Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/442

430 few years, that his ability made him known to many princes, more particularly to the Emperor Charles Y., who, perceiving his value, employed him in occupations of more importance than that of preparing medals.

No long time after the first presentation of Lione to the Emperor, that monarch commissioned him to execute a Statue of himself in bronze; this figure, which was somewhat larger than life, Lione invested with a splendid suit of armour, by means of two very thin plates of metal, which could easily be put on or taken off*: the effect is most graceful, and the artist has managed his work so perfectly, that whoever sees the figure clothed would never suppose it to be sometimes nude; and whoever sees the nude Statue would find it difficult to believe that it could ever be armed.

Eesting on the left foot, the Emperor’s right foot is placed on a chained figure, lying beneath him, and representing Rage or Fury, with a torch, and various arms. On the pedestal of the Statue, which is now in Madrid, are the words:—

Having completed that figure, Lione then made a large die for the purpose of striking medals of the Emperor, with Jupiter launching his thunderbolts at the Titans, on the reverse. For these works his Majesty gave the artist a pension of a hundred and fifty ducats per annum, secured on the Mint of Milan, with a commodious house in the Contrada de’ Moroni. Charles also made him a Knight, conferring at the same time a patent of nobility on his descendants; and while Lione was in Brussels, he had rooms, in the palace of the Emperor, who sometimes amused himself by going to see the artist at his work.

Lione subsequently made a Statue in marble, of the Emperor, with others of the Empress and King Philip; he executed a Bust of Charles also, which was to be placed in a high position, between two rilievi in bronze. He made a bust in bronze, of the Queen Maria, likewise; with one of Ferdinand, then King of the Romans; another of Maximilian, now Emperor, and many more, which were placed in the gallery of the Palace at Brindisi, by Queen Maria, at whose command they were executed. But they did not remain there long, seeing that Henry, King of France, set fire to the building out of vengeance, and left the following