me to paint,’ asked Giotto. ‘My arms.’ 'And are they not here,’ rejoined the painter ; ‘is there one wanting?’ ‘Good, good!’ quoth the man. ‘Nay, verily, but ’tis rather bad, bad!’ responded Giotto. ‘Lord help thee, for thou must needs be a special simpleton : why, if a man were to ask thee, ’who art thou?’ ’t would be a hard matter for thee to tell him ; yet here thou comest and criest, ‘paint me my arms.’ If thou wert of the house of the Bardi, that were enough ; but thou!—what arms dost thou bear? who art thou? who were thy forefathers? Art thou not ashamed of thyself! Begin at least to come into the world before thou talkest of arms, as though thou wert Dusnam of Bavaria at the very least. I have made thee a whole suit of armour on thy shield : if there be any other piece, tell me, and I’ll put that too.’ ‘Thou hast given me rough words, and hast spoiled my shield,’ declared the other; and going forth, he betook himself to the justice, before whom he caused Giotto to be called. The latter forthwith appeared ; but on his side summoned the complainant for two florins, the price of the painting, and which he demands to be paid. The pleadings being heard on both sides, and Giotto’s story being much better told than that of our clown, the judges decided that the latter should take away his buckler, painted as it was, and should pay six livres to Giotto, whom they declared to have the right. Thus the good man had to pay and to take his shield ; whereupon he was bidden to depart, and not knowing his place, had it taught to him on this wise.[1]
It is said that Giotto, when he was still a boy, and studying with Cimabue, once painted a fly on the nose of a figure on which Cimabue himself was employed, and this so naturally, that when the master returned to continue his work, he believed it to be real, and lifted his hand more than once to drive it away before he should go on with the painting.[2] Many other jests and witty retorts might be recorded of Giotto ; but these, which appertain to art, shall suffice me to tell in this
- ↑ The “Novelle” of Saechetti were not printed in the time of Vasari, whose version differs from that of Boccaccio, which is much more to the credit of Giotto ;—compare Baldinucci with Iiumohr for other relations concerning Giotto.
- ↑ Stories of this kind are related of most celebrated painters.— Ed. Flor. 1846.
