Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 08 (of 10): Bastiano to Taddeo ZuccheroVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 08 (of 10): Bastiano to Taddeo Zucchero
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
While these matters were being discussed, he had carried the tomb of
Sannazzaro well forward, and had blocked out the marble for the
Hercules; and he then went with the latter to Florence. There he brought
it with much promptitude and study to such a condition, that it would
have been but little toil for him to finish it completely if he had
continued to work at it. But a rumour having arisen that the marble was
not proving to be by any means as perfect a work as the model, and that
the Frate was likely to find difficulty in fitting together the legs of
the Hercules, which did not correspond with the torso, Messer Pier
Francesco Riccio, the majordomo, who was paying the Frate his
allowance, let himself be swayed by that more than a serious man should
have done, and began to proceed very cautiously with his payments,
trusting too much to Bandinelli, who was leaning with all his weight
against Fra Giovanni Agnolo, in order to avenge himself for the wrong
which it appeared to him that master had done to him by promising that
he would make the statue of Doria when once free of his obligation to
the Duke. It was also thought that the favour of Tribolo, who was
executing the ornaments of Castello, was no advantage to the Frate.
However that may have been, perceiving himself to be badly treated by
Riccio, and being a proud and choleric man, he went off to Genoa. There
he received from Cardinal Doria and from the Prince the commission for
the statue of that Prince, which was to be placed on the Piazza Doria;
to which having set his hand, yet without altogether neglecting the tomb
of Sannazzaro, while Tadda was executing the squared work and the
carvings at Carrara, he finished it to the great satisfaction of the
Prince and the people of Genoa. But, although that statue had been made
to be placed on the Piazza Doria, nevertheless the Genoese made so much
ado, that, to the despair of the Frate, it was placed on the Piazza
della Signoria, notwithstanding that he said that he had fashioned it to
stand by itself on a pedestal, and that therefore it could not look well
or have its proper effect against a wall. And, to tell the truth,
nothing worse can be done than to set up a work made for one place in
some other place, seeing that the craftsman accommodates himself in the
process of his labour, with regard to the lights and view-points, to the
position in which his work, whether sculpture or painting, is to be
placed. After this the Genoese, seeing the scenes and figures made for
the tomb of Sannazzaro, and much liking them, desired that the Frate
should execute a S. John the Evangelist for their Cathedral Church;
which, when finished, pleased them so much that it filled them with
stupefaction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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