artists, were very widely diffused, and found favour among those who preferred the grace of Raphael to the profundity of Michelagnolo, and who showed themselves on many occasions to be more favourable to Raphael in their judgment, than to Buonarroti.
But not so Sebastiano, he was not among the followers of these extreme opinions; possessing an exquisite judgment, he fully and exactly appreciated the value of both these masters; the mind of Buonarroti was thereby disposed towards him, and being greatly pleased with the grace and beauty of his colouring, he took him into his protection, thinking also that by assisting Sebastiano in design, he might succeed without doing anything himself, in confounding those who held the above-described opinions, while he, under the shadow of a third person, might appear as judge between the two, Raphael or Sebastiano, deciding which of them was the best.[1]
Things being at this point, and the works of Sebastiano having been exalted to great, or rather, infinite reputation by the praises lavished on them by Michelagnolo, to say nothing of the fact that they were in themselves beautiful and commendable, there was a certain Messer, I know not who, from Viterbo, who stood in high favour with the Pope, and who commissioned Sebastiano to paint a Dead Christ, with Our Lady weeping over him, for a certain chapel which he had caused to be erected in the Church of San Francesco at Viterbo; but although the work was finished with infinite care and zeal by Sebastiano, who executed a twilight Landscape therein, yet the invention was Michelagnolo’s, and the cartoon was prepared by his hand.[2] The picture
- ↑ Of the many opinions expressed by various authorities respecting this passage, we can make but slight mention here. Some ask if it be probable that Michael Angelo would resort to the plan here alluded to for the purpose described, others descant on the increase of glory which results to Raphael from the confession of inferiority implied by the admission that the union of two artists was required to produce works that should equal those by his hand; and others again, proceed to question the truth of the motive here assigned by Vasari as that by which his master wa3 actuated, even while they admit that the proceeding attributed to him may be authenticated.
- ↑ There is a picture on this subject painted in oil by Sebastiano del Piombo, after.the design of Michael Angelo, in the Bridgewater Collection,
