Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 07 (of 10): Tribolo to Il SodomaVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 07 (of 10): Tribolo to Il Sodoma
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
gesso and to lay on the ground, until such time as Giorgio should
arrive.
[Footnote 4: See note on p. 57, Vol. I.]
Now Vasari had given a commission to Dattero, a Jew, the friend of
Messer Ottaviano de' Medici, who was then a banker in Bologna, that he
should provide Cristofano and Battista with everything that they
required. And since this Dattero was very obliging and most courteous,
he did them a thousand favours and courtesies; wherefore those two at
times went about Bologna in his company in very familiar fashion, and,
Battista having prominent eyes and Cristofano a great speck in one of
his, they were thus taken for Jews, as Dattero was in fact. One
morning, therefore, a shoemaker, who had to bring a pair of new shoes
at the commission of the above-named Jew to Cristofano, arriving at
the monastery, said to Cristofano himself, who was standing at the
gate looking on at the distribution of alms, "Sir, could you show me
the rooms of those two Jew painters who are working in there?" "Jews
or no Jews," said Cristofano, "what have you to do with them?" "I have
to give these shoes," he answered, "to one of them called Cristofano."
"I am he," replied Cristofano, "an honest man and a better Christian
than you are." "You may be what you please," answered the shoemaker.
"I called you Jews, because, besides that you are held and known as
Jews by everyone, that look of yours, which is not of our country,
convinced me of it." "Enough," said Cristofano, "you shall see that we
do the work of Christians."
[Illustration: THE SUPPER OF S. GREGORY THE GREAT
(_After the panel by =Giorgio Vasari=, with details by =Cristofano
Gherardi [Doceno]=. Bologna: Accademia, 198_)
_Poppi_]
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