Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Agostino and Agnolo
AGOSTINO AND AGNOLO, SCULPTORS AND ARCHITECTS OF SIENA.
[Born.... died 1350.] [Born.... died 1348.]
Among the artists who studied in the school of the sculptors Gio anni and Niccola of Pisa, the most distinguished were Agostino and Agnolo, of Siena, whose lives we are now about to write, and who became very excellent masters for those times. I find that their immediate progenitors were both of Siena, and that their ancestors[1] were architects for many generations, insomuch that the fountain called Fontebranda[2] was erected by them in the year 1190, under the government of the three consuls, while the custom-house and other buildings of Siena were constructed by the same masters in the following year, and under the same consulate. It may be truly said, that the seeds of talent in families, where they have been long implanted, will frequently germinate and throw out branches, which then produce better and richer fruit than had been obtained from the parent stock. This was the case with Agostino and Agnolo, who greatly ameliorated the manner of the Pisans, Giovanni and Niccola, enriching the art by more correct design and much improved invention, as their works make clearly manifest. We are told, that when the above-named Giovanni was returning from Naples, in the year 1284, he remained for some time at Siena to prepare the designs for the cathedral, and to commence that façade of the building wherein are the three principal doors, and which was to be richly adorned with sculptured marbles. At this time it was that Agostino, who was then but fifteen years of age, attached himself to Giovanni for the purpose of studying sculpture, of which he had already acquired the first principles, and to which he was no less inclined than to architecture. Under the care of this master then, and by means of perpetual study, Agostino surpassed all his con-disciples in correctness of design and in grace of manner, insomuch that he was said by all to be the right eye of his master. And as all men desire what they hold to be best for those they love, so Agostino, prizing excellence above all other gifts, whether of nature, character, or fortune, and deeming this alone to render men great, noble, and happy, in this life and in the other, desired that his younger brother should profit by the instructions of Giovanni, and induced him to enter on the same course of study. Nor was this a difficult task to effect, since the intercourse of Agnolo with Agostino and other sculptors had already convinced him of the honour and profit to be derived from that art, and had kindled in his breast the wish to devote himself to it. Nay, Agnolo had even made certain attempts in secret, before Agostino had named the subject. The latter, therefore, finding himself employed with Giovanni in the execution of the marble altar for the episcopal palace of Arezzo, to which we have before alluded, contrived to bring his brother into the same work, when Agnolo acquitted himself in such a manner that, at the conclusion of the undertaking, he was found to have made equal proficiency in art with Agostino himself. Perceiving this, Giovanni Pisano afterwards employed both the brothers in many other of his works executed for Pistoja, Pisa, and other places. And as they gave their attention to architecture as well as to sculpture, no long time elapsed before Agostino was employed by the Nine, who then ruled in Siena, to prepare the designs for their palace in Malborghetto, which was commenced in the year 1308. By this work he acquired so great a name in his native city, that when the brothers returned to Siena after the death of Giovanni, they were both appointed architects to the state, and in the year 1317 the north front of the cathedral was built under their directions. In the year 1321, the Porta Romana was commenced from the designs of the same architects, and this gate was finished in the year 1326, after the manner that we now see it, being in the first instance called the gate of St. Martin. They also rebuilt the gate at Tufi, formerly called the gate of St. Agata all’ Arco. In the same year, the church and convent of St. Francis were commenced from the designs of the same artists, when the cardinal of Gaeta, apostolic legate, was present, and no long time after, Agostino and Agnolo were invited to Orvieto by some of the Tolomei family, who were living there in exile, when the brothers executed certain sculptures for the church of Santa Maria in that city. The Prophets in marble, which are now considered among the best and most finely proportioned of all the ornaments enriching that much celebrated façade, are by their hands.
Now it happened in the year 1326, that Giotto was invited to Naples, as we have related in his life, by means of Charles, Duke of Calabria, who was then residing in Florence, to execute certain works for King Robert, in the church of Santa Clara, and other places of that city. On his way thither, Giotto paid a visit to Orvieto, for the purpose of viewing the works completed and in course of execution by the many good artists labouring there, all of which he desired to examine minutely. And as the Prophets of Agostino and Agnolo pleased him more than all the other sculptures, Giotto not only commended them and received the artists into the number of his friends, to their very great satisfaction, but presented them to Piero Saccone da Pietramala, as the best of all the sculptors then existing, to construct the tomb of Guido, bishop and lord of Arezzo, as we have related in the life of Giotto. Thus then, Giotto, having seen the works of many sculptors in Orvieto, and having decided that those of Agostino and Agnolo, of Siena, were the best among them, was the cause of this tomb being given to the care of the brothers, who constructed it accordingly with great diligence, but in the manner that he had designed, and after the model sent by him to Piero Saccone, completing the sepulchre in three years, and erecting it in the Episcopal church of Arezzo, within the chapel of the sacrament. The figure of the bishop, in marble, is extended on the sarcophagus, which reposes on certain large consoles, carved with considerable skill, while on each side are angels drawing back a curtain with very graceful and natural action. There are besides, twelve[3] compartments, in mezzo-relievo, representing events from the life of the bishop, and exhibiting a multitude of small figures, nor will I refuse the labour of describing these historical representations, that my readers may see with what patience these sculptors laboured, and how earnestly they sought the true path to excellence.
The first represents the bishop, when, aided by the Ghibellines of Milan, who sent him money and four-hundred workmen, he rebuilt the walls of Arezzo entirely anew, extending them greatly, and giving them the form of a galley. In the second relief is the taking of Lucignano di Valdichiana ; in the third, that of Chiusi ; in the fourth, that of Fronzoli, then a strong fortress, situate above Poppi, and held by the sons of the Count of Battifolle. The fifth shows the castle of Rondine, when it was finally surrendered to the bishop, after being besieged for many months by the Aretines. The sixth represents the taking of the castle of Bucine, in the Valdarno. The seventh exhibits the fortress of Caprese, taken by storm, which event occurred under the command of the Count of Romena, after a siege of several months. In the eighth, is the bishop causing the castle of Laterino to be demolished, and the hill which rises above it, to be cut into the form of a cross, that no fortress might thenceforward be raised on the site. In the ninth, he is seen destroying Monte Sansovino, which he gives to the flames, after driving forth the inhabitants. In the eleventh is the coronation of the bishop, and here are seen many richly habited soldiers, both horse and foot, with other figures in large numbers. Finally, in the twelfth, the bishop’s servants are shown carrying him from Montenero, where he fell sick, to Massa, and thence, afterwards, when he was dead, to Arezzo. The tomb is further adorned in various places with Ghibelline insignia, and the arms of the bishop, which are six square blocks of stone, or, in a field azure, and placed as are the balls in the arms of the Medici. These armorial bearings of the bishop are described by the Frate Guittone, a knight and poet of Arezzo, who is writing of the castle of Pietramala, whence the family took its origin, in the following terms:—
Ivi furono i miei antecessori.
Che in campo azzurro d’or portan sei sassa.”[4]
In the execution of this work, a higher degree of inventive power and greater care in execution were exhibited by Agostino and Agnolo, than had been displayed in any previous undertaking of that time, and they certainly did merit high praise for the great variety of sites, towns, towers, castles, horses, men, and other objects, with the vast crowd of figures of all kinds, which render the work a true marvel. This tomb was almost entirely destroyed by the French, under the Duke of Anjou, who, to avenge themselves for certain affronts offered by the party inimical to them, sacked the city; it is nevertheless manifest, that the work was executed by Agostino and Agnolo with very great ability. The following words were carved on it by them, in letters of moderate size:—“Hoc opus fecit magister Augustinus et magister Angelus de Senis.” At a later period, in the year 1329 namely, the same artists executed a marble altar for the church of San Francesco, in Bologna; the work is in a tolerably good manner, and in addition to the intagliatura, which is very rich, they adorned it with a figure of Christ crowning the Virgin, one braccia and a half high, with three figures of similar height on each side. San Francesco, San Jacopo, and San Domenico, on the one side, with Sant’ Antonio of Padua, San Petronio, and St. John the Evangelist on the other; beneath each of these figures is carved a scene in basso-rilievo, representing events in the life of the saint above; and in all these historical representations is a large number of half-figures, which form a rich and beautiful ornament, in the manner of that time. It is clearly obvious, that Agostino and Agnolo bestowed infinite pains and labour on this altar, and that they did their utmost to produce a work of merit, as in truth it is. The names of the artists, with the date, although partially obliterated, may still be read on it, and, as we learn from these when it was begun, so we perceive that the masters occupied eight years in its completion ; but it is true that they performed many other smaller works in different places, and for different persons, within the same period.[5]
Now while Agostino and Agnolo were employed in Bologna, that city, by the intervention of the Papal legate, bestowed herself as a free gift on the church, the Pope promising, in return, that he would transfer his habitation, and that of his court, to Bologna ; but, premising, that for his security he must build himself a castle, or rather a fortress, in the city. This being agreed to by the Bolognese, the edifice was immediately commenced, after the designs, and under the direction of Agostino and Agnolo ; but the work was of very short duration, for the people of Bologna, quickly discovering that the many promises of the Pope were altogether vain, demolished and destroyed the fortress, much more rapidly than they had made it.[6]
It is further related, that while these two masters dwelt in Bologna, the Po burst its banks, to the grievous damage of the Mantuan territory and that of Ferrara, destroying more than ten thousand lives, and devastating the whole country for many miles round ; when, Agostino and Agnolo being called on in this strait, as able and ingenious men, found means to reconduct that terrible stream within its bed, and to confine it there by trenches, and other effective barriers. By this, they not only acquired great fame, but their services were further acknowledged by the lords of Mantua, and the house of Este, with most honourable rewards.
In the year 1338, they returned to Siena, where the church of Santa Maria, near the old cathedral, and towards the Piazza Manetti, was built after their designs, and by their direction ; and no long time after, the people of Siena, being highly satisfied with all the works executed by these masters, resolved to take that occasion for carrying into effect a purpose, of which they had previously spoken frequently, but hitherto without doing more : this was the construction of a purpose fountain on the principal piazza of their city, and opposite to the palace of the signoria. Whereupon, the care of the work being entrusted to Agostino and Agnolo, they conducted the water, by means of pipes formed of lead and earth—a work of great difficulty—to the fountain, which began to pour forth its waters on the first day of June 1343, to the great joy of the whole city, which gratefully acknowledged its obligation to the talent of these two citizens for so great a benefit. At the same time, the hall of the great council in the townhouse was constructed, as was the tower of the same edifice, by the designs and under the direction of these architects, in the year 1344. Two large bells (one of which the Sienese had from Grossetto, while the other was made in their own city) were placed in that tower. Agnolo ultimately proceeded to the city of Assisi, where he constructed a chapel in the lower church of San Francesco, with a marble tomb for the brother of Napoleone Orsino, a cardinal, and brother of the order of St. Francis, who had died there. Agostino, who had remained at Siena, in the service of the state, expired in that city, while he was preparing the designs for adorning the fountain on the piazza above described, when an honourable interment in the cathedral was accorded to his remains. I have not been able to discover how or where Agnolo died, and can therefore say nothing more of that matter, or of other works of importance by these artists ; wherefore I will here close this notice of their life.
And now, it would without doubt be an error, if, following the order of time, I should fail to make mention of some artists, who, although they have not produced works of sufficient importance to entitle them to a separate biography, have yet contributed in some degree to the amelioration of art, and the embellishment of the world. Wherefore, taking occasion from what has been said above of the episcopal and capitular buildings of Arezzo, I add, that Pietro and Paolo, goldsmiths of Arezzo, who acquired the art of drawing from Agostino and Agnolo of Siena, were the first who produced large works of merit with the chasing hammer. These artists executed a head in silver, of the size of life, for a dean of Arezzo, wherein the head of San Donato, bishop and protector of that city, was enclosed ; and this work was well worthy of commendation, not only because there were certain figures in enamel of considerable excellence, with other ornaments, to be enumerated among its merits, but also because it was one of the first things done, as we have said, with the chaser. [7]
It was about the same time, or shortly before, that the guild of Calimara,[8] at Florence, employed Maestro Cione, an excellent goldsmith, to construct the greater part, if not the whole, of the silver altar for the church of St. John the Baptist, on which various events from the life of that saint were represented on a plate of silver, embossed with figures in mezzo-rilievo, of tolerably good workmanship. This altar, either from its size, or because it was something new, was then considered most admirable by all who beheld it. In the year 1330, the remains of San Zanobi were discovered beneath the vaults of the church of Santa Reparata ; when this same Maestro Cione enclosed that portion of the head of the saint which is now carried in processions, within a silver head, of the size of life. This head was then accounted a very beautiful thing, and won a great name for the artist, who died soon after, rich and in high reputation.[9]
Maestro Cione left many scholars, among whom was Forzore di Spinello, of Arezzo, who executed every kind of chasing to perfection, but was most particularly distinguished for historical representations in silver enamelled, of which we have proof in a mitre, beautifully adorned with enamels, and a pastoral staff, in silver, both preserved in the episcopal palace of Arezzo. The same artist executed many works in silver for the Cardinal Galeotto di Pietramala, all of which remained, after the cardinal’s death, in possession of the friars of Vernia, where Galeotto desired to be buried.[10] Count Orlando, lord of Chiusi, a small castle below Vernia, had constructed a wall about that place, and there Cardinal Galeotto built a church, with numerous cells in the convent and around it, but without placing his arms on the buildings, or leaving any other memorial of himself. Leonardo di Ser Giovanni, a Florentine, was also a disciple of Maestro Cione, who was greatly superior as a designer to those who had preceded him, and produced much enchased work of various kinds. The altar and table of silver in San Jacopo of Pistoja, are by this artist; and, to say nothing of the many historical scenes represented in the work, the figure of San Jacopo, which occupies the centre, has been greatly admired; its height is more than a braccio; it is in high relief, and so admirably executed, as to look more like a work cast than one done by the chisel. It is placed in the midst of the historical representations on the table of the altar, and is accompanied by an inscription to the following effect:—
Ad honorem Dei, et Sancti Jacobi Apostoli hoc opus factum fuit tempore Domini Franc. Pagni dictse operse operarii sub anno 1371, per me Leonardum Ser Io. de Floren. auntie.”
We now return to Agostino and Agnolo, by whose numerous disciples many works, both in sculpture and architecture, were executed in Lombardy and other parts of Italy. Among these scholars was Jacopo Lanfrani, of Venice, who founded San Francesco, of Imola, and executed the sculptures of the principal door, whereon he engraved his name and the date, which was 1343. In Bologna also, the same Jacopo erected a marble tomb, in the church of San Domenico, for Giovanni Andrea Calduino,[11] doctor of laws, and secretary to Pope Clement VI, with another in the same church, and also in marble, for Taddeo Peppoli, Conservator of the people and of justice in Bologna.[12] In the same year, which was 1347, or a short time before, having finished this sepulchre, Maestro Jacopo repaired to his native city of Venice, where, at the request of a Florentine abbot, of the ancient family of the Abati, he founded the church of Sant’ Antonio, which had previously been of wood, the reigning doge being Messer Andrea Dandolo. This church was finished in the year 1349.
Jacobello, and Pietro Paolo, both Venetians, were also disciples of Agostino and Agnolo. These artists erected a marble tomb in the church of San Domenico, at Bologna, in 1383, for Messer Giovanni da Lignano, doctor of laws. They belonged to a large number of sculptors, who, for a long time, preserved one and the same manner, so that they filled all Italy with works of similar character. It is believed also that the Pesarese, who, among many other things, constructed the church of San Domenico, in his native city of Pesaro, was likewise a disciple of Agostino and Agnolo; and the manner of the three figures in full-relief on the marble door of the church—God the Father, namely, with St. John the Baptist and St. Mark—make it sufficiently obvious that he was of their school. This work was completed in the year 1385. But as it would lead me too far if I were to name the works of the many masters who laboured at that time in the same manner, so what I have said thus generally shall now suffice me, and the rather as our arts have not derived any great benefit from these works.
Of those above-named, I have thought fit to make mention, for if they do not merit that we should speak of them at length, neither were they such, on the other hand, as that we should pass them by wholly in silence.
- ↑ Della Valle denies that Agostino and Agnolo were brothers ; and he has been followed by other commentators, who affirm that they were not related in any degree.
- ↑ Of this celebrated fountain, Montani remarks, that the three lower arches only now remain, the fabric having been ruined in the year 1802.
- ↑ These relievi are sixteen ; they are described more exactly by our author in his Ragionamenti ; but as the account here given of them is, nut strictly accurate, we abridge the very minute description of Cicognara for the reader’s better information. No. 1. Guido elected bishop (1312). 2. Called to be Lord of Arezzo. 3. The Commune of Arezzo, under the form of an old man, is kneeling before Guido. 4. The Commune in Signoria ; here the old man of the preceding scene is seated, in the tribunal with the Bishop. 5. The building of the walls of Arezzo. 6. Taking of the Castle of Lucignano. 7. Taking of Chiusi in the Casentino. 8. Taking of Fronzole. 9. Taking of Castle Focognano. 10. Taking of Rondina. 11. Taking of Bucine in Valdambra. 12. Taking of Caprese. 13. Destruction of Laterina. 14. Ruin and Conflagration of Monte Sansovino. 15. Coronation—not of the Bishop, as Vasari has it—but of Louis the Bavarian. 16. Death of Bishop Guido.
- ↑ “Where the Chiassa with the Giglion meets,
There dwelt my forefathers, whose shield displays
Six golden cubes upon a field of blue.” - ↑ Disputes have arisen among the learned as to the authorship of this work. Ghirardacci and Baldinucci follow Vasari, but Masini, and after him Oretti, maintain that it was executed by Jacopo and Pietro Paolo delle Masegne, sculptors of Venice. Cicognara was unwilling to decide the question, which remained unsettled until 1843, when ail doubts were removed by the Marquis Virgilio Pavia, who discovered the original document by which the Priars-Minors of Bologna appointed Jacopo and Pietro Paolo de Masigni (the same of whom Vasari makes mention at the close of this life) to prepare a new table of marble for the high altar of the aforesaid church ; this document bears date 16th November 1388.—Ed. Flor.
- ↑ The Roman edition of Vasari, 1759, quoting Masini, attributes the fortress, erected at the gate of Galliera, also to these architects.
- ↑ Vasari must here be understood to mean the first in Arezzo, other works of the kind alluded to having been executed, either previously or at the same time, in other places ; as for example, the celebrated Reliquarium of Orvieto, by Ugolino Vieri and other Sienese artists, in 1338. The head executed by the Aretine artists is still in existence.
- ↑ The Guild of Wool workers ; the word calimara—fine wool, was probably brought from Constantinople ; but the MS. of Del Migliore, already cited, declares that this altar was not erected by the Guild of Woolworkers, but by the republic itself.
- ↑ This head is not by Cione. but by a certain Andrea Arditi, of Florence, as is proved by the following inscription:—“Andreas Arditi de Florentia me fecit ”—Cicognara, Storia della Scultura, vol. iii, p. 433.
- ↑ The mitre and pastoral staff, here described by Vasari, are no longer in the cathedral of Arezzo; nor is it known that the legacy of Cardinal Galeotto is still preserved by the brothers of La Vernia.
- ↑ This name is Calderino.— Roman edition, 1759.
- ↑ Still in existence.