Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 02 (of 10): Berna to Michelozzo MichelozziVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 02 (of 10): Berna to Michelozzo Michelozzi
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
Now Michelozzo applied himself in his youth to sculpture under
Donatello, and also to design; and although he realized their
difficulties, nevertheless he went on ever practising so diligently with
clay, with wax, and with marble, that he ever showed ability and great
talent in the works that he made afterwards. There was one art in which
he surpassed many and even his own self, for, after Brunellesco, he was
held to be the most methodical architect of his times, and the one who
was best able to arrange and contrive palaces, convents, and houses for
human habitation, and who designed them with the greatest judgment, as
will be told in the proper place. Of this man Donatello availed himself
for many years, because he was very well practised in working marble and
in the business of casting in bronze; of which we have proof in a tomb
in S. Giovanni at Florence (which was made by Donatello, as it has been
said, for Pope Giovanni Coscia), since the greater part was executed by
Michelozzo; and there we can see a very beautiful marble statue by his
hand, two braccia and a half in height, representing Faith (in company
with one of Hope and one of Charity made by Donatello, of the same
size), which does not suffer by comparison with the others. Moreover,
above the door of the sacristy and the Office of Works, opposite to S.
Giovanni, Michelozzo made a little S. John in full-relief, wrought with
diligence, which was much extolled.
Michelozzo was so intimate with Cosimo de' Medici that the latter,
recognizing his genius, caused him to make the model for the house and
palace at the corner of the Via Larga, beside S. Giovannino; for he
thought that the one made by Filippo di Ser Brunellesco, as it has been
said, was too sumptuous and magnificent, and more likely to stir up envy
among his fellow-citizens than to confer grandeur or adornment on the
city, or bring comfort to himself. Wherefore, being pleased with the
model that Michelozzo had made, he had the building brought to
completion under his direction in the manner that we see at the present
day, with all the beautiful and useful arrangements and graceful
adornments that are seen therein, which have majesty and grandeur in
their simplicity; and Michelozzo deserves all the greater praise in that
this was the first palace which was built in that city on modern lines,
and which was divided up into rooms both useful and most beautiful. The
cellars are excavated to more than half their depth underground, namely,
four braccia below, with three above for the sake of light; and there
are also wine-cellars and store-rooms. On the ground-floor there are two
courtyards with magnificent loggie, on which open saloons, chambers,
antechambers, studies, closets, stove-rooms, kitchens, wells, and
staircases both secret and public, all most convenient. On each floor
there are apartments with accommodation for a whole family, with all the
conveniences that are proper not only to a private citizen, such as
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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