Florence, in the Guardaroba of the Duke.[1] He also painted the portraits of the Duke Lorenzo and of the Duke Giuliano, whom he depicted with that perfection and that grace of colouring which is to be seen in no other than himself, These works belong to the heirs of Ottaviano de’ Medici, and are now in Florence.[2]
The fame of Raphael continued to increase largely, as did the rewards conferred on him; wherefore, desiring to leave a memorial of himself in Rome, he caused a palace to be erected in the Borgo Nuovo, which was decorated with stucco work by Bramante.[3] The renown of this most noble artist having been carried, by the fame of these and other works, into France and Flanders, Albert Dürer, a most admirable German painter, and the engraver of most beautiful copperplates, sent a tribute of respect to Raphael from his own works, a head, namely, which was his own portrait, executed on exceedingly fine linen, which permitted the picture to appear equally on both sides, the lights not produced by the use of whites, but transparent, and the whole painted in water colours. This work was much admired by Raphael, who sent a number of his own drawings to Albert Dürer,[4] by whom they were very highly estimated. The head sent by the German artist, Albert Dürer, to Raphael, was subsequently taken to Mantua among the other possessions inherited from the last named master, by Giulio Romano.[5]
- ↑ Now in the Pitti Palace. Of the fine copy made from this work by Andrea del Sarto, some mention is made by our author in his life of Andrea, which follows.
- ↑ Of these portraits nothing absolutely certain is now known. There is a copy of that of Giuliano in the Florentine Gallery, which was once believed to be by Vasari himself, but it is now attributed to Alessandro Allori.
- ↑ Raphael’s house was destroyed to make way for the Colonnade of St. Peter’s. See Ferrario, and Giacomo de’ Rossi, Palazzi di Roma. See also Fea, Notizie intorno a Raffaello Sanzio.
- ↑ One of these, containmg two undraped figures of men, is now in the collection of the Archduke Charles, at Vienna. The drawing is addressed to Albert Dürer by the hand of Raphael himself, who has also inscribed the date 1515.—Ed. Flor., 1832-8. The German commentator, Ludwig Schorn, adds, that the following inscription, written by Albert Dürer, is also to be found thereon. “1315, Rafael of Urbino, who is so highly esteemed by the Pope, has made this naked figure, and has sent it to Nuremberg to Albert Dürer, as a specimen of work from his hand.”
- ↑ This portrait is now believed to be lost.
