Giorgio Vasari

“ Francesco was indeed so well aware of the bold and copious powers of invention with which he had been endowed, that, perceiving his hand to be always obedient to his genius, he would gladly have occupied all his time with some great and extraordinary work. ”

“ When Vasari had been some few months with Michelagnolo, that excellent man was summoned by Pope Clement to Pome, there to receive the Pontiffs orders for the commencement of the Library of San Lorenzo, when Griorgio was placed by him, before his departure, with Andrea del Sarto, pursuing the studies of design under that artist. Vasari then assisted Francesco in secret, by lending to him the drawings of his (Vasari’s) master, the former having no greater delight than that of studying the same, as in fact he did, night and day. ”

“ Francesco commenced a Chapel in fresco for a merchant of that nation, painting the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit in the vaulting above, and in a picture which reaches to about half the lieight of the wall, he represented Our Saviour Christ arising from the dead and surrounded by the sleeping soldiers. These figures are lying about near the tomb in various attitudes, and are foreshortened in a very bold and beautiful manner. On one side of this picture is the figure of San Stefano, and on the other that of San Giorgio; they stand in two niches, and are by the same Francesco. ”

“ Palace of San Giorgio: here he first prepared singularly beautiful compartments in stucco-work, and in the very graceful ceiling of the chapel he depicted stories from the Life of San Lorenzo in fresco, the figures of the work being very numerous as well as beautiful. Francesco also executed an Altar-piece painted in oil and on stone for the same chapel, and in this he depicted the Nativity of Our Saviour Christ, introducing in that work, which was a singularly fine one, the Portrait of the before-mentioned Cardinal, taken from the life. ”

“ Now the Cardinal Salviati desired to possess a work by the hand of Fra Damiano, of Bergamo, who was a lay-brother of the Monastery of San Domenico at Bologna, a picture made of tinted woods, or “in Tarsia” that is to say. He therefore sent Fra Damiano a design in red chalk, which he had caused Francesco to make of the subject that he by the Prophet Samuel; it is a truly beautiful composition, and the best ever designed by Cecchino Salviati. ”

“ His most intimate friend in Rome was the Elorentine goldsmith, Manno, a person of high distinction in his calling, and no less remarkable for integrity and goodness of heart. Manno had a large family, and if Francesco had disposed of his property as might have been wished, and not spent the best fruits of his labours on offices to leave them to the Pope, [44] he would have given a great part of them to the children of that good artist and excellent man. ”

“ These unpopular modes of proceeding giving umbrage to many persons, but more especially to certain artists, attracted so much odium to Francesco, that Tasso and some others, who, from being his friends had become his enemies, began to give him no small cause for disquietude. ”

“ Arrived in Rome, therefore, the first thing which Giorgio did was to seek Francesco, who joyfully described to him the great favour in which he stood with the Cardinal his Lord, and declaring that he was now in a place where he could study to his heart’s content; he added, moreover, “Not only do I enjoy the present, but I hope still better things for the future, for besides that I now have thyself in Rome, thee with whom, as with a near friend, I may take counsel and confer on matters relating to our art ”

“ Around the chariot are prisoners in vast numbers, and finely varied attitudes, while behind all, come the soldiers of the army bearing their weapons: among these men is one presenting the portrait of Francesco himself, so admirably painted that it seems to be alive. In the distance to which the triumphal procession extends itself, is seen a very beautiful representation of Rome. Over the door between these two Stories is a picture in chiaro-scuro, the figure of Peace namely, with prisoners engaged in the destruction by fire of a pile of arms ”

“ Every one then began to expect that some very great thing would be produced by himselfj and the Cardinal of Lorraine, who had caused him to be sent for, set him to execute certain pictures in his Palace of Dampierre: for this work Francesco then prepared numerous drawings, and finally setting hand to the painting, he executed various pictures in fresco over the cornices of several apartments, and also decorated a study with stories which are said to be of high merit: but be the cause what it may, he did not receive any great commendation for these labours. ”

“ To this Pope Pius made answer, that Avhether these things were true or not, he knew nothing of the picture in question, and desired to see it; whereupon it was brought, and being examined by His Holiness in a very bad light, the latter decided that the painting should be returned. That affair being settled, the discourse respecting the Hall Avas then_ resumed, Avhen Giorgio plainly told the Pope that Francesco was the first and best painter in Rome, and that as none could serve His Holiness better than Salviati, it would be well to secure him. ”

“ Opposite to the figure of Peace burning the arms of War, as before described, is that of the River Arno; it holds the Cornucopia with one hand, and, lifting the edge of a curtain with the other, it displays the city of Florence, with all the Pontiffs and other great men of the House of Medici. Francesco furthermore added a kind of socle which passes entirely around the Hall beneath the pictures and niches, the decoration thereof consisting of terminal figures in the form of women sustaining festoons of fruit and flowers. ”

“ An exceedingly beautiful picture of the Madonna, painted in oil, was also executed by Drancesco, and is now in the chamber of Messer Alessandro, son of Messer Ottaviano de’ Medici.
For the above-mentioned Messer Pasquino Bertini, Francesco made another picture of Our Lady on cloth with the Divine Infant, and San Giovanni, also a child; they are smiling, and amusing themselves with a parrot which they have in their hands ”

“ The affair did nevertheless not turn out as he had expected: when he arrived in Paris he was received most courteously by Messer Francesco Primaticcio, Abbot of San Martino, who was then painter and architect to the King, but, as it is said, he was at once perceived to be a very singular person, and among other things it was observed that he never cast his eyes on the works of any other master, Rosso, or whomever it might be, that he did not openly and decidedly censure them. ”

“ At a later period, it is true that he did present himself to the Duke, by whom he was so well received that some good result might reasonably have been expected, had Francesco been of a different disposition, or if he had given ear to the counsel of Vasari, who advised him to sell the offices which he held in Rome, and to settle in Florence, there to enjoy himself among his friends, and thus escape the danger he was in of losing all the fruits of his toils, as well as his life itself. ”

“ The fact became known nevertheless to Domenico Naldini, who after having well examined the child, said so much to Michelagnolo his father, that the weaver finally agreed to place his boy in the shop of his uncle, there to learn the art of the goldsmith, when the facilities afforded him for drawing were turned to such extraordinary account by Francesco, that at the end of a few months, he was found to have made an amount of progress at which every one who beheld it was amazed. ”

“ The Cardinal Salviati having subsequently commanded Francesco to paint in fresco that chapel of his palace wherein he heard mass every morning, and the subject chosen being stories from the Life of San Giovanni Battista, Francesco set himself to study the nude figure from the life ”

“ In another picture is the death of Uriah; in a third is the Ark, with men sounding musical instruments as they walk before it; and finally, after many others, there follows a Battle-piece, showing David in combat with his enemies, and extremely well composed; at a word, the whole work is full of grace, exhibiting the richest fancy with many singular and ingenious inventions, the groups are arranged with much judgment, and the colouring is most agreeable. ”

“ Francesco held intercourse with but few people, nor did he wish to let it be known that he was proposing to practise painting; he therefore kept the works he attempted to himself; at this time it was that Prancesco Salviati came to Plorence, and worked in the rooms which Francesco di Girolamo del Prato occupied in the House of Works to the Cathedral, where Salviati painted his picture for Messer Alamanno ”

“ It has not unfrequently happened to the present writer, when remarking on some one of those trifling impositions or vexations of whatever kind, whereunto the traveller is “heir,” to be asked what better could be expected, for “is he not a Bergamasco, a Cortonese, an Urbinate, a Perugino!” a native of some town or village in short, at least half a league removed from the one entitled to rejoice in the birth of him who made the remark. ”

“ But the youth, whose mind was turned to other matters, had a mortal dislike to the labours of that calling, although the trade had in old times been exercised by persons—I will not say noble,—yet, who were at least, in good and easy circumstances, nay, rich men, as is well known. ”

“ The affair of the Hail of Kings remaining in the condition described above; when the Dukfe Cosimo left Siena to repair to Rome, Vasari, who had accompanied His Excellency so far, very earnestly recommended Salviati to his care, and begged the Duke to do him what favour he could with the Pope, writing to Francesco at the same time, as to the mode in which he ought to proceed when the Duke should arrive in Rome. And now Francesco did in nowise depart from the line of conduct prescribed to him by Vasari ”