Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/266

258 thus offered to a public work, and thought himself compelled to put some of the offenders in prison, such of the evil speakers, that is to say, as, in total disregard of all consideration, proceeded to affix their reproaches publicly to the statue: a proceeding which soon closed the mouths of the scoffers.

When Baccio came to examine this figure in its allotted place, it appeared to him that the open air was not favourable to its appearance, and made the muscles look too soft and feeble; he therefore caused a new scaffolding to be erected around the work, and going over the whole again with his chisels, he gave increased relief to the muscles in certain parts, thereby imparting more force to the forms than they had previously exhibited. The group being finally given to public view, all who were capable of judging, and who took into account all the difficulties of the work, have agreed in considering it to display very careful study and to exhibit exact proportion in the various parts; the figure of Cacus more particularly, has ever been held to be admirable in its attitude.

It must also be remembered that the neighbourhood of Michelagnolo's David, deprives the Hercules of Baccio of much praise which it might otherwise have received, being close beside it, and without doubt the most beautiful colossal statue ever sculptured; for in this all is grace and beauty, while the manner of Baccio is entirely different. But considering the Hercules of Bandinelli entirely apart from other works, and judging it by itself, we cannot do otherwise than commend it very highly, and all the more since it has been seen that many sculptors have subsequently attempted the execution of large statues, but none of them have attained to the point reached by Baccio. Nay, had that artist received from nature an amount of grace and facility equal to the labour and pains which he was ever ready to impose on himself, he would certainly have been entirely perfect in the art of the sculptor.