Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects/Gaddo Gaddi

by Giorgio Vasari

 

GADDO GADDI, PAINTER, OF FLORENCE.

[1239—1312.]

The Florentine painter, Gaddo, of this same time, still pursuing the Greek manner, displayed more knowledge of design in liis works, which he finished with extreme care, than can be found in those of Andrea Tafi, and other painters who preceded him. This may, perhaps, be attributed to his friendship for, and close intercourse with, Cimabue, for they being intimately connected, either by the conformity of their tastes or by the goodness of their hearts, the frequent conversations which they held together gave birth to many great and beautiful ideas, when the difficulties of their art were amicably discussed between them. And such discussions were to them the more easy and efficient, as they were assisted by the subtilty of the Florentine air, which is wont to produce fine and ingenious spirits,^[1] and which perpetually freed them from that remnant of spleen and coarseness, of which Nature cannot always divest itself, even though aided by the emulation and precepts which good artists have excited in, and furnished to, each other, through all ages. It is, moreover, obvious, that every operation concerted between men conferring together, must arrive the more readily at perfection if discussed in a spirit of amity, unimpeded by restraint, a state of things but too rarely presented. In the sciences, in like manner, those who study them, conferring together on their various difficulties, enlighten the obscurities of their path, and render advance clear and easy, so that the greatest praise is secured by their efforts. But there are those, on the contrary, who, making profession of friendly intimacy, and assuming the guise of truth and affection, yet, through envy and malice, falsify their ideas, whereby the arts are prevented from reaching the perfection which they might attain if all inventive minds were bound in that brotherly affection which truly did unite Gaddo Gaddi to Cimabue, as also Andrea Tafi to Gaddo Gaddi. Gaddo was associated with himself, by Andrea, in the labour of completing the mosaic of San Giovanni, where he made such progress that he afterwards executed, alone, the Prophets, still to be seen around that church, in the divisions beneath the windows ; and these being from his own hand, and in a much improved manner, procured him great reputation. Encouraged by this success, and resolving to work alone in future, Gaddo carefully studied the Greek manner, together with that of Cimabue, and in a short time, having attained great excellence in the art, he was entrusted by the superintendents of Santa Maria del Fiore with the decoration of the semicircular space within the building, above the principal door of the church. He there executed the Coronation of the Virgin in mosaic ; and when this work was completed, it was declared by all the masters, foreign as well as native, to be the most beautiful mosaic that had yet been seen in Italy, evincing more judgment, better design, and greater care, than any work of the kind then to be found in the country.^[2] The fame of this mosaic quickly spreading, Gaddo was invited to Rome, by Clement V, in the year 1308—which was the year after the church and palaces of the Lateran had been destroyed by fire—where he completed certain Mosaics for that pontiff, which had been left unfinished by Fra Jacopo da Turrita.

Gaddo afterwards executed other works, also in Mosaic, for the principal chapel of San Pietro, and for other parts of the church, but more particularly for the façade whereon he executed the colossal representation of God the Father, with many figures.^[3] He also assisted to complete some of the mosaics on the façade of Santa Maria Maggiore,^[4] ameliorating the manner a little, and departing somewhat from that Greek style, which in itself had nothing meritorious.

Returned to Tuscany, Gaddo was commissioned by the Tarlati, lords of Pietramala, to execute some Mosaics for the old cathedral of Arezzo, which stands without the city ; these were the decorations of a vaulted roof, erected wholly of tufa, over the middle part of the church, to replace one of stone, which had fallen, by its own weight, in the time of the Bishop Gentile, of Urbino,^[5] when that prelate erected a roof of brickwork in its place. From Arezzo, Gaddo repaired to Pisa, where he executed a figure of the Virgin ascending into heaven, in a recess over the Chapel dell’ Incoronata, in the cathedral of that city ; above the Virgin, was a figure of Christ awaiting her, and she has a rich throne prepared for her seat,—a work of great merit for those times, and finished with so much care, that it has remained, even to our own days,^[6] in excellent preservation. This done, Gaddo returned to Florence, intending to take repose from his labours ; he, accordingly, employed himself only in the preparation of small pictures in mosaic, of which some were composed entirely of egg-shells, finished with incredible industry and patience,^[7]as may be seen, among others, in a few still remaining in the church of San Giovanni in Florence. We read, also, that two of these mosaics were made for King Robert, but nothing more is known of them, and this shall suffice as to the mosaics of Gaddo Gaddi. He executed, also, many easel-pictures, and, among others, that in Santa Maria Novella, on the screen of the Minerbetti Chapel, with many more which were sent into various parts of Tuscany,^[8] Labouring thus, sometimes in mosaic and sometimes in painting, Gaddo produced many good works in both branches of art, and these will always suffice to maintain his reputation. I could here say much more of this master ; but as the manner of the painters of those times cannot often be made available for the benefit of artists in our own, I pass it over in silence, proposing to speak at more length in the lives of those who, having improved the arts, may serve, in some sort, as our examples.

Gaddo lived seventy-three years, and died in 1312. He was honourably interred, by his son Taddeo, in the church of Santa Croce ; and although he had other children, Taddeo alone, who was the godson of Giotto, devoted himself to painting, having acquired the first principles from his father, and completed his studies under Giotto. Beside Taddeo, his son, Gaddo had, as observed, another disciple—Vicino, a painter of Pisa—who executed some very good mosaics for the choir of the cathedral of Pisa, as is shown by the following words, still to be seen there :—

“Tempore Domini Joannis Rossi operarii istius ecclesiae, Vicinus pictor incepit et perfecit hanc imaginem B. Mariae, sed Magistatis et Evangelistae, per alios inceptae, ipse complevit et perfecit A.D. 1321, de mense Septembris. Benedictum sit nomen Domini Dei nostri Jesu Cristi. Amen.”^[9]

The portrait of Gaddo, from the hand of Taddeo, his son, will be found in the same church of Santa Croce ; it is in the chapel of the Baroncelli family, and makes part of a painting which represents the marriage of the Virgin ; beside him stands Andrea Tafi.^[10] In our book, of which I have previously spoken, is a drawing, by Gaddo, in miniature, and after the manner of Cimabue ; from this we may see the extent of his merit in design.

And now, as I find, in an old book from which I have taken these few particulars ; of Gaddo Gaddi, that there is also mention of the erection of Santa Maria Novella, the church of the Preaching Friars in Florence, I will not omit to relate by whom, and when, this truly magnificent and highly venerated edifice was erected. It is said, then, that the Beato Domenico, being in Bologna, received a grant of the estate of Ripoli, without the city of Florence, and sent twelve monks to take possession, under the guidance of the Beato Giovanni da Salerno ; these brothers afterwards fixed themselves in Florence, in the convent and church of San Pancrazio ; but when Domenico himself returned to Florence, they departed thence at his desire, and repaired to the church of San Paolo, where they next took up their abode. Ultimately, however, the district of Santa Maria Novella was made over to the aforesaid Beato Giovanni, with all its appurtenances, the monks being put in possession by the papal legate, and by the bishop of the city, on the last day of October, in the year 1221. Then, the church being small, and looking westward, with its entrance on the Piazza Vecchia, the brothers, whose numbers had greatly increased, and who enjoyed high repute in the city, began to think of enlarging both the church and convent. Having, accordingly, collected a very large sum of money, and finding many friends in the city who promised them every kind of aid, they commenced the building of the new church on St. Luke’s day in the year 1278. The first stone of the foundation was laid with great solemnity by Cardinal Latino degli Orsini, legate to the Florentines from Pope Nicholas III. Fra Giovanni, a Florentine, and Fra Ristoro da Campi, lay-brothers of the order, were the architects of the building. It was by these monks also that the bridge of the Carraja and that of the Trinita were restored, after their destruction by the flood of the first of October, 1269.^[11] The greater part of the site on which this church and convent were erected, was given to the brotherhood by the heirs of Messer Jacopo, cavaliere di Tornaquinci. The cost, as has been said, was partly defrayed by alms, and partly by money furnished by different persons who lent a liberal hand to the work. Among these was more particularly distinguished the Frate Aldobrandini Cavalcanti, who was then bishop of Orvieto,^[12] and who lies entombed over the gate of the Virgin. It is said that, in addition to other acts of service, this prelate procured, by his industry, all the labour and materials required for the church. The building was finished when Fra Jacopo Passavanti was prior of the convent ;^[13] and a marble monument was erected to Fra Jacopo, in front of the principal chapel. This church was consecrated by Pope Martin V, in the year 1420, as we learn from an inscription on marble, placed on one of the pilasters of the principal chapel, and which runs as follows :—

“ a.d. 1420, die septima Septembris, Dominus Martinus divina providentia Papa V. personaliter hanc ecclesiam consecravit, et magnas indulgentias contulit visitantibus eamdem.”

Of all which, and much beside, there are accounts in a cronicle of the erection of this church, now in the possession of the fathers of Santa Maria Novella, as well as in the history of Villani.^[14] I was unwilling to omit these few details respecting this church and convent, because they are among the principal and most beautiful of Florence ; and also, because there are found in them, as will be shown hereafter, many excellent works of the most renowned artists that have lived in earlier times.^[15]

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1. Bottari, in the Roman edition of Vasari, 1759, remarks, that Florence is frequently compared with Athens, as touching the advantages here attributed to its air.
2. Still in very fine preservation.—Ed. Flor., 1846.
3. This work has perished. —Ibid.
4. These mosaics are still in good preservation. — Ibid.
5. Gentile de Becchi da Urbino, Bishop of Arezzo, was the tutor of Lorenzo de’ Medici. —Ibid. See Life of Lorenzo, translated by Roscoe. London, 1848.
6. It is preserved even to these days ; but it represents the Madonna only, seated on a throne, and surrounded by angels.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
7. One of these little mosaics, made in the manner described, by Vasari, is still to be seen in the Galleria degli Uffizj in Florence ; it represents the Saviour, a front view : the right hand on the breast, the left holding an open book in Greek ; the whole design and character of the work being also Greek. It is formed of egg-shells, united with incredible care and patience, as Vasari well observes.—Ed. Flor. 1846.
8. All the pictures of Gaddi, which were in Tempera, are now lost.
9. The name of this painter should be Vincino, according to professor Ciampi.—Ed. Flor.
10. These portraits are the two figures standing on the left of the spectator, and near to a woman clothed in blue ; it was from these heads that Vasari took the portraits which he has placed before the lives of these artists.—Ed. flor.
11. Vasari says 1264, but the correct date of this memorable inundation is given by Villani, book vii, chap. 34.
12. Vasari here wrote Arezzo for Orvieto.
13. Some of the commentators will have Vasari to be in error here also ; they affirm that Jacopo Passavanti was not prior, but director of the works at the completion of the edifice.
14. Passavanti wrote the Specchio di vera Penitenza, and is highly praised by Bottari, as one of the purest and most elegant writers of which the Italian language can boast. — Ed. Rom. 1759.
15. In the first edition of Vasari, by Torrentino, the following passage relating to Gaddo will be found, page 135 : “For the purpose of retaining him in Florence, and in the hope of having heirs of his excellence, the Florentines gave him a wife of noble race.” The inscription on his tomb is to the following effect :—

    “Hic manibus talis fuerat, quod forsan Apelles
      Cessisset quamvis Graecia sic tumeat.”

    This inscription has given rise to the Italian proverb, “Bugiardo come un epitaffio” (Mendacious as an epitaph).— Bottari. Della Valle.