yet he has in no degree altered or injured the beauty of the countenances, which very frequently suffer materially in weeping, when treated by hands not well versed in the best methods of art.[1] But we shall be the less surprised that Giottino completed his works with so much care and devotion, when we remember that in all his labours this master ever proved himself more desirous of glory than of gain. Giottino was wholly free from that eagerness for large rewards which renders the masters of our own time less careful in the completion of their works: he was, indeed, so far from seeking great riches, that he gave but slight regard even to the conveniences and amenities of life; he contented himself with little, and thought more of serving and gratifying others than himself: wherefore, taking little care of his health, and perpetually enduring heavy labours, he died of consumption at the age of 32, and was buried by his family outside the church of Santa Maria Novella, at the Martello gate, near the burial-place of Bontura.[2]
The disciples of Giottino, who left more fame than riches, were Giovanni Tossicani, of Arezzo, Michelino,[3] Giovanni dal Ponte, and Lippo:[4] they were all tolerably good masters in their art, but Giovanni Tossicani was greatly superior to the rest: he executed many works after the death of Tommaso, and in his manner, for different cities and churches throughout all Tuscany. In the capitular church of Arezzo, more particularly, Giovanni painted the chapel of Santa Maria Maddalena, belonging to the Tuccerelli[5] family; he also painted a San Jacopo on a column in the capitular church of Empoli, and certain pictures in the cathedral of Pisa were executed by this master, but have
- ↑ This picture—a really wonderful work—is preserved in the Gallery of the Uffizj.—Ed. Flor. 1846. See also Lanzi, vol. i, pp. 65-66.
- ↑ In the first edition of Vasari, are the following lines, written on the
death of Giottino:—
“ Heu mortem, infandam mortem, quae cuspidi acuta
Corda hominum laceras dum venis ante diem!”In him, says Lanzi, was cut off the best scion of the Giottescan family of painters.— G. Montani.
- ↑ Among the many artists of this name, it will be difficult to discover which is here alluded to. —Ed. Flor. 1846.
- ↑ The lives of these two artists will also be found in Vasari.
- ↑ Not Tuccerelli, but Tucciarelli, a noble family of Arezzo. The paintings are lost. — Bottari.
