Giorgio Vasari

“ We may indeed safely affirm that Simone (be it said without offence to any other artist) has alone attained to the power of depriving the marble of that hardness which is too often perceived in the works of the sculptors, and by his mode of handling the chisel has brought his productions to such a point of perfection that they do verily seem to be living and breathing forms: nor is less commendation due to the cornices and other works of similar kind, performed by this artist, since he executed all with infinite judgment, and finished them with the most attractive grace. ”

“ The whole of these decorations are so admirably composed and arranged, they are so finely sculptured, and exhibit so rich a profusion of embellishment, that one cannot sufficiently admire the delicate minutiee of the perforated marbles, and the excellence of perfection to which every detail has been conducted,—capitals, cornice, masks, festoons, all are truly beautiful, as are the candelabra, which form the completion of this certainly most admirable performance. ”

“ Returning subsequently to Orvieto for the purpose of completing the before-mentioned chapel of the cathedral, Simone laboured at the same during all the time that Pope Paul lived, conducting it in such a manner that it proved to be equally beautiful with that first mentioned, as may be seen; nay, perhaps it is even more so, seeing that Mosca, as we have said, bore so perfect a love to his art, and found so much pleasure in his labours, that he could never have working enough, and constantly, sought to effect what may be truly called the impossible. ”

“ For the edge of the well, being a circle convex on the outer side and hollow or concave within, the two circles interfered with each other, and rendered it difficult to arrange the rectangular doors, with their framework and decorations of stone, in a fitting and satisfactory manner: the happy genius and resources of Simone prevailed nevertheless, and he brought all to completion with so much grace, that no one could have suspected the existence of any difficulty in the arrangement or execution of the same. ”

“ As the completion of the work, there were certain large masks and chandeliers, which are also truly beautiful, and although Simone was by no means called on to give so much labour to a work of that kind and for which he was to be but very frugally paid by that family, which had not great possessions, yet, incited by the love which he bore to art, and by the pleasure that one finds in doing a thing well, he chose to treat it in the manner we have said. ”

“ Among the decorations of this chapel are certain pedestals, each two braccia and a half wide, which stand at either end of the altar, and above which are two pilasters on each side, the height of these last being five braccia: between these is the story of the Magi, and on the pilasters, next to the story, of which two of the surfaces are seen, there are chandeliers decorated with grottesche, masks, small figures, and foliage, which are divinely beautiful. ”

“ Simone Mosca thus dwelling in Orvieto, there availed himself of the aid of a son of his own, named Francesco, and called as a bye-name Moschino, who was then fifteen years old. Having been produced b}r Nature almost with the chisel in his hand, and endowed with extraordinary genius, this youth could effect almost anything that he desired to do, and that with the perfection of grace and beauty. ”

“ While Simone was occupied with the completion of this well, the Wardens of Santa Maria, which is the cathedral of Orvieto, desired to have an end put to the marble chapel, which the Veronese architect Michele San Michele [10] had decorated with certain sculptures, but had completed only to the first cornice; when, knowing that Simone Mosca was a truly excellent artist, they determined to place that undertaking in his hands. ”

“ His Excellency having accepted and much commended the work, did not refuse to comply with the wish of Moschino, as indeed he never has refused to fulfil the wishes of any one who has desired honestly to labour in any manner. Francesco was accordingly sent to the Cathedral of Pisa where he has been occupied much to his credit up to the present time in the chapel of the Annunciation, which had been constructed by Stagio di Pietra Santa, and where Moschino has executed sculptures and works of all kinds ”

“ Wherefore Buonarroti advised his Holiness to have nothing to do with sculptures in that work, seeing that while they enrich the composition, they produce a kind of confusion, and thus detract from the beauty of the figures, while a simpler mode of ornamentation, if well executed, is more beautiful as well as in better keeping with the statues, which do not love to be surrounded by other works in relief ”

“ A chapel of the Corinthian Order was likewise built in macigno stone under the direction and partly from the designs of Simone, who executed a portion of the fabric himself; it was erected in the Abbey of Santa Fiore, a tolerably handsome monastery in Arezzo, which belongs to the Black Friars, and was constructed at the expense of Bernardino di Cristofano da Ginovi. ”