Among the artists who laboured with Rosso in the abovementioned works of stucco and relief, were the Florentine, Lorenzo Naldino, Maestro Francesco d’Orleans, Maestro Simon of Paris, and Maestro Claude, also a Parisian, with IMaestro Laurence of Picardy, all of whom were highly acceptable to him; and many others whom I do not name. But the best of all was Domenico del Barbieri, who is a most excellent painter and master in stuccoes, being a very extraordinary designer, as is made sufficiently obvious by his engraved works, which may truly be accounted among the best in the world. The painters also whom Rosso employed in the works at Fontainebleau were Luca Penni, brother of Giovanni Francesco, called the Fattore, and who was a disciple of Raffaello da Urbino; the Fleming Leonard, who was a very able painter, and who rendered admirably with his colours the designs prepared by Rosso; the Florentine Bartolommeo Miniati, Francesco Caccianimici, and Giovanni Battista da Bagnacavallo; the two last-mentioned artists having offered their services to Rosso while Primaticcio was gone to Rome, whither he had repaired for the purpose of modelling the Laocoon, the Apollo, and many other of the finest antiquities, which it was proposed afterwards to cast in bronze.[1] I do not here name the masters in woodwork, the carvers, and many others in great numbers, of whose assistance Rosso availed himself in these labours, since it is not needful to speak of all, although many of them produced works that are worthy of high commendation.
In addition to the labours which have been mentioned above, Rosso likewise painted a San Michele, which is an admirable thing; he also executed a picture of a Dead Christ for the Constable, which is likewise a work of great merit, and is now at a place called Escovan,[2] belonging to that noble. Rosso painted many exquisite pictures in miniature moreover, for the King of France, and a book of anatomical designs was in like manner prepared by this master, whose design it was to have it printed in France; of this
- ↑ According to Benvenuto Cellini, Primaticcio suggested to King Francis the idea of making casts from the best statues of antiquity, to the end that the works thus performed by Primaticcio might rival those of Benvenuto himself.
- ↑ According to Bottari, Ecouen, or perhaps Ecuette, near Fontainebleau. And in’s edition calls the place “Cevan.”
