Giorgio Vasari

“ Francesco Francia was horn in Bologna, in the year 1450, of parents in the rank of artisans, but respectable and wellconducted people. In his first youth he was destined to the calling of the goldsmith; and labouring at the same with ability and good will, his progress in his art kept fair proportion with his increase of stature. ”

“ Nor did he permit his painting to interfere with his other works in medals, or to prevent him from giving his attention to the affairs of the mint, as he had done from the beginning. The departure of Messer Giovanni Bentivoglio from the city, caused Francia great sorrow, as it is said; the exile of one from whom he had received such important benefits grieving him exceedingly; [18] but yet, like a prudent and moderate person as he Avas, he continued to pursue his labours [19] with his usual assiduity. ”

“ There are, nevertheless, many who declare his death to have been so sudden as to give rise to the belief, which was confirmed by various appearances, that it was caused by poison, or apoplexy, rather than anything else. ”

“ In this manner Francesco, who had remarkable intelligence and excellent judgment, very rapidly acquired the requisite practice. The first work which he executed was a picture of no great size, for Messer Bartolommeo Felicini, who placed it in the Misericordia, a church just without the gate of Bologna. The subject of this painting is a Madonna seated, with many figures around her; among whom is Messer Bartolommeo, portrayed from the life. ”

“ That it was the cause of death even Vasari does not affirm by evidence, and it will be remarked that he afterwards considerably softens the force of his first assertion to that effect. ↑ Here Vasari evidently intends to weaken the force of what he has previously said in respect to the death of Francia. ↑ Della Valle and other Italian writers think this should be read la sua berlla morta. The picture of a beautiful woman that is to say, lying dead, rather than his “beautiful painting of Death,” as Vasari’s words would imply. ”

“ And as it most commonly happens that every one is ready to extol the distinguished persons of his native place, so these Bolognese began to entertain Raphael with praises of the life, genius, and works of Francia, until so much friendship ivas established between those two masters, by means of words, that they saluted each other by letter. [40] Then Francia, having heard so much discourse concerning the divine paintings of Raphael, desired to see his works, but he was now old and enjoying his ease in his beloved Bologna. It so chanced, however, that Raphael painted a picture of St. ”

“ Masselli. ↑ After having been sometime in Milan, this picture also was restored to the Gallery of Bologna. Engravings, in different manners, will be found in the collection of pictures from that gallery, engraved by Rosaspina, and in the Pinacoteca di Milano, Scuola Bolognese. ↑ Bottari affirms that the portrait of the painter himself is in an angle of this picture; but later writers consider the figure with folded hands, commonly called St. Francis, to be the portrait of Francia. ”

“ See also Zani, Materiali per servire alia Storia dell’ Intaglio, &c. ↑ Ambrogio Foppa, called Caradosso, a native of Pavia, though frequently enumerated among the artists of Milan. He was not only distinguished for the beauty of his dies, but for his excellence in the plastic arts generally, and for goldsmiths’ work in particular. ”