the works of that edifice more prudently directed. The mas ter survived his appointment to his office only three years; he nevertheless effected many useful and creditable improvements in the building. Jacopo della Quercia, although but a sculptor, drew extremely well, as may be seen in certain drawings by his hand, preserved in our book, and which would rather seem to have been done by a miniature painter than a sculptor. His portrait, similar to that here given,* was received by me from Maestro Domenico Beccafumi, painter of Siena,† who has, moreover, related to me many circumstances respecting the talents, goodness, and courtesy of Jacopo, who, worn out by continual efforts and perpetual labours, died at Siena in the sixty-fourth year of his age, and was honourably borne to his grave, in the place of his birth, by his kindred and friends.‡ Jacopo della Quercia was lamented not by his friends and relations only, but by the whole city; and it must needs be admitted that he was fortunate, in that his many good qualities were appreciated and acknowledged in his native land, since it rarely happens that distinguished men are universally beloved and honoured in their own country. One of the disciples of Jacopo was the Lucchesan sculptor Matteo,§ who executed the small octangular oratory, in marble, which encloses the image of the Holy Cross, in the church of San Martino, in his native city, a work which was miraculously produced, as we are told, by Nicodemus, one of the seventy-two disciples of our Redeemer. This work Matteo completed in the year 1444 for Domenico Galignano, also a Lucchese, and it is, without doubt, a beautiful and well-proportioned structure. The same artist sculptured a marble *Referring to that given in the second edition of Vasari. †The life of this master also will be found in its proper place in the present work. In the first edition of Vasari, Jacopo is said to have been buried in the Duomo of his native city, with the following epitaph :-" Jacopo Quercio Senensi equiti clarissimo statuariæque artis peritissimo amantissimoque, utpote qui illam primus illustraverit, tenebrisque antea immersam in lucem eruerit, amici pietatis ergo non sine lacrymis pos."Masselli. § Matteo Civitali.-Ibid. Vincenzio Civitali, the nephew of Matteo, made several additions to this work after the death of his uncle; but they are entirely without merit of any kind, and greatly injure the effect.-Ibid. figure of San Bastiano, the height of which is three braccia. It is in full relief, and very beautiful, the drawing being good, the attitude graceful, the execution delicate, and the whole carefully finished.* In the church wherein the remains of San Romolo are said to be deposited, there is also a work by this sculptor-an altar-table, with three exceedingly beautiful figures in three niches, with a similar altar-table in the church of San Michele, whereon are likewise three figures in marble. There is, besides, a statue of the Madonna outside this church, which clearly proves the effort made by Matteo to equal Jacopo, his master. Another disciple of Jacopo della Quercia was the Bolognesef Niccolo, who completed, among other works, the marble tomb, beneath which reposes the body of San Domenico, an undertaking commenced at Bologna by Niccolo Pisano, but which that master left unfinished. This monument, richly covered with figures and stories, was brought to perfection by Niccolo of Bologna, who not only derived great profits therefrom, but also received that name of honour, "Master Niccolo dell' Arca," which he ever afterwards retained. The sculptor concluded his work in the year 1460, and having finished it, he adorned the façade of the palace, wherein is now the residence of the legate of Bologna, with a statue of the Madonna in bronze, four braccia high, which he fixed in its place in the year 1478. This artist was, in brief, a truly able master, and a worthy disciple of the Sienese, Jacopo della Quercia. THE SCULPTOR NICCOLO, OF AREZZO. At the same time with Jacopo della Quercia, and attached to the same pursuit of sculpture, in which he was equally dis * Mazzarosa, Lezioni, &c. considers this to be the first nude statue of an adult executed after the revival of the arts. + This is the renowned Niccolo d'Antonio, according to some writers a native of Dalmatia; but stated by others, and with more probability, to have been a native of Bari, in Apuglia, brought to Bologna by his father in early childhood, and therefore called a Bolognese. He died in Bologna on the 2nd March 1494, or 1495, and cannot well have been a disciple of Jacopo della Quercia.-See Marchese, Memorie, etc. vol. i, p. 87. et seq. Y tinguished, lived Niccolo di Piero, a citizen of Arezzo, to whom Nature had been as liberal in her endowments of genius and force of mind, as fortune was niggardly in the gifts of ease and wealth. Niccolo di Piero* was a poor countryman, and having received some kind of injury or mortification, in his native place, from his nearest of kin, he left Arezzo, where he had studied sculpture with great success, under the discipline of Maestro Moccio (who, as we have said elsewhere, executed certain works in Arezzo), although the said Maestro Moccio was not himself very excellent. Niccolo then repaired to Florence, where on his first arrival, and for several months after, he occupied himself with whatever works he could lay his hands on, being sorely beset by poverty and want, and having besides to compete with other young men, who, with severe study and heavy labour, nobly emulating each other, virtuously struggled to advance themselves in the art of sculpture. At length, and after many efforts, Niccolo became a tolerably good sculptor, when the wardens of Santa Maria del Fiore commissioned him to prepare two statues for the campanile of that church. These figures were accordingly placed in the tower, on the side opposite to the canonicate; they stand one on each side of those subsequently executed by Donato, and were considered tolerably good,-better works in full relief not having at that time been often seen. Having left Florence in the year 1383, on account of the plague then raging in the city, Niccolo returned to Arezzo. Here the confraternity of Santa Maria della Misericordia was found to have inherited large possessions from those who had died of the same pestilence, as we have related elsewhere,† and from different persons of that city, who desired to signalize their reverence and devotion towards that holy place, as well as their admiration and respect for the brotherhood thereof; by whom the sick were succoured and tended, and who also buried the dead and performed many other offices of mercy and piety throughout the entire duration of the pestilence, without fear or consideration for themselves. With these funds, the brotherhood resolved to construct a façade for their house, in grey store, not having marble at hand, and this Niccolo undertook to *Niccolo di Piero Lamberti.—Baldinucci. † See the Lives of Berna and Duccio. accomplish. The work had been commenced in the Gothic style, and our artist completed it very successfully, being aided by numerous stone-cutters from Settignano. For this façade the master executed a Virgin* with his own hand; she bears the divine child in her arms, and is attended by angels, who, holding back her mantle, disclose the assembled people of the city sheltered beneath it. Below this group are San Laurentino and San Pergentino on their knees, making intercession for the multitude. On each side, moreover, is a niche three braccia high, wherein stands a statue, also by Niccolo, representing the pontiff St. Gregory on the one side, with the bishop San Donato, patron saint and protector of the city, on the other; the whole work is performed in a very good and satisfactory manner. From what I can learn, it would appear that, before attempting the undertaking here described, and while still very young, Niccolo di Piero had already produced three large figures of "terra cotta", to be placed over the door of the Cathedral, but these have been almost entirely destroyed by the frost. Another early work of the same master is the stone figure of Saint Luke, executed for the façade of the same church. In the capitular church of Arezzo, and for the chapel of San Biagio, Niccolo further produced a most beautiful figure of that saint in "terra-cotta", with a figure of St. Anthony in high relief, and also in "terra-cotta", for the church dedicated to the name of the last-mentioned saint. Over the door of the hospital of Arezzo is another saint in a sitting position, likewise by the hand of this master.§ While Niccolo di Piero was occupied with these and other works, the walls of Borgo San Sepolcro were ruined by an earthquake, and Niccolo was sent for to prepare the design for new walls, which he did with great judgment, insomuch that these defences were better and stronger than they had previously been. In this manner he continued, now labour This façade, with its statues, is still in good condition. These figures represent the Virgin, with Saint Donato and Saint Gregory. They are all in existence, as is that of St. Luke, but in a most deplorable condition.-Ed. Flor. 1846-9. This figure has perished.-Ibid. This seated statue, which also represents St. Antony, is still in good preservation, as is that of the same saint mentioned immediately above. -Ibid. ing in his native city, and now in the parts adjacent, and living quietly, and at his ease, in his home, until war, that most dangerous enemy of the arts, compelled him to depart from it. For after the sons of Piero Saccone had been driven from Pietramala, and when the castle had been destroyed even to its foundations, the whole city of Arezzo, with the neighbouring territories, was thrown into confusion: our artist consequently departed from his country and repaired to Florence, where he had already laboured at different times. Here he was appointed, by the wardens of Santa Maria del Fiore, to execute a marble statue four braccia high, which was afterwards placed at the principal door of that cathedral, on the north side. In this figure, which represents one of the Evangelists seated, Niccolo proved himself to be a truly excellent sculptor, and greatly increased his reputation: the work was highly commended, because at that time better figures had not been seen in full relief, as they afterwards were.* Niccolo was, meanwhile, invited to Rome by command of Pope Boniface IX, as the most distinguished architect of his time, for the purpose of strengthening the castle of St. Angelo, and giving it a better form. On returning to Florence, he executed two small figures in marble for the Masters of the Mint; they stand at that side of Or San Michele which looks towards the guild of the wool-workers, and occupy the pilaster above the niche wherein we now see the statue of St. Matthew, which was finished at a later period. These figures were so admirably finished, and so well adapted to the summit of the oratory for which they were destined, that they were highly com mended at the time, and have always been much renowned even to these days. In this work Niccolo would seem to have surpassed himself, since he never produced anything better; and they are, in fact, of such a character, that they may safely invite comparison with any similar work known. This production gained so much credit for the artist, that he was considered worthy to be of the number of those sculptors * This is, without doubt, the figure of St. Mark, which Niccolo executed for Santa Maria del Fiore, and for which he received 130 florins.See Gaye, Carteggio Inedito, vol. i, p. 83. The statue is very fine, the attitude is imposing, and the draperies are well arranged. It has been engraved by Cicognara.-Ed. Flor. 1846-9. These figures are still in their place.—Ibid. |