Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 09 (of 10): Michelagnolo to the FlemingsVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 09 (of 10): Michelagnolo to the Flemings
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
There came to Agnolo Doni, a Florentine citizen and a friend of
Michelagnolo, who much delighted to have beautiful things both by
ancient and by modern craftsmen, a desire to possess some work by
Michelagnolo; wherefore that master began for him a round picture
containing a Madonna, who, kneeling on both knees, has an Infant in
her arms and presents Him to Joseph, who receives Him. Here
Michelagnolo expresses in the turn of the head of the Mother of Christ
and in the gaze of her eyes, which she keeps fixed on the supreme
beauty of her Son, her marvellous contentment and her lovingness in
sharing it with that saintly old man, who receives Him with equal
affection, tenderness, and reverence, as may be seen very readily in
his countenance, without considering it long. Nor was this enough for
Michelagnolo, who, the better to show how great was his art, made in
the background of his work a number of nudes, some leaning, some
standing, and some seated; and with such diligence and finish he
executed this work, that without a doubt, of his pictures on panel,
which indeed are but few, it is held to be the most finished and the
most beautiful work that there is to be found. When it was
completed, he sent it covered up to Agnolo's house by a messenger,
with a note demanding seventy ducats in payment. It seemed strange to
Agnolo, who was a careful person, to spend so much on a picture,
although he knew that it was worth more, and he said to the messenger
that forty was enough, which he gave to him. Thereupon Michelagnolo
sent them back to him, with a message to say that he should send back
either one hundred ducats or the picture. Then Agnolo, who liked the
work, said, "I will give him these seventy," but he was not content;
indeed, angered by Agnolo's breach of faith, he demanded the double of
what he had asked the first time, so that, if Agnolo wanted the
picture, he was forced to send him a hundred and forty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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