Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Bernardino Pinturicchio

by Giorgio Vasari

 

BERNARDINO PINTURICCHIO,^[1] PAINTER OF PERUGIA.

[born 1454—died 1513.]

As many are aided by fortune, without being endowed with extraordinary ability, so are there numbers of able men, on the contrary, who are constantly persecuted by an adverse destiny. From this we perceive clearly, that fortune’s favourite children are those who depend on her only, unaided by ability of any kind, for it pleases her to exalt such by her favour, as would never have made themselves known by means of their own merit, and of this we have an instance in Pinturicchio, of Perugia;^[2] who, although he performed many labours, and received aid from many persons, had nevertheless a much greater name than was merited by his wmrks. Pinturicchio did indeed obtain much opportunity for practice, and had considerable facility in the execution of works of a large kind; he constantly kept about him a large number of assistants, from whom he had much help in his works. Having painted many pictures in his youth, under Pietro Perugino, his master,^[3] for which he obtained the third part of all the gains made by them; Pinturicchio was invited to Siena, where he was employed by cardinal Francesco Piccolomini to paint the library which had been erected in the cathedral of that city by Pope Pius II. It is indeed true, that the sketches and cartoons for all^[4] the stories which he executed in that place were by the hand of Raffaello da Urbino, then a youth, who had been his companion and fellow disciple with the above-named Pietro, whose manner had been perfectly acquired by RatFaello. One of these Cartoons is still to be seen in Siena, and some of the sketches, by the hand of Raffaello, are in our book.^[5] In this work, which is divided into ten compartments or stories, Pinturicchio was aided by numerous disciples and assistants, all of the school of Pietro Perugino. The first division or picture represents the birth of Pope Pius II., which took place in the year 1405; he was the son of Silvio Piccolomini and Victoria his wife, the baptismal name of Pope Pius II. was Eneas, and he was born in Yaldorcia, in the castle of Corsignana, now called Pienza, from his name of Pius, he having afterwards elevated the place to the rank of a city. In this picture are portraits from the life of the above-named Silvio and Victoria, and in the same work the Pope is himself seen as he proceeds with Domenico, cardinal of Capranica, to cross the Alps, which are covered with ice and snow, on his way to the Council of Basle.

In the second picture is the same Eneas, when sent by the council on various embassies and to different legations; to Strasburg namely, whither he proceeded three times; to Trent, to Constance, to Frankfort, and into Savoy. In the third picture is Eneas, when despatched by the Anti-pope Felix, as ambassador to the Emperor Frederick III. With this sovereign, the grace, address, and eloquence of Eneas, found so much favour, that he was crowned with laurel as a poet by Frederick, who appointed him protonotary, received him into the number of his friends, and made him his principal secretary. In the fourth picture Eneas is sent by the Emperor Frederick to Pope Eugeni us IV., by whom he was first made bishop of Trieste, and afterwards archbishop of Siena, his native city. In the next compartment (the fifth) is the same Emperor, who is proceeding into Italy to receive the crown of the empire, and who therefore dispatches Eneas to Telamone, a port belonging to the Sienese, for the purpose of meeting Leonora his consort, who was to come thither from Portugal. In the sixth picture Eneas is sent by the Emperor to Pope Calixtus III., in order to induce the latter to make war against the Turks; and in this compartment there also appears the above-named Pontiff, by whom Eneas is entrusted with the task of negociating conditions of peace at Siena; which city had been attacked by the Count of Pitigliano and others, at the instigation of Alfonso, King of Naples. The peace thus sought being secured, war against the people of the east is determined on, and Eneas, having returned to Rome, is made cardinal by the Pope above-named. In the seventh picture Eneas is seen exalted, on the death of Calixtus, to be himself Pope, and takes the name of Pius II. In the eighth, the Pope proceeds to Mantua, where the council respecting the expedition against the Turks is held, and where he is received by the Marquis of Mantua with the most splendid festivities, and a magnificence almost inconceivable. In the ninth compartment, the same Pope places in the catalogue of saints, or as they call it, canonizes, Santa Catarina of Siena, a holy woman, and a Nun of the Dominican Order. In the tenth and last. Pope Pius, while preparing an immense armada against the Turks, with the help and concurrence of all Christian princes, is overtaken by death at Ancona; when a hermit of Camaldoli, a holy man, sees the soul of his Holiness borne to heaven by angels at the very moment of his death, as may be found duly recorded. In another part of the same picture, the remains of Pope Pius II. are borne from Ancona to Rome by a most honourable company of prelates and nobles innumerable, who bewail the death of so great a man and so holy a Pontiif. The whole of this work is rich in portraits from the life, of which there are so many, that it would be a long story even to recount the names. The pictures are all painted with the finest and most animated colours, they are besides decorated with ornaments in gold, and the ceiling is divided into very well designed compartments. Beneath each story is a Latin inscription, explaining the contents of the picture above.^[6] In the centre of the same library. Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini, nephew to Pope Pius II., caused a beautiful antique group, in marble, to be placed. This represents the three graces, and was one of the first antiquities which at that time began to be held in esteem.^[7] This library, in which were placed all the books left by Pope Pius^[8] II., was not entirely completed when the above-named Cardinal Francesco, nephew of Pius II., was himself elected Pope. In memory of his uncle he determined to take the name of Pius III., and the same Pinturicchio was then commissioned to depict the coronation of Pope Pius III., in a very large painting, over that door of the library which opens into the cathedral.^[9] This picture occupies the whole extent of the wall; it has many portraits from the life, and beneath it is the following inscription:—

Pius III. Senensis, Pii II. nepos mdiii. Septembris xxi, apertis electus suffragiis, octavo Octobris coronatus est.

While Pinturicchio was working in Pome with Pietro Perugino, during the pontificate of Pope Sixtus, he had been also in the service of Domenico della Povere, Cardinal of San Clemente, wherefore, that prelate having built a very fiue palace in the Borgo Vecchio, determined that the whole should be painted by Pinturicchio, who was commanded to place on the façade of the building the arms of Pope Sixtus, with two boys for supporters.^[10] The same artist also executed certain works for Sciarra Colonna, in the palace of Sant’ Apostolo;^[11] and no long time after, in the year 1484 that is to say. Pope Innocent VIII., who was a Genoese, caused Pinturicchio to paint some of the halls and loggie in the palace of the Belvidere. In this building, among other things, he painted a Loggia entirely with landscapes, according to the command of the same Pope, and depicted therein Pome, Milan, Genoa, Florence, Venice, and Naples, after the manner of the Flemings, and this, being a thing . not then customary, gave considerable satisfaction. In the same place, Pinturicchio painted a figure of the Virgin in fresco, over the principal door.^[12]

In San Pietro, for the chapel wherein the spear which pierced the side of Christ is preserved, Pinturicchio painted a picture in tempera, by command of Pope Innocent VIII., being a figure of the Virgin, larger than life:^[13] and in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, he painted two chapels, one for the above-named Domenico della Rovere, cardinal of vSan Clemente, in which he w^as buried,^[14] and the other, for the Cardinal Innocenzio Cibo, wherein he also was afterwards interred.^[15] In each of these chapels was placed the portrait of the cardinal, who had caused it to be adorned with paintings. In the palace of the Pope, Pinturicchio painted certain apartments which look upon the Court of St. Peter, the wood work and paintings of which were renewed some few years since by Pope Pius IV. In the same palace. Pope Alexander VI. caused Pinturicchio to decorate all the rooms inhabited by himself, together with the whole of the Torre Borgia, where the artist painted stories of the liberal arts in one of the rooms, and adorned all the ceilings with ornaments in stuccowork and gold:^[16] but the methods now practised in stucco were not known at that time, and the above-mentioned ornaments are for the most part ruined. Over the door of one of the rooms in the same palace, Pinturicchio portrayed the Signora Giulia Farnese in the face of a Madonna; and in the same picture is a figure in adoration of the Virgin, the head of which is a portrait of Pope Alexander. Bernardino was much in the habit of decorating his pictures with ornaments in relief covered with gold, for the satisfaction of persons who understood but little of such matters, to the end that they might have a more showy appearance, a thing which is most unsuitable to painting. Having depicted a story from the life of Santa Catarina in the above named apartments, he executed the triumphal arches of Rome therefore in relief, and painted the figures in such a manner that the objects which should diminish are brought more prominently forward than those which should be larger to the eye, a grievous heresy in our art.

In the Castle of St. Angelo,^[17] Pinturicchio painted a large number of rooms in what are called groitesche, but in the lower part of the great tower in the garden, he painted events from the life of Pope Alexander, wherein he portrayed Isabella the Catholic Queen (Isabella of Spain), Niccolo Orsino, Count of Pitigliano, and Gianiacomo Triulzi, with many other relations and friends of the same Pope, in particular Caesar Borgia, his brother and sisters,^[18] with many learned or otherwise distinguished men of that time.

At Monte Oliveto, in Naples, there is a picture of the Assumption,^[19] in the chapel of Paolo Tolosa, by the hand of Pinturicchio, who executed a large number of works in different parts of Italy, but as they were not of any great distinction, although displaying facility, I pass them over in silence.^[20] Pinturicchio used to say that the highest excellence attained by the painter was ever to be found in such works as were executed from his own inspiration, without the intervention of princes or others. This artist worked also in Perugia, but on few occasions only.^[21] In the church of Ara Coeli, he painted the chapel of San Bernardino,^[22] and’ in Santa Maria del Popolo, where, as we have already said, he painted two chapels ; he likewise executed figures of the four Doctors of the Church,^[23] on the ceiling of the principal chapel.^[24]

When Pinturicchio had attained the age of fifty-nine, he received a commission to paint a picture of the Birth of the Virgin for San Francesco, in Siena^[25], and having commenced the work, a room was appropriated to his use by the monks, which was given up to him, as he desired it should be, entirely empty and denuded of every thing, a massive old chest alone excepted; this they left in its place, finding it too heavy for removal. But Pinturicchio, like a strange self-willed man as he was, made so much clamour, and repeated his outcries so often, that the monks set themselves at last, in very des¬ peration, to carry the chest away. Now in dragging it forth, such was their good fortune, that one of the sides was broken, when a sum of 500 ducats in gold was brought to light : this discovery caused Pinturicchio so much vexation, and he took the good fortune of those poor friars so much to heart, that he could think of nothing else, and so grievously did this oppress him, that not being able to get it out of his thoughts, he finally died of vexation.^[26] His paintings were executed about the year 1513.^[27]

The painter Benedetto Buonfiglio, of Perugia, was the companion and friend of Pinturicchio, although the latter was much younger than Buonfiglio, who, with other masters, performed various works in the papal palace in Rome.^[28]. In his native city Perugia, also, in the chapel of the Signoria., Benedetto painted events from the life of the Bishop Sant’ Ercolano, protector and patron saint of that city. Certain miracles performed by San Ludovico, were also depicted by the same master in the same place. In San Domenico he painted a picture in tempera, representing the Adoration of the Magi, with another in which there are numerous saints. In the church of San Bernardino, this master painted a figure of the Saviour appearing in the heavens, he is accompanied by San Bernardino, and the people of a city are represented as assembled below. Buonfiglio^[29] was, in fine, considerably esteemed in his native city, before Pietro Peru- gino had arisen into notice.

The painter Gerino, of Pistoja, was also a friend of Pinturicchio, and executed many works in company with him. Gerino was esteemed to be a very careful painter, and a tolerably close imitator of the manner of Pietro Perugino, with whom he worked almost to the time of his death. He painted few pictures in his native city Pistoja,^[30] but at Borgo San Sepolcro, there is a picture of the Circumcision, in oil, executed bv this artist for the Brotherhood of the Biion Gesu, ' which is tolerably well done : and in the capitular church of the same place, he painted a chapel in fresco, with another for the same community, also in fresco, on the road which leads to Anghiari, and near the shore of the Tiber. In the same place Gerino painted a chapel at San Lorenzo, an abbey belonging to the monks of Camaldoli, and by all these

Angelico; but having gone thither, was much complained of by the Orvietans for the havoc he made of their wine and ultra-marine. Of the former, they were willing to give him “ quantum libebat,^' but for the many pounds of ultra-marine which he demanded, they could not find the money. works he was detained so long in Borgo San Sepolcro, that he almost adopted it as that home. Tthat master was somewhat poor and common-place in matters of art, he worked with infinite difficulty, and was so tediously heavy and slow that it was pitiable to behold.^[31]

There was at this same period an eminent painter in the city of Fuligno, Niccolb Alunno namely. But at tthat time, before Pietro Perugino’s day, when the custom of painting in oil was not extensively prevalent, many were considered able men who did not succeed at a later period. Niccolb then gave very tolerable satisfaction, never working except in tempera; and as he always took that heads from the life, and they had an animated appearance, that manner did not fail to please. In the church of Sant’ Agostino, in Fuligno, there is a picture by that hand representing the Nativity of Christ, with a predella painted in small figures. At Assisi he painted a banner to be borne in procession^[32] with the picture for the high altar of the Cathedral, and another picture for San Francesco. But the best painting ever executed by Niccolb Alunno, was a chapel in the Duomo, where, among other things, there is a Pieta with two Angels, each holding a torch, the expression of whose grief, and the tears they shed are so natural, that I do not believe any artist, however excellent he might be, could have done it much better.^[33] In the same place this master painted the façade of Santa Maria degli Angeli, and executed many other works also, of which I need not make further mention, since it is sufficient to have indicated the best.^[34]

And this shall be the end of the life of Pinturicchio, who among other qualities, jDossessed that of giving considerable satisfaction to princes and nobles, because he quickly brought the works commanded by them to an end, as they like to have done, although such works may, perchance, be less excellent than those of masters who proceed more slowly, and with greater consideration.

---

1. Called also Bernardino Betti, and by Orsini, in his Memorie Storiche di Pietro Perugino, Bernardino di Betto.
2. Many commentators concur in declaring that Vasari has not done justice to Pinturicchio.— See Lanzi, vol. i. p. 345 and 360. See also Rumohr, Italienische Forschungen, vol. ii. p. 336.
3. Bottari considers that the life of Pietro Perugino should have preceded that of Pinturicchio; and other commentators affirm him to have been rather the friend and assistant than the disciple of Pietro Perugino.
4. It will be remarked that, in the life of Raphael, Vasari speaks of that master as having made “some” of the sketches and cartoons. Here he Siiys “all.”
5. The erection as well as decoration of the library is by some writers attributed to Cardinal Piccolomini (afterwards Pope Pius III.), and not to his uncle Pius II.
6. These very beautiful pictures have fortunately escaped the hands of restorers, they were engraved in the last century by Faucci, but very imperfectly. The younger Lasinio has executed a much better series of engravings from them. But even these are said to leave something yet to be desired. — Ed. Flor., 1846-9.
7. This group has also been engraved by Lasinio.
8. The books here alluded to were principally the beautiful choral books richly illuminated and full of exquisite miniatures by Fra Benedetto da Matera and Fra Gabriello Mattei, a Servite Monk of Siena, they were very numerous, but some were carried into Spain by the Cardinal of Burgos, and others were presented to the Public Library of Siena. —Masselli.
9. The upper part of this fresco will be found engraved in the Famiglie celebri, &c., of Litta. Famiglia, Piccolomini-Todeschini.
10. No vestige of these works now remains.
11. Of these paintings it is impossible to discover any trace.
12. Bottari declares these paintings to. have greatly suffered in his time (1759); a pai-ticular description of them will be found in Taja, who wrote about ten years before Bottari,—See his Descrizione del Palazzo Vaticano. The pictures were restored under Pope Pius VII.
13. This work is lost.
14. The paintings of this chapel are still in existence, and are admired for the delicacy of the execution.
15. The chapel of the Cibo family having been enlarged and encrusted with marbles, in 1700, by the Cardinal Alexander Cibo, these paintings were destroyed.
16. The rooms painted by Pinturicchio were three; they were cleaned and restored by command of Pope Pius VII., and are now therefore ngiiin made visible.— Masselli.
17. Of these works no trace remains, but the reader who may desire minute details respecting them, will find such in the Lettere Perugine of Mariotti.
18. Brothers and Sister rather.
19. This picture is with justice considered one of the best works of this master, and is still in good preservation.—Förster, Masselli, and others.
20. The later Florentine commentators declare that if Vasari had been acquainted with the frescoes executed by Pinturicchio in the Baglioni chapel (one of those in the church of Santa Maggiore at “Spello in Umbria”), he would not only have described them, but would have attributed a higher degree of merit to the painter than he has now done.
21. The writers who treat particularly of Perugia enumerate many. See Morelli, Brevi Notizie, &c.; Mariotti, Lettere, &c.; and Orsini, Memorie Storiche.—See also Rumohr, Ital. Forsch., vol. ii. p . 331.
22. Titi, Nuovo Studij, &c. p. 116, ascribes this picture to Francesco Francia, but this opinion is contrary to that of most writers.— See among others, Rumohr, ut supra, who considers it to be one of Pinturicchio’s most successful works.
23. The Latin Doctors that is, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and St. Gregory.
24. These works are still in existence. In addition to the Doctors, there are the four Sybils, and the four Evangelists, with a Coronation of the Virgin in the centre.
25. This picture perished in the fire which happened on the 23rd August, 16 b‘ 5. — Masselli.
26. The true cause of Pinturicchio’s death is declared by a writer of his own day, Sigismondo Tizio, an (unedited)-historian of Siena, to have been the misconduct of his wife, who is even said to have permitted him to remain unattended in his last illness, until he died of want. This, Tizio, who was a contemporary of Pinturicchio as we have said, was told, as he affirms, by certain women, who were neighbours of the awful wife in question.
27. Della Valle, in his Storia del Duomo dd Orvieto, relates that Pinturicchio was invited to Orvieto to complete a picture left unfinished by Fra
28. See Taja, Descrizione del Palazzo Valxcano.
29. For details respecting this master’s works, see Lanzi, History of Painting, &c. Mariotti, Lettere Perugine, &c. Morelli, Brevi Notizie, &c. Alessi, Elogi de Perugini Illustri, and Pascoli, Vite de’ Pittori, Ac.
30. One picture only by Gerino di Antonio Gerini is known to exist in Pistoja, it is in the Church of San Piero Maggiore, and represents the Virgin enthroned, with various Saints. Another work by Gerino may be seen in the Uffizj.— Ed. Flor., 1849.
31. Neither Pascoli nor Lanzi speak thus disadvantageously of Gerino, nor is it probable that Pietro Pcrugino would have so long retained that assistance, had he been as here described. — Masselli. There is a large fresco by tthat master in what was the refectory of a suppressed convent near Poggibonsi. It is but little known, and is nevertheless a work of great merit.
32. Perhaps the Mater Misericordiae of San Cespino. — See Rumohr, Ital. Forsch., vol. ii. p. 317.
33. The remains of this work were discovered by Rumohr, divided into several parts, and placed in different positions about the altar, but still in the same church. —See Ital. Forsch., vol. ii. p, 318, 319.
34. There is a work of this master, who is by no means to be considered a despicable artist, at Milan (in the Brera); a Madonna seated, namely, with the Divine Child standing upright on her knee. Rumohr saw one, also a Madonna, on a gold ground, in the parish church of Borgo la Bastia, on the road leading from Assisi to Perugia. Orsini and Mariotti likewise cite one called the Madonna de’ Consoli, which is in a church at Diruta, near Perugia, and bears the name of themaster. —See the Lettere Pittoriche Perugine. See also Gaye, in the Kunstblatt for 1837, No. 83; and the Marchese Ricci, Memorie delle Arti e degli Artisti della Marca d’Ancona, 192—201.