I believe that after this secession the churches were no longer so entirely decorated with frescoes. Altar-pieces, introduced by Giotto and Lorenzo Monaco, partially took their place.
In 1386 the painters of the Florentine Lodge followed the example of their confrères at Siena, and put themselves also under the protection of St. Luke. They called themselves the Confraternità dei Pittori. The meeting-place of this Confraternity was in the old church of S. Matteo, now no more. Their first company lasted till the time of Cosimo I., who patronized it, and superintended its reorganization in 1562.
In Medicean times great fêtes were held on St. Luke's Day, by the Academy, and all the best pictures in Florence were hung in the cloisters of the Servite monks.
By the time of the Grand Dukes the Masonic Guild seems to have decayed. Owing to the new painting, sculpture, and gold-working companies, which had freed themselves from the old organization; and the secularizing of art which followed from these causes, and from the diminished zeal for church-building, the Freemasons must have dwindled away, and the guild died a natural death. Cosimo again revived and united the three sister branches of Art—Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting—in his Accademia delle Belle Arti, where they remain to this day. The ensign of the Academy was a group of three wreaths, bay, olive, and oak, with the motto—"Levan di terra al ciel nostro intelletto."
Lorenzo il Magnifico had paved the way to the revival of sculpture by the school he started in his gardens. The Academy has now a fine building for itself, and a very interesting collection of paintings, chiefly of the early schools.
Here we will leave the painters, who no longer have any connection with the great Masonic Guild. That fraternity, nevertheless, forms the link of connection between the old classic art and the Renaissance in painting, as in all the other branches. Without it we should have had no grand frescoes by Giotto, the Lorenzetti, the Memmi, and the Gaddi, for the lodges at Siena and Florence trained their art; and it is a certain fact that after the secession of the painters, the glorious days of fresco-painting were over. The painters no longer worked together to beautify every inch of the churches built by the brotherhood, but they painted for themselves, for personal fame and money. Madonnas, votive pictures, and portraits multiplied: the commission and the patron ruled the art. Imagination and inspiration rarely dominated, except in rare cases like Fra Angelico, Fra Bartolommeo, Raphael, and Michael Angelo, and other of the greatest Masters who stand forth from the crowd of artists, endowed with true genius.
CHAPTER II
THE SIENA AND ORVIETO LODGES
THE SIENESE SCHOOL
| 1. | 1259 | Magister Luglio Benintendi | Architects employed on Siena cathedral. | |
| 2. | M. Rubeo q. Bartolomei | |||
| 3. | M. Stephanus Jordanus | |||
| 4. | 1260 | M. Bruno Bruscholi | Engaged on May 31, 1260, forwork in the cathedral. | |
| 5. | M. Buonasera Brunacci | |||
| 6. | 1266 | M. Niccolò Pisano | Sculptured the pulpit in theDuomo of Siena. | |
| 7. | M. Donato di Ricevuti | His pupils and assistants.Donato and Lapo werenaturalized in 1271 atSiena. Arnolfo went toFlorence, and was theremade a citizen. | ||
| 8. | M. Arnolfo | |||
| 9. | M. Lapo | |||
| 10. | M. Johannes filius Niccoli (Giovanni Pisano) | Son of Niccolò Pisano, whowas made a citizen of Siena.He was chief architect ofthe Duomo in 1290. | ||
| 11. | 1267 | M. Johannes Stephani (son of No. 3) | Three Magistri employedat the Duomo, who witnessedthe payment to NiccolòPisano for his pulpit. | |
| 12. | M. Orlando Orlandi | |||
| 13. | M. Ventura Diotisalvi of Rapolano | Ventura was probablydescended from Diotisalvi,the builder of the Tower ofPisa. | ||
| 14. | 1281 | M. Ramo di Paganello | Signed a contract as builder on Nov. 20, 1281. | |
| 15. | 1308 | M. Andrea olim Ventura | Son of No. 13. | |
| 16. | 1310 | M. Lorenzo olim M. Vitalis de Senis (called Lorenzo Maitani) | Worked under Gio. Pisano at Siena during hisapprenticeship. Was chief architect at Orvieto in1310. His son Vitale was "Capo-Maestro" after him. | |
| 17. | 1310 | M. Ciolo di Neri | Worked together at Siena. | |
| 18. | " | M. Muto di Neri | ||
| 19. | " | M. Teri | Ciolo takes Teri as hispupil on Sept. 10, 1310. | |
| 20. | 1318 | *M. Camaino di Crescentinidi Diotisalvi[210] | Grandson of Ventura Diotisalvi | |
| 21. | *M. Tino | His son. | ||
| 22. | *M. Corsino Guidi | |||
| 23. | *M. Ghino di Ventura | Relatives of the Diotisalvifamily. | ||
| 24. | *M. Ceffo di Ventura | |||
| 25. | *M. Vanni Bentivegno | |||
| 26. | *M. Andreuccio Vanni | His son. | ||
| 27. | *M. Ceccho Ricevuti | A descendant of No. 7. | ||
| 28. | *M. Gese Benecti | |||
| 29. | M. Vanni di Cione of Florence | These four with Lorenzo Maitani (No. 16) votedagainst going on with thetoo large church at Siena,and advised its presentdimension. | ||
| 30. | M. Tone Giovanni | |||
| 31. | M. Cino Franceschi | |||
| 32. | M. Niccola Nuti | |||
| 33. | 1330 | M. Vitale di Lorenzo | Son of Lorenzo Maitani (No.16). C.M. (Capo-Maestro) atOrvieto for six months afterhis father's death, withNiccola Nuti (No. 32.) | |
| 34. | " | M. Agostino da Siena | These five sculptors wereengaged to make the tomb ofBishop Tarlato at Arezzo;Agostino being head sculptorand designer. | |
| 35. | M. Giovanni, his son | |||
| 36. | M. Angelo di Ventura | |||
| 37. | M. Simone di Ghino | |||
| 38. | M. Jacopo, his brother | |||
| 39. | 1333 | †M. Paolo di Giovanni[211] | ||
| 40. | †M. Toro di Mino | |||
| 41. | †M. Cino Compagni | Worked at the Sienese Duomofrom 1326. | ||
| 42. | †M. Frate Viva di Compagni | A monk of the guild, brotherof the preceding. | ||
| 43. | †M. Guido or Guidone di Pace | Built the castle of Grossetowith Angelo Ventura. | ||
| 44. | †M. Andrea Ristori | |||
| 45. | †M. Ambrosio Ture | |||
| 46. | 1339 | M. Cellino di Nese of Siena | Built the church of St. JohnBaptist at Pistoja; thecontract was signed July 22,1339. | |
| 47. | 1339-40 | M. Lando di Pietro | C.M. in 1339. A great artist in metal, and eminent architect. | |
| 48. | 1348 | M. Stefano di Meo | Son of Magister Meo di Piero.Built the chapel of St. Peterat Massa. | |
| 49. | 1349 | M. Giovanni di M. Jacopo di Vanni | These brothers were employedat the Fonte Branda. | |
| 50. | " | M. Niccolo di M. Jacopo | ||
| 51. | 1356 | M. Gherardo di Bindo | Paid for advice about thenew Duomo when FrancescoTalenti and Benci Cionecame from Florence asexperts. | |
| 52. | " | M. Francesco di Vannuccio | ||
| 53. | 1358 | M. Paolo di Matteo | Elected on Nov. 3, 1358,C.M. of Orvieto with Moricusas his assistant. Heresigned, and died in 1360. | |
| 54. | M. Moricus Petrucciani | |||
| 55. | 1360 | M. Andrea di Cecco Ranaldi | C.M. of Orvieto, Dec. 1360. | |
| 56. | " | M. Luca di Cecco | His brother and assistant;designed the steps of theDuomo in 1386. | |
| 57. | 1364 | M. Paolo d'Antonio | C.M. of Orvieto fromApril 8, 1364. | |
| 58. | " | M. Antonio di Brunaccio | A descendant of No. 5; hereturned his salary becausehe broke his contract,March 17, 1364. | |
| 59. | 1369 | M. Johannes Stephani | A descendant of StefanoJordanus (No. 3). He workedat S. John Lateran for PopeUrban V. in 1369. ElectedC.M. at Orvieto, March 11,1375. | |
| 60. | 1377 | M. Giacomo di Buonfredi (detto Corbella) | Sculptured the façade of theDuomo of Siena, opposite thehospital. | |
| 61. | " | M. Francesco del Tonghio (called Francesco del Coro) | Sculptured the choir stallsin Siena cathedral in 1377,also the choir in the Duomoof Florence. | |
| 62. | 1379 | M. Giacomo del Tonghio | His son and assistant. Hesculptured the tabernacle ofS. Pietro in the Duomo ofSiena. | |
| 63. | 1384 | Magister Giacomo di Castello | Contracted on Feb. 24,1384-85, to make threecoloured glass windows forthe Duomo; he made alsothose in S. Francesco atPisa in 1391. | |
| 64. | 1386 | M. Giovanni Peruzzi | Did some stone building inthe tower at Siena cathedral. | |
| 65. | 1388 | M. Mariano d'Agnolo Romanelli | Carved several figures in thechoir of Siena cathedral. | |
| 66. | 1390 | M. Luca di Giovanni | C.M. at Orvieto for thesecond time; the first wasin 1387. He was in theFlorentine Lodge in 1386. | |
| 67. | 1423 | M. Bastiano di Corso (of Florence) | Engaged to make 59 bracciaof inlaid frieze in thepavement of the steps of thehigh altar. | |
At first sight it would not appear that the Italian-Gothic cathedrals at Siena and Orvieto could have much to do with the ancient Comacine church of S. Michele at Pavia, but they are undoubtedly its hereditary descendants, and in great part the work of Comacine architects.