competition with Michael Angelo. The merchants above mentioned ultimately invited our artist to proceed to England where he executed many works in marble, bronze, and wood for the king, competing with other masters, who were natives of that country, to all of whom he proved himself superior. And now did Torrigiano receive so many rewards, and was so largely remunerated, that, had he not been a most violent, reckless, and ill-conducted person, he might there have lived a life of ease, and brought his days to a quiet close, but being what he was, his career was ended in a manner which was altogether the reverse of peaceful.[1]
Leaving England, he next went to Spain, where he executed various works, which are dispersed about in different places, and are everywhere highly prized, but chief among them was a Crucifix in terra-cotta, which is considered to be the most admirable work in all Spain. For a monastery belonging to the monks of San Girolamo, which is situate at a short distance from the city of Seville, Torrigiano executed a second Crucifix, as also a figure of San Girolamo doing penance, and represented with his lion beside him. In the figure of the saint, our artist depicted an old House-Steward belonging to the Botti family, Florentine merchants settled in Spain.
A figure of the Virgin with the Divine Child in her arms, also executed at this time by Torrigiano, was found to be so
- ↑ The principal work of Torrigiano in England is the bronze monument, of king Henry VII. and his queen Elizabeth of York, in the chapel, called after that monarch, in Westminster Abbey.— See Britton, Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain. From the documents there given, the reader will find that in his testament of 31st March, 1509, Henry VII. had himself commanded that his monument should be placed in the chapel then commenced by him in the Abbey. Early in the reign of Henry VIII., therefore, we find a contract for the same, concluded with Peter Torrigiani, who engages to finish it before the 29th November, 1 529, and he did in fact complete it in 1519, receiving £1000 sterling for his work. In a second contract, concluded on the 5th January, 1518, Torrigiani further engages to construct a monument for Henry VIII. also, and for his then queen, Catharine of Aragon; this was to be a fourth part larger than that of Henry VII. The master was commanded forthwith to make a model of the tomb to be erected, and was to complete the whole in four years, but this monument has never been executed. For a description of that erected to Henry VII., see Britton, swpm. The painters Mabuse and Hans Holbein were in England at the same time with Torrigiano, and were both'hkewise employed by Henry VII. and Henry VIII.
