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Giorgio Vasari
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters,
Sculptors, and Architects
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Giorgio Vasari |
The Lives of the Artists |
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see collection:
Donatello
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Donatello
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St Rossore
1425-27
Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, Pisa
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FILIPPO'S friend Donato, who was always called Donatello, was
born in Florence in the year I383, and produced many works in his
youth; but the first thing that caused him to be known was an
Annunciation carved in stone for the church of S. Croce in Florence.
For the same church he made a crucifix of wood, which he carved with
extraordinary patience; and when it was done, thinking it a very
fine piece of work, he showed it to Filippo that he might have his
opinion upon it. Filippo, who expected from what Donatello had said
to see something better, when he looked at it could not help smiling
a little. Donatello, seeing it, prayed him by their friendship to
speak his mind truly, upon which Filippo, who was frank enough,
replied that he seemed to him to have put on the cross a peasant and
not Jesus Christ, who was the man most perfect in everything that
ever was born. Donatello, feeling the reproach more bitterly
because he had expected praise, replied, "If it were as easy to do a
thing as to judge it, my Christ would not look like a peasant; but
take some wood yourself and make one." Filippo without another word
returned home, and, saying nothing to any one, set to work upon a
crucifix, and aiming to surpass Donatello that he might not condemn
himself, he brought it to great perfection after many months. Then
one morning he invited Donatello to dine with him. Donatello
accepted his invitation, and they went together to Filippo's house.
Coming to the old market, Filippo bought some things and gave them
to Donatello, saying, "Go on to the house and wait for me, I am just
coming." So Donatello, going into the house, found Filippo's
crucifix arranged in a good light; and stopping to consider it, he
found it so perfect that, overcome with surprise and admiration, he
let his apron drop, and the eggs and cheese and all the other things
that he was carrying in it fell to the ground and were broken.
Filippo, coming in and finding him standing thus lost in
astonishment, said, laughingly, "What are you about, Donatello? How
are we to dine when you have dropped all the things?" "I," said
Donatello, "have had enough. If you want anything, take it. To you
it is given to do Christs, and to me peasants."
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David
c. 1430
Bronze
Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence
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After this he made for the facade of S. Maria del Fiore a Daniel
and a S. John the Evangelist, and within the same church, for the
organ gallery, those figures which, though they are only roughly
sketched, seem when you look at them to be alive and move. For
Donatello made his figures in such a way that in the room where he
worked they did not look half as well as when they were put in their
places. It was so with the S. Mark, which in company with Filippo he
undertook for the joiners (though with Filippo's goodwill he
completed it all himself). When the masters of the company saw it
while it was on the ground they did not recognise its value, and
stopped the work; but Donatello begged them to let him put it up and
work upon it, and he would turn it into quite another figure. Then,
having set it up and screened it from view for a fortnight, when he
uncovered it, although he had not touched it, every one was
astonished at it. For the armourers he made a S. George in armour,
very full of life, with all the beauty of youth and the courage of
the soldier.
For the fasade of S. Maria del Fiore he made also four figures,
two of which were portraits from life, one young Francesco Soderini,
and the other Giovanni de Barduccio Cherichini, which is now called
the Zuccone, the bald man. This being considered more beautiful than
anything he had ever done, Donatello used to swear by it, saying,
"By the faith I bear to my bald man." While he was working upon it
he would look at it and say, "Speak, speak!"
Duke Cosimo de' Medici admired his talents so much that he made
him work for him constantly; and he on his part bore such love to
Cosimo that he undertook what he wished at the least sign, and
obeyed him. There is a story told of a Genoese merchant who, by the
mediation of Cosimo, prevailed upon Donatello to make a bronze head
for him. When it was finished, the merchant coming to pay him,
thought that Donatello asked too much, so the matter was referred to
Cosimo. He had it brought to the upper court of the palace and
placed on the wall overlooking the street, that it might be seen
better. But when he tried to settle the difference, he found the
merchant's offer very much below Donatello's demand, and turning to
him he said it was too little. The merchant, who thought it too
much, answered that Donatello had worked upon it for a month, or a
little more, and that would give him more than half a florin a day.
Donatello upon that turned upon him in anger, thinking these words
too great an insult, and telling the merchant that he had found
means in a hundredth part of an hour to destroy the work of a year,
he gave the head a sudden blow and knocked it down into the street,
where it was broken into many pieces, adding that it was evident he
was in the habit of bargaining about beans and not statues. The
merchant repenting, offered to give him double as much if he would
make it again, but neither his promises nor Cosimo's entreaties
could make him consent.
In the houses of the Martelli are many works done by Donatello,
and among them a David three braccia high, with many other things
given to that family out of his love and devotion, particularly a S.
John in high relief worked in marble, a most rare thing, belonging
now to the heirs of Ruberto Martelli, who left command that it
should never be pledged or sold or given away, under heavy
penalties, in testimony of the kindness shown them by Donatello.
At this time the Signory of Venice, hearing the fame of him, sent
for him to make the monument to Gattamelata in the city of Padua. He
undertook it very gladly, and made the statue that stands in the
Piazza of S. Antonio, with the horse chafing and neighing, and its
proud, spirited rider. Donatello showed himself in this so
admirable, both for proportion and execution, that truly it may be
compared to any ancient work. The Paduans sought by every means to
prevail upon him to become a citizen and to stay there, giving him
much work to do; but finding himself considered a marvel, and
praised on all sides, he determined to return to Florence, saying if
he stayed there longer he should forget all he knew, being praised
so much, and that he must return to his own city to be continually
found fault with, for this faultfinding would be the cause of his
studying more, and thereby winning greater glory.
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Faith
1427-29
Bronze
Baptistry, Siena
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To sum up, Donatello was so admirable in knowledge, in judgment,
and in the practice of his art that he may be said to have been the
first to illustrate the art of sculpture among the moderns; and he
deserves the more commendation because in his time few antiquities
had been uncovered. He was one of those who aroused in Cosimo de'
Medici the desire to bring antiquities into Florence. He was most
liberal and courteous, and kinder to his friends than himself; nor
did he care for money, keeping it in a basket hanging from the
ceiling, where his workmen and friends could help themselves without
saying anything to him. When he got old, therefore, and could not
work, he was supported by Cosimo and his friends. Cosimo dying,
recommended him to Piero his son, who, to carry out his father's
wishes, gave him a farm in Cafaggiuolo on which he could live
comfortably. Donatello was greatly pleased, thinking he was now more
than secure from dying of hunger. But he had not held it a year
befor came to Piero and gave it him back, saying that he could
not give up all his quiet to attend to domestic matters and to
listen to the troubles of the farmer who was at him every third
day, now to complain that the wind had taken the roof off the
pigeon house, now that all the cattle had been taken to pay the
taxes, and again that the storm had destroyed his vines and fruit
trees; that he was weary of the trouble, and would rather die of
hunger than have to think of such things. Piero laughed at his
simplicity, and taking back the land, made him a provision of the
same value in money paid him every week, with which he was quite
content, and passed all the rest of his life as friend and servant
of the Medici without trouble or care.
One of his pupils was Nanni d'Antonio di Banco, who, although he
inherited riches and was not of low birth, yet delighting in
sculpture, was not only not ashamed to learn it and to practise it,
but obtained not a little glory in it. He was by nature rather slow,
but modest, humble, and agreeable in conversation. The S. Philip in
marble which is outside the Orsanmichele in Florence is from his
hand. The work had been first allotted to Donatello by the guild of
the shoemakers, but not being able to agree with him about the
price, to spite Donatello they gave it to Nanni, who promised to
take whatever they would give him. But when the statue was finished
and set up, he asked a greater price than Donatello had asked. The
consuls of the guild therefore turned again to Donatello, thinking
that envy would make him estimate the value of the statue much lower
than if it had been his work. But they were deceived, for Donatello
gave judgment that more should be given to Nanni than he had asked.
And they, not willing to agree to such a judgment, cried out to
Donatello, "Why, if you would have done the work for less, do you
value it more highly from the hand of another, and constrain us to
pay more than he himself asks, and yet you acknowledge that it would
have been better done if you had done it?" Donatello answered,
laughing, "The good man is not as good at the art as I am, and
suffers much more fatigue than I; therefore it appears to me that as
just men you are bound to pay him for the time that he has spent."
So his decision was accepted, the two parties having agreed to abide
by it.
Below the niche in which it was placed are four saints in marble,
made by Nanni for the guilds of the smiths, carpenters, and masons.
It is said that when they were all finished he found that it was not
possible to get more than three into the niche, he having made some
of them extending their arms. Then in despair he came to Donatello
and prayed him to advise him how to repair his mistake. Donatello,
laughing at his dilemma, said, "If you will promise to pay for a
supper for me and my lads I will undertake to make the saints go
into the niche without any trouble." Nanni then, having given the
promise very readily, Donatello sent him to take some measures at
Prato, and to do some other matters that would take a few days. And
when he was gone, Donatello, with all his pupils and workmen, set to
work and cut off from the statues here a shoulder and there the
arms, making them fit in close together, with the hand of one
appearing over the next one's shoulder. So Donatello having linked
them together to conceal Nanni's mistake, they remain as tokens of
concord and brotherly kindness; while those who know nothing of the
matter would never perceive the error. Nanni, on his return, finding
that Donatello had rectified his mistake, gave him infinite thanks,
and most willingly paid for the supper.
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Herod's Banquet
1427
Bronze
Baptistry, Siena
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see collection:
Donatello
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