But I fear that this, which was my greatest work, will be the one the
least known."
"No it will not," answered M. Lactancio Tolomei, "as in that they will
trust to your knowledge, and it will be an image which will lead them to
build a noble temple for it. I am astonished at your being able to
reproduce and send it, for neither the Popes nor the Brothers of San
Giovanni Laterano ever allowed the King of France or other devout
princesses to do so."
Then M. Angelo said:
"It is astonishing how M. Francisco worked, and how he robbed Rome of this
precious relic, and how he painted it in oils, although in all his life he
had never been a painter in oils, and only made pictures hitherto easily
contained on a small parchment."
"How can it be," said M. Lactancio, "that one who never painted in oils is
capable of doing it, and that one who has always done little things can
also do big ones?"
And as I did not reply, Michael Angelo answered him:
"Do not be surprised, sir, and as regards this I wish now to state my
views about the noble art of painting. Let every man who is here
understand this well: design, which by another name is called drawing, and
consists of it, is the fount and body of painting and sculpture and
architecture and of every other kind of painting, and the root of all
sciences. Let whoever may have attained to so much as to have the power of
drawing know that he holds a great treasure; he will be able to make
figures higher than any tower, either in colours or carved from the block,
and he will not be able to find a wall or enclosure which does not appear
circumscribed and small to his brave imagination.
Pages:
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341