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CHAPTER V.

Continuation of the Narration of the
Life of Michael Angelo to the time of
his being employed in building St.
Peter's.

WHEN the Medici were driven from
Florence, Michael Angelo, fearing to be
involved in their disgrace, by reason
of his having been a retainer of the
family, went to Bologna, and from
thence to Venice; but not finding em-
ployment there, he returned to Bologna,
where, having got into some difficulty
with the police of the city, respecting a
passport, he was assisted by F. Aldro-
vandi, one of the officers of that state,
and by him employed in the execution
of a statue for one of the public build-
ings:-for this he was paid thirty ducats.
He remained with his new patron about
a year, and might have stayed longer,
as Aldrovandi was a lover of the arts,
and delighted to employ him in reading
Petrarch, Dante, and Boccaccio, on ac-
count of his Tuscan pronunciation; feel-
ing, however, that his time was mispent,
he returned to Florence.

The first work he executed on his return, was a sleeping Cupid. There existed then, as now, much prejudice in favour of the antique, and connoisseurs were often mistaken in their judgment, purchasing modern for ancient works of art. Michael Angelo was advised to send his statue, which was much admired, to Rome, to undergo the usual process of burial, and subsequent discovery and resurrection, that it might be passed off as an antique, and the price thereby enhanced. The fraud succeeded, and the sleeping Cupid was palmed off on the Cardinal St. Giorgio for 200 ducats, of which, however, the artist received but thirty; the price he originally demanded. The cardinal finding it was considered he had been duped in the purchase, sent a person expressly to Florence, to learn the truth or falsehood of the report. The messenger who went round to the studies of the different artists, under pretence of seeing their works, on visiting Michael Angelo amongst the rest, asked to see a specimen of his art; he answered that at that time he had nothing finished, but whilst conversing, took up a pen, and made a sketch of a hand. The car dinal's agent, struck with the grandeur and freedom of the style, inquired what was the last work he had completed.

Michael Angelo, not thinking of the antique which had been sent to Rome, described the statue, as to leave no said it was a sleeping Cupid, and so doubt as to the age of the cardinal's purchase. The messenger then owned the object of his journey, and recommended him to go to Rome, as the best means at once of cultivating his art, and obtaining patronage.

In consequence of an invitation from the Cardinal St. Giorgio, he went to Rome, where he remained under his protection for about a year, but as the Cardinal had no knowledge of art, he was never employed by him in the execution of any work.

His next two pieces of sculpture were a Cupid in marble, and a Bacchus; in the execution of the latter he was considered by many as having been eminently successful. After this, he cut a group, consisting of a Virgin and dead Christ, called by the Italians a Pieta, which his biographer, Vasari, highly praises, both for the design, execution, and the great knowledge of anatomy displayed in it. This was placed in a chapel in St. Peter's, and the artist hearing a party of Lombards, who were examining the works of art in the church, attribute it to one of their own countrymen, in order that he might not again be robbed of his fair credit, shut himself up at night in the chapel, and cut his name on a part of the drapery of the group.

After Peter Sodarini had been appointed to the head of the government, and the broils of party had begun to subside, Michael Ângelo was induced again to return to Florence. It was during this period that he obtained permission to use a spoiled block of marble, out of which some other sculptor had begun to cut a statue, but which remained unfinished: from this, he cut his celebrated statue of David with a sling in his hand; the difficulty of the execution of which was much increased by the block not being entire. Vasari relates an anecdote with respect to this statue, which has often been repeated as an illustration of the style of criticism of ignorant pretenders; Sodarini, on going to view it, considering himself called on to make a remark, found some fault with the shape of the nose; Michael Angelo, however, rather than waste time in convincing him of his error, mounted the scaffolding, and pretended to chisel off the offending part,

without in fact touching it, contriving dexterously to drop from his hand some marble dust; as he proceeded, the fastidious critic declared himself satisfied with the improvement, and with this last touch the statue was pronounced complete. For this work he received 400 ducats. He also executed a bronze statue of David for Sodarini, and was employed in some other works, particularly in the execution of a picture for one Agosto Doni, who was a collector of specimens of the fine arts; this work is stated to be the only authentic specimen now remaining of an easel picture by him. On sending it home, his servant, by his master's direction, demanded seventy ducats. Doni, thinking to get it for less, sent back forty; Michael Angelo returned the forty ducats, and insisted on having 100 ducats or his picture. Doni, to compromise matters, sent the seventy which were first required, but the painter replied that he would now have twice seventy ducats or his picture; Doni, knowing the value of the work, and the pertinacity of the painter, rather than lose it, sent the 140 ducats.

In some subsequent pages, we shall devote a short space to the consideration of the revival of painting, tracing the art up to the age of Michael Angelo. At the head of those who most conduced to the perfection of it will be found Leonardo da Vinci, whose various attainments placed him amongst the most remarkable persons of his time. Hitherto Michael Angelo had chiefly devoted himself to sculpture; and at the period when he was at Florence, Da Vinci, who was considerably older, had already attained the first rank as a painter. Some jealousy had long subsisted between the two rival artists, and an opportunity was now afforded to them of making an effort which should decide to whom the palm of superiority was to be awarded.

Sodarini (whose admiration for the genius of Michael Angelo increased daily) determined to employ him to paint one side of the council hall of the government palace, and Leonardo da Vinci was, at the same time, directed to execute a picture for the opposite part. Da Vinci chose for his subject the victory gained by Anghiari over the celebrated Piccinino, the general of the Duke of Milan; the principal objects in the foreground were a mêlée of cavalry and the taking of a standard. This work,

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though it displays great excellence, and has been designated by an eminent critic as exhibiting" such talent as rarely occurs in the world," was by common assent admitted to be surpassed by the production of his rival. Buonaroti's subject was the battle of Pisa; in the historical account of the battle it was stated that the day on which it was fought was particularly hot, and that a part of the infantry was bathing quietly in the Arno, when on a sudden the call to arms was heard, the enemy being discovered in full march to attack the troops of the republic: the first impulse produced by this surprise, was the moment of time selected by Michael Angelo. Neither artist, however, executed the paintings, only the cartoons, or original drawings on paper representing the composition, having been prepared.

Benvenuto Cellini (who cannot be accused of being a panegyrist of Michael Angelo) says of this work, "The different attitudes of the soldiers suddenly preparing for battle, are so admirably expressed, that no work, either of the ancients or moderns, has attained such excellence: as I have said, the cartoon of Leonardo da Vinci was also very excellent; the one was placed in the hall of the pope, the other in the palace of the Medici, and whilst they remained, they formed the study of the whole world. Although Michael Angelo has since executed the pictures in the Sistine chapel, he did not exhibit half the talent which was shewn in his cartoon of the battle, nor did he afterwards produce any thing equal to this effort of his early genius."

Vasari particularly notices the expression of an old soldier, who, to shade himself from the sun's rays, had placed a chaplet of ivy on his head; he is sitting on the ground dressing himself, and the peculiar excitement and haste occasioned by the difficulty of passing his garments over his wet limbs, shewn by the strong marking of the muscles and an expression of impatience about the mouth, is described as unequalled. It was considered at the time the most excellent design that had ever been executed. All the celebrated painters of the day attended to make studies from it. The cartoon itself was, however, a few years after its completion, destroyed. Its destruction is attributed to the envy of Baccio Bandinelli, a friend and partisan of Da Vinci's, who is supposed to have got admission to the room where

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On Julius the Second succeeding to the papal crown, he called around him the most learned men, together with the most eminent artists of the age. Michael Angelo was amongst the first who were invited to Rome, the pope having determined to employ him in the execution of a magnificent sepulchral monument, which he contemplated erecting in his life-time. From the original design, it appears that this was to have been a parallelogram of thirtyfour by twenty-three feet, ornamented with forty figures, some of which were colossal; in addition to the figures, there were to have been a vast number ot bronze aud marble columns, basso relievos, and other architectural ornaments. If this work had been completed in conformity with the plan, it would have been the most splendid monument of the kind ever produced; a sketch of the original design has been published in Bottari's edition of Vasari.*

Although the execution of the figures would have given full scope to Michael Angelo's powers, yet as the chief part of the design was to have consisted of representations of Poetry, Painting, Architecture, and the provinces conquered by the pope, in attitudes expressive of their grief for his loss; it must have been deficient in sentiment, and like all allegories have failed in creating any real interest, beyond that excited by the excellence of the mechanical execution.

It became difficult to find a site suited for the reception of this intended work. San Gallo, the architect, suggested, that so considerable a monument was worthy of having a chapel built on purpose to receive it. Julius considering that it could not be well placed in the old basilica of St. Peter's, it was at last determined that the church itself should be rebuilt, and hence the origin of the present church of St. Peter's, the most stupendous structure that the art of man ever produced.

Henry the Eighth, in the beginning of his reign, also conceived the same idea as Julius the Second; and ordered Torrigiano, the rival of Michael Angelo in the garden of Lorenzo de Medici, and who was employed to execute the tomb in the chapel of Henry the Seventh, to make a magnificent monument for himself and his queen.-Although this was not intended to be so large as that originally designed by Michael Angelo, yet in richness and number of figures, it would (if it had been executed) have much excelled it. It appears from the description in Speed, which was taken from a drawing approved by the king, that the height was to have been 27 feet, breadth 20 feet, the depth 15 feet, and

there were to have been 133 statues, 43 basso relievos of gilt bronze, and 20 columns in the architecture, of porphyry, oriental alabaster, and serpentine marble.

"By those," observes Mr. Duppa, "who are curious in tracing the remote causes of great events, Michael Angelo may, perhaps, be found, though unexpectedly, thus to have laid the first stone of the reformation. His monument demanded a building of corresponding magnificence: to prosecute the undertaking, money was wanted; and indulgencies were sold to supply the deficiency of the treasury; a monk of Saxony opposed the authority of the church, and it is singular that the means which were employed to raise the most splendid edifice to the Catholic faith which the world had ever seen, should, at the same time, have shaken that religion to its foundation."

In order to procure blocks of marble fitting for the execution of the monument, Michael Angelo, who spent eight months at Carrara, sent a portion of what was requisite to Rome and the remainder to Florence, intending, during the unwholesome season at Rome, to execute some of the figures in that city. The marble was placed in the court in front of St. Peter's, and the pope, in order that he might be enabled to watch the progress of the work, had a covered way constructed from the Vatican to the study of Michael Angelo, who enjoyed his friendship and esteem, and whom he used frequently to visit.

Whilst at Carrara, he conceived the idea of executing a colossal statue, out of an insulated rock on the coast, at a point where it would have been seen by the vessels passing either from Genoa or Leghorn: it is said the same idea had cccurred to the ancients, and some works in the rock are still shewn as having been the commencement of a similar design. The only colossal statue now existing, is the bronze one of St. Charles Borromeo, near Arona, looking over the Lake of Como, and those only who have seen this work, (the head of which is large enough to hold several persons,) can form any just idea of the probable effect which such a statue, by Michael Angelo, would have produced.

As the figures for the monument proceeded, they obtained universal admiration; but excellence and eminence are accompanied by envy. The favour shewn him enemies, and his disposition, which to Michael Angelo had early produced was independent, unsuspecting, and somewhat haughty, was not such as to guard him against their evil machinations.

By the pope's directions he always applied to him for the money requisite for the work; on the arrival of some marble from Carrara, payment for the freight being required, he went to the Vatican. -He found the pope engaged in state matters, and therefore returned home and paid for it with his own monies, thinking to be reimbursed immediately: on returning however to the pope, he was repulsed by a groom of the chamber, and refused admittance to his patron, apparently, nevertheless, not by the direction of Julius. He went home in anger, and, ordering his servants to sell off all his effects, fled immediately to Florence. When Julius heard of his departure, he dispatched five couriers, one after another, to induce him to return; but Michael Angelo, who had reached the Florentine states, and was thus out of the pope's power, refused to listen to them, though he was at last induced to return an answer, in which he stated, that having been repulsed with ignominy, he had determined to retire from his service, and seek employment elsewhere. Julius, being unsuccessful in prevailing on him to return, actually dispatched a brief to the Florentine republic, requesting that he might be sent back. These proceedings of the pope are a convincing proof of the estimation in which his services were held: -the document is so curious that we shall give it at length.

"Health, and apostolic benediction to our dearly beloved Michael Angelo, who has left us capriciously, and without any reason that we have been able to learn, is now in Florence, and remains there in fear of our displeasure, but against whom we have nothing to allege, as we know the humour of men of his character. However, that he may lay aside all suspicion, we invite him with the same affection that you bear towards us; and if he will return we promise on our part that he shall be neither touched nor offended, and be reinstated in the same apostolic grace he enjoyed before he left us."

This brief was also disregarded by Michael Angelo, who hoped that the pope, not having an answer, might cease to think of the matter. On his return to Florence he proceeded to complete his cartoon of the battle of Pisa, which had been left unfinished; but in addition to the first letter, two others followed, and these were couched in a more authoritative tone than the former. Dreading the

anger of Julius, should he be compelled to return to Rome, he determined, in consequence of an invitation from Bajazet the Second, to proceed to Constantino ple, to superintend the erection of a bridge between that city and Pera.

Sodarini, however, at length, prevailed on him to listen to the pope's wishes, probably not feeling any inclination to involve the state in a dispute with the Holy See. To ensure him from any violence, he was invested with the title of ambassador from the state, and recommended to a cardinal, the brother of Sodarini, who undertook to introduce him to the pope, who had just then entered Bologna as a conqueror at the head of his army. Julius, angry andimpatient at the opposition to his wishes, on receiving Michael Angelo, said, "What! instead of coming to me, you have waited till I came to you," alluding to his being then at Bologna, which is near to Florence. He deprecated the pope's anger, and requested pardon for a fault which he had been excited to commit, under the impression that he had been repulsed with unmerited indignity. A bishop who, from the illness of Cardinal Sodarini, had been deputed by him to introduce the penitent to the pope, conceived this was a good opportunity to entreat the forgiveness of his holiness, urging that the culprit was ignorant of life, and of all but his art: this turned the tide in Michael Angelo's favour, and the unfortunate bishop was reproached by the pope for having dared to insult one whom he, the pope, even in his anger had never degraded; thus the audience ended with the hasty expulsion of the bishop and the reception of the artist into favour, who received the holy benediction, accompanied by a solid earnest of future protection.

Whilst at Bologna he was commanded to execute a bronze statue of the pope. When Julius went to inspect the model of this work, observing that he was represented with an air of severity, with one arm raised as giving the benediction, he asked the artist if he meant to make him giving a benediction or a malediction to the people. Michael Angelo dexterously answered that it was only intended to threaten them in case they did not shew obedience. On being asked whether he would have a book in his left hand, Julius (who had entered the city at the head of his army, and who had distinguished himself in many military

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