The Cathedral Builders: The Story of a Great Masonic GuildScott, Leader
History
The Cathedral Builders: The Story of a Great Masonic Guild
Scott, Leader
Cathedrals; Church architecture; Guilds
With a common origin, each lodge nevertheless developed its own
distinct style, yet so much was general to the whole guild, that in
the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries one spirit seemed to permeate
them all, and only experts can tell a Lorenzetti from a Memmi, or a
Giotto from a Spinello Aretino. We find them working now in one
lodge, now in another. Cimabue, though his principal work was in
Florence where his school was, is found working in the Pisan Lodge in
1301.
The archives of the Duomo there have three documents of that year
referring to him. One proves the payment of X solidi II libr. a day to
"Magister Cimabue" and his _famulus_ (apprentice) for their work
there. Who knows whether the _famulus_ may not have been young Giotto,
or Joctus, as he is written in old deeds!
The second paper is Cimabue's receipt for the payment by the _Lord
operaio_ (_Dominus operarius_) for a figure of St. John, painted for
that guild (_Magiestatem_).
The third seems to be the payment for a coloured glass window which
had been painted on glass by Baccio, son of Jovenchi of Milan, from
Magister Cimabue's design.[204]
Cimabue's school in Florence must have prospered greatly. A long list
of names of painters between 1294 and 1296, who are qualified and who
agree to teach their art in Florence, may be made from an ancient law
register kept at that date by the notary Ser Matteo Biliotti, which is
preserved in the general archives of Contracts in Florence.[205] Here
we find several of the Masters trained at Pisa, such as Lapo de
Cambio, Lapo di Beliotto, Lapo di Taldo, Corso di Buono, Andrea di
Cante, Grifo di Tancredi, Tura di Ricovero, Vanni di Rinuccio, Michele
di Pino, Ranuccio di Bogolo, Guiduccio di Maso, Cresta di Piero,
Bindaccio di Bruno, Guccio di Lippo, Bertino della Marra, Rossello e
Scalore di Lettieri, Dino and Lippo Benivieni, Asinello d'Alberto,
Lapo di Compagno, called Scartapecchia, Vanuccio di Duccio, and Bruno
di Giovanni, the companion of Buffalmacco and Calandrino, of whom
Vasari tells such funny stories.
Another act, dated 1282, is a contract by which Azzo, son of the late
Mazzetto painter, of the parish of S. Tommaso, engaged to teach his
art for six years to Vanni di Bruno; probably Giovanni the father of
Bruno mentioned above.
Rossello di Lottieri was the great-grandfather of Cosimo Rosselli.
Vanuccio was the son of the famous Duccio of the Sienese Lodge. Indeed
I think we could find, by close investigation, that most of these
_Magistri pittori_ were connected with one or other of the Tuscan
Lodges.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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