Pietro Vannucci, called PeruginoWilliamson, George C.
History
Pietro Vannucci, called Perugino
Williamson, George C.
Perugino, approximately 1450-1523
A spot was pointed to Mariotti half-a-mile from Fontignano as the place
of Perugino's burial, but he records that, although nothing was found
when this spot was examined, yet he could never find any proof that the
devout wishes of the three sons, Giovanni Batista, Francesco, and Michel
Angelo, were ever fulfilled. It is most probable that owing to the
plague and to the war, which at the time were raging in Perugia, the
removal of Perugino's body was delayed, and so eventually quite
forgotten. No man, therefore, knows where the great artist was buried,
and the burial-place he bought at SS. Annunziata in Florence, was
unoccupied. Mariotti states that his only descendant was a grandson, one
John Battista Vannucci, whose name appeared as a scholar in the
University of Città della Pieve. It is, therefore, quite possible that
the plague carried off not only the artist, but shortly afterwards his
three sons also. Pietro's wife was one Chiare Fancelli, a very beautiful
girl, whom he married, 1st September 1493, in the Canonica in Perugia.
She was the daughter of Luca, an architect and surveyor in the service
of the Marquis of Mantua. Tradition states that she was the model for
the angel with Tobias in the National Gallery. She brought him a dowry
of 500 gold ducats, and had in all seven children; and Vasari states
that Pietro was exceeding fond of her, and so proud of her beauty that
he loved to give her beautiful jewels and costly dresses, and to adorn
her with his own hands. After his death she wrote in 1524 to the
Marchioness of Mantua offering her a picture by her husband (not now
known) of "Mars and Venus discovered together by Vulcan," which was for
sale. This information Braghirolli discovered. She was still living in
1540.
Of Perugino's scholars who so closely followed their master, it will
suffice just to mention Lo Spagna, Eusebio di San Giorgio, Giovanni
Batta Caporali, Tiberio d'Assisi, Giannicola Manni, Rocco Zoppo, Baccio
Ubertini, but the glory of Raphael has overshadowed them all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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