Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Leon Batista Alberti

by Giorgio Vasari

 

LIFE OF THE FLORENTINE ARCHITECT, LEON BATISTA ALBERTI.

[born 1404—died 1472.]

The knowledge of letters and the study of the sciences are, without doubt, of the utmost value to all, and offer the most important advantages to every artist who takes pleasure therein; but most of all are they serviceable to sculptors, painters, and architects, for whom they prepare the path to various inventions in all the works executed by them; and be the natural qualities of a man what they may, his judgment can never be brought to perfection if he be deprived of the advantages resulting from the accompaniment of learning. For who does not admit, that in selecting the site of buildings it is necessary to proceed with enlightened consideration, in order to their being sheltered from dangerous winds, and so placed as to avoid insalubrious air, injurious vapours, and the effects of impure and unhealthy waters? who does not allow, that for whatever work is to be executed, the artist must know for himself, both how to avoid impediments and how to secure all needful results, that he may not he reduced to depend on others for the theory on which his labours must be founded, to ensure success? Since theory, when separated from practice, is, for the most part, found to avail very little; but when theory and practice chance to be happily united in the same person, nothing can be more suitable to the life and vocation of artists, as well because art is rendered much richer and more perfect by the aid of science, as because the councils and writings of learned artists have, in themselves, a greater efficacy, and obtain a higher degree of credit, than can be accorded to the words or works of those who know nothing beyond the simple process they use, and which they put in practice, well or ill, as it may chance. Now that all this is true is seen clearly in the instance of Leon Batista Alberti, who, having given his attention to the study of Latin as well as to that of architecture, perspective, and painting, has left behind him books, written in such a manner, that no artist of later times has been able to surpass him in his style and other qualities as an author, while there have been numbers, much more distinguished than himself in the practice of art,^[1] although it is very generally supposed (such is the force of his writings, and so extensive has been their influence on the pens and v/ords of the learned, his contemporaries and others), that he was, in fact, superior to all those who have, on the contrary, greatly surpassed him in their works.^[2] We are thus taught by experience, that, in so far as regards name and fame, the written word is that which, of all things, has the most effectual force, the most vivid life, and the longest duration; for books make their way to all places, and every where they obtain the credence of men, provided they be truthful and written in the spirit of candour. We are therefore not to be surprised if we find the renowned Leon Batista to be better known by his writings than by the works of his hand.

This master was born in Florence,^[3] of the most noble family of the Alberti, concerning which we have already spoken in another place.^[4] He gave his attention, not only to the acquirement of knowledge in the world of art generally, and to the examination of works of antiquity in their proportions, &c., but also, and much more fully, to writing on these subjects, to which he was by nature more inclined than to the practice of art. Leon Batista was well versed in arithmetic, and a very good geometrician; he wrote ten books respecting architecture in the Latin tongue, which were published in 1481; they may now be read in the Florentine language, having been translated by the Rev. Messer Cosimo Bartoli, provost of San Giovanni, in Florence. tie likewise wrote three books on painting, now translated into the Tuscan by Messer Ludovico Domenichi, and composed a dissertation on tractile^[5] forces, containing rules for measuring heights. Leon Batista was moreover the author of the Libri della vita civile^[6], with some other works of an amatory character, in prose and verse: he was the first who attempted to apply Latin measures to Italian verse, as may be seen in his epistle.

Questa per estrema miserabile pistola mando,
 A te che spregi miseramente noi.^[7]

At the time when Nicholas Y. had thrown the city of Rome into utter confusion with his peculiar manner of building, Leon Batista Alberti arrived in that city, where, by means of his intimate friend Biondo da Forli,^[8] he became known to the pontiff. The latter had previously availed himself of the counsel of Bernardo Rossellino, a Florentine sculptor and architect, as will be related in the life of Antonio his brother; and Bernardo, having commeneed the restoration of the papal palace, with other works in Santa Maria Maggiore, thenceforward proceeded by the advice of Leon Batista, such being the will of the Pope. Thus the pontiff, with the counsel of one of these two, and the execution of the other, brought many useful and praiseworthy labours to conclusion: among these was the Fountain of the Acqua Yergine, which had been ruined, and was restored by him. He likewise caused the fountain of the Piazza de’ Trevi to be decorated with the marble ornaments which we now see there,^[9] among which are the arms of Pope Nicholas himself, and those of the Roman people.

Leon Batista thence proceeded to Sigismondo Malatesta of Rimini, for whom he made the model of the church of San Francesco, that of the Façade more particularly, which was constructed in marble, and of the southern side, where there are very large arches with burial places for the illustrious men of that city. In fine, he completed the whole fabric in such a manner that it is beyond dispute one of the most renowned temples of Italy. Within this church are six very beautiful chapels, one of which, dedicated to San Geronimo, is most sumptuously adorned; various relics brought from elerusalem being preserved in it. This chapel likewise contains the sepulchre of the above-named Sigismondo, with that of his wife,^[10] very richly constructed of fine marbles, in tlie year 1450. On one of these tombs is the portrait of Malalesta, that of Leon Batista himself being also to be seen in another part of the work.

In the year 1457, when the very useful method of printing books was invented by Giovanni Gutenberg,^[11] a German, Leon Batista discovered something similar; the method of representing landscapes, and diminishing figures by means of an instrument, namely, by which small things could in like manner be presented in a larger form, and so enlarged at pleasure: all very extraordinary things, useful to art, and certainly very fine.

It happened about this time, that Giovanni di Paolo Rueellai resolved to adorn the principal Facade of Santa Maria Novella, entirely with marble, at his own cost; whereupon he consulted with Leon Batista, who was his intimate friend, and having received from him not advice only, but a design for the work also, he determined that it should by all means be put into execution, that so he might leave a memorial of himself. Rucellai, therefore, caused the work to be at once commenced, and in the year 1477, it was finished, to the great satisfaction of all the city; the whole work being much admired, but more particularly the door, for which it is obvious that Leon Batista took more than common pains. This architect also gave the design for a palace, which Cosimo Rucellai caused to be built in the street called La Vigne, with that for the Loggia which stands opposite to it. In constructing the latter, Alberti, having made the arches above the columns very narrow, because he wished to continue them, and not make one arch only, found he had a certain space left on each side, and was consequently compelled to add ressaults to the inner angles. When he afterwards proceeded to turn the arches of the internal vaulting, he perceived that he could not give it the form of the half-circle, the effect of which would be stunted and clumsy; lie therefore determined to turn small arches over the angles from one ressault to the other, showing that there was wanting in him that soundness of judgment in design, which, as is clearly evident, can only be the result of practice added to knowledge; each must be aided by the other, for the judgment can never become perfect unless the knowledge acquired be carried into operation, and the guidance of experience be attained by means of practice.

It is said that the same architect produced the design for the palace and gardens erected by the Rucellai family in the Via della Scala,^[12]' an edifice constructed with much judgment, and which is therefore exceedingly commodious. Besides many other convenient arrangements, there are two galleries or loggie, one towards the south, the other to the west, both very beautiful, and raised upon the columns without arches; which method is the true and proper one, according to the ancients, because the architraves, which are placed immediately upon the capitals of the columns, stand level, while a rectangular body, such as is the arch turned into a vault in the upper part, cannot stand on a round column, without having the angles out of square or awry; this considered, the best mode of construction requires that the architraves should be placed upon the columns, or that, when it is resolved to construct arches, the master should employ pillars instead of columns.

For the same family of Rucellai, and in a similar manner, Leon Batista erected a chapel in the church of San Brancazio,^[13] which rests on large architraves, supported on the side where the wall of the church opens into the chapel by two columns and two pilasters. This is a very difficult mode of proceeding, but gives great security, and is accordingly among the best works produced by this architect. In the centre of this chapel.is an oblong tomb in marble of an oval form, and similar, according to an inscription engraved on the tomb itself, to the sepulchre of Christ at Jerusalem.^[14]

About the same time, Ludovico Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, having determined to construct the apsis, or tribune, and the principal chapel in the Nunziata, the church of the Servites in Florence, after the design and model of Leon Batista, caused a small square chapel, very old, and painted in the ancient manner, which was at the upper end of that church, to be demolished, and in its place made the tribune above-mentioned. It has the fanciful and difficult form of a circular temple surrounded by nine chapels, all surmounted by a round arch, and each having the shape of a niche. But as the arches of these chapels are supported by the pilasters in front of them, it follows that the outlines of the stone arch tend constantly backwards towards the wall behind them, while the latter, following the form of the tribune itself, turns in the opposite direction: hence it results, that when the arches of the chapels are regarded from the side, they appear to fall backwards, which gives the whole an unhappy effect, although the proportions are correct: but the mode of treatment is an exceedingly difficult one, and it certainly would have been much better if Leon Batista had avoided the disorders of this method altogether: it is true that the plan is by no means easy of accomplishment, but there is a want of grace both in the whole and in the details, insomuch that it could not possibly have a good effect. And that this is true in respect of the larger parts may be shown by the great arch which forms the entrance to the tribune; for this, which is very beautiful on the outer side, appears on the inner, where it must of necessity turn with the turn of the chapel, which is round, to be falling backwards, and is extremely ungraceful. Leon Batista would, perhaps, not have fallen into this error, if to the knowledge he possessed, and to his theories, he had added the practice and experience acquired by actual working; another would have taken pains to avoid this difficulty, and sought rather to secure grace and beauty to his edifice.^[15] The whole work is nevertheless very fanciful and beautiful in itself, as well as difficult: nor can we deny that Leon Batista displayed great courage in venturing at that time to construct the tribune as he did. The architect was then invited to Mantua by the above-named Marchese Ludovico, where he made the model of the church of Sant’ Andrea,^[16] for that noble, with some few other works, and on the road leading from Mantua to Padua, there are certain churches which were erected after the manner of this architect. The Florentine Salvestro Fancelli,^[17] a tolerably good architect and sculptor, was the person who carried Leon Batista’s designs for the city of Florence into execution, according to the desire of that master, and this he did with extraordinary judgment and diligence. The works designed by Alberti for Mantua were executed by a certain Luca, also a Florentine, who, continuing ever after to dwell in that city, there died, leaving the name, as we are told by Filarete, to the family of the Luchi, which is still settled there. And the good fortune of Leon Batista was not small in thus having friends, who, comprehending his desires, were both able and willing to serve him, for as architects cannot always be at the work, it is of the utmost advantage to them to have a faithful and friendly assistant, and if no other ever knew this, I know well, and that by long experience.

In painting, Leon Batista did not perform any great work, or execute pictures of much beauty; those remaining to us from his hand, and they are but very few, do not display a high degree of perfection, seeing that he was more earnestly devoted to study than to design. Yet he knew perfectly well how to give expression to his thoughts with the pencil, as may be seen in certain drawings by his hand in our book. In these are depicted the bridge of St. Angelo, with the sort of roof or covering in the manner of a Loggia, constructed over it after his design, as a shelter from the sun in summer, and from the rain and wind in winter. This work he executed for Pope Nicholas V.,^[18] who had intended to construct many similar ones for various parts of Rome, but death interposed to prevent him. In a small chapel to the Virgin, at the approach to the bridge of the Carraia, in Florence, is a work by Leon Batista, an altar-table, namely, with three small historical pictures, and certain accessories in perspective, which were much more effectually described by him with the pen than depicted with the pencil.^[19] There is besides, a portrait of Alberti in the house of the Palla Rucellai family in Florence, drawn by himself with the aid of a mirror;^[20] and a picture in chiaro-scuro, the figures of which are large. He likewise executed a perspective view of VTnice and St. Mark’s, but the figures seen in this work, which is one of the best paintings performed by Leon Batista, were executed by other masters.

Leon Batista Alberti was a man of refined habits and praiseworthy life,^[21] a friend of distinguished men, liberal and courteous to all. He lived honourably and like a gentleman, as he was, all the course of his life, and finally, having attained to a tolerably mature age, he departed content and tranquil to a better life, leaving behind him a most honourable name.^[22]

1. Of his acquaintance with the Latin we have sufficient proof in the fact that, having written a comedy, entitled “Philodoxeos,” in that tongue, at the age of twenty, this work was believed by the younger Aldus Minutius to be by an ancient author (Lepidus), and was published by him under that name accordingly.
2. Among the most important of this writer’s artistic works are the Breve compendium de componendo statua; and two treatises on painting, the one called Rudimenta, the other, a longer one, entitled Elementi, and which he dedicated to Filippo Brunelleschi. But among the most valuable are his work on architecture, in 10 books, De re aedificatoria, and a treatise entitled, “Piacevolezze Matematiche,” wherein Alberti solves many problems in mechanics: his Opuscoli Morali, translated into Italian by Cosimo Bartoli, with a dialogue on morals called Theogonio, the latter written in Italian, are also cited by the learned with approbation.
3. Not in Florence, but in Venice, where his family had at that time found shelter from certain persecutions to which they had been subjected in Florence. For many valuable additions to this somewhat meagre biography of Vasari, the reader is referred to Muratori, Script. Rer. Ital., vol, 25, where he Avill find the source of the principal facts supplied by the many writers who treat of this distinguished man.
4. In the life of Parri Spinelli, vol. 1.
5. The later Florentine commentators thus explain the word “tirari,” and declare Bottari, who believes it to mean “the mode of drawing lines,” to be in error.
6. Of the numerous writings edited, or still in manuscript, of Leon Batista, the most accurate list will be found in the biographical work of Du Fresne, appendix. See, also, Mazzuchelli, Scritt. Ital., p. 313.
7.     “This do I send, as the vilest of all wretched letters;
        Thee do I send it, who us without mercy hath scorned.”
   
   

   Others, as for example, Tolomei and Grass!, have since made the same attempt, but none have succeeded. — Masselli.

8. “Flavio Biondo, of ForlT, of the Bavaldini family, principal secretary, first of Eugenius IV., and afterwmrds of Nicholas V. He was the author of many valuable w’-orks. —Masselli.
9. Bottari notifies that these ornaments had long been removed, even in his day. The fountain was restored and richly decorated by Clement XII., after the designs of the Roman architect, Niccolo Saivi.
10. The celebrated Isotta, of Rimini, an account of whose learning and other extraordinary merits will be found in vol. ii. of the Raccolta Milanese (1757) It is in a short treatise by Mazzuchelli, Entitled, Notizie intorno ad Isotta.
11. Santander also gives the date here assigned, to the invention of Gutenberg, of which Vasari speaks with a coolness so amusing. The “instrument” which he is pleased to couple Avith the art of printing is by some writers supposed to be the camera optica, usually attributed to Batista Porta. Notices of the various inventions of Leon Batista, as also much besides respecting this remarkable man, whose versatility of genius and universality of acquirement have been rarely equalled, wall be found in Flavio Biondo, Italia Illustrata, in Tiraboschi, Storia, &c., and many other writers.
12. Now the Palazzo Strozzi.
13. San Pancrazio.
14. The chapel and tomb still exist, but the arch which united it to the church of San Pancrazio has been walled up, the church being suppressed. —Masselli.
15. Gaye, Carteggio inedito d'artisti, vol. i. 255—262, has published letters resj)ecting this work from Giovanni Aldobrandini to the Marchese Ludovico, they are dated Feb. 2, Mar. 23, and May 3, of the year 1471 and are extremely interesting. Vasuri's opinion of the edifice, as here expressed, is but slightly different to that of Aldobrandini.
16. Niccolini, in his eulogium on Leon Batista, informs us that the church of Sant’ Andrea was not built until after the death of Alberti. Plates of this, as well as of many other works by Alberti, will be found in D’Agincourt, Les Arts descrits d'apres les Monuments.
17. The works of the chapel of the Nunziata were executed by the Florentine architect, Antonio Manetti. See Gaye, ut supra.
18. The design, that is to say, for the work was not executed at the death of the pontiff. Milizia, Memorie degli A rchitetti^ vol. i, remarks with justice, that a handsome roof would be extremely welcome to shield the crowds perpetually passing over it from the rays of the sun.
19. These paintings no longer exist.
20. The fate of this portrait cannot be ascertained, but the head of Alberti, as existing on the bronze medallion of Matteo de’ Pasti is well known, a copy in silver may be seen in-the Biblioteque Royale of Paris, and it is figured in Mazzuchelli, Tresor de Numismatique, p. 127, pi. 27. Vasari, in his Ragionamenti, p. 93, declares that the portrait of Alberti was executed by himself in the “Palazzo Vecchio,'’ near to those of Marullus and Lascaris.
21. The anonymous author of the life given, as we have said, in Muratori, and reproduced by Bottari, affirms that in the accomplishments proper to a gentleman, Leon Batista had few equals; his wit, as well as his dexterity in all physical exercises are also much lauded.
22. He died in Rome, and was there buried, not in Florence, as some writers affirm. — See Niccolini Prose, &c.