Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/259

Rh repaired to Carrara with money for the purchase of the requisite marbles: but the Cardinal Ippolito, having left Rome to proceed into Africa, died himself at Itri no long time afterwards; the work was then taken out of Alfonso’s hands, and was made over to the Florentine, Baccio Bandinelli, by the Cardinals Salviati, Ridolfi, Pucci, Cibo, and Gaddi, to whom the command of the whole had been confided, and who were induced thus to dispossess Alfonso, by the favour which Baccio Bandinelli received from the recommendations of Madonna Lucrezia Salviati, daughter of the great Lorenzo de’ Medici and sister of Pope Leo. Bandinelli had indeed prepared the models for that work even during the lifetime of Pope Clement VI.

Alfonso, therefore, being thus deprived of his ofiftce, was almost beside himself; but his pride being brought down, he determined to return to Bologna. In his way he passed through Florence, and having arrived there, he presented an exceedingly beautiful bust in marble of the Emperor Charles V. to the Duke Alessandro; this is now in Carrara, whither it was sent by Cardinal Cibo, who, on the death of the Duke Alessandro, removed it from the guardaroba of that prince.

Now, it chanced that at the time when Alfonso arrived in Florence, the Duke Alessandro had formed the design of having a portrait of himself put in hand; he had already been portrayed for medals by Domenico di Polo, the carver of gems, and by Francesco di Girolamo dal Prato. Benvenuto Cellini had taken his likeness for the coins, and he had been depicted by Giorgio Vasari of Arezzo, and by Jacopo da Pontormo, among the painters; but he would now have himself portrayed by Alfonso likewise; wherefore the latter, having prepared a head in relief, which was very beautiful and greatly superior to that by Danese of Carrara, received all that was needful to the execution of the same in marble,