sidered in Padua, his native city, to have inherited the ability of the Florentine master—an opinion justified by his works in the Santo,[1] respecting which almost any one, not possessing a perfect acquaintance with the subject, might be easily induced to believe them the works of Donato himself; nay, many not previously informed of the truth, are thus deceived every day.[2]
This Vellano, then, inflamed by the many praises which he continually heard bestowed on the Florentine sculptor Donato,[3] who was then working in Padua, and impelled by a desire for those advantages secured to good artists by the excellence of their works, Vellano, I say, placed himself with Donato to acquire from him the knowledge of his art, and devoted himself to the study of sculpture in such sort, that with the aid of so great a master, he finally attained his purpose; insomuch that before Donatello had completed his undertaking in Padua and departed thence, Vellano had made so great a progress in the art, that he had already awakened considerable expectation, and gave the master so much hope, as to induce the latter to leave him all his provisions and preparations for the work, with the designs and models of the stories in bronze, which still remained to be executed around the choir of the Santo, in that city. Pdiis was one reason why Vellano, when Donato had departed, was publicly appointed by his native city, to his very great honour, to execute the whole work. By him, therefore, all the stories in bronze on the outer side of the choir of the Santo were executed accordingly: and here, among other things, is the story of Samson, who grasping the columns,[4] destroys the
- ↑ The church of St. Anthony of Padua, so called par eminence.
- ↑ icognara, Storia della Scultura, declares that the most unskilled in art, provided they are furnished with good sense, are unlikely to mistake even the best works of Vellano for the least distinguished among those of Donato.
- ↑ Pomponius Guaricus, in his Treatise De Sculptura, also declares Vellano, or Bellano of Padua, to have been a scholar of Donato, but calls him “ineptus artifex.”
- ↑ The bassi-rilievi in bronze around the choir of the Santo are twelve; the subjects are taken from the Old Testament. Of these twelve bassirilievi, ten are by Vellano; the other two, the second and fifth, namely, one representing David and Goliath, the other Judith and Holofernes, are by Andrea Riccio, whom Cicognara considers to be greatly superior to Vellano.
