But, to confess the truth, Buonamico certainly exhibited great courage, when he undertook to execute a figure of God the Father, five braccia high, with the hierarchies, the heavens, the angels, the zodiac, and all things belonging to the upper regions, even to the firmament of the moon with the elements, fire, water, earth, and finally the centre. To fill up the two angles below this picture, he placed a St. Augustine in one, and a St. Thomas Aquinas in the other. In the same Campo Santo, and in that part where the tomb of Corte[1] now stands, Huonamico painted the Passion of Christ,[2] with a great number of figures on foot and on horseback, all in varied and beautiful attitudes, and continuing the story, he added the Resurrection of Christ, with his appearance to the Apostles, all very well done.[3] These labours being brought to a conclusion, and with them all that he had gained in Pisa—which was no small amount—Buffalrhacco returned to Florence as poor as he had left it. Here he painted many pictures, and worked much in fresco; but of these productions nothing more needs to be said. Meanwhile, his intimate friend Bruno (who had returned with him from Pisa, where they had both merrily squandered all they had earned) received a commission to execute some of the works of Santa Maria Novella; but as Bruno had no great power of invention or design, Buonamico designed all that Bruno afterwards executed on the wall of that church opposite to the pulpit, the length of the work being the entire space from column to column. The subject was the story of St. Maurice and his companions, who were decapitated for their adherence to the faith of Christ.[4] This picture was painted by Bruno for Guido Campese, then Constable of the Florentines, whose portrait Bruno had taken
- To those blest regions, where, with angel bands.
- Ye, too, shall find a home; ye, too, shall rest
- Where life is joy unmixed for each and all.
- Here, too, is this world’s glory—full pourtrayed
- In all its ranks—midmost, beneath, above.
- ↑ This tomb was erected in 1544, by order of Cosmo I, to Matteo Corte. a celebrated physician of Pavia.
- ↑ This picture still remains, in tolerable preservation. —Ed. Flor. 1846.
- ↑ Few traces of these two pictures now remain.
- ↑ This work has been destroyed, having been partly covered by the altar, and partly whitewashed.
