The Life of Michelangelo BuonarrotiSymonds, John Addington
History
The Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti
Symonds, John Addington
Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475-1564
"To continue my history of the tomb of Julius, I say that when he
changed his mind about building it in his lifetime, some shiploads of
marble came to the Ripa, which I had ordered a short while before from
Carrara, and as I could not get money from the Pope to pay the
freightage, I had to borrow 150 or 200 ducats from Baldassare
Balducci--that is, from the bank of Jacopo Gallo. At the same time
workmen came from Florence, some of whom are still alive; and I
furnished the house which Julius gave me behind S. Caterina with beds
and other furniture for the men, and what was wanted for the work of
the tomb. All this being done without money, I was greatly
embarrassed. Accordingly, I urged the Pope with all my power to go
forward with the business, and he had me turned away by a groom one
morning when I came to speak upon the matter." (Here intervenes the
story of the flight to Florence, which has been worked up in the
course of Chapter IV.) "Later on, while I was at Florence, Julius sent
three briefs to the Signory. At last the latter sent for me and said:
'We do not want to go to war with Pope Julius because of you. You must
return; and if you do so, we will write you letters of such authority
that if he does you harm, he will be doing it to this Signory.'
Accordingly, I took the letters, and went back to the Pope, and what
followed would be long to tell!
"All the dissensions between Pope Julius and me arose from the envy of
Bramante and Raffaello da Urbino; and this was the cause of my not
finishing the tomb in his lifetime. They wanted to ruin me. Raffaello
had indeed good reason, for all he had of art, he had from me."
Twice again in October Michelangelo wrote to Luigi del Riccio about
the ratification of his contract. "I cannot live, far less paint." "I
am resolved to stop at home and finish the three figures, as I agreed
to do. This would be better for me than to drag my limbs daily to the
Vatican. Let him who likes get angry. If the Pope wants me to paint,
he must send for the Duke's ambassador and procure the ratification."
What happened at this time about the tomb can be understood by help of
a letter written to Salvestro da Montauto on the 3rd of February 1545.
Michelangelo refers to the last contract, and says that the Duke of
Urbino ratified the deed. Accordingly, five statues were assigned to
Raffaello da Montelupo. "But while I was painting the new chapel for
Pope Paul III., his Holiness, at my earnest prayer, allowed me a
little time, during which I finished two of them, namely, the Active
and Contemplative Life, with my own hand."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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