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
Afterwards, Perino and Giorgio coming together to settle that affair,
Perino, as the older man, began to speak, and set himself to censure
that prospect-scene and to say that it was a work of a few halfpence,
and that Aristotile, having received money on account and having been
paid for those who had assisted him, had been overpaid, adding: "If I
had been commissioned to do it, I would have done it in another manner,
and with different scenes and ornaments from those used by that fellow;
but the Cardinal always chooses to favour some person who does him
little honour." From these words and others Giorgio recognized that
Perino wished rather to avenge himself on Aristotile for the grievance
that he had against the Cardinal than to ensure with friendly affection
the remuneration of the talents and labours of a good craftsman; and he
spoke these soft words to Perino: "Although I have not as much
knowledge of such works as I might have, nevertheless, having seen some
by the hands of those who know how to do them, it appears to me that
this one is very well executed, and worthy to be valued at many crowns,
and not, as you say, at a few halfpence. And it does not seem to me
right that he who sits in his work-room drawing cartoons, in order
afterwards to reproduce in great works such a variety of things in
perspective, should be paid for the labour of his nights--and perhaps
for the work of many weeks into the bargain--on the same scale as are
paid the days of those who have to undergo no fatigue of the mind and
hand, and little of the body, it being enough for them to imitate,
without in any way racking their brains, as Aristotile has done. And if
you, Perino, had executed it, as you say, with more scenes and
ornaments, perhaps you might not have done it with that grace which has
been achieved by Aristotile, who in that kind of painting has been
esteemed with much judgment by the Cardinal to be a better master than
you. Remember that in the end, by giving a wrong and unjust estimate,
you do harm not so much to Aristotile as to art and excellence in
general, and even more to your own soul, if you depart from what is
right for the sake of some private grievance; not to mention that all
who recognize the work as a good one, will censure not it but our weak
judgment, and may even put it down to envy and malice in our natures.
And whoever seeks to ingratiate himself with another, to glorify his own
works, or to avenge himself for any injury by censuring or estimating at
less than their true value the good works of others, is finally
recognized by God and man as what he is, namely, as malignant, ignorant,
and wicked. Consider, you who do all the work in Rome, how it would
appear to you if others were to value your labours as you do theirs? Put
yourself, I beg you, in the shoes of this poor old man, and you will see
how far you are from reason and justice."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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