DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42071#0153
GRAFFIONE
i39
GRANACCI
S. Lorenzo, in the church of S. Ambrogio of Florence.
The account-books of the monastery of S. Ambrogio
[A.S.F., Conv. Sopp. S. Ambrogio No. 51, c. 66]
show that 10 lire 16 s. were paid to Chimente del
Tasso, legnaiuolo, for filling in the centre of the panel
where formerly had been a tabernacle to hold the
relic of the famous “ Miracolo del Sagramento ”;
and that out of the five several amounts in which
the 8 flor. larghi, due for the “ Nativity,” were
paid to Alesso, between Jan. 5,1484/5, and Sept. 3,
1485, four were received on the Master’s behalf by
il Graffione, who is variously called “ Giovanni di
Michele de Larciano ” and “ Godi Michele, dipin-
tore ” [A.S.F., S. Ambrogio, ut sup., c. 115]. Alesso’s
altar-piece with the addition of the “ Nativity ” is
still preserved, although in a damaged condition,
in the magazine of the church. The “ Nativity,”
however (a kneeling Virgin adoring the Child, who
lies on the ground before her), is by a different hand
to the rest of the altar-piece, which is clearly the
work of Alesso. According to the practice of the
time, a work of this nature would have been done
upon the panel in its place in the church, and the
assistant who went thither to execute it would
receive on behalf of his Master the instalments of the
money for the work as they became due. Hence we
may conclude with certainty that in the “ Nativity ”
at S. Ambrogio we have an authenticated work by
il Graffione. The distinctive character of the
“ Nativity ” has led to the identification of another
work by his hand—an altar-piece of the Trinity with
S. Mary of Egypt and S. Catherine of Alexandria,
in the second of the Corbinelli chapels in the head
of the left transept of Santo Spirito. The Corbinelli
altar-piece, although recalling in its general con-
ception the panel of the Trinity begun by Pesellino,
now in the National Gallery, No. 727, is clearly
by the hand of a P. who had worked in the
bottega of Filippino Lippi. This is especially
apparent in the design of the draperies, in the land-
scape and in the colour scheme of the picture. On
internal evidence this altar-piece would appear to
have been executed during the last decade of the
fifteenth century. The characteristic of both the
above paintings will be found discussed in the
Burlington Magazine of 1905, Vol. VIII. Vasari
[ut sup.] reports il Graffione to have been of an
“ odd turn of mind,” and relates a witty reply which
he made to Lorenzo de’ Medici; adding : “He was
a fantastic and bizarre person, who never ate at a
table covered by aught else than the leaves of the
cartoons which he made, and never slept in any
other bed than a chest full of straw and without
sheets.” His paintings show il Graffione to have
been a man of a distinctive and engaging per-
sonality, and a draftsman of no ordinary accomplish-
ment. Milanesi [Vasari, San. II. 598, n. 1] states
that il Graffione died in 1527, but v.s. Father of—
171a. Lorenzo di Giovanni di Michele di
Lorenzo. Flor., b. 14—, d. 15—. P. Phy. A.
July 8, 1521. pop. S. Ambroggio “ad angulum
Proconsolis ” (no fee; benefit of father, deceased)
[Cod. X.]. S.L. 1525 (as Lorenzo di Giovanni
Scheguti, an error for Scheggini). If, as appears
possible, L. was a son of il Graffione, the latter must
have died early in, or before, 1521, and not in 1527.
Possibly Giovanni di Lorenzo Larciani [q.v.\ may
have been an uncle of il Graffione. He also belonged
to the pop. S. Ambrogio.
172. Granacci, Francesco d’ Andrea di
Marco. Flor., b. July 21, 1477, d. Nov. 3, 1543.
P. Phy. A. Dec. 9, 1551 [Cod. X.]. S.L. c. 1500
[lib. rosso 1504-5]. p. of Domenico Ghirlandajo,
among whose scholars he was reputed as being the
most graceful colourist in tempera and the best
draftsman. Influenced by Fra Bartolommeo and
Pontormo [Berenson, “ Florentine Painters of the
Renaissance,” 120]. The devoted friend of Michel-
agnolo, whose junior he was by about two years.
The two were fellow-students in Ghirlandajo’s
bottega, and, a little later, worked together in the
Academy founded by Lorenzo il Magnifico in the
garden of S. Marco, to which, indeed, G. first intro-
duced his friend [Condivi, “ Vita di M.A.,” ed. 1823,
VII.]. In his Life of G., Vasari [San. VII. 161]
states that he studied deeply Michelagnolo’s cartoon
while the Master was executing it, from which he
acquired and benefited so much that it was the
cause of his being invited to Rome to assist Michel-
agnolo in the Sistine Chapel. In 1492/3 G. was in
Pisa with Domenico Ghirlandajo and other of the
Master’s assistants, at work on the tribune of the
Duomo, which was continued after Domenico’s
death. G. was further employed, with other artists,
for seven days in painting arms and banners for
the approaching visit to Pisa of Charles VIII. of
France in 1494. In November of that year (Pisan
s. 1495), with Poggio Poggini, he painted the coat-
of-arms of the King of France in the residence of
the “ opera ” of the Duomo; the artists being paid
9 gold ducats larghi of gold for their “ magisterio e
fatica ” [Tanfani, “ Not. di Artisti,” 135, 436 and
n. 3, 437, 438]. After his return to Florence, G.
assisted the brothers Davide and Benedetto del
Ghirlandajo in completing the panel for the high
altar of Sta. Maria Novella, left unfinished at
Domenico’s death. Vasari [San. VI. 532] says that
with Jacopo del Tedesco and Benedetto, he executed
the figures of SS. Antonino and Catherine of Siena
which formed part of the predella, and elsewhere
[V. 340] that G. acquired much from his employ-
ment on this work. G. was among the P.’s and
others called on Jan. 25, 1503/4, to select the site
for Michelagnolo’s statue of David [Gaye, “Car-
teggio,” II. 454]. In 1508 he was commissioned by
Michelagnolo [Milanesi, “ Lettere di M.A.,” IV. and
n. 2] to recruit some P.’s, friends of the Master, to
proceed to Rome, to assist him in the technical
process of fresco-painting. G. himself, Bugiardini,
Jacopo di Sandro, l’lndaco Vecchio, Agnolo di
i39
GRANACCI
S. Lorenzo, in the church of S. Ambrogio of Florence.
The account-books of the monastery of S. Ambrogio
[A.S.F., Conv. Sopp. S. Ambrogio No. 51, c. 66]
show that 10 lire 16 s. were paid to Chimente del
Tasso, legnaiuolo, for filling in the centre of the panel
where formerly had been a tabernacle to hold the
relic of the famous “ Miracolo del Sagramento ”;
and that out of the five several amounts in which
the 8 flor. larghi, due for the “ Nativity,” were
paid to Alesso, between Jan. 5,1484/5, and Sept. 3,
1485, four were received on the Master’s behalf by
il Graffione, who is variously called “ Giovanni di
Michele de Larciano ” and “ Godi Michele, dipin-
tore ” [A.S.F., S. Ambrogio, ut sup., c. 115]. Alesso’s
altar-piece with the addition of the “ Nativity ” is
still preserved, although in a damaged condition,
in the magazine of the church. The “ Nativity,”
however (a kneeling Virgin adoring the Child, who
lies on the ground before her), is by a different hand
to the rest of the altar-piece, which is clearly the
work of Alesso. According to the practice of the
time, a work of this nature would have been done
upon the panel in its place in the church, and the
assistant who went thither to execute it would
receive on behalf of his Master the instalments of the
money for the work as they became due. Hence we
may conclude with certainty that in the “ Nativity ”
at S. Ambrogio we have an authenticated work by
il Graffione. The distinctive character of the
“ Nativity ” has led to the identification of another
work by his hand—an altar-piece of the Trinity with
S. Mary of Egypt and S. Catherine of Alexandria,
in the second of the Corbinelli chapels in the head
of the left transept of Santo Spirito. The Corbinelli
altar-piece, although recalling in its general con-
ception the panel of the Trinity begun by Pesellino,
now in the National Gallery, No. 727, is clearly
by the hand of a P. who had worked in the
bottega of Filippino Lippi. This is especially
apparent in the design of the draperies, in the land-
scape and in the colour scheme of the picture. On
internal evidence this altar-piece would appear to
have been executed during the last decade of the
fifteenth century. The characteristic of both the
above paintings will be found discussed in the
Burlington Magazine of 1905, Vol. VIII. Vasari
[ut sup.] reports il Graffione to have been of an
“ odd turn of mind,” and relates a witty reply which
he made to Lorenzo de’ Medici; adding : “He was
a fantastic and bizarre person, who never ate at a
table covered by aught else than the leaves of the
cartoons which he made, and never slept in any
other bed than a chest full of straw and without
sheets.” His paintings show il Graffione to have
been a man of a distinctive and engaging per-
sonality, and a draftsman of no ordinary accomplish-
ment. Milanesi [Vasari, San. II. 598, n. 1] states
that il Graffione died in 1527, but v.s. Father of—
171a. Lorenzo di Giovanni di Michele di
Lorenzo. Flor., b. 14—, d. 15—. P. Phy. A.
July 8, 1521. pop. S. Ambroggio “ad angulum
Proconsolis ” (no fee; benefit of father, deceased)
[Cod. X.]. S.L. 1525 (as Lorenzo di Giovanni
Scheguti, an error for Scheggini). If, as appears
possible, L. was a son of il Graffione, the latter must
have died early in, or before, 1521, and not in 1527.
Possibly Giovanni di Lorenzo Larciani [q.v.\ may
have been an uncle of il Graffione. He also belonged
to the pop. S. Ambrogio.
172. Granacci, Francesco d’ Andrea di
Marco. Flor., b. July 21, 1477, d. Nov. 3, 1543.
P. Phy. A. Dec. 9, 1551 [Cod. X.]. S.L. c. 1500
[lib. rosso 1504-5]. p. of Domenico Ghirlandajo,
among whose scholars he was reputed as being the
most graceful colourist in tempera and the best
draftsman. Influenced by Fra Bartolommeo and
Pontormo [Berenson, “ Florentine Painters of the
Renaissance,” 120]. The devoted friend of Michel-
agnolo, whose junior he was by about two years.
The two were fellow-students in Ghirlandajo’s
bottega, and, a little later, worked together in the
Academy founded by Lorenzo il Magnifico in the
garden of S. Marco, to which, indeed, G. first intro-
duced his friend [Condivi, “ Vita di M.A.,” ed. 1823,
VII.]. In his Life of G., Vasari [San. VII. 161]
states that he studied deeply Michelagnolo’s cartoon
while the Master was executing it, from which he
acquired and benefited so much that it was the
cause of his being invited to Rome to assist Michel-
agnolo in the Sistine Chapel. In 1492/3 G. was in
Pisa with Domenico Ghirlandajo and other of the
Master’s assistants, at work on the tribune of the
Duomo, which was continued after Domenico’s
death. G. was further employed, with other artists,
for seven days in painting arms and banners for
the approaching visit to Pisa of Charles VIII. of
France in 1494. In November of that year (Pisan
s. 1495), with Poggio Poggini, he painted the coat-
of-arms of the King of France in the residence of
the “ opera ” of the Duomo; the artists being paid
9 gold ducats larghi of gold for their “ magisterio e
fatica ” [Tanfani, “ Not. di Artisti,” 135, 436 and
n. 3, 437, 438]. After his return to Florence, G.
assisted the brothers Davide and Benedetto del
Ghirlandajo in completing the panel for the high
altar of Sta. Maria Novella, left unfinished at
Domenico’s death. Vasari [San. VI. 532] says that
with Jacopo del Tedesco and Benedetto, he executed
the figures of SS. Antonino and Catherine of Siena
which formed part of the predella, and elsewhere
[V. 340] that G. acquired much from his employ-
ment on this work. G. was among the P.’s and
others called on Jan. 25, 1503/4, to select the site
for Michelagnolo’s statue of David [Gaye, “Car-
teggio,” II. 454]. In 1508 he was commissioned by
Michelagnolo [Milanesi, “ Lettere di M.A.,” IV. and
n. 2] to recruit some P.’s, friends of the Master, to
proceed to Rome, to assist him in the technical
process of fresco-painting. G. himself, Bugiardini,
Jacopo di Sandro, l’lndaco Vecchio, Agnolo di