the elder; he there represented the Madonna with Angels, executed very carefully. The portrait of Filippo Strozzi, in marble, prepared by Benedetto for the same place, is now in the Strozzi palace.[1] For the elder Lorenzo de’ Medici, the same artist executed a Bust of the Florentine painter Giotto; it was placed in Santa Maria del’ Fiore, over the inscription, of wdiich we have spoken sufficiently in the life of Giotto. This work, which is in marble, is also considered to be a tolerably good one.[2]
Benedetto repaired, at a later period, to Naples, summoned thither on the death of his uncle Giuliano, to whom he was heir j he there, in addition to certain works executed for the king, sculptured a relief in marble, for the Count of Terranuova, in the monastery belonging to the monks of Monte Oliveto. The subject of this work is the Annunciation; the Virgin is surrounded by Saints and beautiful Boys, who sustain garlands of flowers; in the predella are several bassirilievi in a very good manner.[3] In Faenza this master erected a magnificent marble tomb for the body of San Savino, and on this are six stories in bas-relief, representing events from the life of that saint; they show much power of invention, and are of most correct design, which is manifest in the buildings represented, as well as in the figures; insomuch that, for this as well as for other works, Benedetto was justly acknowledged to be an excellent master in sculpture. Before he left Romagna, he was accordingly invited to execute the portrait of Galeotti Malatesta;[4] he also sculptured the likeness—but whether earlier or later I do not know—of Henry VII., king of England, which he did after a portrait on paper, furnished to him by certain Florentine merchants. The sketches of these two portraits were found in the house of Benedetto after his death.
- ↑ The monument of Filippo Strozzi is still in Santa Maria Novella, but deprived of the Bust, as Vasari observes.— Ed. Flor., 1832.
- ↑ This Bust also is still in the cathedral of Florence, on the right of the entrance; but it would seem, from the inscription, that the people of Florence, and not Lorenzo, had caused it to be executed.
- ↑ Still in the monastery of Monte Oliveto. It has been engraved by Cicognara (vol. ii. tav. 16), who has also certain remarks on the dra])eries. —See Storia della Scultura, &c.
- ↑ The son of Pandolpho Malatesta, and reputed a Bcato, or Saint, in all but the ceremony of canonization.
