timony in the fact that all the most celebrated sculptors and painters since Masaccio’s day have become excellent and illustrious by studying their art in this chapel. Among these may be enumerated Fra Giovanni da Fiesole,[1] Fra Filippo, Filippino, who completed the work; Alesso Baldovinetti, Andrea del Castagna, Andrea del Verrocchio, Domenico del Ghirlandajo, Sandro di Botticello, Leonardo da Vinci, Pietro Perugino, Fra Bartolommeo di San Marco, Mariotti Albertinelli, and the sublime[2] Michael Angelo Buonarrotti. Raphael of Urbino also made his first commencement of his exquisite manner in this place, and to these must be added Granaccio, Lorenzo di Credi, Ridolfo del Ghirlandajo, Andrea del Sarto, Rosso, Francia Bigio, or Franciabigio, Baccio Bandinelli, Alonzo Spagnolo, Jacopo da Pontormo, Pierino del Vaga, and Toto del Nunziata; all in short who have sought to acquire their art in its perfection, have constantly repaired to study it in this chapel[3], there imbibing the precepts and rules necessary to be followed for the ensurance of success, and learning to labour effectually from the figures of Masaccio. And if I have here made mention of but few among the foreigners who have frequented this chapel for purposes of study, let it suffice to say that where the heads go, there the members are certain to follow. But although the works of Masaccio have ever been held in such high estimation, yet it is nevertheless the opinion, or rather the firm belief, of many, that he would have done still greater things for art, had not death, which tore him from us at the age of twenty-six, so prematurely deprived the world of this great master.[4] Whether it were from envy, or because the best things have but rarely a long duration, so it was
- ↑ The improbability of this will be made manifest in the life of Fra Giovanni (which follows); that artist having been born fifteen years before Masaccio, and being already a great master when the works of the Brancacci Chapel were in progress.
- ↑ “The most divine,” is Vasari’s expression.
- ↑ The paintings of this chapel (a true school of art, equal to that of the “Stanze Vaticane”, and one that has been still more fruitful than that last in excellent painters) were engraved by Thomas Palch in 1772, and, at a later period, by Carlo Lasinio.—Masselli.
- ↑ Cristoforo Landino was the first to say (in the introduction to his Commento della Divina Commedia) that Masaccio died at twenty-six. It was from him, perhaps, that Vasari copied the assertion, without considering that this was in flagrant discord with the dates given by himself
