of Fiesole. In his early childhood this artist acquired the rudiments of his art from the Fiesolan sculptor, Francesco di Simoni Ferrucci, and although in the first instance he only learned to chisel foliage, he nevertheless by little and little attained to such a degree of facility, that no long time elapsed before he began to execute figures. He had a bold and rapid hand, by which, and by the exercise of judgment and a certain natural facility, it was that he performed his works in marble, far more than by any knowledge of design.[1] To the last mentioned requisite he did nevertheless give a greater degree of attention, when at a later period of his youth he followed his profession under the sculptor Michele Maini, who was also of Fiesole. It was by this Michele, that the San Sebastiano in marble was executed for the Minerva in Rome, a work which at that time was very much extolled.
But to return to Andrea himself; being taken to work at Imola, he there built a chapel of the stone called macigno, in the Church of the Innocents, and was highly commended for the execution thereof.[2] Having completed that work Andrea repaired to Naples, whither he had been invited by Antonio di Giorgio of Settiguano, a most skilful engineer, and architect to the king Ferrante[3] with whom Antonio had so much influence, that not only did he superintend all the public buildings of the kingdom but even managed all the most important affairs of state. Arrived in Naples, Andrea was at once set to work and executed many labours for that monarch in the Castello di San Martino, as well as in other parts of the city. Soon afterwards Antonio died, and by the command of the king was buried, not with obsequies suited to an architect only, but with a pomp befitting the funeral of a prince, being accompanied to the tomb by twenty couples of bearers.[4] Andrea thereupon departed from Naples, perceiv-
- ↑ Cicognara esteems this sculptor much more highly than Vasari appears to have done, since he places him above Mino da Fiesole. See Storia della Scultura Moderna, lib. iv. cap. 5.
- ↑ He also executed two small figures in the Chapel of the Saviour.— Bottari.
- ↑ Ferdinand I. The period was about 1490.
- ↑ The Italian word here used is imbastiti; its accepted meaning is merely “hired bearers,” or mourners, but Bottari explains it to the following effect:— This name alludes to the haste with which the clothes or robes of these hired inourners were sewed, or basted together.”
