goldsmith's art; he even made a jewel, with which he adorned the breast of the Virgin. This jewel, in which were set precious stones of great value, cost the people of Arezzo, according to Vasari, 30,000 florins of gold. It was stolen by some soldiers; and the bas-reliefs of silver have alike disappeared.*

The brothers Agostino and Agnolo, and Andrew of Pisa († 1345), all belonging to the school of John, reckoned many goldsmiths among their pupils, and Andrew in particular rendered great services to the goldsmith's art by bringing to perfection the technical processes of casting and chasing. Thus, the early part of the XIVth century was one of those brilliant periods of Italian metal-work.

In 1316, Andrea d'Ognabene, a goldsmith of Pistoia, supplied, for the cathedral of that city, a magnificent altarfront, which was only the prelude to more important works, of which we shall speak hereafter. This piece of metal-work is decorated with six figures of prophets or apostles, expressed by a fine niello chasing, on an enamel ground, and with fifteen bas-reliefs, of which the subjects are taken from the New Testament. A Latin inscription transmits to us the name of the artist and the date of its execution.

Shortly after this we find mention made of Pietro and Paolo, who surpassed all their contemporaries in the beauty of their chasing; they were goldsmiths of Arezzo, and pupils of Agostino and Agnolo. In our chapter on enamels we have spoken already of the silver head, of natural size, so wonderfully chased and enriched with enamels, which they made to enclose the skull of St. Donato.

A goldsmith of Sienna, Ugolino, who had doubtlessly studied under his illustrious countrymen, Agostino and Agnolo, had acquired great celebrity by the magnificent silver reliquary of the Church of Orvieto, (Fig. 86). This reliquary, weighing 600 lbs., represents, with tolerable accuracy, the front of that church; it is enriched with enamels and detached figures. An inscription, engraved on this fine piece of metal-work, states its having been executed by Ugolino and his pupils, in 1338, under the pontificate of

* Vasari, Life of John of Pisa.

CHAP. VIL]

Benedict XII.*

RELIQUARY OF ORVIETO.

239

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to get

a sight of this fine monument; + but some idea may be

* Andrea Pennazi, Istoria dell' ostia, &c. ... Montefiascone, 1731. Il Padre Della Valle, Istoria del duomo d'Orvieto, Roma, 1791. According to these two authors, the inscription runs thus: "+Per magistrum Ugolinum et socios, aurifices de Senis, factum fuit sub anno Domini MCCCXXXVIII, tempore Domini Benedicti Papæ." + See above, p. 163.

formed of the skilful arrangement of the whole, and the science displayed in the pictures of enamelled chasing, by means of the engraving published by D'Agincourt.*

Maestro Cione was also a celebrated goldsmith of the first half of the XIVth century. Vasari cites among his finest works, and as being something marvellous, a bas-relief the subject of which is taken from the life of St. John the Baptist, with which he had ornamented the altar of that saint in the Baptistery of Florence. This altar of silver was begun in the XIIIth century, but was destroyed in 1366, to substitute for it the one that still exists. The beauty of Cione's bas-reliefs saved them from being melted, and procured them a place in the new altar upon which they may still be seen. His death occurred shortly after, in 1330, and the high repute in which he was held is proved by the number of pupils, all artists of merit, that he left behind him. Among these are Forzone d'Arezzo, whose fine translucid enamels upon relief have been already mentioned, and Leonardo of Florence, son of Giovanni, who showed himself a more skilful draughtsman than his rivals, and became the first goldsmith of that city.

At the time in which Leonardo flourished, were commenced the two most considerable monuments of the goldsmith's art that have been handed down to us; the altar of St. James of Pistoia, of which we have already noticed the facing, and the altar of the Baptistery of St. John, at Florence. For more than a hundred and fifty years the most skilful goldsmiths of Italy were engaged on these two monuments, upon which we may follow the history of the goldsmith's art in Italy during the XIVth and XVth centuries. Leonardo enriched them both with his workmanship. Let us say a few words concerning the altar at Pistoia, deferring a description of that of St. John till we speak of the metal-work of Antonio del Pollaiuolo.

The altar of Pistoia is composed of an immense number of bas-reliefs, statuettes, and figures in high-relief, disposed on several planes. It would be too long to give here a detailed

* Hist de l'art peinture, t. vi. pl. cxxiii. A figure of this reliquary is also to be seen in the work entitled: Stampe del duomo di Orvieto, Roma, MDCCXCI.

CHAP. VII.]

ALTAR OF PISTOIA,

241

description of this monument; it suffices, in order to give an idea of its importance, that we describe its general character and the most remarkable pieces of metal-work it contains.

On the right side of the altar are nine bas-reliefs, the subjects of which are taken from the life of St. James. A Latin inscription, engraved underneath, states them to have been made by Leonardo, in 1371. The bas-reliefs on the left side, which nearly all of them represent scenes from the Old Testament, are by the hand of the same artist. The shrine, containing the body of St. Atto, is not one of the least precious ornaments of the altar; among other bas-reliefs on it is to be observed, an Annunciation, placed between little columns; it is an admirable work, and was executed in 1390 by Pietro, son of Arrigo Tedesco, to whom we also are indebted for nine half-length figures in a good style. Upon the same line are two prophets, by Brunelleschi, probably the only specimens in metal-work remaining of this great artist. The statue of St. James in silver gilt, executed by Giglio or Cillio of Pisa, in 1350, occupies the upper plane; the angels which accompany it and the tabernacle, are by Pietro Tedesco, who also executed twenty-four statuettes, distributed upon two planes, on the right and left of the statue of St. James. A great number of other statuettes embellished the different parts of this immense monument. The principal are by Nofri, son of Buto (1396), Atto Braccini of Pistoia (1398), Nicolò, son of Guglielmo (1400), Leonardo, son of Matteo (1400), Pietro, son of Giovanni of Pistoia (1400), and Pietro, son of Antonio of Pisa (1456). Other goldsmiths are named among those who, at different periods, laboured at this work, Lorenzo del Nero, of Florence, Lodovico Buoni, of Faenza, Meo Ricciardi, Cipriano, and Filippo. The weight of the altar is estimated at 447 lbs.

We will finish all that relates to the altar of Pistoia, by calling attention to the fact, that among the artists engaged in its execution was a German, Pietro, son of Arrigo. The Germans had maintained their pre-eminence in the goldsmith's art, for Ghiberti, in his Memoirs, makes mention of a celebrated artist of Cologne, who had made various wonderful pieces of metal-work for the Duke of Anjou, brother of St. Louis, to whose service he was attached. This goldsmith-artist, whose

name is not given by Ghiberti, died in Italy under the pontificate of Martin IV. († 1285). Cicognara also, though often partial from a spirit of nationality, acknowledges that these German artists, who worked in Italy in the XIIIth and XIVth centuries, did not go there to study their art, but rather to practise it.*

There are still two pieces of metal-work of the same period as that which the silver altars of Pistoia and Florence were commenced; these are enclosed in the large tabernacle (ciborium) of the high altar of St. John Lateran, at Rome, but are not more accessible than the reliquary of Orvieto ; they are busts of St. Peter and St. Paul of gold and silver, serving as reliquaries for the heads of these two apostles. D'Agincourt extols highly the elegance and finish of these rich reliquaries, and also of their pedestals, which are decorated with chased bas-reliefs. They were made in 1369, for Urban V., by the goldsmiths Giovanni Bartholi of Sienna, and Giovanni Marci. To judge of these two busts by D'Agincourt's engraving,† they are far from being equal, as objects of art, to the greater part of the bas-reliefs and statuettes of the silver altar of Pistoia. Charles V. contributed to the embellishment of these reliquaries, by the gift of two fleurs-de-lis, enriched with precious stones, which ornament the breast of each bust; the French goldsmith's work being deemed worthy of a place by the side of these fine Italian chasings.

At the end of the XIVth century, two great artists issued from the workshop of a goldsmith; Filippo Brunelleschi (1377† 1446) and Luca della Robbia.

Brunelleschi, having early shown an aptitude for all works of skill, his father placed him under a goldsmith. The young Filippo soon excelled all his companions in the mounting of precious stones, and acquired great skilfulness in sculptured metal-work; it was at this time that he executed the two prophets in silver that form part of the altar of Pistoia; they are works of great beauty. Brunelleschi, feeling his genius impelled him to higher enterprises, soon gave up the gold