[Image #12]

TWO OF THE UNFINISHED MARBLE STATUES IN THE GROTTO OF THE BOBOLI GARDENS,
FLORENCE

(_By permission of the Fratelli Alinari, Florence_)

"Dearest in place of a brother, after salutations and kind regards:--I
inform you how on Saturday evening, when the Pope was at supper, I showed
him certain designs that Bramante and I had to examine. When the Pope had
supped and I had showed them to him, he sent for Bramante and said to him:
'Sangallo goes to Florence and will bring Michael Angelo back with him.'
Bramante replied to the Pope, and said: 'Holy Father, he will do no such
thing, because I know Michael Angelo well enough, and he has told me many
a time that he will not undertake the Chapel, which you wanted to put upon
him; and that he intended to apply himself to sculpture all the time and
not to painting.' And he said: 'Holy Father, I believe that he has not
courage enough for it, because he has not painted many figures, and
especially as these will be high up and foreshortened; and that is quite
another thing to painting on the ground.' Then the Pope replied, and said:
'If he does not come he will do me wrong, so I think he will return
anyhow.' Upon this I up and abused him soundly there in the presence of
the Pope; and said what I believe you would have said for me, so that he
did not know what to reply, and he seemed to think he had made a mistake.
And I said further: 'Holy Father, he has never spoken to Michael Angelo,
and as to what he has now told you, if it be true may you cut my head off,
for he never did speak to Michael Angelo; and I believe he will return by
all means, whenever your Holiness desires.' And so the thing ended. I have
nothing more to tell you. God keep you from harm. If I can do anything for
you let me know; I will do it willingly. Remember me to Simone il
Pollaiuolo."(86)

Bramante was not far wrong in what he said about vault painting. He
alluded to the method of foreshortening employed by his fellow countryman,
Melozzo da Forli, by which he made figures painted on domes and vaults
look as if they were suspended in the air really above the spectators, and
not simply a pattern painted on the surface of the plaster; this method
was perfected by Correggio, but was never practised successfully by a
Florentine.

CHAPTER V

THE COLOSSAL BRONZE FOR THE FACADE OF SAN PETRONIO

The Pope entered Bologna