ROMAN ART.
Ixix
and the arcades in the first court of the Vatican (Cortile di San
Damaso) are ali by Bramante. The Palazzo Giraud and the
Cancelleria are no longer ascribed to him (comp. pp. 317, 227).
We are wont to wonder at the profusion and splendour, too, of
works to which the cinquecento gave birth. How much richer, how
much more splendid would have been this profusion, had only
these works been carried out as originally designed by the artist's
creative genius!
Along with Bramante ranks Michael Angelo (1475-1564) for
his influence on Roman art in the 16th century. In his youth (1496-
99) Michael Angelo had spent some time in Rome, where he had
been attracted partly by the prospect of a peaceful refuge from
the turmoil of the party-feuds in Florence, partly by the reputation
which his Sleeping Cupid had there acquired. This work, executed
by the artist in his twentieth year, was taken in Rome for a genuine
antique and was highly valued as such by its possessor Cardinal
Riario. When its true authorship transpired the young Michael
Angelo repaired to Rome, with high hopes of employment and fame.
From this first Roman period date the Pietà in St. Peter's, executed
to the order of a French cardinal, the Bacchus, now preserved at
Florence, and another Cupid, both purchased by the art-loving
merchant Jacopo Galli. In 1501 Michael Angelo returned to Flo¬
rence, where he carved the colossal David and designed a famous
cartoon (now lost) for the council-chamber in the Palazzo Vecchio,
representing the Fiorentine troops surprised while bathing by the
Pisans. Julius IL had not long been pope when he summoned
Michael Angelo to Rome once more (spring, 1505), and commission-
ed him to execute his tomb, which was to be erected in St. Peter's
on a hitherto unexampled scale. Michael Angelo set energetically
to work; but he had hardly completed his first preparations, or-
dering the marble at Carrara and arranging his studio in Rome,
when the papal plans were altered. The erection of the new church
of St. Peter absorbed Julius II.'s whole attention, and the scheme
for his tomb was put aside. As a kind of compensation the pope
offered the disappointed artist the task of painting the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel. Michael Angelo, in high indignation, abruptly
quitted Rome (Aprii, 1506) and sought new employment in Florence.
He had some difficulty in pacifying the naturally incensed pope;
but a reconciliation was finally brought about during a visit of
Julius II. to Bologna, where Michael Angelo was commissioned
to cast a bronze statue of his patron. This accomplished (early in
1508), the artisf returned to Rome, not, however, to proceed with
the execution of*the tomb of Julius, but to begin the paintings
in the Sistine Chapel; as already suggested by the pope. When
the frescoes were finally uncovered (autumn, 1512), Michael Angelo
hoped to resumé his originai task, ali the more as after the death
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