In one of the halls of the palace in Mantua[1] moreover, this artist painted the whole history and events of the Trojan War;[2] and in one of the ante-chambers he painted twelve stories in oil, beneath the twelve heads of the Emperors which had previously been depicted there by Titian of Vecelli, works which were held in the highest estimation.[3]
At Marmiruolo likewise, a place distant about five miles from Mantua, there was a very commodious building erected after the design and under the direction of Giulio, and which was adorned by him with large pictures,[4] no less beautiful than are those of the palace in Mantua and that of the T. The same master furthermore depicted a figure of Our Lady in a painting in oil executed for the chapel of the Signora Isabella Buschetta, in the church of Sant’ Andrea in Mantua: the Madonna is in the act of adoring the Infant Jesus, who is lying on the earth, Joseph with the Ass and an Ox are seen near the manger, which is close by, and on one side is San Giovanni Evangelista, with San Longinus on the other. Both these figures are of the size of life.[5] On the walls of the same chapel, Giulio further caused Rinaldo to paint two very beautiful pictures after his own designs; one of these represents the Crucifixion of Our Saviour Christ, with the Two Thieves; in the air above are Angels, and beneath are the Executioners, with the Maries and many Horses, in which Giulio always delighted greatly, and which he rendered admirably well, making them beautiful to a marvel: there are numerous Soldiers also in finely varied attitudes. The second picture executed in this chapel by Rinaldo, after Giulio’s design, is that Discovery of the Blood of Christ
- ↑ Gaye, Carteggio inedito d’Artisti, gives letters written on the subject of this work from Giulio Romano to the Marquis.
- ↑ These works are in tolerable preservation.
- ↑ The paintings of Giulio, as well as the Caesars by Titian, disappeared in the deplorable sack of Mantua, which took place in 1630. In one Hall of the Palace there are nevertheless still to be seen paintings attributed to this master; they represent the goddess Diana in various scenes oi her history.
- ↑ This palace has been destroyed.
- ↑ This work is now in the Louvre. It has been engraved by Louis Desplaces.
another place we find him observing that he had made the Cartoon for the painter, “to the intent that the latter might not lose time with the decorations.”
