Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 04 (of 10): Filippino Lippi to Domenico PuligoVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 04 (of 10): Filippino Lippi to Domenico Puligo
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
In Rome he made a picture of good size, in which he portrayed Pope
Leo, Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, and Cardinal de' Rossi. In this the
figures appear to be not painted, but in full relief; there is the
pile of the velvet, with the damask of the Pope's vestments shining
and rustling, the fur of the linings soft and natural, and the gold
and silk so counterfeited that they do not seem to be in colour, but
real gold and silk. There is an illuminated book of parchment, which
appears more real than the reality; and a little bell of wrought
silver, which is more beautiful than words can tell. Among other
things, also, is a ball of burnished gold on the Pope's chair,
wherein are reflected, as if it were a mirror (such is its
brightness), the light from the windows, the shoulders of the Pope,
and the walls round the room. And all these things are executed with
such diligence, that one may believe without any manner of doubt
that no master is able, or is ever likely to be able, to do better.
For this work the Pope was pleased to reward him very richly; and
the picture is still to be seen in Florence, in the guardaroba of
the Duke. In like manner he executed portraits of Duke Lorenzo and
Duke Giuliano, with a perfect grace of colouring not achieved by any
other than himself, which are in the possession of the heirs of
Ottaviano de' Medici at Florence.
Thereupon there came to Raffaello a great increase of glory, and
likewise of rewards; and for this reason, in order to leave some
memorial of himself, he caused a palace to be built in the Borgo
Nuovo at Rome, which Bramante executed with castings. Now, the fame
of this most noble craftsman, by reason of the aforesaid works and
many others, having passed into France and Flanders, Albrecht Duerer,
a most marvellous German painter, and an engraver of very beautiful
copperplates, rendered tribute to Raffaello out of his own works,
and sent to him a portrait of himself, a head, executed by him in
gouache on a cloth of fine linen, which showed the same on either
side, the lights being transparent and obtained without lead-white,
while the only grounding and colouring was done with water-colours,
the white of the cloth serving for the ground of the bright parts.
This work seemed to Raffaello to be marvellous, and he sent him,
therefore, many drawings executed by his own hand, which were
received very gladly by Albrecht. That head was among the
possessions of Giulio Romano, the heir of Raffaello, in Mantua.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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