nicle of the erection of this church, now in the possession of the fathers of Santa Maria Novella, as well as in the history of Villani.[1] I was unwilling to omit these few details respecting this church and convent, because they are among the principal and most beautiful of Florence ; and also, because there are found in them, as will be shown hereafter, many excellent works of the most renowned artists that have lived in earlier times.[2]
MARGARITONE, PAINTER, SCULPTOR, AND ARCHITECT OF AREZZO.
[1236—1313.]
Among the other old painters, in whom the praises justly accorded to Cimabue, and Giotto, his disciple, for those advances in art which were rendering their names illustrious through all Italy, awakened alarm for their own reputation, was a certain Margaritone, of Arezzo,[3] a painter, who, with the others that had held the first place in art during that unhappy age, now perceived that the works of these masters must well-nigh extinguish his fame. This Margaritone being in high estimation among the painters who then worked in the Greek manner, executed many pictures in distemper, at Arezzo, as also many others in fresco, having nearly covered the church of San Clemente with numerous paintings in that manner, at great cost of time and labour. This church was an abbey of the order of Camaldolites, and has been totally
- ↑ Passavanti wrote the Specchio di vera Penitenza, and is highly praised by Bottari, as one of the purest and most elegant writers of which the Italian language can boast. — Ed. Rom. 1759.
- ↑ In the first edition of Vasari, by Torrentino, the following passage relating to Gaddo will be found, page 135 : “For the purpose of retaining him in Florence, and in the hope of having heirs of his excellence, the Florentines gave him a wife of noble race.”
The inscription on his tomb is to the following effect :—
“Hic manibus talis fuerat, quod forsan Apelles
Cessisset quamvis Graecia sic tumeat.”This inscription has given rise to the Italian proverb, “Bugiardo come un epitaffio” (Mendacious as an epitaph).— Bottari. Della Valle.
- ↑ See Lanzi, History of Painting, vol. i, p. 37.
