_Francesco Ubertini_ (Florentine: 1494-1557).
Francesco, the son of Ubertino, a goldsmith, called Il
Bacchiacca, studied first under Perugino, and afterwards with
Franciabigio and Andrea del Sarto. He was also at one time
in Rome, where he lived on terms of intimacy with Giulio
Romano and Benvenuto Cellini; he is mentioned in Cellini's
Autobiography. He was "more particularly successful," says
Vasari, "in the execution of small figures, which he executed
to perfection and with infinite patience. Ultimately Bacchiacca
was received into the service of the Duke Cosimo, seeing
that he was excellent in the delineation of all kinds of
animals, and was therefore employed to decorate a study for
his Excellency, which he did with great ability, covering the
same with birds of various kinds, together with rare plants
and foliage. At a later period he painted in fresco the grotto
of a fountain which is in the garden of the Pitti Palace, and
also prepared the designs for hangings of a bed to be richly
embroidered all over with stories in small figures, this being
considered the most gorgeous decoration of the kind that has
ever been executed in similar work, seeing that the designs
of Francesco have been worked in embroidery, thickly mingled
with pearls and other costly material, by Antonio, the brother
of Francesco, who is an excellent master in embroidery" (iv.
492). It would appear from Vasari's account that Francesco's
works consisted of _predelle_ for altar-pieces, and pictorial
adornments for wedding chests, and other pieces of "art
furniture."[236] Morelli, however, in an interesting chapter
on Bacchiacca (_Roman Galleries_, pp. 103-113), claims for him
a much more important position, ascribing to him among other
works the charming and celebrated "Portrait of a Boy" in the
Louvre, commonly attributed to Raphael.
The present panels decorated the room in the house at Florence, from
which Pontormo's picture of Joseph also comes (see under 1131); they
were doubtless painted for "cassoni," or large chests which were used
by the Italians of the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries
as wardrobes. "In those palmy days art was welcomed everywhere in
Italy, and had a share in all the concerns of men, and in all the
events and festivities of daily life. The nobles took a delight in
enriching their palaces, their country houses, and the chapels in
their churches, with paintings and sculpture, and even required that
their household furniture should, whilst useful, be graceful and
beautiful." Our panels were purchased many years ago from the heirs of
the Borgherini.
Several incidents occur in each of the two pictures, but the main
figures constantly recur, and we recognise them by their dress and
look. (1218). On the left, in this picture, are Joseph's brethren
travelling in search of corn towards the land of Egypt, quaint figures
in fantastic dresses, with little Benjamin, a child in a blue frock,
and Reuben weeping, and another brother trying in vain to console him.
"And the famine was sore in the land.... And the men took ... Benjamin;
and rose up, and went down to Egypt" (Genesis xliii. 1, 15). On the
right in the same picture is Joseph welcoming his brothers in the
portico of the palace, Pharaoh's armed guard outside looking rather
grimly and inhospitably on the intruders. The landscape is green and
picturesque. It is noticeable that blue (the colour of hope) is here
made sacred to Joseph and Benjamin, the children of promise, who are in
every instance dressed alike.
(1219). In the companion panel the further history of Joseph and his
brethren is depicted in three scenes or compartments, divided by
pillars. On the left are the brothers unloading the donkey of the
empty meal-jars, now to be filled through Joseph's kindness. In the
centre is Joseph making himself known to his eleven brethren. He is
gazing tenderly on little Benjamin, who advances towards him in the
foreground. "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph: doth my
father yet live?" (Genesis xlv. 3). On the right are seen the brethren
departing homeward, and the mule laden with Benjamin and the filled
meal-bags is being driven off.