said, and Puccio Capanna of Florence, who, working at Rimini in the
Church of S. Cataldo, belonging to the Preaching Friars, painted
perfectly in fresco the hull of a ship which appears to be sinking in
the sea, with men who are throwing things into the sea, one of whom is
Puccio himself portrayed from life among a good number of mariners. The
same man painted many works after the death of Giotto in the Church of
S. Francesco at Assisi, and in the Church of S. Trinita in Florence,
near the side-door towards the river, he painted the Chapel of the
Strozzi, wherein is the Coronation of the Madonna in fresco, with a
choir of angels which draw very much to the manner of Giotto; and on the
sides are stories of S. Lucia, very well wrought. In the Badia of
Florence he painted the Chapel of S. Giovanni Evangelista, belonging to
the family of Covoni, beside the sacristry; and in Pistoia he wrought in
fresco the principal chapel of the Church of S. Francesco and the Chapel
of S. Lodovico, with the stories of those Saints, passing well painted.
In the middle of the Church of S. Domenico, in the same city, there are
a Crucifix, a Madonna, and a S. John, wrought with much sweetness, and
at their feet a complete human skeleton, wherein (and this was something
unusual in those times) Puccio showed that he had sought to find the
foundations of art. In this work there is read his name, written by
himself in this fashion: PUCCIO DI FIORENZA ME FECE. In the arch over
the door of S. Maria Nuova in the said church there are three
half-length figures by his hand, Our Lady with the Child in her arms,
and S. Peter on one side, and on the other S. Francis. He also painted
in the aforesaid city of Assisi, in the lower Church of S. Francesco,
some scenes of the Passion of Jesus Christ in fresco, with good and very
resolute mastery, and in the chapel of the Church of S. Maria degli
Angeli he wrought in fresco a Christ in Glory, with the Virgin praying
to Him for the Christian people; this work, which is passing good, has
been all blackened by the smoke of the lamps and the candles that are
burning there continually in great quantity. And in truth, in so far as
it can be judged, Puccio had the manner and the whole method of working
of his master Giotto, and knew how to make good use of it in the works
that he wrought, even if, as some have it, he did not live long, having
fallen sick and died by reason of labouring too much in fresco. By his
hand, in so far as is known, is the Chapel of S. Martino in the same
church, with the stories of that Saint, wrought in fresco for Cardinal
Gentile. There is seen, also, in the middle of the street called
Portica, a Christ at the Column, and in a square picture there is Our
Lady, with S. Catherine and S. Clara, one on either side of her. There
are works by his hand scattered about in many other places, such as a
panel with the Passion of Christ, and stories of S. Francis, in the
tramezzo[13] of the church in Bologna; and many others, in short, that
are passed by for the sake of brevity. I will say, indeed, that in
Assisi, where most of his works are, and where it appears to me that he
assisted Giotto in painting, I have found that they hold him as their
fellow-citizen, and that there are still to-day in that city some of the
family of the Capanni. Wherefore it may easily be believed that he was
born in Florence, having written so himself, and that he was a disciple
of Giotto, but that afterwards he took a wife in Assisi, that there he
had children, and that now he has descendants there. But because it is
of little importance to know this exactly, it is enough to say that he
was a good master.
Likewise a disciple of Giotto and a very masterly painter was Ottaviano
da Faenza, who painted many works at Ferrara in S. Giorgio, the seat of
the Monks of Monte Oliveto; and in Faenza, where he lived and died, he
painted, in the arch over the door of S. Francesco, a Madonna, S. Peter
and S. Paul, and many other works in his said birthplace and in Bologna.
A disciple of Giotto, also, was Pace da Faenza, who stayed with him long
and assisted him in many works; and in Bologna there are some scenes in
fresco by his hand on the facade of S. Giovanni Decollato. This Pace was
an able man, particularly in making little figures, as can be seen to
this day in the Church of S. Francesco at Forli, in a Tree of the Cross,
and in a little panel in distemper, wherein is the life of Christ, with
four little scenes from the life of Our Lady, all very well wrought. It
is said that he wrought in fresco, in the Chapel of S. Antonio at
Assisi, some stories of the life of that Saint, for a Duke of Spoleto
who is buried in that place together with his son, both having died
fighting in certain suburbs of Assisi, according to what is seen in a
long inscription that is on the sarcophagus of the said tomb. In the old
book of the Company of Painters it is found that the same man had
another disciple, Francesco, called di Maestro Giotto, of whom I have
nothing else to relate.
Guglielmo of Forli was also a disciple of Giotto, and besides many other
works he painted the chapel of the high-altar in S. Domenico at Forli,
his native city. Disciples of Giotto, also, were Pietro Laurati and
Simon Memmi of Siena, Stefano, a Florentine, and Pietro Cavallini, a
Roman; but, seeing that of all these there is account in the Life of
each one of them, let it suffice to have said in this place that they
were disciples of Giotto, who drew very well for his time and for that
manner, whereunto witness is borne by many sheets of parchment drawn by
his hand in water-colour, outlined with the pen, in chiaroscuro, with
the high lights in white, which are in our book of drawings, and are
truly a marvel in comparison with those of the masters that lived before
him.
Giotto, as it has been said, was very ingenious and humorous, and very
witty in his sayings, whereof there is still vivid memory in that city;
for besides that which Messer Giovanni Boccaccio wrote about him, Franco
Sacchetti, in his three hundred Stories, relates many of them that are
very beautiful. Of these I will not forbear to write down some with the
very words of Franco himself, to the end that, together with the story
itself, there may be seen certain modes of speech and expressions of
those times. He says in one, then, to give it its heading:
"To Giotto, a great painter, is given a buckler to paint by a man of
small account. He, making a jest of it, paints it in such a fashion that
the other is put to confusion."
The story: "Everyone must have heard already who was Giotto, and how
great a painter he was above every other. A clownish fellow, having
heard his fame and having need, perchance for doing watch and ward, to
have a buckler of his painted, went off incontinent to the shop of
Giotto, with one who carried his buckler behind him, and, arriving where
he found Giotto, said, 'God save thee, master, I would have thee paint
my arms on this buckler.' Giotto, considering the man and the way of
him, said no other word save this, 'When dost thou want it?' And he told
him; and Giotto said, 'Leave it to me'; and off he went. And Giotto,
being left alone, ponders to himself, 'What meaneth this? Can this
fellow have been sent to me in jest? Howsoever it may be, never was
there brought to me a buckler to paint, and he who brings it is a
simple manikin and bids me make him his arms as if he were of the
blood-royal of France; i' faith, I must make him a new fashion of arms.'
And so, pondering within himself, he put the said buckler before him,
and, having designed what seemed good to him, bade one of his disciples
finish the painting, and so he did; which painting was a helmet, a
gorget, a pair of arm-pieces, a pair of iron gauntlets, a cuirass and a
back-piece, a pair of thigh-pieces, a pair of leg-pieces, a sword, a
dagger, and a lance. The great man, who knew not what he was in for, on
arriving, comes forward and says, 'Master, is it painted, that buckler?'
Said Giotto, 'Of a truth, it is; go, someone, and bring it down.' The
buckler coming, that would-be gentleman begins to look at it and says to
Giotto, 'What filthy mess is this that thou hast painted for me?' Said
Giotto, 'And it will seem to thee a right filthy business in the
paying.' Said he, 'I will not pay four farthings for it.' Said Giotto,
'And what didst thou tell me that I was to paint?' And he answered, 'My
arms.' Said Giotto,' And are they not here? Is there one wanting?' Said
the fellow, 'Well, well!' Said Giotto, 'Nay, 'tis not well, God help
thee! And a great booby must thou be, for if one asked thee, "Who art
thou?" scarce wouldst thou be able to tell; and here thou comest and
sayest, "Paint me my arms!" An thou hadst been one of the Bardi, that
were enough. What arms dost thou bear? Whence art thou? Who were thy
ancestors? Out upon thee! Art not ashamed of thyself? Begin first to
come into the world before thou pratest of arms as if thou wert Dusnam
of Bavaria. I have made thee a whole suit of armour on thy buckler; if
there be one piece wanting, name it, and I will have it painted.' Said
he, 'Thou dost use vile words to me, and hast spoilt me a buckler;' and
taking himself off, he went to the justice and had Giotto summoned.
Giotto appeared and had him summoned, claiming two florins for the
painting, and the other claimed them from him. The officers, having
heard the pleadings, which Giotto made much the better, judged that the
other should take his buckler so painted, and should give six lire to
Giotto, since he was in the right. Wherefore he was constrained to take
his buckler and go, and was dismissed; and so, not knowing his measure,
he had his measure taken."
It is said that Giotto, while working in his boyhood under Cimabue, once
painted a fly on the nose of a figure that Cimabue himself had made, so
true to nature that his master, returning to continue the work, set
himself more than once to drive it away with his hand, thinking that it
was real, before he perceived his mistake. Many other tricks played by
Giotto and many witty retorts could I relate, but I wish that these,
which deal with matters pertinent to art, should be enough for me to
have told in this place, leaving the rest to the said Franco and others.
Finally, seeing that there remained memory of Giotto not only in the
works that issued from his hands, but in those also that issued from the
hand of the writers of those times, he having been the man who recovered
the true method of painting, which had been lost for many years before
him; therefore, by public decree and by the effort and particular
affection of the elder Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent, in
admiration of the talent of so great a man his portrait was placed in S.
Maria del Fiore, carved in marble by Benedetto da Maiano, an excellent
sculptor, together with the verses written below, made by that divine
man, Messer Angelo Poliziano, to the end that those who should become
excellent in any profession whatsoever might be able to cherish a hope
of obtaining, from others, such memorials as these that Giotto deserved
and obtained in liberal measure from his goodness:
Ille ego sum, per quem pictura extincta revixit,
Cui quam recta manus, tam fuit et facilis.
Naturae deerat nostrae quod defuit arti;
Plus licuit nulli pingere, nec melius.
Miraris turrim egregiam sacro aere sonantem?
Haec quoque de modulo crevit ad astra meo.
Denique sum Jottus, quid opus fuit illa referre?
Hoc nomen longi carminis instar erit.
And to the end that those who come after may be able to see drawings by
the very hand of Giotto, and from these to recognize all the more the
excellence of so great a man, in our aforesaid book there are some that
are marvellous, sought out by me with no less diligence than labour and
expense.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 11: See note on p. 57.]
[Footnote 12: See note on p. 57.]
[Footnote 13: See note on p. 57.]
AGOSTINO AND AGNOLO OF SIENA
LIFE OF AGOSTINO AND AGNOLO OF SIENA,
SCULPTORS AND ARCHITECTS
Among others who exercised themselves in the school of the sculptors
Giovanni and Niccola of Pisa, Agostino and Agnolo, sculptors of Siena,
of whom we are at present about to write the Life, became very excellent
for those times. These, according to what I find, were born from a
father and mother of Siena, and their forefathers were architects,
seeing that in the year 1190, under the rule of the three Consuls, they
brought to perfection the Fontebranda, and afterwards, in the following
year, under the same Consulate, the Customs-house of that city and other
buildings. And in truth it is clear that very often the seeds of talent
germinate in the houses where they have lain for some time, and throw
out shoots which afterwards produce greater and better fruits than the
first plants had done. Agostino and Agnolo, then, adding great
betterment to the manner of Giovanni and Niccola of Pisa, enriched the
art with better design and invention, as their works clearly
demonstrate. It is said that the aforesaid Giovanni, returning from
Naples to Pisa in the year 1284, stayed in Siena in order to make the
design and foundation for the facade of the Duomo, wherein are the three
principal doors, to the end that it might be all adorned very richly
with marbles; and that then Agostino, being no more than fifteen years
of age, went to be with him in order to apply himself to sculpture,
whereof he had learnt the first principles, being no less inclined to
this art than to the matters of architecture. And so, under the teaching
of Giovanni, by means of continual study he surpassed all his
fellow-disciples in design, grace, and manner, so greatly that it was
said by all that he was the right eye of his master. And because,
between people who love each other, there is no gift, whether of
nature, or of soul, or of fortune, that is mutually desired so much as
excellence, which alone makes men great and noble, and what is more,
most happy both in this life and in the other, therefore Agostino,
seizing this occasion of assistance from Giovanni, drew his brother
Agnolo into the same pursuit. Nor was it a great labour for him to do
this, seeing that the intercourse of Agnolo with Agostino and with the
other sculptors had already, as he saw the honour and profit that they
were drawing from such an art, fired his mind with extreme eagerness and
desire to apply himself to sculpture; nay, before Agostino had given a
thought to this, Agnolo had wrought certain works in secret.
Agostino, then, being engaged in working with Giovanni on the marble
panel of the high-altar in the Vescovado of Arezzo, whereof there has
been mention above, contrived to bring there the said Agnolo, his
brother, who acquitted himself in this work in such a manner that when
it was finished he was found to have equalled Agostino in the excellence
of his art. Which circumstance, becoming known to Giovanni, was the
reason that after this work he made use of both one and the other in
many other works of his that he wrought in Pistola, in Pisa, and in
other places. And seeing that he applied himself not only to sculpture
but to architecture as well, no long time passed before, under the rule
of the Nine in Siena, Agostino made the design of their Palace in
Malborghetto, which was in the year 1308. In the making of this he
acquired so great a name in his country, that, returning to Siena after
the death of Giovanni, they were made, both one and the other,
architects to the State; wherefore afterwards, in the year 1317, there
was made under their direction the front of the Duomo that faces towards
the north, and in the year 1321, with the design of the same men, there
was begun the construction of the Porta Romana in that manner wherein it
stands to-day, and it was finished in the year 1326; which gate was
first called Porta S. Martino. They rebuilt, also, the Porta a Tufi,
which at first was called Porta di S. Agata all'Arco. In the same year,
with the design of the same Agostino and Agnolo, there was begun the
Church and Convent of S. Francesco in the presence of Cardinal di Gaeta,
Apostolic Legate. No long time after, by the action of some of the
Tolomei who were living as exiles at Orvieto, Agostino and Agnolo were
summoned to make certain sculptures for the work of S. Maria in that
city; wherefore, going there, they carved some prophets in marble which
are now, in comparison with the other statues in that facade, the finest
and best proportioned in that so greatly renowned work.
Now it came to pass in the year 1326, as it has been said in his Life,
that Giotto was called by means of Charles, Duke of Calabria, who was
then staying in Florence, to Naples, in order to make some things for
King Robert in S. Chiara and other places in that city; wherefore
Giotto, passing by way of Orvieto on his way to Naples, in order to see
the works that had been made and were still being made there by so many
men, wished to see everything minutely. And because the prophets of
Agostino and Agnolo of Siena pleased him more than all the other
sculptures, it came about therefore that Giotto not only commended them
and held them, much to their contentment, among his friends, but also
presented them to Piero Saccone da Pietramala as the best of all the
sculptors then living, for the making of the tomb of Bishop Guido, Lord
and Bishop of Arezzo, which has been mentioned in the Life of Giotto
himself. And so then Giotto having seen in Orvieto the works of many
sculptors and having judged the best to be those of Agostino and Agnolo
of Siena, this was the reason that the said tomb was given to them to
make--in that manner, however, wherein he had designed it, and according
to the model which he himself had sent to the said Piero Saccone.
Agostino and Agnolo finished this tomb in the space of three years,
executing it with much diligence, and built it into the Church of the
Vescovado of Arezzo, in the Chapel of the Sacrament. Over the
sarcophagus, which rests on certain great consoles carved more than
passing well, there is stretched the body of that Bishop in marble, and
at the sides are some angels that are drawing back certain curtains very
gracefully. Besides this, there are carved in half-relief, in
compartments, twelve scenes from the life and actions of that Bishop,
with an infinite number of little figures. I will not grudge the labour
of describing the contents of these scenes, to the end that it may be
seen with what great patience they were wrought, and how zealously
these sculptors sought the good manner.
In the first is the scene when, assisted by the Ghibelline party of
Milan, which sent him money and four hundred masons, he is rebuilding
the walls of Arezzo all anew, making them much longer than they were and
giving them the form of a galley. In the second is the taking of
Lucignano di Valdichiana. In the third, that of Chiusi. In the fourth,
that of Fronzoli, then a strong castle above Poppi, and held by the sons
of the Count of Battifolle. The fifth is when the Castle of Rondine,
after having been many months besieged by the Aretines, is surrendering
finally to the Bishop. In the sixth is the taking of the Castle of
Bucine in Valdarno. The seventh is when he is taking by storm the
fortress of Caprese, which belonged to the Count of Romena, after having
maintained the siege for several months. In the eighth the Bishop is
having the Castle of Laterino pulled down and the hill that rises above
it cut into the shape of a cross, to the end that it may no longer be
possible to build a fortress thereon. In the ninth he is seen destroying
Monte Sansovino and putting it to fire and flames, chasing from it all
the inhabitants. In the eleventh is his coronation, wherein are to be
seen many beautiful costumes of soldiers on foot and on horseback, and
of other people. In the twelfth, finally, his men are seen carrying him
from Montenero, where he fell sick, to Massa, and thence afterwards, now
dead, to Arezzo. Round this tomb, also, in many places, are the
Ghibelline insignia, and the arms of the Bishop, which are six square
stones "or," on a field "azure," in the same ordering as are the six
balls in the arms of the Medici; which arms of the house of the Bishop
were described by Frate Guittone, chevalier and poet of Arezzo, when he
said, writing of the site of the Castle of Pietramala, whence that
family had its origin:
Dove si scontra il Giglion con la Chiassa
Ivi furono i miei antecessori,
Che in campo azurro d'or portan sei sassa.
Agnolo and Agostino of Siena, then, executed this work with better art
and invention and with more diligence than there had been shown in any
work executed in their times. And in truth they deserve nothing but
infinite praise, having made therein so many figures and so great a
variety of sites, places, towers, horses, men, and other things, that it
is indeed a marvel. And although this tomb was in great part destroyed
by the Frenchmen of the Duke of Anjou, who sacked the greater part of
that city in order to take revenge on the hostile party for certain
affronts received, none the less it shows that it was wrought with very
good judgment by the said Agostino and Agnolo, who cut on it, in rather
large letters, these words:
HOC OPUS FECIT MAGISTER AUGUSTINUS ET MAGISTER ANGELUS DE SENIS.
After this, in the year 1329, they wrought an altar-panel of marble for
the Church of S. Francesco at Bologna, in a passing good manner; and
therein, besides the carved ornamentation, which is very rich, they made
a Christ who is crowning Our Lady, and on each side three similar
figures--S. Francis, S. James, S. Dominic, S. Anthony of Padua, S.
Petronius, and S. John the Evangelist, with figures one braccio and a
half in height. Below each of the said figures is carved a scene in
low-relief from the life of the Saint that is above; and in all these
scenes is an infinite number of half-length figures, which make a rich
and beautiful adornment, according to the custom of those times. It is
seen clearly that Agostino and Agnolo endured very great fatigue in this
work, and that they put into it all diligence and study in order to make
it, as it truly was, a work worthy of praise; and although they are half
eaten away, yet there are to be read thereon their names and the date,
by means of which, it being known when they began it, it is seen that
they laboured eight whole years in completing it. It is true, indeed,
that in that same time they wrought many other small works in diverse
places and for various people.
Now, while they were working in Bologna, that city, by the mediation of
a Legate of the Pope, gave herself absolutely over to the Church; and
the Pope, in return, promised that he would go to settle with his Court
in Bologna, saying that he wished to erect a castle there, or truly a
fortress, for his own security. This being conceded to him by the
Bolognese, it was immediately built under the direction and design of
Agostino and Agnolo, but it had a very short life, for the reason that
the Bolognese, having found that the many promises of the Pope were
wholly vain, pulled down and destroyed the said fortress, with much
greater promptness than it had been built.
It is said that while these two sculptors were staying in Bologna the Po
issued in furious flood from its bed and laid waste the whole country
round for many miles, doing incredible damage to the territory of Mantua
and Ferrara and slaying more than ten thousand persons; and that they,
being called on for this reason as ingenious and able men, found a way
to put this terrible river back into its course, confining it with dykes
and other most useful barriers; which was greatly to their credit and
profit, because, besides acquiring fame thereby, they were recompensed
by the Lords of Mantua and by the D'Este family with most honourable
rewards.
After this they returned to Siena, and in the year 1338, with their
direction and design, there was made the new Church of S. Maria, near
the Duomo Vecchio, towards Piazza Manetti; and no long time after, the
people of Siena, remaining much satisfied with all the works that these
men were making, determined with an occasion so apt to put into effect
that which had been discussed many times, but up to then in
vain--namely, the making of a public fountain on the principal square,
opposite the Palagio della Signoria. Wherefore, this being entrusted to
Agostino and Agnolo, they brought the waters of that fountain through
pipes of lead and of clay, which was very difficult, and it began to
play in the year 1343, on the first day of June, with much pleasure and
contentment to the whole city, which remained thereby much indebted to
the talent of these its two citizens.
About the same time there was made the Great Council Chamber in the
Municipal Palace; and so too, with the direction and design of the same
men, there was brought to its completion the tower of the said Palace,
in the year 1344, and there were placed thereon two great bells, whereof
they had one from Grosseto and the other was made in Siena. Finally,
while Agnolo chanced to be in the city of Assisi, where he made a
chapel and a tomb in marble in the lower Church of S. Francesco for a
brother of Napoleone Orsino, a Cardinal and a friar of S. Francis, who
had died in that place--Agostino, who had remained in Siena in the
service of the State, died while he was busy making the design for the
adornments of the said fountain in the square, and was honourably buried
in the Duomo. I have not yet found, and cannot therefore say anything
about the matter, either how or when Agnolo died, or even any other
works of importance by their hand; and therefore let this be the end of
their Life.
Now, seeing that it would be without doubt an error, in following the
order of time, not to make mention of some who, although they have not
wrought so many works that it is possible to write their whole life,
have none the less contributed betterment and beauty to art and to the
world, I will say, taking occasion from that which has been said above
about the Vescovado of Arezzo and about the Pieve, that Pietro and Paolo,
goldsmiths of Arezzo, who learnt design from Agnolo and Agostino of
Siena, were the first who wrought large works of some excellence with
the chasing-tool, since, for an arch-priest of the said Pieve of Arezzo,
they executed a head in silver as large as life, wherein was placed the
head of S. Donatus, Bishop and Protector of that city; which work was
worthy of nothing but praise, both because they made therein some very
beautiful figures in enamel and other ornaments, and because it was one
of the first works, as it has been said, that were wrought with the
chasing-tool.
About the same time, the Guild of Calimara in Florence caused Maestro
Cione, an excellent goldsmith, to make the greater part, if not the
whole, of the silver altar of S. Giovanni Battista, wherein are many
scenes from the life of that Saint embossed on a plate of silver, with
passing good figures in half-relief; which work, both by reason of its
size and of its being something new, was held marvellous by all who saw
it. In the year 1330, after the body of S. Zanobi had been found beneath
the vaults of S. Reparata, the same Maestro Cione made a head of silver
to contain a piece of the head of that Saint, which is still preserved
to-day in the same head of silver and is borne in processions; which
head was then held something very beautiful and gave a great name to its
craftsman, who died no long time after, rich and in great repute.