Giorgio Vasari

“ Pope Clement having then determined that Buonarroti should return to Florence, there to finish the works of the Sacristy and Library of San Lorenzo, gave him orders, seeing that many of the statues were still wanting there, as will be related in the Life of Michelagnolo, to the effect that he should secure the services of the most able men that could be found, but more particularly of the Frate, Giovann’ Agnolo: Buonarroti, being commanded to proceed as Antonio San Gallo had done, when engaged on the completion of the works at the Madonna di Loretta. ”

“ Yet to tell the truth, it is certain that there cannot be a more injurious act than that of placing a work intended for some particular place in a different position, seeing that the artist, as he proceeds with his labour, has a view to the place where the sculpture or painting is to be fixed, and accommodates himself thereto in respect to the lights and other circumstances. ”

“ Against the pillars at the commencement of the middle aisle are t-wo beautiful pulpits in marble, and throughout the side aisles are distributed chapels of admirable architecture, the whole of them being richly adorned with columns and other ornaments, by all which this fabric is rendered a truly rich and magnificent edifice. Having completed the church. Prince Doria then caused the Prate Giovann’ Agnolo to set hand to his palace, making large additions to the building, and also laying out very beautiful gardens, which were in like manner committed to the superintendence of the Frate. ”

“ At the Wall of the Virgin he likewise constructed a fountain, the water from which falls into a basin; this he adorned with a figure of the Madonna, by his own hand. For the fountain which is erected near the Palace of the Signore, Don Filippo Laroca, Giovann’ Agnolo sculptured the figure of a Boy from a certain stone much used in Messina: the Child is surrounded by marine animals, and pours water into a vase. ”

“ In the centre of the principal vase of this fountain is a pedestal, of proportions justly adapted thereto, and on this pedestal are exhibited the Arms of Charles V., with a Sea-horse at each angle of the basement, from between the feet of which spring jets of water; in the frieze of the same, beneath the upper cornice that is to say, are eight large masks, which pour streams of water downwards. On the summit is a figure of Neptune, five braccia high; the sea-god holds his trident in his hand, and beside him is a Dolphin. ”

“ Both these youths whom the monk instructed as carefully as he might or could have done had they been his own sons, he now set to work on the undertaking which he had in hand; and having at length completed the several parts, he constructed the chapel, erected the tomb, and arranged all the ornaments which he had prepared for the Church. The nave of that building forms a single cross at the upper part of the same, and at the lower end there are three crosses; the High Altar is in the centre, being wholly isolated in its upper part. ”

“ The above-named altar was to be of marble, and to stand entirely isolated, the tomb was in like manner to be encrusted with marble, and furthermore to be enriched with elaborate ornaments of vari-coloured stones. Giovann’ Agnolo repaired to Bologna accordingly, and having set hand to the work, he completed the same within the space of twentyeight months; constructing the above-named altar, which occupies the entire space between pillar and pillar, and enclosing the whole choir of the monks, which is all of marble, both on the inner and outer side. ”

“ Shortly afterwards, and by the intervention of Maestro Zaccheria, Giovann’ Agnolo obtained permission from his brethren of the Nunziata to erect in the chapter-house of that convent, where he had many years before produced the figures of Moses and of San Paolo in stucco, [46] as we have related above, a very beautiful sepulchre, occupying the centre of the place, and destined for the tomb of himself and such other professors, [47] persons belonging to the arts of design, painters, sculptors, and architects, as might be unprovided with a burial-place of their own ”

“ And now, since not only from the life of the above-mentioned Father Fra Giovann’ Agnolo, but also from those of others, of whom we have before held discourse, it has been shown, and is continually seen, that a truly good monk is useful to the world ”

“ Michelagnolo and the Frate repaired to Florence accordingly, and in the execution of the statues of the Duke Lorenzo and of Giuliano, Buonarroti availed himself constantly of Giovann’ Agnolo’s assistance in the polishing of the same, and in the performance of certain delicacies of execution connected with the hollowing out and placing in such relief as to be entirely detached from the marble beneath, of certain parts in those works ”

“ Girolamo Santacroce, of whom Vasari has made mention in vol. iii. p. 253, et seq., and that he had commenced the work, but being interrupted by death, Montorsoli was then appointed to replace him, in consequence of the protection accorded to his pretensions by the Servite Monks. But Domenici, who is the authority best informed, as regards Neapolitan affairs, maintains that the monks favouring their co-religionist, and the executors their fellow citizen, the dispute which ensued, was adjusted by the two candidates dividing the work between them. ”

“ Giovann’ Agnolo afterwards returned to finish his work at Arezzo, and having there heard that Girolamo Genga [13] was about to execute a monument in marble at Urbino, the Frate went to seek him; but no conclusion having been arrived at, h^ turned his face towards Rome, where however he did not long delay, but went on to Naples, with the hope of being commissioned to construct the sepulchral monument of Jacopo Sannazzaro, a Neapolitan gentleman, and poet of truly singular merit and admirable qualities. ”

“ The balustrade of the larger and lowermost basin, also exhibiting an octangular figure, has a richly sculptured pedestal at each of its angles, and in the centre of four out of the eight faces or planes is another pedestal of similar character. On the sides to which you mount by the circular steps there is a marble vase or basin of an oval shape into which there falls water in vast abundance from two masks, which are fixed on the basement of the carved balustrade. ”

“ In two niches, which are beside the Tomb and in the walls of the Chapel, are two figures in marble, standing on pedestals, and representing, the one St. James the Apostle, the other San Nazzaro.nota The Frate having erected this [25] [26] [27] work, in the manner here described, the above-named Signori executors declared themselves to be most perfectly satisfied, as did the whole city of Naples.
Giovann’ Agnolo then remembered that he had promised Prince Doria to return to Grenoa, there to erect the sepulchral monument of that Sovereign himself. ”

“ On the expulsion of the Medici, the wax figures of Leo, Clement, and other members of that most noble family which had been placed in the Cloisters of the Servites in pursuance of a vow, had been much injured by some young people, more out of their folly than from the bravery and good motives which they would fain have had attributed to them, when the Monks resolved that those works should be restored ”

“ We are doubtless, therefore, here to understand that Montorsoli was commissioned to re-commence the suspended work of a restoration, previously contemplated and resolved on, and undertaken at that moment because the Messinese had, as our author says, “found a man according to their taste.” ”

“ Here then there have been, and still are, very many admirable productions displayed by our artists, moved as they are by emulation among themselves, and by the wish to prove themselves not unworthy academicians. ”

“ The question of making this tomb being then discussed, the Servite Monks proposed to the executors that the commission for the same should be given to Giovann’ Agnolo, and he, going, as we have said, in that expectation to Naples, the work was finally accorded to him: [19] his models were indeed found to be much better than those which had been prepared by many other sculptors, and he consequently received a good share of the 1000 crowns advanced for them. ”

“ But a rumour had got abroad, to the effect that the marble statue was not by very much so beautiful as the model had given cause to expect that it would be, and that the Frate would find infinite difficulty in fixing the legs of the Hercules to the trunk, seeing that they were not adapted to the torso which he had prepared for them. ”

“ From the capital of France he proceeded to Lyons, and thence by Provence to Genoa, but did not remain there long, leaving that city in company with several of his friends, with whom he visited Venice, Padua, Verona, and Mantua, where, to his great pleasure, he saw and sometimes designed, many fine buildings, sculptures, and paintings. ”

“ He stipulated, moreover, that on the festival of the Most Holy Trinity in each year, high mass should be read and a solemn festival held, while, on the day following, the office for the dead should be performed; all being intended for the good of the souls of the persons above-mentioned.
This plan was imparted by Fra Giovann’ Agnolo to Maestro Zaccheria and to Giorgio Vasari, who was their intimate friend ”

“ Giovann’ Agnolo then sent Francesco del Tadda, of Fiesole, [20] an able carver, to superintend the *excavation of the marbles, having given him directions to get forward with all such rough hewings, dressings, and carvings, as should be demanded for the work, to the end that it might proceed with the greater rapidity. ”

“ Now about this time one of the nephew^s of Giovann’ Agnolo, whom he had left in the custody of Maestro Zaccheria, was sent to him at Genoa, and this one, called Angelo, [28] was a youth who then gave promise of fair ability and very good dispositions. At the same time there was sent to the Frate by the same Maestro Zaccheria, another young man called Martino, the son of Bartolommeo, a tailor. ”

“ On the sides are ranges of columns in like manner, and in the middle, above the before-mentioned tomb, is a figure of Our Lady in mezzo-rilievo, with the Dead Christ: on each side of the Madonna are figures representing King David and St. ”