150 THE ART BULLETIN MARCH 1984 VOLUME LXVI NUMBER 1
it a p p e a r s o n l y in the s e c o n d state of the e n g r a v i n g a n d c a n n o t b e attributed t o the artist himself,2 8 the i n s c r i p t i o n is n e v e r t h e l e s s c u r i o u s l y a p p r o p r i a t e , f o r f a c i n g the v i e w e r in the center f o r e
g r o u n d is a teetering skater o n the p o i n t of falling. F u r t h e r m o r e , the inscription c a n b e related to a n u m b e r o f s i x t e e n t h - c e n t u r y p r o v e r b i a l e x p r e s s i o n s in w h i c h c r a c k i n g ice o r s i m p l y s k a t i n g w e r e m e t a p h o r s f o r d a n g e r o r g o i n g w r o n g , in m u c h the s a m e w a y as " s k a t i n g o n thin ice" is t o d a y . C r a c k e d ice w a s " e v i l " ice (Cract ijs, quaet ijs) in the sixteenth c e n t u r y , a n d "I s t a n d o n c r a c k i n g ice" (Ic sta op crakende ijs) w a s s a i d w h e n things w e r e g o i n g w r o n g . H o w e v e r , m e r e l y to l e a d o r b r i n g s o m e o n e o n t o the ice (Jemand opt ijs leyen o r opt den ijs brenghen) m e a n t p l a c i n g
h i m in a d a n g e r o u s p o s i t i o n a n d " t o g o o n s k a t e s " (Op schaatsen gaan) m e a n t t o g o astray.2 9
T h e delight that Bruegel t o o k in illustrating the p i t h y w i s d o m e m b o d i e d in such s a y i n g s is w e l l k n o w n , b u t p r o v e r b s a r e n o t the o n l y p o s s i b l e s o u r c e f o r the m o t i f . A s w a s the case w i t h the b i r d t r a p , the s a m e ideas m a y e q u a l l y b e f o u n d in the e m b l e m a t i c tra
d i t i o n , w h e r e the d e c e p t i v e s o l i d i t y of ice h a d i n s p i r e d s e v e r a l reflections o n the i n s t a b i l i t y of h u m a n affairs. A n e m b l e m of a m a n b r e a k i n g t h r o u g h the ice p u b l i s h e d b y T h e o d o r e d e Beze in 1580 represents, a c c o r d i n g t o the e p i g r a m , the u n c e r t a i n t y of life;30 a n d J o a c h i m C a m e r a r i u s (the Y o u n g e r ) used the i m a g e o f a f o x w h o listens f o r the unseen b u t d a n g e r o u s w a t e r r u n n i n g b e n e a t h the ice to illustrate p r u d e n t foresight.3 1 C o n s e q u e n t l y , w h e n in 1635 G e o r g e W i t h e r w r o t e the e p i g r a m f o r a n e m b l e m of a m a n w a l k i n g o n ice w h i c h c o n t a i n s the f o l l o w i n g lines, h e w a s m e r e l y repeating w h a t w a s , e v i d e n t l y , a w i d e s p r e a d conceit d u r i n g the sixteenth a n d s e v e n t e e n t h centuries:
W e a r e all Travellers; a n d all of u s H a v e m a n y passages, as d a n g e r o u s ,
A s Frozen-lakes; a n d S l i p p e r y - w a y e s , w e tread, In w h i c h o u r lives m a y s o o n b e f o r f e i t e d , ( W i t h all o u r h o p e s f o r Life-eternall, t o o ) Unlesse, w e w e l l c o n s i d e r w h a t w e d o e .3 2
In Bruegel's p a i n t i n g , b i r d catching a n d life o n the ice as alle
gorical themes h a v e b e e n c o m p l e t e l y s u b s u m e d u n d e r the n a t u r a l a p p e a r a n c e o f the e v e r y d a y w o r l d . Y e t f o r its c o n t e m p o r a r y
28 But see now the interpretation of A . Monballieu, "P. Bruegels Schaat- senrijden bij de St.-Jorispoort te Antwerpen,' de betekenis van het jaartal 1553 en een archiefstuck," Jaarboek van het Koninklijk Museum voor schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 1981,17-29, which relates the inscription and Bruegel's drawing to a construction scandal in A n t w e r p .
29 These proverbial expressions have been adduced by Dirk Bax, Ont- cijfering van Jeroen Bosch, The Hague, 1949, 12 (for which see n o w the English translation, Hieronymus Bosch: His Picture Writing Deciphered, Rotterdam, 1979), to explain the strange hybrid creature on skates in the left wing of Bosch's Temptation of Saint A n t h o n y Triptych (Lisbon, M u - seu Nacional de Arte Antigua). The little figures skating or bound to enormous skates hurtling headlong through the broken ice in the fiery- frozen Hell of the Garden of Earthly Delights Triptych (Madrid, Prado) seem to exploit the same repertoire.
30 Icones, Geneva, 1580, N o . 19. Reproduced in Henkel and Schone (as in note 14), col. 111.
31 Symbolorum et Emblematum, Nuremberg, 1595, n, N o . 55. Similar emblems appear in Jacobus a Bruck (called Angermundt), Emblemata Moralia & Bellica, Cologne, 1615, N o . b 13, and in Jacob Cats, Emblemata Moralia et Aeconomica, Rotterdam, 1627, N o . 15. For all of these, see Henkel and Schone, col. 457.
32 A Collection of Emblems (London, 1635), ed. John Horden, Mewston, Yorkshire, 1968, 153.
v i e w e r , the p i c t u r e w o u l d s u r e l y h a v e illustrated t h e m a n d there
f o r e s e r v e d as a w a r n i n g that m a n ' s c o n d i t i o n is a p r e c a r i o u s o n e , that e v i l t e m p t a t i o n s s u r r o u n d h i m , a n d that o n l y the p r u d e n t a n d c o n s c i e n t i o u s c a n h o p e t o a c h i e v e eternal life. T h u s the t w o h a l v e s o f the p a i n t i n g — of the skaters a n d the b i r d trap — w o u l d h a v e f o r m e d a c o m p l e m e n t a r y u n i t y of c o n t e n t that is as p e r s u a s i v e as is the f o r m a l i m p r e s s i o n of a w i n t e r ' s d a y .
U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n i a I r v i n e , C A 9 2 7 1 7
The Chronology of the De Monte Chapel in S.
Pietro in Montorio in Rome Alessandro Nova
T h e d o c u m e n t a t i o n o f the D e M o n t e C h a p e l is v a s t : s o m a n y letters, d e s c r i p t i o n s , d o c u m e n t s , a n d d r a w i n g s relate t o the c h a p e l that it c o u l d stand a l o n e as a suitable subject f o r a l o n g a n d detailed a n a l y s i s .1 T h e p u r p o s e of this article is to i n v e s t i g a t e the w r i t t e n s o u r c e s in o r d e r t o u n d e r s t a n d h o w a p r e s t i g i o u s c o m m i s s i o n of this k i n d w a s h a n d l e d b y the artists, h o w t h e y w e r e p a i d , a n d the n a t u r e of their c o l l a b o r a t i o n . A f e w d o c u m e n t s a r e u n p u b lished. S o m e w e r e referred to b y K a r l F r e y , b u t h e d i d n o t s p e c i f y w h e r e h e h a d f o u n d t h e m , a n d t h r e e r a t h e r i m p o r t a n t o n e s r e g a r d i n g G i o r g i o V a s a r i a n d B a r t o l o m e o A m m a n n a t i w e r e u n k n o w n to h i m .
C a r d i n a l A n t o n i o D e M o n t e , uncle a n d m e n t o r o f G i o v a n n i M a r i a (the f u t u r e P o p e Julius III), h a d b e e n c l o s e l y c o n n e c t e d w i t h the E n g l i s h m o n a r c h y a n d m o r e d i r e c t l y w i t h C a r d i n a l B a i n - b r i d g e . A s a result o f this r e l a t i o n , in 1529 he d e c l a r e d his w i s h to b e b u r i e d b e s i d e B a i n b r i d g e in St. T h o m a s of C a n t e r b u r y in R o m e .2 A f t e r H e n r y V I I I ' s d e f e c t i o n , h o w e v e r , A n t o n i o ' s w i l l transferred this w i s h t o S. P i e t r o in M o n t o r i o , w h e r e h e w a s b u r ied u p o n his d e a t h in S e p t e m b e r , 1533.3
1 The most recent and valuable investigations on the chapel are those b y J. Pope-Hennessy, 60 and Cat. N o . 75, and b y C . Davis, 476 and 480- 84. T h e latter briefly returned to the problem in "The T o m b of Mario Nari for the SS. Annunziata in Florence," Mitteilungen des Kunsthisto- rischen Institutes in Florenz, xxi, 1977, 69-94 (esp. 82). These scholarly enquiries suggested an interesting direction to pursue, to which I here wish to contribute with a full analysis of the documents. For the drawings con
nected with the Chapel, see P. Barocchi, Mostra dei disegni del Vasari e della sua cerchia, Florence, 1964, 23, N o . 15, fig. 9; C . Monbeig-Goguel, Vasari et son temps. Inventaire general des dessins italiens, Musee du Louvre, Paris, 1972, 154-56, Nos. 200-02; E.P. Pillsbury, review of C.
Monbeig-Goguel, 1972, in Master Drawings, xi, 1973, 173, pi. 34; C . Davis, review of L. Vagnetti, ed., 2000 anni di Vitruvio and L. Vagnetti, Prospettiva ..., in Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, xxxix, 1980, 252, fig. 1. Each of these authors published different drawings re
lated to the project. See also C . Davis's entry in the exhibition catalogue Giorgio Vasari-Principi, letterati e artisti nelle carte di Giorgio Vasari, Florence, 1981, 93-94.
2 See T. Falk, "Studien zur Topographie und Geschichte der Villa Giulia in Rome," Rbmische Jahrbuch fur Kunstgeschichte, x m , 1971, 104. O n the relationship between Bainbridge and Antonio D e Monte, see D . S . Chambers, Cardinal Bainbridge in the Court of Rome, 1509-1514, Lon
don, 1963.
3 Copia de vna letera: mandata: A vno Pncipe de Italia de li funerali particulari del Reuerendissimo Cardinal de Mote, n.p., 1533, unpagin- ated: "asanto Pietro in montorio locho di monte & distante da la sua Casa vn' miglio o circa, D o u e per testamento se hauea epso Disposto" (page 5, according to m y o w n pagination). A copy is in the Vatican Library, Chigi iv 2204 int. 12.
A s s o o n as h e w a s elected P o p e ( F e b r u a r y 7-8, 1550), Julius III d e c i d e d to c o m m i s s i o n f r o m V a s a r i a prestigious f u n e r a r y m o n - u m e n t f o r his uncle. T h i s w a s i m m e d i a t e l y e x p a n d e d i n t o a project f o r a f a m i l y c h a p e l to b e built beside the altar of S. Pietro in M o n t o r i o . V a s a r i i n f o r m s us that the c o m m i s s i o n o c c u r r e d after the c o r o n a t i o n ( F e b r u a r y 22, 1550) a n d after the P o p e h a d rested f o r a certain t i m e {quietato alquantoY; in a letter addressed to V a s a r i f r o m Florence, C o s i m o Bartoli c o n g r a t u l a t e d the artist o n h a v i n g o b t a i n e d the c o m m i s s i o n : since this letter is d a t e d A p r i l 5, a n d i m p l i e s a letter r e c e i v e d f r o m R o m e , the p l a n m u s t h a v e b e e n a g r e e d u p o n in M a r c h .5 T h i s i n f o r m a t i o n is r e l e v a n t since w e k n o w the exact d a t e of the contract; J u n e 2, 1550.6 T h i s m e a n s that there w a s a g a p of a b o u t t w o a n d a half m o n t h s b e t w e e n the c o m m i s s i o n (that is, the general a g r e e m e n t ) a n d the specific c o n - t r a c t . T h i s i n t e r v a l w a s d e d i c a t e d t o d r a w i n g s , c o n t a c t s , a n d a g r e e m e n t s w i t h other artists w h o w e r e to b e i n v o l v e d in the en- terprise. M i c h e l a n g e l o f i x e d the price a n d a t t e n d e d a s s i d u o u s l y to the c o m m i s s i o n .7 T h e c h o i c e of the s c u l p t o r fell o n B a r t o l o m e o A m m a n n a t i , w h o w a s entrusted w i t h the w o r k b e f o r e M a y 28, 1550.8
T h e o r i g i n a l contract is interesting b e c a u s e it is detailed a n d b a s e d o n a w o o d e n m o d e l . F r o m it w e learn that:
V a s a r i w a s the o n l y artist responsible f o r the c o m m i s s i o n . T h e statement " I u l i o III . . . c o n v i e n e . . . c o n m e c o che i o pigli a fare et far c o n d u r r e " m a k e s clear that V a s a r i w a s the artistic entre- p r e n e u r f o r this enterprise. M i c h e l a n g e l o is r e c o r d e d as super- v i s o r ; he w a s n o t p a i d since he a l r e a d y r e c e i v e d a m o n t h l y s a l a r y o f f i f t y scudi f r o m the P o p e . A m m a n n a t i w a s c o m m i s s i o n e d to c a r v e o n l y t w o o f the f o u r statues. T h i s m e a n s that M i c h e l a n g e l o a n d the P o p e w e r e n o t d i s p o s e d to g r a n t h i m u n l i m i t e d trust.
B a r t o l o m e o ' s skill, h o w e v e r , w o n M i c h e l a n g e l o o v e r , w h o a y e a r later d e s c r i b e d the y o u n g s c u l p t o r a s "1'angelo B a r t o l o m e o , "9 c o m p a r i n g A m m a n n a t i w i t h himself b y referring t o w h a t c o n - t e m p o r a r i e s called h i m : M i c h e l A n g e l o . A s at the V i l l a G i u l i a , therefore, A m m a n n a t i ' s initial role w a s limited to that of assistant to V a s a r i , e v e n if he w a s w o r k i n g i n d e p e n d e n t l y . Later he w a s
entrusted w i t h all the sculptures, including the b a l u s t r a d e , a n d also s h a r e d r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r the enterprise w i t h V a s a r i .1 0
A l l the elements r e c o r d e d — c o m p r i s i n g the m a r b l e c o a t - o f - a r m s , w h i c h is o v e r the entrance to the c h a p e l , f l a n k e d b y the f o u r Evangelists, a n d putti h o l d i n g f e s t o o n s , the frescoes a n d stuc- chi o f the v a u l t , the f o u r C h u r c h Fathers a n d the t w o stucco c o a t s - o f - a r m s o n the pilasters f l a n k i n g the c h a p e l , a n d the altarpiece — w e r e e x e c u t e d in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h the c o n t r a c t .
T h e specifications as to m a t e r i a l s (such as the u l t r a m a r i n e b l u e f o r the altarpiece a n d the C a r r a r a m a r b l e ) w e r e also respected, as w a s the s c h e d u l e d t i m e f o r c o m p l e t i o n o f the w o r k : in fact, the c h a p e l w a s f i n i s h e d t w o m o n t h s in a d v a n c e . V a s a r i ' s c o n t r a c t a l l o w e d f o r c o m p l e t i o n w i t h i n t h i r t y m o n t h s , that is, b y the e n d of 1552, b u t in a letter o f O c t o b e r 22, 1552, V i n c e n z o B o r g h i n i a l r e a d y k n e w that the c h a p e l h a d b e e n f i n i s h e d . F r e y t h o u g h t that B o r g h i n i w a s a l l u d i n g to the p a i n t i n g s , b u t this is i m p r o b a b l e since the letter seems to refer t o the chapel as a w h o l e . B o r g h i n i w r i t e s : " L ' h o n o r a t i s s i m o messer M i c h e l a g n o l o u o s t r o s o n c e r t o che f a r a ufitio di b u o n o a m i c o et d i n t e n d e n t e artefice et di h u o m o u e r a m e n t e d a bene."1 1 T h i s refers t o the fact that M i c h e l a n g e l o , h a v i n g f i x e d the price f o r the c h a p e l , w a s n o w to g i v e his a p p r o v a l o f the w o r k d o n e , a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y of the p a y m e n t to V a s a r i : f o r this to be d o n e the w h o l e c h a p e l m u s t h a v e been n e a r c o m - p l e t i o n , since V a s a r i w a s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r the e n s e m b l e . M o r e o v e r , a d o c u m e n t (see b e l o w D o c . N o . 12) r e c o r d s that the m a r b l e b a l - u s t r a d e w a s b y then ( O c t o b e r , 1552) a l r e a d y u n d e r w a y . It is, h o w - ever, p o s s i b l e that o n e o r t w o statues w e r e e x e c u t e d later.
A s to i c o n o g r a p h y , the three s t u c c o P r o p h e t s at the t o p o f the v a u l t a n d the f o u r V i r t u e s f r a m i n g the storie of Saint P a u l w e r e n o t m e n t i o n e d in the c o n t r a c t . T h i s suggests that a g r e e m e n t o n m a t e r i a l s a n d o t h e r f o r m a l aspects w a s r e g a r d e d as of greater significance t h a n a g r e e m e n t o n i c o n o g r a p h y . T h e P r o p h e t s a n d V i r t u e s w e r e , h o w e v e r , m i n o r i c o n o g r a p h i c details, w h i c h c o u l d h a v e b e e n a d d e d later.
T h e cost of the c h a p e l w a s a s t o n i s h i n g : m o r e t h a n 3 , 7 0 0 g o l d scudi ( B a l d u i n o D e M o n t e , the P o p e ' s b r o t h e r , p a i d 5 , 5 0 0 scudi
4 Vasari, v u , 693.
5 For Bartoli's letter, see Frey, 281, letter c x x x v n , April 5, 1550.
6 G . Vasari, // libro delle ricordanze, ed. A . Del Vita, Arezzo, 1927, 66-67.
7 Vasari himself informs us that Michelangelo fixed the price (G. Vasari, v u , 226). For Michelangelo's rejection of Vasari's first projects, and of the proposal for collaboration b y Simone Mosca and Raffaello da Montelupo, see Vasari, v i , 308, and v u , 226-27.
8 Frey, 288, letter CXL (V. Borghini to G . Vasari), M a y 28,1550. C . Davis, 1976, 480-83, has pointed out that according to C o s i m o Bartoli's Ragionamenti accademici, it w a s Michelangelo w h o chose Vasari and A m - mannati. But even if Michelangelo supervised the commission, it is not clear whether he chose either of the artists. In the case of Vasari it is well known, first, that Michelangelo esteemed him more as an architect than as a painter; and, second, Vasari had already worked for Julius III when the latter w a s still a cardinal, since the artist had planned D e Monte's villa at Monte Sansavino (Frey, 225, letter cxiv) (which indicates, incidentally, that the project for the Chapel was not Vasari's first architectural work);
third, there w a s a very good reason w h y the Pope should entrust Vasan directly with this project: the artist was a distant relative. Andrea, an aunt of Julius III, had married G i o v a n n i Desiderio Tullonense; their daughter Elisabetta married Giovanni Bacci of Arezzo (see A . Fortunio, Cronichetta del Monte San Savino di Toscana, Florence, 1583, 41).
Nicolosa Bacci w a s Vasari's wife. It n o w becomes clear w h y Giovanni Maria De Monte was so interested in persuading the artist to marry (Va- sari, v u , 690). In a letter addressed to Vasari, C . Bartoli wrote: "seruendo un papa et poi parente, so, che stillerete piu di 7 uolte il cervello in m-
uenzioni" (Frey, 281).
In the case of Ammannati: first, according to the contract, he was to carve only t w o of the four main statues; this clause would seem rather cautious if Ammannati had been directly chosen b y Michelangelo; second, he could easily have been recommended by one of his powerful protectors, such as Archbishop Antonio Altoviti, son of Bindo (a papal banker), or the Paduan professor of law, Marco Mantova Benavides, w h o dedicated his Enchiridion, published in 1551, to Julius III (see Davis, 479). The re- lationships between the Pope and his artists were unstable and intricate.
The project was initially assigned to Vasari under Michelangelo's super- vision; the latter rejected Vasari's first plans and possibly intervened in the design of the Chapel, as suggested by J. Pope-Hennessy, 60; A m - mannati's role, however, increased in importance during the construction phase, and he probably introduced some variations under Michelangelo's approval.
« Barocchi-Ristori, 366 (August 22, 1551).
10 Ammannati's role has been discussed in detail by J. Pope-Hennessy, 1970, cat., p. 76, and by Davis, w h o wrote: T h e parallels between the design of the del Nero tomb and that of the del Monte monuments in S.
Pietro in Montorio perhaps indicate that Ammannati had a larger share in the planning of the latter than is often suggested" (Davis, 484). In this article, Davis investigated with great care the commission of Fran- cesco del Nero's tomb in which Michelangelo acted as arbiter between the patron and Ammannati. A s suggested by Davis, it w a s probably com- missioned earlier than the De Monte Chapel, but Michelangelo's involve- ment dates only from 1558.
11 Frey, 337-38, letter CLXXV.
f o r the entire P a l a z z o B r a n c o n i o D e l l ' A q u i l a ) .1 2 V a s a r i w a s t o r e c e i v e a n a d v a n c e o f 1 , 0 0 0 scudi f o r the first six m o n t h s , f o l - l o w e d b y f o u r i n s t a l m e n t s of 675 s c u d i e v e r y six m o n t h s . A total o f 3 , 4 0 0 s c u d i w a s f o r m a t e r i a l s (but n o t f o r m a s o n r y ) ; the r e - m a i n i n g 3 0 0 scudi w e r e V a s a r i ' s fee. Since the m a s o n r y cost 618.98 scudi (see b e l o w D o c . N o . 5), the t o t a l s u m s p e n t o n the c h a p e l w a s 4,318 s c u d i a n d 9 8 b a i o c c h i .1 3
T h e interest o f the s u b s e q u e n t d o c u m e n t s in r e l a t i o n t o the c o n - tract lies in the fact that t h e y s h o w h o w the stages o f the o p e r a t i o n w e r e s u b d i v i d e d .
E a r l y in J u n e , 1550, V a s a r i a n d A m m a n n a t i left R o m e a n d w e n t t o C a r r a r a w h e r e the latter n e g o t i a t e d c o n t r a c t s f o r the m a r b l e .1 4 In R o m e , w o r k o n the m a s o n r y h a d n o t y e t started, since in late J u l y / e a r l y A u g u s t the P o p e w a s c o n s i d e r i n g m o v i n g the f a m i l y c h a p e l to S . G i o v a n n i dei Fiorentini.1 5 A m m a n n a t i ' s return t o R o m e in e a r l y O c t o b e r m u s t h a v e p r e c i p i t a t e d a d e c i s i o n : b o t h the m a r b l e a n d the artist w e r e in the city, a n d Julius III f i n a l l y settled o n S . P i e t r o in M o n t o r i o . O n O c t o b e r 13, 1550, M i c h e l - a n g e l o i n f o r m e d V a s a r i o f the P o p e ' s w i s h :1 6 m o r e t h a n f o u r m o n t h s h a d e l a p s e d f r o m the d a t e o f the c o n t r a c t , b u t i m m e d i - a t e l y after the letter w a s sent, the m a s o n s b e g a n their w o r k .
T h e first p a y m e n t s a r e t o the m a s t e r m a s o n , G i a c o m o V a r e s i o : (1) " A d d i d a di 18. di o t t o b r e f i n o a d d i 8. di N o u e m b . in 3. p a r t i t e A C e n t o sesanta a m .r o G i a c . ° m u r .r e a b u o n c o n t o della s e p o l - tura del R .m o C a r .a l d e M o n t i b o : m e . che N . S .r e h a f a t t o p r i n - cipiare in S. P i e t r o M o n t o r i o A 1 6 0 " ( A . S . R . —
Camerale I, Fabbriche, Busta 1517B. U n p u b l i s h e d ; referred to b y Frey, 295). M i c h e l a n g e l o ' s letter a n d this d o c u m e n t together s h o w that the w o r k w a s started b e t w e e n O c t o b e r 13 a n d 1 8 , 1 5 5 0 . S i n c e V a s a r i r e t u r n e d to R o m e o n l y t o w a r d s the e n d o f D e c e m b e r ,1 7 A m m a n n a t i m u s t h a v e b e e n entrusted w i t h its s u p e r v i s i o n .
A c c o r d i n g t o A . S . R . — Camerale I, Fabbriche, Busta 1517B t h e m a s t e r m a s o n G i a c o m o V a r e s i o w a s p a i d a g a i n o n : (2) N o v e m b e r 29, 155018; (3) J a n u a r y 9, 1551; (4) F e b r u a r y , 1551; (5) M a r c h 2, 1551.
T h e last p a y m e n t (referred t o b y F r e y , 295) tells us that the total s u m f o r the m a s o n r y w a s 618 scudi a n d 9 8 b a i o c c h i ; the estimate f o r this w o r k h a d b e e n c a l c u l a t e d three m o n t h s p r e v i - o u s l y ( D e c e m b e r 8, 1550).
F r o m this d o c u m e n t w e l e a r n that less t h a n t w o m o n t h s ( O c - t o b e r 1 3 / 1 8 — D e c e m b e r 8) w e r e r e q u i r e d f o r the c o n s t r u c t i o n of a c h a p e l of r e m a r k a b l e d i m e n s i o n s ; the w o r k e r s ( a n d the art- ists) w e r e p a i d r e t r o a c t i v e l y . T h i s w a s a l m o s t a l w a y s the rule.
W h e n discussing p a y m e n t s , o n e m u s t take i n t o a c c o u n t that t h e y w e r e f r e q u e n t l y settled d a y s , m o n t h s , s o m e t i m e s e v e n y e a r s late (as, f o r e x a m p l e , D a n i e l e d a V o l t e r r a w a s f o r the S a l a d e l l a C l e o - p a t r a , o r A m m a n n a t i w a s f o r the V i l l a G i u l i a ) .1 9
E l e v e n d a y s a f t e r the c o m p l e t i o n o f the m a s o n s ' w o r k , a n ar- tisan w a s p a i d f o r the g o l d e n nails f o r the n e w c o f f i n o f C a r d i n a l A n t o n i o : (6) " A d d i 19. di Xmb r e A o t t o a m .r o A n d r e a p e r p r e z z o di tanti c h i o d i d o r a t i per la c a s s a della s e p o l .r a di S. P i e t r o M o n - t o r i o del C a r .a l b o : m e : d e M o n t i " ( A . S . R . — Camerale 1, Te- soreria Segreta, Busta 1 2 9 5 A . U n p u b l i s h e d ) .
A l t h o u g h , a c c o r d i n g to the c o n t r a c t , V a s a r i w a s p r o m i s e d a n a d v a n c e p a y m e n t , h e d i d n o t r e c e i v e it f o r n i n e m o n t h s ; it w a s e v e n t u a l l y p a i d o n F e b r u a r y 2 5 , 1 5 5 1 : (7) " A d d i 25 d e t t o A m i l l e di o r o a G i o g i n o p i t t o f a b u o n c o n t o della p i t t u r a della c a p p e l l a di S . P i e t r o M o n t o r i o A 1100" ( A . S . R . — Camerale
I, Fabbriche, Busta 1517B. U n p u b l i s h e d ) . F r e y , referring to the
"Ricordo o f 2 5 t h F e b r u a r y 1 5 5 1 , " stated that the p a i n t i n g of the c h a p e l c o m m e n c e d that v e r y d a y .2 0 T h i s is incorrect. First, there is n o s u c h Ricordo; s e c o n d l y , e v e n if F r e y w a s referring t o the a b o v e d o c u m e n t , the s c a f f o l d i n g w a s built o n l y in A u g u s t . S u c h a n e n o r m o u s p a y m e n t c a n n o t refer to the altarpiece. T h e 1 , 0 0 0 g o l d scudi are o b v i o u s l y the first i n s t a l m e n t o f the c o n t r a c t . T h i s is interesting s i n c e it raises the q u e s t i o n o f w h e t h e r V a s a r i ( a n d A m m a n n a t i o n his b e h a l f ) a d v a n c e d the m o n e y f o r the m a r b l e p u r c h a s e d in C a r r a r a , o r w h e t h e r the artisans there w e r e p a i d in a r r e a r s .
It is l i k e l y t h a t V a s a r i started w o r k i n g o n the a l t a r p i e c e after r e c e i v i n g this p a y m e n t , b u t the frescoes w e r e n o t b e g u n b e f o r e late s u m m e r / e a r l y a u t u m n , 1551. In the m e a n t i m e a c h a i n (for the v a u l t o r the g a t e o f the c h a p e l ) w a s o r d e r e d : (8) " A d d i d e t t o [ M a y 22, 1551] A T r e n t a a F r a n c o c h i a u a r i p e r c o s t o d i u n m i g - l i a r o et m e z o d i f e r r o d a t o a Pellegrino f a b r o per far la c a t h e n a a S . P i e t r o M o n t o r i o A 3 0 " ( A . S . R . — Camerale I,
Tesoreria Segreta, Busta 1 2 9 5 B . U n p u b l i s h e d ) . V a s a r i r e c e i v e d a f u r t h e r p a y m e n t in J u n e : (9) " A g i o r g i o p i t t o r e a b u o n c o n t o della
u The editions of the Ricordi by Del Vita (Arezzo, 1927, 67) and Frey (1930, 869) both transcribe an error found in the manuscript, according to which the total sum w a s 4,700 scudi. T h e text of the contract, however, makes clear that the sum w a s 4,070 scudi: "scudi di giulj numero quatro mila settanta." They are scudi di moneta. Since ten gold scudi were equiv- alent to eleven scudi di moneta, 3,700 gold scudi were equivalent to 4,070 scudi di moneta. For the Palazzo Branconio Dell' Aquila, see C . L . From- mel, Der Rbmische Palastbau der Hochrenaissance, Tubingen, 1973, n , 15, D o c . 15.
13 Frey records payments for masonry on August 2, 1551, for the consid- erable sum of 122 scudi and 94 baiocchi (Frey, 295). I could not find this document. If Frey is correct, the total sum for the chapel w a s 4,441 scudi and 92 baiocchi.
14 See G . Campori, Memorie biografiche degli scultori, architetti, pittori ... nativi di Carrara e di altri luoghi della provincia di Massa .... Modena, 1873, 263-4; and Vasari, vi, 98.
15 Barocchi-Ristori, 346 (August 1, 1550).
16 Ibid., 355.
17 Frey, 294.
18 Published b y A . Bertolotti, Artisti lombardi a Roma nei secoli XV, XVI, e XVII. Studi e ricerche negli archivi romani, Milan, 1881, i, 58.
19 Daniele da Volterra received a first payment for the Sala della Cleopatra
on October 18, 1550 (see J.S. Ackerman, The Cortile del Belvedere, Vat- ican City, 1954, 164, D o c . 70a). Curtio Macherone w a s paid for his w o r k on the Cleopatra fountain (placed in the same room) in April, 1551 (Ack- erman, 165, D o c . 75), which seems to suggest that by then the frescoes were for the most part completed. The account with Daniele da Volterra, however, was settled only four years later; the last payment, dated March 22, 1555 (Ackerman, 165, D o c . 79), w a s the credit due to Daniele for his w o r k in the Sala della Cleopatra. The fact that Julius III had fallen ter- minally ill a few days previously suggests that payment w a s made only because of the administration's desire to settle the Pope's accounts before his death (March 23, 1555) (see the numerous letters sent b y Annibale C a r o to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese regarding the Pope's final illness published in A . Ronchini, Lettere d'uomini illustri conservate in Parma nel R. Archivio dello Stato, Parma, 1853, 414-24). Ammannati received no official payment but only some gifts for his architectural and sculptural works at the Villa Giulia. A s late as 1570, fifteen years after Julius Ill's death, Ammannati prepared an official claim for the thirty-four months that he had w o r k e d for the D e Monte. This account w a s submitted to Cosimo I, w h o had inherited part of the De Monte's properties after the family's extinction (see L. Biagi, "Di Bartolommeo Ammannati e di alcune sue opere," L'arte, x x v i , 1923, 49-66; and C . Davis, "Four Documents for the Villa Giulia," Rbmisches Jahrbuch fiir Kunstgeschichte, XVII, 1978, 219-226).
20 Frey, 294.
1 B a r t o l o m e o A m m a n n a t i ; detail of s t u c c o ceiling of t h e u p p e r l o g g i a n o w k n o w n as the S a l a della P r e s i d e n z a . R o m e , P a l a z z o Firenze
p i t t u r a della c a p p e l l a di s a n p i e t r o a m o n t o r i della b u o n a M del Rm o u e c c r, i o c e n t o s e s s a n t a c i n q u e a d d i 5 d i g i u g n o [1551] p a g h o d e t t o A 1 6 5 " A . S . R . — Camerale I, Appendice,
Busta 9 2 , f o l . 6 7 v . U n p u b l i s h e d ) . T h i s d o c u m e n t is p r o b a b l y re- lated t o a n o t h e r u n p u b l i s h e d p a y m e n t t o A m m a n n a t i . V a s a r i left R o m e e a r l y in J u l y , 1551.2 1 ( W a s the altarpiece finished?) O n the tenth, A m m a n n a t i w a s p a i d 500 g o l d scudi. T h e total of the t w o s u m s is 6 6 5 s c u d i . T h e r e are n o l o n g e r f o u r regular instalments o f 675 s c u d i , b u t a p p a r e n t l y similar a m o u n t s of m o n e y received
at irregular p e r i o d s . F u r t h e r m o r e , A m m a n n a t i w a s p a i d f o r p a i n t - ing, sculpture, a n d altri lavori, the latter p r o v i d i n g a b a s e f o r a t t r i b u t i n g the stuccoes to h i m . T h e putti o f the v a u l t are i n d e e d a l m o s t identical to those of the m a g n i f i c e n t ceiling (Fig. 1) o f the u p p e r loggia ( n o w k n o w n as the Sala della P r e s i d e n z a ) in the P a l a z z o Firenze in R o m e (at that t i m e o w n e d b y the D e M o n t e f a m i l y ) . A m m a n n a t i himself w r o t e that he h a d b e e n the o n l y a r - chitect responsible f o r the e m b e l l i s h m e n t of the P a l a z z o Firenze, i n c l u d i n g its s t u c c o loggias a n d ceilings.2 2 T h e a t t r i b u t i o n o f the C h a p e l ' s stuccoes to A m m a n n a t i is c o n f i r m e d b y the sculptor's f r i e n d B e r n a r d o G a m u c c i , w h o r e c o r d e d n o t o n l y the statues a n d the b a l u s t r a d e as b y B a r t o l o m e o , b u t a l s o "1'opera delli stucchi, che d a l m e d e s i m o c o n bell' arte ui f u r o n fatti."2 3 T h e fact that A m m a n n a t i w a s p a i d f o r p a i n t i n g , sculpture, a n d altri lavori s h o w s that h e w a s n o longer w o r k i n g u n d e r V a s a r i , b u t p r o b a b l y as his associate. H e r e c e i v e d the p a y m e n t b e c a u s e G i o r g i o h a d left R o m e : (10) " A d d i x di luglio [1551] A C i n q u e c e n t o di o r o i n .0 a m .r o Bart. ° scultore f i o r .n o a b u o n c o n t o della pittura et scul- tura et altri lauori p e r la c a p p e l l a et f a b .c a della s e p o l t u r a di S.
P i e t r o M o n t o r i o A 5 5 0 " ( A . S . R . — Camerale I, Fabbriche, Busta 1517B. U n p u b l i s h e d ) .
In A u g u s t M i c h e l a n g e l o i n f o r m e d V a s a r i that the s c u l p t o r w a s w o r k i n g v e r y well,2 4 a n d in the s a m e m o n t h the s c a f f o l d i n g w a s built: (11) " A d d i 30 di A g o s t o [1551] A q u a r a n t a c i n q u e b 90: a m .r o G i a c . ° m u r a t o r e per c o s t o di tanti l e g n a m i c h ' ha dati a fare li p o n t i per li pittori alia c a p p e l l a della b o : m e . del C a r .3' di M o n t e di S . P .r o m o n t o r i o A 4 5 : 9 0 " ( A . S . R . — Camerale
I, Fabbriche, Busta 1517B. U n p u b l i s h e d ; referred to b y F r e y , 294).
T h e s c a f f o l d i n g w a s erected d u r i n g Vasari's a b s e n c e f r o m R o m e . T h e w o r d s ' l i p i t t o r i " indicate that the p a i n t i n g s h a d b e e n en- trusted t o V a s a r i ' s assistants ( p r o b a b l y G h e r a r d i a n d V e l t r o n i ) . G i o r g i o returned in O c t o b e r , 155125 — d i d t h e y start w i t h o u t h i m , f o l l o w i n g his d r a w i n g s ? V a s a r i spent m o s t of 1552 in R o m e , w h e r e he a n d his assistants c o m p l e t e d the frescoes, p r o b a b l y d u r i n g the first m o n t h s of the y e a r : the d a t e p a i n t e d o n the exterior o f the c h a p e l is M D L I I .
T h e sculpture w a s a l m o s t c o m p l e t e d b y O c t o b e r , 1552. O n the third, V a s a r i w a s p a i d f o r the m a r b l e b a l u s t r a d e o n w h i c h A m - m a n n a t i w a s w o r k i n g : (12) " A d d i 3: di O t t o b r e [1552] A c e n t o d o r o per p o l i z a del S .r T h e s .r d i N . S .r a m G i o r g i o V a s s a r i p i t t o r e a b u o n c o n t o del p a r a p e t o che fa alia c a p p e l l a di S. P i e t r o M o n t . ° di m a r m o A 1 1 0 " ( A . S . R . — Camerale I, Fabbriche,
Busta 1519; referred t o b y Frey, 292).2 6
In a letter d a t e d O c t o b e r 22, 1552, B o r g h i n i a l r e a d y k n e w that the c h a p e l w a s finished:2 7 " H o g r a n d i s s i m o piacere, c h e l o p e r a u o s t r a sia f i n i t a . " It is, h o w e v e r , p o s s i b l e that s o m e of the statues (the t w o p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n s ? ) h a d n o t y e t b e e n e x e c u t e d . F r e y p u b - lished a d o c u m e n t r e c o r d i n g the b a l a n c e o f a p a y m e n t d u e to A m m a n n a t i (July, 1554).a~ T h i s is r e c o r d e d as the last p a y m e n t
22 Ibid., 390.
22 "Al palazo di campo marzo tutto quello che vi si spese che fu vicino a 20 milia ducati adetto palazo loggedistuco palchi faccate rifatte einsomma quello che ve dinnouo fu disegniato dame" (A.S.F. - Compagnie release soppresse da P. Leopoldo-139, fiha 1036, fol. 106r).
23 For Gamucci's sentence, see B. Gamucci, Libri quattro dell antichita della citta di Roma, Venice, 1565, 175. The stucchi have usually been ascribed to Giulio Mazzoni (see, for example, A . Pettorelli, Giulio Mazzom da Piacenza pittore e scultore, 1921, 16). This attribution probably arose because the opposite and identical Ricci Chapel was executed by Mazzoni in the 1560's after the death of his master Daniele da Volterra: Mazzom w a s a gifted and well-known stuccatore. Moreover, he worked m Vasan s workshop, but the biographer himself informs us that Mazzoni learned
to make works in stucco from Daniele (Vasari, v n , 70). Cardinal Ricci, w h o had been a faithful collaborator of Julius III, simply asked Mazzoni to copy the stuccoes designed and partly executed by Ammannati for the De Monte Chapel.
24 Barocchi-Ristori, 366.
25 Frey, 390.
26 The document was published by A . Gabrielli, "Su Bartolommeo A m - mannati," La critica d'arte, tl, fasciolo 2, 1937, 92, n. 13, with some inaccuracies.
27 Frey, 337-38.
28 K. Frey, "Studien zu Michelagniolo Buonarroti und zur Kunst seiner Zeit," Jahrbuch der Koniglichen Preuszischen Kunstsammlungen, Beiheft zum X X X , 1909, 163, Doc. 333.
f o r the c h a p e l a n d refers t o a mandate d a t e d S e p t e m b e r 11, 1553.
A s w e h a v e seen, artists w e r e f r e q u e n t l y p a i d r e t r o a c t i v e l y . It is therefore a l s o p o s s i b l e that A m m a n n a t i f i n i s h e d his w o r k b y D e - c e m b e r , 1552, as r e q u i r e d b y the c o n t r a c t , b u t that h e r e c e i v e d the mandato ( r e c o r d i n g o n l y 23 s c u d i a n d 2 0 b a i o c c h i as the b a l - a n c e o f the p r e v i o u s p a y m e n t ) in S e p t e m b e r , 1553, a n d w a s f i n a l l y p a i d in J u l y , 1554. Julius Ill's n e g l i g e n c e in p a y i n g his e m p l o y e e s strengthens this possibility. A f t e r o n l y a f e w m o n t h s o f the p o n - tificate, V a s a r i , w h o w a s at that t i m e the P o p e ' s f a v o r i t e artist, c o m m e n t e d to F r a n c e s c o B u o n a n n i : " C e r t o t a n t o r a r o e [ C o s i m o I] fra questi p r i n c i p i , che si d i l e t t a n o p i u (di a d o p e r a r c i ) c h e d i r u m u n e r a r c i . "2 9
U n i v e r s i t y of M i l a n M i l a n , I t a l y
Bibliography
A.S.F.: Archivio di Stato, Florence.
A . S . R . : Archivio di Stato, Rome.
Barocchi, P., and R. Ristori, // Carteggio di Michelangelo, iv, Florence, 1980.
Davis, C , "Ammannati, Michelangelo, and the T o m b of Francesco del Nero," Burlington Magazine, c x v m , 1976, 472-84.
Frey, K., Der literarische Nachlass Giorgio Vasaris, i, Munich, 1923; n, Munich, 1930.
Pope-Hennessy, J., Italian High Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture, 2nd rev. ed., London, 1970.
Vasari, G . , he vite de' piu eccellenti pittori scultori ed architettori, ed. G . Milanesi, Florence, 1878-1885.
Letter
Courbet's Real Allegory
I w r i t e to e x p r e s s m y regret that, as the u n f o r t u n a t e result of lack o f access a n d a v a i l a b i l i t y , I w a s u n a w a r e until after the a p - p e a r a n c e of m y n o t e o n C o u r b e t ' s Real Allegory, J u n e , 1983, that s e v e r a l o f the c o n c l u s i o n s w e r e a n t i c i p a t e d b y t h o s e o f K l a u s H e r d i n g in " D a s A t e l i e r des M a l e r s — T r e f f p u n k t der W e l t u n d O r t d e r V e r s o h n u n g , " Realismus als Widerspruch in Courbets Malerei, F r a n k f u r t , S u h r k a m p , 1978, 2 2 3 - 2 4 7 .
In this w o r k , H e r d i n g establishes the existence of a n e n d u r i n g t r a d i t i o n in w h i c h the p u z z l e - l i k e a n d m y s t e r i o u s c o n t e x t of a
"real a l l e g o r y " m a y b e seen as a n a l o g o u s t o r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s of p e n e t r a b l e disguises, r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s f o u n d in w o r k s as e a r l y as 1 7 t h - c e n t u r y Enigmata as w e l l a s in the w r i t i n g s of C o u r b e t ' s o w n i m m e d i a t e circle ( p p . 224-25). H e a l s o sees the n u d e m o d e l as a m u s e ( p p . 243 a n d 314, n . 88), related to the A p e l l e s / C a m p a s p e / A l e x a n d e r m y t h ( p p . 231 a n d 311, n. 45) in b e i n g l o v e d b y b o t h p a i n t e r and m o n a r c h .
H e r d i n g treats the entire p a i n t i n g , a n d f i n d s C o u r b e t to b e ruler a n d j u d g e o v e r the w h o l e a s s e m b l y of " e q u a l s " in it ( p p . 238-39), o n e o f w h o m is N a p o l e o n III. T h e E m p e r o r ' s " d i s g u i s e , " as w e l l as t h o s e of o t h e r s o n the left, w a s p e n e t r a t e d b y H e l e n e T o u s s a i n t t o r e v e a l p o r t r a i t s o f b o t h p e r s o n s a n d n a t i o n s (see " T h e D o s s i e r of ' T h e S t u d i o ' b y C o u r b e t , " Gustave Courbet, e x h . c a t . , R o y a l A c a d e m y of the A r t s , L o n d o n , 1978, 2 4 9 - 2 8 0 , s . v . N a p o l e o n HI, 2 6 5 - 2 6 6 ) .
M o r e specifically, e v e n m o r e i m p o r t a n t , a n d p r e v i o u s to m y p u b l i c a t i o n , K l a u s H e r d i n g v i e w e d the l a n d s c a p e in the Real Al- legory as free a n d true. H e f u r t h e r c o n n e c t s these aspects o f truth a n d f r e e d o m w i t h s o u g h t - f o r o u t w a r d e x t e n s i o n s to the social o r - d e r w h e r e all c a n f i n d r e g e n e r a t i o n , s a l v a t i o n , a n d r e c o n c i l i a t i o n in the p r o m i s e o f a better f u t u r e (pp. 2 4 0 - 4 1 a n d 2 4 6 - 4 7 ) .
H e r d i n g h a s h e r e a n a l y z e d a c o m p l e x social a n d p o l i t i c a l l a y e r of m e a n i n g , w h i c h p e r m i t s C o u r b e t m o r e t h a n e v e r t o b e r e a d as a " m o d e r n " artist w h o uses t r a d i t i o n a c c o r d i n g to his o w n m o r a l c o n v i c t i o n s . I regret n o t h a v i n g a c k n o w l e d g e d this w o r k in m y n o t e , a l t h o u g h it d o e s in fact s e r v e a c o n t e x t s o m e w h a t different f r o m the o n e I a t t e m p t e d to treat.
A t the s a m e t i m e , I a m h a p p y to d i s c o v e r that the p i c t o r i a l e m b l e m s that I w a s a b l e to p r e s e n t , in o r d e r t o d e m o n s t r a t e the persistence of v i s u a l t r a d i t i o n in C o u r b e t ' s p a i n t i n g , c a n s e r v e n o t o n l y to c o n f i r m a n d c o r r o b o r a t e the earlier i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s of the w o r k , b u t K l a u s H e r d i n g ' s a s w e l l , w h i c h I g l a d l y c r e d i t .
MARGARET ARMBRUST SEIBERT Columbus College of Art and Design
Columbus, OH 43215
29 Frey, 285, letter cxxxix, M a y 24, 1550.
