Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/484

476 been applied to such purposes; but all this gave infinite pleasure, and the custom thus introduced has added greatly to the beauty of that sort of painting. The subject of the drama was from the History of Joseph, and displayed him first as falsely accused of offering violence to his master’s wife, and next as imprisoned, but ultimately set at liberty by virtue of his interpretation of the King’s dream. These decorations also pleased the Duke exceedingly; and as the time for his nuptials with Madama Margherita of Austria approached, he commanded that another drama should be prepared, and that the scenic preparations for representing the same should be made by Aristotile at the house which belongs to the Company of Weavers, and which is close to the abode of the Illustrious Ottaviano de’ Medici, in the Via di San Gallo.

Aristotile set hand to the work accordingly, giving all the care and attention of which he was capable thereto, and completing it to the utmost perfection, but as Lorenzo di Pier Francesco de’ Medici, who had composed the drama to be performed, and had charge of the whole representation, as well as of the music—as Lorenzo I say, was then fully occupied with the thought of how best he might compass the death of the Duke, by whom he was so much beloved and favoured, so he now believed that means for accomplishing his purpose might be found in the preparations for that representation. With this intent Lorenzo gave orders that the walls on both sides of the curtain, at that point where the floor of the stage terminated in the staircase leading behind the scenes namely, should be removed to the extent of eighteen braccia, in order that a capacious recess or chamber might there be prepared with its floor on a level with that of the stage, for the convenience of the singers.

But above this first floor Lorenzo proposed to have a second for the musical instruments, organs, harpischords, and others of such kind as are not easily moved or changed, while the space left by the wall which he had caused to be thrown down, he desired to have covered with canvas painted in buildings and perspective views, all which pleased Aristotile greatly, because the proscenium was enriched