Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/510

498 mand of the Duke, for his garden of the Pitti, the design being that of the Triumph of Neptune, exhibited in the superb maskings given by his Excellency on the Marriage of the Prince.

And this shall suffice to say of Stoldo Lorenzi, who, being young, is constantly making improvement and acquiring honour among his brother Academicians.

Of the same family of the Lorenzi, of Settignano, is Battista, called Del Cavaliere, from having been the disciple of Baccio Bandinelli, and who has executed in marble three Statues larger than life, receiving his commission for the same from the Florentine citizen, Bastiano della Pace, who has had them made for the Guadagni family, now resident in France, where they have placed them in their gardens; they are, a nude figure of Spring, with others of Summer and Winter, one of Autumn being also to be prepared for the same persons. Those who have seen these Statues declare them to be singularly beautiful, and they have obtained for Battista the distinction of having been chosen by the Duke to execute the Sarcophagus, with its ornaments; and one out of three Statues, which are to be executed for the Tomb of Michelagnolo Buonarroti, now about to be constructed by his Excellency and Lionardo Buonarroti, after the design of Giorgio Vasari. In this work Battista is acquitting himself with much credit, more especially as regards certain Boys, and the half-length figure of Buonarroti himself.

The second of the three Statues, intended for this tomb, and which are to represent Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, has been given to Giovanni di Benedetto, of Castello, also a disciple of Bandinelli and an Academician, who is employed in the works of Santa Maria del Fiore; the bassirilievi around the Choir are by his hand, and are now approaching their completion. In this work Giovanni is closely imitating his master, and his mode of conducting the same is such as to give hope of great success in the future; nor can this hope fail to be realized, since he is both earnest in study and diligent in labour.

The third figure is adjudged to the sculptor and Academician, Valerio Cioli, of Settignano, his previous works having given fair ground for expectation that he will render the Statue worthy of being placed on the sepulchre of so great a