Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/265

Rh smith and painter Francia, who had heard much of his fame and works, but had never seen any one of them. Measures were accordingly taken for obtaining permission, and Francia had leave to see the statue above-mentioned. He was much struck by the knowledge of art displayed, but on being asked what he thought, he replied that it was a fine casting and a beautiful material. Plearing which, Michelagnolo supposed that he was praising the bronze, rather than the artist and i-emarked to Francia: “I am as much obliged for it to Pope Julius who gave it me, as you are to the shopkeepers, who supply you with your colours for painting;” he furthermore added angrily, in the presence of all the gentlemen standing near, that Francia was a dunce. It was on this occasion that Michelagnolo remarked to a son of Francia, who was a very beautiful youth: “The living figures made by thy father are handsomer than those that he paints.”

Among the gentlemen present at this visit, was one who asked Michelagnolo which was the larger, the statue of that Pope or a pair of oxen. “That depends on what the animals may be,” replied the artist; “for if they are Bolognese oxen it is certain that our Florentines are not such great brutes as those are.” The statue was finished in the clay model, before Pope J ulius left Bologna for Rome, and His Holiness went to see it, but, the right hand being raised in an attitude of much dignity, and the Pontiff not knowing what was to be placed in the left, inquired whether he were anathematizing the people or giving them his benediction; Michelagnolo replied, that he was admonishing the Bolognese to behave themselves discreetly, and asked Plis Holiness to decide whether it were not well to put a book in the left hand. “Put a sword into it,” replied Pope Julius, “for of letters I know but little.” The Pontiff left a thousand crowns in the Bank of M. Antonmaria da Lignano, for the purpose of completing the figure; and after Michelagnolo had laboured at it for sixteenth months, it was placed over the door of San Petronio, as we have before-mentioned when describing the size of the statue. The work was eventually destroyed by the Bentivogli, and the bronze was sold to the Duke Alfonso of Ferrara, who made a piece of artillery called the Julia; of the fragments: the head only was preserved, and this is now in the Duke’s Guardaroba.