DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61022#0118
RAPHAEL AT ROME
were no less willing to marry him than the youth of Urbino to
wed the nameless lady whom Ciarla had destined for Raphael. As
for his uncle’s complaints that he was always in Rome, it would be
impossible for him to be anywhere else for any time with such a
project as St. Peter’s on hand. It would cost over a million in gold,
and the Pope spent 60,000 ducats upon it a year. His associate
was an old man who could not live long. Every day the Pope sent
for them to discuss the building. The letter ends with messages
to the Duke and Duchess, and to one Ridolfo, Raphael’s dear
and unknown friend.
Together with the third stanza of the Vatican, Raphael appears
at this time to have been engaged upon the cartoons for tapestries
with which Leo proposed to decorate the Sistine Chapel. Sixtus
iv. had placed a row of frescoes upon the walls and at the east end ;
Julius had secured from Michelangelo the painting of the upper
wall and ceiling. Leo chose Raphael to design such hangings
as would, with their magnificence of colour and design, fitly com-
memorate the third great Pope of Modern Rome. The first pay-
ment for these tapestries was made to Raphael on the 15th June,
1515.1 A further onerous mark of Leo’s favour and of his desire
that Raphael should be associated with him completely in his
favourite pursuits is recorded in a brief of August 27th.2 By the
Pope’s order Raphael was commissioned to buy all ancient stones
in Rome for the building of St. Peter’s, and all men were com-
manded to give him information of every discovery within three
days, and forbidden to mutilate any inscribed stones without his
leave. Thus he became not only painter and architect-in-chief,
but also the first official to watch over the now universal taste
in the discovery of antiques.
Private commissions were also given at this time. Isabella
d’Este secured a promise of a picture,3 and, perhaps at this
1 Fea, Notizie, p. 8. Another payment on 20 December 1516 of 134 ducats.
2 Bembo, Opere, xvi. 246.
3 Letters of Agostino Gonzaga, June 1515, and anonymous, November 1515. An
undated letter from Paulucci to Alfonso of Ferrara speaks of a picture for the Signora
96
were no less willing to marry him than the youth of Urbino to
wed the nameless lady whom Ciarla had destined for Raphael. As
for his uncle’s complaints that he was always in Rome, it would be
impossible for him to be anywhere else for any time with such a
project as St. Peter’s on hand. It would cost over a million in gold,
and the Pope spent 60,000 ducats upon it a year. His associate
was an old man who could not live long. Every day the Pope sent
for them to discuss the building. The letter ends with messages
to the Duke and Duchess, and to one Ridolfo, Raphael’s dear
and unknown friend.
Together with the third stanza of the Vatican, Raphael appears
at this time to have been engaged upon the cartoons for tapestries
with which Leo proposed to decorate the Sistine Chapel. Sixtus
iv. had placed a row of frescoes upon the walls and at the east end ;
Julius had secured from Michelangelo the painting of the upper
wall and ceiling. Leo chose Raphael to design such hangings
as would, with their magnificence of colour and design, fitly com-
memorate the third great Pope of Modern Rome. The first pay-
ment for these tapestries was made to Raphael on the 15th June,
1515.1 A further onerous mark of Leo’s favour and of his desire
that Raphael should be associated with him completely in his
favourite pursuits is recorded in a brief of August 27th.2 By the
Pope’s order Raphael was commissioned to buy all ancient stones
in Rome for the building of St. Peter’s, and all men were com-
manded to give him information of every discovery within three
days, and forbidden to mutilate any inscribed stones without his
leave. Thus he became not only painter and architect-in-chief,
but also the first official to watch over the now universal taste
in the discovery of antiques.
Private commissions were also given at this time. Isabella
d’Este secured a promise of a picture,3 and, perhaps at this
1 Fea, Notizie, p. 8. Another payment on 20 December 1516 of 134 ducats.
2 Bembo, Opere, xvi. 246.
3 Letters of Agostino Gonzaga, June 1515, and anonymous, November 1515. An
undated letter from Paulucci to Alfonso of Ferrara speaks of a picture for the Signora
96