Part 3 (1/2)

[Illustration: Plate 31--_Panels froiore, now in the Cathedral, Siena_

_To face page 60_]

In 1490 he was summoned to the Certosa at Pavia to estimate the value of the stalls made by Bartolommeo dei Polli, in company with Giacomo dei Crocefissi and Cristoforo de' Rocchi Except for these there are no notices of the hich he must have done till 1502, when the abbot anddetermined to renew the choir of their church, confided the work to Fra Giovanni, and necessarily recalled him He worked with so much enthusiasreat repute and with no less satisfaction to the monks” ”The whole comprised 52 stalls, with their backs, seats and ar”

(it now consists of 48 stalls and 47 pictures), and the panels of the backs orked in tarsia with perspective views ”beautiful to a ured houses, views of the country, cupboards, grilles, sacred utensils, and other fancies In the early years of the 19th century 38 of these perspectives were moved to Siena and placed in the Cathedral, where they now are Another choir, smaller but not less beautiful, was made for the church of the Olivetan monastery of S

Benedetto fuori della Porta at Tufi, near Siena This church is in ruins; 31 perspectives froiore, the monks who returned after the revocation of the suppression in 1813 having appealed to the Archbishop to allow them to take them Four of the ancient backs were found in a corner of the sacristy, and eight carried to Siena and found superfluous were returned, as well as one which a neighbouring villager had taken Sos as they were at the beginning of the 16th century The frames resemble friezes, and are decorated with flowers, fruit, birds, musical instruments, arms, and ornament Each back is separated from the next by a colonnette carved with delicate arabesques In this choir is also an Easter candlestick ano, Verona, and there are two doors which belonged to the library Pope Julius II called him to Rome in 1571, and conatura in the Vatican, the designs for which are ascribed to Raffaelle, not only the seat backs with their seats, but also the doors, all worked with perspectives, ”in which he succeeded so well that he gained great favour with the pontiff” Then he went to Naples and did the sa and intarsia in the sacristy of the choir of the chapel of Paolo Tolosa, in the church of Monte Oliveto in that city, works not less successful and lauded than those of Siena and Rome This church is now called that of S Anna dei Lo, and include nine panels of perspectives of landscapes, buildings, &c, nine others showing cupboards with objects on the shelves, and one with a figure of an abbot around which the following inscription runs:--

TEPRERPFDOMIDELEVGNKABBATISET RPALOISIIDESALERNOPRIOR

The work is exceedingly delicate, pieces of wood no thicker than a thick pencil line being often used In one panel is a well-executed lily, in another a hare is a foreground figure, in another are an owl and a bullfinch, while a hoopoe appears in another, with mountains behind him The objects on the shelves of the cupboards are turned at queer angles to show his skill in perspective, but, since they lack tone, do not appear quite accurate A the architectural subjects are the choir of a church, a harbour, and a castle on a hill, seen fro a little like that in the background of Raffaelle's ”Sposalizio” They ell restored in 1860 by C G Minchiotti In the monks' choir in the church are other intarsie said to be by Angelo da Verona, Giovanni's brother They are principally arabesques, so the panels in the Cathedral at Genoa, but include four figure panels of little angels and an Annunciation in two panels, which are not without charh rather overstiff

[Illustration: Plate 32--_Frieze froe 62_]

In his last years he returned to Verona, where he had ano, and the cupboards of the sacristy These have the reputation of being not only the finest of the period but also the best which cae was in this church for twoone of the inundations, but the tarsie did not suffer so ht have been expected He accepted a commission in 1523 for some stalls for the Olivetan church at Lodi, S Cristopher, eleven of which are now in the suburban church of S Bernardino in that city, but died before they were completed Vincenzo Sabbia writes of these:--”In the year 1523 the reverend father Fra Filippo Villani of Lodi, prior of the convent of S Cristoforo in that city, agreed with Fra Giovanni Veronese, an excellent master of perspective, to make him 35 pictures of perspective at the rate of 30 or 40 broad ducats of gold for each--which are worth 5 lire 4 soldi each--which were to be finished in two or three years, and 300 broad ducats of gold were counted out to him The said brother was not able to finish more than 23, because he died on February 10, 1525 They were sent from Verona and taken to Lodi, and in 1586 the new church of S Cristoforo being finished, Don Agostino, the prior, who had charge of the fabric, had the aforesaid 23 pictures with their ornaments set in the choir by the hand of Paolo Sasono” He died in the 68th year of his age, and was buried in S Maria in Organo He is called ”prior” in a chronicle of the monastery under date 1511, and in the list of dead In his portrait in the sacristy, by Caroto, he is represented with the tonsure and with the hood and cowl of the form which was proper to monks ere constituted ”in sacris”

Fra Raffaello da Brescia, whose name was Roberto Marone, was born in 1477 His father's name was Pietro Marone, and his mother was a Venetian, named Cecilia Tiepolo When twenty-two years old he took the monastic habit as a lay brother in the convent of S Nicol di Rodengo, near Brescia, and a little later (in 1502) was sent to Monte Oliveto Maggiore Fra Giovanni being then established there as ”conventual brother,” took young Marone and taught hi and talent for the work, so that he soon became a clever workman

Between 1504 and 1507 he worked with him at the choir of Monte Oliveto, from 1506 to 1510 he ith hi executed, and in 1511 and 1512 he was at S Nicol di Rodengo, where he worked at the choir of that church The lectern froo is now in the Galleria Tosi at Brescia; the inlays are in the lower portion, and show architectural compositions in perspective and the usual objects, such as a censer, an open book, &c It is signed FRB In 1513 Raffaello cona, and here he also n for the ca that like so many of the intarsiatori he was no ress he executed a lectern for Monte Oliveto, ordered by the abbot Barnaba Cevenini, as a Bolognese It is signed and dated 1520, and shows on each side a choir book open, with notes of music and words In one of the lower panels a black cat sy the largest of the Olivetan convents The Benedictines entered into possession in 1364, but these buildings were destroyed by the Bolognese in 1430, ”so that they ive shelter and a base for hostilities to the soldiers of Martin V” The re-construction began in 1437 The choir was raised on several steps, and called ”Il Paradiso,” ten years later, but subsequent alterations have left very little of the original work visible Raffaello's stalls were probably finished in 1521, that being the date on a panel which was formerly in the centre of the choir Of these splendid works only two confessionals still remain in the church At the time of the suppression of the convents at the end of the 18th century the populace, drunk with rapine and devastation, tore down these stalls, and they were sold for a few pence to the Bolognesemerchants Only 18 of the principal roere saved fro the them restored and placed in the chapel of his family in S Petronio (now the chapel of the Holy Sacrament), where they now are He was not able to save the hoods and shell canopies, which were sold for firewood for 4 baiocchi each! (about two pence) The designs are of the usual style, cupboards and various objects in perspective; one of the finest is the first on the left, which includes a fine sphere and sundial, and several books written in German letters, black and red, a chalice in a cupboard, two books, and a cross In the seventh is the figure of Pope Gregory in the act of blessing, and the last on the right shows loggias and porticoes of good style, well put in perspective With part of the tarsie from S Michele pianoforte cases were made, other portions were used for the floor of the Casino, near the theatre of the Corso, and orn to pieces by the feet of the dancers! In 1525 Fra Raffaello went to Rome, and no further notices of him or of his work occur till his death there in 1537; he was buried in S Maria in Cah rather later in date, also at Bologna, are the upper row in the choir of S Giovanni in Monte, which have on their backs intarsie representing s, eometrical motives, all executed with a mastery which reveals an artist old at the work

They recall in their general effect those in S Prospero at Reggio, in the Emilia, which were executed by the brothers Mantelli in 1546 They are set in a carved fra of arches divided by pilasters which terminate above in brackets which support the cornice The pilasters rest on the arms which divide the seats Champeaux says they were made by Paolo del Sacha

The tarsie in S Mark's, Venice, orked by Fra Vincenzo da Verona, another Olivetan, under as Fra Pietro da Padova, Jesuit, with two youths to assist theiven in 1523 Three rooned hi, as stated in the registers of the procurators of S Mark's On January 15, 1524, they inspected the work done, and were not satisfied, and so suspended it, ”praising, nevertheless, the na, the registers contained, under date April 7, 1526, a note of money paid to ”Fra Vincenzio, of the order of the Jesuits, for the finishi+ng of the works of inlay” in the choir of S Marco On February 25, 1537, certain iven to e's seat, which is said to have been ”a great thing full of artistic pangs” (!), and rather hindered the genuflections to the altar This was e that year This Fra Vincenzo da Verona, or Vincenzo dalla Vacche, is mentioned by Morello in his ”Notizie” as excellent, especially in his work at S Benedetto Novello at Padua, four panels from which are now in the Louvre He became novice in 1492, ”Conventuale” of Monte Oliveto in 1498, was a priest like Fra Giovanni, and lived almost all his life in his native city He died in 1531 The tarsie in the presbytery at S Marco consist of seven great compartments, five lesser, and thirteen which are shteen sure subjects, but by ure of S

Mark with a lion at his feet, which is not very good (it was restored in 1848-50 by Antonio Caure of Charity side by side with one of Justice, a wo the balances Next coher in character, then four ornamental panels, a door, and five others, also of ornament

The next panel in the corner bears date 1535, to which year the figures of Justice and Charity ures are Prudence and Teth in character The re subject, a Pieta, is like Charity and Justice, and is e's seat, until the fall of the Republic, was on the right of the principal entrance to the choir, as Sansovino says It had on its back a figure of Justice, now in the Museo Civico He also says that Sebastiano Schiavone did these tarsie, but he died in 1505 Various initials appear here and there through the work; on each side of the figure of S Mark are UFQ and MSR in cartouches, Charity and Justice have N and P at the sides, and Prudence has PSS and SSC attached to her The panels of ornaure of Charity

[Illustration: Plate 33--_Panel froe 68_]

Fra Daareater reputation He was considered the finest artist in tarsia of his ti, ”with his woods, coloured to a ” His faht to have been born about 1490, and he became a Dominican monk An anonymous MS of the 16th century, published by Morelli, calls him a pupil of a Slavonian, that is, Illyrian, brother of Venice, Fra Sebastiano da Rovigno He passed the greater part of his life at Bologna, in the Dominican cloister there, into which he was admitted in 1528 In the records of the convent for that year occurs the note, ”Frater Daularissimus, et unicus in l'arte della tarsia, conversus, receptatus fuit in filium conventus” At S Domenico the choir stalls were his first work; he did seven, containing fourteen subjects and seven heads of saints These were finished in 1530, and in consequence of their success he was co of the wood farther than Fra Giovanni did, using solutions of sublimate of mercury, of arsenic, and what they called oil of sulphur He is said to have had Vignola's designs for the architectural parts

Charles the Fifth was in Bologna with Clement VII, and was crowned Emperor in S Petronio on Dece the works of art, and, doubting that the tarsie were made of tinted wood, as he was told, drew his rapier and cut a bit out of one of the panels, which has always remained in the state in which he left it into see how the as done he deterly, on March 7, 1530, he took with him Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, and several princes of his escort, and went to the convent, when, being conducted to Fra Da opened and allowed the Emperor to enter, shut it quickly ”Stay,” said the Emperor, ”that is the Duke of Ferrara, who follows me” ”I know him,”

answered Fra Damiano, ”and that is why I will never let him enterof his doing to complain of then?” ”Listen, your ana to undertake the work of this choir

I had with me these tools which you see, few in number, but necessary for the work in which it is ht in the art I had scarcely touched the frontiers of Ferrara when they not only obliged me, a poor friar, to pay a heavy and unjust tax, but theit was uery in his State, it is right that he should not see this hich you see” Charles smiled, and promised to obtain fro out of the cell he told the duke the reason of Fra Daer, and he not only promised to repay the loss which he had suffered, but conceded a patent to him, by which he and his pupils were for ever free fro the duchy of Ferrara Then they all ca into the cell, and Fra Damiano, to show them that his tarsie were not painted with a brush took a little plane and passed it over a panel with so how the colours, after that treatave the Emperor a most beautiful piece of the Crucifixion, and another to the Duke of Ferrara, who valued it greatly Locatelli gives some conversations between Fra Damiano and his assistant Zanetto, whichfor their racy expression, according ith his reported action ”If it were in my power I would nail up this door for Charles and for all the dukes of the world This art which I exercise is exceeding dear to e things after their own fashi+on; and sad it is for those who have to endure it I respect His Majesty the Ereat man, but the fate of Rome sticks in my throat That other, too, who accompanies him--” ”Who?” interrupted Zanetto, ”the Pope?” ”Oh, rubbish; the Pope! The Duke of Ferrara With him I have a special account, and he must not come here” He also adds the detail that Fra Da for ithal to pay the duke's dues till he blushed

Fro to be placed in the chapel of the ”arca,” the toht by soht cupboards in this, and on each are eight subjects In 1534 the Order was so poor that such expenses were stopped Seven years later the as recommenced and finished in 1550 by Fra Bernardino and Fra Antonio da Lunigiano a few ust 30, 1549 The choir consists of a double row of 28 stalls on each side, ht subjects from the New, and on the left froht are the best, and are probably Fra Damiano's oork He had as assistants at one tiamo, Francesco di Lorenzo Zambelli, and a lay brother, Fra Bernardino, who afterwards did the sacristy door At another tiether with Zampiero da Padova, Fra Antonio Asinelis, the brothers Capo di Ferro of Lovere, Pietro di Maffeis, Giovanni and Alessandro Belli The choir of S Domenico cost 2809 scudi Henry II of France commissioned a little chapel from him with an altar-piece, for his reputation had crossed the Alps, and Cardinal Salviati and Paul III, the Farnese Pope, also wished for his work, as did the Benedictine ia He did for them a two-leaved door, which cost 120 scudi, now placed at the back of the choir, and opening on to a balcony, from which one sees, in fine weather, as far as the Castle of Spoleto There are four subjects, two on each leaf; the Annunciation illustrated is one of thee about him and his work ”But, above all, those who can obtain them decorate their mansions with the works, rather divine than human, of Fra Damiano, who excelled not only in perspectives, like those other worthy rounds, and what is yet reat Apelles did with his pencil I even think that the colours of these woods are more vivid, brilliant, and beautiful than those used by painters, so that these most excellent workswithout colours, a thing much to be wondered at And what adds to the h these works are executed with inlaid pieces the eye cannot even by the greatest exertion detect the joints” He then goes on in the sa woods in any colour that you may wish, and in imitation of spotted and marbled stones, as he has been unique in our century, so I think that he will be without equal in the future; it is certain that our Lord God has lent his ht be well ended, to put his final work on the work of S Dona I think, indeed I ahth wonder of the world; and as the Babylonians, the assyrians, the Egyptians, and the Greeks boasted of their tena will be able to glory in and to boast of the choir of S

Domenico And because I do not wish that the love and affection that I bear to my most excellent father shouldfar from me, and especially with friends about whom I always speak the truth, I say no h on the oodness of his religious and holy life” Fra Leandro Alberti, in his description of Italy, speaks in so the same manner--”Frate Damiano, lay brother of the Order of Preachers, has becoenius as is to be found in the whole world at present, in putting together woods with so much art that they appear pictures made with a brush”

[Illustration: Plate 34--_Panel froia_

_To face page 74_]