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The binding of this volume is adapted from a XVth Century example in the Laurentian Library, Florence.
" Then in the thirteenth century men -wake as if they heard an alarum through the ivhole vauli of heaven, and true human life begins again; and the cradle of this life is the Val d'Arno."
John Ruskin, Ariadne Florentina.
The title, on reverse of this page, is adapted from the middle XHIth Century example, B.M. Royal MS. z, B. ii.
PREFACE
The title of this book seems to me to describe its contents so clearly that there will be no need to say much in explanation of its purport. I have tried in these stories to give an idea of the liveliness of the Renaissance in Italy and of that exuberant enjoyment of the revived arts, which finds such vivid expression in the pages of Vasari. That he is often incorrect has of course been discovered long since. As he himself said, "If writers of history were to live somewhat longer than is usually granted to the course of human life, they would often have to alter the things written by them ; for as it is not possible that one man, however diligent he may be, should in so short a time discover all the truth, so it is as clear as the sun that Time, who is called the father of truth, will daily discover to students new things." As this book, however, has no pretensions to be a critical work, I have simply followed
vi PREFACE
Vasari, and tell the tales as nearly as I can in his own words. His treatment of Raphael has been attributed to prejudice, and indeed he was such a devoted disciple of Michael Angelo, and so vain of his intimacy with the great man, that his judgment could scarcely be unbiassed. Many great names will be missed here, for Vasari's account is often confined to a bare description of the painter's works with a meagre outline of his life ; and it must not be forgotten that he did not carry on his history to the later painters, such as Tintoretto and Veronese.
CONTENTS
CHAP. PACK
I. CIMABUE AND GIOTTO I
II. THE GADDI AND BUFFALMACCO . . -13
III. ANDREA DI CIONE ORCAGNA, SPINELLO, DELLO,
AND PAOLO UCCELLO 3 1
IV. LUCA DELLA ROBBIA AND LORENZO GHIBERTI . 45 V. FILIPPO DI SER BRUNELLESCO . . -55
VI, DONATELLO 72
VII. FRA ANGELICO 8 1
VIII. ANTONELLO DA MESSINA, ANDREA DAL CAS-
TAGNO, AND DOMENICO VENEZIANO . . 86
IX. FILIPPO LIPPI AND BOTTICELLI ... 96
X. PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA AND LUCA SIGNORELLI I06
XI. GHIRLANDAJO, COSIMO ROSSELLI, AND PIERO DI
COSIMO 112
XII. FRA BARTOLOMMEO AND MARIOTTO ALBERTI-
NELLI 126
XIII. THE BELLINI AND ANDREA MANTEGNA . . I34
XIV. LIONARDO DA VINCI 140
Vlll
CONTENTS
CHAP.
XV. GIORGIONE AND FRA SEBASTIANO DEL PIOMBO XVI. PERUGINO AND RAFFAELLO . XVII. ANDREA DEL SARTO ....
XVIII. MATURING AND POLIDORO AND MONSIGNORI XIX. IL ROSSO XX. PARMIGIANO • XXI. PERINO DEL VAGA XXII. BACCIO BANDINELLI
XXIII. RUSTICI
XXIV. SALVIATI XXV. TITIAN .
XXVI. MICHAEL ANGELO .
PAGE 162
186 199 208
215 222
248 258 269 278
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
COLOURED PLATES
The Crucifixion {after the central portion of the fresco by Perugino in the Convent of S. Maria Maddalena di Pazzi at Flor- ence) Frontispiece
PAGB
S. Francis Feeding the Birds {after the fresco by Giotto in the Church of S. Francis at Assist) .... . To face 7
The Entombment {after the fresco by Fra Angelica in the Convent of S. Mark at Florence) ,,82
The Vision of S. Bernard {from the painting by Filippino Lippi in the Badia at Flor- ence^ • >> 99
The Death of S. Francis {after the fresco by Ghirlandajo in the Church of S. Trinita at Florence) ,,115
X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
The Virgin and Child (after the fresco by Fra Bartolommeo in the Convent of S. Mark at Florence) . .... To face 131
The Nativity {after the fresco by Pinturicchio in the Church of S. Maria del Popolo at Rome) ,,176
The Procession of the Magi on their way TO Bethlehem {after the fresco by Andrea del Sarto in the Cloister of the Annunziata at Florence) ,188
HALF-TONE PLATES The Virgin and Child. {Cimabue) . . „ 4
S. Joachim retires humiliated to his Flocks
in the Wilderness. {Giotto) . . . „ 9
The Martyrdom of S. Catherine. {Bufal-
macco) ,,26
Part of an Altar-piece {painted for the Church of S. Pietro Maggiore at Florence^ now in the National Gallery, London). {Orcagna) » 33
Episode in the Life of Pope Alexander
III. {Spinello) ,,36
Meeting of S. Dominic and S. Francis.
{Andrea della Robbia) . . . . » 47
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
XI
Bronze Gates of the Baptistery at Flor- ence. {Ghiberti) .... To face 52
General Gattamelata. {Donatello) . . „ 76
Head of the Virgin. {^Filippo Lippi) . . „ 96
The Adoration of the Magi. {Botticelli) . „ loi
Virgin and Child with S. Jerome and S.
Francis. {Gentile Bellini') . . . „ 137
Parnassus. {Mantegna) . . . . ,, 138
The Annunciation. {Lorenzo di Credi) . „ 143
Detail of "Two Angels" {from the "S. John baptizing Christ"). {Verocchio and
Lionardo da Vinci) ,,146
MoNNA Lisa. {Lionardo da Vinci) . . . „ 154
Pope Clement VII. {Sebastiano del Piombo) . „ 168
Pope Leo X. between Cardinal de' Medici
AND Cardinal de' Rossi. {Raffaello) . „ 194
Head of a Saint. {Francesco Monsignori) . „ 203
Alexander Farnese embraced by Minerva.
{Parmigiano) ,,217
Galatea. {Perino del Vagd) . . . . „ 224
Portrait of Jacopa Doni. ( Charcoal drawing.)
{Bandinelli) . . . . . . „ 234
xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGB
Sacred and Profane Love. {Titian) . To /ace 2^6
Marble Pieta in S. Peter's, Rome. {Michael
Angela) ,, 290
David. {Michael Angela) . . . . „ 291
The design on the title-page of this volume was drawn by Mrs. Harding Andrews from the middle thirteenth century B.M. Royal MS. 2, B. ii., and the binding design is copied from a fine fifteenth century example in the Laurentian Library, Florence. The letterpress is wholly revised from a previous publication.
STORIES FROM VASARI
CHAPTER I
CIMABUE AND GIOTTO
The great flood of misfortunes, by which poor Italy had been afflicted and overwhelmed, had not only reduced to ruins all buildings of note throughout the land, but what was of far more importance, had caused an utter lack of the very artists themselves. At this time, when the supply seemed entirely exhausted, in the year 1240, by the will of God, there was born in the city of Florence, Giovanni, surnamed Cimabue, of the noble family of that name, who was to shed the first light on the art of painting. He, as he grew, being judged by his father and others to possess a fine acute intellect, was sent to S. Maria Novella to be instructed in letters by a relative of his who taught grammar to the novices of that convent. But instead of attending to his lessons, Cimabue spent all the day in painting on his books and papers, men, horses, houses, and such
A
2 STORIES FROM VASARI
things. To this natural inclination fortune was favourable, for certain painters of Greece, who had been summoned by the rulers of Florence to restore the almost forgotten art of painting in the city, began at this time to work in the chapel of the Gondi in S. Maria Novella ; and Cimabue would often escape from school and stand all day watching them, until his father and the painters themselves judging that he was apt for painting, he was placed under their instruction. Nature, however, aided by constant practice, enabled him greatly to surpass both in design and colouring the masters who had taught him. For they, never caring to advance in their art, did every- thing not in the good manner of ancient Greece, but after the rude manner of those times.
He painted in churches both in Florence and Pisa, and made the name of Cimabue famous everywhere, on which account he was summoned to Assisi, a city of Umbria, to paint in company with some Greek masters the lower church of S. Francis. For in those times the order of the Minor Friars of S. Francis having been confirmed by Pope Innocent III., both the devotion and the numbers of the friars grew so great not only in Italy, but in all parts of the world, that there was scarcely a city of any account which did not build for them churches and convents at great expense. Two years before the death of S.
CIMABUE AND GIOTTO 3
Francis, while that saint was absent preaching, Fra Elia was prior in Assisi, and built a church for our Lady ; but when S. Francis was dead, and all Christendom was coming to visit the body of a saint who in life and death was known by all to have been the friend of God, and every man at the holy spot was making gifts according to his power, it was ordained that the church begun by Fra Elia should be made much larger and more magnificent. But there being a scarcity of good architects, and the work needing an excellent one, for it was necessary to build on a very steep hill at the roots of which runs a torrent called Tescio, after much consideration they brought to Assisi, as the best architect that could then be found, one Master Jacopo Tedesco. He having con- sidered the site, and heard the will of the Fathers, who held a chapter-general for the purpose in Assisi, designed a very fine church and convent, making in the model three storeys, one below ground, and two churches, one of which on the first slope should serve as the vestibule, having a very large colonnade round it, and the other for the sanctuary. And he arranged that you should go up from the first to the second by a most convenient order of stairs, which wound round the larger chapel, dividing into two, to enter the second church. To this he gave the form of a T, making it five times as long as it was wide.
4 STORIES FROM VASARI
In the larger chapel of the lower church was placed the altar, and below it, when it was finished, was laid with solemn ceremonies the body of S. Francis. And because the tomb which encloses the body of the glorious saint is in the first, that is the lowest church, which no one ever enters, the doors of it are walled up, and around the altar are gratings of iron, with rich ornaments of marble and mosaic. This work was brought to a conclusion in the space of four years, and no more, by the skill of Master Jacopo and the careful labours of Fra Elia. After his death there were made round the lower church twelve fine towers, and in each of them a staircase from the ground to the top, and in time there were added many chapels and many rich ornaments. As for Master Jacopo, by this work he acquired such fame through all Italy that he was called to Florence, and received there with the greatest honour possible, although according to the habit the Florentines have (and used to have still more) of shortening names, they called him not Jacopo but Lapo all the days of his life.
So in the lower church Cimabue painted in company with the Greeks, and greatly surpassed the Greek painters. Therefore, his courage rising, he began to paint by himself in fresco in the upper church, and painted many things,
DETAIL FROM THE VIRGIN AND CHILD.
(Assist' J
6 STORIES FROM VASARI
ments provided for him by the people of the city, they took him to see Cimabue's picture ; and as no one had seen it before it was shown to the king, there was a great concourse of all the men and women of Florence to see it, with the greatest rejoicing and running together in the world. From the gladness of the whole neighbourhood that part was called Borgo- AUegri, the Joyful Quarter, and though it is now within the walls of the city, it has always preserved the same name.
Now in the year 1276, in the country of Florence, about fourteen miles from the city, in the village of Vespignano, there was born to a simple peasant named Bondone a son, to whom he gave the name of Giotto, and whom he brought up according to his station. And when he had reached the age of ten years, showing in all his ways though still childish an extra- ordinary vivacity and quickness of mind, which made him beloved not only by his father but by all who knew him, Bondone gave him the care of some sheep. And he leading them for pasture, now to one spot and now to another, was constantly driven by his natural inclination to draw on the stones or the ground some object in nature, or something that came into his mind. One day Cimabue, going on business from Florence to Vespignano, found Giotto, while his
6 . :. FRH
mcfiiij for him
city, thL, - .: him to =^ and as no one had seen : to the king, there wa- the men and women < the greatest rejoicing the world. From th. neighbourhood that Allegri, the Jo ' ' now within th' preserved the ^
; Now
Florenc in the ..,.- a simple ^«t-. he gav! brought U| he had re« in ail his ordinary vi made him ijy ail who r. care of some i |:;iSture, now - V us constantly 'vv on the . e, or so One day Cimabue, go n Florence to Vespignan
S. FRANCIS IKKDINU TllH HIRDS.
f.l/Ui-lhcfniiO by CMlo in the Chunk o/S. l-rai:ci.s ut .Issisi.)
CIMABUE AND GIOTTO 7
sheep were feeding, drawing a sheep from nature upon a smooth and solid rock with a pointed stone, having never learnt from any one but nature. Cimabue, marvelling at him, stopped and asked him if he would go and be with him. And the boy answered that if his father were content he would gladly go. Then Cimabue asked Bondone for him, and he gave him up to him, and was content that he should take him to Florence. There in a little time, by the aid of nature and the teaching of Cimabue, the boy not only equalled his master, but freed himself from the rude manner of the Greeks, and brought back to life the true art of painting, introducing the drawing from nature of living persons, which had not been practised for two hundred years ; or at least if some had tried it, they had not succeeded very happily. Giotto painted among others, as may be seen to this day in the chapel of the Podesta's Palace at Florence, Dante Alighieri, his contemporary and great friend, and no less famous a poet than Giotto was a painter.
After this he was called to Assisi by Fra Giovanni di Muro, at that time general of the order of S. Francis, and painted in fresco in the upper church thirty-two stories from the life and deeds of S. Francis, which brought him great fame. It is no wonder therefore that
8 STORIES FROM VASARI
Pope Benedict sent one of his courtiers into Tuscany to see what sort of a man he was and what his works were like, for the Pope was planning to have some paintings made in S. Peter's. This courtier, on his way to see Giotto and to find out what other masters of painting and mosaic there were in Florence, spoke with many masters in Sienna, and then, having received some drawings from them, he came to Florence. And one morning going into the workshop of Giotto, who was at his labours, he showed him the mind of the Pope, and at last asked him to give him a little drawing to send to his Holiness. Giotto, who was a man of courteous manners, immediately took a sheet of paper, and with a pen dipped in red, fixing his arm firmly against his side to make a compass of it, with a turn of his hand he made a circle so perfect that it was a marvel to see it. Having done it, he turned smiling to the courtier and said, " Here is the drawing." But he, thinking he was being laughed at, asked, "Am I to have no other drawing than this.?" "This is enough and too much," replied Giotto, " send it with the others and see if it will be understood." The messenger, seeing that he could get nothing else, departed ill pleased, not doubting that he had been made a fool of. However, sending the other drawings to the
;J_UKhS llUMILIArKLl In HIS JL'iCKS IN I HE W 1 1. DEK N t!-
(Capella degli Scrovegni all ' Arena, Padua J
CIMABUE AND GIOTTO 9
Pope with the names of those who had made them, he sent also Giotto's, relating how he had made the circle without moving his arm and without compasses, which when the Pope and many of his courtiers understood, they saw that Giotto must surpass greatly all the other painters of his time. This thing being told, there arose from it a proverb which is still used about men of coarse clay, "You are rounder than the O of Giotto," which proverb is not only good because of the occasion from which it sprang, but also still more for its significance, which consists in its ambiguity, tondo^ " round," meaning in Tuscany not only a perfect circle, but also slowness and heaviness of mind.
So the Pope made him come to Rome, and he painted for him in S. Peter's, and there never left his hands work better finished ; wherefore the Pope, esteeming himself well served, gave him six hundred ducats of gold, besides having shown him so many favours that it was spoken of through all Italy.
After Giotto was returned to Florence, Robert, King of Naples, wrote to his eldest son, Charles, King of Calabria, who was at that time in Flor- ence, that he must by some means or other send him Giotto to Naples. Giotto, hearing himself called by a king so famous and so much praised, went very willingly to serve him, and did many
lo STORIES FROM VASARI
works which pleased the king greatly. And he was so much beloved by him that the king would often visit him, and took pleasure in watching him and listening to his conversation, and Giotto, who had always some jest or some witty answer ready, would converse with him while going on with his painting. So one day the king saying to him that he would make him the first man in Naples, Giotto answered, "And that is why I am lodged at the Porta Reale, that I may be the first man in Naples." And another time the king saying to him, " Giotto, if 1 were you, now that it is hot, I would give up painting a little," he answered, " And so would I, certainly, if I were you."
So pleasing the king well, he painted him a good number of pictures, and the portraits of many famous men, Giotto himself among them ; and one day the king, as a caprice, asked him to paint his kingdom. Giotto, it is said, painted a laden ass with a new load lying at his feet, which while it refused it seemed to desire, and both on the new and old burden was the royal crown and sceptre of power. And when Giotto was asked by the king what the picture signified, he replied, " Such must be the subjects and such the kingdom which every day desired a new lord."
There are many other stories remaining of the witty sayings of Giotto, and besides those that
CIMABUE AND GIOTTO ii
are told by Boccaccio, Franco Sacchetti tells many good ones, some of which I will give in Franco's own words.
'* How a man of low station gives Giotto the great painter a shield to paint.
" Every one must have heard of Giotto, who was a great painter above any other. A rough workman, hearing of his fame, came to Giotto's workshop followed by one carrying his shield. Arrived there, he found Giotto, and said, ' God save you, master, I want you to paint my arms on this shield.' Giotto, considering the man and his manner of speech, said nothing but, 'When do you want it.?' And he told him. Giotto said, ' Leave me to do it ; ' so he went away. And Giotto, left alone, said to himself, ' What did he mean ? Has some sent him for a joke ? I never had a shield to paint before. And this man was a simple fellow, and bade me paint his arms as if he were of the royal house of France. Certainly I shall have to make him some new arms.' So considering the matter, he put the shield before him and made a design and bade one of his pupils paint it, and so it was done. There was a helmet, a gorget, a pair of iron gloves, a cuirass, and cuisses, a sword, dagger, and lance. So the worthy man came again and said, ' Master, is my shield painted .? ' Giotto answered, ' Cer-
12 STORIES FROM VASARI
tainly, bring it down.' But when it came the would-be gentleman looked at it and said, ' What is this you have been painting ? I won't pay four farthings for it.' Giotto said, ' What did you tell me to paint .'' ' And he answered, ' My arms.' ' Are not they all here .? ' asked Giotto ; ' what is wanting ? Nay, you are a great fool, for if any one were to ask you who you are, you would hardly know what to answer ; and you come here and say, Paint me my arms. What arms do you bear ? Whence are you ? Who were your ancestors ? I have painted all your armour on the shield, and if there is anything else, tell me and I will add it.' But the other answered, 'You are giving me vile words, and have spoilt my shield.' And he went away and summoned Giotto before the justice. Giotto appeared, and on his side sum- moned him, demanding two florins for his paint- ing. And when the court had heard the matter, they gave sentence that the man should take his shield so painted, and pay six lire to Giotto."
It is said that when Giotto was only a boy with Cimabue, he once painted a fly on the nose of a face that Cimabue had drawn, so naturally that the master returning to his work tried more than once to drive it away with his hand, thinking it was real. And I might tell you of many other jests played by Giotto, but of this enough.
CHAPTER II
THE GADDI AND BUFFALMACCO
Among the old painters who were much alarmed by the praises so deservedly bestowed upon Cimabue and Giotto was one Margaritone, a painter of Arezzo, who having held a high rank among those who practised the art in that unhappy age became aware that the works of these new men would almost entirely eclipse his fame. He had been considered excellent by the other painters of his time who worked in the old Greek style, and had painted many pictures in Arezzo, both in tempera and fresco. For the church of S. Margherita he painted a work on canvas stretched on a panel, in which are many pictures containing little figures repre- senting stories from the lives of our Lady and the saints ; and the picture is noteworthy not only because the little figures are painted so well that they seem to be miniatures, but also because it is a marvel to see a work on canvas that has been preserved three hundred years. He made a great number of pictures all over the city, and having painted on wood a large
14 STORIES FROM VASARI
crucifix in the Greek style, he sent it to Florence to the famous citizen Farinata degli Uberti, because he had, among his other great works, saved his country from danger and ruin. After- wards he gave himself to sculpture with so much application that he succeeded much better than he had in painting. He died at the age of seventy-seven, disgusted, it is said, with life, because he had seen the age change so much and new artists obtain honour.
Andrea Tafi for his works in mosaic was greatly admired, and he himself was considered almost divine ; but Gaddo the Florentine, who worked with him at Pisa, showed more know- ledge of design, and perhaps this arose from his friendship with Cimabue. For either through conformity of nature or the goodness of their hearts, they were united in a close attachment, and while discoursing lovingly together over the difficulties of their art, the noblest and greatest conceptions were ever in their minds. And this so much the more because they were aided by the subtle air of Florence, which is wont to produce ingenious and subtle spirits. For those who are studying any science find that by conferring together they clear it from obscurity and make it more easy. But some on the contrary have wickedly made a pro- fession of friendship with specious appearance
THE GADDI AND BUFFALMACCO 15
of love, only in malice and envy to defraud others of their conceptions. True love, however, bound together Gaddo and Cimabue, and also Andrea Tafi and Gaddo. Andrea took him to aid him in the mosaics of S. Giovanni, and afterwards he worked alone and applied himself to the study of the Greek manner, together with that of Cimabue. So his fame being spread abroad, he was called to Rome and to other cities. Afterwards returning to Florence for rest after his labours, he set himself to making little tablets of mosaic, some of which he made of egg-shells, with incredible patience and diligence. He painted also many pictures maintaining his reputation, but because the manner of painting in those times cannot greatly help artists, I will pass them over in silence. Gaddo lived seventy-three years, dying in 1312, and was honourably buried in S. Croce by Taddeo his son, and although he had many sons, Taddeo, who had been held at the font by Giotto, alone applied himself to painting, learning the rudiments from his father and the rest from Giotto, who was his master four and twenty years. He, surpassing his fellow scholars, produced his first works with a facility given him by nature rather than by art. He was indeed an imitator of Giotto's manner, whom he always held in the greatest veneration.
1 6 STORIES FROM VASARI
At the command of the commune he con- tinued the building of Orsanmichele, begun by Arnolfo di Lapo, and repaired the pillars of the loggia, building them of well-hewn stone where they had first been made of brick, yet without altering the design that Arnolfo di Lapo had left for a palace of two storeys over the loggia, for storing the grain of the people and commune of Florence. And that the work might be finished, the Guild of S. Maria, which had the charge of the building, gave orders that the tax on the sale of grain and other little customs should go towards it. But what was of more importance, it was ordained with great wisdom that each of the guilds of Florence should make a pillar and set up in a niche in it the patron saint of the guild, and every year on the feast- day the consuls of the guild should go there for offerings, setting up their standard and standing by the pillar the whole day, but the offerings given to the Madonna should still be for the help of those in need.
In the year 1333 a great flood of waters swept away the defences of the bridge Rubaconte, overthrew the castle Altafronte, and left nothing of the old bridge but the two middle piers. The bridge of the Holy Trinity was altogether destroyed except one pier, which was left in a shattered state ; and half the bridge at Carraja
THE GADDI AND BUFFALMACCO 17
was swept away, the sluices of Ogni Santi burst- ing. So those who had the rule of the city deliberated upon this matter, and not being willing that those who lived on the other side of the Arno should be subjected to such dis- comfort as to have to pass to and from their houses by boats, they called for Taddeo Gaddo and bade him make a model and design for re- building the old bridge, charging him to make it as handsome and fine as could be. He there- fore, sparing neither expense nor trouble, built it with great piers and with magnificent arches of hewn stone, so that to this day it bears the weight of twenty-two shops on each side, in all forty-four, to the great advantage of the com- mune, which receives from them every year eight hundred florins for rent. For this work, which cost sixty thousand gold florins, Taddeo deserved infinite praise then, and is more to be commended now than ever, for, not to speak of other floods, it remained unmoved on the 13th day of September, 1537, when the water brought down the bridge of the Holy Trinity, two arches of the Carraja bridge, ruined a great part of the Rubaconte, besides doing other notable damage. And indeed no one of any judgment can fail to be astonished and to marvel that this old bridge should have sus- tained unmoved the shock of the water, the
1 8 STORIES FROM VASARI
drift wood, and the ruins swept down from above.
Taddeo, however, did not cease from painting, and made a great number of pictures of import- ance both in Florence and elsewhere ; and in process of time he gained so much wealth that he laid the foundation of the riches and nobility of the family, being always held to be a wise man and prudent. He painted the chapter- house of S. Maria Novella, being called to the work by the prior of the place. But because the work was great, and the chapter-house of Santo Spirito had been by that time uncovered, to the great fame of Simone Memmi who had painted it, the prior desired to give Simone half of the work, and conferring with Taddeo about it, found him right content, for he loved Simone greatly, they having been schoolfellows together under Giotto, and ever loving friends and com- panions. Oh, truly noble souls ! without emu- lation or envy, loving one another like brothers, and rejoicing each one at the honour and praise of the other, as if it were his own ! So the work was divided between them, three sides being given to Simone, and to Taddeo the left side and all the ceiling.
So Taddeo, having procured to himself by his industry and labours not only a name but also great riches, passed to the other life, leaving
THE GADDI AND BUFFALMACCO 19
behind him his sons Agnolo and Giovanni, and hoping that Agnolo particularly would become excellent in painting. But he who in his youth showed signs of far surpassing his father, did not succeed according to the opinion that had been conceived of him, for having been born and brought up in ease, which has often proved an impediment to study, he gave himself more to trade and merchandise than to the art of painting, which thing should not be thought either new or strange, for avarice has often hindered many who would have risen to great heights if the desire of gain in their first and better years had not impeded their way. Never- theless he worked as the caprice took him, sometimes with more care and sometimes with less, and having in a sense inherited the secret of working in mosaic, having also in his house the instruments and other things that Gaddo his grandfather had used, he for pastime, when it seemed good to him, made some things in mosaic. Thus many of his works may be seen in Florence, at which he laboured much to his own profit, though he worked rather for the sake of doing as his fathers had done than for the love of it, his mind going after merchan- dise ; and when his sons, refusing to be painters, gave themselves up wholly to trade, establishing a house at Venice in partnership with their
20 STORIES FROM VASARI
father, he worked no more at his art, except for his pleasure.
Buonamico di Cristofano, nicknamed BufFal- macco, was a pupil of Andrea Tafi, and has been celebrated as a jester by Boccaccio. Franco Sacchetti also tells how when Buffalmacco was still a boy with Andrea, his master had the habit, when the nights were long, of getting up before day to work, and calling his boys. This was displeasing to Buonamico, who had to rise in the middle of his best sleep, and he con- sidered how he might prevent Andrea from getting up before day to work, and this was what occurred to him. Having found thirty great beetles in an ill-kept cellar, he fastened on each of their backs a little candle, and at the hour when Andrea was used to rise, he put them one by one through a hole in the door into Andrea's chamber, having first lighted the candles. His master awaking, the time being come to call Buffalmacco, and seeing the lights, was seized with terror and began to tremble, like a fearful old man as he was, and to re- commend his soul to heaven, and say his prayers, and repeat the psalms, and at last, putting his head under the clothes, he thought no more that night of calling Buff'almacco, but lay trembling with fear till daybreak. The morning being come, he asked Buonamico if,
THE GADDI AND BUFFALMACCO 21
like him, he had seen more than a thousand demons. To which Buonamico answered no, for he had kept his eyes closed and wondered he had not been called. " What ! " said Tafi, " I had something else to think of than paint- ing, and I am resolved to go into some other house." The next night, although Buonamico only put three beetles into Tafi's chamber, yet he from the last night's terror and the fear of these few demons, could get no sleep at all, and as soon as it was day left the house determined never to return, and it took a great deal of good counsel to make him change his mind. At last Buonamico brought the priest to him to console him. And Tafi and Buonamico dis- cussing the matter, Buonamico said, " I have always heard say that demons are the greatest enemies of God, and consequently they ought to be the chief adversaries of painters, because not only do we always make them hideous, but we also never cease making saints on all the walls, and so cause men in despite of the demons to become better and more devout. So these demons being enraged against us, as they have greater power by night than by day, they come playing us these tricks, and it will be worse if this custom of getting up early is not quite given up." With such words BufFal- macco managed the matter, what the priest said
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helping him, so that Tafi left off getting up early, and the demons left off going about the house at night with candles. But not many months after, Tafi, drawn by the desire of gain, and having forgotten his fears, began afresh to get up early and to call BufFalmacco, whereupon the beetles began again to appear, until he was forced by his fears to give it up entirely, being earnestly counselled to do so by the priest. And the matter being noised abroad in the city for a time, neither Tafi nor any other painter ventured to get up at night to work.
But after a time BufFalmacco, having become a good master himself, left Tafi, as Franco relates, and began to work for himself, work never failing him. Now he had taken a house both to work and to live in next to a worker in wool, very well to do, who was nicknamed Capodoca (Goosehead), and this man's wife used to rise at daybreak just when BufFalmacco, having worked till then, was going to rest. Sitting down to her spinning-wheel, which by ill fortune was just behind BufFalmacco's bed, she would set to work to spin. So BufFalmacco, not being able to sleep, began to think what he could do to remedy the evil. And before long he perceived that, on the other side of the wall of brick which divided him from Capodoca, was the chimney of his neighbour, and through a hole he could see
THE GADDI AND BUFFALMACCO 23
all that she did at the fire. So having considered his trick, he hollowed out a tube, by means of" which, whenever she was not at the fire, through the hole in the wall he could put as much salt as he liked into his neighbour's saucepan. Capodoca then, coming home to his dinner or supper, often found that he could eat neither soup nor meat, because everything was too salt. The first time or two he was patient and only grumbled a little, but when he found words were not enough, several times he struck the poor woman, who was in despair, for she thought herself very careful about seasoning her cookery. And once when her husband beat her, she began to excuse herself, which making Capodoca more angry, he set to work again until she began to cry as loud as she could, and all the neighbours ran to see what was the matter. Among the rest came Buffalmacco, and hearing of what Capodoca accused his wife, and how she excused herself, he said to Capodoca, " In faith, comrade, do you think you are reasonable ? You complain that morning and evening your food is too salt, but I wonder how your good woman does anything right. I don't know how she keeps on her feet, considering that all night she is at her spinning-wheel, and does not sleep an hour, I believe. Stop her getting up at mid- night, and you will see that when she has her fill
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of sleep her brains will be clear and she will run into no more such errors." And turning to the other neighbours, he put the matter before them, so that they all said that Buonamico said the truth, and he had better do as he advised. And he believing that it was so, commanded her not to get up so early. So the food was found to be reasonably salt, unless the woman got up early, when Buffalmacco returned to his remedy, and Capodoca made her give it up.
Among the first works that Buffalmacco un- dertook was the painting of the church of the convent of Faenza in Florence, and among other stories was the slaughter of the Innocents by Herod, in which he represented in a most lively manner the emotions both of the slayers and the other figures, some of the nurses and mothers tearing their children out of the murderers' hands, and helping themselves as best they could with their hands and their nails and their teeth, and showing themselves as full of rage and fury as of grief.
While doing this work for the ladies of Faenza, Buffalmacco, who was very careless and negligent in his