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
One morning about this time, while Francesco was still in bed, the
aforesaid Antonio da Trento, who was living with him as his engraver,
opened a strong-box and robbed him of all the copper-plate engravings,
woodcuts, and drawings that he possessed; and he must have gone off to
the Devil, for all the news that was ever heard of him. The engravings
and woodcuts, indeed, Francesco recovered, for Antonio had left them
with a friend in Bologna, perchance with the intention of reclaiming
them at his convenience; but the drawings he was never able to get back.
Driven almost out of his mind by this, he returned to his painting, and
made a portrait, for the sake of money, of I know not what Count of
Bologna. After that he painted a picture of Our Lady, with a Christ who
is holding a globe of the world. The Madonna has a most beautiful
expression, and the Child is also very natural; for he always gave to
the faces of children a vivacious and truly childlike air, which yet
reveals that subtle and mischievous spirit that children often have. And
he attired the Madonna in a very unusual fashion, clothing her in a
garment that had sleeves of yellowish gauze, striped, as it were, with
gold, which gave a truly beautiful and graceful effect, revealing the
flesh in a natural and delicate manner; besides which, the hair is
painted so well that there is none better to be seen. This picture was
painted for Messer Pietro Aretino, but Francesco gave it to Pope
Clement, who came to Bologna at that time; then, in some way of which I
know nothing, it fell into the hands of Messer Dionigi Gianni, and it
now belongs to his son, Messer Bartolommeo, who has been so
accommodating with it that it has been copied fifty times, so much is it
prized.
[Illustration: MADONNA AND CHILD WITH SAINTS
(_After the panel by =Francesco Mazzuoli [Parmigiano]=. Bologna:
Accademia, 116_)
_Brogi_]
The same master painted for the Nuns of S. Margherita, in Bologna, a
panel-picture containing a Madonna, S. Margaret, S. Petronio, S. Jerome,
and S. Michael, which is held in vast veneration, as it deserves, since
in the expressions of the heads and in every other part it is as fine as
all the other works of this painter. He made many drawings, likewise,
and in particular some for Girolamo del Lino, and some for Girolamo
Fagiuoli, a goldsmith and engraver, who desired them for engraving on
copper; and these drawings are held to be full of grace. For Bonifazio
Gozzadino he painted his portrait from life, with one of his wife, which
remained unfinished. He also began a picture of Our Lady, which was
afterwards sold in Bologna to Giorgio Vasari of Arezzo, who has it in
the new house built by himself at Arezzo, together with many other
noble pictures, works of sculpture, and ancient marbles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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