Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 05 (of 10): Andrea da Fiesole to Lorenzo LottoVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 05 (of 10): Andrea da Fiesole to Lorenzo Lotto
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
After these things, when Perino del Vaga, having departed from Genoa on
account of his resentment against Prince Doria, was working at Pisa,
where the sculptor Stagio da Pietrasanta had begun the execution of the
new chapels in marble at the end of the nave of the Duomo, together with
that space behind the high-altar, which serves as a sacristy, it was
ordained that the said Perino, as will be related in his Life, with
other masters, should begin to fill up those adornments of marble with
pictures. But Perino being recalled to Genoa, Giovanni Antonio was
commissioned to set his hand to the pictures that were to adorn the
aforesaid recess behind the high-altar, and to deal in his works with
the sacrifices of the Old Testament, as symbols of the Sacrifice of the
Most Holy Sacrament, which was there over the centre of the high-altar.
Sogliani, then, painted in the first picture the sacrifice that Noah and
his sons offered when they had gone forth from the Ark, and afterwards
those of Cain and of Abel; which were all highly extolled, but above all
that of Noah, because some of the heads and parts of the figures in it
were very beautiful. The picture of Abel is charming for its landscapes,
which are very well executed, and the head of Abel himself, which is the
very presentment of goodness; but quite the opposite is that of Cain,
which has the mien of a truly sorry villain. And if Sogliani had pursued
the work with energy instead of being dilatory, he would have been
charged by the Warden, who had given him his commission and was much
pleased with his manner and character, to execute all the work in that
Duomo, whereas at that time, in addition to the pictures already
mentioned, he painted no more than one panel, which was destined for the
chapel wherein Perino had begun to work; and this he finished in
Florence, but in such wise that it pleased the Pisans well enough and
was held to be very beautiful. In it are the Madonna, S. John the
Baptist, S. George, S. Mary Magdalene, S. Margaret, and other saints.
His picture, then, having given satisfaction, Sogliani received from the
Warden a commission for three other panels, to which he set his hand,
but did not finish them in the lifetime of that Warden, in whose place
Bastiano della Seta was elected; and he, perceiving that the business
was moving but slowly, allotted four pictures for the aforesaid sacristy
behind the high-altar to Domenico Beccafumi of Siena, an excellent
painter, who dispatched them very quickly, as will be told in the proper
place, and also painted a panel there, and other painters executed the
rest. Giovanni Antonio, then, working at his leisure, finished two other
panels with much diligence, painting in each a Madonna surrounded by
many saints. And finally, having made his way to Pisa, he there painted
the fourth and last, in which he acquitted himself worse than in any
other, either through old age, or because he was competing with
Beccafumi, or for some other reason.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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