiffness1 the common failing of    
that age2 they had little of that free  
touch and taste in colouring which he   
possessed1 but yet they deserve to be   
recorded4 ,giovanni ,balducci1 called   
also ,cosci1 from the surname of his    
maternal uncle1 was long his assistant4 
,his ,last ,supper in the cathedral1 the
 ,finding of the ,cross at the          
,crocetta1 his historical compositions  
in the cloister of the ,domecans at     

,florence1 and in ,s4 ,prassede at      
,rome1 prove his genius to have been    
more refined than that of his master4   
,to second the latter1 he now and then1 
perhaps1 went beyond his province1 and  
to some1 his attitudes at times appear  
affected4 ,he resided and died at       
,naples1 and he is deservedly praised by
 the historians of that city4 ,cosimo   
,gamberucci appears to have aimed at a  
totally different object4 ,on examining 
a great part of his works1 we may say of
 him1 as was observed of the ancient    
artist1 that he has not sacrificed to   
the ,graces4 ,he seems finally to have  
improved1 for he has left some fine     
pictures1 worthy of the following epoch4
 ,peter healing the lame in ,s4 ,pier   
,maggiore1 a picture in the style of the
 ,caracci1 is the work of his hand4 ,the
 ,servitian monks have a good picture by
 him in their public hall2 and his holy 
families and cabinet pictures of a high 
class are to be met with in the city4   
,the ,cav4 ,francesco ,currado had a    

still better opportunity of improvement1
 for he lived ninety-one years1         
constantly employed in painting and in  
teaching4 ,one of his best pictures is  
on the altar of ,s4 ,saverio1 in the    
church of ,s4 ,giovannino4 ,he was very 
eminent in small figures1 and in this   
style he painted the history of the     
,magdalen1 and especially the martyrdom 
of ,s4 ,tecla1 of the royal gallery1    
which are works of his best time4 ,in   
the same school we may include ,valerio 
,marucelli1 and ,cosimo ,daddi1 both    
artists of some merit2 the second is    
memorable for his celebrated pupil      
,volterrano1 in whose native place he   
married1 and two of his altar-pieces    
still remain there4  ,giovanni ,maria   
,butteri1 and ,lorenzo dello ,sciorina1 
were two other scholars of ,bronzino1   
and assisted ,vasari in the above       
mentioned pictures on the escrutoire1   
and in his preparations for festivals4  
,the first imitated ,vasari1 his master1
 and ,titi2 but at all times his        

colouring was inharmonious2 the second  
has little to boast of beyond his       
design4 ,both are honourably mentioned  
among the academicians2 as is also      
,stefano ,pieri1 who assisted ,vasari in
 the cupola of the metropolitan church4 
,the sacrifice of ,isaac1 of the ,pitti 
palace1 is ascribed to him1 and it is   
the best of his works executed at ,rome1
 which are censured as hard and dry by  
,baglione4 ,cristofano dell',altissimo1 
whose talent lay in portrait painting1  
may be added to these4 ,giovio had      
formed the celebrated collection of     
portraits of illustrious men1 which is  
still preserved at ,como1 though now    
divided between the two families of the 
,conti ,giovio1 one of which possesses  
the portraits of learned men1 the other 
those of warriors4 ,from this           
collection1 which the prelate styled his
 museum1 that still existing at         
,mondragone was copied1 and also the    
collection now in the ,florentine       
gallery1 by the labours of ,cristofano1 

who was sent for that purpose to ,como  
by ,cosmo ,i4 ,he copied the features of
 those celebrated men1 but attended     
little to other circumstances2 whence it
 happens that the ,giovian collection   
exhibits many very dissimilar manners1  
the ,medicean one alone2 but the        
features of the originals are very      
faithfully expressed4  ,michele di      
,ridolfo del ,ghirlandaio instructed    
many artists in this epoch4 ,from his   
school1 proceeded ,girolamo ,macchietti1
 or ,g4 del ,crocifissaio1 the assistant
 of ,vasari for six years1 who          
afterwards studied for two years at     
,rome1 though already an adept in the   
art4 ,his example merits imitation1 for 
that school speaks more to the eye than 
the ear2 and he who there employs his   
eyes judiciously1 cannot fail to reap   
the advantage4 ,after his return to     
,florence he finished a few valuable    
pictures with care and assiduity1 among 
which may be noticed an ,epiphany for   
the chapel of the ,marquis ,della       

,stufa1 at ,s4 ,lorenzo1 and a martyrdom
 of ,s4 ,lorenzo ,s4 ,maria ,novella1   
which is greatly praised by ,lomazzo4   
,borghini also1 after commending the    
beauty1 the expression1 and the picture 
in general1 scarcely found any thing to 
censure4 ,it is certainly among the most
 striking pictures in that church4      
,macchietti also went to ,spain1 and was
 not a little employed at ,naples and at
 ,benevento1 where he is said to have   
painted his best pictures4 ,in the      
,dizionario ,storico of the professors  
of the fine arts at ,urbino 7,colucci   
tom4 xxxi47 ,i find mention that        
,girolamo ,macchietti produced some     
battle-pieces for the hall of the       
,albani at ,s4 ,giovanni2 but ,i see no 
reason why he should be admitted to a   
place among native artists belonging to 
that city1 or to the state of ,urbino4  
,vasari mentions ,andrea del ,minga1    
then a youth1 as contemporary with      
,macchietti2 yet he is reckoned by      
,orlandi and ,bottari1 the fellow       

student of ,michelangiolo4 ,he was among
 the last pupils of ,ridolfo del        
,ghirlandaio1 when the school was       
chiefly under the direction of ,michele2
 and hence he rather followed the latter
 than the former4 ,his own works are by 
no means among the most excellent4 ,in  
the ,prayer in the ,garden1 which       
remains in the church of the ,holy      
,cross1 he rivals any of his            
contemporaries2 and hence it is alleged1
 that he was assisted in this picture by
 three of his friends4 ,francesco       
,traballesi1 mentioned by ,baglione as  
the painter of some historical frescos  
in the ,greek church at ,rome1 was a    
pupil of ,michele1 but lived too short a
 time to do him honour4 ,the fable of   
,danae1 on the writing desk1 is the work
 of his brother ,bartolommeo4  ,about   
this time lived ,bernardino ,barbatelli1
 surnamed ,poccetti1 an artist omitted  
by ,vasari in the school of ,michele1   
and in the catalogue of the             
academicians2 because at that period he 

painted only grotesques and fronts of   
buildings1 in which1 though he had      
arrived at great eminence1 he had not   
the reputation he afterwards attained in
 ,rome as an architect1 from assiduously
 studying the works of ,raffaello1 and  
of other great masters4 ,he subsequently
 returned to his native place1 not only 
a pleasing and graceful figurist1 but   
rich and learned in his compositions2   
hence he was enabled to adorn his       
historical subjects with beautiful      
landscapes1 with sea-views1 with fruit1 
and flowers1 not to mention the         
magnificence of his draperies1 and      
tapestries1 which he imitated to        
admiration4 ,very few of his pictures on
 panel or on canvass1 but many of his   
frescos1 remain in almost every corner  
of ,florence2 nor does he yield to many 
,italian masters in this art4 ,pietro da
 ,cortona used to express his           
astonishment that he was in his time    
less esteemed than he merited2 and      
,mengs never came to ,florence without  

going to study him1 and diligently      
searching after his most forgotten      
frescos4 ,he often painted with careless
 haste1 like a class of poets whose     
minds are imbued with ,parnassian fury  
and fine imagery1 and who recite verses 
with little preparation1 and with little
 trouble4 ,he is1 however1 always to be 
admired1 always shews facility and      
freedom1 with that resolute and firm    
pencil which never makes an erroneous   
touch2 a circumstance from which he has 
been denominated the ,paul of his       
school4 ,he often studied and made great
 preparation for his works1 and         
corrected his outline as one would do in
 miniature painting4 ,whoever wishes to 
estimate the powers of this artist      
should examine the ,miracle of the      
drowned restored to life in the cloister
 of the ,santissima ,nunziata1 a picture
 reckoned by some connoisseurs among the
 best in the city4 ,his fresco works are
 to be met with nearly throughout all   
,tuscany1 and his circular pictures in  

the cloister of the ,servi at ,pistoja1 
are greatly commended4  ,maso ,manzuoli1
 or ,m4 di ,s4 ,friano1 a scholar of    
,pierfrancesco di ,jacopo and of        
,portelli1 is esteemed equal to ,naldini
 and ,allori by ,vasari4 ,nor will this 
appear strange to any one who beholds   
his ,visitation1 which1 for many years1 
decorated ,s4 ,pier ,maggiore1 and was  
afterwards carried to ,rome1 where it   
was deposited in the gallery of the     
,vatican4 ,it was painted when he was   
about thirty years of age2 and1 in the  
opinion of the historian1 it abounds    
with beauty and grace in the figures1 in
 the draperies1 in the architecture1 and
 in every other circumstance4 ,this is  
his finest work1 and is even among the  
best of that age4 ,in his other pictures
 at ,s4 ,trinita1 in the ducal gallery1 
and elsewhere1 he is something dry2 and 
may be compared to some writers who1    
though they offend not against grammar1 
are not entitled to the praise of       
eloquence4 ,alessandro ,fei1 or ,a4 del 

,barbiere1 was his companion1 and partly
 his scholar4 ,this artist1 who painted 
in private1 received his first          
instruction in the school of            
,ghirlandaio1 and of ,piero ,francia4   
,he had a bold and fertile genius1      
adapted to large historical frescos1 in 
which he introduced fine architecture   
and grotesques4 ,in his pictures he     
attended more to design and expression  
than to colouring2 except in some       
pieces1 supposed to be his last         
productions1 and executed after the     
reformation of the art by ,cigoli4 ,his 
picture of the ,flagellation in ,s4     
,croce is highly approved by ,borghini4 
,baldinucci admires him1 especially in  
small historical subjects1 such as1     
amongst the pieces on the writing desk1 
are the ,daniel at the ,feast of        
,belshazzar1 and that of the goldsmith's
 art4  ,federigo ,zuccaro may be        
reckoned among the instructors of the   
artists of this epoch2 for whilst       
employed in painting the cupola of the  

cathedral1 where ,vasari had only       
finished a few figures at his death1 he 
taught painting to ,bartolommeo         
,carducci1 who became an architect and  
statuary under ,amannati1 and an        
artificer in stucco under another       
master4 ,carducci acquired distinction  
by those talents in the court of his    
,catholic ,majesty1 where he was        
introduced by ,zuccaro2 and where he    
established himself and his younger     
brother and pupil1 ,vincenzio4 ,both are
 mentioned by ,palomino among the       
eminent artists who painted in the court
 of ,spain4 ,both must be well known    
there2 especially the latter1 who lived 
but little at ,florence1 and who painted
 more pictures when in the service of   
,philip ,,iii4 and ,philip ,,iv4 than   
any of his predecessors or successors4  
,he printed a dialogue in the ,spanish  
tongue1 ,de las ,excelencias de la      
,pintura1 from which ,baldinucci has    
quoted some passages in the account of  
this artist4  ,of some of the artists   

mentioned by ,vasari as his assistants  
in the decoration of the palace1 in the 
preparations for the marriage of ,prince
 ,francesco1 in the funeral obsequies of
 ,bonarruoti1 or in the collection of   
pictures on the writing desk1 the       
masters are unknown2 and the knowledge  
would be of little consequence4 ,such   
artists are ,domenico ,benci1 and       
,tommaso del ,verrocchio1 whom he names 
in his third volume at page #hgc1 and   
,federigo di ,lamberto1 a ,fleming1     
called ,f4 del ,padovano1 whom he had a 
little before noticed as a new citizen  
of ,florence1 and as a considerable     
ornament to the academy4 ,omitted by    
,vasari1 but inscribed on the writing   
desk1 we find the names of ,niccolo     
,betti1 who painted the story of        
,caesar2 of ,vittor ,casini1 who there  
represented the ,forge of ,vulcan2 of   
,mirabello ,cavalori1 who pourtrayed    
,lavinia ,sacrificing1 and also the     
emblems of the art of weaving2 of       
,jacopo ,coppi1 who there painted the   

,family of ,darius1 and the invention of
 gunpowder4 ,i suspect that they were   
all scholars of ,michele2 and ,vasari   
has more than once thus generally       
noticed them4 ,perhaps ,cavalori is the 
,salincorno mentioned in another place1 
and ,coppi is believed to be that       
,jacopo di ,meglio1 who is more severely
 treated by ,borghini than any other in 
the church of the ,holy ,cross2 and not 
without reason2 for his ,ecce ,homo in  
that place has all the defects of this  
epoch4 ,whether ,coppi is to be         
identified with this person or not1 he  
cannot be equally reprehended for his   
pictures on the writing desk2 and in ,s4
 ,salvator at ,bologna1 he produced a   
picture of the ,redeemer ,crucified by  
the ,jews1 that might vie with the best 
pictures in that city previous to the   
time of the ,caracci1 and is yet one of 
those most full of subject and most     
carefully studied4 ,he imitated ,vasari 
in colouring1 and in propriety of       
invention1 in variety of figures1 and in

 diligence in every part1 ,i have seen  
no picture of ,vasari by which it is    
surpassed4 ,it bears the date of #aegi1 
together with his name4 ,there is an    
account of two of his frescos in the    
,guida di ,roma2 one of which1 very     
copious in subject1 is placed in the    
tribune of ,s4 ,pietro in ,vincoli4  ,to
 the same period belongs the name of    
,piero di ,ridolfo1 by whom there is a  
large altar-piece1 consisting of the    
,ascension1 and bearing the date #afab2 
it is supposed that he took his name    
from the last of the ,ghirlandai1 in    
whose service he may have been during   
his early life4 ,whoever may be desirous
 of adding to the list of names1 will   
find a great number in a letter of      
,borghini to the ,prince ,d4 ,francesco 
7,lett4 ,pittor4 tom4 i4 p4 #ij71 in    
which he suggests a plan for the        
preparations of the ,prince's nuptials1 
as well as the artists best qualified to
 conduct them4 ,the names1 however1 ,i  
here give would be more than amply      

sufficient1 were it not my wish to      
illustrate ,vasari by every means in my 
power4  ,after considering the artists  
of ,florence1 on turning to the rest of 
,tuscany1 we find in many places other  
associates of ,giorgio1 who1 perhaps1   
had as many assistants in painting as   
bricklayers in architecture4 ,stefano   
,veltroni1 of ,monte ,sansavino1 his    
cousin1 was a man of slow parts1 but    
very respectable in the art4 ,he        
assisted ,vasari in the vineyard of     
,pope ,julius2 or rather he             
superintended the grotesque works in    
that place2 and followed his cousin to  
,naples1 to ,bologna1 and to ,florence4 
,i know not whether ,orazio ,porta1     
likewise a native of ,sansavino1 and    
,alessandro ,fortori of ,arezzo1 ever   
left ,tuscany2 they appear to have      
painted chiefly in their native city and
 its vicinity4 ,bastiano ,flori and ,fra
 ,salvatore ,foschi1 both natives of    
,arezzo1 were employed in the ,roman    
,chancery1 along with ,bagnacavallo1 and

 the ,spaniards ,ruviale and ,bizzerra4 
,andrea ,aretino1 the scholar of        
,daniello1 lived at a later period1 or  
at least until #afae4bjg  ,about this   
time ,citta ,san ,sepolcro was a        
seminary for painters1 who were either  
wholly or chiefly educated by           
,raffaellino2 and from this place       
,vasari invited not only the master1 but
 several of the scholars to assist him  
in his labours4 ,he was greatly assisted
 by ,cristoforo ,gherardi1 surnamed     
,doceno1 whose life he has written4     
,this artist was his right hand1 if we  
may be allowed the expression1 in almost
 every place where he was much employed4
 ,gherardi followed his designs with a  
freedom resulting from a genius pliant1 
copious1 and natural1 adapted to        
ornamental works4 ,such was his talent  
for managing fresco colours1 that       
,vasari pronounces himself his inferior3
 but the grotesques of the ,vitelli     
palace1 which are wholly his own1 shew  
him not to have been more vigorous in   

his colouring4 ,the oil picture of the  
,visitation in the church of ,s4        
,domenico1 at ,citta di ,castello1 is   
entirely his own2 but ,vasari does not  
mention it4 ,the upper part of the      
picture of ,s4 ,maria del ,popolo1 at   
,perugia1 is likewise his2 and is no    
less elegant and graceful1 than the     
lower part1 which is the work of        
,lattanzio della ,marca1 is firm and    
vigorous4 ,doceno died in his native    
place in #aeeb2 and ,cosmo ,i4 honoured 
his tomb with a bust of marble1 and an  
epitaph1 in which he is said to be      
,pingendi arte praestantissimus1 and    
,vasari1 who had approved of his labours
 in the old palace1 is called hujus     
artis facile princeps4 ,it is written in
 the name of all the ,tuscan            
painters1#bjh and is alone sufficient to
 demonstrate the state of this school1  
and the taste of ,cosmo4 ,after this    
specimen1 it is not surprising that the 
prince neglected to have his portrait   
painted by ,tiziano1 whom he would      

esteem little in comparison to his own  
,vasari4 ,it is a true observation that 
virtues are not hereditary1 or1 as it is
 expressed by the poet1 they rarely     
spring up again in the branches4 ,leo   
,x4 was the patron of the arts1 and he  
knew how to appreciate them2 but ,cosmo 
encouraged1 without possessing taste to 
discriminate4  ,the ,three ,cungi 7or   
,congi1 as some will have it7 are also  
claimed by ,san ,sepolcro4 ,gio4        
,batista was the servant of ,vasari for 
seven years2 ,lionardo is described to  
us as an eminent designer1 in the life  
of ,perino1 and in that of ,zuccaro is  
said to have been a painter employed in 
the pontifical palace about #aefj1 along
 with his countryman ,durante del ,nero4
 ,for a knowledge of the third brother1 
,francesco1 ,i am indebted to my learned
 friend ,sig4 ,annibale ,lancisi2 and ,i
 have since received more particular    
information from ,sig4 ,giachi1 who     
gives an account of an altar-piece of   
,s4 ,sebastiano1 in the cathedral at    

,volterra1 together with the receipt for
 its purchase money in #aehg1 where he  
is called ,francesco di ,leonardo ,cugni
 da ,borgo4 ,at ,rome we cannot judge   
properly of their style1 but it may be  
discovered in their own country1 in the 
church of ,s4 ,rocco1 at the convent of 
the ,osservanti1 and in other places4   
,their compositions display great       
simplicity1 their ideas are chiefly     
drawn from nature1 and they attended    
sufficiently to colouring4 ,raffaele    
,scaminossi1 a scholar of ,raffaellino1 
painted in a similar but somewhat more  
lively manner4 ,i learn nothing of      
,giovanni ,paolo del ,borgo1 except that
 he was the assistant of ,vasari in his 
very hasty labours in the ,chancery1    
about #aede4 ,he cannot be the ,gio4 de'
 ,vecchi who painted so much in ,rome1  
as we are informed by ,baglione2 and who
 chiefly excelled at ,caprarola1 when   
contending with ,taddeo ,zuccaro1 and in
 the church of ,s4 ,lorenzo in ,damaso1 
in the various histories of the ,martyr4

 ,he appears to have arrived at a later 
period1 as did the three ,alberti1 who  
were of a family in ,san ,sepolcro1     
abounding in painters4 ,they went to    
study at ,rome1 and easily formed       
themselves on the style common to       
artists in the time of ,gregory ,,xiii4 
,there they took up their abode1 and    
there died1 after having executed many  
works1 especially in fresco1 in that    
city1 and also some memorials of their  
art in their native country4  ,the      
cathedral contains a ,nativity by       
,durante1 a subject which he handled    
better in the ,vallicella of ,rome1 and 
which is1 perhaps1 his best performance 
in that city3 in others he is often     
languid1 both in design and colouring1  
and appears rather a laborious artist   
than a man of genius4 ,cherubino1 the   
reputed son of ,michele1 and the        
assistant of ,daniel di ,volterra1#bji  
was a celebrated engraver on copper1 and
 from this art he derived great         
assistance in design4 ,although late in 

applying to painting1 he obtained a name
 in those times4 ,his proportions were  
light and spirited2 his choirs of angels
 were agreeable and original2 his       
penciling and whole composition were    
dexterous and spontaneous4 ,such is the 
character of his ,trinity in the        
cathedral of ,borgo1 in which place     
there remains the facade of a palace1   
well conceived1 ornamented with arms1   
genii1 and other fanciful devices4 ,he  
painted the ceiling of the chapel of    
,minerva in ,rome with various ornaments
 and figures1 on a golden ground2 in    
that city1 however1 he generally        
assisted his younger brother ,giovanni1 
who introduced a new era in perspective2
 not only by his works1 existing in the 
houses of private individuals at ,san   
,sepolcro1 and other cities1 but by the 
fresco perspectives which he executed at
 ,rome4 ,he claims admiration in the    
sacristy of the church of ,s4 ,gio4     
,laterano1 where he imitated the salient
 and receding angles of architecture2   

and still more in the grand ,clementine 
salon1 the most prodigious and exquisite
 work in perspective then existing4     
,baglione highly commends the ,s4       
,clement and other figures with which it
 is ornamented2 and remarks that they   
are admirably foreshortened1 and are    
superior to those of ,cherubino1 who was
 not so eminent in perspectives4        
,baglione mentions a ,francesco1 the son
 of ,durante1 who died at ,rome4 ,i am  
uncertain whether he is the             
,pierfrancesco to whom we attribute the 
,ascension1 in the church of ,s4        
,bartholomew at ,borgo1 with some       
pictures of no great merit in the church
 of ,s4 ,john1 and in other places4     
,history mentions also ,donato1         
,girolamo1 ,cosimo1 and ,alessandro     
,alberti1 of whom ,i can collect nothing
 further4  ,the writers of ,prato exalt 
their countryman1 ,domenico             
,giuntalocchio1 pupil to ,soggi1 in     
whose life ,vasari mentions ,domenico   
more as an engineer than a painter4 ,he 

describes him as a correct portrait     
painter1 but so extremely tardy in his  
works in fresco1 that he became tiresome
 to the ,aretini1 with whom he for some 
time dwelt4 ,i cannot point out any     
genuine picture from his hand2 but his  
memory is still fresh in the minds of   
his fellow citizens1 because1 instead of
 leaving his native place ornamented    
with his pictures1 he left #aj1jjj      
crowns as a fund to be appropriated to  
the education of young artists4  ,after 
the death of ,daniel1 his scholar and   
relation ,giovanni ,paolo ,rossetti1    
retired to ,volterra1 and1 as is        
attested by ,vasari1 executed works of  
great merit in this his native place2   
among which we may reckon the ,deposto1 
in the church of ,s4 ,dalmatius4 ,at a  
short distance from the city is a place 
which gave name to ,niccolo dalle       
,pomarance1 of the family of            
,circignani4 ,vasari describes him as a 
young man of ability4 ,he neglects to   
inform us who was his master2 but he    

appears to have been ,titi1 whom he     
assisted in the great salon of the      
,belvidere palace4 ,he grew old in      
,rome1 where he left numerous specimens 
of the labours of his pencil1 which he  
employed with freedom1 and at a good    
price4 ,he shewed himself greatly       
superior to the artists of this period1 
in some of his works1 as in the ,cupola 
of ,s4 ,pudenziana4 ,cavalier ,roncalli 
was a native of the same place2 there   
are pictures by them both at ,pomarance2
 where there are also some by ,antonio  
,circignani1 the son of the former1 an  
able artist1 though little known4 ,all  
three will again be treated of in the   
third book4  ,pistoia possessed at the  
same time two scholars of ,ricciarelli2 
,biagio da ,cutigliano1 noticed by      
,vasari1#baj and ,p4 ,biagio ,betti     
,teatino1 a miniature painter1 sculptor1
 and historical painter of merit1 whom  
,baglione represents as constantly      
employed in the service of the church   
and convent to which he belonged4       

,leghorn gave birth to ,jacopo          
,rosignoli1 pupil of an unknown master1 
who lived in ,piedmont1 where his works 
must be sought4 ,baccio ,lomi1 whose    
style much resembles that of ,zuccaro1  
remained at ,pisa3 he owes much of his  
skill and of his reputation to his two  
nephews1 as we shall afterwards relate4 
,though unknown beyond the limits of his
 native country1 he must not be passed  
over in silence4 ,the ,assumption1 in   
the residence of the ,canons1 and some  
of his other pictures1 participate of   
the hardness of the age1 but exhibit    
very good design and colouring4  ,paolo 
,guidotti distinguished himself in the  
neighbouring state of ,lucca1 as a      
painter of genius and of spirit1 no less
 than a man of letters1 and well        
grounded in anatomical knowledge2 but   
his taste was not polished and refined4 
,he came to ,rome in the distracted     
times of ,gregory and ,sixtus1 and lived
 there during the pontificate of ,paul  
,v41 who created him a knight1 and      

conservator of ,rome3 he further        
permitted him to assume the additional  
name of ,borghese1 the family name of   
the pontiff4 ,many of his paintings in  
fresco are preserved at ,rome1 in the   
,vatican library1 in the ,apostolic     
chamber1 and in several churches3 the   
artists with whom he was associated1    
prove that he was reputed a good artist4
 ,several of his pictures are in his    
native place2 and there is a large piece
 representing the ,republic1 in the     
palace4 ,girolamo ,massei pursued a     
similar track1 only confining himself to
 the art of painting4 ,baglione1 who    
gave an account of him1 introduces him  
into ,rome as an artist1 already much   
commended for his accuracy2 to which    
,taia adds1 that he was both a good     
designer and colourist2 so much so as to
 lead us to distinguish him from the    
crowd of ,gregorian and ,sixtine        
practitioners1 in the same way that he  
was chosen by ,p4 ,danti to ornament the
 chambers of the ,vatican2 of which more

 hereafter4 ,he returned to his native  
place in his old age1 not to employ     
himself anew1 but to die in tranquillity
 among his friends4 ,benedetto          
,brandimarte1 of ,lucca1 is mentioned by
 ,orlandi4 ,i saw a decollation of ,s4  
,john by this artist in the church of   
,s4 ,peter1 at ,genoa1 which was but a  
miserable performance2 a single         
production1 however1 is not sufficient  
to decide the character of an artist4   
,the name of a ,pietro ,ferabosco is    
mentioned only by the continuator of    
,orlandi2 he is supposed to have been a 
native of ,lucca1 though he is referred 
to the academy of ,rome1 where he       
probably pursued his first studies2 ,i  
say probably1 because the excellence of 
his colouring in the ,titian manner1    
would lead me rather to include him     
among the ,venetian artists4 ,there are 
three of his half-length figures1       
together with his name1 and the date of 
#afaf1 reported as being in the         
possession of a gentleman in ,portugal2 

where he resided1 most likely1 a longer 
period than in ,italy4  ,we have already
 noticed some ,tuscans who acquired     
distinction in the inferior branches of 
painting2 such as ,veltroni1            
,constantino de' ,servi1 ,zucchi1 and   
,alberti3 ,antonio ,tempesti1 of        
,florence1 a scholar both of ,titi and  
,stradano1 was among the first to       
acquire a celebrated name in ,italy for 
landscapes and for battles4 ,he         
practised engraving on copper1 prepared 
cartoons for tapestry1 and gave scope to
 his genius in the most fanciful        
inventions in grotesque and ornamental  
work4 ,he surpassed his master in       
spirit1 and was inferior to none1 not   
even to the ,venetians4 ,in a ,letter on
 ,painting by the ,marquis              
,giustiniani1#baa he is adduced as an   
example of great spirit in design1 a    
gift conferred by nature1 and not to be 
acquired by art4 ,he attempted few      
things on a large scale1 and was not so 
successful as in small pictures4 ,the   

,marquis ,niccolini1 the ,order of the  
,nunziata1 and several ,florentine      
families1 possess some of his battles   
painted on alabaster1 in which he       
appears the precursor of ,borgognone1   
who is said to have studied him         
attentively4 ,he most frequently painted
 in fresco1 as at ,caprarola1 in the    
,este ,villa at ,tivoli1 and in many    
parts of ,rome1 from the time of        
,gregory ,,xiii4 ,most of the historical
 pictures in the ,vatican gallery are   
the work of his hands2 the figures are a
 palm and a half high1 and display      
astonishing variety and spirit1         
accompanied by beautiful architecture   
and landscapes1 with every species of   
decoration4 ,he is not1 however1 very   
correct2 and his tints are sometimes too
 much inclined to a brownish hue2 but   
all such faults are pardonable in him1  
as being occasioned by that pictoric    
fury which inspired him1 that fancy     
which hurried him from earth1 and       
conducted him through novel and sublime 

regions1 unattempted by the vulgar herd 
of artists4   ,footnote #aha3 ,all      
painters seem to worship him as their   
great master1 prince1 and god of design4
 ,it is thus ,monsig4 ,claudio ,tolomei 
writes in a letter to ,apollonio        
,filareto1 towards the end of the fifth 
book4 ,such is the opinion of the       
artists of the ,leonine age1 whatever   
may be the judgment passed in the age of
 ,pius ,,vi4  ,footnote #ahb3           
,baldinucci1 tom4 ix4 p4 #ce4  ,footnote
 #ahc3 ,he executed a picture of ,s4    
,sigismund for the church of ,s4        
,lorenzo1 at the desire of the noble    
family of ,martelli1 which delighted the
 ,duke ,cosmo4 ,this picture ought to be
 removed from the altar1 for the tints  
are fading4  ,footnote #ahd3 ,we learn  
from ,pliny1 that ,filosseno ,eretrio1  
celeritatem praeceptoris 7,nicomachi7   
secutus breviores etiamnum quasdam      
picturae vias1 et compendiarias invenit4
 7,lib4 ,,xxxv4 cap4 #cf47 ,we perceive1
 however1 from the context1 that his    

pictures were no less perfect on that   
account2 and ,i believe that those      
compendious means were more particularly
 connected with the mechanism of the    
art4  ,footnote #ahe3 ,see ,lettere     
,pittoriche1 tom4 ii4 let4 #b4          
,footnote #ahf3 ,bald4 tom4 ix4 p4 #ce4 
,footnote #ahg3 ,see his ,description of
 the preparations for the marriage of   
the ,prince ,d4 ,francesco1 of ,tuscany4
 ,it is inserted in volume xi4 of the   
ed4 of ,siena1 which we frequently      
allude to4  ,footnote #ahh3 ,treatises  
by the ,cav4 ,giorgio ,vasari1 painter  
and architect of ,arezzo1 upon the      
designs painted by him at ,florence1 in 
the palace of their ,serene ,highnesses1
 c42 together with the design of the    
painting commenced by him in the cupola4
 ,it is a posthumous work1 supplied by  
his nephew ,giorgio ,vasari1 who        
published it in #aehh at ,florence4 ,it 
was republished at ,arezzo in #agfb1 in 
#dto4  ,footnote #ahi3 ,he had been well
 imbued with literature at ,arezzo1 and1

 when a youth at ,florence1 he spent two
 hours every day along with ,ippolito   
and ,alessandro de' ,medici1 under their
 master ,pierio4 ,vasari nella ,vita del
 ,salviati4  ,footnote #aij3 ,see ,lett4
 ,pittoriche1 tom4 iii4 lett4 #ajd4     
,footnote #aia3 ,bottari adduces an     
authentic document of this in his       
,preface1 page #f4  ,footnote #aib3 ,in 
the ,dedicatory ,letter to ,cosmo ,i41  
prefixed to second edit4  ,footnote     
#aic3 ,see ,lett4 ,pittor4 tom4 iii4    
let4 #bbf4  ,footnote #aid3 ,it is      
founded also on ,vasari's remark1 in his
 ,life of ,frate3 ,there is likewise a  
portrait by ,f4 ,gio4 da ,fiesole1 whose
 life we have given1 which is in the    
part of the ,beati2 which cannot1       
observes ,bottari1 apply to any other   
except ,d4 ,silvano ,razzi1 author of   
the ,vite dei ,s4 ,s4 e ,beati ,toscani2
 among which is found that of ,b4       
,giovanni4 ,but this indication would be
 little2 or at least it is not all4 ,the
 document which clearly reveals the     

fact1 has been pointed out to me by the 
polite attention of ,sig4 ,luigi de     
,poirot1 ,secretary to the ,royal       
,finances2 and this is in the ,vite de' 
,,ss4 e ,,bb4 dell' ordine de' ,frati   
,predicatori di ,serafino ,razzi        
,domenicano1 published after the death  
of ,vasari1 in ,florence1 #aegg4 ,in    
these1 treating of works in the fine    
arts in ,s4 ,domenico at ,bologna1 he   
adds2 we cannot give a particular       
account of these histories1 but whoever 
is desirous of it may consult the whole1
 in the ,lives of the ,painters1        
,sculptors1 and ,architects1 written1   
for the most part1 by ,d4 ,silvano      
,razzi1 my brother1 for the ,cav4       
,giorgio ,vasari of ,arezzo1 his very   
intimate friend4 ,after such            
information1 we must suppose that       
,vasari1 having communicated his        
materials to this monk1 received from   
him a great number of ,lives1 that boast
 such elegant prefaces and fine         
reflections2 but that he here and there 

retouched them2 adding things either    
from haste or inadvertency1 not well    
connected with the context1 or repeated 
elsewhere4 ,and in this way we may      
account for the many inconsistencies to 
be met with in a number of ,lives1 very 
finely written1 but containing passages 
that do not appear to come from the same
 pen1 and frequently make the author    
contradict himself4  ,footnote #aie3 ,it
 is to be observed that ,bottari wrote  
principally to mark the changes that the
 works described by ,vasari had         
undergone during #bjj years4 ,in regard 
to the emendations pointed out by us1 he
 declares in the ,preface1 that he could
 not undertake them for want of time1   
health1 books1 and most of all1         
inclination4 ,however1 we are indebted  
for not a few to him1 and also to ,p4   
,guglielmo1 though not equally so in    
every school4 ,both are writers of      
merit2 the former by his citations from 
printed works1 the second for his       
information of ,,mss4 and unedited      

authors4  ,footnote #aif3 ,tom4 vii4 p4 
#bdi4  ,footnote #aig3 ,vide ,taia      
,descrizione del ,palazzo ,vaticano1 p4 
#aa4 ,zuccaro did not so readily pardon 
,vasari1 whose work he noted with       
severity3 as did also one of the three  
,caracci4 ,lett4 ,pittor4 tom4 iv4 lett4
 #baj4  ,footnote #aih3 ,tom4 viii4 p4  
#bjc4  ,footnote #aii3 ,p4 #aag4        
,footnote #bjj3 ,tom4 viii4 p4 #abc4    
,footnote #bja3 ,although ,i do not     
deny1 that he shews himself a little too
 much the partizan1 he ought not to be  
defrauded of his due praise1 as is      
attempted by the ignorant and invidious2
 for the completion of such an elegant  
and finished history must have cost him 
great study and research1 and demanded  
much ingenuity and discrimination4 ,idea
 del ,tempio1 c4 cap4 iv4  ,footnote    
#bjb3 ,lett4 ,pittor4 tom4 i4 p4 #aij4  
,footnote #bjc3 ,lett4 ,pittor4 tom4    
iii4 p4 #ea4  ,footnote #bjd3 ,he       
examines the question1 then keenly      
contested1 whether ,sculpture or        

,painting was the most noble art4 ,he   
decides in favour of his own profession3
 and there are some other letters in    
that volume on the opposite side of the 
question worthy of perusal4 ,bonarruoti1
 on being asked this question by        
,varchi1 was unwilling to give a        
decision4 7,see tom4 i4 p4 #g1 and p4   
#bb47 ,after ,bonarruoti's decease the  
contest was renewed1 and prose and verse
 compositions appeared on both sides4   
,lasca wrote in favour of painting1     
while ,cellini defended sculpture4 7,see
 ,notes to the ,rime of ,lasca1 p4      
#cad47 ,lomazzo is well worthy of notice
 in his ,treatise1 lib4 ii4 p4 #aeh1 in 
which he gives a ,,ms4 of ,lionardo1    
drawn up at the request of ,lodovico    
,sforza1 where he prefers painting to   
the sister art4  ,footnote #bje3 ,for an
 account of this writing desk1 which was
 made during the life of ,cosmo ,i41 see
 ,baldinucci1 tom4 x4 p4 #aed and #ahb4 
,footnote #bjf3 ,we there may read      
,allori1 ,titi1 ,buti1 ,naldini1 ,cosci1

 ,macchietti1 ,minga1 ,butteri1         
,sciorini1 ,sanfriano1 ,fei1 ,betti1    
,casini1 ,coppi1 and ,cavalori2 besides 
,vasari1 ,stradano1 and ,poppi1 already 
noticed4  ,footnote #bjg3 ,baglione1 in 
the ,life of ,p4 ,biagio ,betti4        
,footnote #bjh3 ,pictores ,hetrusci4    
,footnote #bji3 ,vasari calls him       
,michele ,fiorentino1 and the painter of
 the ,slaughter of the ,innocents1 which
 we have noticed at page #ahg4 ,orlandi 
makes him the father of ,cherubino1 an  
assertion which is not contradicted by  
,bottari4 ,i follow ,baglione1 the      
contemporary of ,cherubino1 who says    
that he was the son of ,alberto         
,alberti1 an eminent engraver on copper4
  ,footnote #baj3 ,vasari writes the    
name da ,carigliano1 in which he has    
been followed by other writers on the   
art1 including myself1 until ,i was     
informed by ,sig4 ,ansaldi that it ought
 really to be written ,cutigliano1 taken
 from a considerable territory in the   
,pistoiese4  ,footnote #baa3 ,tom4 vi4  

p4 #be4       ,,florentine ,,school4    
,,epoch ,,iv4    ,cigoli and his        
associates improve the style of         
,painting4   ,whilst the ,florentines   
regarded ,michelangiolo and his         
imitators as their models1 they         
experienced the fate of the poets of the
 fifteenth century1 who fixed their eyes
 on ,petrarca and his followers alone2  
they contracted a strong similarity of  
style1 and differed from each other only
 according to their individual talents  
and genius4 ,as we have above remarked1 
they began to exhibit some diversity    
after the age of ,titi2 but they were   
still languid colourists1 and required  
to be impelled into another career4     
,about #aehj the period had at length   
arrived1 when they began to abandon the 
manner of their countrymen for that of  
foreign artists2 and then1 as we shall  
have occasion to shew in treating of    
this epoch1 the ,florentine styles      
became firm and varied4 ,this revolution
 originated with two young artists1     

,lodovico ,cigoli and ,gregorio ,pagani4
 ,we learn from ,baldinucci1 that1      
attracted by the celebrity of ,barocci1 
and a picture which he had recently sent
 from ,urbino to ,arezzo1 which is now  
in the royal gallery at ,florence1 they 
went together to see it2 they examined  
it attentively1 and were so captivated  
with the style1 that they immediately   
renounced the manner of their master4   
,passignano followed their steps1       
continues ,baldinucci1 and ,cigoli1 in  
his company1 took a second journey as   
far as ,perugia1 when ,barocci had      
completed his celebrated ,deposition    
from the ,cross2 but here the historian 
fell into a chronological error1        
inasmuch as ,bellori1 the accurate      
writer of ,barocci's life1 describes his
 picture at ,perugia as anterior to that
 at ,arezzo by several years4 ,in       
whatever way the mistake ought to be    
cleared up1 it is certain that          
,passignano promoted the views of       
,cigoli4 ,their example turned the      

rising generation from the old manner to
 a more vigorous style4 ,this was more  
especially the case with ,empoli1 with  
,cav4 ,curradi1 and some of those above 
mentioned1 who were followed by         
,cristofano ,allori1 and ,rosselli1     
artists that transmitted the new method 
to their new disciples4 ,they did not1  
however1 imitate ,barocci so much as    
,correggio1 who was the model of        
,barocci4 ,unable to visit ,lombardy1   
they studied the few copies of his      
pictures1 and still fewer originals1    
that were to be met with in ,florence1  
in order to acquire his management of   
chiaroscuro1 a branch of the art then   
neglected in ,florence1 and even at     
,rome4 ,to this end they began to model 
in clay and wax2 they wrought in        
plaster2 they studied attentively the   
effects of light and shade2 they paid   
less attention to practical rules1 and  
more to nature4 ,hence arose a new style
 which1 in my opinion1 is among the best
 hitherto attempted in ,italy2 corrected

 upon the model of the ,florentine      
school2 soft and well relieved on that  
of ,lombardy4 ,if their forms had       
approached to ,grecian elegance1 if     
their expression had been more refined1 
the improvement of painting1 which about
 this time took place in ,italy1 should 
have been ascribed no less to ,florence 
than to ,bologna4  ,some favourable     
circumstances assisted the progress of  
the ,florentine school2 among these we  
may mention a succession of princes     
friendly to the art2#bab the readiness  
with which the celebrated ,galileo      
imparted to artists his discoveries1 and
 the laws of perspective2 the travels of
 several ,florentine masters to ,venice1
 and through ,lombardy2 and the long    
residence of foreign artists1 eminent as
 colourists1 at the court of ,florence4 
,but it was chiefly owing to ,ligozzi1  
who studied under the ,venetian masters1
 then considered as the best in ,italy1 
and who animated the old ,florentine    
style with greater spirit and brilliancy

 than it had hitherto displayed4 ,after 
noticing the good style of that period1 
we must not omit to mention one less    
praiseworthy2 a sombre manner1 which    
usurped the place of the other1 and at  
this day renders many pictures of that  
period of little or no value4 ,some     
ascribe the fault to the method of      
mixing the colours1 which was everywhere
 changed2 and hence it is not peculiar  
to the ,florentines1 but is found       
diffused over ,italy4 ,it was partly    
owing likewise to the rage for          
chiaroscuro carried to excess4 ,it is   
the characteristic of every school of   
long standing to carry to an erroneous  
excess the fundamental maxims of its    
master3 this we have remarked in the    
preceding epoch1 this we shall find     
exemplified in every period of painting1
 and this1 if it were consistent with   
our present undertaking1 we might       
demonstrate to have happened in         
literature2 for a good rule             
extravagantly pursued leads to the      

corruption of taste4 ,we shall now      
direct our attention to the fourth      
epoch1 in which1 omitting the two older 
authorities1 ,vasari and ,borghini1 we  
shall chiefly follow ,baldinucci1 who   
was acquainted with the artists we are  
now to consider1 or with their          
successors4#bac  ,lodovico ,cardi da    
,cigoli1 the scholar of ,santi di ,tito1
 first awakened his countrymen to a     
nobler style1 as we have already        
observed4 ,the additional observation of
 ,baldinucci1 that he perhaps surpassed 
all his contemporaries1 and that few or 
none derived such benefit as he did1    
from the study of ,correggio1 will not  
readily be granted by those who are     
conversant with ,schedone1 the ,caracci1
 or even ,barocci1 when they chose to   
imitate the manner of that great master4
 ,from the pictures that have reached   
our time1 ,cigoli appears to have       
acquired a fine effect of light and     
shade from ,correggio2 to have united   
this to a scientific design1 to a       

judicious perspective1 the rules of     
which were previously taught him by     
,buontalenti1 and to a vivacity of      
colouring superior to his countrymen1   
among whom he unquestionably holds a    
high rank4 ,his works1 however1 exhibit 
not that contrast of colouring1 that    
mellowness and clearness1 that grace in 
foreshortenings and features1 that      
characterize the ornament of the        
,lombard school4 ,in short he was the   
inventor of a style always beautiful1   
but not always equal2 especially if we  
compare his early works with his        
pictures executed after his visit to    
,rome4 ,his general colouring savours of
 the school of ,lombardy1 his draperies 
sometimes resemble those of ,paolo      
,veronese1 and he often rivals the bold 
style of ,guercino4  ,independent of the
 great number of his pictures in the    
royal gallery1 and many in the          
possession of the noble family of       
,pecori1 there are a few in some private
 houses in ,florence4 ,the following are

 his most esteemed pictures3 the        
,trinity1 in ,s4 ,croce2 the ,s4        
,alberto1 in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore2 the  
,martyrdom of ,st4 ,stephen1 in the     
nunnery of ,monte ,domini1 which ,pietro
 da ,cortona considers one of the finest
 pictures in ,florence4 ,of the same    
class is the picture which he placed in 
the church of the ,conventualists at    
,cortona1 in which ,s4 ,anthony is      
represented in the act of converting an 
unbeliever1 by a miracle of a mule that 
is seen kneeling before the holy        
sacrament3 in this piece he aspired at  
surpassing any work of art in that      
highly decorated city4 ,in the ,vatican 
he painted ,s4 ,peter healing the ,lame1
 a wonderful production1 which1 among   
the pictures in ,rome1 was reckoned by  
,sacchi next in excellence to the       
,transfiguration by ,raffaello1 and the 
,s4 ,girolamo by ,domenichino4 ,the     
,florentine school may well be proud of 
this opinion1 pronounced as it was by a 
profound connoisseur1 by no means       

usually lavish of his commendations4    
,this masterpiece1 which obtained him   
the honour of knighthood1 is1 however1  
utterly ruined by the dampness of the   
church1 and the ignorance of one who    
undertook to repair it3 but his frescos 
in the church of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore at
 ,rome still remain2 and there1 by some 
error in perspective1 he appears        
inferior to himself2#bad nor was he     
permitted to retouch them1              
notwithstanding that he employed both   
interest and entreaties to that effect4 
,fortune1 in some degree1 persecuted    
this great artist2 for had those frescos
 perished1 and that oil painting        
remained to our times1 ,cigoli would    
have enjoyed a higher fame1 and         
,baldinucci obtained more credit4       
,andrea ,comodi and ,giovanni ,bilivert1
 nearly approached ,cigoli2 ,aurelio    
,lomi followed at a greater distance4   
,of the latter1 ,i shall speak among the
 ,pisan artists1 a few pages further on2
 and of two ,romans1 belonging to the   

same school1 in the third book4 ,comodi1
 the associate rather than the scholar  
of ,cigoli1 is almost unknown at        
,florence2 but there are many of his    
copies after celebrated masters1 which  
often pass for originals1 both in that  
city and at ,rome4 ,this was his        
peculiar talent2 in this he was         
unrivalled2 and it employed his best    
years4 ,he produced1 however1 several   
original works that are highly valuable 
for the design1 the exquisite finish1   
and the strong body of colouring they   
display4 ,in these we may trace the     
friend of ,cigoli1 and the copyist of   
,raffaello4 ,they are chiefly ,madonnas1
 and are greatly admired for the        
disposition of the fingers1 which are   
somewhat spread out1 for the graceful   
slender neck1 and a certain virgin air  
peculiarly his own4 ,the ,corsini family
 at ,rome possess a very fine one4 ,some
 of his fresco pictures remain in the   
church of ,s4 ,vitale1 in that city2 and
 there is a picture of the ,titular     

saint in ,s4 ,carlo a' ,catinari1 which 
appears dark and cloudy2 an uncommon    
circumstance with so good a colourist4  
,gio4 ,bilivert is a name which we in   
vain look for in ,orlandi1 who has      
transformed him into two painters1 one  
of whom he calls ,antonio ,biliverti1   
and the other1 in imitation of          
,baglione1 whose knowledge of him was   
inaccurate1 ,gio4 ,ballinert2 both      
,florentines1 and pupils of ,cigoli4    
,like the preceding artist1 ,bilivert is
 not always equal to himself4 ,he       
finished some pictures that had been    
left imperfect by ,cigoli1 to whose     
design and colouring he endeavoured to  
unite the expression of ,titi1 and a    
more avowed and frequent imitation of   
the ornaments of ,paolo ,veronese4      
,bilivert is not sufficiently choice in 
heads2 but he abounds in expression1 as 
may be seen at ,s4 ,gaetano and ,s4     
,marco1 where there are many of his     
historical pictures1 particularly the   
,raising of the ,cross1 esteemed one of 

his best performances4 ,those pieces    
which he engaged to execute1 and in     
which he never appears able to satisfy  
himself1 are repeated by his scholars3  
sometimes inscribed with the initials of
 his name1 especially when he himself   
retouched them2 at other times they are 
without an epigraph4 ,none of his       
productions are so worthy of being      
copied as ,joseph with ,potiphar's wife2
 which arrests the eye of every         
spectator in the ducal gallery4 ,many   
copies of it are to be found in         
,florence2 it may be seen in foreign    
collections1 in the ,barberini ,palace  
at ,rome1 in the ,obizzo collection at  
,cattaio1 and in several other places4  
,the ornamented style of ,bilivert had  
many imitators1 whose works1 in         
galleries and in private houses1 would  
pass for those of ,venetian artists1 had
 they greater spirit and a better       
colouring4 ,bartolommeo ,salvestrini is 
at their head2 but he was cut off in his
 prime1 by the plague of #afcj1 so      

disastrous to ,italy and the art4       
,orazio ,fidani1 an assiduous artist1   
and skilled in the style of his master1 
painted much at ,florence2 where his    
,tobias1 that was finished for the      
fraternity of ,scala1 but is now        
removed1 is especially commended4       
,francesco ,bianchi ,buonavita was      
engaged in few public works4 ,he was    
chiefly employed in copying ancient     
pictures1 which the court presented to  
foreign princes1 and in furnishing      
cabinets with little historical pieces1 
that were at that time in great request 
in countries beyond the ,alps4 ,they    
were painted on jasper1 agate1 lapis    
lazzuli1 and other hard stones2 the     
spots in which assisted in forming the  
shadows of the pictures4 ,agostino      
,melissi contributed much to the        
tapestry of the ducal family1 by        
furnishing cartoons from the works of   
,andrea del ,sarto1 and also some of his
 own invention4 ,he likewise possessed a
 genius for oil painting2 in which      

branch his ,s4 ,peter at the ,gate of   
,pilate1 which he painted for the noble 
family of ,gaburri1 is particularly     
praised by ,baldinucci4 ,francesco      
,montelatici1 by some supposed a ,pisan1
 by others a ,florentine1 and surnamed  
,cecco ,bravo1 from his quarrelsome     
disposition1 abandoned the style of     
,bilivert1 or at least mixed it with    
that of ,passignano4 ,he was a fanciful 
and spirited designer1 and not a bad    
colourist4 ,a fine painting of ,s4      
,niccolo ,vescovo1 by this artist1 is to
 be seen at the church of ,s4 ,simone2  
but his works are rare in churches1 for 
he was chiefly employed in painting for 
private1 and sometimes for royal        
collections4 ,he died painter to the    
court of ,inspruck4 ,giovanni ,maria    
,morandi remained but a little time with
 ,bilivert1 and on going to ,rome1      
adopted the style of that school4       
,gregorio ,pagani was the son of        
,francesco1 who died young2 but was     
highly esteemed by his countrymen4 ,he  

had studied the works of ,polidoro and  
of ,michelangiolo1 at ,rome1 and        
executed admirable imitations of them   
for private gentlemen in ,florence4     
,gregorio himself could scarcely        
distinguish them4 ,he received the      
rudiments of his art from ,titi1 but was
 initiated in a better style by ,cigoli4
 ,strangers praised him as a second     
,cigoli1 whilst his country possessed at
 the ,carmine the picture of the        
,finding of the ,cross1 which has been  
engraved2 but when the painting1 with   
the church1 was consumed by fire1 no    
great work of his remained in public1   
except a few of his frescos2 one of     
which1 though somewhat injured by time1 
is an ornament to the cloister of ,s4   
,maria ,novella4 ,he is rarely to be met
 with in ,florentine collections1 as he 
chiefly painted for foreigners4 ,of his 
school ,i here say nothing3 it only     
produced one eminent pupil2 but this one
 was so conspicuous that he may be said 
to form a new era1 as we shall find in  

the sequel4  ,another associate of      
,cigoli was ,domenico da ,passignano1   
the scholar of ,naldini and of ,federigo
 ,zuccaro1 whom he resembles most1 from 
his long residence at ,venice2 where he 
likewise married4 ,he became so decided 
an admirer of the merits of this school1
 that he was accustomed to say that he  
who had not seen ,venice1 ought not to  
boast that he was a painter4 ,this      
circumstance sufficiently accounts for  
his style1 which is not the most        
profound1 nor the most correct2 but it  
exhibits contrivance1 is vast1 rich in  
architecture and in drapery1 resembling 
more the manner of ,paolo ,veronese1    
than that of the ,florentine school4    
,sometimes he resembles ,tintoretto in  
his attitudes1 and in that oily         
colouring which ought to have been      
avoided2 and through which many works of
 both artists have perished4 ,this has  
been the fate of his ,crucifixion of    
,st4 ,peter1 which he executed for the  
great church in ,rome1 under ,paul ,v4  

and of the ,presentation of ,m4 ,v4     
which he also painted at the same place 
under ,urban ,,viii4 ,several pictures1 
however1 remain in some ,italian cities1
 that were begun by his scholars and    
finished by him1 with a degree of care  
that hands him down to posterity as a   
great artist4 ,a dead ,christ1 in the   
chapel of ,mongradone1 at ,frascati1 is 
in this style2 as are an ,entombing of  
,christ1 in the ,borghese palace1 at    
,rome2 a ,christ bearing the ,cross1 in 
the college of ,s4 ,giovannino1 and some
 other works of his at ,florence4       
,passignano1 his native place1 possesses
 what is perhaps his most perfect work1 
in the font of the ,church of the       
,fathers of ,vallombrosa4 ,he there     
painted a ,glory1 that proclaims him an 
excellent artist1 and worthy of a place 
with his pupils1 ,lodovico ,caracci1 the
 founder of the ,bolognese school1 and  
,tirani1 one of its great ornaments4    
,his ,tuscan pupils did not attain equal
 celebrity4 ,sorri of ,siena1 whom we   

reserve for that school1 is the one best
 known in ,italy2 having painted with   
applause in several of her cities4 ,here
 we must consider those artists         
connected with ,florence4  ,fabrizio    
,boschi is a spirited painter1 whose    
characteristic excellence appears to    
consist in novelty of composition1      
united to a precision superior to the   
generality of his school4 ,a ,s4        
,bonaventura in the act of celebrating  
mass1 in ,all ,saints' church at        
,florence1 is much praised3 and1        
perhaps1 his two historical frescos of  
,cosmo ,,ii4 which he painted in the    
palace of ,cardinal ,gio4 ,carlo de'    
,medici1 in emulation of ,rosselli1 are 
superior to any of his other works4     
,ottavio ,vannini became eminent in     
colouring and was very attentive to     
every other branch of painting2 but he  
was sometimes poor and cold2 and        
although good in each part of his       
pictures1 was not happy in the whole4   
,cesare ,dandini1 a disciple of several 

schools1 imitated ,passignano in design1
 in brilliancy1 and also in the         
perishable nature of his colours3 he was
 diligent in other things1 and very     
assiduous4 ,his best picture is a ,s4   
,carlo1 surrounded by other saints1 in  
the church of ,ancona3 the composition  
is fine1 and the whole in good          
preservation4 ,many works of this       
artist1 and of ,vannini1 decorate       
collections4  ,nicodemo ,ferrucci1 the  
favourite pupil of ,passignano1 and the 
companion of his labours at ,rome1      
possessed much of the boldness and      
spirit of his master4 ,by his example he
 was led to affix a good price to his   
pictures1 mostly frescos executed at    
,florence1 ,fiesole1 and for the ,state4
 ,he died young at ,fontebuoni2 but many
 of his works1 too good to be here      
omitted1 still remain in ,rome2 one of  
the most esteemed of which is found at  
,s4 ,gio4 de' ,fiorentini1 besides two  
histories of ,maria ,s4 ,s4 which1 if ,i
 mistake not1 have suffered from being  

retouched4  ,cristofano ,allori was at  
perpetual variance with ,alessandro1 his
 father and preceptor1 on account of his
 attachment to the novel maxims of the  
three masters we have just commended4   
,in the opinion of many he is the       
greatest painter of this epoch4 ,when   
the excellence he attained1 during a    
long life1 is considered1 he appears to 
me in some degree1 the ,cantarini of his
 school4 ,they resembled each other in  
the beauty1 grace1 and exquisite finish 
of their figures2 with this difference1 
that the beauty of ,cantarini partakes  
more of the ideal1 and that the flesh   
tints of ,allori are more happy4 ,this  
circumstance is the more surprising1    
inasmuch as he knew nothing of the      
,caracci1 nor of ,guido2 but supplied   
all by a nice discrimination1 and an    
unwearied perseverance2 for it was his  
custom never to lift his pencil from the
 canvass until his hand had obeyed the  
dictates of his fancy4 ,from this       
method1 and from vicious habits that    

often seduced him from his labours1 his 
pictures are extremely rare1 and he     
himself is little known4 ,the ,s4       
,julian of the ,pitti palace is the     
grandest effort of his genius2 and if it
 is not among the finest pictures in    
this magnificent collection1 it         
undoubtedly claims the highest rank in  
the second class4 ,his picture of ,beato
 ,manetto1 in the church of the ,servi1 
a small piece1 but excellent in its     
kind1 is reckoned the next in merit4    
,many young men were sent to be         
instructed by him in the art of         
painting2 but few of them remained long3
 most of them were disgusted at the     
dissipation of the master1 and the      
insolence of some of their fellow       
students4 ,he formed some landscape     
painters1 whom we shall notice under    
their class2 and also some copyists1    
whose labours may boast of hues and     
retouching1 the work of his hand4 ,of   
this class were ,valerio ,tanteri1#bae  
,f4 ,bruno ,certosino1 and ,lorenzo     

,cerrini4 ,these1 and other artists of  
this school1 continued the ,giovian     
series of the later race of illustrious 
men1 by transmitting to us many of their
 portraits1 to which he also lent his   
hand4 ,to them we owe numerous          
duplicates of his most celebrated       
pictures1 which are scattered through   
,florence1 and over all ,italy2 more    
especially of that ,judith1 so          
beautifully and magnificently attired1  
which is a portrait of his mistress2    
while her mother appears in the         
character of ,abra1 and the head of     
,holofernes is that of the painter1 who 
permitted his beard to grow a           
considerable time for this purpose4     
,zanobi ,rosi lived to a later period1  
and finished some pieces that were left 
imperfect by the death of ,cristofano2  
but he never obtained the praise of     
invention4 ,the name of ,giovanni       
,batista ,vanni is superior to any other
 scholar of the school of ,allori4 ,the 
,pisans claim him as their countryman2  

,baldinucci assigns him to ,florence4   
,after taking lessons from ,empoli and  
other masters1 he attended ,allori for  
six years2 and whilst he imitated this  
master admirably in colouring1 and      
rivalled him in design1 he also imbibed 
his lessons of intemperance4 ,had he    
conducted himself with more propriety1  
and adhered more to fixed principles1   
the genius he possessed might have      
raised him to more celebrity4 ,he       
visited the best schools of ,italy1 and 
copied on the spot1 or at least         
designed1 the choicest productions of   
each4 ,many praise some of his copies of
 ,tiziano1 of ,correggio1 and of ,paolo 
,veronese3 from the works of the two    
last he likewise made etchings4         
,notwithstanding such studies his       
colouring degenerated1 and he became so 
much a mannerist1 that he has not left  
behind him a truly classical work4 ,the 
,s4 ,lorenzo in the church of ,s4       
,simone1 which is reckoned the          
masterpiece of ,vanni1 has nothing      

uncommon1 except it be that the light of
 the fire invests the spectators1 and   
gives the picture novelty and surprising
 harmony4  ,jacopo da ,empoli1 a scholar
 of ,friano1 retains in most of his     
works the stamp of his early education2 
but he adopted a second manner which is 
not deficient in fulness of design1 nor 
in elegance of colouring4 ,such is his  
,s4 ,ivo1 which1 among painters of great
 name in a cabinet of the ducal gallery1
 surprises most strangers more than the 
other pictures4 ,he executed other works
 on similar principles1 from which we   
might infer that he belongs to an era   
favourable to the art4 ,painters cannot1
 like authors1 amend the first on a     
second edition of the same subject3     
their second editions1 by which they    
should be judged1 pass as other pictures
 superior to their first performances4  
,two of ,jacopo's pictures in fresco are
 commended by ,moreni 7tom4 ii4 p4      
#aac71 one belonging to the ,certosa1   
the other to the monastery of ,boldrone2

 both which prove the extent of his     
ability in this branch of the art2 but  
after the period of his fall from the   
scaffolding in the ,certosa1 he         
abandoned this method and devoted       
himself wholly to painting in oil4      
,empoli gave all the beauty and fine    
effect of large works to those pleasing 
pictures he painted for private         
individuals1 and in this style he was   
very successful4  ,this artist taught   
,vanni the principles of painting2 but  
his greatest pupil was ,felice          
,ficherelli2 a man of the most indolent 
disposition1 lazy in every occupation1  
and1 as if afraid of disturbing his     
tongue1 usually silent unless when asked
 a question3 hence he was named ,felice 
,riposo by the ,florentines4 ,he        
executed few pictures2 but what         
proceeded from his studio may be held up
 as an example of industry in the art2  
simple1 natural1 and studied1 without   
appearing to be so4 ,there is a picture 
of ,s4 ,anthony by him in ,s4 ,maria    

,nuova1 where he seems to have been     
directed by his intimate friend         
,cristofano1 whose work it strongly     
resembles4 ,he is rare in collections2  
but always makes a good figure there by 
his graceful design1 his full body of   
colouring1 and his softness4 ,the ,adam 
and ,eve driven out of ,paradise1 in the
 gallery of the ,rinuccini palace1 is   
worthy such a collection4 ,he copied    
,pietro ,perugino1 ,andrea del ,sarto1  
and some other masters so well1 that his
 work might pass for the originals2 and 
to this employment we may chiefly       
attribute the exquisite finish of his   
pictures4  ,to this period we may assign
 some other artists1 who1 from whatever 
cause1 are1 perhaps1 less commended by  
historians than they deserve4 ,of this  
number is ,giovanni ,martinelli1 of whom
 there is a capital work in the         
,conventualists of ,pescia1 viz4 the    
,miracle of ,s4 ,anthony1 a subject     
mentioned a little above1 as having been
 also executed by ,cigoli4 ,his ,feast  

of ,belshazzar1 in the ducal gallery at 
,florence1 and his ,guardian ,angel at  
,s4 ,lucia de' ,bardi1 are pictures of  
note1 but inferior to that at ,pescia4  
,of the same class also is ,michel      
,cinganelli1 a scholar of ,poccetti1 who
 was employed in the metropolitan church
 of ,pisa1 where he ornamented the      
corbels of the cupola1 and strove to    
emulate the best ,tuscan artists of his 
age in an historical picture of ,joshua4
 ,such is ,palladino1 mentioned in the  
,guide of ,florence in reference to a   
,s4 ,giovanni ,decollato2 a work        
deserving notice1 for its freedom from  
the beaten track of his school4 ,he     
seems to have studied the ,lombard more 
than native artists1 and to have been   
acquainted with ,baroccio4 ,i saw his   
altar-piece at ,s4 ,jacopo a'           
,corbolini4 ,i suspect that this artist 
is the same as ,filippo ,paladini1      
pointed out by ,hackert1 born and       
educated at ,florence1 and who resided  
in foreign parts4 ,he was compelled to  

fly from ,milan on account of some      
disturbance1 and took refuge in ,rome1  
where he was received by ,prince        
,colonna1 and being pursued he went to  
,sicily1 and resided at ,mazzarino1 an  
estate belonging to the ,colonna family4
 ,there1 as well as at ,syracuse1       
,palermo1 ,catania1 and elsewhere1 he   
left works that display much elegance   
and fine colouring1 but not free from   
mannerism1 the fault also of the picture
 above cited at ,florence4 ,benedetto   
,veli painted in the cathedral of       
,pistoia an ,ascension of ,christ1      
placed at the entrance to the           
presbytery1 upon an immense scale4 ,it  
is the companion to one of the          
,pentecost by ,gregorio ,pagani1 which  
sufficiently proves that it has no      
common merit4 ,there lived some other   
painters about this time1 of whom       
,tuscany1 as far as ,i know1 retains no 
trace2 but they are recognized in other 
schools3 thus ,vaiano is recognized in  
the ,milanese1 and ,mazzoni in the      

,venetian schools1 where we shall give  
some account of them4  ,last among the  
great masters of this period ,i place   
,matteo ,rosselli1 a scholar of ,pagani 
and of ,passignano1 as likewise of      
several old masters1 under whom he      
studied assiduously at ,rome and at     
,florence4 ,he became so distinguished a
 painter that he was invited to the     
court of the ,duke of ,modena1 and was  
retained by ,cosmo ,,ii4 ,grand ,duke of
 ,tuscany1 in his own service4 ,in      
painting1 however1 he had many equals2  
but very few in the art of teaching1 for
 which he was adapted by a facility of  
communicating instruction1 a total want 
of envy1 and a judicious method of      
discovering the talents of each pupil1  
and of directing his progress3 hence his
 school1 like that of the ,caracci1     
produced as many different styles as he 
had pupils4 ,his placid genius was not  
fitted for the conception of novel and  
daring compositions1 nor for pursuing   
them with the steadiness that           

characterizes the painter of elevated   
fancy4 ,his merit lies in correctness in
 the imitation of nature2 in which1     
however1 he is not always select2 and   
there is a peculiar harmony and repose  
in the whole1 by which his pictures     
7though they are generally in a sombre  
tone7 please1 even when compared with   
works of the most lively and brilliant  
colouring4 ,he excels in dignity of     
character2 some of the heads of his     
apostles1 to be seen in collections1 so 
strongly resemble the works of the      
,caracci1 that connoisseurs are         
sometimes deceived4 ,at times he strove 
to rival ,cigoli3 as in his ,nativity of
 our ,saviour at ,s4 ,gaetano1 which is 
thought to be his masterpiece1 and in   
the ,crucifixion of ,s4 ,andrew in ,all 
,saints church1 which has been engraved 
at ,florence4 ,his fresco paintings are 
greatly admired3 so well do his labours1
 on the principles of the past age1     
preserve their freshness and brilliancy4
 ,the cloister of the ,nunziata has many

 of his semicircular pieces2 and that   
representing ,alexander ,,iv4 confirming
 the ,order of the ,servi1 appeared a   
grand work to ,passignano and ,cortona4 
,he ornamented a ceiling in the royal   
villa of ,poggio ,imperiale with some   
histories of the ,medicean family4 ,the 
chamber where this painting was placed  
was ordered to be demolished in the time
 of the ,grand ,duke ,peter ,leopold2   
but so highly was ,rosselli esteemed    
that the ceiling was preserved1 and     
transferred to another apartment4 ,his  
chief praise1 however1 arises from his  
preserving that fatherly regard for     
pupils1 which ,quintilian thinks the    
first requisite in a master3 hence he   
became the head of a respectable family 
of painters whom we shall now consider4 
,giovanni da ,s4 ,giovanni 7this is the 
name of his native place2 his family    
name was ,manozzi71 could boast of being
 one of the best fresco painters that   
,italy ever possessed4 ,gifted by nature
 with a fervid and bold genius1 a lively

 and fertile imagination1 celerity and  
freedom of hand1 he painted so much in  
the dominions of the ,church1 and even  
in ,rome1 especially in the church of   
the ,four ,saints1 so much in ,tuscany1 
in ,florence1 and even the ,pitti       
palace1#baf we can scarcely believe that
 he began to study at the age of        
eighteen1 and died when only forty-eight
 years old4 ,his style is very far from 
the solid manner of his master2 he      
carried the celebrated maxim of ,horace 
,all is allowable to excess2 and in many
 of his works he preferred whim to art4 
,amid choirs of angels he introduced the
 singular novelty of female angels2 if  
we may ascribe this to him1 and not to  
the ,cavalier d',arpino or ,alessandro  
,allori1 as some are inclined to do4    
,but whatever exertions he made 7if we  
may so express it7 to discredit himself1
 he did not succeed4 ,his spirit is     
greatly superior to the conceits of     
other artists2 and his performances at  
,florence1 in which he bridled his      

eccentricities1 prove that he knew more 
than he was ambitious to shew4 ,among   
these we may notice his ,flight into    
,egypt in the royal academy1 some       
semicircular pieces in the church of    
,all ,saints1 the ,expulsion of the     
,sciences from ,greece1 of the ,pitti   
palace1 in which the blind ,homer       
appears groping his way with great      
nature1 as he is exiled from his native 
land4 ,it is related of ,pietro di      
,cortona1 that on seeing some one of the
 works of ,giovanni1 which did him no   
credit1 he did not therefore condemn    
him2 but1 pointing to the piece1 only   
observed1 ,giovanni painted that when he
 was already conscious of being a great 
man4 ,his pictures on panel and on      
canvass are less admired1 nor are they  
always exempt from crudity4 ,he had a   
son called ,gio4 ,garzia1 who produced  
several fresco works at ,pistoia1       
tolerably well executed4  ,baldassare   
,franceschini1 surnamed ,volterrano1    
from the place of his nativity1 and also

 the younger ,volterrano1 to distinguish
 him from ,ricciarelli1 seemed to have  
been formed by nature to adorn cupolas1 
temples1 and magnificent halls1 a style 
of work in which he is more conspicuous 
than in painting cabinet pictures4 ,the 
cupola and nave of the ,niccolini       
chapel1 in the church of the ,holy      
,cross1 is his happiest effort in this  
way2 and surprises even an admirer of   
,lanfranco4 ,that of the ,nunziata is   
most beautiful2 and we must not omit the
 ceiling of a chapel in ,s4 ,maria      
,maggiore1 where ,elias appears so      
admirably foreshortened1 that it calls  
to mind the ,s4 ,rocco of ,tintoretto1  
by the optical illusion occasioned by   
it4 ,his talents excited the envy of    
,giovanni da ,s4 ,giovanni1 who having  
engaged him as his assistant in the     
decoration of the ,pitti palace1        
speedily dismissed him4 ,his spirit is  
tempered by judgment and propriety2 his 
,tuscan design is varied and ennobled by
 an imitation of other schools2 to visit

 which1 he was sent to travel for some  
months by his noble patrons of the house
 of ,niccolini4 ,he derived great       
advantages from studying the schools of 
,parma and of ,bologna4 ,he knew ,pietro
 di ,cortona1 and adopted some of his   
principles1 which was a thing not       
uncommon among the artists of this      
epoch4  ,volterrano painted a great many
 frescos in ,florence1 one in the       
,palazzo del ,bufalo at ,rome1 and some 
at ,volterra1 that are noticed by       
,baldinucci4 ,the praise bestowed on him
 by the historian appears rather scanty 
than extravagant to those who duly      
consider the propriety of his           
inventions1 the correctness of his      
design1 qualities so rare in this class 
of artists1 his knowledge of the        
perspective1 of foreshortening figures  
in ceilings1#bag the spirit of his      
attitudes1 the clearness of his         
graduated1 well balanced1 and properly  
united colours1 and the pleasing and    
quiet harmony of the whole4 ,the same   

talents are proportionally evident in   
his oil pictures1 as may be observed in 
his ,s4 ,filippo ,benizi1 in the        
,nunziata of ,florence2 in his ,s4 ,john
 the ,evangelist1 a noble figure which  
he painted along with other saints in   
,s4 ,chiara at ,volterra2 his ,s4 ,carlo
 administering the communion to those   
sick of the plague1 in the ,nunziata of 
,pescia1 and some of his other paintings
 that are well finished1 which was not  
the case with all his works4 ,the same  
observations apply to his cabinet       
pictures1 which abound in the ducal     
palace1 and in the houses of the        
nobility of ,volterra1 especially in    
those of the families of ,maffei and    
,sermolli4  ,cosimo ,ulivelli is also a 
good historical painter2 and his style  
is sometimes mistaken for that of his   
master by less skilful judges2 but a    
good connoisseur discovers in him forms 
less elegant1 a colouring less strong   
and clear1 a character approaching to   
mannerism and to meagreness4 ,we ought  

to form an opinion from the works of his
 best period1 such as his semicircular  
pieces in the cloister of the ,carmine4 
,antonio ,franchi1 a native of ,lucca1  
who lived at ,florence1 is reckoned by  
many inferior to ,ulivelli2 but he is   
generally more judicious1 if ,i do not  
mistake1 and more diligent4 ,his ,s4    
,joseph of ,calassanzio1 in the church  
of the ,fathers of ,scolopi1 is a       
picture of good effect1 and is commended
 also for the design4 ,another of his   
fine works is in the parish church of   
,caporgnano1 in the state of ,lucca2 it 
represents ,christ delivering the keys  
to ,s4 ,peter1 and ,i am informed by an 
experienced artist that it is the most  
esteemed of his productions2 many more  
of which may be found in the account of 
his ,life1 published at ,florence1 by   
,bartolozzi4 ,he was painter to the     
court1 by which he was much employed1 as
 well as by private individuals4 ,he was
 a moderate follower of ,cortona4 ,he   
wrote a useful tract on the ,theory of  

,painting1 in which he combated the     
prejudices of the age1 and enforced the 
necessity of proceeding on general      
principles4 ,it was printed in #agci2   
and afterwards defended by the author   
against certain criticisms made on it4  
,giuseppe and ,margherita1 his two sons1
 have met with some commendation1 and ,i
 am told there is a fine altar-piece by 
the former1 which adorns the parish     
church at ,borgo ,buggiano4 ,it is      
retouched1 however1 by his father1 who  
honourably makes mention of the fact4 ,i
 repeat1 honourably2 because many       
fathers are known to have aided their   
sons with a view of obtaining for them a
 reputation beyond their deserts4       
,michelangiolo ,palloni da ,campi1 a    
pupil of ,volterrano1 is well known in  
,florence by a good copy of the ,furius 
,camillus1 of ,salviati1 in the old     
palace2 which was placed by the side of 
the original4 ,he resided long1 and was 
much employed in ,poland4 ,an eminent   
pupil of ,baldassare1 named ,benedetto  

,orsi1 was omitted by ,baldinucci4 ,a   
fine picture of ,s4 ,john the           
,evangelist1 in the church of ,s4       
,stephen1 at ,pescia1 his native place1 
is attributed to him4 ,he also painted  
the ,works of ,mercy1 for the religious 
fraternity of nobles4 ,these oil        
paintings were shewn to strangers among 
the curiosities of that city2 but they  
were dispersed on the suppression of the
 order4 ,there still exists a large     
circular picture which he produced at   
,pistoia for ,s4 ,maria del ,letto1     
enumerated by good judges among the     
finest works of ,volterrano1 until an   
authentic document discovered the real  
author4 ,last in this list ,i have to   
mention ,arrighi1 the fellow citizen of 
,franceschini1 and his favourite pupil4 
,he has nothing remaining in public1 in 
which his master cannot boast a great   
share4#bah  ,after ,franceschini1 who   
may be considered the ,lanfranco of the 
,rosselli1 or rather ,florentine school1
 we proceed to ,francesco ,furini1 who  

is its ,guido and its ,albano4          
,foreigners recognized him as such3     
hence he was invited to ,venice1 for the
 express purpose of painting a ,thetis1 
as a companion to an ,europa by ,guido  
,reni4 ,he had seen the works of masters
 of this class at ,rome1 and appears to 
have aspired at rivalling1 rather than  
at imitating them4 ,his ideas certainly 
do not seem borrowed from them1 nor from
 any other artists4 ,he spent a long    
time in meditating on his subject1 and  
was accustomed to consider his picture  
completed when he had finished his      
studies for it2 so little time and      
trouble did it cost him to embody his   
ideas in colours4 ,having been ordained 
a priest about his fortieth year1 and   
becoming curate of ,s4 ,ansano in       
,mugello1 he executed some pictures     
truly valuable1 both on account of the  
rarity of his works and their           
excellence1 for the neighbouring town of
 ,s4 ,lorenzo4 ,above all1 we may notice
 with admiration a ,s4 ,francis         

receiving the ,stigmata1 and a          
,conception of the ,blessed ,virgin1 in 
which1 elevated above mortality1 she    
appears soaring and resplendent4 ,but   
his great name in ,italy arose from his 
cabinet pictures1 which are rare out of 
,florence1 and in ,florence are highly  
esteemed1 though considerable numbers of
 them remain there4 ,his ,hylas carried 
away by the ,nymphs1 which he painted   
for the family of ,galli1 and in which  
he introduced noble figures that are    
grandly varied1 is highly celebrated2   
not to mention the three ,graces of the 
,strozzi palace1 and the many historical
 pieces and half-length figures         
dispersed through the city that are     
unnoticed in his life4 ,they chiefly    
consist of nymphs1 or of ,magdalens1 no 
less naked than the nymphs2 for ,furini 
was a very expert painter of delicate   
flesh1 but not one of the most modest4  
,furini must have had a great number    
either of pupils or imitators1 as his   
pictures for private houses before      

mentioned1 which were copied1 are of    
frequent occurrence in ,florence4 ,they 
are often of a dusky hue1 through the   
defect of their ground1 and ,simone     
,pignone is made1 often erroneously so1 
their most common author4 ,he was       
,francesco's best pupil2 very delicate  
in the colours of his fleshes1 as we may
 judge from the altar-piece of ,b4      
,bernardo ,tolomei1 at ,monte ,oliveto1 
where the ,virgin and the ,infant are   
coloured very beautifully in the flesh1 
if not handsome in their features4 ,his 
picture of ,st4 ,louis1 king of ,france1
 at ,s4 ,felicita1 is still more        
celebrated4 ,it was much commended by   
,giordano1 and the artist received five 
hundred crowns for its execution4 ,in   
the first volume of ,lettere ,pittoriche
 we are informed1 that ,maratta only    
esteemed ,gabbiani and ,pignone among   
all the ,florentine painters of his     
time4 ,he was also praised by ,bellini  
in the work entitled ,bucchereide1 where
 he coins a new term for ,pignone1 7a   

liberty extremely common among our      
jocose poets17 ,i know not how far      
susceptible of imitation in another     
tongue3 ,e l'arcipittorissimo de' buoni4
  ,lorenzo ,lippi1 like his friend      
,salvator ,rosa1 divided his hours      
between poetry and painting4 ,his       
,malmantile ,racquistato1#bai which is a
 model of ,tuscan purity of             
language1#bbj is a work less read       
perhaps1 but more elegant than the      
satires of ,salvator2 and is sprinkled  
with those graceful ,florentine idioms  
that are regarded as the ,attic salt of 
,italy4 ,in looking for a prototype     
among the artists of his own school1    
guided by similarity of genius1 he made 
choice of ,santi di ,tito4 ,a delineator
 of the passions sufficiently accorded  
with the genius of the poet1 and a      
painter of the choicest design was      
highly congenial to so elegant a writer4
 ,he1 however1 added to his style a     
greater force of colouring2 and in      
drapery he followed the practice of some

 ,lombard masters and of ,baroccio1 in  
modelling the folds in paper1 a practice
 of which their works retain some       
traces4 ,the delicacy of pencil1 the    
clearness1 harmony1 and to sum up all1  
the good taste1 pervading his pictures1 
demonstrate that he had a feeling of    
natural beauty superior to most of his  
contemporaries4 ,his master admired him1
 and said1 with a liberality not always 
to be found among history painters1     
,lorenzo1 thou art more knowing than ,i4
 ,his pictures are not very rare at     
,florence1 although he resided far from 
it for many years1 for he was painter to
 the court of ,inspruck4 ,a             
,crucifixion1 among his best            
performances1 is in the ducal gallery4  
,the noble family of ,arrighi possesses 
a ,s4 ,saverio recovering from the claws
 of a crab1 the ,crucifix which he had  
dropped into the sea4 ,baldinucci and   
the author of ,the ,series of the most  
,illustrious ,painters have spoken very 
highly of his ,triumph of ,david1       

painted for the hall of ,angiol ,gaddi1 
who wished him to represent his eldest  
son as the son of ,jesse1 and his other 
sixteen children as the youths and      
virgins1 that with songs and timbrels   
greet the victor1 and hail the          
deliverance of ,israel4 ,in this        
celebrated piece1 the artist was enabled
 to give full scope to his talent for   
portrait painting1 and to the style     
approaching to nature1 which he loved1  
without troubling himself about studied 
and artful embellishments4 ,it was his  
maxim to write poetry as he spoke1 and  
to paint what he observed4  ,mario      
,balassi perfected himself under        
,passignano1 and after the choicest     
examples of the ,roman and other        
schools4 ,he was an excellent copyist of
 the old masters1 and a painter of      
invention above mediocrity4 ,some of his
 small historical pictures1 and a few   
pieces representing eatables1 are to be 
met with in private houses2 and1 above  
all1 there are many of his half-length  

figures finely coloured and relieved4   
,in his old age he changed his manner1  
and retouched as many of the works of   
his youth as he could lay his hands on2 
but in striving to improve1 he only     
injured them4  ,francesco ,boschi1 the  
nephew and scholar of ,rosselli1 was an 
excellent portrait painter4 ,in the     
cloister of ,all ,saints1 where his     
uncle ,fabrizio also painted1 there are 
some of his portraits that seem         
absolutely alive1 and are executed in   
fresco so admirably1 that they clearly  
shew the school from which he proceeded4
 ,he finished some pieces in oil1 that  
were left imperfect by the death of     
,rosselli1 and painted others entirely  
his own1 the subjects of which were     
chiefly religious1 where the            
countenances are strikingly expressive  
of probity and sanctity4 ,as he grew    
older he assumed the ecclesiastical     
habit1 and sustained its dignity by his 
exemplary conduct1 the account of which 
,baldinucci has extended at some length4

 ,during twenty-four years in which he  
lived a priest1 he did not resign his   
pencil2 but he employed it less         
frequently1 and generally less          
successfully1 than in his youth4 ,his   
elder brother ,alfonso promised much1   
and even attained a great deal1 though  
cut off in early life4  ,the style of   
,jacopo ,vignali has some resemblance to
 that of ,guercino1 but less in the     
forms than in the dark shadows and the  
grounds4 ,he is amongst those scholars  
of ,rosselli who are seldom mentioned1  
although he painted more than any of the
 rest for the prince and the state4 ,he 
often is weak1 especially in attitude2  
often1 however1 he appears praiseworthy1
 as in the two pictures at ,s4 ,simone1 
and in the ,s4 ,liborio1 which is       
possessed by the ,missionaries4 ,he is  
most conspicuous in fresco painting1    
with which he ornamented the chapel of  
the ,bonarruoti4 ,he painted good       
historical pictures in the palaces of   
many of the nobility1 and he even boasts

 noble pupils1 none of whom did so much 
honour to his memory as ,carlo ,dolci4  
,dolci holds the same rank in the       
,florentine1 that ,sassoferrato holds in
 the ,roman school4 ,both1 though       
destitute of great powers of invention1 
obtained great reputation for ,madonnas 
and similar small subjects1 which have  
now become extremely valuable2 for the  
wealthy1 desirous of possessing         
pictures1 at once estimable and         
religious1 to hang up in their          
oratories1 have brought those two       
masters into great request1             
notwithstanding that they operated on   
very different principles4 ,carlo is not
 so celebrated for beauty1 7for he was  
like his master1 a mere naturalist17 as 
for the exquisite pains with which he   
finished every thing1 and the genuine   
expression of certain affecting         
emotions2 such as the patient suffering 
of ,christ1 or of the ,virgin ,mary2 the
 penitential compunction of a ,saint1 or
 the holy confidence of a ,martyr       

devoting himself as a victim for the    
living ,god4 ,the colouring and general 
tone of his pictures accord with the    
idea of the passion2 nothing is turgid  
or bold2 all is modesty1 repose1 and    
placid harmony4 ,in him we may retrace  
the manner of ,rosselli brought to      
perfection1 as we sometimes can view the
 features of the grandsire in his       
descendants4 ,a few of his larger works 
still remain1 such as the ,s4 ,antonio1 
in the royal museum2 the ,conception of 
our ,lady1 in the possession of the     
,marquis ,rinuccini2 also a very few of 
his subjects from profane story1 a few  
of his portraits1 and the celebrated    
figure of ,poetry in the palace of      
,prince ,corsini4 ,his small pictures1  
for each of which he usually received   
#ajj crowns1 are very numerous2 and were
 frequently repeated by himself or by   
his pupils1 ,alessandro ,lomi and       
,bartolommeo ,mancini2 and often by     
,agnese ,dolci1 his daughter1 a good    
artist and follower of the style of her 

father2 but not his equal4 ,his two     
,madonnas in the cabinet of the ,grand  
,duke1 and his martyrdom of ,s4 ,andrew1
 in the possession of the ,marquis      
,gerini1 have been often copied4  ,of   
,onorio ,marinari1 the cousin and       
scholar of ,carlo1 but few pictures     
remain at ,florence1 either in private  
or in public4 ,after imitating his      
master1 7which usually is the first     
exercise of students in the art1 and    
often1 from dissimilarity of genius1 is 
their great bane17 he formed another    
style1 by yielding to the bent of his   
natural powers2 which was more grand1   
had more of the ideal1 and deeper       
shadows2 and of this several specimens  
remain in the churches of ,s4 ,maria    
,maggiore1 and ,s4 ,simone4 ,this artist
 died young1 very unfortunately for the 
school to which he belonged4  ,about the
 period we have been describing1 some   
foreign artists resided at ,florence for
 a considerable time1 to the no small   
advantage of the native painters1 as we 

have already observed4 ,paggi came there
 in the reign of the ,grand ,duke       
,francis ,i41 remained there twenty     
years1 and left some works behind him4  
,about the same time ,salvator ,rosa1   
,albani1 ,borgognone1 ,colonna1         
,mitelli1 and many more1 either invited 
by the princes from abroad1 or coming   
there of their own accord1 were retained
 by them for the decoration of the      
palace and the city4 ,we shall consider 
them particularly under the schools of  
the countries where they were born1 or  
in which they taught2 but here we shall 
give a place to ,jacopo ,ligozzi1 whom  
the ,florentine school may claim on     
account of his residence1 his           
employment1 and his scholars4 ,he had   
studied at ,verona under ,paolo         
,veronese1 according to ,baldinucci2 but
 under ,gio4 ,francesco ,carrotto1      
according to the emendation of ,maffei1 
without reflecting that this artist died
 when ,jacopo was scarcely three years  
old4 ,some foreign writers make him the 

son of ,gio4 ,ermanno1 the painter2 a   
circumstance unknown to ,cav4 del       
,pozzo1 the townsman and historian of   
them both4 ,ferdinand ,,ii4 appointed   
him painter to the court1 and           
superintendant of the gallery4 ,this was
 very honourable1 when conferred by such
 a prince on him1 in preference to many 
eminent ,florentines4 ,ligozzi executed 
some works at ,rome1 and introduced at  
,florence a freedom of pencil1 an art in
 composition1 a taste for the           
ornamental1 and a grace and gaiety1 till
 then rare in that city4 ,his design was
 sufficiently correct1 and uniformly    
improved while he remained in ,tuscany4 
,as to his colouring1 although it was   
not that of ,paolo1 it was not deficient
 in truth and vigour4  ,his seventeen   
semicircular pictures in the cloisters  
of ,all ,saints1 are valued at          
,florence2 especially the interview     
between ,s4 ,francis and ,s4 ,domenick1 
the founders of the order4 ,on this     
picture he wrote1 ,to the confusion of  

our friends1 meaning the envious and    
malignant4 ,this is his masterpiece in  
fresco4 ,he painted more frequently in  
oil colours in several churches4 ,the   
,s4 ,raymond in the act of reanimating a
 child1 in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 is a    
picture full of art2 and there is       
another in the same style at the ,scalzi
 of ,imola1 representing the four       
,crowned ,saints4 ,the martyrdom of ,s4 
,dorothea1 ,i do not hesitate to call a 
wonderful picture2 in which we recognize
 a follower of ,paolo1 and which is in  
possession of the ,conventual ,friars of
 ,pescia4 ,the scaffold1 the            
executioner1 the ,prefect on horseback  
who is ordering him to strike1 the great
 crowd of spectators variously affected1
 and all the apparatus of a public      
punishment1 strike and astonish equally 
the connoisseur and the unskilled in    
painting2 the holy martyr especially    
interests us1 who1 on her knees1 with a 
placid composure1 willingly resigns her 
life1 and is about to receive from      

angels the eternal crown purchased with 
her blood4 ,in other performances he    
shews more simplicity1 as in the ,s4    
,diego at ,all ,saints1 or in the       
,angels at the ,p4 ,p4 ,scolopi2 but he 
is an artist who always pleases1 and who
 shews that he felt what he painted4    
,ligozzi painted much for private       
individuals4 ,in his very small         
pictures1 a style in which he was       
expert1 he finished as highly as if they
 were miniatures4 ,several of his works 
were published by ,agostino ,caracci1   
and other engravers4  ,none of his      
,florentine pupils is esteemed equal to 
,donato ,mascagni1 for such was his real
 name1 which may be seen subscribed to  
two ,scriptural pieces1 in possession of
 ,sig4 ,ab4 ,giachi1 at ,volterra4      
,having entered the order of ,servi1 he 
assumed the name of ,fra ,arsenio2 and  
several of his works painted after that 
period are to be seen in ,florence1     
executed in a manner not very full and  
soft1 but diligent2 of which there are  

several other specimens in his ,miracles
 of the ,nunziata1 which are engraved   
and illustrated in the little work of   
,padre ,lottini4 ,what does him greatest
 honour is the picture preserved in the 
library of the monastery of             
,vallombrosa4 ,it represents the        
donation of the ,state of ,ferrara to   
the ,holy ,seat1 by the ,countess       
,matilda1 as is believed by some1 or    
rather the distribution of some         
privileges by her to the order of       
,vallombrosa1 and is a picture full of  
subject1 and the chief glory of this    
master4  ,in casting our eyes over other
 cities of ,tuscany1 we find some       
painters very capable of decorating     
houses and altars4 ,francesco ,morosini1
 surnamed ,montepulciano1 may be        
recognized in the church of ,s4         
,stephen1 of ,florence1 where he painted
 a ,conversion of ,s4 ,paul1 in the     
manner of his master ,fidani4 ,arezzo   
produced the two ,santini4 ,of one of   
them1 there named the ,elder1 several   

pictures were pointed out to me by the  
accomplished ,cav4 ,giudici2 among which
 was a ,s4 ,catherine1 in possession of 
the ,conventual ,friars3 it savours of  
the ,florentine manner during this      
epoch2 except that the use of changing  
tints is more frequent4 ,bartolommeo and
 ,teofilo ,torre1 of ,arezzo1 are       
noticed as fresco painters by ,orlandi1 
who mentions halls1 and even whole      
houses1 being ornamented by the latter  
with historical pieces2 which1 if       
deficient in design1 he praises for     
their colouring4 ,francesco ,brini left 
a good picture of the ,immaculate       
,conception1 at ,volterra3 of his       
country and school ,i am ignorant4 ,i do
 not know the master of ,pompeo ,caccia2
 it is certain that he called himself a 
native of ,rome1 perhaps because it is  
easy to substitute the capital1 so well 
known1 for places in the state of less  
notoriety4 ,in ,rome1 however1 ,i do not
 find any traces of him4 ,i find1       
indeed1 that he left several pictures at

 ,pistoja2 among which is the           
,presentation 7at the ,selesiane7 of    
,jesus in the ,temple1 to which is      
affixed the date #afae4 ,alessandro     
,bardelli was a native of ,pescia2 in   
his style we find traces of his         
preceptor ,curradi and of ,guercino4 ,he
 was a good painter1 and executed the   
ornamental border for the portrait of   
,s4 ,francis1 painted by ,margaritone1  
for his church in ,pescia3 he           
represented around it the virtues of the
 ,saint1 and a choir of ,angels above4  
,i am doubtful whether we should include
 ,alessio ,gimignani1 one of a family of
 artists in ,pistoia1 to be recorded in 
the fifth epoch1 among the pupils of    
,ligozzi1 but he was undoubtedly his    
follower4  ,about this period two       
schools arose1 highly deserving of      
notice1 those of ,pisa and of ,lucca4   
,the ,pisan school recognizes as its    
founder1 ,aurelio ,lomi1 first a scholar
 of ,bronzino1 and afterwards of        
,cigoli4 ,his very correct performances1

 in the cathedral of ,pisa1 are executed
 after both masters2 but when compared  
to ,cigoli he is more minute1 and has   
much less softness4 ,his aim appears to 
be to surprise the multitude by an      
agreeable colouring1 and a magnificence 
of draperies and ornaments4 ,this style 
pleased at ,florence1 in ,rome1 and more
 especially at ,genoa1 where he was     
preferred to ,sorri1 many years         
established and in good repute4 ,his    
works in that city are very full of     
subject2 as his ,s4 ,anthony1 belonging 
to the ,franciscans1 and his ,last      
,judgment1 in ,s4 ,maria of ,carignano2 
pictures which surprise by an air of    
novelty3 the first is graceful1 rich1   
but modest in the tints2 the second     
terrible1 and the colours more vivid    
than those he employed on any other     
occasion4 ,a ,s4 ,jerome1 in the ,campo 
,santo1 is less glowing1 but it is      
esteemed by the ,pisans his capital     
work2 at the bottom of this piece he put
 his initials and the date #aeie4  ,he  

most probably taught the principles of  
the art to his brother1 ,orazio ,lomi2  
who was called ,gentileschi1 from the   
surname of an uncle4 ,gentileschi formed
 his style1 however1 on the finest      
examples in ,rome1 assisted by his      
friend ,agostino ,tassi4 ,tassi was an  
eminent ornamental landscape painter1   
and ,gentileschi executed appropriate   
figures to his inventions in the ,loggia
 ,rospigliosi1 in the saloon of the     
,quirinal palace1 and in other places4  
,he also painted some smaller pictures  
in ,rome1 particularly at the ,pace1    
from which we cannot ascertain his      
merit1 either because they were         
performances of his unripe years1 or    
because they have become black from age4
 ,he had not then attained the beautiful
 colouring1 nor the ,lombard-like manner
 of managing the shadows1 which we      
observe in many of his cabinet pictures4
 ,a fine specimen1 representing ,s4     
,cecilia with ,s4 ,valerian1 is in the  
,borghesi palace4 ,the choicest adorn   

the royal palace of ,turin1 and some    
houses in ,genoa4 ,in the collection of 
his ,excellency ,cardinal ,cambiasi1    
there is a ,david standing over the dead
 ,goliath2 so relieved1 and with tints  
so vivid and so well contrasted1 that it
 gives the idea of a style entirely new4
 ,he was esteemed by ,vandyck1 and      
inserted by him in his series of        
portraits of one hundred illustrious    
men4 ,when already old he went to the   
,english court1 where he died at the age
 of eighty-four4  ,artemisia1 his       
daughter and disciple1 followed her     
father into that island2 but she passed 
her best years in ,italy4 ,she was      
respected for her talents1 and          
celebrated for the elegance of her      
manners and appearance4 ,she is noticed 
both by ,italian and foreign writers1   
and by ,walpole among the latter1 in his
 ,anecdotes of ,painting in ,england4   
,she lived long at ,naples1 married     
there a ,pier ,antonio ,schiattesi2 and 
was there assisted and improved in the  

art by ,guido ,reni1 studied the works  
of ,domenichino1 and was not unskilled  
in other approved styles4 ,she shews    
variety of style in her few remaining   
historical pictures4 ,some of them are  
at ,naples and ,pozzuolo1 and there are 
two in ,florence inscribed with her     
name2 one in the ducal gallery1 and the 
other in possession of my noble and     
learned friend ,sig4 ,averardo de'      
,medici2 the former representing ,judith
 slaying ,holofernes1 is a picture of a 
strong colouring1 of a tone and         
perspicuity that inspires awe2 the      
latter1 a ,susanna and the ,elders1 is a
 painting that pleases by the scene1 the
 elegance of the principal figure1 and  
the drapery of the others4 ,artemisia1  
however1 was more celebrated for her    
portraits1 which are of singular merit2 
they spread her fame over all ,europe1  
and in them she surpassed her father4   
,orazio ,riminaldi was a scholar of the 
elder ,lomi in ,pisa1 and of the younger
 in ,rome1 but imitated neither of them2

 from the beginning he gave himself up  
to the guidance of ,manfredi1 in the    
manner of ,caravaggio1 and afterwards   
became a follower of ,domenico          
,zampieri1 to rival whom he seems       
intended by nature4 ,from the time that 
the art of painting revived in ,pisa1   
that city had not perhaps so eminent a  
painter1 nor have many better been born 
on the banks of the ,arno1 a soil so    
propitious to the arts4 ,grand in       
contour and in drapery1 after the manner
 of the ,caracci1 pleasing and agreeable
 in his carnations1 full1 free1 and     
delicate in the management of his       
pencil1 he would have been faultless1   
had not the wretched style of engraving 
raised prejudices against him4          
,excessive fatigue1 or1 as others will  
have it1 the plague of #afcj1 snatched  
him in early life from his country2 for 
the fame of which alone he seems to have
 lived to maturity4 ,he there ornamented
 many altars with fine pictures1 one of 
which representing the martyrdom of ,s4 

,cecilia1 was afterwards placed in the  
,pitti palace4 ,in the choir of the     
cathedral there are two of his          
scriptural pieces1 that form a perfect  
study for any one who wishes to become  
acquainted with this epoch4 ,the        
judgment of the master of the works was 
conspicuous in engaging ,riminaldi to   
paint the cupola1 even before he had    
finished the above pictures1 and in     
making choice of him in preference to   
any other artist4 ,the ,assumption of   
the ,virgin ,mary1 which he painted in  
oil1 is one of the best conceived and   
most perfect works that ,tuscany had    
ever beheld1 and it was the last labour 
of ,orazio4 ,his brother ,girolamo      
completed it feebly1 by introducing some
 figures that were wanting1 and the     
family received #e1jjj crowns as its    
price4 ,girolamo is rarely to be met    
with in ,pisan collections1 and still   
more rarely in other places4 ,he was1   
however1 well known in his day1 having  
been invited to ,naples to ornament the 

chapel of ,s4 ,gennaro1 and to the court
 of ,paris by the queen4  ,from among   
many ,pisan artists of this period      
recorded by ,sig4 da ,morrona1 or ,sig4 
,tempesti1 we shall select some of the  
most considerable4 ,ercole ,bezzicaluva 
is worthy of notice1 both for his       
engravings and his picture representing 
various saints in the choir of ,st4     
,stephen's at ,pisa4 ,so likewise is    
,gio4 del ,sordo1 otherwise called ,mone
 da ,pisa2 but his colouring seems      
superior to his invention4 ,zaccaria    
,rondinosi1 ,i believe1 of the          
,florentine school1 was more skilled in 
ornamental than in any other branch of  
painting4 ,he repaired the pictures in  
the ,campo ,santo1 and on that account  
was honoured by the citizens with a tomb
 there1 and near it an inscription on   
the marble4 ,i know not whether any     
picture of ,arcangela ,paladini1 an     
excellent embroiderer1 except her own   
portrait1 has reached our times4 ,it was
 hung in the ducal gallery among the    

portraits of illustrious painters3 to be
 deposited in such a place1 and to      
remain there from #afba1 is an          
unequivocal proof of its merit2 since it
 is the custom of the place not lightly 
to refuse the portraits of tolerably    
good painters1 but to keep them there as
 if only lodgers1 and then send them to 
some villa of the prince1 when new      
guests arrive1 to take a place in the   
cabinets which are named de' ,pittori4  
,gio4 ,stefano ,marucelli1 both an      
engineer and a painter1 was not born in 
,pisa1 but he may be reckoned a ,pisan  
from his long residence and attachment  
to the place4 ,having come from ,umbria 
into ,tuscany1 according to the         
tradition of the ,pisans1 he became a   
pupil of ,boscoli1 and remaining at     
,pisa1 he contended with the celebrated 
artists whom we have noticed as employed
 from time to time in ornamenting the   
tribune of the cathedral4 ,the ,abraham 
entertaining the three angels is a work 
of his1 commended for felicity of       

invention1 and beauty of colouring4 ,in 
the church of ,s4 ,nicolas at ,pisa1    
there remains a memorial of ,domenico   
,bongi of ,pietrasanta1 who was a       
follower of ,perino del ,vaga4 ,he      
flourished in #aehb4  ,the series of the
 principal artists of ,lucca commences  
with ,paol ,biancucci1 the best scholar 
of ,guido ,reni1 whose grace and full   
power of colour he has imitated in many 
of his works4 ,he sometimes so strongly 
resembles ,sassoferrato as to be        
mistaken for him4 ,the ,purgatory which 
he painted at ,suffragio1 the picture   
representing various saints which he    
left at the church of ,s4 ,francis1 two 
in possession of the noble family of    
,boccella1 and many others scattered    
over the city1 are of such merit1 that  
,malvasia should have noticed him among 
the pupils of ,guido1 which he has not  
done4 ,he has also omitted ,pietro      
,ricchi of ,lucca1 who went to ,bologna 
from the school of ,passignano4 ,it is  
true that the preceptorship of ,guido is

 in this instance doubtful1 though      
,baldinucci and ,orlandi both assert it3
 for ,boschini1 who was his intimate    
friend1 says not a word upon the matter1
 merely observing that ,ricchi regretted
 he had not studied in ,venice4 ,it is  
certain he frequently imitated the forms
 of ,guido2 but in colouring and design 
adhered to the manner of ,passignano2 he
 also imbibed the principles of the     
,venetian school1 as we shall relate in 
the proper place4 ,two of his pictures  
are preserved at the church of ,s4      
,francis in ,lucca1 and some others     
remain in private hands2 small remains  
of a genius very fertile in invention1  
and of a hand most rapid and almost     
indefatigable in execution4 ,he painted 
in several cities of ,france1 in the    
,milanese1 and still more in the        
,venetian states1 where he died at      
,udine1 in the ,,ms4 guide to which     
place he is often named4  ,pietro       
,paolini long lived and taught at       
,lucca2 he was a pupil of the ,roman    

school1 as history informs us2 but to   
judge from his works one would pronounce
 him of the ,venetian4 ,in ,rome he     
frequented the study of ,angelo         
,caroselli1 who was by education a      
follower of ,caravaggio1 but exceedingly
 expert in copying and imitating every  
style4 ,under him ,paolini acquired a   
manner that shews good drawing1 broad   
shadows1 and firm touches1 compared by  
some to the style of ,titian1 and by    
others to that of ,pordenone3 one also  
remarks in his works undoubted          
imitations of ,veronese4 ,the martyrdom 
of ,s4 ,andrew1 that exists at ,s4      
,michele1 and the grand picture1 sixteen
 cubits long1 preserved in the library  
of ,s4 ,frediano1 would be sufficient to
 immortalize a painter4 ,in this he     
represented the pontiff ,s4 ,gregory1   
entertaining some pilgrims2 it is a     
magnificent picture1 ornamented in the  
style of ,veronese1 with plate and      
architectural perspective1 full of      
figures1 and possessing a variety1      

harmony1 and beauty1 that have induced  
many poets to extol it as a wonderful   
production4 ,his cabinet pictures of    
conversations and rural festivals1 which
 are not rare at ,lucca1 are exquisite4 
,two1 of the ,massacre of ,valdestain1  
belonging to the ,orsetti family1 were  
especially commended by ,baldinucci4    
,the historian remarks that he had a    
particular talent for such tragic       
themes1 and in general for the          
energetic2 he admires him less in the   
delicate1 and even accuses him of       
marking the action of his female figures
 too strongly4 ,that he could however be
 very pleasing when he inclined1 we are 
led to believe from his large work in   
the church of the ,trinity2 which he is 
said to have conducted in this graceful 
style1 to demonstrate that he was not   
inferior to his rival ,biancucci4  ,it  
is uncertain whether ,pietro ,testa1    
called at ,rome ,il ,lucchesino1 was his
 disciple2 but it appears highly        
probable1 when his age is compared with 

that of ,paolini1 that he learnt from   
the latter the principles of the art1   
which he had undoubtedly acquired in    
,lucca before he came to ,rome4 ,he     
there had several masters1 and was      
chiefly under ,pietro da ,cortona1 from 
whose school he was expelled1 because he
 treated the maxims of the master with  
contempt4 ,he then put himself under    
,domenichino1 on whose principles1 says 
,passeri1 he gloried to rely2 but his   
style1 in his own despite1 at times     
approaches nearly to that of ,cortona4  
,he has also some resemblance to his    
friend ,poussin1 both in his figures    
7which at one time he made too slender71
 in his landscapes1 and in his study of 
the antique1 of which he was deeply     
enamoured2 having applied himself to    
designing the finest specimens in       
architecture and in sculpture that ,rome
 afforded4 ,in this branch he is        
excellent4 ,the death of ,b4 ,angelo1   
placed in ,s4 ,martino a' ,monti1 a     
picture of great force1 is the only     

piece before the public4 ,testa is more 
frequently recognized in galleries3     
there is a ,joseph sold to the          
,ishmaelites by him in the capitol2 a   
,murder of the ,innocents1 in the ,spada
 palace2 but there are not many of his  
pictures elsewhere2 for he engraved more
 than he painted4#bba ,he left some oil 
paintings at ,lucca1 one in a feeble    
style at ,s4 ,romano1 several at ,s4    
,paolino1 in the ,buonvisi gallery1 and 
in other places1 in his best manner4    
,two of his works in fresco remain      
there2 viz4 the allegorical picture of  
,liberty in the senate house1 and the   
small very elegant cupola of the oratory
 in the ,lippi palace4 ,he settled at   
,rome1 where he lived unhappily1 and    
either from despair1 or some affront1   
drowned himself in the ,tiber4 ,his fate
 may teach young artists of genius not  
to overrate their own talents1 nor to   
despise those of others4 ,by these      
failings1 ,testa alienated the minds of 
his contemporaries1 so that neither in  

reputation nor in employment was he so  
successful as many others2 and his      
perpetual complaints occasioned doubts  
even of his sanity4  ,omitting some     
scholars of ,paolini less addicted to   
his manner1 we shall notice the three   
brothers1 ,cassiano1 ,francesco1 and    
,simone del ,tintore4 ,i find nothing   
recorded of the first that exalts him   
above mediocrity2 and when one meets    
with an indifferent picture of the      
school of ,paolini1 it is ascribed to   
,cassiano1 or some such pupil2 or       
sometimes to the dotage of ,paolini1    
when he produced sketches rather than   
paintings4 ,francesco is recognized as  
an able artist in the ,visitation1 in   
the apartments of his excellency the    
,gonfaloniere2 and in some pieces in the
 ,motroni collection4 ,simone was expert
 in depicting birds1 fruit1 and other   
objects in the inferior walks of the    
art1 to which1 as ,i usually do at the  
end of each epoch1 ,i shall here devote 
a few pages4  ,and to pursue this       

pleasing branch of painting1 ,i may     
observe that ,angiol ,gori and          
,bartolommeo ,bimbi of ,florence1       
distinguished themselves in fruit1 and  
more especially in flowers3 the second  
was the scholar of the first in this    
line1 and of ,lippi in figures4 ,lippi  
himself induced ,andrea ,scacciati to   
abandon figures for fruit and flowers1  
and animals1 in which department he     
succeeded well1 and sent many pictures  
into foreign countries4 ,bimbi was the  
,mario of his school4 ,he instructed    
,fortini1 whom we shall notice by and by
 along with ,moro1 a painter of flowers 
and animals4 ,all these gave place to   
,lopez of ,naples1 who visited ,florence
 in his journeys through ,italy1 and    
shall be afterwards mentioned4  ,the art
 of painting landscapes1 and their      
introduction into collections1 began    
during this epoch3 the first style that 
became fashionable at ,florence was that
 of ,adriano ,fiammingo3 but ,cristofano
 ,allori excelled all by the neat and   

firm touch of his pencil1 and by the    
exquisite figures which he introduced   
into his landscapes4 ,guasparre ,falgani
 surpassed him in the number of such    
subjects3 he was initiated in the art by
 ,valerio ,marucelli1 and imitated by   
,giovanni ,rosi1 and ,benedetto ,boschi1
 the brother and fellow student of      
,francesco4 ,the landscapes of this age 
have often their greens changed into    
black2 and are reckoned of the old      
school by ,baldinucci4 ,the new style   
was introduced into ,florence by        
,filippo d',angeli1 or ,philip the      
,neapolitan1 who was long retained at   
the court of ,cosmo ,,ii2 but chiefly by
 ,salvator ,rosa4 ,this artist was      
brought to ,florence by ,cardinal ,gio4 
,carlo1 and remained there for seven    
years2 where in the capacity of painter1
 poet1 and author of comedies1 he was   
constantly applauded for his fine       
genius1 and his society courted by men  
of learning2 with whom1 in every        
department of letters1 the country then 

abounded4 ,he formed no pupils at that  
place1 but many young men there became  
his copyists and imitators2 as ,taddeo  
,baldini1 ,lorenzo ,martelli1 and many  
others4 ,antonio ,giusti1 a pupil of    
,cesare ,dandini1 was particularly      
skilled in this art2 but he likewise    
practised every other branch of         
painting2 and ,orlandi has described him
 as an universal painter4 ,signor da    
,morrona notices the ,poli1 two         
brothers1 who executed many pleasing    
landscapes1 which are known in the      
collections of ,florence and of ,pisa4  
,passing from landscape to sea-views1 ,i
 do not find any ,tuscan who in this    
respect equalled ,pietro ,ciafferi1     
otherwise called ,lo ,smargiasso1#bbb   
and recorded among the ,pisan artists4  
,it is said that he resided long at     
,leghorn1 a place well suited to his    
genius4 ,he there decorated facades of  
houses with disembarkations and naval   
enterprizes2 and of such subjects1      
ports1 sea-coasts1 and ships1 he        

composed oil paintings1 that are usually
 highly finished1 and ornamented with   
small figures1 well designed and        
fancifully draped4 ,he likewise         
succeeded greatly in architectural      
views4 ,leghorn and ,pisa are rich in   
his easel pictures2 and one in          
possession of ,sig4 ,decano ,zucchetti  
of this place bears the name of the     
artist and the date #afea4  ,perspective
 was much cultivated at ,florence about 
this period2 and the ,bolognese had     
carried it to a degree of excellence1   
that will claim attention in the proper 
place4 ,lessons in it were given by     
,giulio ,parigi1 an excellent architect2
 and afterwards by ,baccio del ,bianco1 
who became engineer to his ,catholic    
,majesty ,philip ,,iv4 ,their theoretic 
views were seconded by the example of   
,colonna1 who came to ,florence in      
#afch1 along with ,mitelli1 a native of 
that place1 and remained six years in   
the service of the court4 ,after this   
period ,florence produced many painters 

of cabinet pieces1 and in the ornamental
 line1 or rather a new school of        
painting was founded by ,jacomo         
,chiavistelli1 a painter of sound and   
more chaste taste than was common in    
that age4 ,one may form an idea of him  
in several churches1 and in many saloons
 in the city2 as for instance1 in that  
of the ,cerretani palace1 which is among
 his most elegant works4 ,he likewise   
painted for cabinets1 where his         
perspective pieces are frequently to be 
met with4 ,orlandi notices his most     
considerable pupils1 ,rinaldo ,botti1   
and his cousin ,lorenzo del ,moro1#bbc  
,benedetto ,fortini1 and ,giuseppe      
,tonelli1 who also studied at ,bologna4 
,to these may be added1 ,angiol ,gori1  
,giuseppe ,masini1 and others who       
assisted him about #afeh1 in painting   
the corridore of the ducal gallery1     
which is not their best performance4 ,i 
find in the anecdotes of ,mondina and   
,alboresi1 edited by ,malvasia1 that    
,antonio ,ruggieri contended with them  

in ,florence3 he was1 ,i believe1 a     
scholar of ,vannini1 and a ,s4 ,andrew  
by him exists in the church of ,s4      
,michele1 in ,berteldi1 now commonly    
called ,s4 ,gaetano4 ,nor were these the
 only artists capable of introducing    
figures into their perspective pieces2  
but a great many of the painters in     
fresco were1 if we may say so1          
ambidexter1 for each could paint        
perspectives and figures at the same    
time4  ,portrait painting1 the school of
 the best artists who aspire to fidelity
 of representation1 was greatly promoted
 by ,passignano1 who instructed ,filippo
 ,furini1 surnamed ,sciameroni1 the     
father of the celebrated ,francesco4 ,he
 also taught the art to ,domenico and   
,valore ,casini1 two brothers celebrated
 by ,baldinucci3 ,valore was remarkable 
for a free pencil1 and was a faithful   
copyist of every lineament4 ,the capital
 is filled with his portraits4          
,cristofano ,allori painted portraits1  
both on commission and for exercising   

his hand in the delineation of the most 
beautiful forms4 ,his portraits on      
canvass are reckoned valuable1 even when
 the subjects are not known3 this is the
 case with that in possession of the    
senator ,orlandini2 and some on small   
pieces of copper1 in the grand ,medicean
 collection4 ,cerrini1 among his        
disciples1 followed his steps2 he is1 ,i
 think1 also admitted into that museum4 
,giovanni ,batista ,stefaneschi1 a monk 
of ,monte ,senario1 a scholar of        
,comodi1 and an excellent miniature     
painter1 was conspicuous among the      
painters of portraits and copyists4     
,justus ,subtermans1 a native of        
,antwerp1 who was educated by ,william  
de ,vos1 was also greatly admired4      
,having fixed his residence at          
,florence1 in the time of ,cosmo ,,ii41 
he was retained by the court to the end 
of the reign of ,cosmo ,,iii42 and went 
to other princes in ,germany and ,italy1
 who were ambitious of having a specimen
 of a portrait painter1 esteemed little 

inferior to ,vandyck4 ,he was much      
esteemed by the latter1 who requested   
his portrait1 prefacing his request by  
sending him his own4 ,peter ,paul       
,rubens likewise honoured him1 and      
presented him with one of his own       
historical pictures1 regarding him as an
 honour to their country4 ,subtermans   
painted all the living members of the   
,medicean family1 in a variety of       
attitudes2 and when ,ferdinand ,,ii4    
ascended the throne1 while still a young
 man1 ,subtermans executed a stupendous 
picture1 wholly composed of portraits4  
,he represented in it the ceremony of   
swearing allegiance to the new          
sovereign2 and pourtrayed him not only  
with his mother and grandmother1 but the
 senators and nobility who were present4
 ,this picture was very large3 it has   
been engraved on copper and still       
remains in the gallery4 ,the artist had 
a neatness and elegance of pencil that  
appeared extraordinary even in the      
school to which he belonged2 and        

possessed moreover a peculiar talent of 
ennobling every countenance without     
injuring the likeness4 ,it was his      
practice to study the peculiar and      
characteristic air of the person1 and to
 impart it to his work2 so that when he 
would sometimes conceal the face of a   
portrait1 the bystanders could with     
certainty tell whom it represented1 from
 the disposition of the hands and the   
figure4  ,jacopo ,borgognone remained   
long in ,florence1 and was highly       
respected by ,prince ,matthias2 whose   
military achievements in ,germany and in
 ,italy1 and the places where they      
happened1 he represented to the life1 as
 an historian would have described them4
 ,this artist's battle-pieces are not   
rare in ,florence2 but ,i do not know   
that he had any pupils in that place4   
,the person who promoted most the       
imitation of ,jacopo1 and whose works   
are everywhere1 was ,pandolfo ,reschi1  
of ,danzig1 who was one of his best     
scholars2 eminent in landscape in the   

style of ,salvator ,rosa1 and in        
architectural subjects4 ,in the hands of
 ,dr4 ,viligiardi1 ,i saw a picture by  
him1 with a view of the ,pitti palace1  
and the additions to it then wanting2   
but which were afterwards supplied by   
the ,austrian princes1 to the great     
ornament of the royal residence4 ,those 
additions were from a design of         
,giacinta ,marmi2 but the whole picture 
was the work of ,pandolfo4 ,he enlivened
 it with figures1 and excites surprise  
by the whole1 excepting the distribution
 of the light and shadow1 in which he is
 not so happy4 ,one ,santi ,rinaldi1    
surnamed ,il ,tromba1#bbd a painter of  
battle-pieces and of landscapes1 formed 
himself under ,furini3 he was           
contemporary with ,pandolfo2 but is less
 known in ,florence4  ,baccio del       
,bianco1 having become a good designer  
and tolerable painter in the school of  
,bilivert1 went into ,germany with      
,pieroni1 the imperial architect and    
engineer1 from whom he learnt           

perspective4 ,he afterwards taught it   
with applause in ,florence1 as we have  
said2 and did not omit to exercise his  
pencil1 especially in fresco4 ,naturally
 facetious1 he became distinguished by  
his burlesques1 which1 for the most     
part1 were only designed with the pen4  
,he coloured some small oil pictures of 
much force1 which were portraits in the 
style of the ,caracci1 and sometimes    
painted freaks of scaramouches1 and     
similar abortions of nature4  ,gio4     
,batista ,brazze1 called ,il ,bigio1#bbe
 a scholar of ,empoli1 employed his     
genius in another branch of the         
capricious style3 it consisted of what  
appeared human figures when seen at a   
distance1 but a nearer approach shewed  
them to be composed of different sorts  
of fruit1 or machines1 artfully         
arranged4 ,baldinucci reckons him the   
inventor of this art2 but to me it      
appears1 that prior examples may be     
found in the ,milanese school1 in which 
,i treat of them fully at the end of the

 second epoch4  ,lastly1 mosaic work in 
hard stone owes its rise in ,florence to
 this epoch2 and after gradually        
improving during two centuries1 is now  
everywhere known as a work of this      
capital1 and almost exclusively its own4
 ,in a letter of ,teofilo               
,gallaccini1#bbf we read that this      
species of mosaic had been invented in  
,florence1 in the time of ,ferdinand    
,i42 an assertion which is not true4    
,before that period it flourished in    
,lombardy4 ,the ,carthusian ,monastery  
of ,pavia had in its pay a family of the
 name of ,sacchi2 which has existed     
there to our own times1 and has filled  
the great church with this kind of      
mosaic4 ,there are specimens of it in   
,milan of very ancient date4 ,in that   
place ,giacomo da ,trezzo1 who executed 
the tabernacle for the church of the    
,escurial1 which is esteemed the most   
beautiful and magnificent in            
,christendom1#bbg received his          
instruction4 ,about the time of ,cosmo  

,i41 ,florence herself witnessed the    
rudiments of this art in a small picture
 composed of gems which she possessed1  
as is recorded by ,vasari4#bbh ,a       
similar one was executed for ,francis   
,i41 from a design of ,vasari1 by       
,bernardino di ,porfirio of ,leccio1 7a 
district of the ,florentine state7      
composed of oriental alabaster1 and     
large slabs of jasper1 heliotrope1      
cornelian1 lapis lazzuli1 agate1 and    
other stones and gems1 which they       
estimate at #bj1jjj crowns4 ,but        
pictures so wrought in large pieces1    
were not of that perfect kind of mosaic 
that contained a vast variety of colours
 and middle tints4 ,such are executed in
 every shade of colour1 from the natural
 stains of the stone itself2 and the    
tints are lowered1 heightened1 and      
managed1 so as almost to rival painting4
 ,for this purpose1 every species of    
hard stone is collected and sawed2      
innumerable colours are thence selected1
 graduating from the deepest to the     

lightest shade1 which are kept ready for
 use4 ,this art was in request at       
,milan2 where1 on account of the        
vicinity of ,alpine countries abounding 
in every species of hard stone1 it      
arrived at great perfection4 ,francesco 
,i4 meditating the erection of the      
magnificent chapel for the sepulture of 
the royal family1 in the church of ,s4  
,lorenzo1 and the ornamenting it with   
urns and altars wrought in hard stone1  
invited ,giovanni ,bianchi from that    
city to his court1 in the year #aehj1   
and committed the works in mosaic to his
 direction4 ,soon after ,ferdinando     
ascended the throne1 and the new art    
gained ground under him2 it was promoted
 by ,constantino de' ,servi1 and        
afterwards by other artists1 who        
progressively improved it4 ,the tables1 
cabinets1 and coffers1 small landscapes1
 and architectural pieces which were    
there executed1 and sent as presents to 
princes1 are dispersed over ,europe4 ,in
 one cabinet of the ducal gallery there 

is an exquisite octagonal table1 the    
round central piece of which was        
designed by ,poccetti1 and the          
ornamental border by ,ligozzi4 ,jacopo  
,autelli executed the work1 on which1   
with numerous assistants1 he was        
employed for sixteen years1 and finished
 it in #afdi4 ,in the cabinet of cameos 
and engraved gems1 there are figures in 
mezzo-relievo1 and entire little statues
 in hard stone1 fabricated by the same  
company of artists2 not to mention what 
is in the ,pitti palace and the church  
of ,s4 ,lorenzo4 ,a similar company     
still exists1 under the direction of the
 ,signori ,siries1 and abounding in     
subordinate artists1 which is supported 
with royal magnificence by the prince1  
for whom it is constantly employed4     
,footnote #bab3 ,the new style began in 
the reign of ,francesco ,i41 who was    
greatly skilled in design1 which he had 
learnt of ,buontalenti4 ,he was         
succeeded by ,ferdinando ,i41 ,cosmo    
,,ii41 ,ferdinando ,,ii41 all of them   

celebrated for their magnificent works  
in ornamenting the city and the palace3 
,cardinals ,gio4 ,carlo and ,leopoldo   
de' ,medici also flourished there1 both 
of them patrons of the arts2 and the    
latter is recorded in history for his   
knowledge of them1 and the splendid     
collection which he formed4 ,we may add 
to these ,prince ,mattia1 and others of 
that family4  ,footnote #bac3 ,he was   
born in #afbd1 and died in #afib1       
leaving materials for the completion of 
the work1 which were afterwards arranged
 by ,saverio1 his son1 a gentleman of   
the law1 who put the finishing hand to  
the whole4 ,piacenza4 ,ristretto della  
,vita di ,filippo ,baldinucci1 p4 xvi4  
,footnote #bad3 ,in this branch of the  
art1 indeed1 he was not so greatly      
skilled2 and the ,cav4 ,titi1 after     
commending his ,assumption1 which is    
exhibited in the entablature of the     
cathedral at ,leghorn1 adds1 that not   
having been conducted according to the  
rules of foreshortening1 some exceptions

 may be made to it4  ,footnote #bae3    
,there is a ,visitation by this artist1 
and inscribed with his name1 in the     
church of ,s4 ,anthony of ,pisa1 which  
he executed in a weak style in #afjf4   
,footnote #baf3 ,in the great saloon he 
has poetically represented the          
protection afforded to literature by    
,lorenzo de' ,medici4 ,with some        
licences peculiar to that age1 and usual
 with him1 the composition and the      
figures are very beautiful2 and there is
 an imitation of basso-relievo in his   
painting1 that would deceive the most   
skilful1 and tempt them to believe it   
absolutely raised from the wall4 ,this  
work1 left imperfect by him1 was        
completed by ,pagani1 by ,montelatici1  
and by ,furini1 with some semicircular  
pieces4  ,footnote #bag3 ,this is       
expressed by the ,italians by il        
possesso del sotto in su4 ,tr4          
,footnote #bah3 ,see tom4 ii4 of ,signor
 ,giachi1 p4 #bjb4  ,footnote #bai3 ,the
 ,ragged ,cloak recovered4  ,footnote   

#bbj3 ,it was published with notes by   
,dr4 ,paolo ,minucci1 and was reprinted 
with other illustrations of ,sig4       
,antonio ,biscioni4  ,footnote #bba3    
,passeri1 a great admirer of his tints1 
pronounces him a master of invention2   
and1 treating of his engravings1 says1  
such vigour of conception1 such novelty1
 and such variety1 were never the gift  
of any other artist4 ,he is a poet in   
all his historic pieces1 his composition
 is full of fancy2 this1 however1 is not
 equally commended by all1 who look for 
the simple action without other         
accessaries4  ,footnote #bbb3 ,the      
,bully4  ,footnote #bbc3 ,botti is      
pronounced a famous fresco painter by   
,magalotti1 in ,lett4 ,pitt4 tom4 v4 p4 
#bbi4 ,there are various mechanical     
works of ,lorenzo4 ,he painted the whole
 ceiling of the church of the           
,domenicans at ,fiesole1 which was      
considered by ,conca among the          
respectable productions of his age4     
,footnote #bbd3 ,the ,trumpet4          

,footnote #bbe3 ,the ,swarthy4          
,footnote #bbf3 ,lett4 ,pitt4 tom4 i4 p4
 #cjh4  ,footnote #bbg3 ,the ,ab4       
,conca1 tom4 ii4 p4 #ec1 writes of this 
artist1 that with this and similar works
 he acquired so much reputation in      
,madrid1 that the name of a principal   
street in which he lived was borrowed   
from his2 from the time of ,philip ,,ii4
 it has been called ,jacome ,trezzo4    
,footnote #bbh3 ,tom4 viii4 p4 #aef4    
,,florentine ,,school4     ,,epoch ,v4  
,pietro da ,cortona and his followers4  
,after the middle of the seventeenth    
century1 the ,florentine school1 and    
also that of ,rome1 underwent a         
remarkable revolution1 occasioned by the
 vast number of the followers of ,pietro
 da ,cortona4 ,sects in painting have   
the same fate as sects in philosophy3   
one succeeds another2 and the new       
principles are propagated more or less  
rapidly1 according to the degree of     
opposition they have to encounter where 
they happen to be diffused4 ,the manner 

of ,cortona met with considerable       
opposition in ,rome1 as we shall find in
 the proper place4 ,he was invited to   
,florence by ,ferdinand ,,ii4 about the 
year #afdj1 to ornament some of the     
apartments of the ,pitti palace2 and    
this work1 in which he spent several    
years1 has appeared to connoisseurs the 
most beautiful he ever performed4 ,he   
was directed in this work by            
,michelangiolo ,bonarruoti the younger1 
a literary man of great judgment2 and   
,cortona appears also to display        
learning in the execution4 ,in one      
apartment he painted the four ages of   
the world1 which the poets of all       
nations have described in imitation of  
,hesiod2 five other chambers were       
dedicated to five fabulous deities1 from
 whom they were named the chamber of    
,minerva1 of ,apollo1 of ,mars1 of      
,jupiter1 and of ,mercury4 ,he united   
the mythology of each with history4     
,thus1 for instance1 in the chamber of  
,apollo1 he represents this patron of   

the fine arts on the ceiling in the act 
of receiving the young ,hercules1 who is
 introduced by ,minerva1 that he may be 
instructed2 and on the walls he painted 
,alexander reading the works of ,homer1 
,augustus listening to ,virgil1 and     
other similar stories1 which are fully  
described by ,passeri in his ,life of   
,cortona4 ,the great work was finished  
by ,ciro ,ferri2 for after ,cortona had 
begun the chamber of ,mercury1 on some  
disgust1 which is variously related1 he 
secretly withdrew from court1 returned  
to ,rome1 and always declined when      
repeatedly invited to revisit ,florence4
 ,there1 however1 he had laid the       
foundations of a new school4 ,baldinucci
 remarks on the style of ,pietro1 that  
it was no sooner seen at ,florence1 than
 praised by the best judges4#bbi ,the   
predilection of ,cosmo ,,iii4           
contributed to bring it into credit2    
this prince pensioned ,ciro ,ferri in   
,rome1 that he might instruct the       
,tuscans who came there to study4 ,at   

that time there was no artist of that   
country who did not1 more or less1      
imitate this style4 ,we shall now       
describe it1 and trace it to its origin4
  ,pietro ,berrettini1 a native of      
,cortona1 the scholar of ,comodi in     
,tuscany1 and of ,ciarpi at ,rome1 is   
mentioned also among the writers on the 
art4#bcj ,he acquired his knowledge of  
design by copying antique               
basso-relievos1 and the chiaroscuros of 
,polidoro1 a man who appears inspired by
 the soul of an ancient4 ,pietro chose  
,trajan's column as his favourite study2
 and from it he may have drawn his heavy
 proportions1 and the appearance of     
strength and robustness1 that           
characterize even his female forms and  
his children3 in their eyes1 noses1 and 
lips1 he surpasses the medium standard2 
and their hands and feet are certainly  
not remarkable for their light elegance4
 ,but in contrast1 or the art of        
opposing group to group1 figure to      
figure1 and part to part1 in which he   

was distinguished1 he appears to have   
followed ,lanfranco1 and partly to have 
formed it from the ,bacchanalian vases1 
which are particularly mentioned in his 
life by ,passeri4 ,his taste may        
probably have been drawn1 in some       
measure1 from the ,venetian school2     
since having gone to study there1 and   
then returned to ,rome1 he destroyed    
what he had previously done1 and        
executed his works anew in the          
,barberini palace1 according to the     
account of ,boschini1 his great admirer4
 ,generally speaking1 he finishes       
nothing highly but what was intended to 
be most conspicuous2 he avoids strong   
shadows1 is fond of middle tints1       
prefers the less brilliant grounds1     
colours without affectation1 and is     
reckoned the inventor and chief artist  
of a style1 which1 in the opinion of    
,mengs1 combines facility with taste4   
,he employed it in pictures of all sizes
 with applause2 but in painting of      
furniture1 and still more on ceilings1  

in cupolas1 and recesses1 he carried it 
to a pitch of beauty which will never   
fail to procure him panegyrists and     
imitators4 ,the judicious division of   
his historical compositions1 which      
derives aid from the architecture1 that 
skilful gradation by which he represents
 the immensity of aerial space beyond   
the clouds1 his knowledge in the art of 
foreshortening what is seen from below1 
that play of light seemingly celestial1 
that symmetrical disposition of his     
figures1 are circumstances which enchant
 the eye and fascinate the soul4  ,it is
 true that this manner does not always  
satisfy the mind2 for intent on         
gratifying the eye1 it introduces       
useless figures1 in order that the      
composition may not be deficient in the 
usual fulness2 and for the sake of      
contrast1 figures in the performance of 
the gentlest actions1 are painted as if 
the artist was representing them in a   
tournament or a battle4 ,gifted by      
nature with facility of genius1 and no  

less judgment1 ,berrettini either       
avoided this extravagance1 as in his    
stupendous ,conversion of ,s4 ,paul1 or 
did not carry it to that absurdity1     
which in our times has marked his       
followers1 from the usual tendency of   
all schools to overcharge the           
characteristic of their master4 ,hence  
the facility of this style has          
degenerated into negligence and its     
taste into affectation2 until its chief 
adherents begin as at present to abandon
 it1 and to adopt a superior manner4    
,but not to wander from the ,florentine 
school1 we must confess that this epoch 
has been the least productive of eminent
 painters4 ,pietro had some pupils at   
that place1 who did him equal honour    
with the ,romanelli and the ,ferri at   
,rome4 ,i shall first mention a         
foreigner1 who having established       
himself at ,florence1 may be reckoned of
 that school4 ,livio ,mehus1 a native of
 ,flanders1 came into ,tuscany from     
,milan1 where he had received some      

instruction in the art from another     
,fleming1 named ,charles1 was taken     
under the protection of ,prince         
,matthias1 and recommended to           
,berrettini1 who gave him lessons for a 
little time both in ,florence and at    
,rome4 ,by copying the antique he became
 a good designer1 and he studied        
colouring at ,venice and in ,lombardy4  
,he retained little of the manner of    
,cortona besides the composition4 ,he   
imitated the ,venetians less in         
colouring1 than in the light and firm   
touches of his pencil4 ,his tints are   
modest1 his attitudes lively1 his       
shadows most beautiful1 and his         
inventions ingenious4 ,he painted few   
altar pieces1 but many cabinet pictures1
 for he was pensioned by the prince1 and
 employed by noble families1 in whose   
houses his works are often to be met    
with4 ,the historical picture of the    
,repose of ,bacchus and ,ariadne1 which 
he painted for ,marquis ,gerini1 in     
emulation of ,ciro ,ferri1 is very      

highly praised4 ,ferri conceived some   
jealousy of him1 when he painted the    
cupola of the ,pace at ,florence2 where 
he appears to approach the ,lombard     
school1 and even to surpass             
,cortona4#bca ,he was imitated by a     
,lorenzo ,rossi1 previously a scholar of
 ,pier ,dandini1 who1 according to ,p4  
,orlandi1 executed some elegant small   
pictures4  ,vincenzio ,dandini went from
 the school of his brother ,cesare into 
that of ,cortona1 or rather into the    
,roman school1 where he copied1 as well 
as he could1 with unwearied assiduity1  
the finest specimens in painting1       
sculpture1 and architecture4 ,on this   
foundation1 aided by practice in        
anatomy1 at the academy for the naked   
figure1 which still flourished at       
,florence1 he became superior to his    
brother in design and in softness of    
colouring3 he also finished more highly 
than ,cesare1 was more studious in his  
drapery1 and in the other branches of   
the art4 ,in ,all ,saints there is a    

,conception of the ,virgin1 and three   
other pictures by his hand4 ,he was     
employed in the ducal villas3 in that of
 ,poggio ,imperiale he painted a        
beautifully foreshortened figure of     
,aurora1 attended by the ,hours1 in a   
recess he had erected2 and at ,petraia  
painted in oil the ,sacrifice of ,niobe4
 ,in him the pupil of ,cortona is very  
manifest4 ,a similar style1 but         
degenerated both in execution and in    
manner1 is discoverable in ,pietro1 his 
son and scholar4 ,this artist was       
superior to all the other ,dandini2 and 
by more extensive travels he obtained a 
greater knowledge of foreign painters3  
it would have been well if he had not   
attempted to surpass them also in his   
emoluments4 ,from avarice he undertook  
too many works1 and contented himself   
with a certain mediocrity in study2 for 
which he1 in some measure compensated by
 a freedom of pencil that is always     
admirable4 ,where well paid1 he         
demonstrated his abilities2 as in the   

cupola of ,s4 ,mary ,magdalen2 in       
several frescos in the ducal palace at  
,florence1 in the royal villas1 and in  
the copious historical picture of the   
taking of ,jerusalem1 which he painted  
in the public palace at ,pisa4 ,he also 
painted some altar-pieces worthy of     
himself2 as the ,s4 ,francis in ,s4     
,maria ,maggiore or the ,beato          
,piccolomini in the attitude of saying  
mass1 in possession of the ,servi2 a    
beautiful picture1 full of spirited     
attitudes4 ,his son1 ,ottaviano1 appears
 his follower in some semicircular      
pictures in the cloister of ,s4         
,spirito1 in a piece representing       
various saints in the church of ,s4     
,lorenzo2 and wherever he was employed4 
,one of his grandest works may be seen  
in ,s4 ,mary ,magdalen at ,pescia1 the  
ceiling of which he painted in fresco4  
,the ,dandini family had many scholars1 
who1 with their descendants1 have kept  
alive the school of ,cortona1 even to   
our own days4 ,this school was not      

eminent2 it requires but little         
examination1 or prolixity of            
description4 ,it has produced some good 
artists2 but few of them are above      
mediocrity2 a fault less to be          
attributed to their genius1 than the    
times4 ,the more modern style was       
esteemed the best3 the last master      
seemed to discover new maxims in        
painting1 and abolished the old3 and    
thus artists of little celebrity gave   
birth to others more minute and         
mannered1 resembling their prototype in 
maxims1 but inferior in reputation4     
,about this time it became fashionable  
to paint with a certain degree of       
careless ease1 or ,sprezzatura1 as it is
 styled by some2 and ,giordano and some 
,venetians are applauded for this       
manner4 ,several ,florentine artists    
tried to imitate them1 and have produced
 works that resemble sketches3 this     
species of mannerism is not uncommon in 
other schools4 ,it is unnecessary to be 
particular1 but only to observe         

generally that such artists are as rare 
in choice collections of pictures1 as   
,andrea del ,sarto or ,cigoli3 the      
latter are there scarce1 because they   
painted with great care2 the former     
class because they painted with very    
little4 ,in the work entitled ,series of
 the most celebrated painters1 we find  
,antonio ,riccianti1 ,michele ,noferi1  
and some others whose names are merely  
mentioned as scholars of ,vincenzio2 and
 ,gabbiani is the only one particularly 
praised4 ,in like manner1 among the     
pupils of ,pietro ,dandini we find the  
names of ,gio4 ,cinqui1 whose portrait  
is in the ducal gallery1 ,antonio       
,puglieschi1 of ,florence1 who studied  
under ,ciro1 and ,valerio ,baldassari of
 ,pescia2 but there is a particular     
eulogy bestowed on ,fratinelli1 whom we 
shall notice hereafter4 ,i find also    
that ,p4 ,alberigo ,carlini1 a ,minorite
 monk of ,pescia1 was the pupil of      
,ottaviano1 and attended ,conca at      
,rome4 ,he painted some good pictures1  

chiefly in the church of his order at   
,pietrasanta4 ,to his we may also add   
the name of ,santarelli1 a patrician of 
the same country1 and who died at ,rome4
  ,the most celebrated pupil of the     
,dandini was ,anton ,domenico ,gabbiani1
 not long ago mentioned2 before he was  
the pupil of ,vincenzio1 he had lessons 
from ,subtermans1 and finished his      
education at ,rome under ,ciro ,ferri1  
and at ,venice by studying the best     
masters4 ,we must not give credit to    
,pascoli1 who has represented him as a  
mean artist4#bcb ,gabbiani ranks amongst
 the best designers of his age2 a       
collection of his drawings is in the    
possession of ,sig4 ,pacini1 which was  
often inspected and commended by ,mengs 
for the facility and elegance he there  
discovered4 ,many of his designs were   
engraved and published in his life by   
,ignatius ,hugford4 ,his colouring      
sometimes borders on the languid1 but is
 generally good3 he is correct and      
natural1 especially in fleshy tints2    

juicy1 and tempered by a pleasing       
harmony4 ,the greatest fault in the     
style of this artist is in his          
draperies1 which1 though correct1 and   
studied with his usual diligence1 always
 exhibit a degree of heaviness in the   
execution1 are too confined1 and        
sometimes are not quite true in the     
colouring4 ,his merit is very great in  
light subjects3 in the ,pitti1 and other
 palaces of some of the nobility of     
,florence1 his dances of genii and      
groups of boys are to be met with1 and  
yield little to those of ,baciccio4 ,one
 of the finest is in the house of the   
,orlandini family2 and the ,marquis of  
,riccardi has specimens among the       
mirrors placed in his collection4 ,his  
largest and most celebrated work in     
fresco is the vast cupola of ,cestello1 
which he did not wholly finish4 ,his oil
 pictures are esteemed precious even in 
the ducal gallery4 ,several of his works
 of unequal merit are preserved in      
churches2 but his ,s4 ,philip1 in       

possession of the fathers ,dell'        
,oratorio1 justifies the assertion of   
,redi1 that1 except ,maratta1 there was 
then no painter in ,rome that could     
eclipse him4#bcc ,the catalogue of his  
scholars is extensive2 but some of them1
 as happens to every master1 may be also
 claimed by other preceptors4 ,benedetto
 ,luti was an honour to ,gabbiani and to
 ,florence4 ,having formed himself in   
this school1 he went to ,rome1 in hopes 
of receiving the instructions of ,ciro  
,ferri2 but the death of that master    
intervening1 he was guided by his own   
genius1 and the monuments of art        
existing in that city4 ,the style he    
there formed may be considered a        
compound of various imitations1 select  
in the forms1 pleasing and bright in    
colouring1 shewing art in the           
distribution of light and shade1 and as 
harmonious to the eye as is the orator  
to the ear1 who enchants an audience by 
his well turned periods2 the delightful 
fascination is felt1 but the source of  

it cannot be assigned4 ,in that         
metropolis we shall find him master of  
the new style2 but in ,tuscany we cannot
 point out many of his pictures besides 
those in the ducal palace3 private      
collections are rich only in his crayon 
pieces1 which are likewise well known   
out of ,italy4 ,there is one of his     
large pictures on canvass at ,pisa1 the 
subject of which is the ,vestment of ,s4
 ,ranieri2 and it is the most admired   
among the larger paintings of the       
cathedral4 ,luti sent it to ,gabbiani   
for his correction before it was exposed
 to the public2 a circumstance highly   
honourable to the modesty of the scholar
 and the abilities of the master4#bcd   
,his portrait is in the ducal gallery2  
and the more rigid critics1 on looking  
at it1 have been known to say1 ,behold  
the last painter of his school4         
,tommaso ,redi was a pupil of the same  
master2 and is noticed in the ,lettere  
,pittoriche1 as a good composer of      
historical pictures1 and is also praised

 for design1 colouring1 and spirit4     
,from the school of ,gabbiani he went   
under the tuition of ,maratta and       
,balestra1 both artists respectable for 
their style1 and declared enemies to the
 innovations which have occupied and    
debased our schools for so long a       
period4 ,redi also visited the most     
celebrated schools1 but for the sole    
purpose of studying the old masters1 and
 of making copies of their works1 some  
of which1 with a few pieces of his own  
invention1 remain in his family4 ,in the
 eulogy of ,anton ,domenico we find     
honourable mention made of his nephew1  
,gaetano ,gabbiani2 of ,francesco       
,salvetti1 his intimate friend2 of ,gio4
 ,antonio ,pucci1 a painter and a poet2 
of ,giuseppe ,baldini1 whose promising  
career was cut short by death1 and of   
,ranieri del ,pace1 a native of ,pisa1  
who afterwards yielding to the torrent  
of fashion1 became a complete mannerist4
 ,ignatius ,hugford1 born in ,florence1 
but whose father was a native of        

,england1#bce was admirably skilled in  
recognizing the hands of different      
masters1 and likewise painted in a good 
manner a picture of ,s4 ,raphael at ,s4 
,felicita1 and some other pieces1 which 
were mostly small1 and have been        
admitted into the royal museum4 ,the    
feeble paintings in possession of the   
,vallombrosani at ,forli1 and some of   
the same stamp at ,florence1 are        
likewise by this artist4  ,alessandro   
,gherardini1 a rival of ,gabbiani1 and  
in the opinion of many1 his superior in 
genius as a painter1 had wonderful      
facility in counterfeiting different    
styles4 ,he would have equalled any of  
his contemporaries1 had he always       
painted in the style of his ,crucifixion
 of our ,lord in ,candeli1 in which he  
calls to mind a happy imitation of      
different schools4 ,it is a work studied
 in every part1 especially in the       
general tone1 which artfully expresses  
the darkness of that hour4 ,a history   
piece of ,alexander the ,great1 in ,casa

 ,orlandini1 with figures of            
half-length1 and executed with great    
industry1 is also held in high esteem2  
but he aimed at painting pictures of    
every degree of merit4 ,one of his      
pupils1 no less fertile in talent1 and  
named ,sebastiano ,galeotti1 is rather  
remembered than known at ,florence4 ,he 
left his native place when young1       
travelled about a long time without any 
fixed residence1 and has left specimens 
behind him in many parts of ,upper      
,italy4 ,he at length settled at ,genoa1
 where we shall again notice him4 ,the  
ducal gallery contains portraits both of
 the master and of the scholar1 by the  
side of those of ,gabbiani and ,redi4   
,other considerable painters of this    
epoch have obtained a similar honour2   
among whom we may mention ,agostino     
,veracini1 a scholar of ,sebastian      
,ricci1 ,francesco ,conti1 a disciple of
 ,maratta1 and ,lapi1 a follower of     
,giordano2 each of these has            
successfully imitated his guide4#bcf    

,the ,s4 ,apollonia of the first1       
painted for the church of that name2    
various ,madonnas of the second1 in the 
hands of private gentlemen2 and the     
,transfiguration of the last1 in the    
ducal gallery1 are calculated to do them
 honour1 and even to shed a lustre on   
some of their less refined productions4 
,some others now dead have been equally 
honoured by a portrait1 of whom ,i have 
not discovered any other work4 ,of this 
number are ,vincenzio ,bacherelli1 ,gio4
 ,francesco ,bagnoli1 ,anton ,sebastiano
 ,bettini1 ,gio4 ,casini1 ,niccolo      
,nannetti1 and others1 who are mentioned
 in the ,museo ,fiorentino4  ,giovanni  
,camillo ,sagrestani1 a scholar of      
,giusti1 was esteemed at ,florence1 even
 during the lifetime of ,gabbiani and   
,gherardini4 ,to study different        
masters1 he visited the best schools of 
,italy1 and for some time attended the  
school of ,cav4 ,cignani1 whose manner  
he copied rather than emulated4 ,one of 
his ,holy ,families is in the ,madonna  

de' ,ricci1 the beauty of which has more
 of an ideal cast1 and the colouring is 
more florid1 than is usual with his     
contemporaries of this school4 ,one of  
the first judges in ,florence assured me
 that this painting was the work of     
,sagrestani1 although others ascribe it 
to his scholar1 ,matteo ,bonechi4       
,bonechi had excellent parts1 but not an
 equal knowledge of the art1 in which he
 is reported to have been instructed by 
a species of dictation2 for he practised
 under the eye1 and was directed by the 
voice of his master4 ,he thus became one
 of those practical artists who make up 
for the poverty of their design by their
 spirit and their colouring4 ,there are 
some of his pictures that in any        
collection would be particularly        
calculated to attract the eye4 ,among   
his works in fresco1 the picture at     
,cestello1 where he finished what was   
begun by ,gabbiani1 is worthy of record2
 and also that in the ,capponi palace   
near the ,nunziata1 where he continued  

the work of ,marinari4  ,about this time
 ,cignani died in ,bologna1 and ,gio4   
,gioseffo del ,sole1 denominated the    
modern ,guido1 enjoyed the highest      
reputation4 ,florence employed three of 
his eminent pupils2 one of the two      
,soderini1 ,meucci1 and ,ferretti1 who  
although called da ,imola1 was born and 
lived in ,florence4 ,mauro ,soderini    
enjoyed the reputation of a good        
designer1 and aimed at beauty and effect
 in his pictures4 ,the ,death of ,s4    
,joseph in the cathedral is said to be  
by his hand1 though it is in fact by    
,ferretti2 the ,child revived by ,s4    
,zanobi1 in the church of ,s4 ,stephen1 
is really his4 ,vincenzio ,meucci was   
chiefly employed in works of            
perspective1 which he executed in many  
parts of ,tuscany1 and even in the      
cupola of the royal chapel in ,s4       
,lorenzo4 ,if there was any one who     
could dispute with him pre-eminence in  
fresco painting1 it was his fellow      
disciple1 ,giovanni ,domenico ,ferretti1

 whose works may be seen in ,florence1  
in several other parts of ,tuscany1 and 
at ,bologna2 from which he appears to   
have surpassed ,meucci in fancy and in  
spirit1 and especially at the           
,philippini at ,pistoia1 where his      
performance in the cupola is highly     
praised4 ,in fresco works they were both
 excellent2 but in oil paintings they   
often were too hasty1 an error into     
which all fresco painters1 not excepting
 the most esteemed1 have fallen4 ,hence 
,ferretti1 although he painted the      
,martyrdom of ,s4 ,bartolommeo1 for the 
church dedicated to that saint at ,pisa1
 in an excellent style1 did not give    
equal satisfaction by his ,history of   
,s4 ,guido1 in the archiepiscopal       
church4 ,several of the works of ,meucci
 are dispersed through the various      
churches in ,florence2 and in a chapel  
of the ,nunziata1 where he painted the  
recess1 he coloured a ,madonna1 which is
 allowed to be one of his most diligent 
and best finished pictures4 ,he was     

there rivalled by ,giuseppe ,grisoni1 a 
scholar of ,redi2 and it is reported    
that vexation at this circumstance      
shortened his days4 ,grisoni had        
travelled more than he in visiting the  
schools of ,italy1 had even gone to     
,england1 and had acquired great skill  
in figures1 and still more in landscape4
 ,he therefore was induced to add       
landscape not only to historical1 but   
also to portrait painting2 as in the    
instance of a portrait of himself that  
is one of the most respectable in the   
second chamber of painters4 ,he added it
 also to the ,s4 ,barbara1 painted in   
competition with ,meucci2 and it is a   
picture which does honour to the school 
in form1 relief1 and taste of colouring4
 ,he likewise painted other pieces on   
the same plan1 in which1 however1 he did
 not succeed so well4  ,meucci and      
,grisoni cannot be reckoned ,italian    
artists of the same rank with ,luti2 but
 if all are to be estimated by the times
 in which they flourished1 each was     

eminent in his day4 ,i had noticed them 
briefly in my first edition1 and some   
painters have informed me1 that with    
them ,i ought to have mentioned         
,giuseppe ,zocchi1 who was a painter of 
note1 and should not have been omitted  
even in a compendium of the history of  
the art4 ,i now correct my error1 and   
produce what information the noble      
family of ,gerini1 under whose          
protection he was received when a boy1  
and who1 after his elementary studies at
 ,florence1 sent him to ,rome1 to       
,bologna1 and other parts of ,lombardy1 
for his instruction in the different    
schools1 have supplied me4 ,i may be    
allowed to add1 that the ,florentine    
nobility have always been most liberal  
in this way2 and there are not a few    
living artists who owe their education  
in the fine arts to the bounty of some  
noble family3 such clients are an       
ornament to a nobleman1 and are not to  
be numbered among his servants4 ,zocchi 
had a genius fertile in invention1      

pliant in imitation1 and judicious in   
selection2 and hence at the conclusion  
of such a course of study1 he was able  
to compose large works with skill1 and  
to colour beautifully4 ,he painted four 
pretty large frescos in the villa       
,serristori1 beyond the gate of ,s4     
,nicholas1 some apartments in the       
,rinuccini palace1 and one in the       
,gerini gallery2 and these are believed 
to be his best works of this sort4 ,in  
smaller pieces he was still greater2 as 
in his oil picture of the festivities at
 ,siena1 on the arrival of the ,emperor 
,francis ,i41 a work very true in the   
perspective1 and graceful in the        
multitude of figures which he there     
inserted4 ,it is deposited in the       
splendid ,sansedonii collection of      
pictures at ,siena1 where the           
entertainment given to the ,grand ,duke 
,peter ,leopold may also be seen3 with  
this object in view the painter went to 
,siena1 where he caught the epidemic    
disorder that raged there in #agfg1 and 

soon after died at ,florence4  ,on      
turning to the other parts of ,tuscany1 
we find them from the beginning of the  
eighteenth century full of the followers
 of ,cortona2 ,san ,sepolcro boasted one
 ,zei1 of whom ,i find no further       
account than that of his painting an    
altar-piece representing the souls in   
purgatory1 for the cathedral of that    
place1 a work extremely well coloured1  
and conducted in the maxims of the      
school1 though the countenances are of a
 common cast2 and if we except the      
liberating angel1 of poor expression4   
,among this sect we cannot include ,gio4
 ,batista ,mercati1 one of the latest   
painters of that city1 not unknown at   
,rome1 and much noted in his native     
place1 where he painted either at a more
 mature time of life1 or with greater   
pains4 ,two of his historical frescos1  
representing our ,lady1 are in ,s4      
,chiara2 and at ,s4 ,lorenzo there is a 
picture of the titular with other       
saints2 in both there is an air         

apparently drawn from the school of the 
,caracci1 especially in the breadth of  
the drapery1 which is well cast1 and    
skilfully varied4 ,in the ,guides to    
,venice and to ,rome1 several of his    
works are mentioned1 and in that of     
,leghorn1 the only picture in the       
cathedral esteemed worthy of notice is  
that of the ,five ,saints1 painted by   
,mercati with great care4 ,orlandi      
notices ,tommaso ,lancisi1 a scholar of 
,scaminossi1 and two of his brothers1   
and adds1 that painting was an          
hereditary honour in this family4  ,one 
only of the countrymen of ,berrettini is
 known to me as his follower2 his name  
is ,adriano ,palladino2 he is mentioned 
by ,orlandi1 which is the only trace of 
him that ,i have discovered2 ,i never   
saw any of his works1 nor heard them    
mentioned by any one4  ,arezzo abounds  
with pictures in the manner of ,cortona4
 ,salvi ,castellucci1 the scholar of    
,pietro1 either at ,florence or at      
,rome1 was a great imitator of his      

style1 and painted with expedition1     
according to the practice of the school4
 ,he executed many good pieces in the   
cathedral1 and other churches1 besides  
numerous cabinet pictures that are in   
private houses1 which are estimable for 
the facility and good taste of their    
colouring4 ,one of his frescos1         
representing our ,lady surrounded by the
 patron saints of the city1 is in the   
public palace2 but he is greater in oil 
painting4 ,he had a son1 on whom he     
bestowed the name of ,pietro1 probably  
in honour of his master4 ,he also was a 
follower of ,cortona1 but never equalled
 his father4  ,pistoia1 however1 had two
 ,gimignani1 the father ,giacinto1 and  
,lodovico1 his son1 of whom it is still 
disputed which was the most eminent4    
,from the school of ,poussin1 ,giacinto 
entered that of ,berrettini2 and as he  
approached nearer his first master in   
design and composition1 so in colouring 
and in taste for architecture he came   
nearest to the second4 ,he moreover took

 the lead in works of fresco4 ,here he  
rivalled ,camassei and ,maratta1 at the 
baptistery of ,s4 ,gio4 ,laterano1 where
 he painted the histories of            
,constantine1 besides leaving other     
specimens in different parts of ,rome1  
in the ,niccolini palace at ,florence1  
and other places4 ,in some pictures he  
also emulated ,guercino1 as for instance
 in the ,leander in the ducal gallery1  
which was long considered as a          
,guercino4 ,though ,lodovico was the    
scholar of ,giacinto1 he is not so      
correct in design1 but was superior to  
his father in all the faculties that    
excite pleasing emotions2 his ideas are 
more beautiful1 his tints more lovely1  
his attitudes more spirited1 and his    
harmony more agreeable4 ,it would appear
 either that the style of his maternal  
uncle ,orbetto1 had attracted his       
attention1 or that ,bernini1 the        
director of his studies1 had led him    
into this path4 ,he obtained great      
applause for his works in fresco1 and   

those he executed at ,rome in the church
 of the ,virgins are studied by artists 
for the attitudes1 the clouds1 and the  
grace of the wings with which his angels
 were furnished4 ,he chiefly resided at 
,rome1 which possesses several of his   
paintings for churches1 and a far       
greater number for halls and private    
rooms2 being moreover much employed in  
these for foreign countries4 ,two       
histories of ,s4 ,john by the hand of   
,giacinto1 are in the church dedicated  
to that saint at ,pistoia2 and there was
 also a ,s4 ,rocco in the cathedral1    
which was esteemed excellent4 ,lodovico 
executed a beautiful picture for the    
church of the ,capuchins1 now converted 
into a parish church4  ,after the death 
of both1 ,lazzaro ,baldi still remained1
 another great ornament of the school of
 ,cortona1 and of ,pistoia1 his native  
place4 ,he may be there recognised in   
two pictures1 the ,annunciation in the  
church of ,s4 ,francis1 and the ,repose 
in ,egypt in that of the ,madonna della 

,umilta4 ,this latter place is a most   
majestic octagonal temple1 executed by  
,ventura ,vitoni of ,pistoia1 the great 
pupil of ,bramante1 and surmounted by a 
cupola1 which is reckoned among the     
noblest in ,italy4 ,baldi finally       
established his abode in ,rome2 where he
 was much employed1 as well as in other 
parts of the states of the ,church4 ,one
 of the most studied pictures he ever   
painted is at ,s4 ,camerino1 and        
represents ,s4 ,peter receiving the     
pontifical power4 ,a still more recent  
artist is ,gio4 ,domenico ,piastrini1 a 
scholar of ,luti1 who in the porch of   
,madonna della ,umilta1 filled two large
 spaces with pictures1 illustrative of  
the history of this church1 and who     
rivalled the best followers of ,maratta1
 in ,s4 ,maria in ,via ,lata1 at ,rome4 
,it is not foreign to this period to    
notice ,gio4 ,batista ,cipriani1 who was
 born in ,florence1 but descended from a
 family of ,pistoia2#bcg especially as  
he left specimens of his pencil in the  

neighbourhood of the places we have just
 mentioned4 ,two of his altar-pieces    
were in the abbey of ,s4                
,michael-on-the-,sea2 one of ,s4        
,thesaurus1 the other of ,s4 ,gregory   
,,vii4 which are valuable1 as ,cipriani 
painted but little4 ,his excellence lay 
in design1 which he acquired from the   
collection of the studies of ,gabbiani1 
before mentioned4 ,having afterwards    
gone to ,london1 he was much employed by
 the celebrated ,bartolozzi1 who has    
immortalized the painter by engraving   
his inventions4 ,we might augment our   
catalogue with the two ,giusti and      
,michele ,paoli1 a ,pistoian of the     
school of ,crespi2 but they did not     
attain maturity1 if we depend on the    
information afforded by the continuator 
of ,felsina ,pittrice4#bch  ,of those   
within the ,florentine territory1 the   
,pisans1 and of those beyond it1 the    
artists of ,lucca1 yet remain to be     
considered4 ,camillo ,gabrieli1 a       
scholar of ,ciro1 was the first who     

transplanted the style of ,cortona into 
,pisa2 and in this manner executed a    
good oil painting at the convent of the 
,carmelites1 and also several for       
private individuals2 in this kind of    
painting he was more happy than in      
fresco4 ,in this line1 however1 his     
memory is honoured in his native place1 
both for his works in the grand saloon  
of the ,alliata palace1 and in the      
apartments of other noblemen's houses2  
and likewise on account of his pupils1  
the two ,melani1 who have contributed   
much to his reputation4 ,we shall notice
 ,francesco among the professors of     
architectural design3 ,giuseppe his     
brother1 and a knight of the golden     
spur1 became no common artist in        
figures1 and was worthy of painting in  
the cathedral a large oil picture of the
 death of ,s4 ,ranieri4 ,although this  
piece ranks in the scale of mediocrity  
in this sanctuary of the arts1 it does  
honour to its author2 the invention is  
good1 the perspective is regular1 and   

exhibits no marks of carelessness1 as is
 so often the case4 ,but his place is   
among the painters in fresco2 in which  
department he ornamented with figures   
the architectural works of his brother2 
and has shewn himself tenacious of the  
manner of ,cortona1 both in what is     
commendable in it1 as the perspective1  
colouring1 and harmony2 and also where  
it is less praiseworthy1 as in the      
heaviness and imperfect finish of the   
figures4  ,with a similar instance we   
shall commence the series of artists of 
,lucca3 the two brothers1 ,ippolito and 
,giovanni ,marracci1 obtained equal     
applause in very different branches of  
the art2 the former was a painter of    
architecture1 the latter of figures2 and
 of him only we shall here speak4       
,although little known beyond ,lucca1 he
 is reckoned among the eminent scholars 
and most successful imitators of ,pietro
 da ,cortona2 and merits this name1     
either when he painted in fresco1 as in 
the cupola of ,s4 ,ignatius1 at ,s4     

,giovanni2 or when he wrought in oil1 as
 he did in several pictures in the      
possession of the brotherhood of ,s4    
,lorenzo1 in the collegiate church of   
,s4 ,michael1 and in other places4 ,with
 equal success two other artists1       
natives of ,lucca1 who had been educated
 in his school1 became imitators1 for a 
period1 of ,pier ,cortona4 ,these were  
,giovanni ,coli and ,filippo ,gherardi1 
who were trained in the school of their 
native place1 and resembled each other  
no less in style than in disposition2 so
 that though they usually painted in the
 same piece1 all their joint labours    
appear the work of a single artist4     
,they afterwards adopted a manner that  
participates of the ,venetian and       
,lombard schools2 and in this style they
 painted the vast ceiling of the library
 of ,s4 ,giorgio ,maggiore at ,venice4  
,rome possesses some of their stupendous
 works in the church of the ,lucchesi1  
and in the magnificent ,colonna gallery4
 ,the most celebrated picture with which

 they ornamented their native place was 
the fresco of the tribune of the church 
of ,s4 ,martin1 and next to it that in  
,s4 ,matthew's1 which they decorated    
with three oil pictures4 ,after the     
death of ,coli1 his companion resided   
and continued to paint in ,lucca3 the   
whole cloister of the ,carmelite        
monastery was painted by him alone4     
,the manner of ,cortona was likewise    
adhered to by ,gio4 ,batista ,brugieri1 
a scholar of ,baldi and of ,maratta1 who
 was in his day highly applauded for his
 works in the chapel of the ,sacrament1 
at the ,servi1 and his other productions
 in public4 ,p4 ,stefano ,cassiani1 from
 the fraternity to which he belonged1   
surnamed ,il ,certosino1 or the         
,carthusian1 painted in fresco the      
cupola of his church1 and two large     
histories of our ,lady1 besides other   
reputable works in the style of         
,cortona1 at the ,certosa of ,pisa1 of  
,siena1 and elsewhere4 ,girolamo        
,scaglia1 a disciple of ,paulini and of 

,gio4 ,marracci1 is surnamed            
,parmegianino4 ,in architecture he      
imitated ,berrettini1 as is remarked by 
,sig4 da ,morrona2#bci in his shadows he
 followed ,paulini1 and sometimes       
approached ,ricchi3 as a painter his    
effect was superior to his design2 or as
 it was observed by the ,cav4 ,titi1 7p4
 #adf7 on beholding his picture of the  
,presentation1 painted at ,pisa1 it     
exhibits extreme industry and very      
little taste4 ,gio4 ,domenico ,campiglia
 was reckoned among the best designers  
in ,rome2 and of him the engravers of   
antiquities particularly availed        
themselves4 ,he was not without merit as
 a painter2 and in ,florence1 where he  
executed some pictures1 his portrait has
 a place among those of eminent artists4
 ,a picture painted by ,pietro          
,sigismondi1 of ,lucca1 for the great   
altar of ,s4 ,nicholas in ,arcione at   
,rome1 is honourably mentioned by ,titi3
 ,i know not whether any of his works   
remain in his native place2 and the same

 is the case with ,massei and with      
,pini1 who will be considered in another
 school4  ,i shall close this series    
with two other artists2 and had the age 
produced many like them1 ,italian       
painting would not have declined so much
 as it has done during the eighteenth   
century4 ,giovanni ,domenico ,lombardi  
lived not1 like his pupil1 ,cav4        
,batoni1 within the enlightening        
precincts of ,rome1 but in merit he was 
at least equal to ,batoni4 ,he formed   
his style on the works of ,paulini1 and 
improved it by studying the finest      
colourists at ,venice1 and also by      
paying attention to the school of       
,bologna4 ,the genius of this artist1   
his taste1 his grand and resolute tone1 
appear in several of his pictures1      
executed in his best time1 and with real
 pains4 ,such are his two pieces on the 
sides of the choir of the ,olivetani1   
which represent their founder1 ,s4      
,bernard1 administering relief to the   
citizens infected with the plague4      

,there are two others in a chapel of ,s4
 ,romano1 which are painted with a magic
 force approaching to the best manner of
 ,guercino2 and one of them1 in the     
opinion of the most rigid critics1 seems
 the work of that artist himself4 ,he   
should always have painted thus2 and    
never have prostituted his pencil to    
manufacture pieces at all prices4       
,batoni1 who will be noticed in our     
third book among the ,roman masters1    
supported better his own dignity and    
that of the art4 ,he adhered in a great 
measure to the maxims of this school1 a 
circumstance which did not altogether   
please his first master1 who on         
examining some of his early             
performances1 remarked1 that they       
required a greater covering of dirt1 for
 they appear to him too trimly neat4    
,one who has not an opportunity of      
examining his capital works1 may satisfy
 himself in ,lucca1 either in the church
 of the ,olivetine fathers1 where he    
painted the ,martyrdom of ,s4           

,bartolommeo2 or in that of ,s4         
,catharine of ,siena1 where she is      
represented receiving the mystic wounds 
of the crucifixion4  ,i shall not here  
mention many artists in the inferior    
walks of the art4 ,the example of       
,cortona influenced none in this class1 
except a few ornamental painters1 and   
some artists who accompanied their      
figures by landscapes4 ,the painters of 
landscapes1 flowers1 and the like1      
continued to follow their original      
models4 ,chiavistelli1 for instance1 has
 been followed by various artists in    
fresco of this age1 who besides         
executing figures1 have exercised1 as   
before remarked1 other branches of      
painting4 ,pure architectural and       
ornamental painting in a good taste are1
 however1 distinct arts2 and to attain  
excellence in them requires all the     
faculties of man4 ,angiol ,rossi1 of    
,florence1 applied himself to it1 as ,i 
believe1 in ,bologna2 and assiduously   
practised it at ,venice1 as we are      

informed by ,guarienti4 ,two artists of 
,lucca1 ,pietro ,scorzini and           
,bartolommeo ,santi1 received their     
education at ,bologna1 and were the     
favourite decorators of many theatres4  
,francesco ,melani1 of ,pisa1 adhered   
strongly to ,cortona4 ,as learned in    
perspective as his brother was in       
figures1 his style was so similar1 that 
no architectural painter was so well    
suited to accompany the figures of the  
other4 ,this will be allowed by all who 
view the ceiling in the church of ,s4   
,matthew at ,pisa1 which is their finest
 work1 or their paintings in ,siena1 and
 at other places1 where they were       
employed together4 ,they educated a     
pupil worthy of them1 in ,tommaso       
,tommasi1 of ,pietra ,santa1 a man of   
vast conception1 who succeeded in ,pisa 
to the commissions bestowed upon his    
masters1 and produced very pleasing     
specimens of his powers in the nave of  
the church of ,s4 ,giovanni4 ,ippolito  
,marracci1 of ,lucca1 the scholar of    

,metelli1 appears a successful rival of 
his master1 either when he painted by   
himself1 as in the ,rotonda1 at ,lucca1 
or when associated with his brother1 as 
was generally the case4 ,domenico       
,schianteschi1 a disciple of ,bibieni1  
lived in ,san ,sepolcro2 his            
perspectives in that city are to be seen
 in the houses of many of the nobility1 
and are much esteemed4  ,florence has   
boasted professed portrait painters1    
even to the present time2 among whom    
,gaetano ,piattoli is particularly      
extolled4 ,he was pupil to a ,french    
artist1 ,francesco ,riviera1 who had    
resided and died at ,leghorn1 and was   
very much prized in collections for the 
excellence of his ,conversazioni and    
,turkish ballets4 ,he is well known too1
 in other countries2 for he was employed
 to take portraits of the foreign       
nobility who visited ,florence4 ,the    
portrait of himself1 which he painted   
for the ducal gallery1 indicates the    
style of the rest4 ,an illustrious      

female artist emanated from the school  
of ,gabbiani1 although assisted in her  
studies by other masters1 and this was  
,giovanna ,fratellini1 who was not      
without invention1 and was most expert  
in portrait painting4 ,she executed in  
oil1 in crayons1 in miniature1 and in   
enamel1 various portraits of the family 
of ,cosmo ,,iii4 and of other princes1  
to paint whom she was sent by her       
sovereign to several cities of ,italy4  
,that which she painted of herself1 is  
in the ducal gallery3 in it she has     
blended the employment of the artist    
with the affection of a mother4 ,she is 
represented in the act of taking a      
likeness of ,lorenzo1 her only son and  
pupil1 who died in the flower of his    
age4 ,it is painted in crayons1 an art  
in which she may be called the ,rosalba 
of her time4 ,domenico ,tempesti1 or    
,tempestino1 is rather included among   
engravers than painters2 though he was  
instructed by ,volterrano in ,florence1 
in the latter art1 and exercised it with

 credit both in landscape and portrait4 
,he is mentioned by ,vianelli in the    
catalogue of his pictures4 ,it would    
appear that he was the same ,domenico de
 ,marchis1 called ,tempestino1 whom     
,orlandi casually notices in the article
 of ,girolamo ,odam1 whom ,domenico had 
initiated in the elements of landscape  
painting4 ,orlandi gives also a separate
 article1 under the head of ,domenico   
,tempesti1 in which his voyages through 
,europe1 and his long residence at      
,rome1 are dwelt upon4  ,many           
landscapes1 chiefly rural views1 painted
 by ,paolo ,anesi1 are dispersed through
 ,florence1 and there are also many of  
them in ,rome4 ,francesco ,zuccherelli1 
a native of ,pitigliano1 born in the    
year #agjb1 was his scholar4 ,on going  
to ,rome1 he resided there a long time1 
and first entered the school of         
,morandi1 and afterwards of ,pietro     
,nelli4 ,his first intention was to     
study figures1 but by one of those      
circumstances which discover the natural

 predilection1 he applied himself to    
painting landscape2 and pursued it in a 
manner that united strength and         
sweetness2 and has been highly extolled 
not only in ,italy1 but over all        
,europe4 ,his figures also were elegant1
 and these he was sometimes employed to 
introduce in the landscapes and         
architectural pieces of other artists4  
,his principal field in ,italy was      
,venice1 where he was settled1 until the
 celebrated ,smith made him known in    
,england1 and invited him to that       
island1 in which he remained many years1
 exercising his pencil for the court1   
and for the most considerable           
collections of pictures4 ,he enjoyed the
 particular esteem of ,count ,algarotti2
 in the possession of whose heirs are   
two landscapes by ,tesi1 with figures by
 ,zuccherelli3 of the first artist ,i   
shall again speak in the school of      
,bologna4 ,algarotti was commissioned by
 the court of ,dresden to procure the   
works of the best modern painters1 and  

suggested to ,zuccherelli subjects for  
two pictures1 in which he succeeded     
admirably1 and was employed to repeat   
them for the king of ,prussia4 ,in his  
old age he returned to ,rome1 and was   
employed there1 at ,venice and in       
,florence1 where he died in #aghh4      
,these anecdotes of ,zuccherelli ,i     
obtained along with many others from the
 ,sig4 ,avvocato ,lessi1 a gentleman    
deeply versed in the fine arts4  ,the   
name of this artist brings to a fair    
conclusion the series of ,florentine    
painters1 which has been continued for  
little less than six centuries1 in an   
uninterrupted succession of native      
artists1 without the intervention of one
 foreign master in this school1 at least
 one so eminent as to mark an era4 ,with
 the exception of the last years1 in    
which art was on the decline throughout 
,italy1 the ,florentine school1 with all
 its merit1 and that is undoubtedly very
 great1 owes its progress to native     
genius4 ,it was not unacquainted with   

foreign artists1 but from them it       
disdained to borrow2 and its masters    
never adopted any other style on which  
they did not engraft a peculiarity and  
originality of manner4  ,i might write  
much in praise of masters now           
living1#bdj but ,i propose not to enter 
on their merits1 and shall leave them   
wholly to the judgment of posterity4 ,in
 other arts ,i indulge a greater        
latitude1 but not frequently4 ,i may add
 with truth1 that during the course of  
six centuries1 the artists of ,florence 
have been fortunate in a government most
 auspicious to the fine arts4 ,the last 
princes however of the ,medicean family 
had shewn more inclination than activity
 in patronizing them2 and the reign of  
the ,emperor ,francis ,i41 though       
generally distinguished for             
enterprize1#bda was nevertheless that of
 an absent sovereign4 ,the accession of 
the ,grand ,duke ,peter ,leopold to     
supreme power in ,tuscany1 in #agfe1    
marked a new era in the history of the  

arts4 ,the palace and royal villas were 
repaired and embellished2 and amid the  
succession of undertakings that         
attracted the best artists1 painting was
 continually promoted4 ,the improvement 
of the ducal gallery was most opportune 
for it2 and afforded new commissions to 
painters1 and new specimens of the art3 
for the ,prince ordered all the inferior
 pieces to be removed from the          
collection1 and their place to be       
supplied by vast numbers of choice      
pictures4 ,fine specimens of antique    
marbles were likewise added3 to him     
,florence owes the ,niobe of            
,praxiteles1#bdb the ,apollo1 and other 
statues2 the basso-relievos1 and busts  
of the ,caesars1 which complete the     
grand series in the corridore3 the      
cabinets of the gallery were then only  
twelve in number1 and they contained a  
confused assemblage of paintings1       
statues1 bronzes1 and drawings1         
antiquities and modern productions4 ,he 
reduced this chaos to order2 he         

separated the different kinds1 assigned 
separate apartments to each1 made new   
purchases of what was before wanting1   
and increased the number of cabinets to 
twenty-one4 ,this great work1 one branch
 of which he was pleased to commit to my
 charge1#bdc was worthy of record4 ,i   
laid it before the public1 in #aghb1 in 
a memoir1 which was inserted also in the
 forty-seventh volume of the ,journal of
 ,pisa4 ,whoever compares this book with
 the ,description of the ,gallery1      
published in #agei1 by ,bianchi1 will   
clearly perceive that ,leopold was      
rather a second founder than a restorer 
of that emporium of the fine arts3 so   
different is the arrangement1 so        
remarkable are the additions to the     
building1 to its ornaments1 and to the  
articles it contains4#bdd ,i have been  
diffuse in my description of the        
antiquities which appeared to me        
deserving of more particular            
elucidation2 of the pictures ,i merely  
indicated the artist and the subject4   

,since that period1 other descriptions  
of the gallery1 by very able writers1   
have been given to the public1 in which 
my nomenclature and expositions of the  
antiquities have been adopted2 but a    
fuller and better catalogue of the      
paintings is given on the plan of that  
of the imperial cabinet of ,vienna1 and 
similar works4  ,ferdinand ,,iii4 who   
now for five years has promoted the     
welfare of ,tuscany1 succeeded no less  
to the throne of his august father1 than
 to the protection of the fine arts4    
,the new buildings already completed1 as
 the right wing of the ,pitti palace1 or
 now begun1 as the vestibule of the     
,laurentian library1 which is to be     
finished upon a design of               
,michelangiolo1 are matters foreign to  
my subject4 ,not so1 however1 are the   
additions made by the prince to the     
gallery and the academy of design4 ,to  
the first he has added a vast number of 
prints and pictures of those schools in 
which it was formerly deficient2 and the

 gallery is increased by a collection of
 ,venetian and another of ,french       
masters1 which are separately arranged  
in two cabinets4#bde ,the academy1 since
 #aghe1 had been as it were created anew
 by his father2 had obtained a new and  
magnificent edifice1 new masters1 and   
new regulations1 circumstances already  
well known over ,europe1 and here       
unnecessary to be repeated4 ,this       
institution1 which required improvement 
in some particulars1 has been at length 
completed1 and its apartments and its   
splendour augmented by the son2 seconded
 by the superintendence of those        
accomplished connoisseurs1 the ,marchese
 ,gerini1 the ,prior ,rucellai1 and the 
,senator ,alessandri4 ,to the artists in
 every branch of the fine arts which    
were before in ,florence1 he has        
recently added the engraver ,sig4       
,morghen1 an ornament to the city and   
the state4 ,the obligations of the fine 
arts to ,ferdinand ,,iii41 are          
eloquently stated by ,sig4 ,cav4        

,puccini1 a nobleman of ,pistoia1 and   
superintendant of the ducal gallery1 in 
an oration on the arts1 pronounced not  
long ago in this academy1 of which he is
 the respected secretary1 and since     
published1 accompanied by               
engravings4#bdf   ,footnote #bbi3 ,life 
of ,matteo ,rosselli1 in tom4 x4 p4 #gb4
  ,footnote #bcj3 ,tiraboschi1 ,storia  
della ,lett4 ,ital4 7tom4 viii4 p4      
#beh47 ed4 ,ven4 ,pietro ,berrettini1 in
 addition to the letters pointed out by 
,mazzucchelli 7,scritt4 ,ital4 tom4 ii4 
p4 #ibe17 wrote also along with ,p4     
,giandomenico ,ottonelli da ,fanano1 a  
,jesuit1 a ',treatise upon painting and 
sculpture1 their use and abuse2 composed
 by a painter and a theologian4' ,this  
work is become very rare4  ,footnote    
#bca3 ,lett4 ,pitt4 tom4 i4 p4 #dd4     
,footnote #bcb3 ,in the ,life of ,luti4 
,see ,lett4 ,pitt4 tom4 i4 p4 #fi4      
,footnote #bcc3 ,lett4 ,pitt4 tom4 ii4  
p4 #fi4  ,footnote #bcd3 ,see ,lett4    
,pitt4 tom4 ii4 lett4 #ce4  ,footnote   

#bce3 ,he was brother to ,henry         
,hugford1 a monk of ,vallombrosa1 to    
whom we owe1 in a great measure1 the    
progress of working in ,scagliola1 which
 was afterwards successfully practised  
in ,florence by ,lamberti ,gori1 his    
pupil2 and at this day by the ,signor   
,pietro ,stoppioni1 who receives        
numerous commissions4 ,although the     
portraits1 and in general the figures1  
of a variety of colours1 are very       
pleasing1 yet the dicromi1 or yellow    
figures upon a black ground1 attract    
most notice1 copied from ancient vases  
formerly called ,etruscan1 and these    
copies either form separate pictures1 or
 are inserted for ornament in tablets4  
,the tragic poet ,alfieri caused his    
epitaph to be inscribed on one of these 
small tables covered with scagliola     
work4 ,being found after his death1 it  
quickly spread abroad1 but was not      
inscribed on his tomb4 ,upon another of 
these he had written the epitaph of a   
great personage1 whom he wished to be   

interred near him2 and the two little   
tablets united together folded one upon 
another in the way of a dittico or small
 altar1 or of a book1 on the side of    
which was written ,alfieri liber        
novissimus4 ,in this way others write1  
on tablets of scagliola1 fine precepts  
from scripture1 a philosophy that comes 
from and leads to heaven1 intended to be
 placed in private sanctuaries1 to aid  
meditation in sight of the crucifix4    
,the silver tablets ,i have seen for the
 same purpose are more valuable1 but    
less artificial4  ,footnote #bcf3 ,in   
his larger works 7such as the           
altar-pieces at the ,missionari and at  
the ,monastero ,nuovo17 it would appear 
that ,conti aimed at approaching the    
style of ,trevisani4  ,footnote #bcg3   
,see ,saggio ,istorico della ,r4        
,galleria de ,firenze1 tom4 ii4 p4 #gb4 
,this work1 valuable for its learning   
and authenticity1 is written by ,sig4   
,giuseppe ,bencivenni 7formerly ,pelli7 
a gentleman of ,florence1 and formerly  

director of the ducal gallery1 who is   
also known by his other literary        
labours1 on the lives of the most       
eminent painters1 by the life of ,dante1
 and by the learned dissertation on     
coins1 appended to the lives of the     
followers of ,cortona4 ,he arranged the 
collection of modern coins1 that of     
engravings and of drawings1 and the     
paintings of the ducal gallery2 of      
these1 and also of the gems and medals1 
he has there left manuscript catalogues4
  ,footnote #bch3 ,see that work at p4  
#bcb4  ,footnote #bci3 ,tom iii4 p4     
#aac4  ,footnote #bdj3 ,it was necessary
 to confine myself thus in the preceding
 edition4 ,in the present we may give   
free scope to our commendation of       
,tommaso ,gherardini1 a ,florentine1 and
 pupil to ,meucci2 and who1 having      
completed his studies in the schools of 
,venice and ,bologna1 succeeded         
admirably in basso-relievo and          
chiaroscuro4 ,he decorated a large hall 
in the ,medicean gallery in fresco1 and 

painted likewise much in oil for the    
imperial gallery of ,vienna1 for ,german
 and ,english gentlemen1 and various    
countries that have ornamented their    
collections4 ,he shewed1 at least for   
his age1 no less skill in fresco        
histories1 which are seen in many       
,florentine palaces and villas4 ,the    
best of these are such as he executed in
 mature age1 or at his own suggestion2  
like his ,parnaso in ,toscana1 placed in
 the ,casa ,martelli1 one of his patrons
 from his early years2 besides others in
 the noble houses of ,ricciardi and     
,ambra4 ,he died in #agig2 the senator  
,martelli1 on the decease of the        
,archbishop his uncle1 and that of his  
father1 continued his patronage to the  
artist1 and considers him as one who has
 reflected the greatest degree of credit
 on his house4 ,the clients of that     
family1 from the time of ,donatello1    
have been numerous1 a taste for the fine
 arts being hereditary in the family4   
,the master of the academy1 ,pietro     

,pedroni1 ought not to be here omitted2 
an oil painter of merit1 whose four     
pictures1 executed subsequent to his    
studies at ,parma and ,rome1 are an     
ornament to his native place4 ,owing to 
ill health1 he produced little during   
his residence at ,florence1 which1 added
 to other disappointments1 induced him1 
always the best resource1 to travel4 ,if
 not a rare painter1 he was at least an 
able master3 profound in theory1 and    
eloquent in conveying his knowledge to  
his pupils1 of whom history will treat  
in the ensuing age4 ,their success1     
their affection and esteem for ,pedroni1
 is the best eulogy on him which ,i can 
transmit to posterity4  ,footnote #bda3 
,see ,il ,saggio ,istorico of ,sig4     
,pelli1 towards the conclusion4         
,footnote #bdb3 ,see ,le ,notizie su la 
,scoltura degli antichi e i vari suoi   
stili1 p4 #ci4 ,this short tract1       
illustrative of many marbles in the     
ducal gallery1 is inserted in the third 
volume of ,saggio di ,lingua ,etrusca4  

,it was intended as a preface to a full 
,description of the ,museum1 which was  
then in the press1 but it was suspended 
in consequence of the numerous changes  
and additions made in that place4       
,footnote #bdc3 ,it was the cabinet of  
antiquities1 not then arranged4 ,in each
 class ,i have noticed the additions of 
,leopold4 ,to the busts of the ,caesars 
,i was able to add about forty1 some of 
which had been purchased1 and others    
removed from the royal palaces and      
villas4 ,see the ,description above     
quoted1 p4 #cd4 ,the collection of heads
 of philosophers and illustrious men was
 almost all new4 ,i give an account of  
it in p4 #he4 ,the series of busts of   
the ,medicean family was completed at   
the same time1 and ,latin inscriptions  
were added1 which are to be found in    
various descriptions of the gallery1    
with some errors1 that are not to be    
attributed to me1 but to the printers2  
and this remark applies to other royal  
epitaphs1 as published in many books4   

,the cabinet of antique bronzes is      
described in p4 #ee4 ,for the collection
 of antique earthenware1 see p4 #aeg2 of
 ,greek and ,latin inscriptions on      
stones1 see p4 #ha4 ,for the ,hetruscan 
and carved cinerary urns1 see p4 #df4   
,this cabinet ,i also endeavoured to    
illustrate in ,saggio di ,lingua        
,etrusca1 c4 published at ,rome1 in     
#aghi4 ,for the cabinet of antique      
medals1 arranged by the celebrated ,sig4
 ,ab4 ,eckell1 see p4 #aja2 the others1 
arranged by ,sig4 ,pelli1 are mentioned 
a little before4  ,footnote #bdd3 ,after
 the departure of the prince1 his bust  
in marble was erected1 and beneath it   
the following inscription1 of which he  
was pleased to approve3    ,,petrvs4    
,,leopoldvs4 ,,francisci4 ,,avg4 ,f4    
,,avstriacvs4 ,m4 ,d4 ,e4    ,,ad4      
,,vrbis4 ,,svae4 ,,decvs4 ,,et4 ,,ad4   
,,incrementvm4 ,,artivm4 ,,optimarvm    
,,mvsevm4 ,,medicevm    ,,operibvs4     
,,ampliatis4 ,,copisqve4 ,,avctis       
,,ordinandvm4 ,,et4 ,,splendidiore4     

,,cvltv4 ,,exornandvm4 ,,cvravit        
,,anno4 ,m4,,dcc4,,lxxxix4   ,footnote  
#bde3 ,he employed in this work the     
highly esteemed ,sig4 ,cav4 ,puccini1   
from whom ,i understand1 that almost a  
third of the pictures now in the gallery
 were placed there by the munificence of
 ,ferdinand4 ,sig4 ,puccini has arranged
 them in a manner so symmetrical and    
instructive as to form a model for all  
other collections4  ,footnote #bdf3 ,in 
#ahja ,lodovico ,i4 began his reign in  
,tuscany4 ,dying shortly after1 he was  
succeeded by the infant ,carlo ,i41     
under the regency of the ,queen-mother  
,maria ,louisa4 ,from this period the   
arts have experienced new patronage and 
encouragement4 ,the very copious and    
select ,salvetti library has been       
appropriated for the use of the academy2
 a noble example to all parts of ,italy1
 possessing similar institutions4 ,a new
 improvement also here made1 is the     
reunion in one place of masters in      
scagliola1 and mosaic work1 gems1 and   

the restoring of pictures1 an occupation
 recently introduced2 and in place of a 
master1 who formerly presided1 a        
director1 with greater authority and    
emolument1 has been appointed4 ,sig4    
,pietro ,benvenuti1 whom ,i dare not    
venture to commend as he deserves1 for  
he is still living1 was selected for    
this charge4 ,the addition of casts also
 by our new rulers is of great utility1 
in particular those from the works of   
the celebrated ,canova1 who has been    
requested to produce a new statue of    
,venus1 on the model of the ,medicean1  
lost to us by the chance of war4 ,the   
honour conferred by the queen regent    
upon the arts1 deserves likewise a place
 in history2 who1 in the meeting of the 
academy1 held in #ahjc1 ,sig4           
,alessandri being president1 distributed
 rewards to the young students1 and     
encouraged them to do well4 ,it was upon
 this occasion that the same ,cavaliere 
,puccini1 secretary to the institution1 
delivered another excellent discourse1  

intended to prove that the pursuit of   
the fine arts forms one of the most     
expeditious and least perilous paths to 
human glory2--a discourse that1 equally 
for the credit of the writer and of the 
fine arts1 was given to the world at    
,florence1 in the year #ahjd4           
,,book ,,ii4       ,,sienese ,,school4  
,,epoch ,i4    ,the old ,masters4   ,the
 ,sienese is the lively school of a     
lively people2 and is so agreeable in   
the selection of the colours and the air
 of the heads1 that foreigners are      
captivated1 and sometimes even prefer it
 to the ,florentine4 ,but this gaiety of
 style forms not the only reason of this
 preference2 there is another1 which few
 have attended to1 and none have ever   
brought forward4 ,the choicest          
productions of the painters of ,siena   
are all in the churches of that place2  
and he who wishes to become acquainted  
with the school1 after having seen      
these1 need not be very solicitous to   
visit the private collections1 which are

 numerous and well filled4 ,in ,florence
 it is otherwise3 no picture of ,vinci1 
of ,bonarruoti1 of ,rosso1 is to be seen
 in public2 none of the finest          
productions of ,andrea1 or of ,frate1   
and few of any other master who has best
 supported the credit of the school3    
many of the churches abound in pictures 
of the third and fifth epochs2 which are
 certainly respectable1 but do not      
excite astonishment like the works of   
the ,razzi1 the ,vanni1 and other first 
rate artists1 every where to be met with
 in ,siena4 ,they are1 moreover1 two    
different schools1 and ought not to be  
confounded together in any work of art2 
possessing1 for a long period of time1  
different governments1 other heads of   
schools1 other styles2 and not affected 
by the same changes4 ,a comparison      
between the two schools is drawn by ,p4 
della ,valle1#bdg whom we have          
mentioned1 and shall afterwards mention 
with respect2 and his opinion appears to
 be1 that the ,florentine is most       

philosophical1 the ,sienese the most    
poetical4 ,he remarks on this head1 that
 the school of ,siena1 from its very    
beginning1 displays a peculiar talent   
for invention2 animating with lively and
 novel images the stories it represents2
 filling them with allegory1 and forming
 them into spirited and well constructed
 poetic compositions4 ,this originates  
in the elevated and fervid genius of the
 people1 that no less aids the painter1 
whose poetry is addressed to the eye1   
than the bard who yields it to the ear4 
,in the latter1 and also in extemporary 
poets1 the city abounds1 and still      
maintains in public estimation1 those   
laurels1 which1 after ,petrarca and     
,tasso1 her ,perfetti won in the        
capital4 ,he likewise observes that     
those artists particularly attended to  
expression4 ,nor was this difficult1 in 
a city so adverse to dissimulation as   
,siena1 whose natural disposition and   
education have adapted the tongue and   
countenance to express the emotions of  

the heart4 ,this vivacity of genius has 
perhaps prevented their attaining       
perfection in design1 which is not the  
great attribute of those masters1 as it 
is reckoned of the ,florentines4 ,to sum
 up all1 the character of the school of 
,siena is not so original as that of    
some others2 and we shall find1 during  
its best period1 that some of its       
artists distinctly imitated the style of
 other painters4 ,with regard to the    
number of its artists1 ,siena has been  
prolific in the proportion of its       
population2 its artists were numerous   
while it had many citizens2 but on the  
decrease of the latter1 its professors  
of the fine arts also diminished1 until 
every trace of a school was lost4  ,the 
accounts of the early painters of ,siena
 are rather confused during the three   
first centuries by the plurality of the 
,guidi1 the ,mini1 the ,lippi1 the      
,vanni 7abbreviations of ,giacomo1      
,filippo1 ,giovanni71 and such sort of  
proper names as are used without a      

surname3 hence it is not sufficient to  
peruse only such accounts2 we must      
reflect on them and compare them4 ,they 
are scattered in many histories of the  
city1 especially in ,ugurgieri1 who was 
pleased to entitle his work ,le ,pompe  
,sanesi2 in the ,diary of ,girolamo     
,gigli2 and in several works of the     
indefatigable ,cav4 ,gio4 ,pecci1 whom  
we have before noticed4 ,many           
manuscripts1 rich in anecdotes of       
painting1 still remain in the libraries3
 of this number are the histories of    
,sigismondo ,tizio1 of ,castiglione1 who
 lived at ,siena from #adhb to #aebh2   
the ,cathedral of ,siena1 minutely      
described by ,alfonzo ,landi2 the       
,treatise on old ,paintings of ,giulio  
,mancini2 and some ,memoirs of ,uberto  
,benvoglienti1 whom ,muratori           
denominates diligentissimus rerum suae  
patriae investigator4 ,from these1 and  
other sources1#bdh ,p4 della ,valle has 
drawn what is contained in the ,lettere 
,sanesi1 and repeated in the notes on   

,vasari concerning the school of ,siena4
 ,by the work of ,della ,valle it has   
acquired a celebrity to which it has    
long been entitled4 ,i take him for my  
guide in the documents and anecdotes    
which he has given to the public2#bdi in
 the older authorities ,i follow ,vasari
 and ,baldinucci in many circumstances1 
but dissent from them in others3 and    
hostile to error1 and anxious for the   
truth1 ,i shall pursue the same plan    
with regard to the historians of the    
school of ,siena4 ,i shall omit many    
names of old masters1 of whom no works  
now remain1 and here and there shall add
 a few modern artists who have come to  
my knowledge1 by the examination of     
pictures1 or by the perusal of books4   
,the origin of the ,sienese school is   
deduced either from the crusades in the 
east1 whence some ,grecian painter has  
been brought to ,siena2 or from ,pisa1  
which1 as we have seen1 had its first   
artists from ,greece4 ,on such a        
question every one may judge for        

himself3 to me the data necessary for   
resolving it appear to be wanting4 ,i   
know that ,italy was never destitute of 
painters1 and artists who wrought in    
miniature2 that from such1 without any  
,grecian aid1 or example1 some ,italian 
schools took their origin4 ,siena must  
have had them in the twelfth century4   
,the ,ordo officiorum ,senensis         
,ecclesiae which is preserved in the    
library of the academy at ,florence1 was
 written in the beginning of the        
thirteenth century1 and exhibits initial
 letters1 surrounded with illuminations 
of little stories and ornaments of      
animals4 ,they are painted in vermilion1
 in a very hard and meagre style2 but   
they are valuable on account of their   
era1 #abac1 in which they were executed 
by ,oderico ,canonico of ,siena4#bej    
,similar books were ornamented by the   
same painter in the parchment of the    
leaves1 and painted on the covers       
without2#bea and afford a proof that    
thus the art of ornamenting with        

miniatures might lead to large          
compositions4 ,all1 however1 more or    
less1 savour of the ,greek design2      
either because the ,italians were       
originally disciples of the ,greeks1    
dispersed over ,italy1 or because they  
regarded the ,grecian masters as models1
 and ventured not to attempt much beyond
 them4  ,the most ancient pictures in   
the city1 the ,madonna of the ,graces1  
the ,madonna of ,tressa1 the ,madonna of
 ,bethlehem1 a ,s4 ,peter in the church 
dedicated to that saint1 and a ,s4 ,john
 the ,baptist1 surrounded by many small 
historical representations at ,s4       
,petronilla1 are believed to be older   
than #abjj2 but it is by no means clear 
that they are the works of ,italians1   
though often believed such from their   
initial characters1 plaister1 and       
design4 ,on the two last the names of   
the saints near the figures are in      
,latin characters2 a circumstance1      
however1 which does not prove an        
,italian painter4 ,on the mosaic works  

at ,venice1 on the ,madonna of          
,camerino1 brought from ,smyrna1#beb and
 on other pictures executed by the      
,greeks for ,italian cities1 ignorant of
 their language1 they wrote1 or got     
others to write1 inscriptions in ,latin2
 and they did the same on statues4#bec  
,the method of painting on gilt         
plaister1 which we observe in some old  
pictures1 decidedly ,italian1 is no     
argument2 for ,i have several times     
observed a similar practice in what was 
unquestionably the work of a ,greek     
artist4 ,the drawing of the features in 
those pictures1 the grimness of the     
aspect1 and the composition of the      
stories1 all accord with the productions
 of the ,greeks4 ,they may1 therefore1  
have been painted by ,greek artists1 or 
by a scholar1 or1 at least1 by an       
imitator of the ,greeks4 ,who1 then1 can
 determine whence the artist came1      
whether he was a restorer of painting1  
and whether he executed those paintings 
at ,siena1 or sent them from some other 

place8 ,this is certain1 that painting  
quickly established itself at ,siena1   
sent out roots1 and rapidly multiplied  
its blossoms4  ,the series of painters  
known by name commences with ,guido1 or 
,guidone1 already noticed in the        
beginning of this volume4 ,he flourished
 before ,cimabue of ,florence saw the   
light2 and seems to have been at the    
same time an illuminator of manuscripts 
and a painter4 ,the writers of ,siena   
have declaimed against ,vasari and      
,baldinucci for omitting this artist2   
notices of whom could not have escaped  
the former1 who was many times at       
,siena2 nor the latter1 who was made    
acquainted with them before the         
publication of his ,decennali4 ,cav4    
,marmi1 a learned and celebrated        
,florentine1 thus notices the omission  
in one of his letters4#bed ,baldinucci  
laboured to make us credit the          
restoration of painting by ,cimabue and 
,giotto2 and to give stability to his   
hypothesis1 it is probable that he      

omitted to make any mention of the      
painters who1 independent of the two    
just named1 departed from the raw and   
feeble manner of the ,greeks4 ,and      
,guido certainly left it not a little   
behind1 in his picture of the ,virgin1  
now hung up in the ,malevolti chapel in 
the church of ,s4 ,domenico4 ,on it he  
has thus inscribed his name and the     
date3    ,me ,guido de ,senis diebus    
depinxit amenis   ,quem ,christus lenis 
nullis velit agere poenis4              
,an4 #abba4  ,and this example was often
 followed by the masters of this school1
 to the great benefit of the history of 
painting4 ,the countenance of the       
,virgin is lovely1 and participates not 
in the stern aspect that is             
characteristic of the ,greeks2 we may   
discover some trace of a new style in   
the drapery4 ,the ,madonnas of ,cimabue 
which are at ,florence1 the one in the  
church of the ,trinity1 the other in ,s4
 ,maria ,novella1 are not1 however1     
inferior4 ,in them we may discern the   

improvement of the art2 a more vivid    
colouring1 flesh tints more true2 a more
 natural attitude of the head of the    
infant1 while the accompaniments of the 
throne1 and of the glory of angels1     
proclaim a superior style4  ,on this    
subject ,i make two remarks1 in which ,i
 widely dissent from the opinion of the 
author of the ,sienese ,letters1 without
 committing any breach of our long      
established friendship4 ,the one is1    
that to prove ,guido superior to        
,cimabue1 he frequently compares the    
,madonna of ,s4 ,domenico1 which is the 
only one of his pictures which he       
mentions1#bee with the paintings of     
,cimabue1 which are numerous1 and full  
of subject2 and without setting any     
value on the colouring1 the fertility of
 invention1 and the various other       
qualities in which the ,florentine      
surpassed the artist of ,siena1 he      
dwells on certain little particulars1 in
 which it appears that ,guido was       
superior4 ,an artist of whom it is not  

known that he ever attempted any picture
 but ,madonnas1 might become more or    
less perfect in this subject2 but       
painting is not so much indebted to him1
 as to one who has carried it to the    
higher walks of the art2 a merit which  
,marco of ,siena1 a writer not inclined 
to favour the ,florentines1 denies not  
to ,cimabue1 as we shall find in the    
fourth book4 ,the other circumstance    
alluded to is1 that when he mentions a  
picture which does honour to the fame of
 ,cimabue1 he attempts to discredit its 
history1 and the tradition2 as ,i have  
already observed with regard to the two 
large pictures in the church of ,assisi1
 and am now under the necessity of      
remarking with regard to the two        
,madonnas at ,florence above mentioned4 
,he strongly suspects#bef them to be the
 work of ,mino da ,turrita1 since       
mosaic1 in which ,mino was expert1 is   
there represented by a skilful hand2 and
 ,cimabue was not dexterous in that art2
 as if a painter could not represent    

buildings without being an architect1 or
 garments without knowing how to cut    
them out1 or drapery without being      
versed in the art of weaving4 ,he even  
doubts whether ,giotto visited ,france1 
for1 had this been the case1 he1 and not
 ,simone da ,siena1 would have painted  
the portrait of ,laura1 as if history   
did not inform us that ,giotto visited  
that country about #acaf1 long before   
the period when ,petrarca first became  
enamoured of that beauty4 ,he has       
introduced some other speculations1     
which he would not have admitted1 had he
 not been betrayed into it1 almost      
involuntarily1 by a system which has    
some probable foundation1 but is carried
 to an extravagant length4 ,i should    
have been silent on this subject2 but   
when writing of these artists it became 
me to recollect that the unicuique suum 
was no less the duty of the historian   
than the judge4  ,the authors of        
chronicles require correction on the era
 of this painter4 ,the most undoubted   

picture of ,guido is that bearing the   
date #abba1 for the other in the church 
of ,s4 ,bernardino1 dated #abfb1 is     
ascribed to him without sufficient      
evidence4 ,it is hardly probable that he
 who was so eminent in a new art in     
#abba1 was still alive in #abie1 as is  
affirmed by some1#beg on the faith of a 
sum of money paid to one ,guido1 a      
painter4 ,the celebrated ,guido must    
then have been at least #aje years of   
age3 it is more probable that he was    
dead1 and the name applied to another   
,guido1 without any danger of a mistake4
  ,it is generally believed that the    
elder ,guido instructed ,f4 ,mino1 or   
,giacomino da ,turrita1 the celebrated  
artist in mosaic1 of whom we have spoken
 in the first book4 ,on the era of ,mino
 also much has been written without     
sufficient authority4 ,baldinucci says  
he died about #acjj2 and omits to       
mention in his life that he was employed
 in #abbe2 although this date is legible
 on the mosaic of ,mino in the church of

 ,s4 ,giovanni at ,florence1 in letters 
a cubit in length4#beh ,this            
circumstance has likewise escaped the   
historians of ,siena1 some of whom have 
prolonged his life to the year #abih1 on
 the authority of payment made to       
,minuccio1 a painter2 and others have   
extended it to about #abjj1 on account  
of the tomb of ,boniface ,,viii4 which  
is said to be the work of ,turrita4 ,the
 utmost period that can be granted them 
is about #abij3 for ,titi observes1 in  
his ,description of the ,paintings in   
,rome1 that ,mino finished the mosaic of
 ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore in #abhi1 and     
died1 after beginning another in ,s4    
,giovanni ,laterano1 which was completed
 by ,gaddo ,gaddi in #abib4 ,this       
renders it extremely doubtful that ,f4  
,mino was taught painting by ,guido1    
that he imparted it not only to ,giotto1
 whom1 for other reasons1 we have       
excluded from his school 7p4 #bj7 but to
 the ,sienese artists1 ,memmi and       
,lorenzetti1#bei and even that he was a 

painter2 all which is founded on the    
following memorandum1 under the year    
#abhi1 in a manuscript in the library of
 ,siena3 ,paid on the twelfth day of    
,august1 nineteen lire to ,master ,mino1
 the painter1 who painted the ,virgin   
,mary1 and other ,,ss4 in the council   
room of the public palace1 the balance1 
c4  ,he who is here denominated ,maestro
 ,mino1 not ,fra ,mino2 who is sometimes
 called ,minuccio1 a diminutive not     
fitted for an old monk2 and appears to  
have been employed in ,siena when ,fra  
,mino was at ,rome1 is another artist4  
,thus we discover another eminent       
painter of the name of ,mino1 or        
,minuccio1 who seems to be in reality   
the author of the picture of #abhi1     
above alluded to1 which remained in the 
council hall even within my memory1 and 
of others1 down to #abih4 ,he there     
represented the ,virgin and ,child1     
surrounded by angels1 and under a       
canopy1 supported by ,apostles and the  
patron saints of the city4 ,the size of 

the figures1 the invention and the      
distribution of the work1 are surprising
 for that age2 of the other qualities   
one cannot speak with certainty2 for it 
was repaired in #acba by ,simone da     
,siena1 and there are beauties in the   
features and the drapery that can be    
ascribed only to the restorer4 ,the     
mistake thus occasioned by the same name
 being cleared up1 the system of the    
learned author of the ,lettere ,sanesi1 
is in part confirmed1 and in part falls 
to the ground4 ,he is right in refusing 
to ,giotto certain ,sienese pupils1     
referred to him only from traces of a   
more modern style2 for we here discover 
an artist who made some advances towards
 the new manner even previous to        
,giotto1 who1 in #abhi1 was only        
thirteen years of age4 ,now this ,mino1 
and ,duccio1 of whom we shall soon      
treat1 might certainly have formed      
pupils able to compete with the school  
of ,giotto1 and even in length of years 
to surpass ,giotto himself4 ,there is no

 reason1 however1 to prefer the ,sienese
 painters to ,cimabue1 on the strength  
of this painting1 as the author in      
question has so often done4 ,comparison 
ought to be employed between painter and
 painter1 between contemporary and      
contemporary4 ,f4 ,mino1 to whom this   
single picture was attributed1 is now   
shewn to have been merely a mosaic      
worker3 ,mino or ,minuccio began to be  
known when ,cimabue was fifty years of  
age2 and is the author of a single work1
 not so free from retouches1 nor so     
large as that of ,assisi1 already       
described4 ,the comparison then is not  
just4  ,every school thinks itself      
sufficiently honoured when it can       
produce two or three painters of the    
thirteenth century3 the school of ,siena
 is peculiarly rich in them1 and these  
are recorded in the twenty-fifth letter 
,on the disciples of ,guido4 ,as usual  
,i shall omit the names of those least  
entitled to recollection4 ,i will not   
affirm that all of them proceeded from  

the school of ,guido2 for in a city     
where the fine arts flourished so       
rapidly1 masters unknown to us may have 
been produced4 ,much less will ,i       
ascribe artists of other cities to this 
school4 ,in the manuscripts of ,mancini1
 one ,bonaventura da ,lucca is          
mentioned1 who is the ,berlingieri      
already mentioned4#bfj ,i neither assign
 him to ,guido nor to ,giunta4 ,who can 
tell whether ,lucca had not also in     
those early times an original school1   
now unknown to us8 ,setting aside       
uncertain points therefore1 we can only 
assert1 that after the middle of the    
century1 ,siena abounded in painters1   
more1 perhaps1 than any other city of   
,italy2 and the causes of this are as   
follows4  ,the cathedral was begun      
several years before1 in a style of     
magnificence suited to the lordly views 
of the citizens4 ,it was not a work to  
be completed in a short time3 hence it  
was frequently interrupted1 and a long  
period had elapsed before it was        

finished4 ,during this time many        
architects 7magistri lapidum7 and       
sculptors either were invited from other
 places1 or were reared up in the city2 
and in #abej they formed a corporate    
body1 and required particular laws4#bfa 
,although nothing is ascertained with   
regard to their mode of study1 it is    
natural to suppose that the study of    
sculpture contributed to the advancement
 of painting1 a sister art4 ,the        
celebrated battle of ,monte ,aperto1 in 
which the people of ,siena defeated the 
,florentines1 happened in #abfj4 ,this  
victory produced an era of peace and    
opulence to the city1 and encouraged    
both in public and in private the arts  
depending on luxury4 ,the victory was   
ascribed to the interference of the     
blessed ,virgin ,mary1 to whom the city 
was consecrated2 the adoration of her   
votaries increased1 and her images were 
multiplied in the streets1 and in all   
other places2 and thence painting       
obtained fresh encouragement1 and new   

followers4  ,ugolino da ,siena should be
 referred to this era2 he died decrepid 
in #acci1 and consequently might have   
been born before #abfj4 ,we cannot agree
 with ,vasari1 who insinuates that he   
was the scholar of ,cimabue2 nor with   
,baldinucci1 who ingrafts him on his    
,tree2 nor yet with others who assert   
that he was the pupil of ,guido2 for the
 latter must have been dead when        
,ugolino was very young4 ,that he was   
educated in ,siena1 seems to me highly  
probable1 from the number of masters    
then in that city1 and because the      
colouring of his ,madonna of            
,orsanmichele at ,florence is in the    
style of the old school of ,siena2 less 
strong and less true than that of       
,cimabue and the ,florentines4 ,this    
fact appears to me of importance1 for it
 depends on the mechanism of the art1   
which was different in different        
schools4 ,design at that early period   
savoured more or less of the ,greeks2   
and in this respect ,ugolino adhered to 

them too closely4 ,he painted pictures  
and chapels over all ,italy1 says       
,vasari2 and if ,i am not mistaken he   
came to ,florence after his travels1 and
 at length died at ,siena4  ,duccio di  
,boninsegna is another master of this   
age1 of whom ,i shall speak in another  
place1 as the inventor of a new species 
of painting4 ,tizio says he was the     
pupil of ,segna1 an artist now almost   
unknown in ,siena4 ,he must1 however1   
have enjoyed great celebrity in his day 
among his countrymen2 for ,tizio informs
 us that he painted a picture at        
,arezzo1 containing a figure which he   
pronounces excellent and highly         
esteemed4 ,he has transmitted to us the 
following remarkable testimony          
concerning ,duccio3 ,ducius ,senensis   
inter ejusdem opificii artifices ea     
tempestate primarius2 ex cujus officina 
veluti ex equo ,trojano pictores egregii
 prodierunt4  ,the ea tempestate refers 
to #acaa1 when ,giotto was at ,avignon2 
and when ,duccio was employed on the    

picture that still exists in the        
opera-house1 which was completed in     
three years1 and almost forms an era in 
the art4 ,it was large enough to have   
formed a picture for the great altar of 
the metropolitan church for which it was
 intended4 ,on the side facing the      
people he painted large figures of the  
,virgin1 and of various saints2 on that 
fronting the choir he represented       
scriptural subjects1 in many            
compartments1 in which he introduced a  
vast number of figures a palm in length4
 ,pius ,,ii4 relates in his ,annals of  
,siena1 which were never published1 that
 it cost #b1jjj florins2 others raise it
 to #c1jjj2 but not so much on account  
of the workmanship as the profusion of  
gold and ultramarine4 ,the style is     
generally thought to approach the ,greek
 manner2 the work1 however1 is the most 
copious in figures1 and among the best  
executed productions of that age4       
,duccio was employed in many parts of   
,tuscany1 and in the church of the      

,trinity at ,florence he painted an     
,annunciation which1 in the opinion of  
,baldinucci1 leaves no doubt that he was
 a scholar of ,giotto1 or of his        
disciples4 ,but this will not be granted
 or believed by those who have seen it2 
for both the colouring and the style are
 totally dissimilar4 ,chronology1 too1  
opposes the conclusion2 unless we       
introduce here also a confusion1 arising
 from artists with similar names3       
,duccio painted from #abhb1bfb and died 
about #acdj4bfc  ,the history becomes   
more complete1 when we arrive at the    
celebrated ,simone ,memmi1 or ,simone di
 ,martino1#bfd the painter of ,laura1   
and the friend of ,petrarca1 who has    
celebrated him in two sonnets that will 
hand him down to the latest posterity4  
,the poet has also eulogized him in his 
letters1 where he thus speaks3 duos ego 
novi pictores egregios 444 ,joctum      
,florentinum civem1 cujus inter modernos
 fama ingens est1 et ,simonem ,senensem2
 which is not1 however1 comparing him to

 ,giotto1 to whom he pays a double      
compliment1 but it is giving ,memmi the 
next rank4 ,in such a convenient place  
the poet would not1 in my opinion1 have 
omitted ,jocti discipulum1 had he been  
acquainted with such a circumstance3 but
 he appears to have no knowledge of it2 
and this renders it doubtful whether    
,simone was the pupil of ,giotto at     
,rome1 notwithstanding the assertion of 
,vasari1 who adds that the latter was   
then engaged in the mosaic of the       
,navicella4 ,the writers of ,siena      
contradict him with good reason2 for in 
#abih ,simone was only fourteen years of
 age4#bfe ,they reckon him the scholar  
of their ,mino1 and certainly he derived
 much from the large fresco before      
noticed3 but as he retouched it himself 
we cannot put much faith on the         
resemblance4 ,his colouring is more     
vivid than that of the followers of     
,giotto1 and in floridness it seems a   
prelude to ,baroccio4 ,but if he was not
 the scholar of ,giotto1 he may have    

assisted him in some of his works1 or1  
perhaps1 studied him closely1 as many   
eminent painters have often done with   
the best masters4 ,this may account for 
his imitating ,giotto so admirably in   
,s4 ,peter's at ,rome2 a merit which    
procured him an invitation to the papal 
court at ,avignon1 where he died4 ,the  
picture of the ,vatican has perished2   
but some of his other works still exist 
in ,italy2 and they are not so numerous 
at ,siena as in ,pisa and ,florence4 ,in
 the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa we find     
various actions of ,s4 ,ranieri1 and the
 celebrated ,assumption of the ,virgin1 
amid a choir of angels1 who seem        
actually floating in the air1 and       
celebrating the triumph4 ,memmi was     
excellent in this species of            
composition1 as ,i believe1 from the    
numerous pictures of this subject which 
he painted at ,siena1 where there is one
 at the church of ,s4 ,john1 which is   
more copious but not more beautiful than
 that at ,pisa4 ,some of his larger     

works may be seen in the chapter house  
of the ,spanish ,friars at ,florence2   
several histories of ,christ1 of ,s4    
,domenico1 and of ,s4 ,peter ,martyr2   
and there the ,order of the ,preaching  
,friars are poetically represented as   
engaged in the service of the church1 in
 rejecting innovators1 and in luring    
souls to paradise4 ,vasari1 to whom the 
inventions of ,memmi appear not those of
 a master of that age1 but of a most    
excellent modern artist1 especially     
praises the last3 and1 indeed1 it might 
be supposed that it was suggested by    
,petrarch1 did not a comparison of dates
 refute such an idea4 ,the picture was  
painted in #accb1 and ,simone went not  
to ,france till #accf2 what is said     
about the portrait of ,laura in the     
chapterhouse is a mere fable4 ,taddeo   
,gaddi1 an undoubted pupil of the       
improved and dignified school of        
,giotto1 was there his competitor2 and  
as far surpassed ,memmi in the qualities
 of that school1 as he was excelled by  

the latter in spirit1 in variety of the 
heads and attitudes1 in fancy of the    
draperies1 and in originality of        
composition4 ,simone paved the way to   
more complex pictures1 and extended them
 over a whole facade1 so as to be taken 
in at one glance of the eye2 whereas    
,giotto used to divide a large surface  
into many compartments1 in each of which
 he painted an historical picture4      
,although ,i do not usually dwell on    
miniature painting1 ,i cannot resist    
mentioning one which is to be seen in   
the ,ambrosian library at ,milan1 which 
appears to me a singular production4 ,in
 that place1 there is a manuscript of   
,virgil1 with the commentary of         
,servius1 which formerly belonged to    
,petrarca4 ,in the frontispiece is a    
miniature that is reasonably conjectured
 to have been suggested to ,simone by   
the poet1 who has subjoined the         
following verses3    ,mantua ,virgilium 
qui talia carmina finxit1   ,sena tulit 
,simonem digito qui talia pinxit4  ,the 

artist has represented ,virgil sitting  
in the attitude of writing1 and with his
 eyes raised to heaven1 invoking the    
favour of the ,muses4 ,a,eneas is before
 him in the garb and with the demeanour 
of a warrior1 and1 pointing with his    
sword1 intimates the subject of the     
,a,eneid4 ,the ,bucolics are represented
 by a shepherd1 and the ,georgics by a  
husbandman2 both of whom are on a lower 
foreground of the piece1 and appear     
listening to the strain4 ,servius1 in   
the mean time1 appears drawing aside a  
veil of great delicacy and transparency1
 to intimate that his readings unveil   
what would otherwise have remained      
obscure and doubtful to the reader of   
that divine poet4 ,an account of this   
picture is contained in a letter of the 
secretary ,ab4 ,carlo ,bianconi1#bff    
where the author praises the originality
 of the idea1 the colouring and harmony 
of the picture1 the propriety and       
variety in the costume according with   
the subject4 ,he also remarks a little  

rudeness in the design1 more of truth   
than of beauty in the heads1 and the    
largeness of the hands2 that usually1   
indeed1 were the characteristics of     
every school at this period4  ,simone   
had a relation named ,lippo ,memmi1 whom
 he himself instructed in the art4      
,although he was not equal in genius to 
,simone1 he succeeded admirably in      
imitating his manner1 and1 aided by his 
designs1 produced pictures that might   
have passed for the work of the former1 
had he not inscribed them with his name4
 ,when he wrought without such          
assistance there is a manifest          
mediocrity in his invention and design2 
but he is still a good colourist4 ,a    
picture executed by them both is        
preserved in ,s4 ,ansano di             
,castelvecchio of ,siena4#bfg ,in       
,ancona1 ,assisi1 and other places1     
pictures existed that were begun by the 
former1 and finished by the latter4     
,there is a picture wholly the work of  
,lippo in ,siena2 and the author of the 

,description of ,pisa records one at the
 church of ,s4 ,paul in that place1     
which is not without merit4 ,in my first
 edition1 implicitly following the      
writers of chronicles1 ,i mentioned a   
,cecco di ,martino as the brother of    
,simone4 ,but on considering that he    
flourished about #achj1 and that there  
was a less celebrated ,simon ,martino1  
in ,siena1 about #acej1 mentioned by    
,cittadini1 ,i do not judge it right to 
follow their authority4  ,an artist     
named ,lorenzo1 and familiarly          
,lorenzetto1 was the father of another  
family of painters3 he had a son named  
,ambrogio1 who is surnamed ,lorenzetti  
by historians4 ,a large picture by this 
artist1 on which he subscribes himself  
,ambrosius ,laurentii1 is to be seen in 
the public palace1 and may be designated
 a poem of moral precepts4 ,the vices of
 a bad government are there represented 
under different aspects1 and with       
appropriate symbols2 accompanied by     
verses explanatory of their nature and  

consequences4 ,the ,virtues1 too1 are   
there personified with suitable emblems3
 and the whole is adapted to form       
governors and politicians for the       
republic1 animated by the spirit of     
genuine patriotism alone4 ,had there    
been a greater variety in the           
countenances of the figures1 and a      
superior arrangement in the piece1 it   
would have been little inferior to the  
finest pictures in the ,campo ,santo of 
,pisa4 ,siena possesses many of his     
frescos and large pictures2 but they are
 not so surprising as his smaller works1
 in which he appears as the forerunner  
of ,b4 ,angelico1 whom we have commended
 in another place4 ,i have observed     
nothing similar in his contemporaries2  
and it possesses a nationality of       
character that prevents his being       
confounded with the followers of        
,giotto3 the ideas1 the colouring1 and  
the draperies1 are wholly different4 ,in
 a similar taste is a picture in the    
possession of ,sig4 ,abate ,ciaccheri1  

librarian to the university of ,siena1  
where ,ambrogio painted some very       
original works1 in which he very far    
surpassed the ,orcagni4 ,his style was  
admired in ,florence2 where1 to please  
his friends1 who were desirous of seeing
 a specimen of his art1 he painted      
several pieces from the life of ,s4     
,nicholas1 in the church of ,s4         
,proculus1 that were afterwards         
transferred to the abbey4  ,another son 
of ,lorenzo was called ,pietro1 and1 in 
conjunction with his brother1 painted   
the ,presentation1 and ,nuptials of ,our
 ,lady1 in the hospital of ,siena1 on   
which the following inscription was     
legible3 ,hoc opus fecit ,petrus        
,laurentii et ,ambrosius ejus frater1   
#acce4 ,the inscription is preserved by 
,cav4 ,pecci1 who in #agbj1 when the    
painting was destroyed1 transcribed it  
most opportunely for correcting ,vasari1
 who had read ,petrus ,laurati instead  
of ,laurentii in another inscription2   
from which he concluded this artist not 

to be the brother of ,ambrogio2 and from
 some similarity between his style and  
that of ,giotto1 had concluded that he  
was the disciple of the latter3 but it  
is highly improbable that with such a   
father and such a brother1 ,pietro would
 have gone from home for instruction4   
,vasari gives1 however1 a most          
favourable opinion of this illustrious  
,sienese1 which may suffice to vindicate
 his impartiality4 ,he says of one of   
his pictures1 that it was executed with 
a better design and in a superior manner
 to any thing that ,tuscany had then    
seen2 and in another place he asserts1  
that ,pietro became a better master than
 either ,cimabue or ,giotto4 ,what could
 he have said further8 might it have    
been asserted that he was1 if not the   
disciple of ,giotto1 at least his fellow
 student in the school of ,f4 ,mino8    
7,vasari1 tom4 ii4 p4 #gh4 ed4 ,sen47   
,but granting that ,giotto was not his  
master1 how are we to believe him his   
fellow student8 ,the first pictures of  

,giotto are traced to #abie2 those of   
,pietro to #acbg4 ,and where1 when1 or  
to whom did ,f4 ,mino teach painting8   
,pietro's historical picture of the     
,fathers dell' ,eremo remains in the    
,campo ,santo of ,pisa1 where1 in       
conformity with ecclesiastical history1 
he has painted the various discipline of
 those recluses4 ,this picture1 if ,i am
 not mistaken1 is richer in ideas1 more 
original1 and better conceived than any 
one in that place4 ,in the ducal gallery
 there is a copy of this picture1 if not
 a duplicate by the artist himself3 the 
taste of the colouring certainly belongs
 not to the ,florentine1 but to the     
,sienese school1 of that period4  ,after
 painting had attained so high a degree 
of excellence in ,siena1 it was liable  
to decline1 both from the usual lot of  
the most auspicious eras1 to which an   
age of servile imitation1 and of hurried
 execution1 generally succeeds1 and also
 from the terrible plague which1 in     
#acdh1 desolated ,italy and ,europe2    

sweeping off distinguished masters and  
pupils in every school4 ,siena1 however1
 did not lose her ,lorenzetti1 who      
constituted her ornament for several    
years2 but if her population at one time
 equalled #ge1jjj1 it was afterwards    
greatly diminished4 ,she could1 however1
 still vie in the number of her artists 
with ,florence itself4 ,this clearly    
appears from ,the ,statutes of the      
,painters of ,siena1#bfh published by   
,p4 della ,valle1 in his first volume1  
letter sixteen4 ,they are drawn up with 
the characteristic simplicity1          
clearness1 and precision of the         
thirteenth century2 and are a very      
admirable body of regulations for the   
due propriety and direction of artists1 
and for the honour of the art4 ,we can  
discern that this society consisted of  
cultivated and well educated persons2   
and it does not excite astonishment to  
find that1 democratic in government as  
,siena then was1 the highest magistrates
 of the republic were sometimes elected 

from among the professors of the art4   
,they formed a body-corporate2 not      
merely a fraternity1 nor an academy of  
design2 and received their charter1 not 
from the bishop but from the city1 or   
the republic in #acee4 ,some have       
conjectured that those statutes are as  
old as the preceding century2 and that  
they were translated into ,italian from 
the ,latin about #abia3 for ,tizio      
informs us that1 in this year1 ,statuta 
materna lingua edita sunt ad            
ambiguitates tollendas4 ,but ,tizio must
 have meant the statutes concerning     
wool1 and others then existing2 and     
those of the artists may have been      
framed at a subsequent period4 ,indeed1 
the manner in which they are drawn up1  
without a reference to preceding        
ordinances1 indicates a first edition4  
,if there were statutes published in the
 vulgar tongue in #abia1 why was the    
sanction of the law deferred for #ff    
years8 or why are the new not           
distinguished from the old1 as is usual 

in similar codes8  ,in the code to which
 ,i refer1 the names of a great number  
of artists are inscribed1 who lived     
after #acej and at the beginning of the 
next century4 ,with the exception of a  
few who merit some consideration ,i     
shall pass them over in silence as ,i   
did in the ,florentine school4 ,i find  
among them ,andrea di ,guido1#bfi       
,jacomo di ,frate ,mino1 and ,galgano di
 ,maestro ,minuccio2 and ,i bring these 
forward to confirm what ,i have before  
observed1 that painters of the same name
 have introduced confusion into the     
history of this school4 ,i also find    
there ,n4 ,tedesco1 ,vannino da         
,perugia1 ,lazzaro da ,orvieto1 ,niccolo
 da ,norcia1 ,antonio da ,pistoia1 and  
other foreign artists3 thence ,i infer  
that ,siena1 like a university for      
painting1 had furnished masters to      
various cities of ,italy1 and other     
countries4 ,we here meet with some      
painters of whom there still remains    
some trace in history1 or in the        

inscriptions on pictures4 ,martino di   
,bartolommeo is the artist who1 in      
#adje1 painted the ,translation of the  
,body of ,s4 ,crescentius at the        
cathedral1 and of whom a still better   
picture remains at ,s4 ,antonio ,abate4 
,his family name brings to mind         
,bartolommeo ,bolonghino1 or ,bolgarino1
 mentioned by ,vasari as the best pupil 
of ,pietro ,laurati1 and the painter of 
some excellent pictures in ,siena1 and  
other parts of ,italy4 ,he was a man of 
rank1 and obtained the honour of the    
magistracy4 ,andrea di ,vanni is        
undoubtedly the painter of the ,s4      
,sebastian in the convent of ,s4        
,martin1 and of the ,madonna surrounded 
by saints in that of ,s4 ,francis2 an   
artist not unknown beyond the limits of 
his native country1 especially in       
,naples1 where he painted before #acgc4 
,he was likewise employed in public     
embassies1 and1 like another ,rubens1   
was a magistrate1 and ambassador of the 
republic to the ,pope3 and was honored  

by ,s4 ,catherine of ,siena1 who1 in one
 of her letters1 gives him some         
excellent advice on the subject of      
government4  ,about the year #acgj      
flourished ,berna1 7i4 e4 ,bernardo7 da 
,siena1 of whom ,vasari says1 that he   
was the first who painted animals       
correctly2 and at the same time allows  
him no common merit in the human figure1
 especially in what regards expression4 
,one of his frescos remains in the      
parish church of ,arezzo1 more          
praiseworthy on account of the          
extremities1 in which he was superior to
 many of that age1 than for the drapery 
or the colouring1 in which many artists 
surpassed him4 ,he died in the prime of 
life1 about the year #achj1 at ,s4      
,gimignano1 after having made           
considerable progress in a copious work1
 consisting of some subjects from sacred
 history1 that still remains in that    
parish church4 ,the work was continued  
with a superior colouring1 but with a   
less pure design1 by ,giovanni          

d',asciano1 who is his reputed scholar4 
,the whole still exists1 and thirteen of
 the pictures1 or perhaps more1 are the 
work of the scholar who exercised his   
art at ,florence1 under the protection  
of the ,medicean family1 much respected 
by his fellow artists4 ,as those two    
painters lived long abroad1 ,i find no  
mention of them in the catalogue just   
quoted4 ,there is a well executed       
altar-piece in ,venice1 with the name   
,bernardinus de ,senis4 ,some of his    
pictures have been discovered in the    
diocese of ,siena1 by the ,archbishop   
,zondadari1 who has formed a good       
collection of ancient pictures of the   
,sienese school4 ,in these pictures     
,berna appears to be a pretty good      
colourist1 a talent which he does not   
display in his frescos4 ,luca di ,tome1 
another scholar of ,berna1 noticed by   
,vasari1 is there mentioned4 ,one of his
 ,holy ,families remains at ,s4         
,quirico1 in the convent of the         
,capuchins1 and bears the date of #acfg4

 ,it has not sufficient softness1 but in
 other respects is very reputable4  ,in 
the beginning of the fifteenth century1 
not only individual painters1 but whole 
families of artists had multiplied1 in  
which the art for a long series of years
 descended from father to son4 ,this    
circumstance contributed greatly to the 
progress of painting3 for the master1   
who is likewise the father1 teaches     
without any feeling of jealousy1 and    
generally aims at forming a pupil       
superior to himself4 ,the family of the 
,fredi1 or the ,bartoli1 became         
celebrated beyond all the rest4 ,the    
reputation of ,taddeo1 who began to be  
distinguished in the fourteenth century1
 rose very high4 ,in the records he is  
styled ,thaddaeus magistri ,bartholi    
magistri ,fredi1#bgj from his father#bga
 and grandfather1 artists of some name4 
,by him1 as the best master of the age1 
says ,vasari1 the chapel of the public  
palace was painted1 where some          
historical pieces representing our      

,lady1 are yet to be seen2 and in #adad 
he ornamented the adjoining hall4       
,besides some pictures from sacred      
history1 he there formed1 as it were1 a 
gallery of illustrious men1 chiefly     
republicans2 and for the edification of 
the citizens1 added some ,latin and     
,italian verses2 a mode of instruction  
very liberally employed in this school4 
,the chief merit of the work lies in the
 dignity and originality of its         
invention1 which was afterwards imitated
 in part by ,pietro ,perugino1 in the   
hall of the ,exchange1 at ,perugia4 ,the
 portraits are ideal2 they are dressed  
in the costume of ,siena1 even when they
 represent ,romans and ,grecians1 and   
their attitudes are not happy4 ,his     
pictures at ,pisa and in ,volterra1     
mentioned by ,vasari1 still exist2 and  
that of the ,arena in ,padua1 in the    
tribune of the church1 is well          
preserved4 ,in it we discover practical 
skill1 little variety1 and less grace in
 the heads1 feeble tints1 and imitations

 of ,giotto1 that lose their value on a 
comparison with the original4 ,some of  
his small pictures do him greater       
honour2 and in them an imitation of     
,ambrogio1 his great prototype1 is      
conspicuous1 and also the subdued but   
agreeable colouring of this school2     
which1 like all the others in ,italy1   
excelled about this period more in small
 than in large proportions4  ,the manner
 of ,taddeo was first pursued and       
afterwards meliorated1 and greatly      
aggrandized by ,domenico ,bartoli1 his  
nephew and disciple4 ,foreign           
connoisseurs behold with delight the    
various fresco pictures which he painted
 in the pilgrim's ward of the hospital1 
representing the circumstances of its   
foundation1 and the exercises of        
christian charity bestowed upon the     
sick1 the dying1 and the indigent4 ,on  
comparing these1 one with another1 the  
artist displays considerable            
improvement1 and a greater freedom than 
usual from the old dryness3 his design  

and perspective are better1 his         
compositions more scientific2 without   
taking into account the richness and    
variety of ideas1 which he has in common
 with the artists of this school4 ,from 
those pictures ,raffaello and           
,pinturicchio1 while painting at ,siena1
 took many of their notions of national 
costume1 and1 perhaps1 of some other    
particulars3 for it is characteristic of
 great minds to derive advantage even   
from examples not above mediocrity4     
,thus the art was gradually advancing in
 the republic1 when new opportunities   
were afforded for producing works on a  
grand scale2 occasions in which genius  
is developed and invigorated4 ,siena    
gave ,pius ,,ii4 to the chair of ,s4    
,peter1 who1 to the most ardent love of 
his country1 united a taste for         
magnificence2 and during his residence  
in the city1 it was embellished with    
architecture1 and every kind of         
ornament4 ,he would have been still more
 profuse1 had he not1 disgusted with the

 ingratitude of the people1 turned his  
attention and beneficence to ,rome4     
,among other advantages he conferred on 
the state of ,siena1 was that of adding 
to its territory the city of            
,corsignano1 his native place2 which    
from him was afterwards called ,pienza4 
,the new city received from him another 
form1 and new edifices1 among which was 
the cathedral4 ,it was erected in #adfb1
 and for its decoration he invited the  
best artists of ,siena1 ,ansano and     
,lorenzo di ,pietro1 ,giovanni di       
,paolo1 and ,matteo his son4 ,their     
style was laborious and minute2 the     
universal character of that age3 for the
 manner of painting was introduced and  
transferred from one country into       
another1 without our being able to      
discover where it originated2 but in the
 arts depending on design1 as we have   
before remarked1 when the path is once  
opened1 the natural genius of each      
school will regulate its further        
progress4 ,these four artists are       

mentioned in the catalogue of ,sienese  
artists2 and ,ansano1 or ,sano1 at one  
time enjoyed the highest reputation4    
,about #adbb he had painted the         
beautiful fresco which still remains    
over the ,roman gate2 and which         
represents the ,coronation of the       
,virgin3 it is much in the style of     
,simone1 and in some respects it        
surpasses him4 ,a picture by this artist
 of inferior merit remains in the church
 of ,pienza4 ,lorenzo di ,pietro1       
surnamed ,il ,vecchietta1 was eminent in
 sculpture and in casting in bronze2 and
 he is noticed by ,vasari4 ,he was less 
successful in painting1 and offends by  
hardness1 as far as we can determine    
from the small remains of him in ,siena1
 for there are none existing at ,pienza4
 ,a picture of his1 with the date #adeg1
 was lately added to the ,medicean      
gallery4 ,giovanni di ,paolo makes a    
good figure in ,pienza2 and a still     
better in a ,descent from the ,cross1   
painted four years afterwards in the    

,osservanza of ,siena2 in which the     
defects of the age are counterbalanced  
by qualities1 at that time by no means  
common1 displaying a considerable       
knowledge of the naked figure4  ,matteo 
di ,giovanni was then young1 but        
surpassed them all in the extent of his 
genius4 ,this is the ,matteo denominated
 by some the ,masaccio of this school1  
although there is a great distance      
between him and the ,florentine         
,masaccio4 ,the new style of ,matteo    
begins to be recognized in one of his   
two pictures in the cathedral4 ,he      
afterwards improved it in his works in  
the church of ,s4 ,domenico1 at ,siena1 
in ,madonna della ,neve1 and in some    
other churches2 and it was he who first 
excited the ,neapolitan school to       
attempt a less antiquated style4 ,having
 learnt the process of painting in oil1 
he imparted sufficient softness to his  
figures2 and from his intimacy with     
,francesco di ,giorgio1 a celebrated    
architect1#bgb he imbibed a good taste  

in buildings1 and diversified them very 
ingeniously with alto and               
basso-relievos4 ,he foreshortened level 
objects well2 he cast draperies with    
more of nature1 and with less frippery  
than was common in that age2 if he      
imparted little beauty to the features1 
he attained1 at least1 variety of       
expression2 and was sufficiently        
attentive in marking the muscles and    
veins in his figures4 ,he did not always
 aim at novelty and display in his      
invention2 on the contrary1 after       
painting a ,murder of the ,innocents1   
which was his best composition1#bgc he  
often repeated it in ,siena1 and in     
,naples1 but always with improvements3  
his most studious picture on this       
subject is that at the ,servi of ,siena1
 painted in #adia1 which must have been 
near the close of his life4 ,he was     
accustomed to introduce into his        
pictures some episode1 unconnected with 
the principal story1 in small figures1 a
 style in which he excelled4 ,the noble 

house of ,sozzini and some other        
families in ,siena1 possess several of  
his small pictures4 ,as an artist1 he is
 inferior to ,bellini1 to ,francia1 or  
,vannucci2 but surpasses many others4   
,another eminent ,sienese1 who          
flourished in the first ages of oil     
painting1 is made known to us by        
,ciriaco ,anconitano1#bgd who was       
acquainted with him in #addi1 at the    
court of ,leonello1 ,marquis of ,este4  
,this artist was named ,angelo          
,parrasio3 he painted the nine muses in 
the palace of ,belfiore1 near ,ferrara1 
in imitation of the manner of ,giovanni 
and ,ruggieri da ,bruggia4   ,footnote  
#bdg3 ,see ,lettere ,sanesi1 tom4 ii4   
let4 #bc1 addressed to the author of    
this work4  ,footnote #bdh3 ,see ,lett4 
,sen4 tom4 ii4 p4 #bc1 et sequent4      
,footnote #bdi3 ,in regard to these     
documents the public is much indebted to
 the ,abate ,ciaccheri1 the learned     
librarian of the city1 who employed     
himself for many years in collecting    

them2 but his eyes failing him1 it      
became necessary that others should     
publish them3 the excellent historian   
has frequently made mention of him4     
,footnote #bej3 ,the work was published 
by ,trombelli1 at ,bologna1 in #agff4   
,della ,valle1 tom4 i4 p4 #bgh4 ,what he
 adds1 that this very ,oderico may be   
the ,oderigi da ,gubbio1 noticed by     
,dante in the xith canto of his         
,purgatorio1 ought not to be admitted4  
,dante might1 for the sake of rhyme1    
change ,oderico into ,oderigi2 but he   
has said1 in the middle of the verse1   
that the celebrated miniature painter   
was a native of ,gubbio4 ,moreover1 the 
latter1 who died about #acjj1 could not 
have painted in #abac4  ,footnote #bea3 
,see ,della ,valle1 tom4 ii4 p4 #bgc4   
,footnote #beb3 ,this is an             
,annunciation1 with the following verse3
  ,virgo parit ,christum velut ,angelus 
intimat ipso4  ,the error in the last   
word stands on the picture4  ,footnote  
#bec3 ,hard by the cathedral of that    

city there are two lions1 on one of     
which1 in a mixture of ,greek and ,latin
 characters1 is written1    ,mahister   
,thexde fevit 7fecit7  fevit fieri ambos
 istos4   ,footnote #bed3 ,see ,lettere 
,sanesi1 tom4 i4 p4 #bdc4  ,footnote    
#bee3 ,tom4 ii4 p4 #ae4  ,footnote #bef3
 ,p4 #bhh4  ,footnote #beg3 ,see ,lett4 
,sen4 tom4 ii4 p4 #bgf4  ,footnote #beh3
 ,vigintiquinque ,christi cum mille     
ducentis1 c4 ,vide ,piacenza1 tom4 i4 p4
 #gj4 ,baldinucci was extremely diligent
 in his research of epochs2 but he took 
care not to mention this1 inasmuch as it
 overturned his system4  ,footnote #bei3
 ,history only gives him some assistants
 in mosaic2 at ,pisa ,tafi and ,gaddo   
,gaddi2 at ,rome1 in ,s4 ,maria         
,maggiore1 a ,franciscan monk1 who there
 executed a portrait of himself1 and    
inscribed his name1 that is now         
illegible1 and his native place1 which  
was ,camerino4 ,one ,f4 ,giacomo da     
,camerino painted in the cathedral of   
,orvieto in #acba1 and it is probable   

that this is the same artist4  ,footnote
 #bfj3 ,see ante1 p4 #ad4  ,footnote    
#bfa3 ,see ,lett4 ,sen4 p4 #bgi4        
,footnote #bfb3 ,lett4 ,sen4 tom4 i4 p4 
#bgg4  ,footnote #bfc3 ,ibid4 tom4 ii4  
p4 #fi4  ,footnote #bfd3 ,martino was   
the father of ,simone2 ,memmo or        
,guglielmo his father-in-law2 and in the
 inscriptions on his pictures he        
sometimes assumes the one name1 and     
sometimes the other4 ,benvoglienti4     
,footnote #bfe3 ,i conjecture this on   
the authority of ,vasari1 who says1 that
 he died in #acde1 at the age of #fj4   
,in the genuine books at ,s4 ,domenico1 
of ,siena1 we find this sentence        
,magister ,simon ,martini pictor mortuus
 est in curia2 cujus exequias fecimus   
444 #acdd4 ,since ,vasari approaches so 
near the truth in the time of the       
painter's death1 we may reasonably      
credit him also in his age4 ,mancini    
says he was born about #abgj2 which     
gives occasion for ,p4 della ,valle to  
mention ,simone as a contemporary1 and a

 competitor of ,giotto at ,rome4 ,i     
cannot agree with him on this date1 and 
the information drawn by him from books 
belonging to the ,sienese hospital1 that
 ,simone was in ,siena in #acdd1 only a 
few months before his death1 at the     
court of the ,pope at ,avignon1         
strengthens my opinion4 ,i cannot       
believe that an old man of seventy-four 
would transfer his residence from ,siena
 to ,avignon4 ,if we credit ,vasari the 
difficulty vanishes1 inasmuch as        
,simone1 being then scarcely sixty1     
might be equal to undertake so long a   
journey4  ,footnote #bff3 ,see ,lett4   
,senesi1 tom4 ii4 p4 #aja4  ,footnote   
#bfg3 ,there is on it ,a4 ,d4 #accc1    
,simon ,martini et ,lippus ,memmi de    
,senis me pinxerunt4 ,it is now in the  
ducal gallery at ,florence4 ,it may be  
remarked on the chronology of this      
painter1 that where we find not ,memmi  
but only ,lippo or ,filippo1 it does not
 always seem intended for him4 ,thus the
 ,m4 ,filippo1 who received a sum of    

money in #acjh1 and that ,lippo1 who1 in
 #acfa1 is said to be the assistant of  
another artist1 7,lett4 ,sen4 tom4 ii4  
p4 #aaj71 most probably are not to be   
identified with ,memmi4 ,he was younger 
than his relation1 and according to     
,vasari1 survived him #ad years4        
,footnote #bfh3 ,statuti dell' arte de' 
,pittori ,senesi4  ,footnote #bfi3 ,this
 ,guido da ,siena is1 perhaps1 the one  
mentioned by ,sacchetti in his          
eighty-fourth tale1 and of whom there   
remains a picture in the church of ,s4  
,antonio1 painted in #acfb4 ,baldinucci4
  ,footnote #bgj3 ,manfredi4  ,footnote 
#bga3 ,in the parish church of ,s4      
,gimignano is an historical fresco of   
this artist1 dated #acef1 and in that of
 ,s4 ,agostino1 a painting in a much    
better style1 according to ,vasari1     
executed in #achh1 which date ,p4 della 
,valle gives as #aceh4  ,footnote #bgb3 
,he was a good sculptor2 and1 according 
to the custom of the time of uniting the
 three sister arts1 he also practised   

painting1 but not with great success4 ,i
 have not seen any of his pictures but a
 ,nativity1 in which he chiefly appears 
emulous of ,mantegna4 ,it is in the     
possession of ,sig4 ,abate ,ciaccheri1  
whose collection will greatly assist any
 one desirous of becoming acquainted    
with this school4  ,footnote #bgc3 ,an  
engraving of it is in the third volume  
of ,lettere ,sanesi4  ,footnote #bgd3   
,in the fragment of a letter1 quoted by 
,sig4 ,abate ,colucci in ,antichita     
,picene1 tom4 xv4 p4 #adc4 ,cujus nempe 
inclytae artis et eximii artificum      
ingenii egregium equidem imitatorem     
,angelum ,parrasium ,senensem1 recens   
picturae in ,latio specimen vidimus1 c4 
,,sienese ,,school4     ,,epoch ,,ii4   
,foreign ,painters at ,siena4 ,the      
origin and progress of the   modern     
style in that city4   ,before this era  
we have met with no strangers who had   
taught painting1 or had changed the     
manner of this school4 ,the art had     
there existed for three centuries1      

always1 or almost always1#bge under the 
guidance of native painters2 and it had 
even been provided by the statutes of   
the art1 that no foreigner might be     
encouraged to practise it at ,siena4 ,in
 one chapter it is enacted1 that any    
stranger1 wishing to be employed1 shall 
pay a florin2 and elsewhere1 that he may
 receive a just and sufficient          
recompense to the extent of twenty-five 
livres4 ,the provision was subtle3 on   
the one hand they did not1 with a marked
 inhospitality1 positively exclude      
strangers2 but1 on the other1 they      
deprived them of any chance of rivalling
 the artists of the city in employment  
at ,siena4 ,hence it came to pass1      
according to ,p4 della ,valle1 that no  
pictures of other schools1 but those of 
a late period1 are to be found there4   
,but this circumstance1 though          
favourable to the artist1 was1 in no    
small degree1 detrimental to the art3   
for the school of ,siena1 by admitting  
strangers1 would have swelled the list  

of her great masters2 and she might have
 kept pace with other schools2 but this 
she neglected1 and1 after having vied   
with the ,florentine school in painting1
 and even surpassed it for some years1  
towards the close of the fifteenth      
century ,siena could not1 perhaps1 boast
 of a better artist than ,capanna1 who  
executed some facades from the designs  
of others2#bgf or than ,andrea del      
,brescianino1 who1 in conjunction with  
one of his brothers1 is said to have    
painted some pictures1 with which ,i am 
unacquainted1 in the church of the      
,olivetine ,friars4 ,they have been more
 commended by historians than           
,bernardino ,fungai1 an artist whose    
style was modernized1 but dry1#bgg than 
,neroccio1 or any other ,sienese painter
 of that period2 but they could not be  
compared to the best masters of ,italy4 
,the nobility perceived the decline of  
the native school1 and the necessity of 
supporting it by the accession of       
foreign artists2 they wished for such   

assistance1 to the dissatisfaction1     
probably1 of the populace1 every where  
apt to contend that the provender of the
 land should rather feed the native     
beast of burden than the foreign steed4 
,the ,florentine style of painting found
 its way to ,rome2 but ancient rivalry  
and political jealousy prevented its    
introduction into ,siena4 ,perugia      
seemed a less objectionable ally2 and   
from that place1 first ,bonfigli1 and   
afterwards his scholar ,pietro          
,perugino1 who executed two pictures at 
,siena1 were invited2 and at length     
several scholars also of the latter were
 called1 who long remained in the       
service of two celebrated natives of    
,siena4 ,the one was ,cardinal          
,francesco ,piccolomini1 who soon after 
became ,pius ,,iii4 ,for the purpose of 
decorating the sacristy of the          
cathedral1 and the chapel of his family1
 with various pictures from the life of 
,pius ,,ii4 he invited ,pinturicchio to 
,siena1 and this artist carried along   

with him other scholars of ,perugino1   
and even ,raffaello himself1 who is     
reported to have designed either wholly1
 or in a great measure1 those historical
 pictures4 ,the other was ,pandolfo     
,petrucci1 who1 for some time1 usurped  
the government of the republic3 eagerly 
desirous of embellishing the palace and 
some churches1 he availed himself of    
,signorelli1 and of ,genga1#bgh and     
recalled ,pinturicchio4  ,this passed at
 the beginning of the sixteenth century2
 for the sacristy was completed in      
#aejc2 the return of ,pinturicchio took 
place in #aejh2 and1 after a short      
interval1 it appears that ,genga1 the   
scholar of ,perugino1 and ,signorelli1  
came to ,siena4 ,from that period1 the  
,sienese school began to assume the     
modern style2 and design1 a full tone of
 colouring1 and perspective1 all        
attained perfection in a few years4 ,had
 ,siena produced a family equal to the  
,medicean in taste1 power1 and a        
disposition to encourage the fine arts1 

what might it not have attained6 ,siena 
about this time could boast of four men 
of talents admirably adapted to produce 
a great revolution in the art1 and these
 were ,pacchiarotto1 ,razzi1 ,mecherino1
 and ,peruzzi1 all of whom 7with the    
exception of ,razzi71 ,baldinucci1 for  
some reason unknown to me1 has derived  
from the school of ,raffaello4 ,the     
works of ,raffaello1 then a young man1  
and of other foreign artists1 far from  
repressing their spirit1 awakened in    
them an honourable emulation4 ,whoever  
compares the pictures of ,matteo with   
their works1 would conclude that many   
years had intervened2 yet they were all 
living at the death of ,matteo4 ,we now 
come to the bright era of the school of 
,siena2 and to the consideration of its 
most eminent masters4  ,jacopo          
,pacchiarotto#bgi followed the manner of
 ,pietro more closely than any of them1 
although he was not his scholar1 and1   
perhaps1 had not been out of ,siena     
before #aece4 ,in that year there       

happened an insurrection of the people  
against the government of that city1 in 
which he was a ringleader1 and would    
have suffered an ignominious death1 had 
he not been saved by the ,osservantine  
fathers1 who concealed him for some time
 within a tomb4 ,from thence he secretly
 withdrew to ,france1 where he assisted 
,rosso1 and is supposed to have died4   
,siena possesses several of his cabinet 
pictures and altar-pieces1 in the style 
of ,perugino2 especially a very         
beautiful one in the church of ,s4      
,christopher4 ,in his frescos1 in the   
church of ,s4 ,catherine and of ,s4     
,bernardino1 where he emulated the      
ablest artists of ,siena1 he appears    
great in composition4 ,the most admired 
is the copious picture representing the 
,visit of the ,virgin1 ,s4 ,catherine1  
to the body of ,s4 ,agnes of            
,montepulciano3 the others are executed 
in a similar taste4 ,he unquestionably  
appears to have studied ,raffaello with 
the greatest care2 and there are heads  

and whole figures so lively1 and with   
such a grace in the features1 that1 to  
some connoisseurs1 they seem to possess 
the ideal beauty of that great artist4  
,nevertheless1 ,pacchiarotto is almost  
unknown beyond the limits of his native 
place1 for he is only incidentally      
mentioned by ,vasari2 and his works have
 passed under the name of ,perugino1 or 
of his school4  ,giannantonio ,razzi1   
surnamed ,il ,sodoma1 undoubtedly       
enjoyed the citizenship of ,siena2 but  
it is disputed whether he was born at   
,vergelle1 a ,sienese village1 or at    
,vercelli1 in ,piedmont4 ,vasari        
expressly states1 that he was invited to
 ,siena by some of the noble family of  
,spannocchi1 and that he was a native of
 ,vercelli2 in which opinion he is      
supported by ,tizio1 ,giovio1 ,mancini1 
and all who wrote before ,ugurgieri4 ,i 
am confirmed in it by observing his     
carnations1 his style of chiaroscuro1   
and other peculiarities of the old      
school of ,milan1 and of ,giovenone1 who

 flourished at ,vercelli in the early   
years of ,razzi2 and of this style there
 appears to me traces in the works of   
,gio4 ,antonio2 especially in those he  
executed shortly after he had left his  
master4 ,i have not observed the        
historical pictures of ,s4 ,benedict1   
which he painted at ,monte ,oliveto     
about #aejb1 and are so ably described  
by ,sig4 ,giulio ,perini1 secretary to  
the academy of ,florence4 ,i have seen  
those he executed at ,rome in the       
pontificate of ,julius ,,ii4 ,he painted
 several in the ,vatican1 that were     
defaced1 because they did not satisfy   
the ,pope4 ,raffaello substituted other 
pictures1 but spared the grotesques4    
,razzi afterwards executed some pictures
 from the life of ,alexander the ,great1
 in the ,chigi1 now the ,farnese palace4
 ,the nuptials of ,roxana1 and the      
suppliant family of ,darius1 are the    
best of them4 ,they do not exhibit the  
facility1 grace1 and dignified heads1   
that characterize the style of ,vinci2  

but they shew much of his chiaroscuro1  
which was then greatly followed by the  
,lombards3 perspective1 their hereditary
 attribute1 is there conspicuous2 they  
abound in gay images1 in little ,cupids 
with their arrows1 and a pomp that is   
captivating4  ,his works in ,siena1 the 
fruit of his studies in ,rome1 and of   
his mature age1 are still superior4 ,the
 ,epiphany1 in the church of ,s4        
,augustino1 appeared wholly in the style
 of ,vinci to an eminent foreign        
connoisseur1 who mentioned it to me with
 rapture4 ,the ,flagellation of ,christ1
 in the cloister of ,s4 ,francis1 is    
preferred to the figures of             
,michelangiolo by those who are reckoned
 judges of the art3 their unanimous     
opinion seems to be that ,razzi never   
produced a finer picture4 ,some think as
 highly of his ,s4 ,sebastian1 now in   
the ducal gallery1 which is supposed to 
have been copied from an antique ,torso4
 ,the ,swoon of ,s4 ,catherine of       
,siena1 which he painted in fresco in a 

chapel of ,s4 ,domenico1 is a picture in
 the manner of ,raffaello4 ,peruzzi     
greatly admired it1 and affirmed that he
 had never seen a swoon so naturally    
represented4 ,the air and varied        
expression in the heads of his picture1 
however1 are not borrowed from any      
artist1 and on this account he seems to 
have extorted the applause even of      
,vasari4 ,his models1 as was usual with 
the other artists of this school1 were  
selected from among the ,sienese1 whose 
heads possess a great degree of innate  
gaiety1 openness1 and spirit4 ,he       
painted frequently in a hurried manner1 
without any preparatory study2          
especially in his old age1 when reduced 
to poverty at ,siena1 he sought for     
employment at ,pisa1 at ,volterra1 and  
at ,lucca3 but in all his pictures ,i   
discover traces of an able artist1 who1 
though careless of excellence1 never    
painted badly4 ,vasari1 the great enemy 
of his fame1 who generally styles him   
,mattaccio1#bhj has ascribed to chance1 

to fortune1 or to fancy1 whatever he    
performed well2 as if his usual style   
had been that of a bad painter4 ,here   
,vasari betrays a want of memory2 for he
 confessed in the life of ,mecherino1   
that ,razzi possessed the grand         
principle of design2 in another passage 
he has praised the brilliant colouring  
he brought with him out of ,lombardy2   
and before noticing the works of his old
 age1 he has often pronounced the others
 beautiful1 or sometimes most beautiful 
and wonderful3 hence it may be said of  
him1 modo ait1 modo negat4 ,guided by   
public estimation1 ,giovio has written  
of ,razzi in a different manner1 when   
speaking of the death of ,raffaello1 he 
subjoins3 plures pari pene gloria       
certantes artem exceperunt1 et in his   
,sodomas ,vercellensis4#bha ,he who     
objects to the testimony of this eminent
 scholar1 will receive that of a        
celebrated painter3 ,annibale ,caracci1 
passing through ,siena1 said1 ,razzi    
appears a very eminent master of the    

greatest taste1 and 7speaking of his    
best works at ,siena7 few such pictures 
are to be seen4#bhb  ,during the many   
years that ,giannantonio lived at       
,siena1 he must have educated many      
pupils4 ,a few of them only are noticed 
by ,mancini in one of his               
,fragments2#bhc and these are ,rustico1 
the father of ,cristofano1 an excellent 
painter of grotesques1 with which he    
filled ,siena2 ,scalabrino1 a man of    
genius1 and a poet2#bhd and             
,michelangiolo ,anselmi1 or             
,michelangiol da ,siena1 a painter      
claimed by several places4 ,we shall    
consider him in the school of ,parma1 as
 he left no work in ,siena1 except a    
fresco in the church of ,fonte ,giusta1 
a production of his youth1 and not      
worthy of so great a name4 ,a scholar of
 ,razzi1 then his assistant1 and finally
 his son-in-law1 was ,bartolommeo       
,neroni1 otherwise called ,maestro      
,riccio1 who after the death of the four
 great pillars of the school of ,siena1 

supported its reputation for many years1
 and probably educated one of its       
restorers4 ,he may be recognized at the 
,osservanti1 in a ,crucifixion with     
three saints standing around1 and people
 in the distance4 ,but his masterpiece  
was a ,descent from the ,cross1 much in 
the manner of ,razzi1 at the ,derelitte4
 ,some of his other pictures yet remain 
in the city1 in which he sometimes      
appears to mingle the style of his      
father-in-law1 with a certain           
resemblance to the manner of ,vasari1 in
 the distribution of his tints4 ,he is  
known to have been very excellent in    
perspective1 and particularly so in     
painting scenery2 a specimen of which   
was engraved by ,andreani4 ,he was also 
greatly skilled in architecture1 and had
 a pension from the magistrates of      
,lucca for his assistance in their      
public works4 ,some books include among 
his disciples ,anselmi1 who was rather  
his kinsman2 and ,arcangiolo ,salimbeni1
 who finished some of his works after   

his death1 and on this account only has 
been supposed his scholar4 ,from him we 
shall commence a new epoch in this      
school4  ,domenico ,beccafumi derived   
the surname of ,mecherino from a citizen
 of ,siena1 who1 having remarked him    
when a shepherd boy designing something 
on a stone1 augured favourably of his   
genius2 and obtaining the consent of his
 father1 brought him to the city1 and   
according to ,gigli1 recommended him to 
,capanna as a scholar4 ,he there        
employed himself in copying the designs 
of eminent artists1 and in imitating the
 pictures of ,pietro ,perugino1 whose   
manner he at first adopted2 nor did he  
ever wholly get rid of it2 and his works
 in the cathedral of ,pisa exhibit a    
dryness1 though they are the productions
 of his maturer years4#bhe ,having gone 
to ,rome in the pontificate of ,julius  
,,ii41 a new scene was opened to him in 
the specimens of ancient sculpture1 of  
which he was a most sedulous designer1  
and in the pictures in which            

,michelangiolo and ,raffaello had       
assayed their skill4 ,after two years he
 returned home1 and there continuing his
 close attention to design1 he found    
himself strong enough to contend with   
,razzi2 and1 if we may credit ,vasari1  
even to surpass him4 ,he had acquired   
skill in perspective1 and was fertile in
 invention as a painter4 ,in ,siena1    
,mecherino is ranked after ,razzi2 and  
the many places where they vied with    
each other1 facilitates the comparison  
to those who are disposed to make it4   
,at first he humoured his placid        
disposition by painting in a sweet      
style2 at that time he made choice of   
beautiful airs for his heads2 and very  
frequently inserted the portrait of his 
mistress in his pictures4 ,in this style
 is his fine picture at the church of   
the ,olivetines of ,s4 ,benedict2 in    
which he has represented the titular    
saint1 with ,s4 ,jerome1 and the ,virgin
 ,s4 ,catherine1 and where he has added 
some circumstances of her life in small 

figures4 ,the last annotator on ,vasari 
prefers this work to many other pictures
 of ,mecherino1 and laments1 that1      
captivated by the energy of ,bonarruoti1
 he had deviated from his original      
manner4 ,and1 indeed1 when he aspired to
 more vigour he frequently appears      
coarse in his proportions1 negligent in 
his extremities1 and harsh in his heads4
 ,this defect so increased in his old   
age that his heads of that period       
appeared without beauty even to ,vasari4
  ,his mode of colouring is not the most
 true2 for it was mannered with a       
reddish hue1 which is1 however1         
fascinating and cheerful to the eye2 it 
is neat1 clear1 and of such a body that 
it remains on walls at this day1 in the 
highest preservation4 ,a few of his     
works remain in ,genoa1 where he painted
 the palace of ,prince ,doria2 they are 
not numerous at ,pisa2 but they abound  
in his native place1 both in public and 
in private4 ,his merit was greater in   
distemper than in oil colouring2 and his

 historical frescos do him greater      
honour than his other paintings4 ,his   
skill was great in distributing them to 
suit the place1 and in adapting them to 
the architecture2 he ornamented them    
with grotesque decorations in such a    
manner that he required not the aid of  
gilt stucco1 or other gaudy trappings4  
,these inventions have such felicity1   
that a single glance recals the story to
 the memory of one acquainted with its  
circumstances4 ,he treats his subject   
copiously1 with dignity1 and with       
perfect nature3 he imparts grandeur to  
it by his architectural views1 and      
elegance by introducing the usages of   
antiquity4 ,he peculiarly delighted in  
the more recondite principles of the    
art1 which were then less generally     
employed2 as peculiar reflections of    
fires and other lights2 difficult       
foreshortenings1 especially as applied  
to ceilings1 which were then very rare  
in lower ,italy4 ,vasari has minutely   
described his figure of ,justice2 the   

feet of which are in dark shadow1       
gradually diminishing to the shoulders1 
which are invested with a most brilliant
 celestial light3 ,nor is it possible1  
says he1 to imagine1 much less to find1 
a more beautiful figure 444 amongst all 
that ever were painted to appear        
foreshortened when viewed from below4   
,according to this verdict1 ,mecherino  
deserves the appellation of the         
,coreggio of lower ,italy1 in this very 
difficult branch of painting2 for no    
modern artist had attempted so much     
before his time4 ,the above mentioned   
figure is painted on the vaulted ceiling
 of the consistory of the government2   
and the artist has arranged below it    
various oval and square pictures1 each  
representing some memorable exploit of a
 republican hero4 ,he pursued the same  
idea in an apartment in the mansion now 
in possession of the ,bindi family1     
which ,p4 della ,valle reckons his      
masterpiece4 ,the figures resemble those
 in the ,logge of ,raffaello3 they are  

better coloured than those in the       
consistory1 and being smaller are1 on   
that account1 better designed3 for the  
style of ,mecherino resembles a liquor  
which retains its qualities when shut up
 in a phial1 but evaporates and is      
dissipated when poured into a larger    
vessel4 ,this circumstance1 however1 was
 common to many others3 his peculiarity 
consists in what he communicated to     
,vasari2 that1 out of the atmosphere of 
,siena1 he imagined he could not paint  
successfully2 an effect1 according to   
,p4 ,guglielmo1 of the climate2 which   
would be a happy secret for peopling it 
with painters4 ,perhaps it is to be     
explained by the greater degree of quiet
 and tranquillity that he enjoyed at    
home1 in the society of his friends1    
among a people ready to encourage him by
 praise1 not to chill him by reproach1  
and surrounded by all the spectacles and
 the lively genius of his country2      
objects eagerly desired by the natives  
of ,siena1 but not easily found in other

 places4  ,the style of ,mecherino1 now 
described1 expired with him3 for his    
pupil1 ,giorgio da ,siena1 became a     
painter of grotesques1 and imitated     
,gio4 da ,udine1 both in his own country
 and at ,rome3 ,giannella1 or ,gio4 da  
,siena1 turned his attention from       
painting to architecture2 and ,marco da 
,pino1 surnamed also da ,siena1 united a
 variety of styles4 ,baglione1 and the  
historians of ,siena1 say1 that he was  
there educated by ,beccafumi1 and       
,baldinucci adds1 likewise by ,peruzzi3 
,p4 della ,valle1 from his brilliant    
colouring1 denies him to them1 and      
assigns him to ,razzi4 ,all1 however1   
are agreed that he obtained his         
knowledge principally from ,rome1 where 
he first painted from the cartoons of   
,ricciarelli or of ,perino2 and if we   
may credit ,lomazzo1 was also instructed
 by ,bonarruoti4 ,we cannot readily find
 any ,florentine capable of following   
the precepts of ,michelangiolo1 without 
ostentation2 but he acquired the        

principles without the affectation of   
displaying his knowledge4 ,his manner is
 grand1 select1 and full of elegance3 it
 is adduced by ,lomazzo as a perfect    
model for the human figure1 and for the 
just distribution of the light according
 to the distance of objects2 a          
department of the art in which he shares
 the glory with ,vinci1 ,tintoretto1 and
 ,baroccio4 ,he painted little in ,siena
 except a picture1 with which ,i am not 
acquainted1 in the mansion of the       
,francesconi family2 and few of his     
works are to be seen at ,rome1 with the 
exception of a ,pieta1 in an altar of   
,araceli1 and some frescos in the church
 ,del ,gonfalone4 ,naples was his field2
 and there he will again appear as a    
master and historian of that school4    
,if conjecture were allowable in        
assigning masters to painters of the old
 schools1 ,i should be inclined to      
reckon ,daniele di ,volterra rather the 
scholar of ,mecherino1 than of ,razzi or
 ,peruzzi4 ,we know for certain that he 

studied at ,siena in early life1 when   
those three artists kept an open        
academy4 ,peruzzi was wholly a follower 
of ,raffaello2 ,razzi disliked the      
,florentine style2 and ,beccafumi alone 
aspired to be esteemed a faithful       
imitator of ,bonarruoti3 by regarding   
him1 therefore1 as the master of        
,daniele1 we can best account for the   
already noticed predilection of the     
latter for the style of ,michelangiolo4 
,no artist was capable of initiating him
 better in the art of casting in bronze 
than ,mecherino2 or afford him more     
frequent examples of that strong        
opposition of bright and sombre colours 
that appears in some works of ,daniele4 
,yet ,i will not depart from the more   
correct rule which forbids us in such   
doubtful points to depart readily from  
history3 for each painter was always    
free to choose his style2 he might be   
directed in one path by his master1 and 
drawn a different way by his own genius1
 or by accidental circumstances4        

,baldassare ,peruzzi is one of the      
numerous individuals whose merit must   
not be measured by their good fortune4  
,born in indigent circumstances in the  
diocese of ,volterra1 but within the    
territory of ,siena1 and of a ,sienese  
father1#bhf he was nurtured amid        
difficulties1 and through life was the  
perpetual sport of misfortune4 ,reckoned
 inferior to his rivals1 because he was 
as modest and timid as they were        
arrogant and impudent2 despoiled of his 
whole property in the sack of ,rome2    
constrained to exist on a mere pittance 
at ,siena1 at ,bologna1 or at ,rome1#bhg
 he died when he began to be known1 not 
without suspicion of being poisoned1 and
 with the affliction of leaving a wife  
and six children almost beggars4 ,his   
death demonstrated to the world better  
than his life the greatness of his      
genius2 and the justness of his epitaph1
 in which he is compared to the         
ancients1 is allowed by posterity4      
,general consent ranks him among the    

best architects of his age2 and he would
 also have been classed with the        
greatest painters1 had he coloured as   
well as he designed1 and had always been
 equal to himself2 a thing he could not 
command during a life so chequered and  
wretched4  ,after ,peruzzi had received 
the elements of the art in his native   
place from an unknown master1 he went to
 ,rome for the completion of his        
studies1 in the time of ,alexander ,,vi4
 ,he knew1 admired1 and imitated        
,raffaello 7of whom some suppose him a  
pupil71 especially his ,holy            
,families4#bhh ,he approached him nearly
 in some works in fresco2 such as the   
,judgment of ,paris in the castle of    
,belcaro1 which is deemed his best      
performance1 and the celebrated ,sybil  
foretelling the birth of ,christ to     
,augustus1 in the ,fonte ,giusta1 of    
,siena1 which is admired as one of the  
finest pictures in that city4 ,he       
imparted to it such a divine enthusiasm1
 that ,raffaello himself never surpassed

 him in treating this subject2 nor      
,guido1 nor ,guercino1 of whom so many  
,sybils are exhibited4 ,in great        
compositions1 such as the ,presentation 
in the ,pace at ,rome1#bhi he designs   
well1 gives a faithful representation of
 the passions1 and embellishes the      
subject by appropriate edifices4 ,his   
oil paintings are very rare2 those      
representing the ,magi1 which are shewn 
in many collections at ,florence1       
,parma1 and ,bologna1 are copies from   
one of his chiaroscuros1 which was      
afterwards coloured by ,girolamo da     
,trevigi1 as we are informed by ,vasari4
 ,i was told at ,bologna1 that the      
picture of ,girolamo was lost at sea1   
and that the picture which the ,rizzardi
 family of that place possess1 is a copy
 by ,cesi4 ,his small altar-pieces are  
uncommonly scarce likewise3 and ,i am   
unable to point out any of them but one1
 which contains three half-length       
figures of the ,virgin1 the ,baptist1   
and ,s4 ,jerome1 and is at ,torre       

,babbiana1 eighteen miles from ,siena4  
,what ,i have here related would have   
added to the glory of any other artist2 
but is little to the merit of           
,baldassare4 ,the genius of this man was
 not limited to the production of       
excellent cabinet pictures and frescos4 
,i have already said he was an          
architect2 or1 as ,lomazzo has expressed
 it1 a universal architect3 and in this 
profession1 the fruit of his assiduous  
study of ancient edifices1 he ranks     
among the foremost1 and is even         
preferred to ,bramante4 ,the encomiums  
bestowed on him by the most celebrated  
writers on architecture are mentioned in
 the third volume of the ,sienese       
,letters4#bij ,no one1 however1 has done
 him greater honour than his scholar    
,serlio1 who declares in the            
introduction to his fourth book1 that1  
whatever merit his work possesses1 is   
not due to himself1 but to ,baldassare  
da ,siena1 of whose manuscripts he      
became the heir1 and the plagiarist1 if 

we are to credit ,giulio                
,piccolomini1#bia and his other         
townsmen4 ,the declaration above stated 
absolves ,serlio from this imputation1  
unless it is insisted that he ought to  
have affixed the name of ,baldassare to 
every anecdote that he learnt or took   
from those manuscripts2 a thing which it
 would be unreasonable to demand4 ,he   
has1 indeed1 frequently mentioned him1  
and commended him for a sound taste1 for
 facility1 and elegance1 both in        
designing edifices1 and in ornamenting  
them4 ,to say the truth1 his peculiar   
merit lies in giving a pleasing effect  
to his works2 and ,i have not observed  
any idea of his which in some way does  
not exhibit the stamp of a lively       
imagination4 ,this character is apparent
 in the portico of the ,massimi at      
,rome1 the great altar of the           
metropolitan church of ,siena1 and the  
large gateway of the ,sacrati palace at 
,ferrara1 which is so finely ornamented 
that it is named among the rarities of  

that city1 and1 in its kind1 even of    
,italy4 ,but what chiefly establishes   
his reputation as a man of excellent and
 various genius1 is the ,farnese palace1
 which is executed with such exquisite  
grace that it appears created by        
enchantment1 rather than built by human 
hands4#bib  ,he was eminently skilled in
 ornamenting facades2 in painting so as 
to represent real architecture1 and     
basso-relievos of sacrifices1           
,bacchanalian scenes1 and battles1 which
 serve to maintain the buildings sound  
and in good order1 while they improve   
their appearance1 according to          
,serlio4#bic ,he left fine specimens of 
this art at ,siena and in ,rome1 where  
he was followed by ,polidoro1 who       
carried it to the summit of perfection4 
,peruzzi practised it at the ,farnese   
palace in those pictures in green earth1
 with which he covered the outside1 and 
still more in the internal decorations4 
,not to mention ,f4 ,sebastiano1        
,raffaello himself was employed in the  

same place3 and in one apartment1       
finished without assistance1 the        
celebrated ,galatea4 ,baldassare painted
 the ceiling and the corbels with some  
fables of ,perseus1 and other heroes3   
the style is light1 spirited1 and       
resembles that of ,raffaello1 but is    
unequal to that of his model4 ,though   
inferior in figures he was not behind in
 some other branches4 ,his imitation of 
stucco ornaments appears so relieved    
that even ,titian was deceived by it1   
and found it necessary to change his    
point of view before he could be        
convinced of his error4 ,a similar      
ocular deception is produced by the hall
 where a colonnade is represented1 the  
intercolumniations of which make it     
appear much larger than it really is4   
,this work induced ,pietro ,aretino to  
say1 that the palace contained no       
picture more perfect in its kind4#bid   
,and if the scenes which he painted for 
the plays1 represented in the           
,apostolical palace for the amusement of

 ,leo ,x4 had survived to our days1 the 
perspective paintings of ,peruzzi would 
have obtained greater fame than the     
,calandra of ,card4 da ,bibbiena2 and it
 would have been said of him1 as of the 
ancient1 that he discovered a new art1  
and brought it to perfection4 ,the      
observation of ,vasari1 ,lomazzo1 and   
other old writers1 that ,peruzzi was not
 to be surpassed in perspective1 has    
been recently confirmed by ,sig4        
,milizia in the ,memoirs of ,architects4
 ,in this art he appears to me to have  
given the first and most classic        
examples4 ,when ,i have occasion        
hereafter to notice celebrated          
perspectives in ,rome1 in ,venice1 or   
,bologna1 we must recollect1 that if    
others surpassed him in the vastness of 
their works1 they never did so in their 
perfection4 ,maestro ,riccio is praised 
in ,siena as second to him in           
perspective1 and was his scholar for    
some time2 but afterwards he imitated   
the figures of his father-in-law4  ,the 

merit of ,baldassare in grotesque is    
better seen at ,siena than in ,rome4    
,this sort of painting1 always the      
offspring of a whimsical fancy1 was     
congenial to ,mecherino and to ,razzi2  
and both practised it with success4 ,the
 latter seemed born to conceive and to  
execute it with unpremeditated facility2
 he painted in this style in the        
,vatican1 and obtained the approbation  
of ,raffaello1 who was unwilling to     
cancel his grotesques as he did his     
historical compositions3 he also        
executed some at ,monte ,oliveto that   
are highly facetious1 and may be called 
an image of his own brain4 ,cristoforo  
,rustici and ,giorgio da ,siena obtained
 great fame in this style2 but none of  
them equalled ,peruzzi4 ,this artist1   
graceful in all his works1 was most     
elegant in grotesque2 and amid the      
freedom that a subject wholly capricious
 inspires1 he preserved an art which    
,lomazzo has studied1 in order to       
comprehend its principles4 ,he employs  

every species of idea2 satyrs1 masks1   
children1 animals1 monsters1 edifices1  
trees1 flowers1 vases1 candelabra1      
lamps1 armour1 and thunderbolts2 but in 
their arrangement1 in the actions       
represented1 and in every other         
circumstance1 he bridled his caprice by 
his judgment4 ,he distorts and connects 
those images with a surprising symmetry1
 and adapts them as devices emblematic  
of the stories which they surround4     
,this man1 living in the brightest      
period of modern art1 is in short1 one  
of the individuals most interesting in  
its history4 ,he had many pupils in     
architecture1 but few in painting3 among
 the latter are a ,francesco ,senese1   
and a ,virgilio ,romano1 who are        
commended by ,vasari for their frescos1 
and to whom grotesques1 of uncertain    
origin1 are sometimes attributed in     
,siena4  ,somewhat later1 but certainly 
before the complete revival of the art  
at ,siena1 ,i am disposed to class a    
fresco painter1 whom ,baglione and ,titi

 call ,matteo da ,siena2 but who is     
named ,matteino in his native place1    
that he may not be confounded with the  
,matteo of the fourteenth century4 ,he  
lived at ,rome in the time of ,niccolo  
,circignani1 in whose pictures1 and in  
those of artists of the same class1 he  
inserted perspectives and landscapes4   
,the efforts of his pencil may be seen  
at ,s4 ,stefano ,rotondo1 in thirty-two 
historical pictures of martyrs painted  
by ,circignani1 which have been engraved
 by ,cavalieri4 ,many of his landscapes 
are in the ,vatican gallery1 which are  
beautiful1 although in the old style4   
,at the age of fifty-five he died at    
,rome1 where he was established in the  
pontificate of ,sixtus ,v4 ,these       
circumstances make it appear to me      
unlikely1 that he had painted in the    
,casino of ,siena1 about #aeea1 or in   
the ,lucarini palace1 along with        
,rustichino3 the first period ,i        
consider too early1 and the latter too  
late4  ,i shall now give some account of

 the chiaroscuros executed in mosaic1   
which owe their perfection to the school
 of ,siena1 during the epoch of which we
 are about to finish our account4 ,i    
have already mentioned the erection of  
the magnificent cathedral of ,siena1 a  
work of many years2 and may now add1    
that though it was grand in all its     
parts1 nothing shewed such originality1 
or was so generally admired as the      
pavement around the great altar1 all    
storied with subjects taken from the    
,new ,testament1 of which the figures   
were surrounded by appropriate          
ornaments1 which served to vary and     
divide the immense ground of the        
painting4 ,a succession of artists      
always labouring to improve this work1  
carried it in a few years to an         
astonishing pitch of excellence4 ,the   
nature of the stone quarries in the     
,sienese territory1 afforded also       
facilities to the art which could not be
 so easily attained in other places4 ,it
 originated like other arts from small  

and rude beginnings4 ,duccio commenced  
this ornamented pavement4 ,the part     
which he executed is constructed of     
stones1 in which the limbs and contours 
of the figures are scooped out3 it is a 
dry but not ungraceful production of the
 thirteenth century4 ,the young woman in
 the choir who kneels with her arms     
leaning on a cross1 and1 as an          
inscription informs us1 implores the    
mercy of the ,lord1 is the work of      
,duccio3 it probably represents         
,christian piety2 and certainly both the
 attitude and the countenance are       
expressive of what she asks4 ,those who 
continued the pavement immediately after
 ,duccio1 are not so well known4 ,we    
read of an ,urbano da ,cortona1 and an  
,antonio ,federighi1 who designed and   
executed the two ,sybils2 the rest was  
in like manner the work of artists of   
little note4 ,they all1 however1        
improved the art in some degree1 cutting
 the figures with the chisel1 and       
filling up what was removed by the iron1

 with pitch or some black composition2  
and this was a rude sort of chiaroscuro4
 ,to them succeeded ,matteo di          
,giovanni1 who1 from an attentive       
consideration of what his predecessors  
had done1 fell on a method of surpassing
 them4 ,he remarked a vein of the marble
 in the drapery of a figure of ,david1  
which formed a very natural fold1 and by
 the contrast of the colours made the   
knee and leg appear in relief3 in like  
manner he discovered in a figure of     
,solomon a shade of colour in the       
marble1 well suited to produce effect4  
,he then selected marbles of different  
colours2 and joining them after the     
manner of an inlaying with stained wood1
 produced a work that was entitled to   
the name of a marble chiaroscuro4 ,in   
this manner he executed without         
assistance a ,slaughter of the          
,innocents1 a composition which he      
frequently repeated1 as we before       
remarked4 ,he thus opened the path for  
,beccafumi's histories1 who wrought in a

 superior style a large part of that    
pavement1 which his exertions1 says     
,vasari1 rendered the most beautiful1   
the largest1 and most magnificent that  
was ever executed4 ,this work employed  
his leisure hours till he attained to   
old age2 and though painting interrupted
 his labours1 he did not abandon it     
until his death1 and hence1 some of the 
historical compositions were completed  
by other hands1 as is supposed from his 
cartoons4 ,he executed the ,sacrifice of
 ,isaac1 in figures as large as life2   
and ,moses striking the ,rock1 with a   
crowd of ,hebrews rushing to catch the  
water1 and slake their thirst2 besides  
several other subjects1 which are       
described by ,vasari2 and more minutely 
by ,landi4#bie ,i shall subjoin a few   
observations on the mechanism of the    
art4 ,the first attempt of ,beccafumi   
was to compose a picture of inlaid wood1
 which was long preserved in the studio 
of ,vanni1 and afterwards was in the    
possession of the ,counts of the ,delci 

family4 ,he represented the ,conversion 
of ,s4 ,paul in this piece1 by employing
 wood of the colours only that were     
necessary to produce a chiaroscuro4     
,after this model he selected white     
marble for the light parts of his       
figures1 and the very purest for the    
catching lights2 grey marble for the    
middle tints1 black for the shadows1 and
 for the darkest lines he sometimes     
employed a black stucco4 ,he cut the    
pieces of these marbles1 which are all  
indigenous1 and inlaid them so nicely   
that the joinings are not easily        
discernible4 ,this has induced some to  
believe that white marble is alone      
employed in this pavement1 and that the 
middle tints and shadows are formed by  
certain very penetrating colours1       
capable of softening the marble and of  
colouring it throughout4 ,we learn from 
a letter of ,gallaccini1 that this idea 
was adopted by some natives of ,siena1  
and it appears from another of          
,mariette1 that this great connoisseur  

was impressed with it1 and gained over  
,bottari to his opinion4#bif ,inspection
 overturns this supposition1 for we may 
discover the seams between the different
 colours2 and this circumstance induces 
the author of the ,sienese ,letters and 
the best informed persons1 to disbelieve
 the artificial colouring of the marble4
 ,the truth is1 the secret of colouring 
marble was not then known1 but was      
afterwards discovered in ,siena by      
,michelangiolo ,vanni1 who has          
transmitted the memory of his invention 
to posterity4#big ,he erected a monument
 for his father1 ,cav4 ,francesco1 with 
columns1 ornaments1 festoons1 and       
figures of children2 accompanied by a   
genealogy of the family1 which were all 
designed on a white slab1 and every part
 carefully and appropriately coloured1  
so as to resemble mosaic of different   
marbles4 ,it is supposed that the       
colours were imparted to the marble by  
some mineral essences to impregnate it1 
because they penetrated a considerable  

way4 ,he entitles himself the inventor  
of this art1 in the monumental          
inscription4 ,a secret of this nature   
was known to ,niccolo ,tornioli1 of     
,siena1 about the year #afdj2 and this  
artist is said to have painted a        
,veronica in that manner1 the marble of 
which he caused to be sawed1 and the    
same picture was found on each side of  
the section4#bih ,he was probably a     
scholar of ,vanni2 and the latter seems 
anxious by the inscription that he      
should not claim the honour of the      
invention4 ,the connexion of the subject
 has led me to notice these two artists 
in this place4 ,their true place is in  
the third epoch of the ,sienese school1 
to which ,i shall immediately proceed4  
,footnote #bge3 ,baldinucci1 in his     
,life of ,antonio ,veneziano1 contends  
that this artist resided1 during some   
time1 at ,siena2 but the silence of the 
city historians as to such a fact1 leads
 us to doubt the truth of his assertion4
  ,footnote #bgf3 ,vasari calls him a   

pretty good master in the ,life of ,d4  
,bartolommeo3 from the note of ,bottari 
on this passage we collect that he      
flourished about #aejj4 ,gigli makes him
 the master of ,beccafumi4  ,footnote   
#bgg3 ,there is a ,coronation of the    
,virgin by him at ,fonte ,giusta1 and a 
picture1 representing various saints1 at
 ,carmine1 dated #aeab4  ,footnote #bgh3
 ,see ,lett4 ,sanesi1 tom4 iii4 p4 #cbj1
 where the inscription of ,signorelli on
 his pictures in the ,petrucci palace is
 quoted1 and ,vasari is corrected4      
,footnote #bgi3 ,he is thus named by    
,baldinucci2 but ,vasari1 in his ,life  
of ,razzi1 mentions a ,girolamo del     
,pacchia1 a rival of ,razzi himself2 and
 this person appears to be              
,pacchiarotto4 ,he also mentions ,giomo1
 or ,girolamo del ,sodoma1 who died     
young2 and whom both ,orlandi and       
,bottari have confounded with           
,pacchiarotto2 when we ought rather to  
believe that he was a pupil of ,razzi1  
and died while he was yet young4        

,footnote #bhj3 ,mattaccio signifies a  
buffoon4 ,tr4  ,footnote #bha3 ,in ,p4  
della ,valle1 in the ,supplement to the 
life of ,razzi1 ,see ,vasari1 edit4 of  
,siena1 p4 #big4 ,in the following page 
there is a chronological error4 ,he     
agrees with ,baldinucci that ,razzi was 
born in #adgi1 and says that his picture
 of ,s4 ,francis was executed in #adij1 
that is1 when the artist was about      
eleven years of age4  ,footnote #bhb3   
,see also ,perini1 in his ,lettera su l'
 ,archicenobio di ,monte ,oliveto1 p4   
#di1 where he defends ,razzi from the   
charge of indecorum made by ,vasari1 on 
a view of the grotesques and fancy      
subjects which he painted in that place4
  ,footnote #bhc3 ,tom4 iii4 p4 #bdc4   
,footnote #bhd3 ,i am in doubt as to his
 native place4 ,the name of one         
,scalobrinus ,pistoriensis1 a painter of
 merit1 and belonging to the same age1  
is found inscribed at the church of ,s4 
,francesco1 without the ,tuscan gate1   
where he left seven specimens of        

altar-pieces4 ,memorie per le belle     
,arti1 tom4 ii4 p4 #aij4  ,footnote     
#bhe3 ,see ,sig4 da ,morrona1 tom4 i4 p4
 #aaf4 ,mecherino there painted the     
,evangelists1 and some historical pieces
 from the life of ,moses3 ,razzi        
executed in the same place a ,descent   
from the ,cross1 and an ,abraham        
offering his ,son1 which are among his  
last1 and not his best works4  ,footnote
 #bhf3 ,the ,sienese historians prove   
this in opposition to ,vasari1 who makes
 him by descent a ,florentine4 ,see     
,lett4 ,sen4 tom4 iii4 p4 #agh4         
,footnote #bhg3 ,for his labours in the 
cathedral of ,siena he had thirty crowns
 a year2 as the architect of ,s4        
,peter's1 two hundred and fifty4 ,he    
derived little advantage from private   
commissions1 for people generally took  
advantage of his modesty1 in either not 
paying him at all1 or rewarding him     
scantily4  ,footnote #bhh3 ,i saw one in
 the possession of ,cav4 ,cavaceppi in  
,rome1 of which this great connoisseur  

used to say1 that it might pass for a   
,raffaello1 if it had been as like in   
colouring as in every thing else4 ,the  
,sergardi family at ,siena have another1
 and a ,holy ,family1 by ,razzi1 as its 
companion4 ,these are reckoned among    
their first performances1 and are       
believed to have been painted in        
competition with each other4 ,in that of
 ,peruzzi one recognizes1 even at that  
time1 that elegance of design which he  
delighted afterwards to exhibit in his  
figures1 especially in the ,chigi1 now  
called the ,farnese palace4  ,footnote  
#bhi3 ,it is a fresco1 and1 though      
retouched1 surprises at once by the     
novelty and expression of the figures4  
,a4 ,caracci designed it for one of his 
studies4  ,footnote #bij3 ,lett4 vii4   
,footnote #bia3 ,siena ,illustre4       
,footnote #bib3 ,the expression in the  
original is3 condotto con quella bella  
grazia che si vede-non murato1 ma       
veramente nato4 ,vasari4  ,footnote     
#bic3 ,p4 #aia4  ,footnote #bid3        

,serlio1 #a4 c4  ,footnote #bie3        
,lettere ,senesi1 tom4 iii4 lett4 #f4   
,see also lett4 #h4 page #bbc1 where    
there are many observations on the      
design of ,mecherino1 and on the        
execution committed to the ,martini1    
brothers1 and eminent sculptors of that 
period4 ,for the prints from their works
 by ,andreani and ,gabuggiani1 see the  
notes of ,bottari on the life of        
,mecherino1 p4 #dce4  ,footnote #bif3   
,see ,lett4 ,pittoriche1 tom4 i4 p4     
#caa1 and tom4 iv4 p4 #cdd4 ,see also   
,notes on ,vasari1 tom4 iv4 p4 #dcf4    
,ed4 ,fiorentin4  ,footnote #big3 ,he   
inscribed the monument1 ,francisco      
,vannio 444 ,michael ,angelus 444 novae 
hujus in petra pingendi artis inventor  
et ,raphael 444 ,filii parenti optimo m4
 p4 a4 #afef4  ,footnote #bih3 ,see the 
note of ,bottari on ,gallaccini's       
letter4 tom4 i4 p4 #cjh4       ,,sienese
 ,,school4     ,,epoch ,,iii4    ,the   
art having declined in ,siena through   
the disasters of   the state1 is revived

 by the labours of ,salimbeni and his   
sons4   ,we have related the progress   
and best works of the ,sienese school   
from the beginning1 to about the middle 
of the sixteenth century2 but we have   
not yet considered a circumstance that  
adds greatly to the merit of the artists
 and works of that period4 ,if we search
 into the history of that half century1 
we shall find that all ,italy groaned   
under the pressure of public calamities2
 but ,siena1 to a greater degree1 and   
for a longer period than any other      
place1 endured an accumulation of the   
most terrible evils4 ,famine1           
pestilence1 and a suspension of         
commercial intercourse1 afflicted other 
states1 but here they seem to have      
exhausted their rage3 civil commotions  
and external enemies agitated other     
states1 but here1 during a period of    
many years1 they allowed not a moment of
 tranquillity4 ,the republic of ,siena1 
strong in the valour of her citizens1   
was feeble in every thing besides2 and  

hence it resembled a gulph1 where       
tempests are more frequent and more     
violent than on the ocean4 ,the         
usurpation of the ,petrucci1 the        
dissensions between the nobles and the  
people1 and jealousy of foreign powers1 
who sought her subjugation1 kept ,siena 
in constant alarm1 and often incited to 
arms and to bloodshed4 ,the remedy which
 they now expected in the protection of 
the emperor1 at another time from       
,france1 only served to aggravate       
internal commotion and foreign          
aggression4 ,amid this perpetual        
agitation1 ,i know not whether most to  
admire the genius of the people1 ever   
directed to the decoration of their     
houses and public edifices1 or the      
spirit of the artists1 who could summon 
all the powers of their minds to such   
efforts3 this ,i know1 that similar     
instances are rare in other countries4  
,the year #aeee at length arrived1 when 
,cosmo ,i4 deprived the ,sienese of     
their long defended liberty4 ,to any    

enemy but the ,florentines they would   
have submitted with less reluctance2 and
 on this account our astonishment is    
lessened on finding that1 on this       
occasion1 two thirds of the inhabitants 
abandoned their native soil1 refusing to
 live subject to enemies so abhorred4   
,at this time1 and in the disasters     
above alluded to1 the city lost many    
able artists1 and also several families1
 from whom eminent artists were         
descended1 and whose ,sienese origin is 
confirmed by history4 ,baglione says of 
,camillo ,mariani1 that he was born at  
,vicenza1 and that his father was a     
native of ,siena1 who had expatriated   
himself on account of the wars2 and he  
praises the cabinet pictures of this    
artist1 who died at ,rome with the      
reputation of an excellent sculptor4 ,i 
likewise find at ,bologna an ,agostino  
,marcucci1 of ,siena1 who is wholly     
unknown in that place1 probably because 
he was the son of an emigrant4 ,he was a
 disciple of the ,caracci1 till a schism

 arose in that school1 which we shall   
notice in its proper place1 when he     
ranged himself with the foremost        
adherents of ,facini1 the leader of the 
party1 and they had the boldness to set 
up a new academy in opposition to that  
of the ,caracci4 ,he continued to reside
 in ,bologna1 and to teach to the time  
of his death1 and is reckoned by        
,malvasia among the first men of that   
age4 ,of his scholars ,malvasia mentions
 only ,ruggieri1 and he only notices one
 of his pictures at the ,concezione2#bii
 to which several others1 however1 are  
added in the ,new ,guide4  ,siena1 in   
the mean time1 began to breathe from her
 misfortunes1 and to be reconciled to   
the new government1 which1 through the  
prudence of ,cosmo1 appeared rather a   
reformation in the old1 than a new      
domination4 ,no long time elapsed before
 the void left in the city by the       
artists who had emigrated was filled up 
by others4 ,rustico had remained there1 
as well as his superior1 ,riccio1 who   

painted the celebrated scene1 already   
noticed1 on the coming of ,cosmo4 ,siena
 also possessed ,tozzo and ,bigio1 whom 
,lancillotti reckons among the most     
famous painters1 ,i believe1 in small   
figures2 and it is not easy to          
distinguish between those two artists1  
who had an extraordinary similarity of  
style4 ,arcangiolo ,salimbeni1 who is   
expressly said by ,baldinucci to be a   
scholar of ,federigo ,zuccari1 may have 
received the rudiments of the art from  
one of them4 ,perhaps1 as the historian 
goes on to say1 during his residence at 
,rome he might contract an intimate     
friendship with ,zuccari2 but the style 
of ,salimbeni discovers very opposite   
principles from those of that master2   
and notwithstanding all researches1 no  
one has succeeded in finding pictures of
 his that bear indications of that      
school4 ,he loved precision more than   
fulness of design2 and we may even      
observe in him an attachment to the     
manner of ,pietro ,perugino1 as was     

observed by ,della ,valle with regard to
 a ,crucifixion attended by six ,saints1
 in the parish church of ,lusignano4 ,in
 his other pictures at ,siena1          
especially in the ,s4 ,peter-,martyr1 in
 possession of the ,dominicans1 he      
appears wholly modern2#cjj but diligent1
 and free from the defects which we     
often observe in ,federigo1 who may be  
considered as a professed mannerist of  
that period4 ,it was the good fortune of
 the ,sienese school1 that ,riccio was  
succeeded by this artist1 who1 if he had
 not a lofty genius1 possessed1 at      
least1 the judgment to avoid the faults 
of his contemporaries4 ,hence1 amid the 
degeneracy of the neighbouring schools  
this remained uncontaminated1 or but    
slightly infected2 and the new disciples
 it sent forth contributed to the       
improvement of the art in ,italy4 ,they 
were not so much attached to home as    
,mecherino2 they painted equally well   
beyond the territory of ,siena2 they    
visited very distant cities1 and in them

 all left specimens of their art1 both  
in public and in private1 which are     
still preserved4 ,after receiving the   
first instruction from ,salimbeni1 or   
some less known artist1 each chose his  
own guide4 ,we shall here proceed with  
their history4  ,after receiving the    
rudiments of the art at ,siena1 ,pietro 
,sorri went to ,florence1 under         
,passignano1 and became his son-in-law1 
and the associate of his labours in that
 place and in ,venice4 ,he emulated the 
style of ,passignano1 which partook1 as 
we have observed1 of the ,florentine and
 the ,venetian3 he succeeded so well1   
that their works bear a perfect         
resemblance1 and are held in equal      
estimation4 ,he painted less            
expeditiously than his father-in-law2   
but his colouring was more durable1 and1
 if ,i mistake not1 his design more     
graceful4 ,the convent of ,s4           
,sebastian1 which was ornamented by a   
competition of the best ,sienese artists
 of this epoch1 has one of his pictures1

 which are rather uncommon in ,siena2   
for his best years were spent in other  
places4 ,he was much at ,florence3 and  
afterwards visited many other ,tuscan   
cities2 and there is scarcely any       
considerable place among them which     
cannot boast the efforts of his easy and
 graceful pencil2 but particularly      
,pisa1 the cathedral of which could not 
but attract such an artist4 ,he there   
represented the ,consecration of that   
church on one large canvas1 and1 on     
another1 ,christ disputing with the     
,doctors1 which is inscribed with his   
name3 and never did he approach nearer  
to the excellence of ,paul ,veronese in 
architecture and other accompaniments4  
,he was employed in the ,carthusian     
monastery of ,pavia1 and also in ,genoa1
 where we shall find him as a preceptor 
in that school4  ,casolani took his     
surname from ,casole1 the little town   
from which his family removed to ,siena4
 ,in the ducal gallery of ,florence     
there is a portrait of a lady with three

 men1 in the same piece1 which is said  
to represent ,lucrezia ,piccolomini1    
with her three sons1 ,alessandro        
,casolani1 ,francesco ,vanni1 and       
,ventura ,salimbeni1 whom she bore to   
different husbands1 in the course of a  
few years4 ,this makes ,alessandro the  
stepson of ,arcangiolo ,salimbeni1 and  
the uterine brother of ,ventura and of  
,vanni4 ,i cannot find this story in any
 author1 except in ,niccolo ,pio1 a     
,roman writer of no authority1 whose    
manuscript1 containing notices of two   
hundred and fifty artists1 which was    
drawn up about #agbd1 is preserved in   
the ,vatican library4#cja ,the old      
writers of ,siena have taken no notice  
of so remarkable an event1 and we       
cannot1 therefore1 give credit to ,pio1 
a stranger1 and a modern author4 ,the   
relation then in which ,alessandro      
stands to ,arcangiolo is that of        
scholar2 but he learnt more from ,cav4  
,roncalli in ,siena and in ,rome4 ,he   
remained long in the latter city3 he    

designed the finest works it contained1 
and obtained some idea of different     
styles4 ,this knowledge was increased by
 a journey which he made some years     
afterwards to ,pavia1 where he painted  
in the ,carthusian monastery1 and in    
other places4 ,his manner is            
prodigiously varied4 ,it exhibits traces
 of the best style of ,roncalli1 a good 
design1 sobriety of composition1 a      
modesty of colouring1 and tranquil      
harmony4 ,he seems also to have aimed at
 originality1 for he was continually    
altering his style1 mingling it with the
 graces of various artists1 and         
sometimes striking out into a novel     
path4 ,he possessed promptness of genius
 and of execution3 he was quick in      
committing his ideas to the canvas2 and 
when dissatisfied with his work1 he     
often chose to cancel the whole1 rather 
than to correct a part4 ,although       
unacquainted with ideal beauty1 he was  
esteemed by ,guido1 who may be          
considered as the father of modern      

painters1 and who said of him this truly
 is a painter4 ,whoever would see his   
best work1 may examine the martyrdom of 
,s4 ,bartholomew1 at the ,carmine of    
,siena4 ,it is a picture of considerable
 size1 with great variety in the figures
 and in the expression1 and altogether  
excites surprise4 ,we are told that when
 ,roncalli examined it1 he at length    
exclaimed1 that the art of that period  
was comprised in that picture4 ,but the 
short life of ,casolani prevented him   
attaining the excellence which this     
specimen promised4 ,his works are in    
various cities of ,tuscany1 and also in 
,naples1 ,genoa1 and ,fermo1 in the     
metropolitan church of which there is a 
picture of ,s4 ,louis of ,france1 that  
is numbered among the choice paintings  
in that city4  ,a good many of his works
 in ,siena shew traces of1 and even     
whole figures by other hands2 having    
been finished by ,vanni1 and ,ventura   
,salimbeni1 or by other artists1 either 
of his own or of different schools4     

,ilario ,casolani1 his son1 by a        
daughter of ,rustici1 finished the      
,assumption for the ,church of ,s4      
,francis2 and afterwards went to ,rome1 
where he was noticed by ,cav4           
,pomaranci1 out of respect to his       
father1 says ,mancini1 as of a thing he 
knew1 and adds1 that ,pomaranci had good
 hopes of him4 ,baglione and ,pio called
 him ,cristoforo1 a name he1 perhaps1   
received along with several others at   
baptism2 and which probably the ,sienese
 artist thought more becoming at ,rome  
than ,ilario1 since he is named         
,cristoforo1 by ,roncalli4 ,under       
,pomaranci he became a proficient in his
 style in fresco1 and imitated it       
particularly at ,madonna de' ,monti1 in 
some pictures from the history of the   
,virgin1 and in an ,ascension on the    
ceiling2 the best work1 perhaps1        
produced in the short course of his     
life4 ,titi uniformly names him         
,cristoforo ,consolano2 but a           
consideration of the anecdotes of       

,mancini and ,baglione leads us to      
convert it into ,casolano4 ,a           
,resurrection of ,lazarus1 begun by     
,alessandro for the church of ,s4       
,francis1 was finished by ,vincenzio    
,rustici2 who was probably his scholar  
and his kinsman1 and who is the least   
celebrated among this family of         
painters4 ,one of his pictures1 intended
 for ,santuccio1 was finished by        
,sebastiano ,folli4 ,the frescos of this
 artist are more numerous at ,siena than
 his oil pictures3 the ornamental parts 
of them are superior to his figures1 in 
which he inclined to mannerism2 his     
compartments are beautiful1 his         
architecture finely conducted1 his      
imitations of stucco deceive the eye1   
and he was expert in foreshortening what
 was to be seen from below4 ,in #afjh he
 painted the frescos of ,s4 ,sebastian1 
in competition with various artists1 and
 in this trial of skill he only yields  
to ,rutilio ,manetti4 ,in the ,guide of 
the ,cav4 ,pecci ,i find mention made of

 designs of ,casolani1 executed in      
fresco by ,stefano ,volpi1 whose name   
not unfrequently occurs in that work1   
and who was probably a scholar of that  
excellent artist4  ,cav4 ,ventura1 the  
son of ,a4 ,salimbeni1 is reckoned the  
third scholar of that master1 though his
 lessons from ,arcangiolo must have been
 but few4 ,the young man left his home  
early1 and journeying through the cities
 of ,lombardy1 he studied the works of  
,correggio and others1 whose taste began
 to be applauded in ,tuscany4 ,he went  
to ,rome in the pontificate of ,sixtus  
,v4 and raised a very favourable opinion
 of his genius1 which1 giving himself up
 to dissipation1 he did not afterwards  
fulfil4 ,in that city he left many      
frescos that are praised by ,baglione1  
among which1 the ,abraham entertaining  
the ,angels1 in a chapel of the ,gesu1  
appears1 on the whole1 the work of a    
consummate painter4 ,it has something   
lively and graceful in the colouring and
 the countenances1 which he always      

retained3 it also shews attention to    
design and chiaroscuro1 which1 in a     
great measure1 he afterwards neglected  
in his paintings4 ,in conjunction with  
,vanni he executed some ceilings1 and1  
perhaps1 derived advantage from         
observing this painter1 though his      
junior by eight years4 ,in many of his  
works he undoubtedly resembles him in   
his imitation of ,baroccio1 and hardly  
yields to him in grace of contour1 in   
expression1 and in delicacy and         
clearness of colouring4 ,he is admired  
in the church of ,s4 ,quirico1 and in   
that of ,s4 ,domenick3 in the one is his
 ,appearance of the ,angel at the       
,sepulchre2 in the other a ,crucifixion1
 with various ,saints around1 which are 
superior to the generality of his works4
 ,in several other places in ,siena     
there are others of great merit1        
especially where he painted in the      
vicinity of the works of the best       
masters of his school4 ,he likewise     
executed some beautiful historical      

pieces when he vied with ,poccetti1 in  
the cloister of the ,servi at ,florence1
 and in the cathedral of ,pisa1 where he
 was surrounded by such great painters4 
,his ,marriage of the ,virgin1 in the   
cathedral of ,foligno1 his ,s4 ,gregory1
 in the church of ,s4 ,peter at         
,perugia1 his works in ,lucca1 in       
,pavia1 and in various cities of ,italy1
 justify the remark of ,baglione1 that  
,salimbeni was impatient of remaining   
long in any one place4 ,in ,genoa1      
however1 his stay was not so short4 ,the
 beautiful chamber in the ,adorno       
palace1 and other works which he there  
executed1 are still in existence1 while 
many others have perished4 ,he went to  
,genoa at the same time with ,agostino  
,tassi1 who served him for an ornamental
 and landscape painter1 and1 perhaps1 it
 was through him that ,ottavio          
,ghissoni1 of ,siena1 came to that      
place2 an artist1 if ,i am not mistaken1
 forgotten in the annals of his own     
country2 in fresco he was more lively   

than correct4 ,he studied at ,rome under
 ,cherubino ,alberti2 but his country1  
his style1 and the time of his arrival  
at ,genoa1 afford ground to suspect that
 he had also received the lessons of    
,salimbeni4 ,soprani gives ,ventura the 
surname of ,bevilacqua1 which is rather 
an addition to his name granted him by  
,cardinal ,bevilacqua when he knighted  
him in ,perugia4  ,cav4 ,francesco      
,vanni1 in the opinion of many1 is the  
best painter of this school2 and is     
reckoned one of the restorers of        
,italian painting in the sixteenth      
century4 ,the early instruction of his  
genius is to be assigned with greater   
probability to his brother than to his  
stepfather4 ,at sixteen years of age he 
went to ,rome1 for the purpose of       
designing after ,raffaello and the best 
masters4 ,he was for some time under the
 tuition of ,gio4 de' ,vecchi1 whose    
style he introduced into his native     
country4 ,there are specimens of him in 
many churches1 and it is related that   

they were not relished by his fellow    
citizens2 a circumstance which might    
occasion him uneasiness at the time1 but
 soon after afforded him a lasting      
source of satisfaction4 ,it induced him 
to examine the pictures of ,lombardy1 as
 his brother had done3 and having       
remained in ,parma to design some of    
them1 he afterwards went to ,bologna1   
where he was assiduously occupied4      
,ugurgieri writes that he was at that   
place in #affg1 at which time he was    
twelve years old3 this ,i believe to be 
incorrect2 for it was unknown to        
,mancini1 who was acquainted with       
,vanni4 ,malvasia repeats it on the     
authority of ,ugurgieri2 but he can     
discover nothing further of ,vanni1 at  
,bologna1 than his being there after he 
had arrived at manhood1 and designing in
 the academy of ,facini and ,mirandola1 
to which he was probably introduced by  
his countryman ,marcucci4 ,he left some 
works at ,bologna1 in the style of the  
,caracci1 if he is the painter of a     

,madonna1 which was shewn me as a       
,vanni1 in a cabinet of the ,zambeccari 
collection4 ,his ,flight into ,egypt1   
painted for the church of ,s4 ,quirico1 
in ,siena1 bears also undoubted marks of
 the ,bolognese school4  ,although he   
attempted other styles1 he was not like 
,casolani an adherent to none4 ,vanni   
attached himself to the elegant and     
florid manner of ,barocci1 in which he  
was eminently successful4 ,of this1 the 
,humiliation of ,simon the ,sorcerer1   
which he painted on a stone slab for the
 church of ,s4 ,peter at ,rome1 affords 
a proof2 a picture which1 though        
recently cleaned with little judgment1  
is still an object of admiration4 ,both 
the design and colouring are in the     
manner of ,barocci2 and it is prepared  
with a due regard to the humidity of    
that church2 nor has it been found      
necessary to remove it1 as has happened 
to other pictures4 ,he also painted in  
,siena1 and in other ,italian cities1   
where he has approached the manner of   

,barocci more closely than ,viviani1 or 
any other pupil of that artist4 ,his    
,marriage of ,s4 ,catherine1 with a     
numerous group of angels1 at the        
,refugio1 is much praised in ,siena3 as 
is the ,madonna1 surrounded by saints1  
painted for the church of ,monna        
,agnese2 and the ,s4 ,raymond walking on
 the ,sea1 in the possession of the     
,domenican ,fathers1 which is supposed  
by some to be his best picture in       
,siena1 where his works are very        
numerous4 ,among the finest pictures in 
the cathedral of ,pisa1 is the ,dispute 
about the ,sacrament1 painted in        
emulation of his brother ,ventura1 who  
had surpassed his usual style in the    
altar-piece of the angels4 ,at the      
,umilta of ,pistoia1 in the convent of  
the ,camaldules of ,fabriano1 and in    
that of the ,capuchins of ,s4 ,quirico1 
are some of his most exquisite works2   
and they are so numerous in other       
places1 that ,i do not imagine a full   
catalogue of them has ever been made    

out4 ,he is generally a follower of     
,barocci1 as we have observed2 and      
amateurs1 deceived principally by his   
colouring1 and the heads of his boys1   
which appear cast in the mould of       
,barocci1 frequently confound the latter
 with ,vanni3 but one1 well acquainted  
with ,federigo1 observes in him more    
grandeur of design1 and greater freedom 
in the touches of the pencil4 ,the      
pictures which ,vanni executed          
negligently1 or at low prices 7of which 
there are several at ,siena71 can hardly
 be recognized as his4  ,by the example 
and lessons of ,vanni1 the honour of    
painting was long supported at ,siena4  
,he taught many pupils1 who did not1    
however1 rigidly adopt his style2 but1  
as is usually the case1 imitated the    
master most recently in vogue1 or1 in   
other words1 followed the fashion of the
 time4 ,we shall begin with his two     
sons1 to whom he had given the names    
most celebrated in the art4             
,michelangiolo1 the eldest1 we have     

mentioned with applause1 as the inventor
 of staining marble3 but he did not     
attain much celebrity except in this    
art4 ,i know not whether he ever was out
 of ,siena1 and there we find few of his
 paintings1 except a ,s4 ,catherine in  
the act of praying with the ,redeemer1  
which was painted for the ,olivetine    
monks4 ,raffaele1 the second1 left an   
orphan at the age of thirteen1 was      
recommended to ,antonio ,caracci1 and in
 that school1 according to ,mancini1    
made such progress as even to surpass   
his father2 but this is not the opinion 
of posterity4 ,all allow that he        
possessed grandeur of design1 and a fine
 taste in shadows and in colouring1 with
 some resemblance to ,cortona1 who1 in  
his day1 drew after him even his        
contemporaries4 ,the birth of the       
,virgin ,mary1 in the ,pace at ,rome1   
and several of his other pictures1 have 
no small portion of the ideas and       
contrasts of the followers of ,cortona4 
,he lived long in ,rome1 and on that    

account is frequently mentioned by      
,titi4 ,tuscany is not deficient in his 
works4 ,at the church of ,s4 ,catherine1
 at ,pisa1 there is a picture of the    
titular ,saint2 ,florence possesses the 
pictures of the ,riccardi saloon2 and at
 the church of ,s4 ,george1 in ,siena1  
is his ,procession of our ,saviour to   
,calvary4 ,these are esteemed among his 
finest productions2 and the last is     
characterized as his masterpiece4 ,both 
brothers had the honour of knighthood2  
but it was more worthily bestowed on the
 second than on the first4              
,contemporary with the ,cav4 ,raffaello1
 as well as his assistant at ,s4 ,maria 
della ,pace at ,rome1 and in several    
places at ,siena1 we find the name of   
,bernardino ,mei4 ,i am unacquainted    
with that of his master2 and ,p4 della  
,valle1 who saw several of his works1   
sometimes compares him to the ,caracci1 
at others to ,paul ,veronese1 and to    
,guercino1 much as the eclectic         
philosophers adopt or change the maxims 

of the different schools4 ,he commends  
him for the airs of his heads1 and1 as  
one of his best productions1 alludes to 
a fresco in the ,casa ,bandinelli1 with 
an ,aurora in a ceiling1 and with       
several other elegant figures and       
designs4  ,francesco di ,cristofano     
,rustici1 called ,rustichino1 is better 
known in ,siena than those just         
mentioned4 ,he obtained the name of     
,rustichino1 either because he was the  
last of a family that had produced three
 painters before him1 or because he died
 in the outset of life4 ,this           
circumstance1 perhaps1 has contributed  
to his reputation4 ,all his remaining   
works are beautiful1 which seldom       
happens to artists who live to a great  
age1 and who abate in diligence as they 
advance in reputation and in years4 ,he 
is a graceful follower of ,caravaggio2  
and particularly excels in confined or  
candle lights1 much in the style of     
,gherardo della ,notte2 but he is       
perhaps more select4 ,the ,dying        

,magdalen1 in possession of the ,grand  
,duke of ,tuscany1 and the ,s4          
,sebastian1 cured by ,s4 ,irene1 which  
belongs to ,prince ,borghese1 in ,rome1 
are in this style4 ,but it was not the  
only one in which ,rustichino painted4  
,he had visited ,rome1 and had studied  
the works of the ,caracci and of ,guido1
 of which traces may be discovered in   
several of his works2 but1 at the same  
time1 all of them possess a certain     
originality1 and something peculiarly   
his own4 ,the best of all his pictures  
at ,siena is an ,annunciation1 in       
,provenzano1 before which the ,virgin1  
,s4 ,catherine1 prays1 surrounded by a  
multitude of angels4 ,if ,rustichino    
pleases in other works1 in this he      
enchants us4 ,he began a work on the    
history of the city in the public       
palace1 in which his father1 whose      
figures were not equal to his           
decorations1 was also employed1 and it  
was finished by other artists4  ,rutilio
 ,manetti1 or1 as ,pecci writes it1     

,mannetti1 followed ,caravaggio with    
less discrimination1 but with greater   
force in the shadows4 ,his pictures at  
,siena are easily recognized by         
invariably partaking of a certain sombre
 hue1 which deranges the due balance and
 participation of light and shade4 ,the 
same objection lies against many of his 
contemporaries of every school4 ,the    
method of purifying colours1 and of     
composing vehicles1#cjb had degenerated2
 and the injury sustained from this     
defect was not observed in the pictures3
 the artist only looked to the grand    
effect1 to which the age so much        
aspired4 ,manetti united an improved    
design to ideas above the common order1 
and beautiful architecture2 and hence1  
at times1 he approaches rather to       
,guercino than to ,caravaggio4 ,in the  
cathedral of ,siena is his ,elijah under
 the juniper tree1 in which the         
historian of that church commends the   
force of the colouring1 which is juicy  
and natural4 ,many of his works remain  

in the ,carthusian monastery of         
,florence1 and in several churches of   
,siena1 the most admired of which is the
 ,repose of the ,holy ,family1 in ,s4   
,peter's of ,castelvecchio4 ,in private 
collections1 where pictures are better  
preserved than in churches1 we find very
 beautiful ,madonnas by this artist2 and
 there is a most exquisite ,lucretia in 
the possession of the ,bandinelli       
family4 ,he sometimes departed from his 
usual manner1 as in the ,triumph of     
,david1 in the ducal gallery1 in which  
the shadows are not so dark1 and the    
tone of the whole is more lively4       
,mention is made in the ,lettere        
,pittoriche1#cjc of ,bernardino         
,capitelli1 a scholar of ,manetti1 and  
an etcher3 and in the third volume there
 is casual mention of one ,domenico     
,manetti1 probably of the same family1  
but not to be mistaken for the great    
individual of the same name4 ,he appears
 rather to have employed himself in     
ornamenting private collections1 and    

painted a ,baptism of ,constantine for  
the casa ,magnoni1 that has been much   
commended4  ,astolfo ,petrazzi1 as well 
as ,vanni1 was a pupil of the younger   
,salimbeni and of ,sorri2 and seems1    
more than any other1 to have adhered to 
the manner of his master4 ,he frequently
 aims at pleasing the eye1 and not      
unfrequently chooses his models from the
 schools of ,upper ,italy4 ,a           
,marriage-feast of ,cana1 by his hand1  
in a private house1 brings ,paolo       
strongly to our recollection4 ,his      
,communion of ,s4 ,jerome1 in the       
possession of the ,augustine friars1    
partakes1 perhaps1 too strongly of the  
manner of the ,caracci4 ,this picture1  
which he painted at ,rome1 was much     
admired at ,siena1 and was the origin of
 his great employment in that city1     
where his pictures are always decorated 
with most pleasing choirs of angels4    
,his cabinet pictures were also lively2 
witness the four ,seasons at ,volte1 a  
seat of the noble family of ,chigi4 ,he 

kept an open academy for painting in his
 house1 which was much frequented by    
natives of ,siena1 and honoured by the  
attendance of ,borgognone1 who stopt    
some months with ,astolfo before he went
 to ,rome4 ,hence1 many of this artist's
 early battle-pieces and landscapes are 
to be met with at ,siena3 the house of  
,sig4 ,decano ,giovanelli1 a literary   
ornament of that city1 abounded with    
them4  ,i find some other painters of   
this school who are known beyond the    
state of ,siena4 ,antiveduto            
,grammatica1 an eminent painter1 of     
,sienese extraction1 was known at ,rome1
 where he was president of the academy  
of ,s4 ,luke4 ,it is true that he was   
deprived of that office for attempting  
to substitute one of his own copies for 
a ,s4 ,luke1 by ,raffaello1 which he had
 sold to a gentleman4 ,he had a peculiar
 talent in the art of copying1          
especially heads1 and1 on this account1 
he was a good portrait painter4         
,although we are not certain that he had

 any master but one ,domenico ,perugino1
 a painter of little wooden scenes1#cjd 
he obtained applause in large           
compositions4 ,there is an ,annunciation
 by ,grammatica of a most brilliant     
colouring1 in the hospital of the       
,incurables2 and several of his other   
pictures1 in different churches4 ,he    
died at ,rome in #afbf4  ,two other     
artists1 unknown in their native place1 
are made known to me by their           
signatures4 ,on a ,last ,supper1 in the 
convent of the ,angioli1 below ,assisi1 
,i discovered ,franciscus ,antonius     
,senensis1 #afad1 or thereabouts4 ,the  
style has enough of ,baroccio to lead me
 to suspect that he was the scholar of  
,vanni1 or of ,salimbeni3 nor must he be
 reckoned the meanest of that school1   
for he was master of expression in a    
degree superior to mediocrity4 ,the     
figure of the departing ,judas is the   
image of desperate resolve1 and would be
 much better had he not given it the    
feet of a bat2 a grotesque conceit4 ,in 

the same neighbourhood1 at the church of
 ,foligno1 ,i read1 beneath a ,holy     
,family1 the name of ,marcantonio       
,grecchi1 and the date #afcd4 ,the style
 is solid1 expressive1 and correct2 more
 resembling ,tiarini di ,bologna than   
any master of ,siena4 ,niccolo          
,tornioli1 lately mentioned1 painted in 
the church of ,s4 ,paul1 at ,bologna1 in
 various cities of ,italy3 in ,siena he 
left1 perhaps1 no picture in public but 
the ,vocation of ,s4 ,matthew1 still    
remaining in the custom-house4 ,towards 
the close of the century1 painting was  
practised at ,siena chiefly by          
foreigners4 ,annibale ,mazzuoli1 a      
fresco painter of rapid execution but of
 little merit1 was most employed3 he    
afterwards went to ,rome1 and is the    
last name inserted in the ,eulogies of  
,pio4  ,painting1 however1 came again   
into repute at ,siena1 about #agjj1 when
 its credit was restored by ,cav4       
,giuseppe ,nasini1 a scholar of ,ciro   
,ferri4 ,nasini possessed the qualities 

for which ,i have commended many of his 
nation1 a fervid genius1 a fertile      
imagination1 and a poetic vein2 but his 
poetry was of the species that prevailed
 in ,italy during his younger days1 a   
composition unrestrained by fixed rules4
 ,to this spirit we not unfrequently    
discover some analogy in his paintings1 
in which we could desire to find more   
order1 a more choice design1 and        
colouring less vulgar4 ,he always shews1
 however1 a taste for allegory1 great   
command of pencil1 and an imposing air  
on the whole2 and the observation of    
,redi1 that he stuns the beholder1 is   
not without some foundation4#cje ,this  
remark was made when ,nasini had        
finished the cupola of the chapel of ,s4
 ,anthony1 in the church of the         
,apostles at ,rome2 in which chapel     
there is a picture by ,luti4 ,he        
afterwards entered into a competition   
with ,luti1 and the first artists then  
in ,rome1 in the large prophets of the  
lateran cathedral4 ,his masterpiece is  

supposed to be the ,s4 ,leonard1 in     
,madonna del ,pianto1 at ,foligno1 the  
ceiling of which he painted with good   
frescos4 ,siena contains some of his    
finest productions of every kind2 above 
all1 the pictures of the ,novissimi1    
intended for the ,pitti palace1 but     
transferred from it to the church of the
 ,conventuals of ,siena4 ,it contains a 
great number of figures neither so      
select nor so well arranged as to arrest
 the eye of the spectator2 but he who   
would contemptuously overlook it1 let   
him say how many painters then in ,italy
 could have produced such a picture4    
,giuseppe brought up two pupils in his  
house4 ,he had a brother named ,antonio1
 who was a priest1 whose likeness is    
among the eminent portrait painters in  
the gallery at ,florence4 ,cav4         
,apollonio ,nasini1 the son of          
,giuseppe1 was inferior to his father in
 the profession2 yet assisted him in his
 greatest works1 and held an honourable 
rank among his contemporaries4 ,gioseffo

 ,pinacci1 of ,siena1 a disciple of     
,mehus in figures1 and of ,borgognone in
 battle-pieces1 lived in the time of    
,nasini4 ,he was a good painter of      
portraits1 and made a considerable      
fortune1 first at the court of ,carpio1 
,viceroy of ,naples1 and afterwards in  
the service of the grand duke           
,ferdinand1 at ,florence1 where several 
of his works remain4 ,but his chief     
merit consisted in a knowledge of the   
pencilling of the old masters4 ,nicolo  
,franchini distinguished himself rather 
by restoring the work of other hands    
than by his own productions1 and thus   
furnished ,pecci with much convenient   
information for his ,city ,guide2 by his
 skill1 says the ,cavaliere1 in         
restoring injured specimens to their    
original beauty1 without applying to    
them a fresh pencil1 and in supplying   
the faded colours with others taken from
 paintings of less value1 he entitled   
himself1 in fact1 to the praise of a new
 discovery4 ,we shall here conclude the 

school of ,siena2 and shall add in its  
praise1 that if it did not produce      
painters of the very highest class1 it  
at least boasts many artists1 eminent   
when we consider their era1 and few     
inferior1 or not above mediocrity4#cjf  
,it indeed appears1 that either a genius
 for painting is natural to that people1
 or that none of them have embraced the 
art who were not capable of prosecuting 
it successfully4  ,footnote #bii3 ,see  
,malvasia1 tom4 i4 p4 #ega2 and tom4 ii4
 p4 #cee4  ,footnote #cjj3 ,it has his  
name and the year #aegi1 which date must
 be false4 ,the widow of ,arcangiolo    
married again1 and bore ,francesco      
,vanni in #aefe4 ,consequently the      
latter could not be the scholar of      
,arcangiolo1 though such an idea is very
 prevalent2 and he could give lessons   
only for a short time to his son1       
,ventura1 or to ,sorri1 and ,casolani1  
if the period of their birth is true4   
,footnote #cja3 ,see letter #abg in vol4
 v4 of ,lett4 ,pittor41 in which there  

is a catalogue of those painters4       
,footnote #cjb3 ,the idea that the      
brilliant colouring of the ,venetian    
school was owing to the use of a        
peculiar vehicle for the colours1 or a  
certain varnish1 has been long          
entertained by artists and connoisseurs2
 and the opinion has been sanctioned by 
great names3 yet it is highly probable  
that the great secret of the ,venetian  
painters consisted not in vehicles nor  
in varnishes1 but in employing mineral  
colours1 and in laying them on the      
canvas as little mixed as possible4 ,no 
colour derived from the vegetable       
kingdom will stand well when mixed with 
oil1 and our best colours are composed  
of metallic oxides1 or earthy bodies    
highly charged with those oxides4 ,when 
colours are much mixed on the palette   
they become invariably muddy1 and to him
 who aims at brilliancy of colouring no 
maxim is of greater consequence than to 
keep his palette as clean as possible4  
,the use of transparent colours in the  

shadows is another great cause of       
brilliancy1 and this cannot be obtained 
by the use of mixed colours4 ,it is     
produced by what is called glazing1 or  
laying transparent colours one over     
another4 ,in nothing is the effect of   
glazing1 in giving transparency1 more   
obvious1 than in the astonishing        
clearness of the skies and water in the 
works of the best ,dutch artists4 ,that 
the magical effect of ,kuyp's pictures  
is thus produced1 ,i had an opportunity 
of knowing1 from the blunder of a       
picture-cleaner1 who thought he had made
 a great discovery when he found the    
,rhine of a deep blue in a picture by   
this master2 from which1 along with the 
varnish1 he had removed a thin coating  
of yellow1 with which the blue was      
glazed over1 to produce the beautiful   
greenish hue of the water4 7,note by    
,dr4 ,traile47  ,footnote #cjc3 ,tom4 i4
  ,footnote #cjd3 ,his name alone       
survives in ,perugia2 though it is      
believed that one of his pictures       

remains in the church of ,s4 ,angelo    
,magno1 at ,ascoli1 where the figure of 
,s4 ,giovanni is ascribed by ,lazzeri1  
in his ,ascoli in ,prospettiva1 to one  
,giandomenico da ,perugia1 and the      
landscape to ,gio4 ,francesco da        
,bologna1 that is to say1 to ,grimaldi4 
,the figure is in the ,guercino taste1  
according to the opinion of ,sig4       
,orsini2 but ,i cannot conceive how he  
or the ,sig4 ,mariotti 7p4 #bgc7 should 
not have remarked that it must be the   
production of ,giandomenico ,cerrini1 of
 ,perugia1 contemporary with ,grimaldi  
and ,guercino1 and not of that          
,domenico1 the painter of wooden scenes1
 who lived about an age anterior to     
them4  ,footnote #cje3 ,lett4           
,pittoriche1 tom4 ii4 p4 #fi4  ,footnote
 #cjf3 ,a few of the names that obtained
 least celebrity in ,siena are pointed  
out by ,p4 ,m4 della ,valle in the third
 volume of the ,lettere ,senesi1 7p4    
#dei17 among which are found            
,crescienzio ,gamberelli ,nasinesco1    

,deifobo ,burbarini1 a poor artist1     
,aurelio ,martelli1 called ,il ,mutolo1 
,gio4 ,batista ,ramacciotti1 a priest   
and connoisseur in painting2 and the    
same may be said of ,bernardino ,fungai1
 and of the noble ,marcello ,loli1 of   
,galgano ,perpignano1 with others of    
like merit1 either omitted or slightly  
mentioned by ,sig4 ,pecci4 ,p4 della    
,valle excuses himself from the task of 
treating of them in favor of happier    
writers1 but as we do not pretend to    
aspire to that felicity1 we shall leave 
others to avail themselves of the       
,father's liberality4            ,,end  
,,of ,,vol4 ,i4    ,j4 ,m',creery1      
,tooks ,court1   ,chancery-lane1        
,london4        ,transcriber's ,notes3  
,archaic punctuation and spelling of    
words1 names1 titles1 and places1       
were not changed4    ,minor punctuation 
errors were corrected4 ,inconsistent    
hyphenation     was standardized4       
,footnotes were moved to the end of each
 chapter4    ,a chapter heading was     

added to ,florentine ,school1 ,epoch ,i1
 ,section ,,iii1     for consistency    
with remaining chapters4    ,in the     
original1 footnote #bdd contains an     
oversized letter ',i' in the     word   
',,copisqve1' to represent a double ',i'
 of the word ',,copiisqve4'    ,in the  
phrase 'signed f4 #d s'1 the figure '#d'
 is rotated #ahj     degrees in the     
original text4    ,the following changes
 were made for consistency within the   
text4     'basso rilievos' and          
'bassorilievos' to 'basso-relievos'     
'mezzo-rilievo' and 'mezzorilievo' to   
'mezzo-relievo'    ',pieta' to ',pieta' 
',trinita' to ',trinita'                
',winckelman' to ',winckelmann'         
',zannetti' to ',zanetti'    ,other     
,changes3     ,page reference for ,epoch
 ,v in the ,table of ,contents corrected
 from #cec     to #cce4    '#agbj' to   
'#agij' based on another copy of the    
book and the sequence of     events in  
the text4      444,in the year #agij1   
,lanzi1444    'christian' to            

',christian'      444,lanzi was a good  
,christian1444    ',teofilos's' to      
',teofilo's'      444,teofilo's treatise
 is inserted444    'lamp blank' to 'lamp
 black'      444the ink 7lamp black or  
printer's444    ',desart' to ',desert'  
444,s4 ,john in the ,desert444          
'croud' to 'crowd'      444and a crowd  
of devotees444    'cotemporaries' to    
'contemporaries'      444and his        
contemporaries painted444    ',pysche'  
to ',psyche'      444,the features of   
,psyche have nothing444    'groupes' to 
'groups'      444groups of boys444