Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/191

Rh Prophets which were to occupy the niches formed around the chapel, the construction of which was now entirely finished; and to these he had imparted the utmost perfection, when Pope Clement came to see the works. His Holiness commended them all, but more particularly that of Tribolo; he was indeed so well satisfied with this, that he commanded the master to return without loss of time to Florence, there, under the superintendence of Michelagnolo Buonarroti, to execute the figures still wanting to the sacristy and library of San Lorenzo, with all the other portions of the same yet incomplete; the whole to be finished after the models and with the assistance of Michelagnolo as quickly as might be possible: his Holiness furthermore commanding that, having thus laboured and made progress under the discipline of so great a man, Tribolo should then likewise complete the façade of San Lorenzo.

In these labours the Pontiff would have no delay, and therefore despatched Michelagnolo to Florence, sending also with him the Servite Monk, Fra Giovan Agnolo, wrho had executed certain works in the Belvidere, to the end that the latter might assist in the carving of the marbles, and might execute such of the statues as Michelagnolo should appoint him to finish under his guidance. The latter gave Fra Giovan Agnolo a figure of San Cosimo accordingly, and this was to stand on one side of a Madonna, the figure of San Damiano, the commission for which had been accorded to Montelupo, being intended to occupy the place on the other side.

These being thus disposed of, Michelagnolo intended that Tribolo should execute two nude figures, which were to be placed one on each side of the statue of the Duke Giuliano, which had previously been sculptured by Michelagnolo himself. One of these two statues, crowned with cypress, and bending her head, while the arms are outstretched in the attitude of grief, as bewailing the death of Giuliano, wras to represent the Earth; the other, smiling and triumphant, with arms upraised, was to signify Heaven, and to express re-