DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61670#0330
CHAPTER V
LATER ASSISTED WORKS
Nothing is more bewildering, in attempting a chronology of
the works of Andrea, than his constant and complete changes
of style especially in his later years. But for documentary
confirmation, certain though indirect, it would be impossible
to class together as productions of the same few years work so
dissimilar as the just-mentioned Prato Tympanum, the artificial
Carceri Evangelists, and the Meeting of SS. Francesco and
Domenico on the Spedale di S. Paolo, which in its simplicity
of feeling and treatment is a return to his earlier manner.
In all the foregoing work, excluding the Crucifixion and
Madonna Adoring the Christ-Child of La Verna, and the Lunette
of the Museo del Duomo, we have seen little sign of pupils’ assist-
ance even in the modelling of the cherubs’ heads. In the
group now to be considered we shall find, even in some of the
principal parts, so much work plainly not executed by Andrea
himself, that we are forced to recognise the existence of a
bottega full of assistants and pupils. Who these were beyond
his own sons, it would be mere hypothesis to suggest, but we
know that one at least, Benedetto Buglioni, did not belong to
his own kindred, and there is every reason to believe that other
strangers also were admitted. The most influential and, except
Buglioni, the only one with strongly marked characteristics,
was Giovanni, who developed young and made his influence
felt at a very early age. His precocity we know from the first
work in which his style appears—the above-noticed Madonna
and Angels and the decorations of the Madonna delle Carceri,
Prato. That he early undertook important work we know
180
LATER ASSISTED WORKS
Nothing is more bewildering, in attempting a chronology of
the works of Andrea, than his constant and complete changes
of style especially in his later years. But for documentary
confirmation, certain though indirect, it would be impossible
to class together as productions of the same few years work so
dissimilar as the just-mentioned Prato Tympanum, the artificial
Carceri Evangelists, and the Meeting of SS. Francesco and
Domenico on the Spedale di S. Paolo, which in its simplicity
of feeling and treatment is a return to his earlier manner.
In all the foregoing work, excluding the Crucifixion and
Madonna Adoring the Christ-Child of La Verna, and the Lunette
of the Museo del Duomo, we have seen little sign of pupils’ assist-
ance even in the modelling of the cherubs’ heads. In the
group now to be considered we shall find, even in some of the
principal parts, so much work plainly not executed by Andrea
himself, that we are forced to recognise the existence of a
bottega full of assistants and pupils. Who these were beyond
his own sons, it would be mere hypothesis to suggest, but we
know that one at least, Benedetto Buglioni, did not belong to
his own kindred, and there is every reason to believe that other
strangers also were admitted. The most influential and, except
Buglioni, the only one with strongly marked characteristics,
was Giovanni, who developed young and made his influence
felt at a very early age. His precocity we know from the first
work in which his style appears—the above-noticed Madonna
and Angels and the decorations of the Madonna delle Carceri,
Prato. That he early undertook important work we know
180