Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/208

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lives of the artists.

exceedingly well in the service of the Duke, by whom his labours were remunerated in a manner altogether different to that which he had experienced in Rome and from the Pontiffs. Vasari added, that things being so, he had determined to continue in the service of his Excellency, for whom he was about to commence a much larger Hall than was that of the Kings: he furthermore remarked that, as to the matter in question, the Bishop need suffer no want of men in Rome who were fully capable of serving him. Having received that reply from Vasari, and having conferred respecting the whole matter with His Holiness, it was finally determined that the Cardinal Emulio should undertake the distribution of the work; when it was divided, as has been declared, among numerous young artists, some of whom were already in Rome, while others had to be summoned from other places.

The two prineipal Stories of the Hall were given to Giuseppe Porta, of Castelnuovo in the Garfagnana, who was a disciple of Salviati; while to Girolamo Sicciolante, of Sermoneta, was also given one large picture with another of smaller size. The Bolognese Orazio Sammacchini likewise received a small story, as did Livio da Forlì,[1] and the Bolognese Giovan Battista Fiorini,[2] all which coming to the ears of Taddeo, and he knowing that he had been excluded because the Cardinal Emulio had been told that he thought more of gain than of glory, or of the complete execution of his works, now used all his interest with Cardinal Farnese, to the end that he also might obtain a share of the work. But Farnese, not wishing to take any part in the matter, replied that the labours then in progress at Caprarola might sufiice Taddeo for that time, and declared moreover that he did not think his^ the Cardinal’s, works ought to be neglected on account of the emulation and strife awakened among the artists by that Hall of the Kings. He added, that when works of art were carefully executed, it was those productions that gave name to the place they occupied, not the place that gave a name to them.

Notwithstanding all this, Taddeo pressed the matter so much with the Cardinal Emulio, that he did finally obtain a small picture over one of the doors; but not all his impor-

  1. This Livio da Forlì is our Livio Agresti.
  2. See Malvasia, Felsina Pittrice