Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 03 (of 10): Filarete and Simone to MantegnaVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 03 (of 10): Filarete and Simone to Mantegna
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
One of the first works in painting wrought by this good father was a
panel in the Certosa of Florence, which was placed in the principal
chapel (belonging to Cardinal Acciaiuoli); in which panel is a Madonna
with the Child in her arms, and with certain very beautiful angels at
her feet, sounding instruments and singing; at the sides are S.
Laurence, S. Mary Magdalene, S. Zanobi, and S. Benedict; and in the
predella are little stories of these Saints, wrought in little figures
with infinite diligence. In the cross of the said chapel are two other
panels by the hand of the same man; one containing the Coronation of Our
Lady, and the other a Madonna with two saints, wrought with most
beautiful ultramarine blues. Afterwards, in the tramezzo[5] of S. Maria
Novella, beside the door opposite to the choir, he painted in fresco S.
Dominic, S. Catherine of Siena, and S. Peter Martyr; and some little
scenes in the Chapel of the Coronation of Our Lady in the said tramezzo.
On canvas, fixed to the doors that closed the old organ, he painted an
Annunciation, which is now in the convent, opposite to the door of the
lower dormitory, between one cloister and the other.
This father was so greatly beloved for his merits by Cosimo de' Medici,
that, after completing the construction of the Church and Convent of S.
Marco, he caused him to paint the whole Passion of Jesus Christ on a
wall in the chapter-house; and on one side all the Saints who have been
heads and founders of religious bodies, mourning and weeping at the foot
of the Cross, and on the other side S. Mark the Evangelist beside the
Mother of the Son of God, who has swooned at the sight of the Saviour of
the world Crucified, while round her are the Maries, all grieving and
supporting her, with S. Cosimo and S. Damiano. It is said that in the
figure of S. Cosimo Fra Giovanni portrayed from the life Nanni d'
Antonio di Banco, a sculptor and his friend. Below this work, in a
frieze above the panelling, he made a tree with S. Dominic at the foot
of it, and, in certain medallions encircled by the branches, all the
Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Saints, and Masters of Theology whom his
Order of Preaching Friars had produced up to that time. In this work he
made many portraits from nature, being assisted by the friars, who sent
for them to various places; and they were the following: S. Dominic in
the middle, grasping the branches of the tree; Pope Innocent V, a
Frenchman; the Blessed Ugone, first Cardinal of that Order; the Blessed
Paolo, Florentine and Patriarch; S. Antonino, Archbishop of Florence;
the Blessed Giordano, a German, and the second General of that Order;
the Blessed Niccolo; the Blessed Remigio, a Florentine; and the martyr
Boninsegno, a Florentine; all these are on the right hand. On the left
are Benedict II[6] of Treviso; Giandomenico, a Florentine Cardinal;
Pietro da Palude, Patriarch of Jerusalem; Alberto Magno, a German; the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account