Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Giorgione

by Giorgio Vasari

 

THE VENETIAN PAINTER, GIORGIONE, OF CASTELFRANCO.

[born 1478.— died 1511.]

At the same time when Florence was acquiring so much renown from the works of Leonardo, the city of Venice obtained no small glory from the talents and excellence of one of her citizens, by whom the Bellini, then held in so much esteem, were very far surpassed, as were all others who had practised painting up to that time in that city. This was Giorgio,^[1] born in the year 1478, at Castelfranco,^[2] in the territory of Treviso, and at the time when Giovanni Mozzenigo, brother to the Doge Piero Mozzenigo, had himself been elected Doge; Giorgio was, at a later period, called Giorgione, as well from the character of his person as for the exaltation of his mind: he was of extremely humble origin, but was nevertheless very pleasing in manner, and most estimable in character through the whole course of his life. Brought up in Venice, he took no small delight in lovepassages, and in the sound of the lute, to which he was so cordially devoted, and which he practised so constantly, that he played and sang with the most exquisite perfection, insomuch that he was, for this cause, frequently invited to musical assemblies and festivals by the most distinguished personages.^[3] Giorgione selected the art of design, which he greatly loved, as his profession, and was therein so highly favoured by nature, that he gave his whole heart to her beauties; nor would he ever represent any object in his works which he had not copied from the life; so entirely was he subjugated by her charms, and with such fervour did he imitate them, that he not only acquired the reputation of having excelled Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, but of being able to compete with those who were then working in Tuscany, and who were the authors of the modern manner.

Giorgione had seen certain works from the hand of Leonardo, which were painted with extraordinary softness, and thrown into powerful relief, as is said, by extreme darkness of the shadows, a manner which pleased him so much, that he ever after continued to imitate it, and in oil painting approached very closely to the excellence of his model.^[4] A zealous admirer of the good in art, Giorgione always selected for representation the most beautiful objects that he could find, and these he treated in the most varied manner: he was endowed by nature with highly felicitous qualities, and gave to all that he painted, whether in oil or fresco, a degree of life, softness, and harmony (being more particularly successful in the shadows), which caused all the more eminent artists to confess, that he was born to infuse spirit into the forms of painting, and they admitted that he copied the freshness of the living form more exactly than any other painter, not of Venice only, but of all other places.

In his youth Giorgione painted, in Venice, many very beautiful pictures of the Virgin, with numerous portraits from nature, which are most life-like and beautiful; of this we have proof in three heads of extraordinary beauty, painted in oil by his hand, and which are in the possession of the Most Reverend Grimani, Patriarch of Aquileia: one of these represents David (and, according to common report, is a portrait of the master himself); he has long locks, reaching to the shoulders, as was the custom of that time, and the colouring is so fresh and animating, that the face appears to be rather real than painted: the breast is covered with armour, as is the arm, with which he holds the head of Goliath.^[5] The second is much larger, and is the portrait of a man taken from the life; in the hand this figure holds the red barett-cap of a commander, the mantle is of furs, and beneath it appears one of those tunics, after the ancient fashion, which are well known; this is believed to represent some leader of armies. The third picture is a Boy, with luxuriant curling hair, and is as beautiful as imagination can portray; these works bear ample testimony to the excellence of Giorgione, and no less than his deserts was the estimation in which he was ever held by that great patriarch, who prized his abilities highly, and constantly treated him with infinite kindness, which he well merited.^[6]

In Florence, in the house of the sons of Giovanni Borgherini, there is a picture by the hand of Giorgione, the portrait namely of the above-named Giovanni, taken when he was still a youth, and living in Venice; in the same picture is also the portrait of his preceptor, nor is it possible to imagine two heads more admirably depicted, whether as regards the general colouring of the flesh or the treatment of the shadows. There is another picture by the same master, in the palace of Anton de’ Nobili; this represents a military commander wearing his armour, and is painted with great force and truth; they say that it is one of the leaders whom Consalvo Ferrante brought with him to Venice when he visited the Doge, Agostino Barberigo. At that time, as is reported, ‘ Giorgione took the likeness of the Great Consalvo himself, a work of extraordinary merit, insomuch that it wjis impossible to imagine a more beautiful picture, and this Consalvo took away with him.^[7] Giorgione painted marly other most admirable portraits, which are dispersed through various parts of Italy, among them is that of Leonardo Loredano, painted at the time when he was Doge: this I saw set forth to view on Ascension day,^[8] when I almost believed myself to behold that most illustrious prince himself. Another of these fine works is at Faenza, in the house of Giovanni da Castel of Bologna, an excellent engraver of cameos and gems: it was painted for Giovanni’s father-in-law, and is, in truth, a most admirable work; the colours are blent with such perfect harmony, that one would rather suppose it to be in relief than a painting.

Giorgione found much pleasure in fresco-painting, and, among other works of this kind undertaken by him, Avas one for the Soranzo Palace, Avhich is situate on the Piazza di San Paolo: here he painted the entire fa9ade, on which, to say nothing of the representation of various historical events, or of many fanciful stories, there is an oil-painting, executed on the plaster, which has endured the action of rain, sun, and wind to the present day, and yet preserves its freshness wholly unimpaired. In the same place there is, moreover, a picture of Spring, which appears to me to be one of Giorgione’s best works in fresco, and it is much to be lamented that this painting has been so cruelly injured by time. For my part, I am persuaded that there is nothing which so grievously injures fresco-paintings as do the south winds, and this they do more particularly when the work is in the neighbourhood of the sea, since they then ahvays bring with them a saline humidity which is exceedingly noxious. In the year 1504, there happened a most terrible conflagration at the Exchange, or Magazines of the German Merchants, near the bridge of the Rialto, whereby the building was entirely consumed, with all the wares contained in it, to the great loss of the merchants. The Signoria of Venice thereupon commanded that it should be rebuilt, with increased convenience for those who used it or divelt therein, all which was speedily commenced with great magnificence, and, in due time, was accomplished in a style of infinite beauty and with rich decoration. Giorgione, Avhose fame had constantly extended, Avas consulted on this occasion, and received a commission from those ivho had charge of the matter, to paint the building in fresco of various colours, according to his own fancy; provided only that he gave proof of his ability, and produced a work of adequate excellence, the edifice being in one of the finest sites, and commanding one of the most admirable views in the whole city.^[9] Giorgione set hand to the ivork accordingly, but thought only of executing fanciful figures, calculated for the display of his knowledge in art, and wherein there is, of a truth, neither arrangement of events in consecutive order, nor even single representations, depicting the history of known or distinguished persons, whether ancient or modern. I, for my part, have never been able to understand what they mean, nor, with all the inquiries that I have made, could I ever find any one who did understand, or could explain them to me. Here there is a man, there a woman, in different attitudes; one has the head of a lion beside him, near another is an angel, but which rather resembles a Cupid, so that one cannot divine what it all means. Over the door which leads to the store-rooms for the wares, a seated figure of a woman is depicted; she has the head of a dead giant at her feet, as is the custom in representations of Judith,^[10] and this head she is raising with a sword, while speaking, at the same time, to a figure in the German habit, who is standing, still further beneath her. What or whom this figure may be intended to represent, I have never been able to determine, unless, indeed, it be meant for a figure of Germany; on the whole, however, it is, nevertheless, apparent that the work is well composed, and that the artist was continually adding to his acquirements: there are certain heads and other portraits of different figures in this work which are extremely well designed, and coloured with great animation. Giorgione has also laboured throughout to maintain the utmost fidelity to nature, nor is any trace of imitation to be discovered in the manner. This work is highly extolled in Venice, and is celebrated not only for the paintings executed by Giorgione, but also for the advantages presented by the edifice to the commerce of the merchants and for its utility to the public.^[11]

Giorgione likewise executed a picture of Christ bearing his Cross, while he is himself dragged along by a Jew. This work was subsequently placed in the church of San Rocco, where it is held in the highest veneration by many of the faithful, and even performs miracles, as is frequently seen.^[12] This master laboured in many parts of Italy, as, for example, at Castelfranco and in March of Treviso.^[13] He executed numerous portraits for different Italian Princes, and many of his works were sent beyond the confines of Italy, as specimens worthy to bear testimony to the fact that, if Tuscany abounded at all times in masters of eminence, neither were the districts beyond the mountains altogether abandoned or wholly forgotten by Heaven.^[14] It is related that Giorgione, being in conversation with certain sculptors, at the time when Andrea del Verrocchio was engaged with his bronze horse, these artists maintained that, since Sculpture was capable of exhibiting various aspects in one sole figure, from the fact that the spectator can walk round it, so it must, on this account, be acknowledged to surpass painting, which could not do more than display a given figure in one particular aspect. Giorgione, on the contrary, was of opinion that in one picture the painter could display various aspects without the necessity of walking round his work, and could even display, at one glance, all the different aspects that could be presented by the figure of a man, even though the latter should assume several attitudes, a thing which could not be accomplished by sculpture without compelling the observer to change his place, so that the work is not presented at one view, but at different views. He declared, further, that he could execute a single figure in painting, in such a manner as to show the front, back, and profiles of both sides at one and the same time. This assertion astonished his hearers beyond all measure, but the manner in which Giorgione accomplished his purpose was as follows. He painted a nude figure, with its back turned to the spectator, and at the feet of the figure was a limpid stream, wherein the reflection of the front was painted with the utmost exactitude: on one side was a highly burnished corslet, of which the figure had divested itself, and wherein the left side was reflected perfectly, every part of the figure being clearly apparent; and on the other side was a mirror, in which the right profile of the nude form was also exhibited. By this beautiful and admirable fancy, Giorgione desired to prove that painting is, in effect, the superior art, requiring more talent and demanding higher effort: he also shows that it is capable of presenting more at one view than is practicable in sculpture. The work was, indeed, greatly commended and admired as both ingenious and beautiful.

Giorgione likewise painted the portrait of Caterina, Queen of Cyprus, from the life, a picture which I formerly saw in the possession of the illustrious Messer Giovanni Cornaro. In my book of drawings, also, there is a head painted in oil by his hand, wherein he has portrayed a German of the Fugger family, who was one of the principal merchants then trading in Venice, and had his abode at the Fondaco, or Cloth Magazine of the Germans. This head is wonderfully beautiful, and I have, besides, in my possession other sketches and pen-and-ink drawings of this master.

While Giorgione was thus labouring to his own honour and that of his country, he was also much in society, and delighted his many friends with his admirable performance in music. At this time he fell in love with a lady, who returned his affection with equal warmth, and they were immeasurably devoted to each other. But in the year 1511 it happened that the lady was attacked by the plague, when Giorgione also, not aware of this circumstance and continuing his accustomed visits, was also infected by the disease, and that with so much violence that in a very short time he passed to another life.^[15] This event happened in the thirty-fourth year of his age; not without extreme grief on the part of his many friends, to whom he was endeared by his excellent qualities; it was also greatly to the loss of the world, thus prematurely deprived of his talents. Amidst these regrets there was, however, the consolation of knowing that Giorgione had left behind him two worthy disciples and excellent masters in Sebastiano, a Venetian, who was afterwards a Monk of the Piombo in Rome, and Titian del Cadore,^[16] who not only equalled, but even surpassed him greatly. Of both these artists we propose to speak in the proper place, and will then fully describe the honour and advantage which the art has derived from them.^[17]

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1. His family name was Barbarelli. Ridolfi. Maraviglie dell'Arte, &c.
2. Vedelago, another village in the province of Treviso, disputes with Castelfranco the honour of having given birth to Giorgione, but he is generally called Giorgione of Castelfranco.—Ed. Flor., 1832-8.
3. The earlier portion of this artist’s life, omitted by Vasari, will be found in Ridolfi, Maraviglie dell' arte. He was brought up in the school of the Bellini, and his progress was so rapid as to awaken the envy of his master. For various details and certain remarks concerning the works of this artist, see Kugler, Geschichte der Malerei.
4. The Venetian writers do not agree with Vasari in the assertion that Giorgione acquired his manner from the works of Leonardo. Lanzi considers him to have been merely excited, by the fame of Leonardo, to attempt the creation of a new style (see History, &c., vol. ii. p. 134). The manner of Giorgione is indeed by no means similar to that of Leonardo. — Ed. Flor., 1832 -8.
5. There is a picture similar to that here described, and of which the subject is David with the head of Goliath, in the Gallery of the Belvedere at Vienna. — Kraft.
6. Vasari here neglects to mention one of the most important of Giorgione’s works, because he attributes it to Jacopo Palma, in whose life he describes it with high encomium. This is the Tempest which was miraculously stilled by the SS. Marco, Niccolò, and Giorgio, a picture formerly in the Scuola di San Marco, but now in the Venetian Academy, the Scuola haring been suppressed. See Kugler, Geschichte der Malerei. One of Giorgione’s finest works is described by Waagen, Kunstwerke und Künstler in England, as “in the possession of Mr. Solly:” others are in the Ambrosian Library at Milan, in Dresden, in the Manfrini Gallery, Venice, in the Pitti Palace and the Uflfizj, in Florence, and in other collections.— See Zanetti, ut supra, for various details respecting the works of Giorgione.
7. The fate of these pictures is unknown.
8. “It was, most probably, in Venice that Vasari saw this picture exhibited,” remarks the German Editor, “since he uses the Venetian fonn Assensa, in speaking of the Feast of the Ascension.”
9. The façade looking towards the canal was that awarded to Giorgione; that towards the bridge was decorated by Titian. See the life of the latter, which follows.
10. The Judith, or Germany, or whatever else this figure may be meant to typify, was not painted by Giorgione, but by Titian, under whose name it is engraved by Piccini. — Bottari. [Giacomo Piccini, a Venetian engraver of the seventeenth century. The print in question is known as a Judith, with the head of Holofernes at her feet, after Titian]
11. The Siroccos and salt winds have almost entirely destroyed these pictures. Certain fragments of them were published in 1760 by Zanetti, among the twenty-four engravings of his Varie pitture a fresco, de’ principoll Maestri Veneziani.—Ed. Flor., 1838.
12. Neither is this picture by Giorgione, but by Titian. —See Ridolfi, Maraviglie dell'Arte, part i., p. 141.
13. An exceedingly beautiful picture by Giorgione may still be seen in Treviso, a Dead Christ namely. It is at the Monte di Pietu. —Ed. Flor., 1838.
14. Tuscany could at that time boast of her Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo Buonarroti. —Ibid.
15. There is no mention of any plague prevailing in Venice during the year 1511, and, according to Ridolfi, the death of Giorgione was caused by despair at the infidelity of the lady here alluded to, and the ingratitude of his disciple Pietro Luzzo, of Feltre, called Zarato, or Zarotto, by whom her affections had been estranged from him. Lanzi, ut supra, vol. ii, p.l36, believes this Pietro Luzzo to be the Morto da Feltre, whose life Vasari gives us in the following pages.
16. Titian was not the disciple of Giorgione, but his fellow student rather, under the Bellini, and subsequently his follower in the new manner. But it may be fairly inferred that Giorgione, had he lived, might have disputed the palm of excellence with Titian himself; seeing what was accomplished by him who died at thirty-four, what might he not have done had he approached the age to which Titian attained. —Ed. Flor., 1832-8.
17. Among the disciples of Giorgione were also Giovanni da Udine and Francesco Torbido, of Verona: his more distinguished imitators were Jacopo Palma, Paris Bordone, and others of less eminence.