Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 06 (of 10): Fra Giocondo to Niccolo SoggiVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 06 (of 10): Fra Giocondo to Niccolo Soggi
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
There was being rebuilt at this time, under the direction of Jacopo
Sansovino, the Church of S. Marcello in Rome, a convent of Servite
Friars, which still remains unfinished; and when they had carried the
walls of some chapels to completion, and had roofed them, those friars
commissioned Perino to paint in one of these, as ornaments for a Madonna
that is worshipped in that church, two figures in separate niches, S.
Joseph and S. Filippo, a Servite friar and the founder of that Order,
one on either side of the Madonna. These finished, he painted above them
some little boys that are perfect, and in the centre of the wall he
placed another standing upon a dado, who has upon his shoulders the ends
of two festoons, which he directs towards the corners of the chapel,
where there are two other little boys who support them, being seated
upon them, with their legs in most beautiful attitudes. All this he
executed with such art, such grace, and so beautiful a manner, and gave
to the flesh a tint of colour so fresh and soft, that one might say that
it was real flesh rather than painted. And certainly these figures may
be held to be the most beautiful that ever any craftsman painted in
fresco, for the reason that there is life in their eyes and movement in
their attitudes, and with the mouth they make as if to break into speech
and say that art has conquered Nature, and that even art declares that
nothing more than this can be done in her. This work was so excellent in
the sight of all good judges of art, that he acquired a great name
thereby, although he had executed many works and what was known of his
great genius in his profession was well known; and he was therefore held
in much more account and greater estimation than ever before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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