Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/138

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130
lives of the artists.

stature, he was nevertheless well-proportioned, and of good constitution; his hair was long and soft, his eyes light, the nose aquiline, the complexion fair, with a good colour, but he had a slight impediment in his speech.

The disciples of Andrea Sansovino were the above-named Girolamo Lombardo, the Florentine Simone Cioli, Domenico of the Monte Sansovino, who died a short time after him, and Leonardo del Tasso, also a Florentine, who executed a .figure of San Sebastiano in wood over the tomb of his master in the Church of Sant’ Ambruogio in Florence,[1] with a work in marble for the nuns of Santa Chiara. The Florentine Jacopo Sansovino—so called by his master—was also a disciple of Andrea; of him we shall speak at length in another place.[2]

Architecture and sculpture are thus deeply indebted to Andrea Sansovino, seeing that he enriched the first by the elucidation of many laws relating to measure and proportion, by various methods for the raising of weighty bodies, and by a diligent forethought in the execution of works which, before his time, had not been sufficiently accorded to them. As regards the second, artists have by him been taught in what manner works in marble may, by judgment, care, and practice, be carried to the most admirable perfection.




THE SCULPTOR, BENEDETTO DA ROVEZZANO.

[born..died between 1550 and 1560.]

Very great, as it appears to me, must be the pain of him who, having produced some ingenious work, and having hoped to enjoy the fruits thereof in his old age; or to see the results of industry and fine genius in the vrorks of others who have performed labours similar to his own, and to judge of the perfection whereunto the art he has exercised may have attained; very deep, I say, must be his grief, when, by some unhappy chance, by time, by sickness, or by whatever

  1. The St. Sebastian is still in the above-named church. Padre Richa is in error when he attributes this work to Andrea Conradi. See Notizie Storiche delle Chiese Florentine, tom. ii.
  2. In the life of Jacopo Sansovino.