Thoughts on Art and Autobiographical Memoirs of Giovanni Duprè

by Giovanni Duprè

STATUE OF CARDINAL FORTEGUERRI.

SIGHINOLFI'S MODEL REJECTED.

Cavaliere Nicolô Puccini, in dying at Pistoia, left orders in his will that a statue of Cardinal Forteguerri should be made and placed in the Piazza del Duomo of that city. Cavaliere Puccini's idea was, as every one can see, a wise and generous one, and belied reports, which made him out odd and unfriendly to the priests. This statue was to be assigned by competition, and with the obligation of presenting a model in plaster representing the Cardinal in his robes, with the insignia of his office, and the size of life. It is evident to all that this obligation was a serious one, and would cause many to withdraw from the competition, as really happened. One person, however, went in for the competition, and this was Signor Cesare Sighinolfi of Modena, who, having left my teaching but a short time before, set himself to model this statue in too trivial a way—without a model, without the necessary robes, and without even caring a pin as regards asking me anything concerning the composition, or the requisite means for not making a jackanapes instead of a cardinal! Vivacious and careless as he was then, he had the pretension of being able to model a cardinal's statue life-size by only consulting some prints or pictures of cardinals, and the result was—as it should have been—that the statue was a very bad one. An article in the programme for this competition provided that the adjudication of the prize should be given by the Florentine Academy. I was not present at the meeting, to avoid giving a vote against it, as I was not unaware how the work had turned out. The poor statue, therefore, was judged and condemned without mercy. Then, after the first ebullition of juvenile impetuosity that had made him run on so foolishly was over, he returned to his senses, remembered me, and as at the same time though he had so much youthful light-heartedness, he had also a certain tenacity of will and self-love that had been wounded by the rejection of his work, he ran to me and entreated me to intercede with the commission that organised the competition, and obtain for him the concession of another trial. I willingly agreed to do so, seeing the despair he was in, and appreciating the no small amount of courage required to recommence from the very beginning a difficult, expensive, and uncertain work; but I had to say to him, "... that is, if you are only in time, because the commission having just fulfilled its duty, and the competition turned out null, is now free to give the statue to whomsoever it likes without the obligation of competition." It was therefore necessary to make an appeal to the commission to obtain its consent that another competition should be opened, and this was done by Sighinolfi, accompanied by a recommendation from me; and that it should have more value, and the second trial be conceded, I advised Sighinolfi to have this appeal signed by all my other colleagues. He did so, and hurried by rail to Pistoia to present his request to the commission; but what was his surprise when, on his arrival there, and just as he was going up the stairs to present his paper to the secretary of the commission, he saw coming down one of the professors who had backed and signed his appeal! The poor youth divined all, but still wished to make the attempt; and he did well to do so,—in fact the secretary in the most polite manner tried to persuade the young artist that now there was no longer time, that the competition had resulted in nothing, and that another trial would only draw things out to too great a length; and finally, that as an offer had just been made to the commission in shape of a request for this work whereby its own responsibility was covered, so that it would come out of the affair with honour, he thought the commission would not accord the petition, but that he would take it, and officially present it, so as to give it its due course. As soon, however, as that excellent gentleman had set his eyes on the paper, and had seen the recommendation and signature of the same individual that only a short time before had made a request for the work for himself, he was so filled with indignation that, turning to Sighinolfi, he said—

THE COMPETITION REOPENED.

"Go back to Florence, make another trial, and as you are recommended by Professor Duprè, he will assist you, and the commission will trust, I am certain, to the words and help of your master."

These, or words to the same effect, were reported to me by Sighinolfi on his return, and I saw myself doubly pledged that the young man should really this time succeed.

Here I am met by a reflection. Was it not perhaps quite lawful for an artist to present himself and ask to have that work to do himself, which, by reason of an unsuccessful competition, any one was free to ask for and obtain? Lawful it certainly would have been for any one who had not recommended the young man for a second trial, but certainly it was not praiseworthy in one who had made this recommendation; so, at least, it seems to me.

CARDINAL CORSI LENDS HIS ROBES.

Therefore, as matters stood thus, I thought it my duty to advise and direct the youth to follow a sure road, and the only good one by which to come safely into port. And, satisfying myself first as to his firm will to do all and follow in everything what I advised, I ordered him to make a small sketch, enough to get lines grateful to the eye. Then, remembering the kindness that Cardinal Corsi, Archbishop of Pisa, had always shown me, I wrote him a letter nearly in the following terms: "Eminence,—Signor Cesare Sighinolfi, my scholar, is the person who presents this letter to you. He has to make the statue of Cardinal Forteguerri for Pistoia, but could not possibly make anything good without having the robes appropriate to that high office. See, Eminenza, if it would be possible for him to obtain them from you—as, for instance, if your Eminence had a robe, even a worn-out one, that you could let him have for a short time—you would be doing a great act of charity; for I repeat, without this neither he nor any one else could succeed in doing anything. I am here to guarantee that the sculptor will take the greatest care of it, and return it as soon as possible," &c., &c. Sighinolfi, although he is not, I believe, one of those many would-be devourers of priests, yet was, and still is, a most decided Liberal, and the dignity and the face of a cardinal must have had the same effect upon him as coming in contact with a most antipathetic person would have upon you or me. But, as the proverb says, one must make of necessity a virtue, and having crossed himself, he presented himself before his Eminence. Great was his surprise to find that prelate most jovial and pleasant, and quite ready to grant his request; and that worthy man pushed courtesy and amiability to the extent of making him sit down at the table while he was taking his breakfast. It is as true as the Gospel that I have seen some democrats more aristocratic than his Eminence Corsi. He then called his secretary, Codibò, and told him to have a whole suit of his best clothes, from the hat to the shoes, given to Sighinolfi, and dismissed him with kindness. I don't know if Sighinolfi offered to kiss his hand; but even if he had, it would have been the same thing, for Corsi would not have allowed him to kiss it, as I well know, for he would never allow me to do so.

THE STATUE ADJUDGED TO SIGHINOLFI.