Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 01 (of 10): Cimabue to Agnolo GaddiVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 01 (of 10): Cimabue to Agnolo Gaddi
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
In like manner, very great feeling was that which he expressed in a sick
man stricken with certain sores, seeing that all the women who are round
him, overcome by the stench, are making certain grimaces of disgust, the
most gracious in the world. The foreshortenings, next, that are seen in
another picture among a quantity of beggars that he portrayed, are very
worthy of praise and should be held in great price among craftsmen,
because from them there came the first beginning and method of making
them, not to mention that it cannot be said that they are not passing
good for early work. But above everything else that is in this work,
most marvellous is the gesture that the aforesaid Blessed Michelina is
making towards certain usurers, who are disbursing to her the money from
the sale of her possessions for giving to the poor, seeing that in her
there is shown contempt of money and of the other things of this earth,
which appear to disgust her, and, in them, the personification of human
avarice and greed. Very beautiful, too, is the figure of one who, while
counting the money, appears to be making sign to the notary who is
writing, considering that, although he has his eyes on the notary, he is
yet keeping his hands on the money, thus revealing his love of it, his
avarice, and his distrust. In like manner, the three figures that are
upholding the garments of S. Francis in the sky, representing Obedience,
Patience, and Poverty, are worthy of infinite praise, above all because
there is in the manner of the draperies a natural flow of folds that
gives us to know that Giotto was born in order to give light to
painting. Besides this, he portrayed Signor Malatesta on a ship in this
work, so naturally that he appears absolutely alive; and some mariners
and other people, in their promptness, their expressions, and their
attitudes--and particularly a figure that is speaking with some others
and spits into the sea, putting one hand up to his face--give us to know
the excellence of Giotto. And certainly, among all the works of painting
made by this master, this may be said to be one of the best, for the
reason that there is not one figure in so great a number that does not
show very great craftsmanship, and that is not placed in some
characteristic attitude. And therefore it is no marvel that Signor
Malatesta did not fail to reward him magnificently and to praise him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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