DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7597#0453
412
SANDRO BOTTICELLI.
[chap. vi.
" S. Francesco, at Monte Varchi, he painted the picture at the
" principal altar; and at the church of the i Pieve' at Empoli, on
" that side where is the St. Sebastian by Rossellino, he painted
" two angels. He was among the first that discovered the method
" of preparing and executing the decorations on the standards, and
" similar things, carried in processions, by letting in the cloths, or
" silks, of different colours, in pieces; so that the colours shewed
" on both sides the standard, and the work was not so liable to
" fade : in which manner he painted the standard of f Or San
" Michele,' filled with beautiful and varied representations of the
" Madonna,"* &c.
" Sandro was a most excellent designer, and drew a great deal,
" insomuch that, for some time after his death, his designs were
" sought after and highly prized by the artists ;-f- and in our bookij;
are several which are executed Avith great freedom and judg-
" ment. In his historical compositions he was copious, and intro-
" duced a great number of figures; as may be seen in the frieze
" of the Crucifixion which the friars of S. Maria Novella bear in
" procession, and which Avas worked in tapestry after his designs.
" Sandro, in fine, merited great praise for all his works of painting,
* I am unable to understand clearly the
meaning of the author in the two lines which
complete this sentence, and have, therefore,
omitted them.
f A stronger testimony to the merits of
Botticelli, than that the artists of Florence
should have coveted to possess his drawings,
even some years after the greatest painters
and sculptors of the sixteenth century had
made their appearance, can scarcely be con-
ceived. That the fact, however, was as
Vasari has stated, I can readily believe;
having, amongst other drawings by him in
my own collection, two studies of heads from
nature, drawn on a tinted paper with a silver
ppint, and touched in the lights with white,
which would do no discredit to the hand of
Raffaello, or da Vinci.
J That is, the large volume in which Va-
sari had collected together the original designs
of all the greatest artists of Italy, from the
revival of painting by Cimabue to his own
time. The drawings contained in this col-
lection (which, perhaps, consisted of more
than one volume) appear to have been dis-
persed about a century ago. The Duke of
Devonshire's cabinet possesses some of them ;
and a few others, especially a sheet of
studies by Cimabue, which was, probably,
the first leaf of the collection, are in my
own.
SANDRO BOTTICELLI.
[chap. vi.
" S. Francesco, at Monte Varchi, he painted the picture at the
" principal altar; and at the church of the i Pieve' at Empoli, on
" that side where is the St. Sebastian by Rossellino, he painted
" two angels. He was among the first that discovered the method
" of preparing and executing the decorations on the standards, and
" similar things, carried in processions, by letting in the cloths, or
" silks, of different colours, in pieces; so that the colours shewed
" on both sides the standard, and the work was not so liable to
" fade : in which manner he painted the standard of f Or San
" Michele,' filled with beautiful and varied representations of the
" Madonna,"* &c.
" Sandro was a most excellent designer, and drew a great deal,
" insomuch that, for some time after his death, his designs were
" sought after and highly prized by the artists ;-f- and in our bookij;
are several which are executed Avith great freedom and judg-
" ment. In his historical compositions he was copious, and intro-
" duced a great number of figures; as may be seen in the frieze
" of the Crucifixion which the friars of S. Maria Novella bear in
" procession, and which Avas worked in tapestry after his designs.
" Sandro, in fine, merited great praise for all his works of painting,
* I am unable to understand clearly the
meaning of the author in the two lines which
complete this sentence, and have, therefore,
omitted them.
f A stronger testimony to the merits of
Botticelli, than that the artists of Florence
should have coveted to possess his drawings,
even some years after the greatest painters
and sculptors of the sixteenth century had
made their appearance, can scarcely be con-
ceived. That the fact, however, was as
Vasari has stated, I can readily believe;
having, amongst other drawings by him in
my own collection, two studies of heads from
nature, drawn on a tinted paper with a silver
ppint, and touched in the lights with white,
which would do no discredit to the hand of
Raffaello, or da Vinci.
J That is, the large volume in which Va-
sari had collected together the original designs
of all the greatest artists of Italy, from the
revival of painting by Cimabue to his own
time. The drawings contained in this col-
lection (which, perhaps, consisted of more
than one volume) appear to have been dis-
persed about a century ago. The Duke of
Devonshire's cabinet possesses some of them ;
and a few others, especially a sheet of
studies by Cimabue, which was, probably,
the first leaf of the collection, are in my
own.