Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/289

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But having thus secured his own affairs, Baccio now cared little for work, and would labour but rarely. Nay, although the tomb of the Signor Giovanni was still unfinished, and the audience-chamber of the hall in its commencement, while the choir and the altar were in a very backward state, he was not to be moved by the remarks made concerning these matters, nor did he regard the censures heaped on him on that account. It is true that he did at length cause the altar to be erected, and the marble base whereon the figure of the Almighty Father was to stand, to be prepared; when, having made the model for the figure, he ultimately set hand to the work and having stone-cutters in abundance, he went at last slowly forward therewith.

In those days there came from France Benvenuto Cellini, who had served King Francis in the matter of goldsmiths’ work, a calling in which he was the most renowned artist of his time: he had also prepared certain castings in bronze for the same monarch. Benvenuto having been presented to Duke Cosimo, his Excellency, desiring to promote the beautifying of the city, gave him a very gracious reception, and accorded him many favours. He was furthermore commissioned by the Duke to execute a nude figure in bronze about five braccia high, representing Perseus standing over the nude form of a female, Medusa namely, whose head he has just taken off: this group was to be placed under one of the arches in the Loggie of the piazza.

While Benvenuto was engaged with the Perseus, he executed other works for the Duke, but as the potter is ever envious of the potter, and the sculptor always ready to do wrong to the sculptor, so was Baccio incapable of enduring the sight of the many favours conferred on Benvenuto; it seemed to him also to be a very strange thing that, from being a goldsmith, Cellini should suddenly have become a sculptor, nor could he rightly comprehend by what means Benvenuto, who had hitherto been occupied with medals and small figures, should now be executing colossal statues and giants. Baccio could not conceal his thoughts on this subject, nay, rather he gave them full expression, nor did he fail to find one capable of replying to him, and when Baccio gave Benvenuto certain of his caustic words in the presence of the Duke, the goldsmith, who was no less haughty than himself,