Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Giovan-Antonio Lappoli

by Giorgio Vasari

 

GIOVAN-ANTONIO LAPPOLI, PAINTER OF AREZZO.

[born 1492—died 1552.]

Rarely does it happen that a good old stock fails to throw out some fair branch, which, increasing with time, imparts a new ornament and supplies with its foliage a fresh garment to that desolate trunk, putting forth fruit also in which there are ultimately perceived, by those who taste it, the savours which they had formerly derived from the ancient tree.

And that what we here say is true will be made manifest in the life of Giovan-Antonio Lappoli, which we are now about to write. This artist, on the death of his father Matteo, the latter a very well-reputed painter of his day,^[1] was left with an easy income to the guardianship of his mother, under whose care he remained until his twelfth year. But having attained that age, Giovan-Antonio, not wishing to engage in any other calling than that of the painter, whereunto he was disposed, among other causes, by the desire he felt to follow the footsteps and to adopt the art of his father; Giovan-Antonio, I say, then commenced his studies under Domenico Pecori,^[2] a painter of Arezzo who had for some time been the fellow disciple of his father Matteo, under Clemente;^[3] and from this Pecori therefore, who was his earliest master, Giovan-Antonio now learned the first principles of design.

After having been for some time with Domenico Pecori, Giovan-Antonio, desiring to make better progress than he found himself doing under that master, and in a place where he had not sufficient opportunity for independent study, to which he was much inclined, began to turn his thoughts towards a settlement in Florence. And to this his intention Fortune proved herself not unfavourable, for having been left alone by the death of his mother, there remained only that he should give his sister in marriage, which he did while she was still very young, bestowing her on Leonardo Ricoveri, one of the first and richest citizens of Arezzo: that done, he departed from Arezzo and repaired to Florence.

Arrived in the last-named city, Giovan-Antonio found that among all the many works he saw there, those of the masters who pleased him more than all besides, among the numerous artists who had laboured in that place, were Andrea del Sarto and Jacopo da Pontormo. He resolved to attach himself to one of the two, therefore; and while he was hesitating as to which of them he should select, the figures of Faith and Charity, executed by Pontormo over the portico of the Nunziata in Florence, were uncovered and given to public view;^[4] this fully determined him to fix himself with Pontormo, whose manner appeared to him so beautiful that, as Pontormo was still young, Giovan-Antonio concluded that he would certainly surpass all the rising painters of his day, as was indeed, at that time, the firm conviction of every one.

Lappoli therefore, although he might have gone to study with Andrea, placed himself with Pontormo instead, and labouring with him, was impelled by a twofold incentive to almost incredible exertion. One of these was the advice of Giovan Maria, of Borgo-a -San Sepolcro, who was giving his attention to design and painting under the same master, and who, constantly advising Lappoli for his good, was the cause of his changing his manner, and adopting the best manner of Pontormo. The other motive (and this I consider to have been the most powerful) was the fact that he perceived Angelo, called Bronzino, to be much brought forward by Jacopo Pontormo on account of a certain amiable submissiveness and goodness, and of the unremitting diligence with which he copied the works of the master. Angelo designed, moreover, most beautifully, and acquitted himself in colouring also with so much credit, that he early gave hope of attaining in the future to that excellence and perfection which has been seen, and in our time still continues to be remarked in him.

Impelled by these incentives, and by his natural desire for knowledge, Giovan-Antonio remained for many months with Pontormo, occupied perpetually in designing and in copying the works of that master; all which he performed to such perfection, that when we consider the natural endowments by which he was aided, in his desire for excellence, the effect of competition, and the goodness of his master’s manner, it cannot be doubted but that Lappoli, had he continued as he began, would certainly have rendered himself most excellent, and of this we have proof in certain drawings done with red chalk, which we have in our book. But the pleasures of the world, as we so frequently see, are too often the enemy of Art, as regards young people, by causing their minds to be turned from the pursuit thereof. He, therefore, who would effectually devote himself to the study of any art, science, or vocation whatsoever, must have no other companions than such as are of his own profession, while they should also be upright and well-conducted men. Now Giovan-Antonio, to the end that he might be under some guidance, had gone to live in the house of a certain Ser Raffaello, the son of the lame Sandro, and who was chaplain of San Lorenzo; to this person he paid a stipulated sum per annum, but the attention of Lappoli was in a great measure diverted from his studies in painting by that arrangement, for the priest, being of exceedingly social habits, and delighting much in pictures, music, and other diversions, many persons of distinction for ability were accustomed to resort to the apartments which he had at San Lorenzo; among others the musician, Messer Antonio da Lucca, an admirable performer on the lute, who was then but a youth, and from whom Giovan-Antonio acquired the art of playing on that instrument. It is true that the painter Rosso was likewise among the visitors of Ser Raffaello, as were others of the same vocation, but Lappoli did not associate with the men of that profession so much as with others, although he would have learned many valuable lessons from those of his own Art, while he might have amused himself at the same time.

In this state of things therefore, and by these impediments, the love of painting which had been manifested by Giovan-Antonio, became in a measure cooled; nevertheless, being a friend of Pier Francesco, the son of Jacopo di Sandro, who was a disciple of Andrea del Sarto, he would sometimes go to draw with him in the Scalzo, occasionally copying the paintings, but also drawing from the nude form. After a time too he began to give his attention to colouring, and worked on some of the pictures of Jacopo, proceeding afterwards to execute certain figures of the Virgin and other subjects for himself. He likewise painted various portraits from the life as for example those of the above-named Messer Antonio da Lucca and Ser Raffaello, both of which are very good.

In the year 1525, and when the plague was raging in Rome, Perino del Vaga came from that city to Florence, and he also began to resort to the son of lame Sandro, the Priest, Ser Raffaello. Thereupon a strict intimacy was established, after a time, between Perino and Giovan Antonio Lappoli, by whom the great ability of Perino was instantly perceived, and who, feeling his love of painting re-awakened by the influence of that artist, abandoned all other pleasures, and, once more devoting himself to Art, resolved that when the pestilence had ceased, he would accompany Perino to Rome. But this intention was not carried into effect, seeing that the plague afterwards reachEd. Flor.nce, and they were both compelled, if they would not leave their lives in that city, to depart on the instant, which they did so soon as Perino had finished the picture of King Pharaoh’s submersion in the Red Sea, which he painted in chiaro-scuro for Ser Raffaello, and during the execution of which, Giovan-Antonio was constantly present.

They departed from Florence wnen that work was completed, and Giovan-Antonio then returned to Arezzo, where he set himself to paint a picture on cloth by way of passing the time; the subject he chose was the Death of Orpheus, torn to pieces by the Bacchantes, and when the picture, which was in chiaro-scuro of the colour of bronze, after the manner which Giovan-Antonio had seen Perino adopt in the work abovementioned, was finished, he received considerable commendation for his work.^[5] He afterwards undertook the completion of a painting which Domenico Pecori, who had formerly been his master, as we have said, had commenced for the nuns of Santa Margherita; and in this picture, which is now in the convent of those nuns,^[6] Giovan Antonio painted an Annunciation. He also prepared cartoons for two portraits from the life, half lengths, which are very beautiful; they represent, the one Lorenzo d’ Antonio di Giorgio, who was at that time a singularly handsome youth; and the other, Piero Guazzesi, a joyous companion and man of jovial life.^[7]

The plague having finally abated to a certain extent, Cipriano d’Anghiari, a rich man of Arezzo, who had caused a chapel, with columns and rich decorations of Pietra Serena, to be constructed in those days at the abbey of Santa Fiora, in Arezzo; Cipriano d’ Anghiari, I say, having built this chapel, commissioned Griovan-Antonio to paint the altarpiece, the price whereof was to be a hundred crowns. Meanwhile the painter Rosso passed through Arezzo on his way to Rome, and taking up his abode with Lappoli, who was his intimate friend, then heard of the work which the latter had undertaken, and at the wish of Griovan-Antonio, Rosso prepared him a little sketch for the figures, which he made entirely nude, and of great beauty. Lappoli then commenced his work, imitating the design of Rosso, and representing in his picture the Visitation of Our Lady to Sant’ Elizabetta, with a figure of the Almighty Father, and others of Angels under the form of children, in the Lunette above, copying the draperies and all other parts of the work, from life or natural objects. When this work was concluded, G-iovan-Antonio was highly extolled, and received great commendation, more particularly for some of the heads, which he portrayed in an excellent manner, and much to his own advantage, from the life.^[8]

But being fully persuaded that if he would attain to higher eminence in Art, he must leave Arezzo, the plague had no sooner ceased in Rome than Giovan- Antonio Lappoli determined to proceed thither; knowing too that Perino del Vaga, II Rosso, and many others of his friends had returned to that city, and were there executing numerous important works. While he was in this mind, an occasion presented itself, whereby he was enabled to fulfil his intention very commodiously, seeing that there arrived in Arezzo at that time the secretary of Pope Clement VII., Messer Paolo Valdarabrini, who returning to Rome in all speed from France, passed through Arezzo to see his brothers and kindred, who were abiding there. Him Giovan-Antonio proceeded to visit, when Messer Paolo, who earnestly desired that his native city of Arezzo should produce good men and distinguished artists in all vocations, and who desired to show what was the genius imparted by the air and under the skies of his native place, to those who were born there, encouraged Lappoli, (although the latter required but little pressing), to accompany himself to Rome, where he promised to procure him all that could be required to promote his due study of the art to which he had devoted his attention.

Having proceeded to Rome with Messer Paolo accordingly, Giovan-Antonio soon found Perino, Rosso, and others of his friends; he was also made known, by the intervention of Messer Paolo, to Giulio Romano, Sebastiano Veneziano, and Francesco Mazzuoli of Parma,^[9] who arrived in Rome about that time. Now Francesco was a devoted lover of music, and delighted in playing on the lute; he soon conceived a great liking for the society of Giovan-Antonio, and as they were almost constantly together, this caused the latter to paint and draw with much assiduity; thus turning to the best profit the opportunity which he now had of being the friend and associate of the most eminent painters in Rome. He had indeed already very nearly completed a picture of Our Lady, almost of the size of life, and which Messer Paolo intended to present to Pope Clement, by way of making Giovan-Antonio known to his Holiness; when, as Fortune, who so often sets herself to oppose the designs of men, would have it, there supervened that most unhappy sack of Rome, which began on the 6th of May, in the year 1527.

In this conjuncture, Messer Paolo, mounting on horseback, and with Giovan Antonio in his company, hurried to the Gate of the Santo Spirito, in the Trastevere, hoping to impede the entrance of Bourbon’s troops on that side, at least for a certain time; but Messer Paolo was killed at the Gate, and Lappoli was taken prisoner* by the Spaniards. The whole city was immediately afterwards given up to plunder, and the poor Giovan-Antonio not only lost all his property, but also the picture and the designs which he had in the chapel. He was, moreover, grievously tormented by the Spaniards, to the end that he might pay them a ransom; but one night he escaped in his shirt with some other captives, when, evil entreated, despairing of his life from the dangerous state of the roads, and incurring many dangers, he finally succeeded in reaching Arezzo. Here he was received by his uncle Giovanni Pollastra,^[10] a very learned man, and had all the means of restoration supplied abundantly; but want and terror had so heavily tried his strength, that he did not recover it without considerable difficulty.

In the same year there broke out so terrible a plague in Arezzo, that there died of that pestilence four hundred persons daily, and Giovan-Antonio, almost in despair, was again compelled to fly, when he was obliged to remain out of the city for many months, but sorely against his will. Ultimately, however, the epidemic did abate to such an extent that people could once more hold intercouse with each other; and a certain Fra Guasparri, a monk of San Francesco, who was at that time guardian of the convent belonging to that brotherhood in Arezzo, commissioned Giovan-Antonio to paint the picture for the high altar of their church; the subject chosen was the Adoration of the Magi, and the price agreed on a hundred crowns. Then Lappoli, hearing that II Rosso was at Borgoa San Sepolcro (he having also fled from Rome), and was there engaged on the picture for the Company of the Santa Croce—hearing this, I say, Giovan-Antonio went to visit 'him, causing various things, of which he knew that 11 Rosso stood in need, to be carried to him from Arezzo, for 11 Rosso, too, had lost everything in the sack of Rome, and offering him many other civilities; after which he obtained from J1 Rosso a very beautiful design for the picture which lie had engaged to paint for Fra Guasparri. Having secured this, Giovan-Antonio returned to Arezzo, and began his work, which he completed according to the conditions of his agreement, within a year from the day of his having received the commission, and that in such a manner as to secure him very high commendation.^[11] This design of Rosso's afterwards came into the possession of Giorgio Vasari, from whom it passed to that of the very reverend Hon Vincenzio Borghini, Director of the Foundling Hospital in Florence, who still has it in his book of designs, the collected works of different painters. No long time after having completed this undertaking, Giovan-Antonio became surety, to the amount of three hundred crowns, on account of certain pictures, which II Rosso had engaged to paint in the Madonna delle Lagrime, at Arezzo, and for this matter Giovan-Antonio was put to great trouble, seeing that II Rosso having departed without finishing the work, as we have related in his life, the sum was demanded from Lappoli, who was compelled to make it good. Nay, had he not been assisted by his friends, but more particularly by Giorgio Vasari, by whom the part which Rosso had completed was estimated at three hundred crowns, Giovan-Antonio would have been almost ruined, when he had intended nothing worse than to promote the honour and advantage of his native city.

Having got over that misfortune, Lappoli painted a picture in oil, by commission from the Abbot Camaiani di Bibbiena; the subject of this work was Our Lady, who is accompanied by San Bartolommeo, and the picture was intended for a chapel in the subterranean church of Santa Maria del Sasso, a monastery of the Friars Preachers, in Casentino. In this work Lappoli acquitted himself exceedingly well, imitating the manner of II Rosso; and this caused him to be employed by a Brotherhood in Bibbiena, who desired to have a Gonfalon, or banner, painted, to be borne in procession, and which they commissioned Lappoli to prepare. On one side of this Gonfalon is a nude figure of Christ, bearing his Cross on his shoulder, and pouring blood into a chalice; on the other side is an Annunciation, said to be one of the best paintings ever executed by Lappoli.

In the year 1534, the Duke Alessandro de’ Medici was expected to visit Arezzo, and the Aretines, with Luigi Guicciardini, commissary of that city, determined to have two comedies performed in honour of the Duke. One was arranged under the care of a society calling themselves the Umidi, and consisting of the noblest and most distinguished young men of the city; the scenery and preparations of this comedy, the story whereof had relation to the Intronati of Siena, were executed by Niccold Soggi, who was much extolled for the same, and the comedy was admirably recited, to the infinite delight and satisfaction of all who beheld it.

The second comedy was undertaken by another society of young men, also nobles, and who called themselves the company of the Infiammati; and these, desirous of receiving equal praise with the Umidi, and acting in competition with them, chose for recitation a work by the Aretine poet Messer Giovanni Pollastra, which was performed under the guidance of the author himself; the scenery and preparations they confided to Giovan-Antonio Lappoli, who acquitted himself to perfection, and so the comedy was recited to the great honour of that society, as well as of the whole city.

And here I will not omit to mention an amusing fancy of the above-named poet, who was certainly a very ingenious person. While the preparations for these and other festivals were in progress, it chanced that the young men of the two societies, moved by their rivalry in the matter of the comedies, and by other causes, did more than once come to blows, to say nothing of the very frequent disputes that arose among them; whereupon Pollastra, proceeding very secretly to work, caused four of these young men, who had grievously offended each other many times in the city, to come forth with naked swords, and each with his shield on his arm, at a time when the gentlemen and ladies, with all the people, had assembled at the place where the comedies were to be recited. These all feigned to attack each other with great outcries, and to be on the point of killing each other, he who first appeared having his temples painted to represent blood, as of one wounded, and crying, as he rushed upon the scene, “Come forth, traitors.” At these words the whole assembly rose in alarm, men began to lay hand on their weapons, and the kinsmen of the }routlis, who seemed to be dealing fearful blows, and on the point of slaying each other, came hurrying to the stage. But he who had first appeared then turned to the other young men and said, “Calm yourselves, gentlemen, and put your swords into your scabbards, for I have taken no harm, and although we are all at daggers drawn, and you fancy that the comedy will fail to be performed in consequence, yet it will certainly take place, and I, wounded as I am, will now commence the prologue.” After this jest, which had taken by surprise, not only the spectators but the performers, also, with the exception of the four instructed by Pollastra to play it off, the comedy was begun and was so admirably recited, that in the next year 1540, when the Signor Duke Cosimo and the Signora Duchess Leonora, were in Arezzo, GiovanAntonio, preparing all the scenery anew, was compelled to have it again recited before their Excellencies, the stage being erected on the Piazza of the Episcopate. Nor did those who recited give less satisfaction to the Signor Duke than they had done on the occasion of the previous performance, nay, rather they pleased him so greatly that they were invited to Florence during the following Carnival, to the end that they might once again perform their comedy in that city.

In the preparation of these scenic decorations, I say then that Lappoli acquitted himself exceedingly well, receiving high commendations for the same. His next undertaking was a decoration in the form of a Triumphal Arch adorned with historical representations, the colour of bronze, which was erected at the altar of the Madonna delle Chiavi. GiovanAntonio had now settled himself in Arezzo, and having a wife and children, he determined to roam no more, but living on his revenues and on the proceeds of such offices as in that city are conferred on the citizens thereof, he thus continued without working to any great extent. It is true that about this time he did make an attempt to obtain the commission for two pictures which were to be painted in Arezzo, one for the church and brotherhood of San Rocco, the other for the High Altar of San Domenico, but he did not succeed, seeing that the commissions for both were adjudged to Giorgio Vasari, his design having given more satisfaction than any one of all the many others that were made for those works.

For the brotherhood of the Ascension in Arezzo, GiovanAntonio painted a Gonfalon, or banner, to be borne in procession; the subject of the one side is the Resurrection of Our Lord, around whose sepulchre are seen many soldiers; and on the other side is the Ascension of the Saviour into Heaven, with the Madonna in the midst of the twelve apostles, a very good and carefully executed work.^[12] In the Castello^[13] della Pieve also, Giovan-Antonio Lappoli painted the Visitation of Our Lady with numerous saints around her, in a picture in oil; and in a picture for the deanery of San Stefano he painted another figure of the Virgin with other saints. The two last-named works were executed by Lappoli in a much better manner than those previously painted by him, and the cause of this improvement was that he had enjoyed the opportunity of examining at his entire leisure many works in relief and casts of statues by Michelagnolo, with various works of antiquity which had been brought by Giorgio Vasari to Arezzo, and were there to be seen in his house.

Other pictures of the Virgin, by his hand with some on other subjects, are scattered about Arezzo, and in the neighbouring places; there is more particularly a Judith placing the head of Holofernes in a basket, which is held towards her by a serving woman, her handmaiden; this is now in the possesion of Messer Bernardetto Minerbetti, bishop of Arezzo, by whom Giovan-Antonio was greatly favoured, as indeed are all other artists of ability. Messer Benedetto had, besides other works by Lappoli, an almost entirely nude figure of San Giovanni in the Wilderness; the saint is depicted as a youth and the work is much prized by the bishop, nor undeservedly so, seeing that it is an exceedingly good one.

Finally, perceiving that perfection in art is to be attained in no other way than by an early and effectual study of the nude form, with careful endeavours to cultivate ample powers of invention—perceiving these, I say, to be the only means whereby the difficulties of art are overcome, and facility in execution obtained, Giovan-Antonio repented him of the hours which he had spent, not in the studies proper to his art, but in the pursuit of pleasure; discovering as he did, that in old age men cannot effect that which they might very well have performed in their youth. But though conscious, to a certain extent, of the error thus committed, he was perhaps not fully aware of it until having at length, and when advanced in years resigned himself to study, he beheld Giorgio Vasari complete an oil painting, fourteen braccia long and six and a half high, in forty-two days; the subject of this work, which was the marriage of Esther and of the King Ahasuerus, requiring more than sixty figures, all larger than life. It was painted by Vasari for the refectory^[14]belonging to the monks of the abbey of Santa Fiore in Arezzo. While Giorgio was occupied with this painting, GiovanAntonio sometimes went to see him work, and remaining to converse with him, would observe, “Now do I perceive that it is by continual study and labour alone that men obtain facility, and escape the disadvantage of a laborious and painful manner in our art, which does not descend upon us as doth the Holy Ghost.”^[15]

Giovan-Antonio did not work much in fresco, finding the colours too liable to change, but there is, nevertheless, a picture by his hand in this manner, over the church of Murello, a Pieta namely, with two little nude figures of Angels, which are tolerably well executed.^[16] Giovan-Antonio was a man of good judgment, and not unpractised in the ways of the world. In the year 1552 he fell sick of an extremely virulent fever, and being then in the sixtieth year of his age, he sank beneath the violence of that disease, whereof he ultimately died.

A disciple of Giovan-Antonio Lappoli was Bartolommeo Torri, who was born of a not undistinguished family in Arezzo, and who, having repaired to Rome, there placed himself under that most excellent miniaturist, Don Giulio Clovio. Bartolommeo did indeed devote himself so earnestly to drawing and the study of the nude figure, but more particularly to anatomy, that he became a truly able artist, and was accounted the best designer in Rome. And with respect to the.anatomical studies of Bartolommeo, Don Silvano Razzi told me no long time since that Don Giulio Clovio had assured him, after having very highly extolled the youth, that he would not have suffered him to leave his dwelling, had it not been for the grievous impurities occasioned by those pursuits in anatomy; but that he had his rooms so constantly filled with limbs of men and other fragments of the human frame, which he kept even under his bed, as to poison the house withal.

Bartolommeo neglected himself also in other respects, and thinking that to live in the fashion of a would-be philosopher, dirty and ill-regulated, while he shunned the society of his fellows, was the way to render himself a great man, and to secure immortality, he brought himself to an evil end; for nature cannot always support the repeated injuries which men thus constituted will sometimes offer her. Having become very ill, therefore, while yet but in his twenty-fifth year, Bartolommeo returned to Arezzo in the hope of obtaining a cure, and with the full intention of taking such measures as might be required for the restoration of his health. But he did not maintain his purpose, for he could not prevail on himself to discontinue his wonted studies, nor to amend the irregularities of his life; in four months, therefore, and but a short time after the death of Griovan-Antonio Lappoli, Bartolommeo died also, thus bearing his master company.

The loss of this young man caused infinite grief to all those of his native city, where his remarkable commencement had awakened hopes that he would do the highest honour, not only to Arezzo, but to all Tuscany. Nor indeed can any man who examines the drawings which he made while still but a youth, fail to regard these works with amazement, or restrain his compassion as he reflects on the early death of the artist.

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1. Of Matteo Lappoli there is some mention in the life of Don Bartolommeo. See vol. ii. p. 191, et seq.
2. Of Domenico Pecori also there is mention, ut supra, p. 193, et seq.
3. Don Bartolommeo, Abbot of San Clemente.
4. This painting has been almost entirely destroyed by time.
5. The fate of this work is wholly unknown.—Bottari.
6. Of this picture we can obtain no authentic intelligence.
7. These cartoons have disanpeared.—Bottari.
8. The Visitation is still in its place, but the figures described as depicted above it are no longer there. —Masselli.
9. Parmigiano.
10. Bottari is of opinion that the Translation of the Sixth Book of the Æneid, printed at Venice by the Volpini, in 1540, under the name of Giovanni Pollio, was by this Pollastra, whom Vasari mentions in the life of Ttosso likewise, see vol. iii. p. 314.
11. Still in the church, but has suffered very considerably.—Ed. Flor. 1832-8.
12. This order was suppressed in the year 1785, when the Gonfalon was lost.
13. Now Città della Pieve.
14. The Refectory wherein this picture was painted is now in the possession of the Literary Society, called Del Petrarca. Vasari’s large picture is therefore in good hands.
15. This mode of expression has been justly censured by the Padre, Della Valle, but is frequently heard from the people in Italy, when they wish to imply that an object is not to be attained without labour.
16. The Church has been turned into dwelling-houses, and the work of Lappoli destroyed.