Giorgio Vasari

“ Never did a work of greater spirit or of more extraordinary force proceed from the hands of Sansovino than is exhibited in this battle, whether we consider the various movements and attitudes of the horses, the carnage intimated by the number of the dead, or the wild fury of the soldiers who are still engaged in deadly combat; all are indeed most admirable. ”

“ The work here alluded to may be accounted as one of the most excellent among the productions of modern artists; in the countenance of the elder woman there is an expression of joy and gladness most naturally rendered, the face of the Madonna is adorned with divine beauty, and the figure of the infant Christ exhibits a grace and lightness which have never been surpassed; few indeed have ever been finished to such perfection; well therefore did Andrea merit the sonnets and many other ingenious and learned compositions, which, during so many years, were perpetually appended to this group ”

“ In two niches, which are one on each side of a very beautiful tabernacle, he placed figures of two Saints, somewhat more than a braccia in height, these are San Jacopo and San Matteo, and they are executed with so much animation, and in so good a manner, that the observer perceives every kind of excellence in them, while he can discover absolutely no fault. Of equal merit are two Angels in full relief, which serve as the completion to this work; they are in the act of flying, and are draped in the most graceful vestments that can possibly be conceived. ”

“ Lorenzo despatched him thither accordingly, when he executed numerous works in sculpture and architecture for that monarch, more particularly a most beautiful palace, having four towers; with many other edifices. One part of the above-mentioned palace was painted also from Cartoons designed and prepared by the hand of this architect, who drew admirably well, as may be seen in our book of designs, wherein there are some drawings by Andrea, which are finished with the point of charcoal; we have besides, in our possession certain architectural studies, which are of great merit. ”

“ The design for the steps by which the ascent to the Cathedral of Arezzo is effected, was also given by this master, and for the Church of the Madonna delle Lagrime, in the same city: lie likewise prepared the design for a very rich ornament, which was to be executed in marble: four figures, each four braccia high, were to form part of this work, but this design has not been put in execution, the work being impeded by the death of the master, which took place when he had attained his sixty-eighth year. ”

“ On the hindermost wall of the building, Andrea had designed the execution of two large representations, one above the other namely—in one of these is the death of the Virgin, and the Apostles are seen bearing her to her burial; in the air four angels are hovering, and beneath are numerous Jews who are plotting to steal that most holy corpse; this also was finished after Andrea had departed from life, by the sculptor Bologna. ”

“ Very highly extolled, likewise, is the large marble figure of the Dead Christ, which Andrea executed in mezzo rilievo, for the decoration of the altar; the figures of the Madonna and of San Giovanni, who are both weeping, are also much admired. [4] Nor would it be possible to imagine more beautiful works in foundry, than are the bronze gratings, with their decoration of marble, by which that chapel is enclosed. ”

“ The reputation of Andrea continued constantly to increase; and Leo X., resolving that the decoration in marble of the House of the Virgin in the church of Santa Maria di Loreto, [12] which had been commenced by Bramante, should be completed, entrusted the commission for that work to our artist. The marble incrustation, as commenced by Bramante, had four double ressaults at the angles, and these, decorated with pilasters of which the bases and capitals were carved, were supported by a socle or basement, two braccia and a half high, which is also very richly carved. ”

“ Immediately above this basement, and between the two pilasters, which from the decoration of the angles, the architect formed a large recess or niche, with the purpose of placing a seated figure therein, and over each of these is another and smaller niche, which last reaching to the collarino of the capitals crowning the pilasters, left a frieze of height equal to that of the capitals; on these the master then placed the architrave with the frieze and richly-carved cornice, continuing the latter, which projected over the four angles, entirely around all the four sides of the holy house. ”

“ It is true that the work would have been brought much nearer to perfection, if those compartments of the ceiling and the divisions of the cornice, by which the squares and niches forming the decoration of the compartments are separated, had been made with a more careM relation to the lines of the columns ”