we admire in the remaining two doors, and in the other exte rior ornaments of the building. The work of Andrea was placed in the central door of the church, where it remained until Lorenzo Ghiberti executed that which is now in its place, when it was removed and fixed opposite to the Misericordia, where it is still to be seen. I will not omit to mention, that Andrea was assisted in the construction of this door by his son Nino, who afterwards became a much better master than his father. The final completion of this work took place in 1339,* when it was not only furbished and polished, but also gilded in fire, the casting of the metal being accomplished, as is reported, by certain Venetian masters, who were very expert in the founding of metals. Records on this subject are to be found in the books belonging to the guild of the merchants of the Calimara, who were wardens of the works for the church of San Giovanni. While this door was in progress, Andrea not only completed the works which we have named above, but many others also, more particularly the model for the church of San Giovanni at Pistoja, which was founded in the year 1337. It was in the same year, and on the twenty-fifth day of January, that the relics of the Beato Atto, formerly bishop of the city, were discovered while digging the foundations of the church. This prelate had been entombed in that place one hundred and thirty-seven years previously. The architecture of the church is round,† and was tolerably good for those times. There is a marble tomb in the principal church of Pistoja, which is also by Andrea. The sarcophagus is covered with small figures, with others of larger size above it: the body reposing in it is that of Messer Cino d'Angibolgi, doctor of laws, and one of the famous literati of his time, as we find proved by Messer Francesco Petrarca, in his sonnet beginning 66 Weep, ladies fair, and love may with you weep." * According to Baldinucci (Sec. 2, Dec. 3, page 32), this door was commenced in the year 1331, and completed in eight, instead of twentytwo, years, as the text, either in error or by a misprint, has made it.— See Činelli, Bellezze di Firenze, p. 31,-Del Migliore, Firenze Illustrata, p. 91; and Villani, lib. 10, cap. 176. I Or rather octagonal. Ciampi maintains that the beautiful monument of Cino da Pistoja was executed by a Maestro Cinello, after the designs of certain artists of Siena.-Memorie Storiche, vol. ii, p. 208. Cicognara, on the contrary. and also in the fourth chapter of the "Triumph of Love", where he says— "See Cino of Pistoja--who, from Guy, Of fair Arezzo, claims the foremost place", etc. The portrait of this Messer Cino, from the hand of Andrea Pisano, is placed on the tomb, where he is depicted teaching a number of his scholars, who stand around him in attitudes of so much grace and beauty, that in his day they must have been thought something wonderful, even though they should not be greatly admired in ours. Gualtieri, duke of Athens, and tyrant of Florence, also profited by the services of Andrea for his architectural undertakings, causing him to enlarge the piazza; and, desiring to render himself more secure in his palace, he had a very strong grating of iron bars placed on all the windows of the first floor (where the hall of the Two Hundred now is). The same duke erected the walls in rustic masonry which were added to the palace, on the side opposite to San Scheraggio; and in the thickness of the wall he made a secret stair, by which he could ascend or descend without being observed. In this wall he also placed a large door, which now serves as the entrance to the custom-house, and over the door he carved his arms, all which was completed after the designs and by the advice of Andrea. These arms were subsequently effaced by the Council of Twelve, those magistrates desiring to destroy all remembrance of the duke. The form of a lion rampant, with double tail, may nevertheless be still discerned by whomsoever will examine the shield carefully. Andrea Pisano erected many towers around the circuit of the city walls for the same duke, and not only commenced the magnificent church of San Friano, which he brought to the state in which we now see it, but also raised the walls for the vestibule of all the gates of the city, with the smaller gates which were opened for the convenience of the people.* The duke further desired to construct a fortress on the side of San Giorgio, and Andrea prepared the model for it; but this was not used, the work never having been commenced, because the duke was attributes it to Goro di Gregorio, of Siena; both agree to refuse the honour of the work to Andrea Pisano. * For various documents relating to these three works, see Gaye, Carteggio Inedito, i, 477, 491, 493, et seq. driven from the city in the year 1343. The design of the Duke Gualtieri to give the palace the form of a strong fortress, was nevertheless effected in great part, since he made such important additions to the buildings previously constructed, that the edifice then received its present form ; the houses of the Filipetri, with the towers and houses of the Amidei and the Mancini, and those of the Bellalberti, being comprised within the circuit of the palace walls. Gualtieri, moreover, not having all the materials required for the vast fabric which he had thus commenced, with its immense walls and barbicans, at hand, delayed the progress of the Ponte Vecchio, which the city was constructing with all possible speed, as a work of necessity, by taking possession of the hewn stones and wood-work prepared for the bridge, without any consideration for the public convenience. In none of his undertakings, would the duke employ Taddeo Gaddi, because that master was a Florentine, although he was not inferior as an architect, perhaps, to Andrea the Pisan, whose services Gualtieri constantly preferred. The duke had also formed the design of demolishing the church of Santa Cecilia, to the end that he might be able to see the Strada Romana and the Mercato Nuovo from his palace. He meant to destroy San Scheraggio likewise for his own purposes, but had not obtained permission from the pope to do so, when he was expelled, as we have said, by the fury of the people. By his honourable labours of many years, Andrea Pisano acquired not only rich rewards, but the right of citizenship, which was awarded to him by the Signoria of Florence, who further conferred on him magisterial and other offices in their city.* His works, also, were held in honour, both while he lived and after his death, none being found to surpass him in ability until the times of Niccolo of Arezzo, Jacopo della Quercia of Siena, Donatello, Filippo di Ser Brunellesco, and Lorenzo Ghiberti, by whom sculpture and other works of art were executed in a manner that taught the nations the extent of the errors in which they had lived until those masters appeared. For by these the art which had for long years been *It would seem that Andrea Pisano added prudence in conduct to his excellence in art, since he retained the confidence of the people notwithstanding his favour with the duke; nay, was even appointed to magisterial offices after Gualtieri had been driven from the city, according to the narrative of Vasari.-G. Montani. hidden, or but imperfectly comprehended, was fully recovered and restored. The period of Andrea's labours was about the year of our salvation 1340. This master left many disciples: among others the Pisan Tommaso, who was an architect and sculptor. He finished the Campo Santo, and completed the building of the campanile, -of the upper part that is, wherein are the bells. Tommaso is believed to have been a son of Andrea,* being so inscribed on the picture of the high altar in the church of San Francesco di Pisa, where are a Virgin and other saints, carved by him in mezzo-rilievo, while he has placed his name and that of his father beneath these figures. Andrea also left a son, called Nino, who devoted himself to sculpture. His first work was executed in Santa Maria Novella at Florence, where he finished a Madonna in marble, commenced by his father,† and which is now within the side door, near the chapel of the Minerbetti. From Florence Nino proceeded to Pisa, where he executed a half-figure of the Virgin in marble, at the Spina: she is suckling the Child, who is wrapped in fine linen. § This Madonna, Messer Jacopo Corbini caused to be surrounded, in 1522, with marble ornaments, and had still finer and more magnificent embellishments made for a whole-length figure of the Virgin, also in marble, and by this same Nino. The mother is here seen to offer a rose to her son, in an attitude of much grace, while the child takes it with infantine sweetness; and the whole work is so beautiful, that one may truly affirm Nino to have here deprived the stone of its hardness, and imparted to it the lustre, polish, and vitality of flesh. This figure stands between a San Giovanni and a San Pietro, both in marble, the * Documents lately discovered by Professor Bonaini confirm the supposition, that Tommaso was the son of Andrea.-Ed. Flor. 1846. This work is preserved in the Campo Santo of Pisa; the inscription here alluded to is as follows:-"Tomaso figliolo di.........stro Andrea F.......esto lavoro et fu Pisano." Thomas, the son of Maestro Andrea, executed this work, and was a Pisan.-Ibid. ♦ Cicognara remarks that even in this his first work, Nino surpassed all the sculptors of his age, in the softness which he imparted to the flesh of his figures.-Montani. § Morrona doubts whether this Madonna should not rather be attributed to Niccola or his son; but Cicognara proves that it cannot be ascribed to any other than Nino, the son of Andrea.- Ibid. latter a portrait of Andrea, taken from the life. Nino also executed two marble statues for one of the altars of St Catherine at Pisa. They represent the Virgin, with the Angel o the Annunciation, and, like his other works, are so carefully done, that they may justly be described as the best that those times had produced. On the pedestal of this Madonna, Nino carved the following words :-" The first day of February 1370"; and beneath the angel he inscribed as follows:"Nino, the son of Andrea of Pisa, made this figure". He executed other works, in Naples as well as in Pisa, but of these it is not needful to speak here.* Andrea died in the year 1345, aged seventy-five years, and was buried by Nino in Santa Maria del Fiore, with the following epitaph: "Ingenti Andreas jacit hic Pisanus in urna BUONAMICO BUFFALMACCO, PAINTER OF FLORENCE. [BORN....-WAS LIVING IN 1351.] THE Florentine painter, Buonamico di Cristofano, called Buffalmacco, was a disciple of Andrea Tafi, and is celebrated by Messer Giovanni Boccaccio, in his Decameron, as a man of most facetious character. He was besides, as is well known, the intimate companion of Bruno and Calandrino, both painters of joyous life, and, like himself, exceedingly fond of their jest. Buonamico was moreover endowed with considerable judgment in his art, as his works, scattered throughout Tuscany, sufficiently prove. Among the three hundred stories of Franco Sacchetti, we find it related-to begin with what our artist did while still a youth-that when Buffalmacco was studying with Andrea Tafi, his master had the habit of rising before daylight when the nights were long, compelling his scholars also * Alberto Arnoldi was also a disciple of Andrea. This epitaph is believed to have been composed at least a century after Andrea's death; it has value, as informing us that this master worked also in gold and ivory; it is not now to be found.-Masselli. |