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
In the year 1547 Perino del Vaga died, leaving unfinished the Hall of
Kings, which, as has been related, is in the Papal Palace, in front of
the Sistine and Pauline Chapels; and by the mediation of many friends
and lords, and in particular of Michelagnolo Buonarroti, Daniello was
set in his place by Pope Paul III, with the same salary that Perino had
received, and was commanded to make a beginning with the ornaments of
the walls that were to be executed in stucco, with many nudes in the
round over certain pediments. Now, since the walls of that Hall are
broken by six large doors in variegated marble, and only one wall is
left unbroken, Daniello made over each door what is almost a tabernacle
in stucco, of great beauty. In each of these he intended to execute in
painting one of those Kings who have defended the Apostolic Church, and
then to continue on the walls with stories of those Kings who have
benefited the Church with tributes or victories, so that in all there
were to be six stories and six niches. After those niches, or rather,
tabernacles, Daniello with the aid of many assistants executed all the
other very rich decorations in stucco that are to be seen in that Hall,
studying at the same time over the cartoons for all that he had proposed
to do in that place in the way of painting. Which done, he made a
beginning with one of the stories, but he did not paint more than about
two braccia of it, and two of the Kings in the tabernacles of stucco
over the doors. For, although he was pressed by Cardinal Farnese and by
the Pope, not reflecting that death very often spoils the designs of
men, he carried on the work so slowly that when in the year 1549 the
death of the Pope took place, there was nothing done save what has been
described; and then, the Conclave having to be held in the Hall, which
was full of scaffolding and woodwork, it became necessary to throw
everything to the ground and uncover the work. The whole being thus seen
by everyone, the works in stucco were vastly extolled, as they deserved,
but not so the two Kings in painting, for it was thought that they were
not equal in excellence to the work at the Trinita, and that with all
those fine allowances and advantages he had gone rather backward than
forward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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