The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lives of the Most Eminent PaintersSculptors and Architects, by Giorgio VasariThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.orgTitle: Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and ArchitectsVol 2, Berna to Michelozzo MichelozziAuthor: Giorgio VasariTranslator: Gaston du C. de VereRelease Date: June 11, 2008 [EBook #25759]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EMINENT PAINTERS ***Produced by Mark C. Orton, Janet Blenkinship and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Thisfile was produced from images generously made availableby The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)LIVES OF THE MOST EMINENT PAINTERSSCULPTORS & ARCHITECTS1912BY GIORGIO VASARI:NEWLY TRANSLATED BY GASTON Du C. DE VERE. WITH FIVE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS: IN TENVOLUMESPHILIP LEE WARNER,PUBLISHER TO THE MEDICI SOCIETY, LIMITED7 GRAFTON ST. LONDON, W. 1912-14CONTENTS OF VOLUME II PAGEBerna 1Duccio 7Antonio Viniziano 13Jacopo Di Casentino 21Spinello Aretino 27Gherardo Starnina 41Lippo 47Don Lorenzo Monaco 53Taddeo Bartoli 59Lorenzo Di Bicci 65The Author's Preface to the Second Part 75Jacopo della Quercia [Jacopo della Fonte] 89Niccolò Aretino [Niccolò d'Arezzo OR Niccolò di Piero Lamberti] 99Dello ...
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Lives of the Most Eminent Painters
Sculptors and Architects, by Giorgio Vasari
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects
Vol 2, Berna to Michelozzo Michelozzi
Author: Giorgio Vasari
Translator: Gaston du C. de Vere
Release Date: June 11, 2008 [EBook #25759]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EMINENT PAINTERS ***
Produced by Mark C. Orton, Janet Blenkinship and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
LIVES OF THE MOST EMINENT PAINTERS
SCULPTORS & ARCHITECTS1912BY GIORGIO VASARI:
NEWLY TRANSLATED BY GASTON Du C. DE VERE. WITH FIVE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS: IN TEN
VOLUMES
PHILIP LEE WARNER,
PUBLISHER TO THE MEDICI SOCIETY, LIMITED
7 GRAFTON ST. LONDON, W. 1912-14CONTENTS OF VOLUME II
PAGE
Berna 1
Duccio 7
Antonio Viniziano 13
Jacopo Di Casentino 21
Spinello Aretino 27
Gherardo Starnina 41
Lippo 47
Don Lorenzo Monaco 53
Taddeo Bartoli 59
Lorenzo Di Bicci 65
The Author's Preface to the Second Part 75
Jacopo della Quercia [Jacopo della Fonte] 89
Niccolò Aretino [Niccolò d'Arezzo OR Niccolò di Piero Lamberti] 99
Dello 105
Nanni D'antonio Di Banco 111
Luca Della Robbia 117
Paolo Uccello 129
Lorenzo Ghiberti [Lorenzo di Cione Ghiberti OR Lorenzo di Bartoluccio Ghiberti] 141
Masolino Da Panicale 163
Parri Spinelli 169
Masaccio 181
Filippo Brunelleschi [Filippo di Ser Brunellesco] 193
Donato [Donatello] 237
Michelozzo Michelozzi 257
Index of Names 273ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOLUME II
PLATES IN COLOUR
Berna The Agony in the Garden San Gimignano 4
Duccio Central Panel: The Majestas Siena: Opera del Duomo 10
Duccio The Three Maries at the Tomb Siena: Opera del Duomo 10
Bernardo Daddi Altar-piece: Madonna and Child Enthroned Florence: Accademia, 127 26
Spinello Aretino The Death of the Virgin Siena: Pinacoteca, 125 34
Don Lorenzo
The Annunciation Florence: Accademia, 143 58
Monaco
Central Panel of Altar-piece: Madonna,
Taddeo Bartoli Perugia: Pinacoteca 60
Child, and Angels
Domenico
Madonna Orans Siena: Chapel of the Refugio 64
Bartoli
Lorenzo Di Bicci Madonna and Child, with a Donor Empoli: Gallery 70
Paolo Uccello The Battle of San Egidio London: N. G., 583 134
Masolino Da
Madonna and Child Empoli: S. Stefano 166
Panicale
Berlin: Kaiser Friedrich Museum,
Masaccio The Adoration of the Magi 184
58a
Brant Broughton: Rev. A. F.
Masaccio Madonna Enthroned, with Angel Musicians 190
Sutton's Collection
PLATES IN MONOCHROME
Berna Madonna and Child Asciano: S. Francesco 2
Newhaven, U.S.A.: Jarvis
Luca Di Tomè The Assumption of the Virgin 6
Collection
Duccio The Madonna Enthroned Siena: Opera del Duomo 8
Duccio Triptych London: N. G., 566 12
Antonio Viniziano The Return of S. Ranieri Pisa: Campo Santo 16
Jacopo Di Casentino Tabernacle Florence: Arte della Lana 24
Spinello Aretino The Annunciation Arezzo: SS. Annunziata 32
Don Lorenzo
The Coronation of the Virgin Florence: Uffizi, 1309 56
Monaco
Taddeo Bartoli Polyptych Perugia: Gallery, 9 62
Donato (Donatello) David Florence: Bargello 86
Jacopo Della Detail from the Tomb: Head of Ilaria del
Lucca: S. Martino 90
Quercia Carretto
Jacopo Della
Madonna and Child Bologna: S. Petronio 94
Quercia
Matteo Civitali Tomb of S. Romano Lucca: S. Romano 96
Matteo Civitali Madonna and Child Lucca: Museo 98
Niccolò Aretino S. Mark Florence: Duomo 102
Nanni D'antonio di
Madonna della Cintola Florence: Duomo 114
Banco
Luca Della Robbia Cantoria Florence: Opera del Duomo 118
Luca Della Robbia Tomb of Bishop Federighi Florence: S. Trinita 120
Luca Della Robbia The Madonna of the Roses Florence: Bargello 122
Andrea Della Robbia Altar-piece Arezzo: S. Maria in Grado 126
Andrea Della Robbia The Annunciation La Verna 126
Giovanni Della
The Visitation Pistoia: S. Giovanni Fuorcivitas 128
Robbia
Paolo Uccello The Deluge Florence: S. Maria Novella 136
Paolo Uccello Portraits Paris: Louvre, 1272 138
Lorenzo Ghiberti S. John before Herod Siena: Baptistery 150
Florence: Paradise Gate, theFlorence: Paradise Gate, the
Lorenzo Ghiberti Detail: The Fall of Jericho 156
Baptistery
Lorenzo Ghiberti
Florence: Paradise Gate, the
See also at p. 200 Detail: The Creation of Eve 156
Baptistery
below
Masolino Da
S. John the Baptist Castiglione d'Olona: Baptistery 164
Panicale
Masolino Da
Madonna and Child Bremen: Kunsthalle 168
Panicale
Masaccio The Trinity Florence: S. Maria Novella 186
Masaccio The Tribute Money Florence: S. Maria del Carmine 192
Filippo Brunelleschi The Crucifixion Florence: S. Maria Novella 198
Lorenzo Ghiberti The Sacrifice of Isaac Florence: Bargello 200
Filippo Brunelleschi The Sacrifice of Isaac Florence: Bargello 200
Filippo Brunelleschi The Dome of the Cathedral Florence 216
Filippo Brunelleschi The Old Sacristy of S. Lorenzo Florence 226
Donato (Donatello) Poggio Bracciolini Florence: Duomo 240
Donato (Donatello) Judith Florence: Loggia dei Lanzi 242
Donato (Donatello) General Gattamelata Padua: Piazza di S. Antonio 246
Donato (Donatello) Madonna and Child Padua: S. Antonio 248
Donato (Donatello)
250See also at p. 86 Altar Relief: The Entombment Padua: S. Antonio
above
Michelozzo
Palazzo Riccardi Florence 264
MichelozziBERNA
MADONNA AND CHILD MADONNA AND CHILD (After the
painting by Berna Sanese [da Siena]. Asciano: Church of
S. Francesco)
Burton
View larger imageLIFE OF BERNA
PAINTER OF SIENA
If those who labour to become excellent in some art did not very often have the thread of life cut by death in their best
years, I have no doubt that many intellects would arrive at that rank which is most desired both by them and by the world.
But the short life of men and the bitterness of various accidents, which threaten them from all sides, snatch them from us
sometimes prematurely, as could be seen in poor young Berna of Siena, who, although he died young, nevertheless left
so many works that he appears to have lived very long; and those that he left were made in such a way, that it may well be
believed from this showing that he would have become excellent and rare if he had not died so soon. In two chapels of S.
Agostino in Siena there are seen some little pictures with figures in fresco, by his hand; and in the church, on a wall now
pulled down in order to make chapels there, was a scene of a youth led to execution, as well made as it could possibly
be imagined, there being seen expressed in it the pallor and fear of death, in so lifelike a manner that he deserved
therefore the highest praise. Beside the said youth was a friar painted in a very fine attitude, and, in short, everything in
that work is so vividly wrought that it appears, indeed, that in this work Berna imagined this event as most horrible, as it
must be, and full of most bitter and cruel terror, seeing that he portrayed it so well with the brush that the same scene
appearing in reality would not stir greater emotion.
In the city of Cortona, also, besides many other works scattered in many places in that city, he painted the greater part of
the vaulting and of the walls of the Church of S. Margherita, where to-day is the seat of the Frati Zoccolanti. From Cortona
he went to Arezzo in the year 1369, exactly when the Tarlati, formerly Lords of Pietramala, had caused Moccio, a sculptor
and architect of Siena, to finish the Convent and the body of the Church of S. Agostino in that city, in the lesser aisles of
which many citizens had caused chapels and tombs to be made for their families; and there, in the Chapel of S. Jacopo,
Berna painted in fresco some little scenes of the life of that Saint, and especially vivid is the story of Marino the swindler,
who, having by reason of greed of gold given his soul to the Devil and made thereunto a written contract in his own hand,
is making supplication to the Saint to free him from this promise, while a Devil, showing him the contract, is pressing him
with the greatest insistence in the world. In all these figures Berna expressed the emotions of the mind with much vivacity,
and particularly in the face of Marino, which shows on one side fear, and on the other the faith and trust that make him
hope for his liberation from S. James, although opposite there is seen the Devil, hideous to a marvel, who is warmly
speaking and declaring his rights to the Saint, who, after having instilled into Marino extreme penitence for his sin and for
the promise made, is liberating him and leading him back to God. This same story, says Lorenzo Ghiberti, by the hand of
the same man, was in a chapel of the Capponi, dedicated to S. Nicholas, in S. Spirito at Florence, before that church
was burnt down. After this work, then, Berna painted a great Crucifix in a chapel of the Vescovado of Arezzo for Messer
Guccio di Vanni Tarlati da Pietramala, and at the foot of the Cross a Madonna, S. John the Evangelist, and S. Francis, in
most sorrowful attitudes, together with a S. Michelagnolo, with so much diligence that it merits no small praise, and
above all by reason of having been so well preserved that it appears made only yesterday. Below, moreover, is the
portrait of the said Guccio, kneeling in armour at the foot of the Cross. In the Pieve of the same city, in the Chapel of the
Paganelli, he painted many stories of Our Lady, and portrayed there after the life the Blessed Rinieri, a holy man and
prophet of that house, who is giving alms to many beggars who are round him. In S. Bartolommeo, also, he painted some
stories of the Old Testament and the story of the Magi; and in the Church of Spirito Santo he painted some stories of S.
John the Evangelist, and in certain figures the portrait of himself and of many of his friends, nobles of that city.
BARNA: THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN