The Cathedral Builders Part 26

This was the era when pictorial art was freeing its wings from the shackles of tradition and set conventionalism, and from the bondage of working under the rule of another art like architecture. The painters, especially when the oil process was invented, saw a new and independent career open before them, and struck for freedom. The Sienese led the way. In 1355 they seceded from the Masonic Guild, and even forsook their four crowned Saints; inaugurating their own company under the banner and protection of St. Luke. They called it _L' Arte de' Pittori Senesi_. In reading their laws[209] one cannot but recognize that they were framed on the same lines as those of the Masonic Guild, the chief changes being the difference of patron saint, and the omission of some technical rules relating especially to architecture.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FRESCO AT S. GIMIGNANO. BY MAGISTER BARNA OF SIENA.

_See page 278._]

The names of the artists forming this first school of painting are sufficient proof of their former connection with the Comacine Guild.

Here is Francesco di Vannuccio, who was called in a council of the _Opera_ in 1356, and Lando di Stefano di Meo, whose name appears first in the Masonic Guild, and then among the painters; Andrea di Vanni, whose father and ancestors had been in it, and who in 1318 was himself working in the Duomo of Siena with his father, where he is entered in the books as Andreuccio (poor little Andrea) di Vanni. There are sundry other members of the Vanni family, some of whom were on the lists of the Masonic Guild before they are found as painters. Then there was Bartolo, son of Magister Fredi, with his son Andrea and grandson Giorgio. Bartolo must have been an old man at this time, so that his frescoes at S. Gimignano would have been done before the painters seceded. We find also Andrea and Benedetto di Bindo in 1363 inscribed in the roll of "Magistri lapidum," and in 1389 in that of the painters; several of their family have also enrolled themselves there. This Magister Bindo was a Lombard from Val D'Orcia; other Comacine names are there also, such as Domenico di Valtellino, and Cristofano di Chosona (Cossogna, near Pallanza).

I believe that after this secession the churches were no longer so entirely decorated with frescoes. Altar-pieces, introduced by Giotto and Lorenzo Monaco, partially took their place.

In 1386 the painters of the Florentine Lodge followed the example of their _confreres_ at Siena, and put themselves also under the protection of St. Luke. They called themselves the _Confraternita dei Pittori_. The meeting-place of this Confraternity was in the old church of S. Matteo, now no more. Their first company lasted till the time of Cosimo I., who patronized it, and superintended its reorganization in 1562.

In Medicean times great _fetes_ were held on St. Luke's Day, by the Academy, and all the best pictures in Florence were hung in the cloisters of the Servite monks.

By the time of the Grand Dukes the Masonic Guild seems to have decayed. Owing to the new painting, sculpture, and gold-working companies, which had freed themselves from the old organization; and the secularizing of art which followed from these causes, and from the diminished zeal for church-building, the Freemasons must have dwindled away, and the guild died a natural death. Cosimo again revived and united the three sister branches of Art--Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting--in his _Accademia delle Belle Arti_, where they remain to this day. The ensign of the Academy was a group of three wreaths, bay, olive, and oak, with the motto--"_Levan di terra al ciel nostro intelletto_."

Lorenzo il Magnifico had paved the way to the revival of sculpture by the school he started in his gardens. The Academy has now a fine building for itself, and a very interesting collection of paintings, chiefly of the early schools.

Here we will leave the painters, who no longer have any connection with the great Masonic Guild. That fraternity, nevertheless, forms the link of connection between the old cla.s.sic art and the Renaissance in painting, as in all the other branches. Without it we should have had no grand frescoes by Giotto, the Lorenzetti, the Memmi, and the Gaddi, for the lodges at Siena and Florence trained their art; and it is a certain fact that after the secession of the painters, the glorious days of fresco-painting were over. The painters no longer worked together to beautify every inch of the churches built by the brotherhood, but they painted for themselves, for personal fame and money. Madonnas, votive pictures, and portraits multiplied: the commission and the patron ruled the art. Imagination and inspiration rarely dominated, except in rare cases like Fra Angelico, Fra Bartolommeo, Raphael, and Michael Angelo, and other of the greatest Masters who stand forth from the crowd of artists, endowed with true genius.

FOOTNOTES:

[199] Mulroody's _S. Clemente_. St. Asterius, Bishop of Amasia (fourth century), describes a fresco of the martyr St. Euphemia of Chalcedonia, which moved him to tears, and St. Paulinus of Nola (died 401) describes a Basilica covered with paintings.

[200] St. Ephrun, Deacon of Edessa, in his _Sermo I. de Pnitentia XV._, uses gla.s.s mosaic as an ill.u.s.tration of the sacrament of penance. "Penance is a great furnace: it receives gla.s.s and changes it into gold. It takes lead and makes it silver.... Have you seen gla.s.s, how it is made of the colour of beryl, emerald, and sapphire? You cannot doubt, too, that penance makes silver of lead and gold of gla.s.s. If human art knows how to mix nature with nature, and change what was before, how much more would the grace of G.o.d be able to effect? Man has added gold-leaf to gla.s.s, and in appearance that seems gold which was before gla.s.s. If man had chosen to mix in gold, the gla.s.s would have been made golden; but avoiding the cost, he invented the fitting together and inserting the thinnest leaf."

[201] The Dal Colle family were n.o.bles of Pisa. A deed in the archives of the Duomo dated 1229 registers the sale of some land to Giunta by the Archbishop Vitale--"Vendo tibi Juncti q Guidotti de Colle totum unum edificium," etc.

[202] "Circa an. sal. 1210, Juncta Pisa.n.u.s ruditer a Graecis Instructus amoenitas primus ex Italia artem apprehendit."--Padre Angeli, _Collis Paradisi seu sacri conv. a.s.sissiens. historiae_, Liber I. t.i.t. xxiv.

[203] (See Vasari, _Life of Andrea Tafi_.) Tafi was a nickname. In his matriculation to the Arte de' Medici e Speziali, where the painters had to enroll themselves after their split from the Masonic Guild, he is written as "Andreas vocatus Tafi olim Ricchi."

[204] Archives of Opere Del Duomo, Pisa. Doc.u.m. 26, libro sud anno 1301 sud "_Magister Cimabue pictor Magiestatis pro se et famulo suo pro diebus quatuor quibus laborarunt in dicta Opera ad rationem solid.

X. pro die libr II._

"_II. Cimabue pictor Magiestatis sua sponte confessus fuit se habuisse a D. Operario de summa libr: decem quas dictus Cimabue habere debebat de figura S. Johannis quas fecit juxta Magiestatem libr V sol X._

"_III. Bacciomeus filius Jovenchi mediolanensis ... fuit confessus se habuisse ... de precio vitri laborati et colorati quem facere debuit juxta ... et voluntatem magistri Cimabovis pictoris, quem vitris Bacciomeus vendere et dare debet suprad. operario ad rationem den.

XXIIII pro qualibet libra pro operando ipsum ad illas figuras que noviter fiunt circe Magiestatem inceptam in majori Ecclesia S.

Maria._"--See Morrona, _Pisa Ill.u.s.trata_, etc., vol. i. p. 249, notes.

[205] Quoted by Del Migliore in _Firenze Ill.u.s.trata_, p. 414.

[206] Gozzoli is in some books entered as Benozzo di Lese de Fiorenza, in others as "di Cese de Florentia." So uncertain is mediaeval spelling.

[207] Extract from the book ent.i.tled in Latin: "Introitus et exilus facti et habiti a Burgundio Tadi Operario opere sc?e marie dis.

majoris eccle. sub A.D. MCCCII. Ind IIII de mense madij incept...

Magistri Magiestatis majoris

Magister Franciscus pictor de S. Simone porte maris c.u.m famulo suo pro diebus V quibus in dicta opera Magiestatis laborarunt ad rationem solid. X pro die ... Victorius ejus filius pro se et Sandruccio famulo suo, etc. Lapus de Florentia, etc ... Michael pictor, etc ... Duccius pictor, Tura pictor etc. Datus pictor ... Doc.u.ment 25."--See Morrona, _Pisa Ill.u.s.trata_, vol. i. p. 249, note.

[208] Upechinus must be dog Latin for Upettino, who is in the _Breve_ Pisani "ab eo ad operam Magiestatis." Johannes Orlandi was a member of a Lombard family, who had been long in the guild. The Orlandi are found at Milan, Siena, etc.

[209] See Milanesi's _Doc.u.menti per l' Arte Senese_, pp. 1 to 56. Breve dell' arte de' Pittori Senesi.

CHAPTER II

THE SIENA AND ORVIETO LODGES

THE SIENESE SCHOOL

----+---------+-----------------------------+---------------------------- 1. 1259 Magister Luglio Benintendi } } Architects employed on Siena 2. M. Rubeo q. Bartolomei } cathedral.

} 3. M. Stepha.n.u.s Jorda.n.u.s } 4. 1260 M. Bruno Bruscholi } Engaged on May 31, 1260, for } work in the cathedral.

5. M. Buonasera Brunacci } 6. 1266 M. Niccol Pisano Sculptured the pulpit in the Duomo of Siena.

7. M. Donato di Ricevuti { His pupils and a.s.sistants.

{ 8. M. Arnolfo { Donato and Lapo were { naturalized in 1271 at 9. M. Lapo { Siena. Arnolfo went to { Florence, and was there { made a citizen.

{ 10. M. Johannes filius Niccoli { Son of Niccol Pisano, who (Giovanni Pisano) { was made a citizen of { Siena. He was chief { architect of the Duomo in { 1290.

11. 1267 M. Johannes Stephani { Three _Magistri_ employed (son of No. 3) { at the Duomo, who witnessed { the payment to Niccol 12. M. Orlando Orlandi { Pisano for his pulpit.

{ 13. M. Ventura Diotisalvi of { Ventura was probably Rapolano { descended from Diotisalvi, { the builder of the Tower of { Pisa.

14. 1281 M. Ramo di Paganello Signed a contract as builder on Nov. 20, 1281.

15. 1308 M. Andrea olim Ventura Son of No. 13.

{ Worked under Gio. Pisano 16. 1310 M. Lorenzo olim M. Vitalis { at Siena during his de Senis (called Lorenzo { apprenticeship. Was chief Maitani) { architect at Orvieto in { 1310. His son Vitale was { "_Capo-Maestro_" after him.

17. 1310 M. Ciolo di Neri } } Worked together at Siena.

18. " M. Muto di Neri } 19. " M. Teri Ciolo takes Teri as his pupil on Sept. 10, 1310.

20. 1318 *M. Camaino di Crescentini Grandson of Ventura di Diotisalvi[210] Diotisalvi 21. *M. Tino His son.

22. *M. Corsino Guidi 23. *M. Ghino di Ventura } Relatives of the Diotisalvi } family.

24. *M. Ceffo di Ventura } 25. *M. Vanni Bentivegno 26. *M. Andreuccio Vanni His son.

27. *M. Ceccho Ricevuti A descendant of No. 7.

28. *M. Gese Benecti 29. M. Vanni di Cione of } Florence } These four with Lorenzo } Maitani (No. 16) voted 30. M. Tone Giovanni } against going on with the } too large church at Siena, 31. M. Cino Franceschi } and advised its present } dimension.

32. M. Niccola Nuti } 33. 1330 M. Vitale di Lorenzo Son of Lorenzo Maitani (No.

16). C.M. (_Capo-Maestro_) at Orvieto for six months after his father's death, with Niccola Nuti (No. 32.) 34. " M. Agostino da Siena } } 35. M. Giovanni, his son } These five sculptors were } engaged to make the tomb of 36. M. Angelo di Ventura } Bishop Tarlato at Arezzo; } Agostino being head sculptor 37. M. Simone di Ghino } and designer.

} 38. M. Jacopo, his brother } 39. 1333 M. Paolo di Giovanni[211] 40. M. Toro di Mino 41. M. Cino Compagni Worked at the Sienese Duomo from 1326.

42. M. Frate Viva di Compagni A monk of the guild, brother of the preceding.

43. M. Guido or Guidone di Built the castle of Grosseto Pace with Angelo Ventura.

44. M. Andrea Ristori 45. M. Ambrosio Ture 46. 1339 M. Cellino di Nese of Siena Built the church of St. John Baptist at Pistoja; the contract was signed July 22, 1339.

47. 1339-40 M. Lando di Pietro C.M. in 1339. A great artist in metal, and eminent architect.

48. 1348 M. Stefano di Meo Son of Magister Meo di Piero.

Built the chapel of St. Peter at Ma.s.sa.

49. 1349 M. Giovanni di M. Jacopo } di Vanni } These brothers were employed } at the Fonte Branda.

50. " M. Niccolo di M. Jacopo } 51. 1356 M. Gherardo di Bindo { Paid for advice about the { new Duomo when Francesco { Talenti and Benci Cione 52. " M. Francesco di Vannuccio { came from Florence as { experts.

53. 1358 M. Paolo di Matteo } Elected on Nov. 3, 1358, } C.M. of Orvieto with Moricus } as his a.s.sistant. He 54. M. Moricus Petrucciani } resigned, and died in 1360.

55. 1360 M. Andrea di Cecco Ra.n.a.ldi C.M. of Orvieto, Dec. 1360.

56. " M. Luca di Cecco His brother and a.s.sistant; designed the steps of the Duomo in 1386.

57. 1364 M. Paolo d'Antonio C.M. of Orvieto from April 8, 1364.

58. " M. Antonio di Brunaccio A descendant of No. 5; he returned his salary because he broke his contract, March 17, 1364.