Albertinelli, Mariotto, 1474-1515; Bartolomeo, fra, 1472-1517; Sarto, Andrea del, 1486-1530
The _Madonna del Sacco_, over the door of the entrance to the church
from the cloister, would seem to have been painted in the same year,
1514, judging from Biadi's extract from the MS. account books of the
Servite Fathers existing in the archives, where is an entry "Giugno,
1514, ad Andrea del Sarto, per resto della Madonna del Sacco, lire 56."
This term _resto_ (remainder) would imply a previous payment. The money
was a thank-offering from a woman for having been absolved from a vow by
one of the Servite priests. Like all his other frescoes of this church,
Andrea only gained ten scudi for this masterpiece. The date of MDXXV.
and the words "Quem genuit adoravit" on the pilasters of this work have
led most writers to suppose it painted in that year; but it is probable
they were added by a later hand. Biadi [Footnote: Biadi, _Notizie_, &c.,
p. 42 note.] says the letters are of the style of nearly two centuries
later, that Andrea would have signed it, like all his other and works,
with his monogram of the crossed A's (i.e. Andrea d' Agnolo). For
charming soft harmonies of colour, simplicity, and grace of design, this
surpasses all his other frescoes. The Madonna has an imposing grandeur
of form, there is a boyish strength and moulding in the limbs of the
child which is very expressive, the dignity of Joseph and majesty of the
Virgin are not to be surpassed; and yet the whole is given in a space so
cramped that all the figures have to be reclining or sitting.
[Illustration of Monogram]
After this Andrea returned to the Scalzo, the Barefoot Brothers offering
better pay than the Servites. Here he did the allegory of _Justice_
and the _Sermon of S. John_ in monochrome. In these he took a fancy to
retrograde his style, for they have the rugged force and angular form
that recalls the more stern old Italian masters, or that Titan of
northern art, Albrecht Dürer.
Of his works in oil at this era we may class--
1. The _Story of Joseph_, painted for Zanobi Girolami Bracci, which
Borghini judges a beautiful picture. The figures were small, but the
painting highly finished. It came afterwards into the possession of the
Medici family.
2. A _Madonna_, with decorations and models surrounding it like a frame,
was painted for Sansovino's patron, Giovanni Gaddi, afterwards clerk
of the chamber to Ferdinand I. It was existing in the collection of the
Gaddi Pozzi family in Borghini's time.
3. _Annunciation_, for Giovanni di Paolo Merciajo, now in the Hall
of Saturn in the Pitti Palace. It is a pretty composition, the Virgin
sitting, yet half kneeling, the angel on his knees before her. There is
a yellowish light in the sky between two looped dark green curtains; the
angel's yellow robe takes the light beautifully.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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