Nor would the Perugian sculptor, Yincenzio Danti, remain idle in this competition of masters; younger than any one of the others, he did not concur with them in the hope of obtaining the marble, but merely with the intention of making known his determination and the amount of his ability; he therefore set himself to prepare his model, which he made in the house of Messer Ottaviano de’ Medici, and wherein there were many parts of great merit; the size of this work was equal to that of those exhibited by the other artists.
The models being completed, his Excellency the Duke then went to see those of Ammannato and Benvenuto; and preferring the work of the former to that of the latter,[1] he resolved that Ammannato should have the marble and execute the statue, partly because he was younger than Benvenuto, and had besides more experience in marble-work than had the goldsmith Cellini. The purpose of the Duke was strengthened by Giorgio Vasari, who performed many good offices with his Excellency for Ammannato, because he perceived that the latter, to say nothing of his knowledge, was prompt and patient of labour, for which reason Giorgio hoped that from his hands a good work would be seen to proceed without any long delay.[2]
The Duke would not at that time examine the model of Maestro Giovan Bologna, for not having yet seen any work in marble from his hand, he did not feel disposed to confide so great an undertaking to one who was to make it his first performance, although he was assured by many artists and others conversant with the subject, that the model of Giovan Bologna was in many respects superior to any of the others. Had Baccio been alive, there would indeed not have been all these contentions among the artists, since it would undoubtedly have appertained to him to have prepared the model of clay, and executed the statue in marble.
- ↑ It is to be supposed that Benvenuto Cellini must have acquitted himself unusually ill on this occasion, or that the judgment of the Duke must have been already warped to some extent in favour of Ammannato, since the statue of the latter is of so little merit as to render it highly improbable that the work of Benvenuto could have failed to be a better one.
- ↑ In this expectation Vasari was manifestly disappointed, the statue by Ammannato, commonly called the Biancone, being far from a work of excellence. —Ed. Flor.} 1838.
