ON the entreaty of my brother and sister, I remained at Florence, though
my own inclination led me to return to Rome. The dear friend, also, who
had helped me in some of my earlier troubles, as I have narrated (I mean
Piero, son of Giovanni Landi)-he too advised me to make some stay in
Florence; for the Medici were in exile, that is to say, Signor Ippolito
and Signor Alessandro, who were afterwards respectively Cardinal and
Duke of Florence; and he judged it would be well for me to wait and see
what happened. [1]
At that time there arrived in Florence a Sienese, called Girolamo
Marretti, who had lived long in Turkey and was a man of lively
intellect. He came to my shop, and commissioned me to make a golden
medal to be worn in the hat. The subject was to be Hercules wrenching
the lion’s mouth. While I was working at this piece, Michel Agnolo
Buonarroti came oftentimes to see it. I had spent infinite pains upon
the design, so that the attitude of the figure and the fierce passion of
the beast were executed in quite a different style from that of any
craftsman who had hitherto attempted such groups. This, together with
the fact that the special branch of art was totally unknown to Michel
Agnolo, made the divine master give such praises to my work that I felt
incredibly inspired for further effort. However, I found little else to
do but jewel-setting; and though I gained more thus than in any other
way, yet I was dissatisfied, for I would fain have been employed upon
some higher task than that of setting precious stones.
Just then I met with Federigo Ginori, a young man of a very lofty
spirit. He had lived some years in Naples, and being endowed with great
charms of person and presence, had been the lover of a Neapolitan
princess. He wanted to have a medal made, with Atlas bearing the world
upon his shoulders, and applied to Michel Agnolo for a design. Michel
Agnolo made this answer: “Go and find out a young goldsmith named
Benvenuto; he will serve you admirably, and certainly he does not stand
in need of sketches by me. However, to prevent your thinking that I want
to save myself the trouble of so slight a matter, I will gladly sketch
you something; but meanwhile speak to Benvenuto, and let him also make a
model; he can then execute the better of the two designs.” Federigo
Ginori came to me, and told me what he wanted, adding thereto how Michel
Agnolo had praised me, and how he had suggested I should make a waxen
model while he undertook to supply a sketch. The words of that great man
so heartened me, that I set myself to work at once with eagerness upon
the model; and when I had finished it, a painter who was intimate with
Michel Agnolo, called Giuliano Bugiardini, brought me the drawing of
Atlas. [2] On the same occasion I showed Giuliano my little model in
wax, which was very different from Michel Agnolo’s drawing; and
Federigo, in concert with Bugiardini, agreed that I should work upon my
model. So I took it in hand, and when Michel Agnolo saw it, he praised
me to the skies. This was a figure, as I have said, chiselled on a plate
of gold; Atlas had the heaven upon his back, made out of a crystal ball,
engraved with the zodiac upon a field of lapis-lazuli. The whole
composition produced an indescribably fine effect; and under it ran the
legend 'Summa tulisse juvat!' [3] Federigo was so thoroughly well
pleased that he paid me very liberally. Aluigi Alamanni was at that time
in Florence. Federigo Ginori, who enjoyed his friendship, brought him
often to my workshop, and through this introduction we became very
intimate together. 4
Note 1. I may remind my readers that the three Medici of the ruling
house were now illegitimate. Clement VII was the bastard son of
Giuliano, brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Ippolito, the Cardinal,
was the bastard of Giuliano, Duke of Nemours, son of Lorenzo the
Magnificent. Alessandro was the reputed bastard of Lorenzo, Duke of
Urbino, grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Alessandro became Duke of
Florence, and after poisoning his cousin, Cardinal Ippolito, was
murdered by a distant cousin, Lorenzino de’ Medici. In this way the male
line of Lorenzo the Magnificent was extinguished.
Note 2. This painter was the pupil of Bertoldo, a man of simple manners
and of some excellence in his art. The gallery at Bologna has a fine
specimen of his painting. Michel Agnolo delighted in his society.