learned the rudiments of painting from his father, whose manner he
rendered no little better and grander, although even he was not a
painter of much reputation, as is evident from the Chapels of the Maffei
and of the Emilii in the Duomo of Verona, from the upper part of the
cupola of S. Nazzaro, and from works in other places. This master,
recognizing the little value of his work in painting, and delighting
beyond measure in architecture, set himself with great diligence to
study and draw all the antiquities in his native city of Verona. He then
resolved to visit Rome, and to learn architecture from its marvellous
remains, which are the true masters; and he made his way to that city,
and stayed there twelve whole years. That time he spent, for the most
part, in examining and drawing all those marvellous antiquities,
searching out in every place all the ground-plans that he could see and
all the measurements that he could find. Nor did he leave anything in
Rome, either buildings or their members, such as cornices, capitals, and
columns, of whatsoever Order, that he did not draw with his own hand,
with all the measurements; and he also drew all the sculptures which
were discovered in those times, insomuch that when he returned to his
own country, after those twelve years, he was rich in all the treasures
of his art. And, not content with the things in the city of Rome itself,
he drew all that was good and beautiful in the whole of the Roman
Campagna, going even as far as the Kingdom of Naples, the Duchy of
Spoleto, and other parts. It is said that Giovan Maria, being poor, and
therefore having little wherewith to live or to maintain himself in
Rome, used to spend two or three days every week in assisting some
painter with his work; and with his earnings, since at that time masters
were well paid and living was cheap, he was able to live the other days
of the week, pursuing the studies of architecture. Thus, then, he drew
all those antiquities as if they were complete, reconstructing them in
his drawings from the parts and members that he saw, from which he
imagined all the other parts of the buildings in all their perfection
and integrity, and all with such true measurements and proportions,
that he could not make an error in a single detail.
Having returned to Verona, and finding no opportunity of exercising
himself in architecture, since his native city was in the throes of a
change of government, Giovan Maria gave his attention for the time to
painting, and executed many works. On the house of the Della Torre
family he painted a large escutcheon crowned by some trophies; and for
two German noblemen, counsellors of the Emperor Maximilian, he executed
in fresco some scenes from the Scriptures on a wall of the little Church
of S. Giorgio, and painted there life-size portraits of those two
Germans, one kneeling on one side and one on the other. He executed a
number of works at Mantua, for Signor Luigi Gonzaga; and some others at
Osimo, in the March of Ancona. And while the city of Verona was under
the Emperor, he painted the imperial arms on all the public buildings,
and received for this from the Emperor a good salary and a patent of
privilege, from which it may be seen that many favours and exemptions
were granted to him, both on account of his good service in matters of
art, and because he was a man of great spirit, brave and formidable in
the use of arms, with which he might likewise be expected to give
valiant and faithful service: and all the more because he drew after
him, on account of the great credit that he had with his neighbours, the
whole mass of the people who lived in the Borgo di San Zeno, a very
populous part of the city, in which he had been born and had taken a
wife from the family of the Provali. For these reasons, then, he had all
the inhabitants of his district as his following, and was called
throughout the city by no other name but that of the "Red-head of San
Zeno."
Now, when the city again changed its government and returned to the rule
of its ancient masters the Venetians, Giovan Maria, being known as one
who had served the party of the Emperor, was forced to seek safety in
flight; and he went, therefore, to Trento, where he passed some time
painting certain pictures. Finally, however, when matters had mended, he
made his way to Padua, where he was first received in audience and then
much favoured by the very reverend Monsignor Bembo, who presented him
not long afterwards to the illustrious Messer Luigi Cornaro, a Venetian
gentleman of lofty spirit and truly regal mind, as is proved by his many
magnificent enterprises. This gentleman, who, in addition to his other
truly noble qualities, delighted in the study of architecture, the
knowledge of which is worthy of no matter how great a Prince, had
therefore read the works of Vitruvius, Leon Batista Alberti, and others
who have written on this subject, and he wished to put what he had
learned into practice. And when he saw the designs of Falconetto, and
perceived with what profound knowledge he spoke of these matters, and
rendered clear all the difficulties that can arise through the variety
of the Orders of architecture, he conceived such a love for him that he
took him into his own house and kept him there as an honoured guest for
twenty-one years, which was the whole of the rest of Giovan Maria's
life.
During this time Falconetto executed many works with the help of the
same Messer Luigi. The latter, desiring to see the antiquities of Rome
on the spot, even as he had seen them in the drawings of Giovan Maria,
went to Rome, taking him with him; and there he devoted himself to
examining everything minutely, having him always in his company. After
they had returned to Padua, a beginning was made with building from the
design and model of Falconetto that most beautiful and ornate loggia
which is in the house of the Cornari, near the Santo; and the palace was
to be erected next, after the model made by Messer Luigi himself. In
this loggia the name of Giovan Maria is carved on a pilaster.
The same architect built a very large and magnificent Doric portal for
the Palace of the Captain of that place; and this portal is much praised
by everyone as a work of great purity. He also erected two very
beautiful gates for the city, one of which, called the Porta di S.
Giovanni, and leading to Vicenza, is very fine, and commodious for the
soldiers who guard it; and the other, which is very well designed, was
called the Porta Savonarola. He made, likewise, for the Friars of S.
Dominic, the design and model of the Church of S. Maria delle Grazie,
and laid the foundations; and this work, as may be seen from the model,
is so beautiful and well designed, that one of equal size to rival it
has perhaps never been seen up to our own day in any other place. And
by the same master was made the model of a most superb palace for Signor
Girolamo Savorgnano, at his well fortified stronghold of Usopo in
Friuli; for which all the foundations were then laid, and it had begun
to rise above the ground, when, by reason of the death of that nobleman,
it was left in that condition without being carried further; but if this
building had been finished, it would have been a marvel.
About the same time Falconetto went to Pola, in Istria, for the sole
purpose of seeing and drawing the theatre, amphitheatre, and arch that
are in that most ancient city. He was the first who made drawings of
theatres and amphitheatres and traced their ground-plans, and those that
are to be seen, particularly in the case of Verona, came from him, and
were printed at the instance of others after his designs. Giovan Maria
was a man of exalted mind, and, being one who had never done anything
else but draw the great works of antiquity, he desired nothing save that
there should be presented to him opportunities of executing works
similar to those in greatness. He would sometimes make ground-plans and
designs for them, with the very same pains that he would have taken if
he had been commissioned to put them into execution at once; and in this
he lost himself so much, so to speak, that he would not deign to make
designs for the private houses of gentlemen, either in the country or in
the city, although he was much besought to do so.
Giovan Maria was in Rome on many occasions besides those described
above; whence that journey was so familiar to him, that when he was
young and vigorous he would undertake it on the slightest opportunity.
Persons who are still alive relate that, falling one day into a
discussion with a foreign architect, who happened to be in Verona, about
the measurements of I know not what ancient cornice in Rome, after many
words Giovan Maria said, "I will soon make myself certain in this
matter," and then went straight to his house and set out on his way to
Rome.
[Illustration: PALAZZO DEL CAPITANIO
(_After_ Falconetto. _Padua_)
_Anderson_]
This master made for the Cornaro family two very beautiful designs of
tombs, which were to be erected in S. Salvatore, at Venice--one for the
Queen of Cyprus, a lady of that family, and the other for Cardinal
Marco Cornaro, who was the first of that house to be honoured with
that dignity. And in order that these designs might be carried out, a
great quantity of marble was quarried at Carrara and taken to Venice,
where the rough blocks still are, in the house of the same Cornari.
Giovan Maria was the first who brought the true methods of building and
of good architecture to Verona, Venice, and all those parts, where
before him there had not been one who knew how to make even a cornice or
a capital, or understood either the measurements or the proportions of a
column or of any Order of architecture, as is evident from the buildings
that were erected before his day. This knowledge was afterwards much
increased by Fra Giocondo, who lived about the same time, and it
received its final perfection from Messer Michele San Michele, insomuch
that those parts are therefore under an everlasting obligation to the
people of Verona, in which city were born and lived at one and the same
time these three most excellent architects. To them there then succeeded
Sansovino, who, not resting content with architecture, which he found
already grounded and established by the three masters mentioned above,
also brought thither sculpture, to the end that by its means their
buildings might have all the adornments that were proper to them. And
for this a debt of gratitude--if one may use such a word--is due to the
ruin of Rome, by reason of which the masters were dispersed over many
places and the beauties of these arts communicated throughout all
Europe.
Giovan Maria caused some works in stucco to be carried out in Venice,
and taught the method of executing them. Some declare that when he was a
young man he had the vaulting of the Chapel of the Santo, at Padua,
decorated with stucco by Tiziano da Padova and many others, and also had
similar works executed in the house of the Cornari, which are very
beautiful. He taught his work to two of his sons, Ottaviano, who was,
like himself, also a painter, and Provolo. Alessandro, his third son,
worked in his youth at making armour, and afterwards adopted the calling
of a soldier; he was three times victor in the lists, and finally, when
a captain of infantry, died fighting valiantly before Turin in Piedmont,
having been wounded by a harquebus-ball.
Giovan Maria, on his part, after being crippled by gout, finished the
course of his life at Padua, in the house of the aforesaid Messer Luigi
Cornaro, who always loved him like a brother, or rather, like his own
self. And to the end that there might be no separation in death between
the bodies of those whose minds had been united together in the world by
friendship and love of art, Messer Luigi had intended that Giovan Maria
should be laid to rest beside himself in the tomb that was to be erected
for his own burial, together with that most humorous poet, Ruzzante, his
very familiar friend, who lived and died in his house; but I do not know
whether this design of the illustrious Cornaro was ever carried into
effect. Giovan Maria was a fine talker, pleasant and agreeable in
conversation, and very acute in repartee, insomuch that Cornaro used to
declare that a whole book could have been made with his sayings. And
since, although he was crippled by gout, he lived cheerfully, he
preserved his life to the age of seventy-six, dying in 1534.
He had six daughters, five of whom he gave in marriage himself, and the
sixth was married by her brothers, after his death, to Bartolommeo
Ridolfi of Verona, who executed many works in stucco in company with
them, and was a much better master than they were. This may be seen from
his works in many places, and in particular at Verona, in the house of
Fiorio della Seta on the Ponte Nuovo, in which he decorated some
apartments in a very beautiful manner. There are others in the house of
the noble Counts Canossi, which are amazing; and such, also, are those
that he executed in the house of the Murati, near S. Nazzaro; and for
Signor Giovan Battista della Torre, for Cosimo Moneta, the Veronese
banker, at his beautiful villa, and for many others in various places,
all works of great beauty. Palladio, most excellent of architects,
declares that he knows no person more marvellous in invention or better
able to adorn apartments with beautiful designs in stucco, than this
Bartolommeo Ridolfi. Not many years since, Spitech Giordan, a nobleman
of great authority with the King of Poland, took Bartolommeo with him to
that King; and there, enjoying an honourable salary, he has executed, as
he still does, many works in stucco, large portraits, medallions, and
many designs for palaces and other buildings, with the assistance of a
son of his own, who is in no way inferior to his father.
[Illustration: GIROLAMO DAI LIBRI: MADONNA AND CHILD, WITH S. ANNE
(_London: National Gallery, 748. Canvas_)]
The elder Francesco dai Libri of Verona lived some time before Liberale,
although it is not known exactly at what date he was born; and he was
called "Dai Libri"[9] because he practised the art of illuminating
books, his life extending from the time when printing had not yet been
invented to the very moment when it was beginning to come into use.
Since, therefore, there came to him from every quarter books to
illuminate--a work in which he was most excellent--he was known by no
other surname than that of "Dai Libri"; and he executed great numbers of
them, for the reason that whoever went to the expense of having them
written, which was very great, wished also to have them adorned as much
as was possible with illuminations.
This master illuminated many choral books, all beautiful, which are at
Verona, in S. Giorgio, in S. Maria in Organo, and in S. Nazzaro; but the
most beautiful is a little book, or rather, two little pictures that
fold together after the manner of a book, on one side of which is a S.
Jerome, a figure executed with much diligence and very minute
workmanship, and on the other a S. John in the Isle of Patmos, depicted
in the act of beginning to write his Book of the Apocalypse. This work,
which was bequeathed to Count Agostino Giusti by his father, is now in
S. Leonardo, a convent of Canons Regular, of which Don Timoteo Giusti,
the son of that Count, is a member. Finally, after having executed
innumerable works for various noblemen, Francesco died, content and
happy for the reason that, in addition to the serenity of mind that his
goodness brought him, he left behind him a son, called Girolamo, who was
so excellent in art that before his death he saw him already a much
greater master than himself.
This Girolamo, then, was born at Verona in the year 1472, and at the age
of sixteen he painted for the Chapel of the Lischi, in S. Maria in
Organo, an altar-piece which caused such marvel to everyone when it was
uncovered and set in its place, that the whole city ran to embrace and
congratulate his father Francesco. In this picture is a Deposition from
the Cross, with many figures, and among the many beautiful weeping
heads the best of all are a Madonna and a S. Benedict, which are much
commended by all craftsmen; and he also made therein a landscape, with a
part of the city of Verona, drawn passing well from the reality. Then,
encouraged by the praises that he heard given to his work, Girolamo
painted the altar of the Madonna in S. Paolo in a masterly manner, and
also the picture of the Madonna with S. Anne, which is placed between
the S. Sebastian of Il Moro and the S. Rocco of Cavazzuola in the Church
of the Scala. For the family of the Zoccoli he painted the great
altar-piece of the high-altar in the Church of the Vittoria, and for the
family of the Cipolli the picture of S. Onofrio, which is near the
other, and is held to be both in design and in colouring the best work
that he ever executed.
For S. Leonardo nel Monte, also, near Verona, he painted at the
commission of the Cartieri family the altar-piece of the high-altar,
which is a large work with many figures, and much esteemed by everyone,
above all for its very beautiful landscape. Now a thing that has
happened very often in our own day has caused this work to be held to be
a marvel. There is a tree painted by Girolamo in the picture, and
against it seems to rest the great chair on which the Madonna is seated.
This tree, which has the appearance of a laurel, projects considerably
with its branches over the chair, and between the branches, which are
not very thick, may be seen a sky so clear and beautiful, that the tree
seems to be truly a living one, graceful and most natural. Very often,
therefore, birds that have entered the church by various openings have
been seen to fly to this tree in order to perch upon it, and
particularly swallows, which had their nests among the beams of the
roof, and likewise their little ones. Many persons well worthy of
credence declare that they have seen this, among them Don Giuseppe
Mangiuoli of Verona, a person of saintly life, who has twice been
General of his Order and would not for anything in the world assert a
thing that was not absolutely true, and also Don Girolamo Volpini,
likewise a Veronese, and many others.
[Illustration: MADONNA AND CHILD WITH SAINTS
(_After the painting by =Girolamo dai Libri=. Verona: Museo Civico,
290_)
_Brogi_]
In S. Maria in Organo, where was the first work executed by Girolamo, he
also painted two Saints on the outer side of one of the folding doors of
the organ--the other being painted by Francesco Morone, his
companion--and on the inner side a Manger. And afterwards he painted
the picture that is opposite to his first work, containing the Nativity
of Our Lord, with shepherds, landscapes, and very beautiful trees; but
most lifelike and natural of all are two rabbits, which are executed
with such diligence that each separate hair may actually be seen in
them. He painted another altar-piece for the Chapel of the Buonalivi,
with a Madonna seated in the centre, two other figures, and some Angels
below, who are singing. Then, in the ornamental work made by Fra
Giovanni da Verona for the altar of the Sacrament, the same Girolamo
painted three little pictures after the manner of miniatures. In the
central picture is a Deposition from the Cross, with two little Angels,
and in those at the sides are painted six Martyrs, kneeling towards the
Sacrament, three in each picture, these being saints whose bodies are
deposited in that very altar. The first three are Cantius, Cantianus,
and Cantianilla, who were nephews of the Emperor Diocletian, and the
others are Protus, Chrysogonus, and Anastasius, who suffered martyrdom
at Aquæ Gradatæ, near Aquileia; and all these figures are in miniature,
and very beautiful, for Girolamo was more able in that field of art than
any other master of his time in Lombardy and in the State of Venice.
Girolamo illuminated many books for the Monks of Montescaglioso in the
Kingdom of Naples, some for S. Giustina at Padua, and many others for
the Abbey of Praia in the territory of Padua; and also some at Candiana,
a very rich monastery of the Canons Regular of S. Salvatore, to which
place he went in person to work, although he would never go to any other
place. While he was living there, Don Giulio Clovio, who was a friar in
that place, learned the first rudiments of illumination; and he has
since become the greatest master of that art that is now alive in Italy.
Girolamo illuminated at Candiana a sheet with a Kyrie, which is an
exquisite work, and for the same monks the first leaf of a psalter for
the choir; with many things for S. Maria in Organo and for the Friars of
S. Giorgio, in Verona. He executed, likewise, some other very beautiful
illuminations for the Black Friars of S. Nazzaro at Verona. But that
which surpassed all the other works of this master, which were all
divine, was a sheet on which was depicted in miniature the Earthly
Paradise, with Adam and Eve driven forth by the Angel, who is behind
them with a sword in his hand. One would not be able to express how
great and how beautiful is the variety of the trees, fruits, flowers,
animals, birds, and all the other things that are in this amazing work,
which was executed at the commission of Don Giorgio Cacciamale of
Bergamo, then Prior of S. Giorgio in Verona, who, in addition to the
many other courtesies that he showed to Girolamo, gave him sixty crowns
of gold. This work was afterwards presented by that Father to a Roman
Cardinal, at that time Protector of his Order, who showed it to many
noblemen in Rome, and they all declared it to be the best example of
illumination that had ever been seen up to that day.
Girolamo painted flowers with such diligence, and made them so true, so
beautiful, and so natural, that they appeared to all who beheld them to
be real; and he counterfeited little cameos and other engraved stones
and jewels in such a manner, that there was nothing more faithfully
imitated or more diminutive to be seen. Among his little figures there
are seen some, as in his imitations of cameos and other stones, that are
no larger than little ants, and yet all the limbs and all the muscles
can be perceived so clearly that one who has not seen them could
scarcely believe it. Girolamo used to say in his old age that he knew
more in his art then than he had ever known, and saw where every stroke
ought to go, but that when he came to handle the brushes, they went the
wrong way, because neither his eye nor his hand would serve him any
longer. He died on the 2nd of July in the year 1555, at the age of
eighty-three, and was laid to rest in the burial-place of the Company of
S. Biagio in S. Nazzaro.