[142] Francis of Holland, "Quatre Entretiens sur la Peinture," held in
Rome in 1538-1539, written in 1548, published by Joachim de Vasconcellos
(translation into French in "Les Arts en Portugal," by Comte Raczynski,
Paris, Renouard, 1844). To prove the theory of Michelangelo, Vittoria
Colonna, who presided over this talk, undertook the defense of the
religious and consolatory art of the North.
[143] We find the same ideas, more exuberant and more confused, in the
writings of Lomazzo, "Idea del Tempio della Pittura" (1590).
[144] Idea del Tempio, etc.
[145] Lomazzo became blind when he was twenty-three, but that did not
prevent him from judging of painters and their works until his death
when over sixty.
[146] Perino del Vaga made this declaration when he refused to undertake
the drawings for the jewel-box of Cosmo de Medici, when he found that
they had addressed themselves first to Michelangelo. (Jay, "Receuil de
Lettres sur la Peinture." Claude Tolomei à Apoll. Philarète.)
[147] Luigi Lanzi; "Storia Pittorica d'Italia, Bassano, 1795-96," Vol.
I, p. 167.
[148] Tintoretto himself, under the influence of Michelangelo, says:
"The most beautiful colours are black and white because they give relief
to figures by light and shade," and at the end of his life, abandoning
the principles of the Venetian School, he gives the preference to
drawing, "Draw, draw now and always."
[149] Daniele da Volterra was also more a sculptor than a painter, and
ended by giving himself up to sculpture. He made casts of the statues of
the Medici and also some statues of his own. Some of his pictures, like
the David and Goliath in the Louvre, which is painted on both sides, are
only two faces of one of his statues. Rosso and Salviati were also
sculptors.
[150] The verses of Giovanni Strozzi (1545) are well known:
La Notte, che tu vedi in si dolci atti
Dormir, fu da un Angelo scolpita
In questo sasso, e perche dorme, ha vita.
Destala, se nol credi, e parleratti.
The night which you see sleeping so peacefully was carved by an angel in
this rock. Since she sleeps, she lives. If you do not believe it awake
her and she will speak to you.
[151] The same thing is true of Girolamo Muziano of Brescia. Even the
School of Milan was affected. Lomazzo makes of Michelangelo the ruler of
all painting. The imitation of Michelangelo spread especially in
sculpture, and there the decadence was dizzying.
[152] "Journal du Voyage du Cavalier Bernin en France," par M. de
Chantelou. ("Gazette des Beaux Arts," Vol. XXIX, p. 453.)
[153] _Ibid._, Vol. XXI, p. 383.
[154] Ed. Frey, XLIX.
Michelangelo said one day to Ammanati, "Nelle mie opere caco sangue."
Varchi said to him one day, "Signor Buonarroti, avete il cervello di
Giove." Michelangelo answered, "Si vuole il martello di Vulcano per
farne uscire qualche cosa." (Quoted by E. Delacroix in his Journal, Vol.
II, p. 429.)
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