DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57409#0208
192 LIVES OF THE ARTISTS.
descendants, who, from such beginnings, often rise to the
highest and noblest condition, as happened to those of Taddeo
Gaddi, in consequence of his works.
This Taddeo, son of Gaddo Gaddi, the Florentine, was
the godson of Giotto ; and, after the death of his father
Gaddo, was the disciple of that master, with whom he con-
tinued twenty-four years. This we are told by Cennino di
Drea Cennini, a painter of Colle di Valdelsa,* who further
relates, that on the death of Giotto, Taddeo Gaddi was con-
sidered the first in the art, for judgment, genius, and other
artistic qualities, being superior in most of these to all his
fellow-disciples. The first works of Taddeo were executed
with. i facility, which was received from nature, rather than
acquired by art. They were performed in the church of
Santa Croce, in Florence, and in the chapel of the sacristy,
where, in company with others, (also disciples of the deceased
Giotto), he painted stories from the Life of Santa Maria
Maddalena ; the figures of these works are very fine, and the
vestments, after the fashion of those times, are also beautiful
and curious.f In the chapel of the Baroncelli and Bandini,
for which Giotto had painted a picture in distemper, Taddeo
executed certain frescoes, representing stories from the
Life of the Virgin ; these he did entirely alone, and they
were considered extremely beautiful.J He afterwards painted
the story of Christ disputing with the Doctors in the Temple,
over the door of the same sacristy; but this work was
nearly ruined, when Cosmo de’ Medici, the elder, built the
noviciate, the chapel and the parlour in front of the sacristy,
a stone cornice having then been placed over the door. In
the same church Taddeo Gaddi painted the chapel of the
Bellacci in fresco, as also that of St. Andrew, which is near
to one of the three chapels decorated by Giotto himself.
* Cennino, son of Andrea Cennini, of whose treatise on painting' (the
oldest extant) Vasari speaks further in the Life of Agnolo Gaddi. Three
manuscripts of this work are known to the reading world. One is in
the Laurentian Library in Florence , a second in the Riccardiana. in the
same city ; and a third, apparently only a modern copy of the Lauren-
tian, in the Vatican. The work of Cennini was translated into English,
some years since, by Mrs. Merrifield.
t For a description of the frescoes here ascribed to Taddeo Gaddi
see Rumohr, Ital. Forsch. vol. ii, p. 80.
J These frescoes still exist. See Rumohr, tit supra, p. 79.
descendants, who, from such beginnings, often rise to the
highest and noblest condition, as happened to those of Taddeo
Gaddi, in consequence of his works.
This Taddeo, son of Gaddo Gaddi, the Florentine, was
the godson of Giotto ; and, after the death of his father
Gaddo, was the disciple of that master, with whom he con-
tinued twenty-four years. This we are told by Cennino di
Drea Cennini, a painter of Colle di Valdelsa,* who further
relates, that on the death of Giotto, Taddeo Gaddi was con-
sidered the first in the art, for judgment, genius, and other
artistic qualities, being superior in most of these to all his
fellow-disciples. The first works of Taddeo were executed
with. i facility, which was received from nature, rather than
acquired by art. They were performed in the church of
Santa Croce, in Florence, and in the chapel of the sacristy,
where, in company with others, (also disciples of the deceased
Giotto), he painted stories from the Life of Santa Maria
Maddalena ; the figures of these works are very fine, and the
vestments, after the fashion of those times, are also beautiful
and curious.f In the chapel of the Baroncelli and Bandini,
for which Giotto had painted a picture in distemper, Taddeo
executed certain frescoes, representing stories from the
Life of the Virgin ; these he did entirely alone, and they
were considered extremely beautiful.J He afterwards painted
the story of Christ disputing with the Doctors in the Temple,
over the door of the same sacristy; but this work was
nearly ruined, when Cosmo de’ Medici, the elder, built the
noviciate, the chapel and the parlour in front of the sacristy,
a stone cornice having then been placed over the door. In
the same church Taddeo Gaddi painted the chapel of the
Bellacci in fresco, as also that of St. Andrew, which is near
to one of the three chapels decorated by Giotto himself.
* Cennino, son of Andrea Cennini, of whose treatise on painting' (the
oldest extant) Vasari speaks further in the Life of Agnolo Gaddi. Three
manuscripts of this work are known to the reading world. One is in
the Laurentian Library in Florence , a second in the Riccardiana. in the
same city ; and a third, apparently only a modern copy of the Lauren-
tian, in the Vatican. The work of Cennini was translated into English,
some years since, by Mrs. Merrifield.
t For a description of the frescoes here ascribed to Taddeo Gaddi
see Rumohr, Ital. Forsch. vol. ii, p. 80.
J These frescoes still exist. See Rumohr, tit supra, p. 79.