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

by Giorgio Vasari

 

THE FLORENTINE SCULPTOR, TORRIGIANO.^[1]

[born 1470—died 1522.]

Great is the force of angry disappointment in the spirit of him who, striving with sensitive pride to obtain the reputation of excellence in his profession, perceives some competitor of exalted genius suddenly rising up in the same art, and at the moment when he least expected such a result, not only equalling himself, but in the course of time even greatlv surpassing him; there is no iron so hard but that such men will gnaw it in their rage; no injustice so great, but they will inflict it on the offender if it be in their power; to such people it seems too grievous an affront in the eyes of all men, that children, whom they saw born, should at once, and as it were even from their cradle, attain to the summit of distinction; for these men do not consider, that in the vigorous days of youth, a firm will, joined to adequate power, enforced by study, and rendered efficient by practice, is capable of accomplishing all things; they will not see that youth, with such aids as these, must, of necessity, advance to the utmost perfection: the old, on the contrary, if once they are seized by fear, or permit themselves to be influenced by pride, or impelled by ambition, very frequently become altogether incapable of action, the more they labour the worse they succeed; while believing they are making progress, they do but walk backwards; envious and unjust, they will then never accord the due meed of praise to the perfection apparent in the works of the young, even though they may clearly perceive it; but if, in the obstinacy possessing them, they then make some great effort to show what they can themselves perform, their works, thus accomplished, often prove to be ridiculous, and calculated only to afford occasion for jesting; a result of which examples are not wanting.

It is indeed certain, that when artists have attained to such an age that the eye can no longer be trusted, and the hand trembles, they do well, if they have secured the means of life, to content themselves with giving counsels to younger men. The successful practice of sculpture and painting requires that the mind should be vigorous, free, and unencumbered, as it is at the age when the blood still dances; it demands that the spirit should act with an ardent will, yet restrained within just limits, and, above all, determined to remain unfettered by the pleasures of the world; he who cannot practise abstinence, or at least temperance, as regards those pleasures, let him not attempt the study of any art or science whatsoever, seeing that such delights can never be made to accord with the requirements of study. And therefore it is indeed that so few attain the summit of excellence, for many are the pains that he must endure, and heavy the burthens that he must bear, who would arrive at perfection in these our noble arts; wherefore the number of those who start with impetuous eagerness from the post, is much greater than that of those who, by sustained efforts in the race, have merited and obtained the prize.

In the Florentine sculptor, Torrigiano, there was more pride than true artistic excellence, although he was, without doubt, a very able artist. In his youth he was taken by Lorenzo de’ Medici the elder,^[2] into the garden which the latter possessed on the Piazza of San Marco in Florence, and Avhich that magnificent citizen had decorated in the richest manner with figures from the antique, and examples of the best sculptures. In the loggie, the walks, and all the buildings there were the noblest statues in marble, admirable works of the ancients, with pictures, and other productions of art by the most eminent masters, whether of Italv or of other countries. All these treasures, to say nothing of the noble ornament they formed to the garden, were as a school or academy for the young painters and sculptors, as well as for all others devoted to the arts of design, but more particularly for the young nobles, seeing that the magnificent Lorenzo held the firm conviction, that those who are born of noble race are, in all things, capable of attaining perfection more easily than, for the most part, are men of lower extraction; in whom we do not commonly find that quickness of perception, nor that elevation of genius, so often perceptible in those of noble blood.^[3] We know besides, that the less highly born have almost always to defend themselves from poverty, or even from want, and are consequently compelled to give their attention to mechanical occupations, not having opportunity for exercise of the intellect, or for attaining the highest degree of excellence in art: very justly, therefore, has it been remarked by the learned Alciato, when speaking of men of genius born in penury, and who cannot lift themselves to the height they desire to attain, because pressed down by poverty, however forcibly impelled upwards by the wings of their genius; well, I say, remarks Alciato:—

“Ut me pluma levat, sic grave mergxt onus.”^[4]

But men of genius were always protected by the magnificent Lorenzo, and more especially did he favour such of the nobles as he perceived to have an inclination for the study of art; it is therefore no matter of astonishment that masters should have proceeded from this school, some of whom have awakened the surprise, as well as admiration of the world. And not only did Lorenzo provide the means of instruction, but also those of life for all who were too poor to pursue their studies without such aid; nay, he further supplied them with proper clothing, and even bestowed considerable presents on any one among them who had distinguished himself from his fellows by some well executed design; all which so encouraged the young students of our arts, that labouring in emulation of each other, many of them became excellent masters, as I shall relate hereafter.

The guardian and chief of these young men was, at that time, the Florentine sculptor Bertoldo^[5]t an old and experienced master, who had been a disciple of Donato. From him the students received instruction, while he also had charge of all the treasures contained in the garden, with the numerous designs, drawings, cartoons, and models, collected there from the hand of Donato, Pippo,^[6] Masaccio, Paolo Uccello, Fra Giovanni, Fra Filippo, and other masters, native and foreign; and of a truth, these arts can only be acquired by means of long-continued study in drawing, with frequent and careful imitation or copying of works by good masters; he who is not supplied with these facilities to progress, however powerfully aided by natural dispositions, can never attain perfection till a large portion of his life has been spent.

But to return to the antiquities of the garden. In the year 1494, Piero, son of the above-named Lorenzo, was banished from Florence, as has been previously related; when the greater part of the treasures contained in the garden were dispersed, all being sold to the highest bidder: the larger portion of them were nevertheless restored to the illustrious Giuliano, in the year 1512, when he, with the other members of the house of Medici, returned to his country; they are now for the most part preserved in the Guardaroba of the Duke Cosimo.^[7]

The example thus given by Lorenzo, was a truly magnificent one, and whenever it shall be followed by princes and other personages of importance, they cannot fail to do themselves great honour, and must derive perpetual glory from such imitation: seeing that he who aids and protects men of exalted genius in their noble labours, he who favours those from whom the world receives so much credit, utility, convenience, and beauty, well deserves that his fame should live eternally, and that the benefits which he has conferred should be held in perpetual remembrance.

Among those who studied the arts of design in the abovementioned garden, were the following, all of whom became excellent masters: Michael Agnolo di Lodovico Buonarroti,^[8] Giovanni Francesco Rustici, Torrigiano Torrigiani^[9] Francesco Granacci, Niccolo di Domenico Sazzi, Lorenzo di Credi, and Giuliano Bugiardini, all Florentines. From other parts of Italy were Baccio da Monte Lupo, Andrea Contucci, of Monte San Savino, and others, of whom mention will be made in their due place. Torrigiano thep, of whom we are now to write the life, was a student in the garden of Lorenzo^ with the artists above named; he was by nature of an excessively choleric and haughty disposition; powerful and robust in person, he was so violent and overbearing, that he was perpetually offending his fellow students, to whom he not unfrequently offered outrage in deed, as well as word.^[10] The principal vocation of Torrigiano was that of the sculptor, but he also worked extremely well in terra-cotta, his manner being good and his works usually very beautiful. But he could never endure that any other should surpass himself, and often set himself to spoil with his hands such of the works of his fellow students as he perceived to display a degree of excellence to which he could not attain, when, if those whom he thus attacked resented the injury, he would often assail them further, and that with something harder than words. He had an especial hatred to Michael Angelo, but for no other reason than because he saw him to be studiously devoted to his art, and knew that by night and on all holidays, he secretly occupied himself with drawing in his own room, by which means he produced better works in the garden than any other student, and was accordingly much favoured by Lorenzo.

Moved by a bitter and cruel envy therefore, Torrigiano was constantly seeking to offend Michael Angelo, both in word and deed, insomuch that they one day came to blows, when Torrigiano struck Michael Angelo on the nose with his fist, using such terrible violence, and crushing that feature in such a manner that the proper form could never be restored to it, and Michael Angelo had his nose flattened by that blow all his life.^[11] This circumstance having been made known to the magnificent Lorenzo he was so greatly incensed against the offender, that if Torrigiano had not fled from Florence he would without doubt have inflicted some very heavy punishment on him.

The Pope, Alexander VL, was at this time occupied with the construction of that part of the Vatican called the Torre Borgia, and Torrigiano, who had repaired to Pome, on leaving Florence, was employed with others on the numerous decorations in stucco required for that building. Now the Duke Valentino was then making war in Romagna, and paid large sums to those who assisted him in recruiting his army, whereupon Torrigiano, being led away by other young Florentines, suddenly changed himself from a sculptor to a soldier, and comported himself very bravely in that campaign of Romagna. He did the same under Paolo Vitelli, in the war against Pisa, and was with Piero de’ Medici, at the action on the Garigliano, where he obtained a pair of colours with the reputation of being a brave standard-bearer.

But after a time, perceiving that he should never be permitted to attain the grade for which he had hoped and which he well merited, that of captain namely, and having saved nothing in the wars, nay, rather having vainly consumed all he had, as well as his time, Torrigiano resolved on resuming his sculpture. He at once prepared various small works in marble and bronze, little figures, which he sold to certain Florentine merchants, and which are distributed among the houses of the citizens: he also made numerous drawings, which exhibit great boldness and a very good manner, as may be seen by some from his hand now in our book of designs, and by others which he made in competition with Michael Angelo. The merchants above mentioned ultimately invited our artist to proceed to England where he executed many works in marble, bronze, and wood for the king, competing with other masters, who were natives of that country, to all of whom he proved himself superior. And now did Torrigiano receive so many rewards, and was so largely remunerated, that, had he not been a most violent, reckless, and ill-conducted person, he might there have lived a life of ease, and brought his days to a quiet close, but being what he was, his career was ended in a manner which was altogether the reverse of peaceful.^[12]

Leaving England, he next went to Spain, where he executed various works, which are dispersed about in different places, and are everywhere highly prized, but chief among them was a Crucifix in terra-cotta, which is considered to be the most admirable work in all Spain. For a monastery belonging to the monks of San Girolamo, which is situate at a short distance from the city of Seville, Torrigiano executed a second Crucifix, as also a figure of San Girolamo doing penance, and represented with his lion beside him. In the figure of the saint, our artist depicted an old House-Steward belonging to the Botti family, Florentine merchants settled in Spain.

A figure of the Virgin with the Divine Child in her arms, also executed at this time by Torrigiano, was found to be so beautiful, that the Duke of Arcos earnestly desired to possess one of similar beauty. To obtain this from Torrigiano, he consequently made him so many tine promises, that the artist believed himself about to be enriched for ever. When the work was finished, the duke gave him so large a quantity of those coins called “maravedis,” which however are worth little or nothing, that Torrigiano, to whose house there had come two persons loaded with these coins, became more and more persuaded that he should at once become enormously rich. But showing this money to one of his Florentine friends, whom he desired to ascertain its value in Italian coin, he found that the whole of that vast quantity did not amount to thirty ducats; whereupon, considering that he had been jested with, he threw himself into a violent rage, and proceeding to the spot where the figure which he had made for the Duke was placed, he broke it to pieces.^[13]

The Spaniard, having received this affront, avenged himself by accusing Torrigiano of heresy, and the latter was thrown into the prisons of the Inquisition: there, after being daily examined for some time, and sent from one inquisitor to another, he was finally adjudged to merit the heaviest punishment of the law. It is true that this was not put into execution, for Torrigiano, sunk into the deepest melancholy, refused all nourishment, and after remaining many days without eating, he became gradually weaker and more weak, until he finally ended his life.^[14] Thus, by depriving himself of food, Torrigiano was saved from the shame and disgrace into which he would most probably have fallen, since it is fully believed that he could not have escaped condemnation to death.

The works of this master were executed about the year of our salvation, 1515, and he died in 1522.

1. According to Benvenuto Cellini, who names Torrigiano in his Autobiography, this artist was called Pietro, although Vasari subsequently calls him Torrigiano Torrigiani.—Ed. Flor., 1832-8.
2. Lorenzo the Magnificent, whom Vasari and some other writers call the elder, to distinguish him from his nephew, Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino.— Ed. Flor., 1832-8.
3. “Not as an effect of blood,” protests our justly-dealing acquaintance, Masselli, “but because of the education received by the nobles, and the leisure they have for the cultivation of their minds.” But Vasari will be seen to have himself guarded his previous expression from all danger of misconception.
4. A line taken from the Emblems of Andrea Alciato, wherein he has represented a youth, wdth the right hand, which has wings at the wrist, extended, and one foot raised, in the effort of lifting him.self towards heaven; but in his left hand is a stone, which is drawing him to the earth. —Masselli.
5. See the life of Donato, vol. i.
6. Filippo Brunelleschi.
7. These are now deposited partly in the Florentine Gallery of the Uffizj, partly in that of the Pitti Palace, and partly in other palaces and villas belonging to the grand-ducal family of Tuscany.
8. Michael, son of Ludovico Buonarroti.
9. See note (‡), p. 480.
10. Cellini, who knew Torrigiano many years later, after the return of the latter from England namely, describes him thus:—“This man was a magnificent figure, and of a most audacious deportment; he had the look of a huge trooper rather than of a sculptor, more especially when one observed his violent gestures and heard bis sounding voice; he had a way of knitting his brow that was enough to frighten all who beheld him, and was for ever discoursing of his deeds of bravery,” &c., &c.
11. Torrigiano himself described this affair to Cellini, but in terms calculated to give a different turn to the matter, relating it thus “This Buonarroti and I, when we were children, w'ent together to the church of the Carmine to learn our art in the chapel of Masaccio. But Michael Angelo had the habit of bantering and tormenting all who studied there with him, and one day among others, his words offended me so much that I became more than usually irritated, and, stretching forth my hand, 1 gave him so violent a blow on the nose with my closed fist that I felt the bones and cartilage cranch under my hand as if they had been thin biscuit {cialdone, a sort of wafer, or thin cake, curled into a form somewhat resembling that of a horn), and thus, bearing my mark, will Michael Angelo remain all the days of his life.” —“From what we know of Torrigiano’s disposition,” remarks the Italian writer from whom we quote the above, “we may safely infer that his own envy and jealousy was the cause of this brutal outrage, and the bantering of Michael Angelo only the pretext: but there is no criminal who, when he is relating his own story, does not set it forth in a manner which makes him appear excusable.”
12. The principal work of Torrigiano in England is the bronze monument, of king Henry VII. and his queen Elizabeth of York, in the chapel, called after that monarch, in Westminster Abbey.— See Britton, Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain. From the documents there given, the reader will find that in his testament of 31st March, 1509, Henry VII. had himself commanded that his monument should be placed in the chapel then commenced by him in the Abbey. Early in the reign of Henry VIII., therefore, we find a contract for the same, concluded with Peter Torrigiani, who engages to finish it before the 29th November, 1 529, and he did in fact complete it in 1519, receiving £1000 sterling for his work. In a second contract, concluded on the 5th January, 1518, Torrigiani further engages to construct a monument for Henry VIII. also, and for his then queen, Catharine of Aragon; this was to be a fourth part larger than that of Henry VII. The master was commanded forthwith to make a model of the tomb to be erected, and was to complete the whole in four years, but this monument has never been executed. For a description of that erected to Henry VII., see Britton, swpm. The painters Mabuse and Hans Holbein were in England at the same time with Torrigiano, and were both'hkewise employed by Henry VII. and Henry VIII.
13. Piacenza, in his additions to Baldiniicci’s Biography of Torrigiano, informs us that the fragments of this figure are still preserved in Seville with the utmost care. More particularly a hand, which was saved entire from the fury of the sculptor, and is regarded as a most perfect model.
14. In the first edition of our author we find the following epitaph to the memory of Torrigiano:—

    Virginis intactae hic statuam quam fecerat, ira
    Quod fregit victus; carcere clausus obit.