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
He painted many works throughout Romagna; and at Venice, also, for the
very reverend Patriarch Grimani, he executed four large pictures in
oils that were placed in the ceiling of a little hall in his house,
round an octagon that Francesco Salviati painted; in which pictures
are the stories of Psyche, held to be very beautiful. But the place
where he strove to do his utmost and to put forth all his powers, was
the Chapel of the most holy Sacrament in the Church of Loreto, in
which he painted some Angels round a tabernacle of marble wherein
rests the Body of Christ, and two scenes on the walls of that chapel,
one of Melchizedek and the other of the Manna raining down, both
executed in fresco; and over the vaulting he distributed fifteen
little scenes of the Passion of Jesus Christ, nine of which he
executed in painting, and six in half-relief. This was a rich work and
well conceived, and he won for it such honour, that he was not
suffered to depart until he had decorated another chapel of equal size
in the same place, opposite to the first, and called the Chapel of the
Conception, with the vaulting all wrought with rich and very beautiful
stucco-work; in which he taught the art of stucco-work to his son
Pietro Paolo, who has since done him honour and has become a
well-practised master in that field. Francesco, then, painted in
fresco on the walls the Nativity and the Presentation of Our Lady, and
over the altar he painted S. Anne and the Virgin with the Child in her
arms, and two Angels that are crowning her. And, in truth, his works
are much extolled by the craftsmen, and likewise his ways and his
life, which was that of a true Christian; and he lived in peace,
enjoying that which he had gained with his labours.
A pupil of Genga, also, was Baldassarre Lancia of Urbino, who, having
given his attention to many ingenious matters, has since practised his
hand in fortifications, at which he worked on a salary for the
Signoria of Lucca, in which place he stayed for some time. He then
attached himself to the most illustrious Duke Cosimo de' Medici, whom
he came to serve in the fortifications of the states of Florence and
Siena; and the Duke has employed and still employs him in many
ingenious works, in which Baldassarre has laboured valiantly and with
honour, winning remunerations from that grateful lord.
Many others also served Girolamo Genga, of whom, from their not having
attained to any great excellence, there is no need to speak.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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