life, on the 16th of April, 1446,* after having laboured much in the performance of those works† by which he earned an honoured name on earth, and obtained a place of repose in heaven. His death was deeply deplored by his country, which appreciated and esteemed him much more when dead than it had done while living. He was buried with most honourable and solemn obsequies in Santa Maria del Fiore, although his family sepulchre was in San Marco, beneath the pulpit and opposite the door, where may be found his escutcheon, bearing two fig-leaves with waves of green on a field of gold. His family belongs to the Ferrarese, and came from Ficaruolo, a castle on the Po,§ and this is expressed by the leaves, which denote the place, and by waves which signify the river. The death of Filippo was mourned by large numbers of his brother artists, more especially by those who were poor, and whom he constantly aided and benefited. Thus living in so Christian-like a manner he left to the world the memory of his excellence, and of his extraor * Dal Migliore, and with him Richa and Bottari, assign 1444 as the year of Brunellesco's death, but erroneously, since Vasari's date is in strict accordance with the memorials of the times. See Gaye, i, 144, note. † The loggia of the hospital for convalescents, now the schools of St. Paul, on the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, is attributed by some writers to Brunellesco, as is also the oratory of SS. Pietro e Paolo, called the Madonna di piè di Piazza in Pescia; but Gaye, Carteggio Inedito, is inclined to consider this last the work of Filippo's disciple, Andrea di Lazzaro Cavalcanti, called Il Buggiano. Another work not mentioned by the biographers of Brunellesco is an arch in the sacristy of the Canons, in the Duomo. A decree of the wardens, issued on the 15th October, 1436, makes mention of this work. See Moreni, Vita del Brunellesco, p. 284, note. § Vasari took this notice, almost word for word, from the anonymous author of the Vita del Brunellesco, p. 293. There is full confirmation of its truth in the burial-registers of the convent of San Marco, where the origin of the Brunelleschi family is recorded as here given by Vasari, with the addition of the following words: "Sciendum est quod creditur hoc sepulcrum fuisse patris illius magni architectori Philippi ser Brunelleschi, qui habet statuam in Ecclesia Cathedrali, ob testudinem mirabilem ipsius ab eo factam ec." So far the Florentine editors of 1846-9. Schorn remarks, that "the descent of the Brunelleschi from the ancient family of the Lapi, called in earlier times Aldobrandi, admits of no doubt; but of that family having originated in Ficaruolo, there is as little proof as there is of the assertion that the Lapi family was founded by the father of Arnolfo."-Germun Translation of Vasari, vol. ii, p. 223. По dinary talents. To me it appears, that from the time of the Greeks and Romans to the present, there has appeared no more excellent or more admirable genius than Filippo; and he is all the more worthy of praise, because in his time the German (Gothic) manner was in high favour through all Italy, being that in practice among all the elder artists, as may be seen in numerous edifices. It was Filippo who revived the use of the antique cornices, and who restored the Tuscan, Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic orders to their primitive forms. He had a disciple from Borgo a Buggiano, who was called Il Buggiano; it was this artist who executed the lavatory of the sacristy of Santa Reparata,* where there are figures of children, by whom the water is poured forth. He also executed the portrait of his master, taken from the life, in marble, and this, after the death of Brunellesco, was placed in Santa Maria del Fiore, at the door on the right hand as you enter the church; where there is still to be seen the following epitaph, placed there on the part of the public to do him honour, after his death, as he had done honour to his country during his life. 66 Quantum Philippus architectus arte Dædalea valuerit, cum hujus celeberrimi templi mira testudo, tum plures aliæ divino ingenio ab eo adinventæ machinæ documento esse possunt. Quapropter ab eximias sui animi dotes, singularesque virtutes, xv Kal. Maias anno MCCCCXLVI ejus b. m. corpus in hac humo supposita grata patria sepeliri jussit.”† *With respect to this artist nothing was known, beyond the few indications given by Vasari, until the present time; but the Carteggio Inedito di Artisti, published by Gaye, has furnished us with more authentic and precise accounts of his existence, at least, if not of his works. His true name was Andrea di Lazzaro Cavalcanti, of the Borgo-a-Buggiano, in Val di Nievole, and not Michele, as Moreni affirms. He was brought up from a child by Filippo di Ser Brunellesco, and is registered as a "maestro di scarpello"; but he also practised architecture, following the doctrines of his master. For the lavatory in the sacristy of Santa Reparata a most eccentric production-he received eighty florins. The portrait of his master and adoptive father, mentioned in the text, is in the font-room of the apartments used by the Superintendents of the Duomo. We have no authentic information as to any other work of this artist, but Gaye believes the oratory of San Pietro e Paolo, in Pescia, to be by his hand, as is also a sort of temple erected within the cathedral of the same city. (See Carteggio Inedito, i, 142-45.) Brunellesco made him his heir, and to him was entrusted the execution of the epitaph on the tomb of his master. From a book of the Resolutions of the Superintendents, commencing To do the master the greater honour, the two inscriptions following were added by others. 66 'Filippo Brunellesco antiquæ architectura instauratori s. P. Q. F. civi suo benemerenti."* The second was written by Gio. Battista Strozzi, and is as follows: "Tal sopra sasso sasso Di giro in giro eternamente io strussi; Alto girando, al ciel mi ricondussi."† Other disciples of Filippo Brunellesco were Domenico del Lago of Lugano, Geremia da Cremona, who worked extremely well in bronze, with a Sclavonian,§ who performed various works in Venice: Simone, who, after having executed the Madonna|| in Or San Michele for the Guild of the Apothecaries, died at Vicovaro, while occupied with an important work for the Count di Tagliacozzo. Antonio and Niccolo, both Florentines, who executed a horse in bronze at in March 1446, and extending to 1449, we find that Brunellesco's epitaph was composed by Carlo Marsuppini, Chancellor of the Republic, and not by his father Gregory Marsuppini, as asserted by Richa. *In the year 1830, the statues of the two architects who commenced and completed the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore-Arnolfo and Brunellesco, namely-were placed in the new Chapter-house of that church. They were executed by the talented Florentine sculptor Luigi Pampaloni (since dead), and are accounted among the best works of modern Italian art.-Schorn. As stone on stone I raised, as course on course Pace following pace, to my blest home in heaven. We learn from Panni, Distinto Rapporto delle Pitture di Cremona, etc., that a fine work of this Geremia, a tomb of Carrara marble, with ornaments well executed in basso-rilievo, and bearing the date 1432, may be seen in the church of San Lorenzo. § The later Florentine commentators ask, "Who was this Sclavonian architect?" and conjecture that the "Maestro Luciano Martini of Lauranna", a little city of Illyria, whom Federigo D'Urbino invited in 1468 to construct his palace, as the most learned architect to be found, may be the Sclavonian alluded to. Of this Maestro Luciano important notices are given by Gaye, i, 214-18. This Madonna first occupied the niche afterwards appropriated to, and still retained by, the St. George of Donatello. The Madonna is now within the oratory.-Schorn. The sculptures of Vicovaro are still in good preservation. They adorn the façade of the church of the Madonna, now called the Old Church (Chiesa Vecchia).-Masselli. Ferrara, in the year 1461, for the Duke Borso; with many others, whom it would take too long to enumerate more particularly.* Filippo was unfortunate in some respects; for besides that he had always to be contending with one or another, many of his buildings remained unfinished in his own time, nor have they all been completed at any subsequent period. Among these fabrics was that of the church of the Angeli, and it is indeed much to be regretted, that the monks of the Angeli could not complete the building commenced by Filippo, since after they had spent, on what we now see, more than 3,000 scudi, received partly from the Guild of the Merchants, and partly from the Monte, where the funds were placed, the capital was squandered, and the church remained unfinished as it still continues. Wherefore, as we have remarked in the life of Niccolo da Uzzano,† he who desires to leave a memorial of his existence in this kind, let him do it for himself while he has life, and not confide the charge to any man, for what we have said of this church may be said of many other edifices planned by Filippo Brunelleschi. * Gualandi, Memorie di Belle Arti, publishes several documents relating to these two masters. Antonio di Cristoforo and Niccolò di Giovanni Baroncelli, both Florentines, laboured together at Ferrara, where they produced various works in bronze. In 1443, Antonio was commissioned to make the model for an equestrian statue of the Marquis Niccolò da Este, in competition with Baroncelli. The two models being presented, that of Antonio was chosen; but in 1450 the two artists executed together the bronze figure of the Marquis Borso da Este, on a horse also of bronze. These statues were thrown down in 1796. For further details respecting these masters and their works, see Gualandi, ut supra, Serie iv, pp. 33-48, and Serie v, pp. 178-183. + Bottari thinks it probable that Don Silvano Razzi, who took so large a part in these lives, may have written a "Life of Niccolò da Uzzano", and cites it here perhaps, speaking in his own person. But Masselli considers the expression to be rather a slight inadvertence of the writer, who meant to say, "as related of Niccolò da Uzzano in the Life of Lorenzo di Bicci", where the expression above repeated occurs THE FLORENTINE SCULPTOR DONATO [BORN 1386-DIED 1468.] THE sculptor Donato,* called by his contemporaries Donatello, and who subscribes himself thus on some of his works, was born in Florence in the year 1386.† He devoted himself to the arts of designt and was not only an excellent sculptor and admirabie statuary, but was beside very skilful in works of stucco, well versed in the study of perspective, and highly esteemed as an architect. The productions of Donatello displayed so much grace and excellence, with such correctness of design, that they were considered to resemble the admirable works of the ancient Greeks and Romans more closely than those of any other master had ever done. Nor is it without good reason that he is acknowledged to be the first who conducted the practice of historical composition, in basso-rilievo, into the right path; his works of that kind giving proof of so much thought, power, and facility, that he is at once perceived to have had the true intelligence and mastery of that branch of art, which he exercised with extraordinary success, insomuch that he has not only remained unsurpassed in that style, but has never been equalled by any artist, even down to our own days.§ Donatello was brought up from early childhood in the In the fiscal register for 1430, this artist is called Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, but in other documents he is sometimes called Donatello. When mentioned in reference to his works, he is usually called Donatello Fiorentino. † In three documents cited by Gaye, the date of Donato's birth is variously given, as in 1382, 1386, 1387. We abide by the common opinion, that he was born in 1386. According to Masselli, Donato first studied painting under Lorenzo di Bicci: but the intelligent German commentators do not think this opinion well supported. § The high encomiums bestowed by Vasari, and after him by Borghini and Baldinucci, on Donatello, whom they declare to be the true restorer of sculpture, appear to be principally founded on the fact that he first succeeded in giving to his figures that freedom of movement, and force of expression, which were afterwards carried to the highest point by Buonarroti; a manner which, from the imposing solemnity of the effect produced, is called by the Italians il terribile. For a comparison of the manner of Donato with that of his contemporary Lorenzo Ghiberti, see Rumohr, Ital. Forsch. ii, 286. |