Anecdotes of Painters, Engravers, Sculptors and Architects and Curiosities of Art (Vol. 3 of 3) by S. Spooner (best ebook reader under 100 TXT) 📖
- Author: S. Spooner
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the building, and by remaining constantly present with them, and saying,
'do this here' and 'do that there,' he taught them so much in one day
that they were able to continue the work during many weeks. The masons,
seeing themselves thus disgraced as well as deprived of their
employment, and knowing that they would find no work equally profitable,
sent messengers to Filippo, declaring that they would willingly return,
and recommending themselves to his consideration. Filippo kept them for
several days in suspense, and seemed not inclined to admit them again;
they were afterwards reinstated, but with lower wages than they had
received at first: thus where they had thought to make gain they
suffered loss, and by seeking to revenge themselves on Filippo, they
brought injury and shame on their own heads.
"The tongues of the envious were now silenced, and when the building was
seen to proceed so happily, the genius of Filippo obtained its due
consideration; and, by all who judged dispassionately, he was already
held to have shown a boldness which has, perhaps, never before been
displayed in their works, by any architect, ancient or modern. This
opinion was confirmed by the fact that Filippo now brought out his
model, in which all might see the extraordinary amount of thought
bestowed on every detail of the building. The varied invention displayed
in the staircases, in the provision of lights, both within and without,
so that none might strike or injure themselves in the darkness, were all
made manifest, with the careful consideration evinced by the different
supports of iron which were placed to assist the footsteps wherever the
ascent was steep. In addition to all this, Filippo had even thought of
the irons for fixing scaffolds within the cupola, if ever they should be
required for the execution of mosaics or pictures; he had selected the
least dangerous positions for the places of the conduits, to be
afterwards constructed for carrying off the rain water, had shown where
these were to be covered and where uncovered; and had moreover contrived
different outlets and apertures, whereby the force of the winds should
be diminished, to the end that neither vapors nor the vibrations of the
earth, should have power to do injury to the building: all which proved
the extent to which he had profited by his studies, during the many
years of his residence in Rome. When in addition to these things, the
superintendents considered how much he had accomplished in the shaping,
fixing, uniting, and securing the stones of this immense pile, they were
almost awe-struck on perceiving that the mind of one man had been
capable of all that Filippo had now proved himself able to perform. His
powers and facilities continually increased, and that to such an extent,
that there was no operation, however difficult and complex, which he did
not render easy and simple; of this he gave proof in one instance among
others, by the employment of wheels and counterpoises to raise heavy
weights, so that one ox could draw more than six pairs could have moved
by the ordinary methods. The building had now reached such a height,
that when a man had once arrived at the summit, it was a very great
labor to descend to the ground, and the workmen lost much time in going
to their meals, and to drink; arrangements were therefore made by
Filippo, for opening wine-shops and eating-houses in the cupola; where
the required food being sold, none were compelled to leave their labor
until the evening, which was a relief and convenience to the men, as
well as a very important advantage to the work. Perceiving the building
to proceed rapidly, and finding all his undertakings happily successful,
the zeal and confidence of Filippo increased, and he labored
perpetually; he went himself to the ovens where the bricks were made,
examined the clay, proved the quality of the working, and when they were
baked he would select and set them apart, with his own hands. In like
manner, while the stones were under the hands of the stone-cutters, he
would look narrowly to see that they were hard and free from clefts; he
supplied the stone-cutters with models in wood or wax, or hastily cut on
the spot from turnips, to direct them in the shaping and junction of the
different masses; he did the same for the men who prepared the iron
work; Filippo likewise invented hook hinges, with the mode of fixing
them to the door-posts, and greatly facilitated the practice of
architecture, which was certainly brought by his labors to a perfection
that it would else perhaps never have attained among the Tuscans.
"In the year 1423, when the utmost rejoicing and festivity was
prevailing in Florence, Filippo was chosen one of the _Signori_ for the
district of San Giovanni, for the months of May and June; Lapo Niccolini
being chosen Gonfalonier for the district of Santa Croce: and if Filippo
be found registered in the Priorista as 'di Ser Brunellesce Lippi,' this
need not occasion surprise, since they called him so after his
grandfather, Lippo, instead of 'di Lapi,' as they ought to have done.
And this practice is seen to prevail in the Priorista, with respect to
many others, as is well known to all who have examined it, or who are
acquainted with the custom of those times. Filippo performed his
functions carefully in that office; and in others connected with the
magistracy of the city, to which he was subsequently appointed, he
constantly acquitted himself with the most judicious consideration.
"The two vaults of the cupola were now approaching their close, at the
circular window where the lantern was to begin, and there now remained
to Filippo, who had made various models in wood and clay, both of the
one and the other, in Rome and Florence, to decide finally as to which
of these he would put in execution, wherefore he resolved to complete
the gallery, and accordingly made different plans for it, which remained
in the hall of wardens after his death, but which by the neglect of
those officials have since been lost. But it was not until our own days
that even a fragment was executed on a part of one of the eight sides
(to the end that the building might be completed); but as it was not in
accordance with the plan of Filippo, it was removed by the advice of
Michael Angelo Buonarotti, and was not again attempted.
"Filippo also constructed a model for the lantern, with his own hand; it
had eight sides, the proportions were in harmony with those of the
cupola, and for the invention as well as variety and decoration, it was
certainly very beautiful. He did not omit the staircase for ascending to
the ball, which was an admirable thing; but as he had closed the
entrance with a morsel of wood fixed at the lower part, no one but
himself knew its position. Filippo was now highly renowned, but
notwithstanding this, and although he had already overcome the envy and
abated the arrogance of so many opponents, he could not yet escape the
vexation of finding that all the masters of Florence, when his model had
been seen, were setting themselves to make others in various manners;
nay, there was even a lady of the Gaddi family, who ventured to place
her knowledge in competition with that of Filippo. The latter,
meanwhile, could not refrain from laughing at the presumption of these
people, and when he was told by certain of his friends that he ought not
to show his model to any artist lest they should learn from it, he
replied that there was but one true model, and that the others were good
for nothing. Some of the other masters had used parts of Filippo's model
for their own, which, when the latter perceived, he remarked, 'The next
model made by this personage will be mine altogether.' The work of
Filippo was very highly praised, with the exception, that, not
perceiving the staircase by which the ball was to be attained, the model
was considered defective on that point. The superintendents determined,
nevertheless, to give him the commission for the work, but on condition
that he should show the staircase;[5] whereupon Filippo, removing the
morsel of wood which he had placed at the foot of the stair, showed it
constructed as it is now seen, within one of the piers, and presenting
the form of a hollow reed or blow-pipe, having a recess or groove on one
side, with bars of bronze, by means of which the summit was gradually
attained. Filippo was now at an age which rendered it impossible that he
should live to see the lantern completed; he therefore left directions,
by his will, that it should be built after the model here described, and
according to the rules which he had laid down in writing, affirming that
the fabric would otherwise be in danger of falling, since, being
constructed with the pointed arch, it required to be rendered secure by
means of the pressure of the weight to be thus added. But, though
Filippo could not complete the edifice before his death, he raised the
lantern to the height of several braccia, causing almost all the marbles
required for the completion of the building to be carefully prepared
and brought to the place. At the sight of these huge masses as they
arrived, the people stood amazed, marvelling that it should be possible
for Filippo to propose the laying of such a weight on the cupola. It
was, indeed, the opinion of many intelligent men that it could not
possibly support that weight. It appeared to them to be a piece of good
fortune that he had conducted it so far, and they considered the loading
it so heavy to be a tempting of Providence. Filippo constantly laughed
at these fears, and having prepared all the machines and instruments
required for the construction of the edifice, he ceased not to employ
all his time in taking thought for its future requirements, providing
and preparing all the minutiæ, even to guarding against the danger of
the marbles being chipped as they were drawn up: to which intent the
arches of the tabernacles were built within defences of woodwork; and
for all beside the master gave models and written directions, as we have
said.
"How beautiful this building is, it will itself bear testimony. With
respect to the height, from the level ground to the commencement of the
lantern, there are one hundred and fifty-four braccia;[6] the body of
the lanthorn is thirty-six braccia high; the copper ball four braccia;
the cross eight braccia; in all two hundred and two braccia. And it may
be confidently affirmed that the ancients never carried their buildings
to so vast a height, nor committed themselves to so great a risk as to
dare a competition with the heavens, which this structure verily appears
to do, seeing that it rears itself to such an elevation that the hills
around Florence do not appear to equal it. And of a truth it might seem
that the heavens were envious of its height, since their lightnings
perpetually strike it. While this work was in progress, Filippo
constructed many other fabrics."
BOOK 1,pg.2
BRUNELLESCHI'S ENTHUSIASM.
One morning, as Brunelleschi was amusing himself on the Piazza di Santa
Maria del Fiore, in company with Donatello and other artists, the
conversation happened to turn on ancient sculpture. Donatello related
that when he was returning from Rome, he had taken the road of Orvieto,
to see the remarkable façade of the Cathedral of that city--a highly
celebrated work, executed by various masters, and considered in those
days a very remarkable production. He added that as he was passing
through Cortona, he had seen in the capitular church of that city a most
beautiful antique marble vase, adorned with sculpture--a rare thing at
that time, as most of the beautiful works of antiquity have since been
brought to light. As Donatello proceeded to describe the manner in which
the artist had treated this work, the delicacy, beauty, and perfection
of the workmanship, Filippo
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