Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/217

Rh repair the other Tabernacle, if he be permitted to do so, and there to erect some memorial to his most aiFectionate brother, to whom he acknowledges himself to be under infinite obligations.

And now, since I have before made mention of Jacopo Barozzi, of Vignola, and have said that the most Illustrious Cardinal Farnese has had his magnificent, nay, regal Villa of Caprarola built after the designs of that architect, I will not omit to add that this Bolognese painter and architect, who is now in his fifty-eighth year, was placed to study the art of painting in Bologna, during his childhood, and in his youth; but he did not greatly profit, partly because he had not received a right direction at first setting otf; but also in part because he was more decidedly disposed to architecture than to painting, as may be seen from the few works which he has executed in painting, as compared with his architectural designs; his inclination to the study of perspective and architecture, was indeed very strong, insomuch that he not only acquired the first principles almost without assistance, but mastered the most subtle difficulties also, in a very sl^ort time; many beautiful designs are thus to be found, executed by Jacopo, before he had become known, and principally for Messer Francesco Guicciardini, who was then Governor of Bologna, or for others of his friends: these designs were afterwards executed in tarsia, by the Dominican Fra Damiano da Bergamo.

Having subsequently proceeded to Rome, intending to study painting, in the hope that he might thence obtain the means of assisting his poor family, Vignola first worked at the Belvedere, with the Ferrarese Jacopo Melighini, architect to Paul III., for whom he made designs. But there was then in Rome a Society of Nobles and Gentlemen, who met for the purpose of reading Vitruvius, and by these—among whom was Marcello Cervini (afterwards Pope), Monsignor Maffei, Alessandro Manzuoli, and others,—Vignola was subsequently employed to take measurements of all the Roman antiquities, and to execute other works under their direction, from all which he gained profit as well as practice in art. The Bolognese painter, Francesco Primaticcio, had meanwhile arrived in Rome, and by him also Barozzi was much employed in modelling a great part of the Roman Antiquities, the moulds of which were sent into France, where statues in