Celestine IV, who was a Milanese, with that of Pope Innocent IV, both of which were afterwards introduced by Buffalmacco into the paintings executed by him for the church of San Paolo, on the bank of the Arno. Antonio d’Andrea Tafi was also a disciple, and perhaps the son, of Andrea. He was a tolerably good painter, but I have not been able to discover any work by his hand ; I find him named only in the old book of the company of artists in design.[1]
Among the old masters, then, Andrea Tafi merits considerable praise, because, although he acquired the rudiments of mosaic from those artists whom he conducted from Venice to Florence, yet he made important improvements in the art, conjoining the various pieces with extreme care, and executing his work as level as a painting (a matter of the highest importance in Mosaic), so that he laid open the true path to the artists who succeeded him, and to Giotto more especially, as will be seen in the life of that artist, but also to all those who, from his time to ours, have devoted themselves to that branch of painting. Thus it may be affirmed, with truth, that the wonderful works in Mosaic, now being executed in St. Mark’s, at Venice, and in other places, are indebted to Andrea Tafi for the first beginning.[2]
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 friend-
- ↑ In the book of the Company of St. Luke, now in the possession of Sig. G. Masselli, we find Antonio di Andrea Tafi, 1348. —Ed. Flor.
- ↑ All the commentators of Vasari protest against this assertion. The Byzantine mosaic workers were deservedly celebrated, not only in Europe, but in Asia and Africa, centuries before Andrea was born. The ornamental mosaics of the middle ages are yet unrivalled in their class.
