54 LIVES OF THE ARTISTS. the above-named Giorgio went to seek the friend whom he had never yet seen, but the moment they met, these two knew each other no less or otherwise than they might have done if they had associated personally a thousand times before. And herein Giulio found so much pleasure and enjoyment, that for four days he never separated himself from Giorgio, to whom he showed all his works, but more especially the ground-plans of all the ancient edifices in Rome, Naples, Pozzuolo, the Campagna, and every other example of the most noble antiquities of which there is knowledge, part of which were made by himself and part by others. He then opened an immense press or wardrobe, and laid before his guest all the plans of the various buildings which had been erected after his own designs, and under his direction, not in Mantua and Rome only, but in various places throughout all Lombardy; and these were so beautiful that, for my own part, 1 do not believe it would be possible to imagine buildings that should display more originality of invention, greater convenience in the arrangement, or a richer fancy in decoration.
The Cardinal afterwards inquired of Giorgio what he thought of Giulio’s works, when Giorgio replied, Giulio being present, that he thought them such as to be of opinion that the artist had deserved to see a statue of himself erected at every corner of the city. It is indeed certain, that since Giulio had renewed the very existence of that place, and restored a large portion of it to a state of splendour, even this would not have sufficed adequately to reward him for his cares and labours. To Giorgio’s remark the Cardinal replied, that Giulio was in fact more completely master of that state than he was himself. This master was of a most obliging disposition, more particularly towards his friends; there was no mark of kindness, and even of affection, which Giorgio did not receive at his hands; and Vasari, on his part, having departed from Mantua, and proceeding to Venice, had thence returned to Rome exactly at the time when Michelagnolo had uncovered his Last Judgment in the chapel, sent Giulio three plates of the Seven Mortal Sins, taken from the above-named Last Judgment of Michelagnolo.[1]
- ↑ Bottari conjectures that these plates represented groups of souls condemned for the sins in question.
