| It is rarely the case that a man is excellent in one thing who
could not easily learn another; and so we find that Orcagna the
Florentine was painter, sculptor, architect, and poet. Born in
Florence, he began as a boy the study of sculpture under Andrea
Pisano; then he gave himself up to the study of drawing, and aided
by Nature, who desired to make him a universal genius, he practised
colouring in distemper and fresco, and succeeded so well with
the aid of Bernardo, his brother, that this Bernardo took him
with him to paint in S. Maria Novella, and by the works he painted
in company with his brother, his fame spread so far that he was
summoned to Pisa to paint in the Campo Santo.
Afterwards he gave himself with all his might to the study of
architecture, thinking it might be of use to him. Nor was he mistaken,
for in the year 1355 the commune of Florence, having bought some
houses near the palace that they might enlarge the Piazza, and
make a place where the citizens might retire under cover in winter
and in time of rain, ordered designs to be made for a magnificent
loggia near the palace. Among the designs made by the best masters
in the city Orcagna's was universally approved and accepted as
the best, the most beautiful, and most magnificent. So he begin
the work, and brought it to a conclusion in a little time
And a little after the company of Orsanmichele, having in their
possession much money, chiefly from the alms presented to the
Madonna there during the mortality of 1348, resolved to make over
her a chapel, or rather a tabernacle, not only carved in marble
and adorned with precious stones, but also with mosaics and bronzework
so that it should surpass in material and in excellent work everything
made before that time. And the charge being given to Orcagna,
he made many designs for it, until one pleased the governors as
better than all the others, and the whole matter was left to his
judgment. And he giving to different masters from many countries
the other parts, kept for himself and his brother all the figures
in the work; and when it was finished he caused it to be built
up and joined together without cement with fastenings of copper
and lead, that the polished marble might not be stained, which
succeeded so well that the whole chapel seems to be cut out of
one piece of marble. But what great efforts he made in that dark
age to display his subtle genius is chiefly seen in a great work
in relief of the Twelve Apostles watching the Madonna borne up
to heaven by angels. For one of the apostles he sculptured himself
as he was, aged, with shaven face, with his cowl about his head.
Below he wrote upon the marble these words, "Andreas Cionis
pictor Florentinus Oratorii archimagister extitit hujus, MCCLIX."
The building of the loggia and the tabernacle cost ninety six thousand
gold florins, which were very well spent, for whether as regards
architecture, sculpture, or ornament, it is as beautiful as anything
of those times, and such that it will always keep alive the name
of Andrea Orcagna, who used on his paintings to write, "Fece
Andrea di Cione scultore," and on his sculpture, "Fece
Andrea di Cione pittore."
In the year 1350 was formed the Company and Fraternity of the
Painters in Florence, for the masters were there in great numbers,
and they considered that the arts of design had been born again
in Tuscany, and indeed in Florence itself. They put their company
under the protection of S. Luke the Evangelist, and their oratory
was the larger chapel of S. Maria Nuova. The companywas ruled
by two councillors and two treasurers, and when it was formed,
Jacopo di Casentino painted the picture for their chapel representing
S. Luke portraying the Virgin.
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