The Cardinals Farneseand Santa Croce, the latter afterwards Pope Marcellus, with the Cardinals Ridolfi and MafFeo, Monsignore Bembo, Carpi, and many other Cardinals and Prelates, were in like manner among his associates, but need not all be named here. Monsignore Claudio Tolomeiwas one of his intimates, and the Magnificent Messer Ottaviano de’ Medici was his gossip, Michelagnolo having been godfather to one of his sons. Another of his friends was Messer Bindo Altoviti, to whom he gave that cartoon of the Chapel, wherein Noah is represented as inebriated and derided by one of his sons, while the other two compassionately seek to veil the degradation of their father.
Messer Lorenzo Ridolfi, Messer Annibale Caro, and Messer Giovan Francesco Lottini, of Volterra, were likewise among the friends of Michelagnolo, but more then all the rest did he love Messer Tommaso de’ Cavalieri, a Roman gentleman, still young and much inclined to these arts. For him, and to promote his acquirement of drawing, he made superb cartoons, beautiful heads in red and black chalks, with a Ganymede carried to heaven by the Bird of Jove,[1] a Tityas with the Vulture devouring his heart, the Chariot of the Sun with Phaeton therein falling into the river Po, and a Bacchanalia of Children, each and all of which are most admirable. Michelagnolo also made the Portrait of Messer Tommaso in a cartoon the size of life; he, who never painted the likeness of any one either before or after, seeing that he hated to take anything from the life, unless it presented the very perfection of beauty. These drawings were afterwards increased by those which Michelagnolo made for Sebastiano del Piombo, to the end that he might put them into colours, and which were obtained by Messer Tommaso, who has a great delight in these works,[2] which are indeed most admirable, and well merit to be kept as he keeps them in the manner of relics, but he very liberally permits artists to use them at their pleasure. The friendships of Michelagnolo were all for deserving and noble persons, he having much
- ↑ This was purchased in Florence by our countryman, Bouverie, when on his way to Egypt. A picture after this drawing is in the Imperial Collection at St. Petersburg, and there are copies of the drawing at Vienna, Berlin, and Milan, as well as in London.
- ↑ A large portion of these drawings passed from the Palazzo Famese to the King of Naples.— Ed. Flor., 1832-8.
