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
Andrea, then, having found the work in this condition, distributed over
these spaces, with a rich and beautiful arrangement, scenes from the
life of the Madonna. In one of the two side-walls, he began in one part
the Nativity of the Madonna, and executed half of it; and it was
completely finished afterwards by Baccio Bandinelli. In the other part
he began the Marriage of the Virgin, but this also remained unfinished,
and after the death of Andrea it was completed as we see it by Raffaello
da Montelupo. On the front wall he arranged that there should be made,
in two small squares which are on either side of the bronze grating, in
one the Visitation and in the other the scene of the Virgin and Joseph
going to have themselves enrolled for taxes; which scenes were
afterwards executed by Francesco da San Gallo, then a young man. Then,
in that part where the greatest space is, Andrea made the Angel Gabriel
bringing the Annunciation to the Virgin--which happened in that very
chamber which these marbles enclose--with such grace and beauty that
there is nothing better to be seen, for he made the Virgin wholly intent
on that Salutation, and the Angel, kneeling, appears to be not of
marble, but truly celestial, with "Ave Maria" issuing from his mouth. In
company with Gabriel are two other Angels, in full-relief and detached
from the marble, one of whom is walking after him and the other appears
to be flying. Behind a building stand two other Angels, carved out by
the chisel in such a way that they seem to be alive. In the air, on a
cloud much undercut--nay, almost entirely detached from the marble--are
many little boys upholding a God the Father, who is sending down the
Holy Spirit by means of a ray of marble, which, descending from Him
completely detached, appears quite real; as, likewise, is the Dove upon
it, which represents the Holy Spirit. Nor can one describe how great is
the beauty and how delicate the carving of a vase filled with flowers,
which was made in this work by the gracious hand of Andrea, who
lavished so much excellence on the plumes of the Angels, the hair, the
grace of their features and draperies, and, in short, on every other
thing, that this divine work cannot be extolled enough. And, in truth,
that most holy place, which was the very house and habitation of the
Mother of the Son of God, could not obtain from the resources of the
world a greater, richer, or more beautiful adornment than that which it
received from the architecture of Bramante and the sculpture of Andrea
Sansovino; although, even if it were entirely of the most precious gems
of the East, it would be little more than nothing in comparison with
such merits.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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