Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Lorenzo Costa

by Giorgio Vasari

 

THE PAINTER LORENZO COSTA, OF FERRARA.

[born 1460; died 1535.]

Although the arts of design have ever been more zealously practised in Tuscany than in any other part of Italy, or perhaps of all Europe, yet we are not to conclude from this that men of a rare and excellent genius in the same calling may not have existed in other regions. Nay, that such have been found at all times, has been shown in many of the lives heretofore treated, and will be shown in many more to be treated hereafter. It is true that where men have not the custom of studying, and are but little disposed to acquirement, so rapid a progress is not made, nor so high a degree of excellence attained as in places where artists are perpetually studying and labouring in emulation of each other. But no sooner do two or three commence than it seems that many others (such is the force of talent) are wont immediately to follow in the same path, to the great honour of their country, as well as of themselves. The Ferrarese Lorenzo Costa, being by nature much disposed towards the art of painting, and hearing how greatly Fra Filippo, Benozzo Gozzoli, and others, were renowned and extolled in Tuscany, repaired to Florence^[1] to see their works, and finding when he arrived, that their maimer pleased him greatly, he remained in that city many months, labouring to imitate them to the utmost of his power. Lorenzo devoted himself more particularly to drawing from nature, wherein he succeeded so happily, that, although his manner was a little hard and dry, yet, having returned to his native city, he there executed many very commendable works. An instance of this may be seen in the Choir of San Domenico, in Ferrara, which is wholly by his hand, a work wherein he has made clearly manifest the diligence wdth which he exercised his art,^[2] and the study which he bestowed on his works. In the guardaroba of the Duke of Ferrara likewise, are works by this artist, portraits from the life namely, in numerous pictures,^[3] very exact likenesses, and extremely well done.^[4] There are also many works by his hand in the houses of various nobles, all of which are held in high esteem.

At Baverma, Lorenzo Costa painted the Altar-piece for the chapel of San Sebastian, in the church of San Domenico; this work was in oil, and in the same chapel he executed pictures in fresco which were greatly extolled.^[5] At a later period, being invited to Bologna, he painted a picture in the chapel of the Mariscotti family, in the church of San Petronio. The subject of this work was San Sebastian bound to the column and pierced with arrows; there were also many other figures, and the whole was considered to be the best painting in tempera which had, up to that time, been executed in that city,^[6]The picture of San Geromino (St. Jerome) in the chapel of the Castelli,^[7] is also by Lorenzo Costa, as is that of San Vincenzio, in the chapel of the Grifoni, which is, in like manner, painted in tempera, and the predella of which Lorenzo caused to be executed by one of his pupils, who acquitted himself much better than his master had done in the picture, as will be related in its proper place.^[8] In the same city, and for the same church, Lorenzo painted a picture in the chapel of the Rossi; in this he represented Our Lady, St. James, St. George, St. Sebastian, and St. Jerome, a work which is the most graceful in manner, and altogether the best ever executed by this master.^[9] Lorenzo afterwards entered the service of Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, for whom he painted many pictures in the palace of San Sebastiano, where he decorated a chamber with various stories, partly in water-colours and partjy in oil. In one of these is the portrait of the Marchioness Isabella, taken from the life; she is accompanied by several ladies who are singing and playing on various instruments. In another of these stories is the Goddess Latona, who is changing certain villagers into frogs, according to the fable. A tliird has the Marquis Francesco, led by Hercules along the path of virtue, and conducted to the summit of a mountain which is consecrated to Eternity. In another compartment the same Marquis is seen standing on a pedestal in an attitude of triumph, with the baton of command in his hand, while around him are numerous nobles and attendants bearing standards, and all filled with joy and gladness at the greatness of their lord; among these figures are numerous portraits taken from the life.^[10] In the great hall of the same palace, where the triumphal processions of Mantegua are now to be seen, Lorenzo likewise painted two pictures, one at each end of the hall. In the first, which is in watercolour, are many figures undraped and occupied in making fires, and offering sacrifice to Hercules. In this picture there are portraits of the Marquis and his three sons, Federigo, Ercole, and Ferrante, who all afterwards became great and most illustrious nobles; with likenesses of several great ladies. In the other, which was painted in oil many years after the first, and which was among the last of Lorenzo’s works, is the Marchese Federigo, grown to manhood, with the truncheon of a commander in his hand, as General of Holy Church under Leo X. Around him are various nobles depicted by Costa from the life.^[11]

In Bologna, in the palace of Messer Giovanni Bentivogli, the same artist, in company with many other masters, painted several chambers, of which we need make no further mention, since they have been destroyed in the ruin of the palace.^[12] But I will not omit to say that, of the works executed by Lorenzo for Bentivogli, there still remains the Chapel which he painted for Messer Giovanni, in the church of San Jacopo, and where he depicted two triumphal processions, in separate stories, which are considered very beautiful, and contain many portraits.^[13] In 1497, Lorenzo painted a picture for Jacopo Chedini, in the church of San Gicvanni-in-Monte; the subject of this work was Our Lady, accompanied by San Giovanni Evangelista, Sant’Agostino, and other saints;^[14] it was placed in a chapel within which Chedini proposed to be interred after his death. In the church of San Francesco he painted a picture of the Nativity, with St. James and St. Anthony of Padua;^[15] and, in the church of St. Piero he commenced the decoration of a most beautiful chapel for Domenico Garganelli, a noble and citizen of Bologna; but, whatever may have been the cause, he had but executed some few of the figures on the ceiling, when he left the work unfinished, or rather scarcely begun.^[16]

In Mantua, besides the works executed for the Marquis, as mentioned above, Lorenzo Costa painted a picture of Our Lady in the church of St. Silvester; on one side of the Virgin is St. Silvester, who recommends the people of that city to her care; on the other are St. Sebastian, St. Paul, St. Elizabeth, and St. Jerome. From what I am told, it should appear that this picture was placed in the church of St. Silvester after the death of Costa, who, having finished his days in Mantua, where his descendants have remained ever since, desired to have a burial-place in that church for himself, and those who should follow after him.^[17] This master performed many other works, of which I will speak no further, since it suffices to have named the best.^[18] I received his portrait in Mantua, from Fermo Ghisoni,^[19] an excellent painter, who assured me that the likeness was by Costa’s own hand. The latter drew tolerably well, as may be seen from our book, wherein there is a pen-and-ink drawing on parchment, representing the Judgment of Solomon, with a figure of St. Jerome in chiaro-scuro, by Lorenzo, both very well done.

The disciples of Lorenzo Costa were Ercole da Ferrara his compatriot, whose life I propose to write immediately; and Ludovico Malino,^[20] also a Ferrarese,^[21] by whom we have many works in other places, as well as in his native city; but the best that he performed was a picture which is now in the church of San Francesco, in Bologna, in a chapel near the principal door. The subject of this work is Jesus Christ at the age of twelve disputing with the Doctors in the Temple.^[22] The elder Dosso, of Ferrara, also acquired the first principles of his art under Costa, but of Dosso’s works we shall make further mention in the proper place; and this is as much as I have been able to gather respecting the life and works of Lorenzo Costa, of Ferrara.^[23]

1. See Baruffildi, Notizie di Pittori Ferraresi, for many interesting details respecting this artist, whom he declares to have left his home secretly, thereby causing the death of his father, who expired of grief, and suffering the extremity of poverty in Florence, whence he was returning home, when, in passing through Bologne, he was received by Francesco Francia. See also Malvasia, Felsina Fitlrice, and Gualandi, Memorie di Belle Arti Italiane.
2. These works are wholly destroyed.
3. The latest Florentine commentators remark that Vasari sometimes uses the word “quadri,’’ to imply “pictures,” but also sometimes to signify compartments,” in fresco. Here it appears to the writer that the first signification is the one intended; immediately below we have an example of the word used, as the Florentines justly remark, in the second sense which they attribute to it.
4. These pictures had disappeared even in Baruffaldi’s time. —Ed. Flor., 1832-8.
5. The church was restored in 1693, when the frescoes were destroyed and the altar-piece lost.
6. Many consider this work to be by Francesco Cossa, also a Ferrarese, and not by Costa, from whose hand, however, there is an Annunciation in the same chapel, with figures of the Apostles, in agood manner, and finely coloured.
7. Spoiled by retouching.
8. This was Ercole da Ferrara, whose life immediately follows. The picture, with its predella, were removed to the Aldovrandi Palace, as we gather from a work entitled Pittore, Scullure e Architetture delle Chiese di Bologna. —Bologna., 1782.
9. This beautiful picture bears the inscription, Laurentius Costa, mccccxcii. Being much injured, it was restored when the Rossi chapel came into the possession of Prince Felix Baciocchi. (1832.)
10. When Mantua was sacked by the Germans, in 1630, the palace of San Sehastiano was totally devastated, and the works of Costa were consequently destroyed. The palace afterwards became a prison.—Ed. Flor., 1832.
11. Both the pictures of the hall are likewise destroyed.
12. This happened in 1507, when the palace Avas destroyed by the fury of the people. For a popular account of this event, the reader is referred to the Almanaco Statistico di Bologna, No, 2. p, 145. — Bologna, 1831.
13. The altar-piece of this chapel is by Francia. The frescoes of Lorenzo, still remaining, are first, a Virgin enthroned, and next, a large family picture. The latter engraved by Count Pompeo Litta, in this Famigli celebri Italiani. The triumphs mentioned by Vasari are two, that of Life, whose car is drawn by elephants; and that of Death, represented in a chariot drawn by buffaloes.
14. This picture is still in the church of San Giovanni—in Monte, in the seventh chapel namely, that formerly in the possession of the Chedini family, afterwards in that of the Ercolani and Segni. Another painting by Lorenzo Costa, said to have been designed by Francia, is on the high altar of the same church.
15. The church of San Francesco, turned into the Dogana (custom-house) at the commencement of the present century, has of late years been restored to its original use, but the work of Costa is lost. The lunette, which stood above it, has, however,been preserved. The painting is by the same master, and represents the Dead Christ between two angels. It is now in the Pinacoteca of the Academy of Bologna.—Ed. Flor., 1849.
16. Of this chapel Vasari makes further mention in the Life of Ercole Ferrarese.
17. This picture was given to the church by Lorenzo, as appears from the inscription beneath it. Costa fecit et donavit, mdxxv. When the church of St. Silvester was destroyed in 1788, the picture was placed in that of Sant’ Andrea.
18. There is a picture of the Magi, by Lorenzo, in the Brera, at Milan, and there are three in the Gallery of Berlin. For an enumeration and description of other works by this master, see Baruffaldi, Vite degli Artefici Ferraresi.
19. Bottari informs us that “Ghisoni was a Mantuan, and disciple of Giulio Romano, who availed himself of his assistance in many of his works.”
20. The name of this artist is properly Mazzolino.—Ed. Flor., 1832. See Baniffaldi, who gives 1540 as the period about which his labours ceased. See also Cittadella, Catalogo de^ Filtori Ferraresi, tom. vi. p. 310, from whom we learn that he was the son of a certain Giovanni Mazzuoli, but was called Mazzolino as a “nom de caresse.”
21. According to Malvasia, the number of Lorenzo’s disciples was 210.
22. This is now in the Royal Gallery of Berlin, German edition, vol. ii., part 2, p. 121.
23. Lorenzo died on the 5th of March, 1535. Many of hfs descendants were also painters. See Memorie originali di Belle Arti, &c., series iii, pp. 8—11.