Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/255

Rh between the arches; these figures are in terra-cotta. In the same city he made four figures larger than life, and also in terra, for the angles of the vaulting in the church of the Madonna del Popolo; San Petronio namely, San Procolo, San Francesco, and San Domenico, all exceedingly beautiful figures and in a very grand manner.' There are moreover certain works in stucco by this artist at Castel Bolognese, with some others which belong to the Brotherhood of San Giovanni at Cesena.

Now let no man marvel if up to this time what we have said of this master has been confined to the enumeration of works in clay, wax, and stuccoes, with very little mention of anything in marble, for not only was Alfonso always more disposed to the first-named manner of art than to any other, but furthermore it is to be observed, that after a certain age he exercised his art principally for his amusement, and to gratify a sort of vain-glory; thus he had no great desire to devote himself to the chiselling of stones. Alfonso was a person of attractive and youthful appearance, it was his custom always to wear ornaments of gold and other trifling decorations on his arms, neck, and clothing, proving himself thereby to be rather the vain and idle follo-wer of a court, than a meritorious artist, conscientiously seeking the acquirement of an honest fame; and of a truth, by as much as these ornaments are becoming and proper to those who from their station, their riches, and the nobility of their blood, may wear them without reproach, by so much are they worthy of reprehension in artists and others, who are called on, some from one respect and some from another, to refrain from measuring themselves with great personages; certain it is moreover, that all who forget this, do not only fail of obtaining the admiration they expect, but in place thereof they incur the censure, and become much lowered in the esteem of all judicious and thoughtful men.

But Alfonso, charmed with himself, considered none of