master surpasses and excels not only all those artists who have well nigh surpassed nature herself, hut even all the most famous masters of antiquity, who did, beyond all doubt, vanquish her most gloriously: he alone has triumphed over the later as over the earlier, and even over nature herself, which one could scarcely imagine to be capable of exhibiting any thing, however extraordinary, however difficult, that he would not, by the force of his most divine genius, and by the power of his art, design, judgment, diligence, and grace, very far surpass and excel;[1] nor does this remark apply to painting and the use of colours only, wherein are, nevertheless, comprised all corporeal forms, all bodies, direct or curved, palpable or impalpable, visible or invisible, but to the exceeding roundness and relief of his statues also. Fostered by the power of his art, and cultivated by his labours, the beautiful and fruitful plant has already put forth many and most noble branches, which have not only filled the world with the most delicious fruits, in unwonted profusion, but have also brought these three noble arts to so admirable a degree of perfection, that we may safely affirm the statues of this master to be, in all their parts, more beautiful than the antique.[2] If the heads, hands, arms, or feet of the one be placed in comparison with those of the other, there will be found in those of the modern a more exact rectitude of principle, a grace more entirely graceful, a much more absolute perfection, in short, while there is also in the manner, a certain facility in the conquering of difficulties, than which it is impossible even to imagine any thing better; and what is here said applies equally to his paintings, for if it v/ere possible to place these face to face with those of the most famous Greeks and Romans, thus brought into comparison, they would still further increase in value, and be
- ↑ “Grace,” remarks an Italian commentator, “is by common consent admitted to be not among the qualities for which the works of Buonarroti are appreciated.” The German translator repeats this observation, but neither enters a protest against the extravagance of our author’s assertion that Michael Angelo very far surpasses” the perfection of nature.
- ↑ The enthusiasm of Vasari for his master is declared by more than one of his commentators to have here led him into an error of judgment as well as into the confusion of figures perceptible in his style.
