AT the end of a month and a half the King returned to Paris; and I, who
had been working day and night, went to present myself before him,
taking my model, so well blocked out that my intention could be clearly
understood. Just about that time, the devilries of war between the
Emperor and King had been stirred up again, so that I found him much
harassed by anxieties. [1] I spoke, however, with the Cardinal of
Ferrara, saying I had brought some models which his Majesty had ordered,
and begging him, if he found an opportunity, to put in a word whereby I
might be able to exhibit them; the King, I thought, would take much
pleasure in their sight. This the Cardinal did; and no sooner had he
spoken of the models, than the King came to the place where I had set
them up. The first of these was intended for the door of the palace at
Fontainebleau. I had been obliged to make some alterations in the
architecture of this door, which was wide and low, in their vicious
French style. The opening was very nearly square, and above it was a
hemicycle, flattened like the handle of a basket; here the King wanted a
figure placed to represent the genius of Fontainebleau. I corrected the
proportions of the doorway, and placed above it an exact half circle; at
the sides I introduced projections, with socles and cornices properly
corresponding: then, instead of the columns demanded by this disposition
of parts, I fashioned two satyrs, one upon each side. The first of these
was in somewhat more than half-relief, lifting one hand to support the
cornice, and holding a thick club in the other; his face was fiery and
menacing, instilling fear into the beholders. The other had the same
posture of support; but I varied his features and some other details; in
his hand, for instance, he held a lash with three balls attached to
chains. Though I call them satyrs, they showed nothing of the satyr
except little horns and a goatish head; all the rest of their form was
human. In the lunette above I placed a female figure lying in an
attitude of noble grace; she rested her left arm on a stag’s neck, this
animal being one of the King’s emblems. On one side I worked little
fawns in half relief, with some wild boars and other game in lower
relief; on the other side were hounds and divers dogs of the chase of
several species, such as may be seen in that fair forest where the
fountain springs. The whole of this composition was enclosed in an
oblong, each angle of which contained a Victory in bas-relief, holding
torches after the manner of the ancients. Above the oblong was a
salamander, the King’s particular device, with many other ornaments
appropriate to the Ionic architecture of the whole design.
Note 1. Cellini refers to the renewal of hostilities in May 1542.