Giorgio Vasari

“ Now this was a subject which certainly presented a most happy occasion for Battista to have proved himself an able artist, as he might have done, had he chosen a better path, taken pains to obtain practice in the handling of fresco colours, and governed himself'with better order and more judgment in his labours than he displayed. But in this work he proceeded much as he had done in all those previously executed, [13] reproducing for ever the same figures, the same draperies, and the same accessories. ”

“ In the third picture is a torrent of rain, with the dead body of one who has in like manner been devoted to San Marco, and whose soul is seen to be ascending into heaven; here also we have a composition, the figures of which are not without a fair share of merit. In the fourth painting, in which San Marco expels an unclean spirit, there is the perspective view of an extensive Loggia, at the end whereof is a fire by which the Loggia is illuminated, and the reflections of that light fall on various parts of the edifice. ”

“ He will sometimes present as finished, sketches which are such mere outlines, that the spectator sees before him pencil marks made by chance, the results of a bold carelessness rather than the fruits of design and of a well-considered judgment. ”

“ And from this failure we may safely conclude that those are falling into a great error who, when in pursuit of art, consider themselves to have done all when they have given close attention to depicting exactly, and with all its muscles well developed, some torso, leg, arm, or whatever other part may be in question, and believe that the being well acquainted with so much renders them masters of the whole. ”

“ The Virgin is seated with the Divine Child in her arms, and on one side of her is San Marco; there is a female Saint on the other side, and in the air above are Angels scattering flowers. For the tomb of the Grerman merchant Cristofano Fuccheri, which is in the Church of San Bartolommeo, Battista painted a picture, wherein he represented the God Mercury, with figures of Abundance and Fame. ”

“ It is to be furthermore remarked, that this artist always contrives by the most singular proceedings in the world to be constantly employed, seeing that when the good offices of his friends and other methods have failed to procure him any work of which there is question, he will nevertheless manage to obtain it, either by accepting it at a very low price, by doing it as a gift, or even seizing on it by force. ”

“ Another point to be carefully secured is that the heads shall be powerful, animated, graceful, and exhibiting beauty withal, as well as truth of expression; nor must the manner be crude and hard: the nude parts must be sufficiently darkened in the shadows that they may have the due degree of relief, the figures must retire and fall into the distance exactly in the proportions required, to say nothing of the truth to be observed in perspective, of landscapes and many other parts, which all demand the utmost care for the production of a good picture. ”

“ Yes; such people are, without doubt, deceived, for a part is not the whole; and he only exhibits perfection in his work who, having well delineated the parts, knows how to bring the whole into harmony and true proportion, and who besides is careful that the composition and grouping of his figures, with the expression given to each and all, shall be such as will render clearly the effect desired without formality and without confusion. ”

“ Battista Franco died in the year 1561, and many of his designs, which are truly worthy of praise, having been engraved, he has derived from them a very great name and reputation. [31] In the same city of Venice, and almost at the same time, there lived and does yet live, a painter called Jacopo Tintoretto, [32] who is a great lover of all the arts, and more particularly delights in playing on various musical instruments; he is besides a very agreeable person, which is proved in all his modes of proceeding ”

“ But his gains being small, and the expenses of living in Pome very great, Battista, after having executed some pictures on cloth, which had not much success, determined on returning to Yenice, his native place, thinking, perhaps, that by a change of abode he should also change his fortune. In Venice, his fine manner in drawing caused him to be esteemed an able artist, and he very soon received the commission for a picture in oil, to be placed in the Chapel of Monsignore Barbaro, Patriarch elect of Aquilea, which chapel was in the Church of San Francesco della Vigna. ”

“ Now, it is fit we should know that, as regards this kind of paintings on vases, the ancient Eomans did not possess any examples, so far as we can judge; for the vases of their times, used to hold the ashes of the dead, or for other purposes, which are now found, are covered with figures which are hatched and grounded on one sole colour, whether black, red, or white, but never exhibit the lustre of a vitrified surface, nor do they possess the beauty and attraction of the varied pictures which have been, and still are seen in our times. ”

“ Wherefore, having set himself to make research, there did not ultimately remain a single design, or sketch, nay not even a copy executed by Michelagnolo, that he did not himself make a copy from; whence it resulted that no long time had elapsed before he was reputed one of the best designers by whom the Chapel of Michelagnolo [2] was frequented. Nay, what is yet more, Battista would for some time do nothing but draw, and would not paint at all. ”

“ Now, while Battista was thus occupied, it came to pass that Messer Giovan Andrea dall’ Anguillara, [21] a man who had,, distinguished himself greatly by a certain sort of poesies, had formed a society composed of men possessing fine genius in various walks, and was causing exceedingly rich scenic ornaments and other decorations to be prepared in the large Hall of Sant’ Apostolo, where he proposed to arrange the performance of dramas by different authors before the gentlemen, nobles, and other distinguished personages of the city. ”

“ The picture on the right represents Moses returning from the Mount, where he has received the Laws from the hand of God, when he finds the people adoring the golden calf: and that on the left exhibits the Universal Judgment at the last day; the latter, an extravagant invention, which is truly fearful and terrible, in its diversity of figures which are of each sex and every age; the souls of the condemned, as well as of the blessed, are beheld in various parts in the distance. ”

“ This artist has painted every kind of picture, whether in fresco or oil, with portraits taken from the life also, and he executes works of all prices, in such sort that in this manner of his he has undertaken, and does undertake, the greater part of the pictures painted in Venice. ”

“ It is to be furthermore recorded of this master, that for the purpose of securing the completion of the ornaments within the stated period, he worked with his assistants so zealously that they never quitted their labour; they had consequently a perpetual supply of drink brought to them: this being good Greek wine, the men were constantly inebriated, and this fact of their being perpetually under the influence of wine, together with their practice and zeal for art, caused them to produce wonderful things. ”

“ Standing around in divers groups are the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Sybils, the Apostles, the Martyrs, the Confessors, and the Virgins; all which figures, in their various attitudes, appear to be rejoicing and congratulating each other on the arrival of that glorious Virgin Mother. ”

“ Between the columns to the right hand was painted an oval compartment, within which was represented Garlasso, taken by the same leader with a single company of soldiers; and amidst the columns on the left was a Bastion of Milan, also wrested from the enemy by the prowess of the Signor Giovanni. ”

“ Romans may perchance have possessed such, but that the paintings have been destroyed by time in the long period during which they have remained buried, since we know well that ours are capable of resisting the utmost force of the weather, and of every other evil influence, insomuch that they might be kept beneath the ground for 4000 years, so to speak, without sustaining injury to their paintings. Vases and pictures of this kind are produced, as is well known, throughout all Italy ”

“ He who takes from the works of others, moreover, should be careful to do so in such sort that the portions borrowed shall not be too easily recognized. Battista therefore discovered, when it was too late, that he had been expending his time unduly over the minutiae of muscles, &c., and in drawing with an over-strained diligence, .while he did not give sufficient regard to the demands of the art in its other departments. ”

“ Ridolfi, Vite de' Pittori Veneti. ↑ Tintoretto, “the little dyer;” so was this artist called (after the Italian fashion of that period, and one not entirely unknown, as many of our readers can avouch, to the present day) , from the trade of his father Battista Robusti, who was a dyer. Italice, “Tintore." ↑ He was a disciple of Titian, but was dismissed by that master because he would in no wise give obedience to his commands; a highly probable reason, the character of the disciple considered; yet there are not wanting those who affirm that the great artist was jealous of his pupil. ”

“ It may indeed be afiSrmed with truth that for preparing a beautiful design Battista had no equal, and might be therein considered an accomplished man. Remarking that this was the case, Duke Guidobaldo thought the designs of Battista might probably be used with good effect by those who were then so admirably working in vases and other pottery at Castel Durante, and where prints from the designs of Baffaello da Urbino, [14] and other able artists, had been copied Avith the most perfect success ”

“ It is a group that may be truly called most beautiful; but some affirm that Orazio was assisted in the work by Titian his father.
Near the picture of Orazio is that by Paolo Veronese, of whom we have made mention in the Life of Michele San Michele, and who in his work represented the same Federigo Barbarossa appearing at Court to kiss the hand of the Pope Ottaviano, as in contempt of Pope Alexander [35] III. In addition to this picture, which is a very beautiful one, the same Paolo painted four large figures over a window; they represent Time ”

“ Marco, having been constructed of masonry, after the designs of Jacopo Sansovino, as will be related in the proper place, and having been adorned with various ornaments in stucco, which formed compartments for paintings, by the sculptor Alessandro, [27] a disciple of Sansovino, Battista was employed to paint certain minute grotteschine^ over every part thus divided. ”

“ Ed. Ven. ↑ This painter, who, according to Ridolfi, was a disciple of Titian, excelled in portrait painting. Lanzi informs us that he died young. See History of Painting (English Edition) , vol. ii. p. 170. ↑ "No such picture has ever existed in the Church of San Jobbe,” says a Note to the Venetian Edition of our author, Vasari has perhaps been thinking of one by Giovanni Bellini on the same subject, and which was removed from San Jobbe to the Academy of the Fine Arts in Venice. ”