Anecdotes of Painters, Engravers, Sculptors and Architects and Curiosities of Art (Vol. 3 of 3) by S. Spooner (best ebook reader under 100 TXT) 📖

to speak

with Lorenzo respecting it, that he might ascertain whether the latter

had taken it into consideration. But Lorenzo was so far from having

thought of this exigency, and so entirely unprepared for it, that he

replied by declaring that he would refer that to Filippo as the

inventor. The answer of Lorenzo pleased Filippo, who thought he here saw

the means of removing his colleague from the works, and of making it

manifest that he did not possess that degree of knowledge in the matter

that was attributed to him by his friends, and implied in the favor

which had placed him in the situation he held. All the builders were now

engaged in the work, and waited only for directions, to commence the

part above the twelve braccia, to raise the vaults, and render all

secure. The closing in of the cupola towards the top having commenced,

it was necessary to provide the scaffolding, that the masons and

laborers might work without danger, seeing that the height was such as

to make the most steady head turn giddy, and the firmest spirit shrink,

merely to look down from it. The masons and other masters were therefore

waiting in expectation of directions as to the manner in which the

chains were to be applied, and the scaffoldings erected; but, finding

there was nothing determined on either by Lorenzo or Filippo, there

arose a murmur among the masons and other builders, at not seeing the

work pursued with the solicitude previously shown; and as the workmen

were poor persons who lived by the labor of their hands, and who now

believed that neither one nor the other of the architects had courage

enough to proceed further with the undertaking, they went about the

building employing themselves as best they could in looking over and

furbishing up all that had been already executed.

 

"But one morning, Filippo did not appear at the works: he tied up his

head, went to bed complaining bitterly, and causing plates and towels to

be heated with great haste and anxiety, pretending that he had an attack

of pleurisy. The builders who stood waiting directions to proceed with

their work, on hearing this, demanded orders of Lorenzo for what they

were to do; but he replied that the arrangement of the work belonged to

Filippo, and that they must wait for him. 'How?' said one of them, 'do

you not know what his intentions are?' 'Yes,' replied Lorenzo, 'but I

would not do anything without him.'" This he said by way of excusing

himself; for as he had not seen the model of Filippo, and had never

asked him what method he meant to pursue, that he might not appear

ignorant, so he now felt completely out of his depth, being thus

referred to his own judgment, and the more so as he knew that he was

employed in that undertaking against the will of Filippo. The illness of

the latter having already lasted more than two days, the purveyor of the

works, with many of the master-builders, went to see him, and repeatedly

asked him to tell them what they should do; but he constantly replied,

'You have Lorenzo, let him begin to do something for once.' Nor could

they obtain from him any other reply. When this became known, it caused

much discussion: great blame was thrown upon the undertaking, and many

adverse judgments were uttered. Some said that Filippo had taken to his

bed from grief, at finding that he had not power to accomplish the

erection of the Cupola, and that he was now repenting of having meddled

with the matter; but his friends defended him, declaring that his

vexation might arise from the wrong he had suffered in having Lorenzo

given to him as a colleague, but that his disorder was pleurisy,

brought on by his excessive labors for the work. In the midst of all

this tumult of tongues, the building was suspended, and almost all the

operations of the masons and stone-cutters came to a stand. These men

murmured against Lorenzo, and said, 'He is good enough at drawing the

salary, but when it comes to directing the manner in which we are to

proceed, he does nothing; if Filippo were not here, or if he should

remain long disabled, what can Lorenzo do? and if Filippo be ill, is

that his fault?' The wardens, perceiving the discredit that accrued to

them from this state of things, resolved to make Filippo a visit, and

having reached his house, they first condoled with him on his illness,

told him into what disorder the building had fallen, and described the

troubles which this malady had brought on them. Whereupon Filippo,

speaking with much heat, partly to keep up the feint of illness, but

also in part from his interest in the work, exclaimed, 'What! is not

Lorenzo there? why does not he do something? I cannot but wonder at your

complaints.' To this the wardens replied, 'He will not do anything

without you.' Whereunto Filippo made answer, 'But I could do it well

enough without him.' This acute and doubly significant reply sufficed to

the wardens, and they departed, having convinced themselves that Filippo

was sick of the desire to work alone; they therefore sent certain of his

friends to draw him from his bed, with the intention of removing

Lorenzo from the work. Filippo then returned to the building, but seeing

the power that Lorenzo possessed by means of the favor he enjoyed, and

that he desired to receive the salary without taking any share whatever

in the labor, he bethought himself of another method for disgracing him,

and making it publicly and fully evident that he had very little

knowledge of the matter in hand. He consequently made the following

discourse to the wardens (Operai) Lorenzo being present:--'Signori

Operai, if the time we have to live were as well secured to us as is the

certainty that we may very quickly die, there is no doubt whatever that

many works would be completed, which are now commenced and left

imperfect. The malady with which I have had the misfortune to be

attacked, might have deprived me of life, and put a stop to this work;

wherefore, lest I should again fall sick, or Lorenzo either, which God

forbid, I have considered that it would be better for each to execute

his own portion of the work: as your worships have divided the salary,

let us also divide the labor, to the end that each, being incited to

show what he knows and is capable of performing, may proceed with

confidence, to his own honor and benefit, as well as to that of the

republic. Now there are two difficult operations which must at this time

be put into course of execution--the one is the erection of scaffoldings

for enabling the builders to work in safety, and which must be prepared

both for the inside and outside of the fabric, where they will be

required to sustain the weight of the men, the stones and the mortar,

with space also for the crane to draw up the different materials, and

for other machines and tools of various kinds. The other difficulty is

the chain-work, which has to be constructed upon the twelve braccia

already erected, this being requisite to bind and secure the eight sides

of the cupola, and which must surround the fabric, enchaining the whole,

in such a manner that the weight which has hereafter to be laid on it

shall press equally on all sides, the parts mutually supporting each

other, so that no part of the edifice shall be too heavily pressed on or

overweighed, but that all shall rest firmly on its own basis. Let

Lorenzo then take one of these works, whichever he may think he can most

easily execute; I will take the other, and answer for bringing it to a

successful issue, that we may lose no more time.' Lorenzo having heard

this, was compelled, for the sake of his honor, to accept one or other

of these undertakings; and although he did it very unwillingly, he

resolved to take the chain work, thinking that he might rely on the

counsels of the builders, and remembering also that there was a

chain-work of stone in the vaulting of San Giovanni di Fiorenza, from

which he might take a part, if not the whole, of the arrangement. One

took the scaffolds in hand accordingly, and the other the chain-work, so

that both were put in progress. The scaffolds of Filippo were

constructed with so much ingenuity and judgment, that in this matter

the very contrary of what many had before expected was seen to have

happened, since the builders worked thereon with as much security as

they would have done on the ground beneath, drawing up all the requisite

weights and standing themselves in perfect safety. The models of these

scaffolds were deposited in the hall of the wardens. Lorenzo executed

the chain-work on one of the eight walls with the utmost difficulty, and

when it was finished the wardens caused Filippo to look at it. He said

nothing to them, but with some of his friends he held discourse on the

subject, declaring that the building required a very different work of

ligature and security to that one, laid in a manner altogether unlike

the method there adopted; for that this would not suffice to support the

weight which was to be laid on it, the pressure not being of sufficient

strength and firmness. He added that the sums paid to Lorenzo, with the

chain-work which he had caused to be constructed, were so much labor,

time, and money thrown away. The remarks of Filippo became known, and he

was called upon to show the manner that ought to be adopted for the

construction of such a chain-work; wherefore, having already prepared

his designs and models, he exhibited them immediately, and they were no

sooner examined by the wardens and other masters, than they perceived

the error into which they had fallen by favoring Lorenzo. For this they

now resolved to make amends; and desiring to prove that they were

capable of distinguishing merit, they made Filippo chief and

superintendent of the whole fabric for life, commanding that nothing

should be done in the work but as he should direct. As a further mark of

approbation, they presented him moreover with a hundred florins, ordered

by the syndics and wardens, under date of August 13, 1423, through

Lorenzo Paoli, notary of the administration of the works, and signed by

Gherardo di Messer Filippo Corsini: they also voted him an allowance of

one hundred florins for life. Whereupon, having taken measures for the

future progress of the fabric, Filippo conducted the works with so much

solicitude and such minute attention, that there was not a stone placed

in the building which he had not examined. Lorenzo on the other hand,

finding himself vanquished and in a manner disgraced, was nevertheless

so powerfully assisted and favored by his friends, that he continued to

receive his salary, under the pretext that he could not be dismissed

until the expiration of three years from that time.[4]

 

"Drawings and models were meanwhile continually prepared by Filippo for

the most minute portions of the building, for the stages or scaffolds

for the workmen, and for the machines used in raising the materials.

There were nevertheless several malicious persons, friends of Lorenzo,

who did not cease to torment him by daily bringing forward models in

rivalry of those constructed by him, insomuch that one was made by

Maestro Antonio da Verzelli, and other masters who were favored and

brought into notice--now by one citizen and now by another, their

fickleness and mutability betraying the insufficiency of their knowledge

and the weakness of their judgment, since having perfection within their

reach, they perpetually brought forward the imperfect and useless.

 

"The chain-work was now completed around all the eight sides, and the

builders, animated by success, worked vigorously; but being pressed more

than usual by Filippo, and having received certain reprimands concerning

the masonry and in relation to other matters of daily occurrence,

discontents began to prevail. Moved by this circumstance and by their

envy, the chiefs among them drew together and got up a faction,

declaring that the work was a laborious and perilous undertaking, and

that they would not proceed with the vaulting of the cupola, but on

condition of receiving large payments, although their wages had already

been increased and were much higher than was usual: by these means they

hoped to injure Filippo and increase their own gains. This circumstance

displeased the wardens greatly, as it did Filippo also; but the latter,

having reflected on the matter, took his resolution, and one Saturday

evening he dismissed them all. The men seeing themselves thus sent about

their business, and not knowing how the affair would turn, were very

sullen; but on the following Monday Filippo set ten